A Hellion in Her Bed (Hellions of Halstead Hall Series #2)

A Keeper

Originally posted at: www.longandshortreviews.blogspot.com **** Jarret Sharpe is sure, even if you do everything right, fate can still take away everything you love. Consequently, he avoids love. He makes his money gambling, answers to no one, and wants responsibility for nothing. Somewhat of a Greek god in the flesh, Jarret attracts all the women necessary to satisfy his needs, so his grandmother's ultimatum, to wed with the year or be disinherited, rankles. When he bargains with her to run the family brewery for a year, in lieu of taking a wife, he sets himself on a collision course with one desperate, determined Annabel Lake.

Annabel, brewster for her brother's brewery that is failing, sees her brother overwhelmed and resorting to alcohol to drown his worries. He neglects the brewery that is in need of aggressive management if the family is to continue making a living in ale making, a business the Lake family has been prosperous in for years. Annabel "takes the bull by the horns", makes a plan, enlists the help of her sister-in-law and Geordie, and goes to London to make a deal with Plumtree Brewery, a powerful competitor.

Annabel is an intriguing contradiction in that she is forthright yet secretive, naïve about some things but intelligent and wise about business. She takes a calculated risk and calls Jarret's bluff on a wager and sets off a chain of events that entice the reader into a world of secrets, shenanigans, sensuality, and sizzling sex. As Annabel and Jarret struggle in their business dealings, in emotional upheavals, and in their unacknowledged search for redemption, the secondary characters play important roles. Eleven-year-old George is one of the most endearing. He touches the heart as he struggles to transition from child to young man, especially with his history.

A Hellion in Her Bed flames with conflicts that create a furor fueled by the meddling of others and malicious gossip above and beyond the inner conflicts that seem to stymie both Annabel and Jarret emotional maturation. Neither can move on until they realize that holding on the past has kept them from looking to the future and its possibilities.

Sabrina Jefferies' remarkable writing style makes this story sparkle, sizzle, and seethe with life. The imagery brings forth the setting in full Technicolor and engages all the senses. The characters' emotions-the turmoil, stress, strife, humor, and love pull the reader into A Hellion in Her Bed to enjoy a sensational vicarious experience. It's a "goody".

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Highly recommend!!

I really liked this story. It was as good as the first in this series and I would recommed both stories.
I would have loved to have this Hellion in my bed!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Fun and engaging

Wonderful, engaging story, as always from Ms. Jeffries. The Sharpe family continues to grow on me, and I love that there were two families full of fun characters to enjoy in this book-- the Sharpes and Annabel's family. Loved it!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A good read

"Hellion in her Bed" is the second book in Sabrina Jeffries new Hellions of Halstead Hall series. From the moment I picked up the novel until I put down after finishing it, I thought that "Hellion in her Bed" had one of the most intriguing plot elements I'd read in a regency-era romance in a while.

By-blows, or illegitimate children, are not uncommon in historical novels. If anything having a child out of wedlock is reserved for the lead male (as seen in Eloisa James' "A Duke of Her Own") or a minor character. Admittedly, Elizabeth Hoyt's "To Beguile a Beast" features a heroine with two illegitimate children, but there was no need for subterfuge due to her status as a well-known mistress.

In Hellion, Annabel Lake must watch her son be raised by her brother and sister-in-law while she is merely his aunt. Jeffries is able to show the reader Annabel's pain as she assists the raising of her son from afar. The pain is sharp and painful and real. Her secret is actually an adequate as a conflict to keep Annabel and Jarret apart.

Lord Jarret Sharpe is the typical carefree rake with commitment issues found in 95% of all romances. He has his reasons for building a wall around his heart, but don't they all? He is likable and exudes sex appeal off the pages, but that still makes Jarret feel uninteresting in his commonality. Even his friend Giles Masters seemed a bit more interesting than he was at times.

No matter its small problems, Sabrina Jeffries' writing in "Hellion in Her Bed" sparkles with humor and emotion. The book has an interesting premise and a realistic, sympathetic heroine. With such good writing, those two things are enough to make the book worth buying.

"Hellion in Her Bed" by Sabrina Jeffries is scheduled to be released on September 21st.

http://www.examiner.com/romance-novel-in-arlington/susan-renee-page

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

a fantastic historical

In 1825, Annabel Lake wants to save her family's brewery that seems heading to bankruptcy. The desperate spinster offers a bet to obtain help from rival Plumtree Brewery.

Current manager Lord Jarret Sharpe hates the beer business that his grandmother blackmailed him into running for a year. He never recovered from the shocking murders of his parents two decades ago so he turned to cards as a safety net; his sibling insists Jarret cannot breathe without cards in his hands. He accepts her wager, but offers different terms. Instead of her lucky heirloom ring for his marketing assistance, he demands she spends a night in his bed. His smirk turns to shock when Annabel accepts his stakes. Even more stunning she beats the card shark at his game. He travels to her brewery to pay off his debt. As the two brewery managers become acquainted, they fall in love, but she distrusts gamblers so he raises the stakes especially after learning her dark secret.

With a charming lead couple supported by a strong cast mostly of family (readers will want a Victorian starring one current tweener) and a fabulous insightful look at the beer business, fans will toast Sabrina Jeffries. The second Hellions of Halstead Hall late Regency romance (see The Truth About Lord Stoneville) is a fantastic historical as the second Sharpe rakehell loses at the tables but wins at hearts.

Harriet Klausner

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyable Read - would recommend

So in the 5 book series this was my favorite. Good stroey, fun characters, entertaining plot. Nice distraction for a couple on nights.

A Grandmother¿s Ultimatum

Furious at his grandmother’s ultimatum to marry or lose his inheritance, Lord Jarret Sharpe wagers his luck—and his heart—at the card table against a most unlikely opponent.

Mired in scandal after his parents’ mysterious deaths, notorious gambler Lord Jarret Sharpe agrees to tamely run the family’s brewery for a year if his Machiavellian grandmother rescinds her ultimatum that he marry. But the gambler in him can’t resist when beguiling Annabel Lake proposes a wager. If she wins their card game, he must help save her family’s foundering brewery. But if he wins, she must spend a night in his bed. The outcome sets off a chain of events that threatens to destroy all his plans…and unveils the secret Annabel has held for so long. When Jarret discovers the darker reason behind her wager, he forces her into another one—and this time he intends to win not just her body, but her heart.

Annabel is in a desperate situation, her brother has taken to drinking while their family brewery is losing money, thus she decides to plead her case to another brewery house in hopes of combining business. Things don't work out as planned though when the brewery she wishes to work with has recently changed management and instead of placing her hopes in another strong indigent female boss, she's making under the table bets with a gambling rake - bets that begin to lead her on a slippery slope into lust and repeating mistakes from her heavily guarded past. Lord Jerret is begrudgingly assisting his grandmother by running the brewery in her absence and is tempted both by Annabel herself and by her daring business deals. Can they both save both her family's future as well as their heart in A Hellion in Her Bed?

I can easily get sucked into a Sabrina Jeffries's book because her writing style appeals to me on all levels. Her chapters flow smoothly, her characters are very realistic, and her plots are usually something new with a twist that it's hard not to become fascinated by the overall tale as well. Yet I find I'm reading this series all out of order again beginning with Book # 2 instead of #1 (a usual bad habit of mine), but at least I understand the general theme of the Hellion siblings and highly enjoy it. The side characters all add some quirky entertainment without over-shining the leads and the romantic growth between Jerret and Annabel was nice - not coming on too strong but growing gradually throughout and expect lots of fun flirting.

Jerret grew on me throughout the story, as a reader, we get glimpses of him as a sorrowful youth after the tragic loss of his parents to the stubborn cocky adult male he's grown into. Right off the back, we see the emotional barriers he puts up to prevent being hurt again and that helps the reader understand his relationship struggles, especially with Annabel. On the other hand, Annabel is punishing herself for a mistakes she made in her youth and I feel both frustrated in her actions but admire her tenacity in handling everything. She's just a stubborn as Jerret and the two adorably bunt heads at time, but from the very beginning they come off as the perfect pair.

Wonderful book, highly recommend it.

I am into historical romance and I love series books. Recommend you read the Hellions of Halstead series. Great author.

disappointment

it`s not sparkling. An hard working, single mum is not romantik.

0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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