Book Review | Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord

Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean
Series: Love by Numbers #2
Published by Harper Collins on October 26, 2010
Genres: Fiction / Feminist, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback

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 presentsitself, 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.

ISBN: 9780062018700

I definitely enjoyed this one more than Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake! I absolutely loved Isabel as a character. I thought she was so strong and independent, and her story was just so heart wrenching. Her character arc of learning to trust and love someone was so lovely to read. Isabel’s creation and running of Minerva House was also fascinating to see of women coming together to help others. I love how even though she didn’t have much, she had enough to help out others and did.

Nicholas’s story line was okay. Most of what we know about his childhood and mom we learned in the first book with his brother. There was the added trauma of the woman who betrayed him that landed him in a Turkish prison. I appreciated that there was this extra added layer, as I was hesitant to read it thinking Nicholas’s story might be too similar to Gabriel’s.

The two of them together was just way too adorable! I love the back and forth and them trying to figure out how to actually be together with all their past traumas. Also, Isabel’s little brother was too adorable, especially the scenes between him and Nicholas. I don’t want kids but man that was still too precious for words.

One aspect that annoyed me in the first book was the lack of formatting or pacing with Callie’s rules. I kept forgetting about each rule Callie wanted to break and what they even were. In this one, a popular ladies magazine has epigraphs at the beginning of some chapters that list and explain each way to land a lord. It was a better way to keep the number idea (rules/ways) in the forefront of the reader’s mind.

I did love the ending, well except for Simon Pearson who can go choke after he says he has no sister. I’m definitely interested to see how Juliana and Simon’s story plays out with him not being in my good books at the end of this one.