Thank you for the opportunity to read A Reckless Desire. Unfortunately, I did not download the book before it was archived in April 2016. I do not plan to finish the book.

"Doubt thou the stars are fire,
Doubt that the sun doth move,
Doubt truth to be a liar,
But never doubt I love."

There, he'd said that he loved her, even if it came by way of Hamlet. And he did love her, loved her in a way that he'd never loved any other woman.
4.25 stars
What an absolutely lovely read! I adored Lucia and came to love Rivers just as much. There is a great deal of character growth there—in both of them, really—and I thought it was portrayed very well.

When the book starts, the class difference between the two characters is pronounced and Rivers, as nice a guy as he is, definitely has a bit of an air of superiority and lack of awareness about him. Even after he falls in love with her, he struggles with their differences in rank and plans to set her up as his mistress, which I know can be an iffy move for the reader, but in this case I didn't mind it. He just needs that last bit of shaking up to realize the right thing and what he really, truly wants to do.

While on the one hand, I love books where the characters are of different classes and rooting for them to get together regardless, on the other hand, I am wary when authors overlook too easily the very real barriers that such differences create and make it all too fairytale-like. I was glad that wasn't the case here, and Bradford was able to balance very well the reality of the gap between them with the strength of their love for one another.

I adored that the Hamlet play became their own kind of language, and they would quote from it at different times to speak to the situation or circumstances at hand. It was quite cute and sweet.

This is truly one of those love stories where the couple brings out the best in one another, because Lucia helps him to move past his strict adherence and way of viewing things, and Rivers helps her by believing in her and her talent, when no one else really has. A very quiet and sweet romance that will definitely be a reread for me in the future.


When she was with him, she felt a kind of spark, an energy she couldn't find words to explain. It wasn't just that he was clever, and charming, and handsome as sin itself. He made her feel as if her life were richer, more vibrant, more filled with possibilities. He made her feel more alive, if such a thing were possible, as if the rest of her life had been spent in a dreary, gloomy sleep, and he alone had the power to wake her.

——————

Books had always been his comfort, their knowledge the one sure thing in an often uncertain world. He'd always believed he could learn anything he desired from the right book, and prove whatever he wanted as well. He'd been proud of it, too.

But what if Lucia was right? What if he'd been using his library not as a sanctuary, but to keep the rest of the world at bay? Perhaps he had relied too much on the words and thoughts of others, and hadn't dared to trust his own.

——————

"How can you call me unfeeling, Lucia?" he demanded, emotion turning his voice rougher than he'd intended. "How can you say I care for nothing in life beyond what I've learned in books? That's not a fair judgment, and you of all others must be aware of it."

She stopped struggling, her eyes wide. "What are you saying, my lord?"

"I'm saying what you must know for yourself," he said. "That these last weeks here with you have been among the best and most enjoyable of my life. That I regret how swiftly the days have passed, and dread the time when the last of them will be done. That I have enjoyed your company more than I would ever have imagined. So do not tell me that I care for nothing beyond books, Lucia, because damnation, it is not true."

*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.

I didn't care for this.. I read this awhile ago, so I don't remember why. But my goodreads said I rated it 2 stars so here you go.

A Pygmalion plot that would make George Bernard Shaw blush, Bradford's 3rd book in the Breckenridge Brothers series is a delight.

I enjoyed rivers and lucia's story! Romance and intrigue...

This historical romance tells the story of Rivers and Lucia. Rivers has been challenged to turn Lucia into a stage sensation, and as he follows this path, the two begin to develop feelings for each other. These two were interesting characters, and the storyline was a little different for a historical romance.