Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord (Love by Numbers, #2)

by Sarah MacLean

'Fabulous' Eloisa James
'Smart, sexy, and always romantic' Julia Quinn
'For a smart, witty and passionate historical romance, I recommend anything by Sarah MacLean' Lisa Kleypas

Since being named 'London's Lord to Land' by a popular ladies' magazine, Nicholas St John has been relentlessly pursued by every matrimony-minded female in the ton. So when an opportunity to escape fashionable society presents itself, he eagerly jumps - only to land in the path of the most determined, damnably delicious woman he's ever met!

The daughter of a titled wastrel, Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money. Though she is used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father's recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to protect her young brother's birthright. The sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.

But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless and foolish . . . like falling madly, passionately in love.

This is the second novel in the Regency romance Love By Numbers trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean - perfect for fans of Lisa Kleypas and Eloisa James

Love By Numbers series:
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord
Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

Praise for Sarah MacLean:

'Sarah MacLean has reignited the romance genre with a bolder edge' The New Yorker

'Funny, smart, feminist and roastingly hot' BookRiot.com

'Do yourself a favor and discover the compelling magic of Sarah MacLean' Amanda Quick

'MacLean writes with an entirely unique blend of elegance and ferocity that bursts from every page' Entertainment Weekly

'Great chemistry, intelligence and sparkling humor' RT Book Reviews

• ISBN10: 0061852066
• ISBN13: 9780061852060
• Publish Date: 26 October 2010
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

In Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord, Gabriel’s brother Nick has landed himself on the list of most eligible Lords in London. Women are throwing themselves at him left and right, and he wants no part of it. So when a friend asks him to find his missing sister, Nick jumps at the chance. When he thinks he may have found the girl, he winds up saving Isabel from being trampled by horses, she then invites him to appraise her statue collection. Little does Nick know, but the missing girl is staying with Isabel as she takes in girls who feel as if they have nowhere else to go.

Ten Ways to be Adored was definitely a fun read, but it was missing that extra something the first book had. I absolutely loved Isabel and her unconventional home, which she tries to keep secret from Nick. But hiding the fact that everyone who works there is a woman isn’t easy, and once Nick finds out that some of these ladies are hiding from the law, he can’t help but offer his protection! Isabel has been on her own for seven years though and is determined to save her home and these girls on her own, even if some of them are encouraging her to land herself the handsome lord. Sadly this set up doesn’t lend itself to anything too exciting, but I still found myself rooting for Isabel and Nick to make a true love match!

I like Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord. It did use one of my favorite tropes to force the couple together: stranded! So I very much enjoyed those parts! I do have to wonder what happened to Isabel’s statues though. She needed to money from their sale to fund repairs and clothes, but obviously marrying a lord made that unnecessary. Oh well!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Amanda]

I have two gripes about this series: one, the titles are ridiculously long to type out; two, I don't have the next book in my hands RIGHT NOW.

But the titles are FUN. I get serious giggles every time it rhymes in my head. No, I'm not drunk. And I've already requested my library copy. Duke of Leighton, you have some 'splaining to do.

So now that we've cleared up my "gripes" about this series, can I just say that I adored Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord? I liked the absence of the ton and balls; Isabel's situation is so much more precarious by being out in the country and so very alone.

And then there's Nick. Chased out of London by ladies attempting to land him. Determined not to follow in the footsteps of his parents. Heh. They always think they can resist, don't they? But put self-sufficient, beautiful Isabel in his path, and... well, this is a romance.

I appreciate that the characters of this series are not cookie cutter---their circumstances different, their motivations different, and yet you love them all the same. Because we met Nick in his brother and Callie's book, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, we know only enough to be intrigued. And Nick doesn't disappoint.

Isabel doesn't disappoint, either. She is fierce and determined and she cares about the women who have been cast out or escaped terrible conditions. She's not without her faults, but again, one of my favorite types of historical romance heroines.

I loathe the day I run out of Sarah MacLean books to read.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord is the second book in Sarah MacLean’s Love By Numbers series. I absolutely love this series and the characters MacLean creates. Once again, I found myself swept away and consumed this in a single afternoon. I laughed, giggled, swooned and cried. Fans of historical romances, strong woman and swoon worthy men do not want to miss this series.

The local woman’s rag has set out to tell the young women of the ton how to snag a lord. They first begin by naming the top “Lords of the Land”. When Nicholas St. John finds himself on the list it completely unnerves him. Women are following him everywhere and the invitations are flowing. When he is asked by a friend to find his runaway sister he jumps at the chance to escape. Meanwhile, twenty-four year old Lady Isabel Townsend is in a pickle. She is the daughter of a titled and deplorable man. The type of man who would gamble away his own daughter. Her father has passed, and left the Minerva estate in financial shambles. Since her mother's passing she has been harboring troubled women in her home. She offers them a safe haven and honest work. She is passionate about helping them, but money is tight. She resigns herself to selling all of her mother’s marble pieces. When Isabel and Nicholas’s paths collide, the world-tilts on its axis. The tale that unfolds is sweet, hilarious, delicious and at times bittersweet.

The character are colorful, strong, flawed, opinionated and oh so lovable! While the sky is falling around Isabel, she keeps her chin up and carries on. She is afraid to trust or lean on anyone; especially a man. She has vowed to never give her heart away. Nicholas is in a word - yummy and like his brother he has been emotionally damaged. His weakness has always been damsels in distress. Isabel can handle herself but he finds himself wanting to help. He senses the burden she carries and longs to scoop her up and hold. He is drawn to her strength and beauty. Their romance was sweet, fragile and left me breathless. I worried, they might not get their happily-ever-after. I loved the ladies residing under Isabel’s roof and it is quite apparent they all adore her. They think Nicholas is exactly what Isabel needs. I loved Nicholas’s friend Turk. He understands Nick and at times was hilarious. Of course we get to see Callie and Gabriel *swoons* again.

MacLean accurately depicts the circumstances women found themselves in during this era. By helping them Isabel puts herself and her young brother at risk. I adored the authors of the rag; Pearls & Pelisses. Each chapter begins with their advice, and I found myself giggling at their outlandish suggestions. I loved Nicholas's story and so wanted him to be happy and loved. I became completely caught up in this tale and while the first book in the Love by Numbers is still my favorite, I was delighted.

[rakesandrogues]

I adored the main character, Isabel, because she is vivacious and strong-willed. I loved how it started out as an atypical story, with Isabel out in the country and not out and about in London prancing around during her Season. I just loved the thought of Minerva House – a house operated by women. Furthermore, I loved the buildup of the relationship between Nicholas and Isabel. Though the romance in this book does occur throughout a couple of days, it did not seem rushed. They had strong chemistry and very entertaining banter.

I was hoping to see a little bit more from the secondary characters such as Lara and Rock. I found that I really enjoyed hearing about their story, but I felt that the novel could have touched upon them just a little bit more. Also, the pet names in the book got a little too much for me, to the point that it was almost cringe-worthy. Specifically, the nickname “beauty” was adorable at first but I felt that it got so overused, it was turning me off.

I felt that the story did get a little too predictable for my tastes toward the end, but overall it was satisfying. TEN WAYS is definitely steamy, and historical romance lovers will enjoy this one quite a lot. I would rate this book three out of five stars because, while it is enjoyable, it did not leave a lasting impression on me. I thought that the writing was great and enticing, and I will definitely check out more of this author’s work, but there was not enough “oomph” in the book that makes it stand out. However, I do feel that MacLean has the potential to become a great and successful writer like Julia Quinn and Eloisa James.