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Andreas Merrick is the king of London’sdark underworld, having amassedunimaginable wealth and power . . . and afierce reputation that leaves even thebravest men quaking in their boots. Yet one person is maddeningly unintimidated byhis fearsome presence: the persistentMiss Phoebe Pace.
And one kiss always leads to another . . .
Equal parts honey and steel, Phoebe willstop at nothing to find her missing brotherand save her family. Though associatingwith Andreas means peril and scandal,she never expects to experience a passionso intense that it threatens to consume her.But enigmatic Andreas is no ordinary manto love. He brings dangers from all sides—without and within—while tempting herbeyond her wildest dreams . . .
Phoebe Pace is trying everything to save her father's company while hiding the true story about his removal from society. Unfortunately, some want to get their hands on Pace & Co, no matter what the costs. Phoebe decides to enlist the help of the most ruthless man in London, Andreas Merrick.
Andreas Merrick has lived his life with one goal: revenge on the man who made him who he is today. Everyone, with the exception of his brother Roman, is terrified of him. That is, until he meets Phoebe Pace. She knows he holds the debts of his father and wants him to help her find out who's behind the plot to make her father the fall guy. His sneering and barking do not scare Phoebe and he suddenly finds himself doing what he can to protect her.
The story had much intrigue, as the author wove us through the London underworld. But sometimes that intrigue seemed too much and left me confused as to who we were following and why.
If you like your historical romances with a lot of intrigue and just a hint of romance, this is the book for you. Me? I wanted more "total" surrendering and less of the intricate web of lies.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Review by Jen:
I love historical romances and have read some of Ms Mallory's past books, so when I came across this one on NetGalley, I had to give it a try. However I have mixed feelings about the book and it's making this review hard to write. So, here I go with some of my thoughts...
In so many historicals, the lead characters are in society... or at least one of them is. In this one, neither Andreas or Phoebe is really part of the ton, which made for a different sort of read. Because of this, the characters weren't held to quite the same rules they would face if they were navigating ballrooms and house parties. In fact, Andreas is part of the London underworld. Andreas is a pretty dark character and it was hard for me to really like him. You'd have thought with his violent actions and temper that Phoebe would be running the other direction, but she seems to find herself drawn to him and eventually falling in love (come on, I'm not giving anything away, it's a romance after all).
The plot was interesting enough, two people from completely different backgrounds and brought together because Phoebe needs Andreas's help in finding her missing brother. But Andreas has a little secret where her brother and father are concerned, which throws another twist into the plot. And Phoebe isn't without her own secrets which make things even more interesting. But even with all these surprises, I often times found it hard to really get into the story. In fact, writing this review a month after reading, nothing about the book really stood out in my mind except the fact that I didn't particularly like Andreas. Don't get me wrong, I finished the book and was satisfied in the end, but I was also left underwhelmed. I had higher hopes for the story.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.After Roman's story I could not wait to read Andreas'. There was no disappointment and has gotten a rare place on my favorites shelf. This book is a bit unusual in that the first half of the book is written from Andreas' POV. There is nothing in the entire story that gives the reader any idea what Phoebe was thinking or why she was acting the way she was. It was fun to see through his eyes what was happening around him and how he reacted to situations. Phoebe is my type of heroine. She is intelligent and has a lot of familial pressures on her. Her brother has disappeared, her father has dementia and she is trying to hold the business together and take care of her father. There is still a lot of violence in the book, just like in Roman's but it never seems out of place. The only drawback is the ending. The last two or three pages are just a little to fairytale-ish but I can easily get pass that to enjoy the rest of the book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 1, 2012
Totally captivated by the chemistry between Andreas and Phoebe. This book was hard to put down. Highly recommend.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mlorio
Posted October 24, 2011
Andreas Merrick has drawn Phoebe Pace's family into his scheme of revenge without caring about the harm he does to that family. When he impulsively forgives their debt he believes he has seen the last of Phoebe. Instead she is determine to pay him back and becomes a fixture in his life. Andreas finds himself determined to protect Phoebe and her family against the danger that he originally placed them in while his feelings for the unusual woman grows.
I did not read the prior title in the series and I feel that it hurt my enjoyment of the book. I did not get the main characters and their motivations. Who wishes someone to "Have a productive day"? While I did find some enjoyable in the story, I suspect it is story that reads better having read the set up in the previous title in the series.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.While beautifully written and delightful characters-for the most part-I gave this 4 stars because the main male figure is a very dark man and not everyones' cuppa of tea. personally I loved Andreas and I adored the main female character. A must read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 27, 2011
Phoebe Pace becomes a proactive young woman in the family business when her brother goes missing and her father's acumen falters. Armed with ledgers, her keen intelligence, naivety, innocence, and a smile that lights up the room, she beards the lion, Andreas Merrick, in his den. He holds the paper on her father's debts and she needs to make a deal.
Andreas Merrick is feared and avoided by even the most depraved and wicked. Even those who follow and admire him have been known to refer to him as the "demon bastard". He and his "closeer-than-blood" brother Roman operate the Collateral Exchange and many more moneymaking businesses. They have survived and thrived in the underworld of London and above ground. Andreas carved his empire with blood, steel, and unyielding determination as he took Roman along with him. He rules with fear and an uncanny knowledge about what goes on in places of power inside and outside London.
Phoebe can plot, but mainly she operates on instincts and emotions as she infiltrates the fearsome Andreas's world and wins the hearts of the hard case men and boys who people it. She stands up to his brutishness and compares him to a harsh thunderstorm that is beautiful, to a fearsome gargoyle that stands guard over its own, and to the dangerous yet arresting Mephistopheles. Yet, she chooses to love him and gives him control of almost half the Pace and Company assets, believing he can save it from her nemesis Lord Garret.
The intriguing entanglement of the many characters is amazing and makes In Total Surrender a compelling tale. Anne Mallory's plotting skills hold one's attention while the humor she manages she weaves into such dark lives gives comic relief at just the right times.
Ms. Mallory weaves a tapestry of a tale with lots of dark, ominous characters, but the bright, golden thread of Phoebe woven in liberally makes an arresting design that enthralls from start to finish. Her unique writing style with expressive metaphors creates characters that bombard one's emotions and plots that scare and even horrify at times. But, the scenes where Phoebe breaches Andreas's defenses and the reader gets to see the true Andrea are breathtaking. They redeem what early-on seemed like an unredeemable hero-a hero that falls "prey" to the intrepid Miss Phoebe Pace, who makes his dark world sparkle with her smile and unconditional love. This journey from darkness to light makes GOOD READING!
Originally posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 6, 2012
It was just ok.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RomanceReaderRI
Posted October 2, 2011
As a seasoned reader of historical romance, I found this book fresh and innovative in its writing style. Both lead characters were fascinating and likeable. The hero is so dark, yet vulnerable to this one woman's relentless pursuit. The plot is very conceivable with no feeling of contrived circumstances to further the romance. The characters are fully developed and both show a dark sense of humor. Easily earns a spot on my top 10 list.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.santurcer63
Posted October 1, 2011
Read in a day. She was perfect for him.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AAR
Posted September 19, 2011
IN TOTAL SURRENDER by Anne Mallory is an exciting historical romance set in Regency England.The prequel to In Total Surrender is One Night Is Never Enough (Roman's story). But In Total Surrender can be read as a stand alone. It is written with depth,details and the characters are engagin,enchanting and will capture your heart. It has romance, sweet sensuality,danger,passion,intrigue,suspense,dark underworld, secrets,revenge,and finding love. Andreas Merrick,Roman's adopted brother,a financial wizard,sexy,feared by most man,abandoned as a child,raised on the streets of London,wealthy,and looking for revenge on the person who made him who he is today. Phoebe Pace,indepenent,beautiful,stubborn, hiding a secret concerning her family,and looking for her brother who has disappeared. She will do anything to keep her family and their secrets safe,including turning to the notorious Andreas. Andreas,would do anything to bring down his enemy and the man who abandoned him as a child. So when he finds Phoebe lurking outside his club,he agrees to help her not knowing all her secrets. Together,they find passion,danger,and solve the mystery of Phoebe's brother's disapperance. A quick read that will have you turning pages. In Total Surrender has Phoebe and Andreas in total surrender to their passion and their desires.This book was received for review from Net Galley and the publisher.Details can be found at Avon,an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers and My Book Addiction Reviews.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Financial wizard Andreas Merrick runs London's underworld. No one dares to challenge his power. Yet in spite of a crafty lethal reputation that has even the bravest keeping their distance, Miss Phoebe Pace pleads with him to help her find her missing brother.
Though he admires her courage as he understands what she risks, he still says no and tells her to go home before she is hurt. Phoebe may be an innocent, but she knows the scandalous risk she takes yet refuses to heed his warning. Instead, she blithely assaults him at his office and his home. As she continues her quest, he tries to kiss her away, but instead she wants more of him. As they fall in love, Andreas knows his Phoebe is not safe with him because his enemies will use her as his Achilles' heel.
The second London's underworld historical romance is an exciting suspense starring an unlikely pairing who, as with One Night Is Never Enough, proves to be a perfect coupling. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the persistent pursuing Phoebe accosts the dangerous Andreas. Though he knows the cost to her of her obstinacy and his attraction, he cannot resist the temptation. Anne Mallory will receive accolades for her alliterative female heroines invading the London underground to the delight of sub-genre fans.
Harriet Klausner
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Posted October 9, 2011
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Overview
Andreas Merrick is the king of London’sdark underworld, having amassedunimaginable wealth and power . . . and afierce reputation that leaves even thebravest men quaking in their boots. Yet one person is maddeningly unintimidated byhis fearsome presence: the persistentMiss Phoebe Pace.
And one kiss always leads to another . . .
Equal parts honey and steel, Phoebe willstop at nothing to find her missing brotherand save her family. Though ...