Seduce Me at Sunrise audiobook

Re-read Oct'2019: This is such an emotional read and will forever remain one of my absolute, all-time favorite historical romances! Still big 5++ stars!! Original read/review Jun'2010: 5++ stars – Historical RomanceForever together and yet always apart.....WOW, just WOW! I absolutely loved this! Seduce Me At Sunrise is a beautiful, evocative, sensual, moving, and lush romance of forbidden love, powerful yearning, and long-denied desire between two star-crossed souls. Although dark, cold, hardened, mysterious gypsy Kev Merripen and sweet, fair, innocent, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway might appear to be opposites, they've shared an intrinsic bond and deep love for each other since childhood. And yet the soul mates seemed destined to be kept forever apart by various twists of fate, including family tragedy, Win's illness, differences in social status, a curse, a persistent, respectable rival suitor after Win's hand, scandal, but mainly because of Kev's stubborn, anguished refusal to allow himself to be with the one and only woman his heart beats for.It's a powerful, touching, and achingly poignant romance of two lovers yearning for each other who must confront and heal the past, face their fears, and fight destiny to finally be together, forever. Big 5++ stars!!These are my favorite Kev Merripen thoughts/quotes:"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."Kev loved her. Not in the way that novelists and poets described. Nothing so tame. He loved her beyond earth, heaven, or hell. Every moment out of her company was agony; every moment with her was the only peace he had ever known. Every touch of her hands left an imprint that ate down to his soul. He would have killed himself before admitting it to anyone. The truth was buried deep in his heart.I love you, he thought, looking at Win. I love every part of you, every thought and word...the entire complex, fascinating bundle of all the things you are. I want you with ten different kinds of need at once. I love all the seasons of you, the way you are now, the thought of how much more beautiful you'll be in the decades to come. I love you for being the answer to every question my heart could ask. And it seemed so easy, once he capitulated. It seemed natural and right. Kev wasn't certain if he was surrendering to Win or to his own passion for her. Only that there was no more holding back. He would take her. And he would give her everything he had, every part of his soul, even the broken pieces.A weak but steady throb lay beneath Kev’s searching fingertips. Win’s heartbeat … the pulse that sustained his universe.“I believe in two people loving each other.” A smile curved his lips. “Finding pleasure in ordinary moments. Walking together. Arguing over things like the timing of an egg, or how to manage the servants, or the size of the butcher’s bill. Going to bed each night, and waking up together each morning.” Lifting his head, he cradled the side of her face in his hand. “I’ve always started every day by going to the window for a glimpse of the sky. But now I won’t have to.” “Why not?” she asked softly. “Because I’ll see the blue of your eyes instead.” “How romantic you are,” she murmured with a grin, kissing him gently. “But don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”My favorite Win thought/quote:This was not an impulsive act. This was ritual. This was an ancient Romany courtship rite, and there would be nothing halfhearted about it. She was going to be kidnapped and ravished. Finally.And the letter that Win sends to Kev made me bawl my eyes out!(view spoiler)[ Since my illness I have had the strength to do very little except to love [Win had written], but that I have done, and I still do, in full measure. I am sorry for the way I shocked you the morning I left, but I do not regret the sentiments I expressed. I am running after you, and life, in desperate pursuit. My dream is that someday you will both turn and let me catch you. That dream carries me through every night. I long to tell you so many things, but I am not free yet. I hope to be well enough someday to shock you again, with far more pleasing results. I have enclosed a hundred kisses in this letter. You must count them out carefully and not lose any. Yours, Winnifred (hide spoiler)]

3.5 starsa quick summary of this book:Heroine: if I leave, I may die, but if I don’t die…I never want anything to do with you again. I’ll stay, but you have to admit you love meHero: nah tropes: •pining•groveling•forbidden love•family dynamic•childhood friends to loversKev and Win meet when they were kids. Kev was saved by the Hathaway’s while on the brink of death and nursed back to health. The two instantly form a bond that makes them inseparable, but it was more than just a bond for the both of them.Kev refuses to acknowledge the love he has for Win for many reasons, but mostly he believes he isn’t good enough for her. Two years before, Win was nearly killed by scarlet fever, which left her very weak and frail. She decides to visit a doctor in France who performs treatments that can help improve her life style.spoilers below‼️The book starts off with Kev telling Win not to leave. Win pushes up to admit that he has feelings for her and that’s why he doesn’t want to be separated from her. Kev makes up some bullshit that he doesn’t want her to leave because she “won’t be safe” and he loves EVERYONE in her family. Yeah sure buddy 🤔🙄 “Tell me you love me. Tell me, and I'll stay…I wouldn't care if I died tomorrow, if I could just hear it once—”“Don't," he growled, backing away.Win keeps pushing him and eventually decides to kiss him. And damnnnn do they kiss. When Kev finally wakes up from his trance, he pushes her away“That will never happen again.”“Because you're afraid you might hurt me?”“Because I don't want you that way.”She stiffened with indignation, and gave a disbelieving laugh. “You responded to me just now. I felt it.”His color deepened. “That would have happened with any woman.”—The way I would kms if a guy said that to me 😭✋🏻After that, Win leaves for France for 2 whole years. She finally returns, with the doctor that helped her in tow. She sorta shows up unannounced so she decides to got to Kev’s room secretly since they’re in a hotel. When Kev opens the door… “I didn't send for a woman tonight.” The way my heart sank when he said that 😭 Because Win is hiding her face, he thinks she’s a fucking prostitute 💀 Kev begins to initiate sex and Win still hasn’t revealed who she is. She even asks him if ‘he’d like to see her face’ to which he replies “It's of no concern to me if you're plain or fair.” Well damn 😃 HERE’S THE BEST PART. As Kev starts lifting her dress, Win finally says something—Aroused and panicking, she stared down at her fists and choked out, “Is this how you treat women now, Kev?” MAN LITERALLY FREEZES…THEN KISSES THE FUCK OUT OF HER. They makeout and dry hump each other till…you guessed it... Kev pulls away and tells her to stay away from him 🙄 Win is pissed now because even though she’s gotten healthier and is less fragile, Kev still refuses her.“Unless I was mistaken in how you once felt for me? Did you ever desire me, Kev?”“No.” His voice was barely audible. “It was only friendship. And pity.” Fuck that really hurt ✋🏻 At this point, Win is just done with Kev. She decides to pursue the doctor that helped her since he followed her home in order to get to know her. Kev of course HATES THIS and decides to get in the way of their relationship. Win gets even more mad at him for this and accuses him of not being capable of love. Now, here’s one of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever heard “All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment.”—FUUUUCK IMAGINE SOMEONE LOVING YOU THIS MUCHWhen Win had scarlet fever, she would look out the window to watch these robins that had a nest on a tree. She complained that the window was too dirty to see the robins clearly, so Kev, despite his fear of heights, got a ladder and cleaned that window. When Win finally moved back home to the family house and enters her room she notices the wallpaper straight away...“Mr. Merripen personally selected the wallpaper," Mrs. Barnstable said. "He nearly drove the interior architect mad with his insistence on seeing hundreds of samples until he found this pattern.”The wallpaper was white, with a delicate pattern of flowering branches. And at sparse intervals, there was the motif of a little robin perched on one of the twigs.Gahhh he’s so considerate 😭😭 the little things he did for her just made me swoonWhen Win was sick, Kev found this very potent medication that could cure her. The issue with this medication is it can easily kill someone if the wrong dose is taken. Win’s sister happened to notice something the day that he gave her the medication…“She said that when Win and I had fallen ill with scarlet fever, and you made the deadly nightshade syrup, you'd concocted far more than was necessary. And you kept a cup of it on Win's nightstand, like some sort of macabre nightcap. Amelia said that if Win had died, she thought you would have taken the rest of that poison”—THE WAY HE REFUSED TO LIVE WITHOUT HERThere's also something I didn't mention...when Kev finally told Win he loved her (I quoted it) he also said something right after. Win was told that she shouldn't have children because of her condition. Even though she has improved tremendously, she is at risk of dying during childbirth. At the moment, Win had no idea that Kev knew that she shouldn't have children and it was another reason why he felt like he couldn't be with her. “...Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine.”—HE REALLY CHOSE HER LIFE OVER HIS HAPPINESS 😩 the bare minimum but still necessaryLet me not forget that scene where Kev gets drunk and lands himself in jail because he realizes that he is the reason that Win had to accept a marriage proposal from the piece of shit doctor. Now, does Kev decide that it's better she just marry the doctor and leave her be??? FUCK NO. He kidnaps her in the middle of the night and whisks her away to a cabin in the woods 🤪But she was still angry with him, she was done with him, and if he had come here for a midnight talk, he was sadly mistaken. She started to tell him so, but to her astonishment, she felt a thick piece of cloth descend over her mouth, and then he was tying it deftly behind her head. In a few more seconds, he had bound her wrists in front of her...“You're mine.” I swear Kev is THE standard. The amount of groveling and back and forth between these two MCs is unmatched. Also the smut is insanely good and detailed which I feel like is a necessity when reading a romance novel. The only reason this is not a 5 star read is because the drama at the end of the book was so dramatic 😂 also Win pissed me off at one point because of a lie she told, but I'm not going to let those things completely take away from how great this story is.Thanks to Sanjali for not getting annoyed when I would scream about something else that happened in this book ❤️book 1 reviewbook 3 review

4 stars! “Hell was not a pit of fire and brimstone. Hell was waking up alone, the sheets wet with your tears and your seed, knowing the woman you had dreamed of would never come back to you.” Lisa Kleypas delivers every single time!!! Book 2 in The Hathaways series lived up to my expectations, and believe me they were high. After reading the first book, this was the couple I was dying to read about. I loved Merripen and Win, they had such a beautiful and angsty story!You know how you pick up a book and read the first page? Normally I set the book down, but with this book, I read the first page and could not tear my eyes away. I've never experienced anything like it! This book literally had me hooked from the beginning and I devoured it whole.This is a story of unrequited love, and a story of fear of love. It was more Hathaway centric than the first book was, that one seemed to be half Wallflower series and half Hathaway. While I like being in the Wallflower world, I am loving getting to know the Hathaways and all the side characters whose books I will be reading ASAP!I know I am late to the Lisa Kleypas train, but if you are even a wee bit curious, pick up one of her books now! “The worst part about loving someone, Merripen, is that there will al­ways be things you can't protect her from. Things be­yond your control. You finally realize there is something worse than dying... and that is having something hap­pen to her. You have to live with that fear always. But you have to take the bad part, if you want the good part."Kev looked at him bleakly. "What's the good part?"A smile touched Cam's lips. "All the rest of it is the good part," he said, and went.” Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥

~4.5 Stars~ "Your heart is mine, he thought savagely. It belongs to me." Seduce Me at Sunrise is the second book in The Hathaways Series. Win Hathaway and Kev Merripen have spent many years secretly longing to be together. Win has battled illness and Kev has served her family faithfully for years. When Win is healed and ready to settle down and start a family, she longs to be with Kev. After years of trying to hide from the demons of his past, Kev is unwilling to give Win the love he so desperately wants to give her. He feels as if he is not good enough for her. But when Win captures the attention of another suitor, Kev must decide if he is willing to let her go forever or take her and make her his. "He would give in to it, to her, without trying to qualify or control anything." Told in multiple POV, Seduce Me at Sunrise is another stunning blend of romance, passion, and exploration of the dynamics of my new favorite Historical family! The connection between Kev and Win is raw and intense. Kev is a damaged hero who loves Win with everything and yet, his fears continue to hold him back. Lisa Kleypas has a gift for transporting her readers back in time. The setting, the characters, and the emotions come to life with every turn of the page. With complex characters, picturesque setting, and romance, Seduce Me at Sunrise is one that should not be missed.Overall, I cannot rave enough about this series. I have fallen in love with the Hathaway family and I can honestly say I don't think I will ever get enough. Kev and Win is another beautiful addition to this family saga. And now on to the next Hathaway story!***The Hathaways***For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

This was one of my most anticipated historical romance reads because I thought it was going to have all the angst. Kev and Win were pining after each other in book one and I was so ready for more mutual pining. While this book did have mutual pining, I felt like they gave into their romance a bit too quickly and it was a bit less angsty than I would have liked. I really was loving the beginning when Win returned from being away with her brother and her first encounter with Kev had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. But it quickly ended and I found myself being disappointed in it not going that extra step to add that extra angst. I did love how Kev was jealous of Win and her doctor's relationship, and I thought it was fun how it pushed Kev to confront his feelings for her. After halfway through the book, though, the plot was overtaken by Kev's background's plot and a mustache-twirling villain that I wasn't really a fan of. So while I loved the beginning of the romance and still adore these characters, the book didn't completely meet my expectations.

5 All or Nothing Stars ***Spoilers*** "If you marry me, you'll never be a lady of position." "There is no better position for me than being your wife."-Kev and Win OMG I loved Kev and Win's book!!!! I loved everything about their story. Going into this book I knew it was going to be angsty and it was. But it wasn't so angsty that it was torture to read. The push/pull of Kev and Win's relationship was emotional and gripping and made it all the more sweet when they got together. I can see now just from reading two books that Lisa Kleypas is an amazing writer. I am now a devoted fan-girl . She has completely captivated me with this charming, quirky family. Kev loved her. Not in the way that novelists and poets described. Nothing so tame. He loved her beyond earth, heaven, or hell. Every moment out of her company was agony; every moment with her was the only peace he had ever known. Every touch of her hands left an imprint that ate down to his soul.-Kev Since my illness I have had the strength to do very little except to love [Win had written], but that I have done, and I still do, in full measure. I am sorry for the way I shocked you the morning I left, but I do not regret the sentiments I expressed. I am running after you, and life, in desperate pursuit. My dream is that someday you will both turn and let me catch you. That dream carries me through every night. I long to tell you so many things, but I am not free yet. I hope to be well enough someday to shock you again, with far more pleasing results.-Win Kev had a rough start in life. Abused and used for the human version of a fight dog as a child. Kev was never shown love or kindness. Rough around the edges he loved Win with a passion bordering on obsession. He would do anything for her but be with her. He was afraid he wasn't good for her. That he would hurt her. That he wouldn't be able to give her a good life. So he tortured them both by fighting their relationship. So much so that he almost lost her to another man. Kev was surly, hard working, and loyal. Though he had been with the Hathaways since he was left for dead as a child he still held himself apart from them. He loved all the Hathaways, but he was a loner and didn't feel like a part of the family. He had a vulnerable side that when shown melted me and had me forgiving all his stupid moments. I loved Kev! "I have nothing to offer you," he finally said in a guttural voice. "Nothing." Win's lips had turned dry. She moistened them, and tried to speak through a thrill of anxious trembling. "You have yourself," she whispered. "You don't know me. You think you do, but you don't. The things I've done, the things I'm capable of- you and your family, all you know of life comes from books. If you understood anything-" "Make me understand. Tell me what is so terrible that you must keep pushing me away." He shook his head. "Then stop torturing the both of us," she said unsteadily. "Leave me, or let me go." "I can't," he snapped. "I can't, damn you."-Kev and Win "All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."-Kev Win was amazing. I was worried going into this book that she would be a doormat character. Boy I couldn't have been more wrong. She had pride, integrity, and passion. She went for what she wanted. Spoke her feelings with a sweet honesty but she didn't let Kev break her. When he told her they couldn't be together she didn't fall to pieces. She told him, fine your loss I will live my life to the fullest. I really loved that about her. She didn't just beg after him she was going to move on. She was a fighter. She had been deathly ill and for years thought she would never have a life so even though she loved Kev she was not going to give up her second chance at life. She wasn't sassy but she had a quiet peace and strength that wasn't in your face but still stood out. One of my favorite heroines to date!! "I've been give a rare opportunity… a second chance at life. And I intend to make the most of it. I'm not going to waste my love on a man who doesn't want or need it. I won't bother you again."-Win "How could I touch you with these hands?" he asked, his tone shredded with anguish. "How could you stand to let me? God, if you knew all the things I've done-" "I love your hands," she murmured. "I'm not good enough for you. But no one is. And most men, good or bad, have limits to what they would do, even for someone they love. I have none. No God, no moral code, no faith in anything. Except you. You're my religion. I would do anything you asked. I would fight, steal, kill for you. I would-"-Kev and Win What I really loved about this book was that though it was about Kev, Win and their beautifully intense love story it was also about the whole Hathaway gang. I loved getting more Cam and Amelia. And OMG their baby news! I liked getting to see Poppy, and Bea out in society. What I really loved was Kev, Cam and Leo's brother bonding. Leo has really come a long way since the first book. He was really turning his life around in this book. I loved the bickering between Leo and the governess Miss Marks. I really can't wait to get Miss Marks back story. I was losing my shit when my poor Cam was poisoned and almost died! My favorite part of the book was when Kev kidnaps Win as part of the Roma courting and takes her away to ravish her. Talk about hot! The ending Wow it was so damn sweet. I was melting all over the epilogue. It was beautiful!!! "Do you believe in happy-ever-after?" she persisted, gasping a little as he gave her a playful nip. "As in the children's tales? No." "You don't?" He shook his head. "I believe in two people loving each other." A smile curved his lips. "Finding pleasure in ordinary moments. Walking together. Arguing over things like the timing of an egg, or how to manage the servants, or the size of the butcher's bill. Going to bed each night, and waking up together each morning."-Win and Kev http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...

3.75 stars Second chance romance with A LOT of push and pull from the hero only because he feels the heroine deserves so much better. If you've got the patience for that, you will enjoy this sweet historical read.

My Least Favorite Love Story In This SeriesMerripen Is Grumpy (Not A Fan Of An Angry Hero)A Love Triangle (Not A Fan)BUUUUTTT It Has These Wonderful Moments From The Hathaway's“To Cam surprise, she was smiling up at him steadily, her eyes midnight.His expression turned quizzical. "What's so amus­ing?"Amelia toyed with a button on his coat. "I was just thinking . . . tonight those two old hens will probably go to their beds, cold and alone." An impish grin curved her lips. "Whereas I will be with a wicked, handsome Rom who will keep me warm all night.”“...You're not suited for this Merripen. You can't hold your liquor worth a damn. And unlike people such as me, who become quite amicable when they drink, you turn into a vile-tempered troll." Leo paused considering how best to provoke him. "Liquor brings out one's true inner nature, they say.” “I never take advice, good or bad. That would only encourage more of it.” LEO“Leo, do take Win to her room. You're both exhausted. We'll have time for talking tomorrow."(Amelia)"Ah, that lovely tone of command," Leo reminisced. "I'd hoped that by now you would have rid her of the habit of barking out orders like a drill sergeant, Rohan.""I enjoy all her habits," Rohan replied, smiling at his wife.”“Leo,” she said with a sniffle. “If you let anything happen to Win, I will kill you.” He stroked her hair gently. “You’ve threatened to kill me for years, and nothing ever comes of it.” “I’ve been w-waiting for the right reason.”Funny Animals In A Book Will Make Me Add Stars Every Time—and in the meantime,” Amelia continued with great patience, “we’ll find a governess who will teach both Poppy and Beatrix how to behave.” “She had better be good,” Beatrix said, pulling a grunting black-and-white guinea pig from her pocket and snuggling it under her chin. “We have a lot to overcome. Don’t we, Mr. Nibbles?”