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

by Sarah MacLean

[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.