An Unforgettable Lady by Jessica Bird
July 6, 2010 (Reissue)
Contemporary Romance
Paperback, 336 Pages
Signet
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: "If you leave me now, know this. I’m not going to wait for you. I’m going on with my life. And I may never open my heart to you again."
Grace Woodward Hall, soon to be the former Countess von Sharone, seems to have it all. Beauty, wealth, and position. She has also fast becoming the next victim of a serial killer. One by one the most prominent socialites in Manhattan are being picked off one by one…and Grace fears she is next.
John Smith is a hard hearted (and headed) securities expert who has spent his life protecting the most important people in the world. When Grace hires him to protect her, John fears he will break one his most important rules. Never fall for the client. But as the danger and the passion heats up between Grace and John-a decision will have to be made. Can John let go of the past enough to embrace a future with Grace?
Grace Woodward is a socialite who seems to have everything. But under that calm cool sophistication is a woman on the edge-ready to snap. She has just buried her father, is divorcing her husband, and now it seems someone wants her dead. Enter John Smith. Security expert and all male. From the moment they shared an impromptu kiss in anger-John has wanted her like no one else. But John has many secrets. His life has been spent in the shadows. He has no real name, no social security number, no life. He is only what he chooses you to see. But Grace sees him. ALL of him. And that scares him to death. As he and Grace try to find a peaceful co existence, the passion that sparks between them threatens to consume them in it’s hot blazing glory.
I was shocked when I discovered this book. I adore JR Ward’s BDB series (Rhev=drool) so color me happy when I saw she wrote under another name back in the day. An Unforgettable Lady is a true suspense romance. Intense and seductive with enough intrigue to keep you up late needing to finish.
Grace is a strong yet vulnerable heroine. She’s not weak. But from trying to save her seat on the Hall Foundation to dealing with her mother-she is tired and needs someone to take it all from her and let her be herself. John is an uber alpha. Hard, uncompromising, and an arse. He has had a hard life and truly believes he has nothing Grace needs.
There are times in the story that I really wish John would just stop-in the story he calls Grace a whore because he is so tightly wound from wanting her and denying himself. But you understand where he comes from. You don’t like it and at times you don’t like him. But he’s scared. He’s gone for so long being someone else that he has no idea who he really is. And if he lets down his guard and let’s Grace meet the "real" John, he’s sure she will hate him. Grace maintains her dignity through out the book which I really appreciated. If she had fallen at his feet I would have lost all respect for her. But she doesn’t and in the end she is indeed his saving "Grace". Though personally, he would had some serious begging to do before I forgave him.
There is only one tiny actual smexy scene but in realty the whole story is a sexual scene. With each verbal thrust and jab…they make love through out the whole book; only being truly physical in the end. I’ll admit, the end surprised me. I was so swept up in Grace and John’s love affair that I did not see who the killer was. That says a lot because normally I know "who did it" by 1/2 way through. You will not see here BDB here and in that you are granted a unique view of the multi faceted talents of Ms Bird aka Ward.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing another side of Ms Ward and look forward to continuing the story with Jack and Callie in An Irresistible Bachelor.
Rating: 4/5
Recent Reviews:
Fiction Vixen – 3/5
Goodreads
I agree with you about Grace. I loved her strength and how she was able to "keep it together" given everything on her plate. And it was interesting to see Ward/Bird pre-BDB. Great review!
amyt865
Thanks Amy. :) I left this genre a while ago because of all the uber asshatness of the men. lol So I was pleasantly surprised by it.
I'm not a fan of Contemporary Romance (I need a supernatural element) but I could make an exception for the WARDen. I've read mixed reviews about this one so I'll need to look into it more. Awesome review.
Stephanie
Paranormal Haven
I read this book a loooong time ago – way back around the time of the first three BDB releases when I was craving all things J.R. Ward. I've read this one and two other of her full length comtemporary romances by her Jessica Bird name. They were all entertaining, but I'm lovin' the BDB books more. *Wink*
Great review Tori!
PH-I think as long as you remember this was written BEFORE BDB you might enjoy it more.
Vampfangirl-Yea, nothing can beat the BDB series-but this one was entertaining as well. Ward sure does love her uber alphas though. lol
Not big on suspense but I would like to see how she has written thsi book
You know I love my Ward and my brothers, but these books just don't appeal to me. I had a hard enough time reading Covet. Although I'm excited for Crave!
A year or two ago I read all of the Bird books. (I was going to do a feature on Alpha Heroes, but I never got around to it.)
They were OK, but not great. Strangely enough, I liked her categories for Silhouette better than the full length ones. All of her cool, blond, wealthy socialite heroines reminded me of the Proto-Jane. The Silhouette books overlapped her BDB period and she really had her "ordinary girl/alpha male" groove on by then.
I was shamed on twitter that I didn't know JR Ward also wrote as Jessica Bird.
I like the sounds of this one even though no Brothers will be in it. Tru?
Great review! I really like Ms. Ward's 'Moorehouse Legacy' series. It's almost a shame that the 'Blackdagger Brotherhood' have taken her away from writing these old romances… but at the same time, I do like me some 'BB'.
Blodeuedd-Give it try. :)
Mandi-Covet didn't so it for me. I'm still on the fence about Crave.
Nicola-Sometimes I just like a good comtemp romance with no PNR/UF in it. Umm about 1 a yr. lol
Smokin-Nope,no BDB. Written before that series.
Danielle-I agree. :)
I was wondering what her other titles would be like. I love the BDB so much I worry that nothing will live up to those (Covet anyone?). I might take a look at this one though!
I am really looking forward to reading this one…
Always fun to read the other voice of an author you love..
E.H>