Sunday, July 17, 2011

Review -- The Sins of Viscount Sutherland

The Sins of Viscount Sutherland
The Lords of Sheffield Square—Book 1
By Samantha James
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: May 31, 2011






Claire Ashcroft wants revenge. Her brother, Oliver, was killed in a duel and she wants the man responsible for his death to pay. So, Claire comes up with a plan to settle the score. She pretends to be a widow and intends to make the disreputable Viscount Sutherland fall in love with her so she can then break his heart. What she doesn’t realize is that the viscount has no intention of falling in love—he only seeks to have her in his bed because his heart was broken and closed off years ago.

Grayson Sutherland has been down the path of love and was burned, but not in the usual way. He has since gone from mistress to mistress and that’s the way he likes it: no strings attached. When he meets Claire, he is instantly captivated by her beauty and delighted to discover she is a widow. Her innocent manner clashes with her widow status and that intrigues him even more. But when all secrets are revealed, who will win?

I have enjoyed Samantha James’s books in the past and am a huge fan of The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell (which was one of my favorite books of 2007), but unfortunately The Sins of Viscount Sutherland was a miss for me. And it’s a shame because it was an interesting storyline and I really liked Gray! You all know that I love me some sexy rakes with dark secrets and he fit the bill quite nicely. However, I didn’t care for Claire at all. To me, she just wasn’t a likable character. As I continued reading, I kept hoping and hoping that she would grow on me, but she never did. Her behavior changed from composed to angry so often and so quickly that I found myself wondering what Gray could possibly see in her. And just when I thought she was finally going in the right direction—bam!—she’d do or say something that made me want to strangle her again. I can easily forgive a heroine if she starts off that way and matures through the course of the book, but Claire was acting that way until almost the very end. And it’s hard to root for someone like that. I can only hope that Ms. James’s next book will feature a heroine I can connect with. In the meantime, I recommend giving this book a pass.

~Andrea

21 comments:

  1. WOW!! A Samantha James that misses. Is the sky falling?

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  2. The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell is actally my favorite book of hers. It's such a pity that this book doesn't deliver. The other reviews I've been reading about it are not favorable.

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  3. Any book by Samantha James is definitely worth reading and I am certainly willing to give it a try. Perhaps there is some underlying reason for the Claire's anger that may be difficult to discover but never say never. However I admire the honest review. Being honest is what makes a good reviewer.

    Connie Fischer
    conniecape@aol.com

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  4. Andrea, I agree with you, too, on this book. I've read Samantha James' books before and liked them, but this was not one I liked. What is with the heroine?? The hero deserved someone else.

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  5. Wow, I thought it was just me being in a mood when I read it. I have read many books where the heroine and a couple of the heroes were TSTL, it was just unexpected in this book.
    Like you say if she starts out slow but matures I can handle it. If she doesn't grow up somewhere in there it is a wash.

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  6. I've always been a huge Samantha James fan, and, as most fans, whenever I see a new book coming out, I just have to have it - I was HUGELY disappointed when I read this book. I am at least happy to hear that others found the heroine lacking any endearing qualities to make a reader able to relate to her. Well...lesson learned, read reviews before auto-buy...

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  7. I am glad for the heads up on this book. Samantha James books are usually a favorite of mine.
    Thank you.

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  8. LOL, marybelle. I'm afraid so.

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  9. Antonia, I *LOVED* The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell. SUch a good book. I agree, it is a pity that this one missed the mark.

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  10. Thanks, Connie. I appreciate that. And you may enjoy this one more than me. Like they say: One person's DNF may be another person's keeper. :)

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  11. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was bugged by the way Claire acted, Deb. I thought maybe it was just me. She was way too hot, then cold, then hot, then cold for my taste. Like I said in my review, I just don't see what Gray saw in her.

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  12. No, Dianna, it wasn't just you, and I agree that it was unexpected. I hope the next book is better because I'd hate to give up on SJ!

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  13. Dtchycat said: Well...lesson learned, read reviews before auto-buy...

    I actually learned this lesson a few years ago myself, Dtchycat. And I realize that everyone has different opinions, but in today's economy, I have to be picky.

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  14. Thanks, gigi. Her books are usually a favorite of mine, too!

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  15. I am a big fan of Samantha James and have loved all of her books I do have this one on the TBR pile and will give it a go
    Thanks for the review Andrea

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  16. Andrea, I loved The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell---it's on my keeper shelves.

    It always makes me a bit sad when I don't like a book by an author I really enjoy.


    Karyn, you really must read The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell. It's fantastic!

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  17. Thanks, Helen. I hope you enjoy it more than I did. Let me know what you think after you've read it.

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  18. Karyn said: A complete miss, and it is too bad as I liked Grayson...

    I know! I kind of felt like he was wasted on Claire. It is too bad.

    If you get a chance, try The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell. It is so good!

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  19. Gannon said: It always makes me a bit sad when I don't like a book by an author I really enjoy.

    Me, too, Gannon. Me, too.

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  20. I read this last week and I am so glad I found this review! I normally love Samantha James' writing but this one just did not work. I thought it was just me that couldn't stand the heroine. I couldn't find a single redeemable thing about her and honestly don't understand half the things she did. Gray was great...he deserved better.

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  21. Thanks, Calila1988. Honestly, I was worried that I was the only one who felt that way about her, so it's very reassuring that it wasn't just me. :)

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