Worth Any Price (Bow Street Series Book 3)

Cut to the Chase:
I’ve been dreading the conclusion to this three-book series mostly because the first two were merely slightly above average. Yet this entry, which features our quasi-villain from the second novel, was the best of the three. Nick Gentry is a very believably torn and tormented hero: he hates his past, himself, his brother-in-law, some of his clients…just life in general. He’s the type who takes risks to feel alive, and his immediate attraction for Lottie (who is escaping from a past of her own) makes sense. These are two people who have both made some tough decisions to stay alive and be independent, so their growing affection for one another logically makes them feel vulnerable in ways that are easy to empathize with. Still, the best of a slightly-above-average series isn’t a hearty recommendation, and there definitely some scenarios in here that will turn off many people (see spoilers below).

Greater Detail:
We start with a very unusual sequence – the infamous Nick Gentry visiting a brothel. We’ve been told in Lady Sophia’s Lover that Nick is a thief and a thief-catcher — it’s implied that he sometimes first makes people criminals, and then catches them, suggesting he’d have a lot of enemies on both sides of the law. He’s quite popular amongst the “people” in that he sparks everyone’s imaginations, but in the first scene here, we find out that he’s twenty-four, but a virgin (find out why in spoilers below). He can’t stand it any more, and finally ends up going to a famous whorehouse, and basically becoming, for three years, the pupil of the madam of the house – which is to say we’ll have every reason to believe that Nick is one of the world’s most accomplished lovers by the end of the introductory section.

We next see Nick chasing after Charlotte “Lottie” Howard, whose family has more or less sold her into marriage with an aging, lecherous (aren’t they always?) Lord Radnor. Lottie has, of course, gone into hiding as a lady’s companion on Lord Westcliff’s estate in Hampshire. There’s this immediate attraction, and Nick impulsively decides to marry Lottie himself, giving her the protection of his name (and questionable reputation).

There’s a lot of sexual activity that happens in the first part of this novel; this is definitely one of those stories where the characters fall in first lust, then love. That’s not my favorite mode of regency romance, but it actually works fairly well here. It’s clear that Lottie starts to fall in love with Nick first, and that Nick is one of those characters who’s secretly a good guy, but wants everyone to think of him as a cold, heartless manly man. Their love story is believable, and the second half of the book doesn’t drag only because there are so many loose ends to follow up on – there’s the fact that Nick is really a viscount’s son (which is an open secret but not something Nick wanted revealed), the matter of Lord Radnor (who has become obsessed with Lottie) and also two strong characters who are genuinely afraid of admitting that they feel more for one another than just lust.

Spoilers:
What I love about Kleypas is that she is great about creating these very realistic, multi-layered back-stories for her characters… but that’s also what I sometimes hate about her characters. I give these spoilers just in case this is something you don’t want to come across in your escapist romance. For one thing, we find out that Lottie’s parents, because they supported (and benefited financially) from Lord Radnor’s patronage, would put Lottie in a room with Lord Radnor and let him molest her, touch her, etc. during her early teen years and beyond. Sexual abuse of a child, even though he never raped her, is not something I was really prepared for while reading a regency novel. Also, while it’s mentioned in Lady Sophia’s Lover that Nick Gentry (real name John) was once in a prison boat and that in those places the older, hardened criminals will often try to rape the younger boys, they go into more detail here about the smell of the place, the man who tried to rape John, and how the real Nick is murdered…

Other Things to Know:
This is the third and final book in the Bow Street Runners series. It’s my favorite within the series, but that’s not really saying much. What I will say is that Nick Gentry as a character is far more likeable here than he was in Lady Sophia’s Lover. While he’s still the detective/Bow Street Runner with an infamous past, he’s a little more polished, and though you get that his baser instincts are ones that he’s driven by now and again, his back story, his good deeds, all make him much more likeable… a good thing in a lead character! The protagonists from both of the former Bow Street novels still show up but don’t really drive the story forward, so you could read this as a standalone if you wanted.

Comparisons to Other Authors:
Lisa Kleypas is a best-selling author, and though she has focused more recently on modern romance, she is one of the queens of the historical romance genre. Compared to Stephanie Laurens, Kleypas tends to have more individualized characters, and a better supporting cast, but less sensual/erotic love scenes. She’s also great at exploring a particular topic or setting – some of her books happen in gambling clubs, others in the theatre, and others feature protagonists who are deeply aware of social/political issues, helping to really establish you in the setting/time period in a way that not all historical romance authors can. She’s less funny and her characters and scenarios are less light-hearted than Julia Quinn’s, but her characters tend to have a greater degree of physical attraction/sensuality compared to Quinn’s.

MINOR SPOILERS INCLUDED BELOW

I liked that the hero Nick Gentry, like a lot of the author's other heroes, was possessive and fell hard for the heroine, Charlotte Howard when he first met her. I liked too that he was not a manhoe. Nick only had 1 other lover before Charlotte and had been celibate for around 6 months before meeting her. Of course, true to form for historical romances and like most of the author's heroines, Charlotte was a virgin.

I disliked the opening scene of the book and the following 21 pages. It is where Nick goes to the whorehouse to lose his v-card as he was overcome with lust and felt that he was too old to still have it. He does and it is to Gemma, the madam of the house, after he convinces her to be his lover. Nick tells the Gemma that he wants her and that "I will pay any price" to be with her. How special. One would think that it is only the heroine that is worth any price but apparently it was the whorehouse madam is as well. Nick has a long term relationship with Gemma during which time she does not charge him.

I disliked that Nick's former's lover is madam for many reasons. First I kept thinking of all the possible diseases he could be contracting. Nick had smex with the madam for 3 years without protection being mentioned while she continued to have smex with OM too. Definitely a turn off for me.

It really irritated me too that not only was it detailed descriptions of all of sexual things that Nick learned like "..to employ his fingers, his tongue, teeth, lips and cok (penis) with both delicacy and strength" and all of the 5 million sexual positions that he learned but that it bled into the love making scenes with Charlotte. He was always the teacher and was showing off his skills, which was a turn off as well. In fact Charlotte thought about it as well, keeping the focus on Nick's sexual expertise.

Also I did not like Nick much either. I didn't have a problem with the fact that Nick was initially a thief and then later gets paid to catches criminals, sometimes former associates. I disliked him because he was a jackjerk. He was rude and mean to everyone include the heroine, his brother-in-law and his sister. In fact the only person that he seemed to always be nice to was the madam.

Nick blew hot and cold with Charlotte and I got tired of it. As with too many of this author's books the hero pushed the heroine away but then still had smex with her. His reasons for treating her poorly were common as well. He felt that he was not good enough for her and that she could be harmed by being with him. Play it again Sam. Been there, done that too often. Charlotte let herself to be used as a doormat, which irritated me as well. Nick was a jackjerk and yet Charlotte understood his pain and let him keep treating her that way. Sometimes she had to distract him so he would not leave her. Just sad.

This is one of Kleypas' earlier books, and her talents show steady progress and improvement from the first book in this series, "Someone to Watch Over Me" to "Lady Sophia's Lover" to this book, the third in the trilogy. Nick Gentry is an appealing hero if you like the dangerous and damaged type. Charlotte is intelligent and capable with a will of iron. I liked that she was no wilting miss, but was also soft and gentle, especially with Nick. The character development in this book is excellent, and the story is unique and interesting too.

**spoiler ** I can't recall reading another book in this genre with a hero reclaiming his title, so this felt unique and relatively fresh. My only complaint is that I think they would have needed to get remarried? According to their marriage lines, Charlotte married Nick Gentry, not John Sydney so when he reclaimed his identity that would need to be corrected. **end spoiler**

Great heart thumping scenes towards the end of the book when Charlotte and Nick both find themselves in danger. Readers who like action will enjoy it! The sex scenes are less gratuitous then the previous book (Lady Sophia's Lover) - there seem to be fewer scenes, but more thoughtfully written. But these scenes are highly explicit, which will be good or bad, depending on the reader. Very good book, but I probably wouldn't re-read it so rating 4.5 stars.

Other Kleypas books I've reviewed:
Someone to Watch over Me (Bow Street series Book 1) 3.5 stars
Lady Sophia's Lover (Bow Street series Book 2) 4 stars
Stranger in My Arms 3 stars
Suddenly You 5 stars (a favorite on my keeper shelf!)
Then Came You (Gamblers) 4.5 stars
Dreaming of You (Gamblers) 5 stars
Again the Magic (Wallflowers) 3 stars
Secrets of a Summer Night (The Wallflowers, Book 1) 5 stars
It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2) 5 stars (a favorite! Great humor!)
The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers, Book 3) 4 stars (too many medical and violent scenes)
A Wallflower Christmas (Wallflowers Book 5) 4 stars
Hathaway Series - all 5 stars!

Awesome historical romance that just makes you believe that sometimes in life we have to take risks in order to be happy. Nick and Charlotte are two characters who find that they need each other in ways that neither of them can imagine.

What I like about the way it starts, it starts off with a little background on our hero Nick. I like that Nick Gentry is a man with demons and scars. So it makes our hero more intriguing. His arrangement with the madam is one that benefits him well because it teaches him things that he will need later on. I also like how Charlotte is not anything as we imagined. Charlotte is not like how Nick expected her to be.

Lord Radnor has paid for Charlotte’s upbringing and everything else that she has ever needed and her parents as well. This arrangement also led to an understanding that when she came as of age, she would marry him. Of course Charlotte is fearful of him and decides to run away the night before the wedding was to take place. So when Nick gets hired to bring her back, what happens afterwards is something that he can’t put his finger on.

Nick and Charlotte’s chemistry right from the beginning is interesting because both of these people are hiding who they really are. Charlotte is pretending to be someone else under an assumed name. She doesn’t want to be married to this Lord Radnor because he is very cruel and will do anything to get what he wants. Nick is hiding under the name of Lord Sidney. A peerage that he is entitled to, but thinks that being a peer is not who he really is or should be since he has been a bow street runner for so long. The solution to Charlotte’s problem is to get married, that way Radnor will no longer have claim to her.

Charlotte and Nick’s marriage is definitely interesting as we get to learn more about Nick and Charlotte as well. They fit together in a way that you don’t think that they will. I thought this marriage was interesting as Nick struggled with his past and what it means to have new duties and roles to participate in society. A past that he has run from all his life. I like how brother in law and sister help Charlotte deal with nick. The romance is outstanding between these two characters. I really like how Charlotte takes more risks in this book.

This book was really good. I highly recommend it if you want a solid historical romance with a great couple.

Rating:
4.5 Hearts

I believe this is Lisa Kleypas' best book and certainly my favorite. It tells the story of the love that blossoms between two of the most unlikely characters, a man who thinks/knows he has no soul and the young lady who trusts no one but becomes his savior. Charlotte Howard is running and hiding to save her life and Nick Gentry is the very accomplished single-minded Bow Street Runner in pursuit of her on behalf of Lord Radnor. She's succeeded in eluding the repulsively obsessive Lord Radnor her betrothed, a man old enough to be her father. He has been a threat to her very life since she was eight years old and with her parents' blessing (two people consumed with their own self interest) has monopolized every area of her existence...... because that is just what she's been doing, existing. Charlotte has not yet begun to live! She makes the decision one day that she's just not having it and defiantly bolts. Pretend commoner Nick Gentry, the most feared and talked about man in 1839 London, is about to meet his match. Within minutes of meeting Lottie, Nick knows that he must have full irrevocable ownership of her, though he pretends that she would do just as well as any other woman. Lottie too is instantly enthralled by the charming Mr. Gentry. There's something different about him, something not quite safe and she's tempted by the irresistible Nick. The historical research done adds to this book's worthiness and gives one even more insight into the time that was, when the first police presence was know in England. Each character, even the minor ones like Lottie's siblings or the fellow bow street runners interact believably with each other. The dialogue is real, honest, witty, spirited and captures the connection with all of the players. There is an intensity in Lottie and Nick's relationship that is felt right from the start and it ratchets up with each encounter so acutely that it is palpable. Since they are both carrying on a deception of their own, the greater mystery of just who Nick Gentry is reveals itself as Lottie comes to the decision that marrying Nick is far more appealing than the creepy Lord Radnor. And yet she still does not know who Nick Gentry is! Is Nick a good man acting as a bad one or a bad man acting as a good one? No matter, she wants him as much as he wants her.The first time Nick makes love to Lottie is so unbelievable well written and sweet ...I love the way he talks to her though the entire experience, lovingly bathes her afterwards and then feeds her. This is so elemental! Every young lady's first experience should be like this. Lisa takes some very ordinary moments and makes them special with a wit and poignancy that tells you the love and trust that is developing between the H & H is real and lasting. I love this book so much that I got the audio version and listen to it just about every night before I drift off to sleep. If you enjoy this book, you'll also like L.K's Devil in Winter. I have searched for similar books but nothing has come close to this true romantic comedy. It is a classic!

Such a great romance. And so freaking hot! A rare treat with extremely likeable characters both male and female.

Nick has so many dimensions and demons to battle. He's a charged male character oozing with magnetic heat and power. He's tortured and haunted. He's driven and doesn't stop until he gets what he wants.

I love his progression. He begins as John the innocent little orphaned brother of Sophia. Dearly loved and deeply mourned. Then he resurfaces as hardened Nick Gentry. Nick is a street-wise, wildly successful and most wanted criminal. Now, three years later, he is still Nick, quietly adored and reunited brother to Sophia and most effective bow street runner. Imprisoned beneath his steeled and jaded exterior is the whisper of young John still haunted and tortured by his experience and near assults while serving time. He is at a breaking point torn by fear, revulsion and desperate need, painfully aware of his lingering virginity. He seeks out relief with the highly selective and utterly talented Madame Gemma. He's trembling and terrified. It's heartbreaking and powerful. Three years pass. Gemma ends their arrangement abruptly forcing him to seek another lover.

Nick throws himself into his latest assignment chasing after Charlotte, a young woman who wishes not to be found. When he finds her, he is in disguise as Lord Sydney (his former self). Nick realizes upon meeting her that Lottie is the one he's been seeking for himself. He drops all other motives in a lust-driven pursuit to have her.

Lottie is drawn to Lord Sydney. He tempts her unlike any others before him. He is handsome and fascinating. She senses a deep wound and loneliness hidden from view to most everyone but her. This gentleman is forbidden fruit and best not pursued or risk being discovered. Only he is not who he claims to be. It is all a deception to capture her and return her to a horrible life tied to a terrible Lord. Nick senses this opportunity and offers her his protection in exchange for marriage. She can't reconcile how she feels about John, the man she was falling in love with and Nick the hardened stranger and imposter who holds her life in his hands. Despite this struggle, she chooses her best option, Nick. He, of course, hasn't identified his feelings as anything other than desire but he is relieved that she will be his entirely, body and soul.

Nick's growing attachment to Lottie and desperate need to possess her fully is barely checked when he has her in his arms. He becomes something mesmerizing to read: an extremely talented and voracious lover with a most tender and innocent soul. He worships her body with his and she submits, helpless and overwhelmed by her response to his touch. Their relationship deepens deliciously. Their unspoken love grows and their affection for one another matures with perfect speed. Their love expressed becomes explosive and all encompassing. They are the rarely written perfect match.

Lisa Kleypas strikes just the right balance in this historical romance. Lottie is our heroine, who has been in hiding for 2 years from a lecherous fiancé who has basically purchased her from her financially imprudent parents. Nick is our typical tortured hero, a bow street runner who was hired to find Lottie. Sparks fly when they meet, and Nick decides to marry Lottie instead of returning her to her disgusting fiancé. Along the way, we learn that Nick is secretly a peer and super wealthy. The "shower scene" is certainly something we don't often encounter in historical romances. It was steamy, to say the least. Despite the usual formulaic structure of a typical romance, Kleypas manages to avoid the cheesy cliches that often leave me embarrassed about reading such novels. For me, this was 4 stars.

I love this book! Extremely satisfying "Worth Any Price" is the third and final book in the BOW STREET RUNNERS trilogy series. This is my favorite story out of the three books because of the main hero character Nick Gentry. I have read all three books in this series and this one is by far the best of the three.

Nick Gentry is a perfect broken male lead character hero. He is a tall, handsome, rich, confused, guilt-ridden, passionate man, who knows who he should be, but fights it tooth and nail, until the right woman comes into his life to save him from himself. Once I started reading this book, I could not lay the little bugger down!

Our hero, Nick Gentry is a BOW STREET RUNNER. He has been hired by the aged and insane Lord Radnor to find our heroine, Charlotte Howard. She is Radnor's promised young run-away bride-to-be, who has been missing for two years. Nick traces her to a country estate where she is hiding from Radnor, working as an employee for the dowager Countess Westcliff. Nick finds her and is immediately attracted to her and she to him. She refuses to return with Nick to be given over to Radnor. Nick knows what Radnor is like and does not want Radnor to have Charlotte. She proposes that Nick marry her to save her from Lord Radnor. He agrees because Nick is extremely attracted to Charlotte and wants her for himself. Charlotte's character is a perfect foil for Nick's driven character. She's a strong, smart, loving, and tough heroine. Will their marriage work? Do they fall in love? These questions and many more are answered in this entertaining and exciting conclusion to this fast paced story by author Lisa Kleypas. "Worth Any Price" is highly recommended and a keeper. Enjoy!

Grade: A+

Worth Any Price, Lisa Kleypas
When Is Love .....Worth Any Price?

(This review was originally published at Brazen Broads' Book Bash)

Worth Any Price, by Lisa Kleypas, is set in London, England in the late 1830's, centering on Miss Charlotte Howard, a young woman on the run from an undesirable marriage, and Nick Gentry, the Bow Street runner hired to retrieve her. Upon finding her whereabouts, Nick discovers Charlotte to be quite different than what he expected, so instead of returning her to her family and thereby sentencing her to a life of misery under the cruel hand of Lord Radnor, he asks her to marry him. Now discovered, Charlotte has little choice but to agree, and something about Mr. Gentry makes her eager to be his bride, even though she believes the marriage will be in name only.

Lisa Kleypas is a big name in romance, so I confess to expecting big things inside the cover of her novel, Worth Any Price. The first few chapters were, quite frankly, a disappointment. The circumstances in which Nick finds Charlotte are nicely contrived, but the fact that he seeks to seduce her from the moment he finds her didn't match the personality assigned him by the author. Furthermore, the first proposal offered by Lord Westcliff added nothing of interest to the story, but did give Charlotte the escape she desired from Radnor, and it seems ridiculous that she would have refused it, even if she did feel he was sacrificing too much for her. Even more awful was her offer to Mr. Gentry to become his mistress in exchange for his protection from Lord Radnor and financial support. That Nick counters with his own offer of marriage at least set things to rights, but the book's beginning did little to impress this Broad.

That being said, once Kleypas secures the marriage between Nick and Charlotte, the story becomes very good indeed! As a couple, Nick and Charlotte are well matched characters. Kleypas writes a wonderful male lead, adding an interesting background for him that she blended well within the romance itself. His occupation as a Bow Street runner was a refreshing treat, and his cases were another point of interest in the story, although even Kleypas couldn't escape the confines of 1800's England, and our poor Mr. Gentry must have a double identity - the long lost Lord Sydney. His rejection of the title and responsibility after being discovered by a fellow Bow Street runner can't last, as once he is revealed, Bow Street cannot keep him on any longer, but it was nice while it lasted. I particularly enjoyed the transformation the author had her male hero undergo in the novel. Nick goes from existing to living not in a moment, but little by little as his bride influences him and he awakens to the connection he feels to his wife. Certainly, he has a moment where it all becomes clear to him, but this is more a reckoning with his changed ideals than a catalyst for change.

Kleypas also gets an honourable mention, as she wrote some of the best love scenes I've read in the genre. That she ably prolonged the sexual tension between the characters until midway through the story before the aforementioned love scene without leaving the reader feeling like .....,"Ohhh get on with it already.".... gives testament to her romance writing ability. In addition, Kleypas maintains sensuality throughout the novel, which is something many authors fail to do once 'the deed' is done.

Despite a slow and awkward beginning, Worth Any Price earns author Lisa Kleypas a recommendation of "Read It!", to romance lovers.

This book has a swoon-worthy romance, a wonderfully tortured hero, and a heroine with the strength to heal him while standing firm against her own demons. It's a delightfully engaging story that kept me riveted and on the edge of my seat.

Even readers who don't usually read historical romances will find a multitude of reasons to enjoy themselves. There's not a lot of stuffy language and the dialogue is easy to relate to. Nick's reasons for being the bedeviled soul that he is are heartbreaking and tragic. Lottie's reasons for running are typical but her perseverance and cleverness isn't. She'd rather die than face what her parents have in store for her. She's like a willow, she'll bend but won't break and that holds her in good stead throughout this tale.

Ms. Kleypas has a way of reaching a reader's emotions and bringing her characters to life. She sets up the hero's point of view with a unique and interesting opening sequence. I enjoyed the brief wisdom from Gemma and how it plays out later in the book. In fact, it's what makes this story so hot and passionate. The legacy of that temporary character brought many moments of enjoyable lovemaking and scenes that I wanted to read again and again. Not because of what Nick and Lottie do, but the sentiments behind them, and the feelings that drove the hero and heroine are what made them memorable. Not to mention their coming together in all those unique places and positions, and those seductive whisperings that tantalized my imagination. From innocence to loving debauchery, all was well done and it mattered to the plot. And because Ms. Kleypas wrote such endearing characters, I cared whether or not they found happiness.

The villain generated a couple of different feelings from me. As first, I feared his power, not unlike Lottie. But towards the end, I felt pity. He was a man who truly didn't know what love was. He was a twisted and manipulative person with some serious mental issues that prevented him from being the man he could have been. Being a peer and rich couldn't buy happiness. I actually felt sad for him. On the other hand, Lottie's parents were whacked. I think they were worse and should have the villainous label attached to their behavior. How dare they! And their reactions to Nick's offers made me fear for the rest of Lottie's siblings. When her father finally opened up his mouth, I rolled my eyes. Too little, too late. Thank goodness she had Nick.

Other secondary characters were important. Sophia, Nick's sister, and her husband Sir Ross were instrumental in moving the plot along. So too was Sir Grant. In fact, some of the more amusing and adorable scenes and dialogue occur with them interacting with the hero and heroine.

There is light drama and action and a bit of suspense to keep a reader flipping the pages. The burgeoning romance between Nick and Lottie was sweet in its tentative steps but when they finally got over the initial hurdles, the author allowed a reader to explore Nick's emotional depths and needs. I even liked the part when he tied up Lottie and introduced her to his other kind of desires. It certainly made an impact and was one more good reason to not put the book down until the end. The epilogue showed Sir Ross in a different light during his dialogue with Nick. It was cute and when Nick realized exactly what Sir Ross meant, it was really funny.

Worth Any Price is easy to read and hard to put down. It provided excitement, laughter, a hero and heroine that touched my heart, and a masterfully written story that engaged all my senses. I enjoyed this book so much, that I'm very interested in finding out about Sir Ross' story.

There something about Ms. Kleypas' writing that calls to me and reaches me where most historical romances don't. It's truly a wonderful skill when an author can make a reader not only look forward to what comes next, but to wonder about all that came before. Reading Worth Any Price was time well spent.

originally posted at the Long and Short of It Romance Reviews

Kleypas proves once again that a good writer can take plot elements that normally don't appeal to me and make them work.

***spoilers***

In this case, I'm speaking of a sexually abused hero who has only been with one other woman prior to the h and still make him a very convincing and sexy alpha...of course that 'other woman' taught him far more than anyone else could have ;) Yes, my assumptions are sexist. I am aware. I don't expect romance to be PC (or realistic).

There was one glaring plot hole that bothered me. How in the heck did Nick not figure out within 2 seconds that the villain planned to take Lottie's sister as a replacement? The guy was a famous Bow Street Runner with a keen understanding of how depraved, criminal minds worked! I knew from the first 2 minutes of the visit to Lottie's parents' home that this was the plan. I can excuse Lottie for not catching on, since she was relatively naive and these were her parents. Many of us have a blind spot when it comes to what our family is capable of. But what was Nick's excuse?

For many years, his dark and painful past has haunted him, leaving a scar still too raw for him to deal with. Having rejected his claim to an old and noble title, he opted instead to keep his real identity a secret, taking up the identity of his dead prison mate to become the notorious Nick Gentry. When he was given a second chance to live, he becomes a Bow Street runner gaining a reputation as a man to be reckoned with.

She is the runaway bride of a wealthy aristocrat. Growing up under the watchful eye of the despicable Earl, Charlotte Howard knew that the only way to keep her soul and sanity is to turn her back away from her family and create a new identity for herself. And it seemed that she finally made it- until the notorious Bow Street runner sets foot in Stony Cross Park where she has been working as the dowager countess' maid.

After being commissioned by a wealthy Lord to find his runaway bride, Nick Gentry doesn't realize that meeting the elusive Charlotte Howard would change his life for instead of finding a stubborn female, just as her parents had made her out to be, he finds one in desperate need of protection. It doesn't take long for him to realize that she was a victim of her parents' greed, a lamb sent to slaughter in exchange for money. As for Charlotte, she knows that Nick would be able to protect her from Lord Radnor, who would destroy her very soul if she ends up in his hands. But what neither of them knows is that there lays another challenge for them - for the truth about each other's past is an obstacle they must overcome.

WORTH ANY PRICE is the third instalment in the Bow Street trilogy. Sensual and provocative, it is a typical Kleypas book that had me glued from the start. After meeting Nick on the previous book "LADY SOPHIA'S LOVER", I was eager to read his story to see what happens to him after his brother-in-law saved him from hanging. It was good to see that he's been reformed, yet also sad at the same time to fully learn about his time in prison when he was just a boy. That's why I was glad for him to finally meet Charlotte, the woman who accepts and loves him despite his seedy past.

With good storyline and sizzling love scenes, you will enjoy seeing the former villain brought down on his knees by the love of a wonderful lady who also help him face his inner demons brought upon by his tortured childhood.

after reading Lady Sophia's Lover, i was very eager to read about the story of nick gentry.

nick gentry is a former crime lord turned bow street runner (good guy). he is also a viscount who refuses to take his title because he sees himself as a product of the streets. he's unwilling to leave his feelings vulnerable to another and for the longest time, didn't even want to be touched by another human being. he's a legend of the london streets and is tall, dark, and handsome with sable colored hair. he's also VERY schooled when it comes to sexual relations (not because he slept around, but because he had one very good teacher). he's been sent on a mission to locate the woman who ran away from her impending marriage to a titled gentleman.

charlotte howard is that fair-haired beauty nick is looking for. she's now a lady's companion. when nick finds her, there is an instant connection. ultimately, he gives her the choice to marry him or be delivered to the evil lord radnor.

if you like male characters who are both tortured, yet sexually confident, nick is your guy. he's all that and then some. his vulnerability is what makes him most appealing, though. you definitely get a sense of how difficult it is for him to give himself emotionally to charlotte. the author did a good job of depicting that inner turmoil.

charlotte isn't as well written as i would have liked. by the end of the book, i still didn't feel as though i had a thorough description of who charlotte was as a person. although she was like nick in that she had an unpleasant childhood, the reader didn't really witness her transformation into someone who had learned to love another. her emotions went from "who is this guy?" to "i love you." while it was near the end before she admitted she loved him, there was only a few things to clue the reader to the fact that she was really falling in love with him. for instance, in the beginning, she said she didn't want to kiss nick because she believed it was giving herself to him on an emotional level. however, the moment where she finally decided to let him kiss her wasn't even acknowledged in the story for the monumental moment it was supposed to be for her.

despite that, the story itself was compelling enough for me to read and enjoy. the sexual scenes were some of the hottest i've read in a long time. nick was definitely skilled. i think the only drawback is that because he was so experienced, it wasn't like he ever really lost his control. he couldn't keep his hands off of her, but he was in complete control when it came to the actual lovemaking. i would have liked to see him lose himself in her a little more.

in the end, nick's transformation is reason enough to read the book. he has to come to grips with the fact that he has to accept his role as the viscount sydney, an identity he had hoped to let die because of the painful memories attached to the young boy he was when he was john sydney. watching him turn from a guy unwilling to love to one who chooses it above all else, had me smiling by the time i got to the final pages.

Let me start by saying I enjoyed Nick and Charlotte's story. They are well developed characters whom I really enjoyed getting to know. That said, I was disappointed in the lack of depth in the story. I would have liked to have seen smaller font size and another 100 pages of writing. This book is Nick's story, and although I appreciated his story, I felt a bit cheated at not getting a more in depth version of Charlotte's story. We know much of what happened to Nick from Lady Sophia's Lover, and nothing really new was opened in that Pandora's box. The guilt that Nick carries around, though justified, seemed a bit over done considering who he was and what he had done being on the wrong side of the law for so long.
Charlotte had an interesting story that was underdeveloped. I liked her character a lot. A no nonsense lead, strong, yet with doubts and reservations. She is very patient with Nick and exactly what he needed. I liked that she knew who he was up front and chose him anyway. I did find her decision between marrying Nick or the earl to be a bit, uhm, weak, for a better word. I think anyone in her position would have married the earl, no questions asked. (That said, I hope he gets his own story).
The sensuality rating on this book should be very high. Wonderfully written love scenes and very believably done. I can find no fault in that aspect of the story. As I said, I enjoyed reading the book, and found the characters engaging. I only wish there was a bit more plot and depth to it. I am not a fast reader by any stretch of the imagination and finished this book in 2 days. I would recommend this one, especially if you have read its predecessor and enjoyed it.

Because he has heard of the man's highly regarded reputation and skill as a thief-taker that has made him wealthy, controlling Lord Radnor hires Nick Gentry to find his missing fiancee. The trail is difficult because Charlotte Howard vanished two years ago even though Radnor already bought her from her parents. She disappeared because she realized how dominating her future spouse is and what he would do to her.
Two months later Nick believes he has found Charlotte masquerading as a companion to an elderly woman. Through his connected in-law, Nick, disguised as a spoiled Lord Sydney, obtains an invitation to visit Lord Westcliff's estate where he believes Charlotte resides as Lottie Miller. However, once Nick meets Lottie, he finds he likes her very much and cannot just give her over to his odious client. Westcliff points out that her only way to avoid running and Radnor is to marry someone else, preferably him. However, Charlotte declines his kind offer, but agrees to marry Nick, who says he will protect her and her parents while she only has to sleep with him. As they become better acquainted they fall in love, but Radnor believes she is his possession and plans to gain ownership.
This historical romance will provide much pleasure to fans of the sub-genre due to the charming lead protagonists. The story line is at its strongest when this duo takes center stage. The villain is so sociopathic, he does not seem like a character. Nevertheless Lisa Kleypas purveys a story that caters to the tastes of the early Victorian readers.
Harriet Klausner

Ms. Kleypas has done it again. She has managed to bring us a true hero in just about every way possible.
Nick is Sophia's brother (Lady Sophia's Lover), and he is on a case to track down a missing girl and bring this girl back to her betrothed. What he does not expect to happen, and what he has always managed to avoid, is having his feeling touched by this young woman. Nick has had a tough life living in the East End of London, doing time in prison, and basically anything else horrid you can imagine. His brother-in-law Sir Ross has plans for him though, Nick is going to realize that he is worth saving even if he has to pull a few strings and un-earth Nick's secret.
Lottie is the young woman that Nick has been sent out to find. She is hiding in the country working as a ladies companion. She is unprepared for the feelings that Nick brings out in her, but she is willing to do anything that she can to avoid going back to her demented betrothed even if it's marrying Nick.
What starts out as a marriage of convience grows into a love match with both needing to heal and realize that love is not a bad thing. They both deal with an unexpected surprise, and trouble in the form of the forgotten betrothed. Nick is a true dark, and tortured hero with all of the wonderful qualities that make these types of hero's a favorite. This is a fast read that you won't want to miss, and you will get to visit with old friends again. All in all a great way to spend the day.

This bodice-ripper of a romance opens with the tortured Bow-Street runner Nick Gentry seeking sexual expertise from an experienced courtesan. One might quickly jump into the conclusion that Lisa Kleypas has decided to forfeit her sensuality for eager blatant prurience and infidelity. However as we read on, the opening scene becomes tragic as Nick succumbs to lust to purge his guilt and nightmares of his afflictions during his imprisonment.
Worth Any Price is immediately a haunting romance that triumphs with passion and poignancy - and a superb follow-up to its equally measured predecessor Lady Sophia's Lover. As readers reassociate with Nick Gentry - the villain in the predecessor, they learn that he is actually Viscount John Sydney who is thrown to the underbelly of London at a young age and survives a jail-term through a switch of identity. He becomes the hardened crime-lord who is later captured by magistrate (and ironically brother-in-law) Sir Ross Cannon . To escape punishment by death, he is to serve his sentence as a Bow -Street Runner supervised by Sir Grant Morgan.
The dangerous job soon subconsciously becomes an outlet to gamble with his life through risks for life is now beyond hope and aim. The pivotal moment comes when he finds Charlotte Howard in Hampshire for the deranged Lord Radnor. His protective instincts are aroused by the stunning beauty whose life has been ruined like a Pgymalion fable. To save her from Radnor's harrasses, he decides to marry her but both are convinced that love can never enter the equation.
The steamy interludes of exotic passion emerges surprisingly tender and erotic with an undercurrent of intimacy and empathy for our tormented couple. Ms. Kleypas meshes hot-blooded romance with careful research on the period and peerage as well as deft characterization that easily makes Worth Any Price her most accomplished so far. The best moment of the read - the climactic declaration of love - is especially priceless.

Lisa Kleypas is a very talented author who has apparently signed onto a style of novel I'm just not interested in. If you are a fan of very early Brenda Joyce, Susan Johnson or Dara Joy, you will be elated to find a writer of LK's caliber writing erotic romance.
If you prefer, as I do, a more emotionally and character driven story you will be disappointed. While there is some exploration of the personal challenges of the hero and heroine, it's presented more as a glimpse of what the story could have been and as a bridge to another sexual encounter. Important story points such as the resolution of the hero's denial of his past or the almost blind willingness of his sister to force him into it, are given short shrift for a tired reworking of the Kama Sutra-esqe sexual secrets he has picked up from a kindly madam.
Rather than explore the world and dynamics around the characters (which are rich, well researched and engaging) we spend additonal time learning that the hero likes to count his strokes and measure their depth in the hopes of practicing tantric sex. I think Brenda Joyce has lived down her 'tree scene' and may pass the crown for least sexy scene to this one. I would have much rather learned who Nick Gentry's people where and why 'Nick Gentry' needs only one night to acclimate himself to change. Why are the heroine's parents blindly bent on destruction against all logic? How do they react to the final events concerning them in the book?
I haven't the answer to any of that. But I do know quite a bit about the sexual preferences of the characters and number and depths of the hero's strokes. If you enjoy what I call softcore, but I understand is billed as erotic romance, Lisa Kleypas is a fine writer which makes this a cut above the usual. If you prefer authors like Julia Quinn, Nora Roberts, or Edith Layton you may be disappointed.

Very simply, Lisa Kleypas is the Joe Dimaggio of Historical Romance. Her stories have a smoothness, grace and power that is absolutely unmatched, and she carves out each tale with cool perfection and ease. Effortlessly summoning up all the luxury and allure of Victorian manners, clothing and cuisine, she combines the glamorous settings with deeply engrossing characters and raw, almost modern sexual pyrotechnics.

Nick Gentry was the villain in the previous novel, LADY SOPHIA'S LOVER. As a bold master thief forced into a catching criminals as an elite Bow Street Runner, Nick is a conflicted character to begin with. Added to that, his childhood was marred by violence and sexual abuse, and he is deeply distrustful of emotions and authority.

Nick's boss, Ross Cannon, is a stern father figure who makes Nick into a better man. Like most romance authors, Kleypas has a tendency to idealize male authority figures, and Ross is no exception. He is the perfect surrogate father to Nick, very demanding yet also quietly understanding. It helps that he's married to Nick's sister Sophia, of course. But Ross' decision to send Nick to rescue the kidnapped Charlotte Howard represents a real second chance for the bad boy gone good.

Charlotte Howard is running from a cold, controlling man, and at first Nick seems like an equally overpowering figure. But, after a while, Charlotte senses how tormented and confused Nick is -- underneath the devastating sexual allure. The two of the come together in a sexual explosion so hot it literally scorches the pages! The problem is, each step towards love drags Nick towards a final surrender to Ross and respectability. Will he find a way to marry Charlotte and keep his own roguish identity intact?

I loved this book. More than most romance authors, Lisa Kleypas understands that men have deep emotional relationships outside of the bedroom. Ross and Nick are, in their own way, as much the center of this story as Nick and Charlotte. By making peace with Ross, Nick is finally coming to terms with his own abandonment and abuse. Charlotte's love is the one thing that allows Nick to accept his place in the world and be the man he was always meant to be. A very powerful story, smoothly told.

Kleypas has become a reliable author in my book because she repeatedly delivers one great story after another. She provides romance readers with unusual storylines and unique characters. Nick Gentry is legendary as a thief taker in London. At his brother-in-law's (Ross Cannon from Lady Sophie's Lover) insistence, Nick has taken his skills and put them to use at the Bow Street Runners. He has been pleased working with the runners for a number of years and is still in demand working contractual private investigations on the side. When Worth Any Price opens, Nick has been hired by Lord Radnor to locate his run-away fiancée, Charlotte (Lottie) Howard. Soon Nick has located her and visits an earl's country estate in search of her. He believes she is working at the estate as a lady's companion. When Lottie meets Nick, she is instantly attracted to him and Nick is drawn to her as well. But, before he has the opportunity to complete his investigation and reveal the true purpose of his visit, the earl exposes Nick and his objectives to Lottie.
Nick's character is a well-written hero for romance. He has a strong personality - yes domineering with a swagger. Although his roots are aristocratic he has no desire to live that life. He has enjoyed his years as a highly skilled detective and has made his own fortune. There are many mysteries concerning Nick's previous business dealings and as a youth growing up. He is not ashamed or even necessarily secretive about his former questionable occupations during his adult life. But his youth is shrouded in secrets that he refuses to talk about or acknowledge and are deeply entrenched in the story line.
Charlotte is a very likable heroine. She has gentle strength that allows us to see her as an undemanding and mature woman. She also has some real scars from her teen years. There is good reason for her to hide from Nick's contract employer, Lord Radnor. As she explains the truth behind her hiding, Nick realizes that he cannot report her whereabouts and must protect her. The attraction they had initially felt for one another has heightened significantly. Once Lottie has explained to the earl and Nick her reasons for hiding, she offers herself to Nick, as his mistress, if he will protect her from the dreaded Lord Radnor who is basically considered her enemy. Nick, however, does not accept her offer as his mistress. He insists on marriage between them instead.
So begins the usual denial of strong feelings - especially on the part of the hero. He finds it very difficult to accept that he may be very besotted with Lottie. But it is a most entertaining story even if some of the plot lines are typical romance stuff. Kleypas does it with such an edge that it captivates you and makes Worth Any Price a difficult book to put down. Nick's character is unusual in that Charlotte is only the second woman he has been with physically. However, don't let that little fact fool you. These sensual scenes steam and steam and certainly deserve that 9 sensual rating from the store. Since I always include a sensual rating in my reviews, I will further emphasize these sexy scenes rate a solid 4 ½ out of 5 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).
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This is a fun tale and yet very serious at times. I adore stories in which the couple gets married early in the book. I like seeing the couple work out their marriage and this particular marriage is very fun to watch, without a doubt. This is one book I wanted to consume as fast as possible. But, as I read it, I knew I should be slowly savoring it instead. This is the third of a series. Someone to Watch Over Me is number one, Lady Sophia's lover is number two and Worth Any Price is number three. It is a highly recommended "read again" and on the keeper shelf for good.

This book is a trademark of Kleypas's writing. It is steamy, passsionate and has a hero that would make any woman tingle. He is also a character unlike any other. There is so much more to write about him but giving that away would ruin the book. Simply, he is not what he seems.
This is the sequel to Lady Sophia's Lover and if you read that book, you know what is in store.
This story is about Nick Gentry, brother of the heroine from Lady Sophia's Lover and former thief turned straight man, working for the Bow Runners.
Nick's latest job is to find Charlotte Howard, who is hiding from her fiance and family. She has been missing for two years because the though of marrying a man her parents' forced her to turns her stomach.
When Nick finds hers, he realizes she is the one for him and won't let her go. He must have her to redeem his soul, which he lost years ago. But first both must learn to trust each other and be willing to give and receive.
Nick is the main focus of this story and from the first page you will be amazed by him. There are so many secrets about him and he is a Kleypas trademark hero. He is brooding, alpha but with a touch of vulnerability. And Charlotte is his equal half that shows him what it is to love.
And the love scenes are STEAMY, HOT and too good for words.
This book shows what a true talent Kleypas is.
Also recommended along the same lines is Suddenly You and Lady Sophia's Lover. If steamy and passionate stories are your thing, pick up all three of these books.

Katiebabs

LADY SOPHIA'S LOVER

This book had an interesting start...Then it had a very good beginning, but once I got into the middle of the book, it started to go downhill and become boring, repetitive, and not at all unique in any way. It went a little something like this:

Let's go shopping!

Let's have sex!

Let's go shopping!

Let's have sex!

Shop. Sex. Shop. Sex. Shop. Sex. Ball. Sex. Fight. Sex. Fight. Sex. The end.

I really liked Nick...I found him to be an intriguing hero, and liked the fact that he'd ony had one lover before he met Lottie. He is also enormously kind to Lottie. You could really tell he loves her--though I didn't feel that Lottie loved Nick at all. Lottie would say all these hateful things to Nick, but he'd never get angry with her. He'd just smile and continue to be extremely tender. He never tries to control her or anything annoying like that. He sticks up for her to her awful mother, and comforts her when she cries (which is a lot).

Weird how Lottie says the only reason she's agreeing to have sex with Nick is so she won't have to dread it, and he isn't at all bothered by this...very strange...almost as strange as her calling Nick the most unscrupulous man she's ever met, yet she agreed to marry him to get away from an evil, child-molester. Apparently, the child molester has more scruples.

Also annoying how Nick's sister says he's not nearly good enough for Lottie. I'm just getting bored of statements like that. I don't think that's something one sibling should say to another, even if they think it. It's just rude and I don't find it amusing. I'm getting tired of the whole "big bad man" meets "perfect innocent woman."

Lottie suffers from multiple personalities, sometimes nice and tender, others mean and callous (this is the usual), such as when she says she won't be "fortunate" enough to have Nick die. And when she says it, it isn't as a joke, either. She actually means it--I don't care if she apologizes afterward...I mean, if it had been the man who said that to the woman, I bet a lot more people would have been bothered by it. I know Nick is supposedly this awful crime lord blah blah blah, but I haven't seen any examples of it--and anyway, he's so kind and nice to Lottie, I just don't think it even matters. Also irksome, is how Lottie gets drunk virtually every time they go anywhere. It makes her seem...not very smart? Because she never means to get drunk, but she keeps drinking and then is surpised at her drunkenness. I felt it a little silly.

I feel I should have been bothered by the fact that Nick's troubled past was dismissed so easily--I mean, he had nightmares every day practically his whole life, and then they suddenly stopped just because he told Lottie what happened? Give me a break. But, somehow, it didn't bother me, because I never felt like his problems were real. I never felt like ANY of his past was real, for that matter.

And what in the heck is up with the ending? It made no sense. The villian's demise was so random and absurd, I actually gaped. It was so stupid and anti-climactic.

While Worth Any Price was good enough to keep me reading, I found it extremely annoying and don't wish to read it ever again.

This title represents my introduction to Lisa Kleypas, and I'm happy to report I wasn't disappointed. Though it lacked the fire of other titles I have read, it was hardly a letdown. I loved the tortured protagonists, and the equally tortured antagonist. I could have done without the whole "I-don't-want-my-title" bit. Who cares? And why, if Gentry refused his title, was it literally shoved down his gullet (as if he didn't have enough issues) anyway? What moved me about the book was the way that Lottie vehemently took on the task of calming the waters of Nick's tormented soul, despite his half-hearted rebellion. And I loved the sweet surrender--"It's too much...it feels to good to stop", Nick breathes into Lottie's ear. YUMMY! Some very palpable sexual tension permeates this book...
Now I have read some of Kleypas' other titles--Suddenly You, and Someone To Watch Over Me. I liked this one the best of the three. Though I stop short of calling this one a keeper, I definitely recommend the read.

Read the 3rd book first. Absolutely loved it. Nick is a bow street runner but also takes side jobs in finding people. He is asked to locate a women who disappeared 2 yrs ago (Charlotte Howard). Nick finds her as a dowagers paid companion. Upon getting to know her as he is masquerading as Lord Sydney, he wants her for himself. Things happen and they end up getting married. A wonderful read. Just love her books.

We first met Nick Gentry in "Lady Sophia's Lover" when he was a famous/infamous crimelord/thief-taker. His capture meant hanging - except that his sister happened to be married to the Chief Magistrate. Since accepting his brother-in-law, Sir Ross Cannon's proposition to "go straight" and become a Bow Street Runner, Nick is now a success and the best runner there is. He has taken on a private commission to find the runaway fiance of Lord Radnor and he finds her working as a companion to dowager Lady Westcliff. Up to now, Charlotte "Lottie" Howard has evaded Lord Radnor for two years and Nick is impressed and attracted by her. She's spirited, but wary and tends to live for the moment, enjoying long walks, dragonflies, wishing wells and May Day celebrations. He is reluctantly charmed and knows that he cannot turn her over to Lord Radnor only to be crushed into submission. Besides, he wants her for himself. So he offers to marry her to take her out of Radnor's reach. She agrees and so begins the bittersweet journey toward trust, friendship, sexual fulfillment and ultimately love for this couple. Nick and Lottie are well suited and sweet together, both working hard to understand and support each other even while they hold part of themselves back. But trust and love do come as they realize their need for each other.
Though this story lacks some of the sparkle of "Lady Sophia's Lover", it's still an enjoyable and recommended read. It was great to see characters from LSL again - Ross is still dreamy, Grant is still wry and Sophia is still her sweet, perceptive and supportive self. We see Nick's resentment of Ross's interference in his life turn finally to gratitude and even respect. Nick may have lost his father years ago, but between Ross and Grant, he has two men looking out for him and in the long run he recognizes this.
I have to agree with another reviewer that the blurb on the back of the book is quite misleading and overblown. While he may be a skillful lover, it was not always so and is certainly not commonly known as the prologue clearly demonstrates. Such hyperbole is really unnecessary.
I'm wondering if we'll see a story about Lord Westcliff. It seemed more time was spent introducing him than is usual for a fairly minor character. And I still think Dr. Linley (LSL) would be fun to investigate as well - I like his sense of humor!

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

I loved book 2, Lady Sophia's Lover so much that I jumped right into book 3, Worth Any Price immediately. I didn't even stop to review. I just waited until I was done all three books and then wrote all reviews together. That's how good each of the Bow Street Runner's books were to me.

I think Worth Any Price may have been my favourite of three novels.

Nick Gentry would make my list as one of the top rakes that needs and deserves saving. The man has been dealt a bad deal in life and yet he has found a way to survive. Only his sister knew he was a different man inside. Not even Nick thought he was worthy of a chance.

Nick fights his attraction to Lottie and the more he battles against is, the more he wants to embrace it. Before Nick knows what hit him, he's deeply in love. It all was perfectly paced and written to believable circumstances. It was like opening a present slowly. The anticipation was exciting.

One of the story elements I think I loved most about Worth Any Price is the lack of secrets that the couple kept from each other. He freely shares his past and his bank account balance. He holds nothing back including his desire to bed Lottie. I truly hate romance books where the conflict is a kept secret between the couple and everything falls apart around that secret. Not in the case of Worth Any Price. I was loving every single page and applauded the honesty. The only secret Nick didn't divulge right away was a deeply emotional scar that held Nick captive in his dreams and thoughts. Once he truly trusted Lottie, he even shared that emotional state with her.

Keeping on that honesty theme, the same truth worked with Lottie as well. She doesn't withhold details about her past from Nick and just tells it like it is. I even said out loud "awesome". I was just so excited the author Lisa Kleypas took that route with Worth Any Price.

The story line, the characters, the honesty and the overall enjoyment of Worth Any Price earned a 5 heart rating from me.

Teasers: wishing well, kissing gate, historical shower scene, accepting peer title

You simply mustn't miss the third bow-street runners book! Its amazing! Nick, our hero, has lived an awful life in the slums of London. He's been through jail and has suffered a lot there and yet he has managed to pull through, become rich and is slowly becoming more respectable due to the fact that he is now a bow street runner rather than what he was before in 'Lady Sophia's Lover', which was more or less a criminal.
THis is a story about a broken man who needs the right women to put his spirit and life to rights again. He's avoided women and sex all his life until the age of twenty-five because of the disgusting things he saw whilst he was in jail. So at the age of twenty-five he goes to a courtesan who teaches all she knows about the act of love. Then after three years he is set a case by one of his employers to find his runnerway fiance - which he does of course, hears her story, marries her himself, and finally falls in love. I thought this was a brilliant story because Nick never believed in love before and needed Lottie to show him the way after his sad previous life. I like that Nick has had sex with two women in his life but has only made love to one - thats what he says.
And the ending... Its just amazing... The way he admits his love for her is just breathtaking, believe me! RECOMMENDED!

You simply mustn't miss the third bow-street runners book! Its amazing! Nick, our hero, has lived an awful life in the slums of London. He's been through jail and has suffered a lot there and yet he has managed to pull through, become rich and is slowly becoming more respectable due to the fact that he is now a bow street runner rather than what he was before in 'Lady Sophia's Lover', which was more or less a criminal.
THis is a story about a broken man who needs the right women to put his spirit and life to rights again. He's avoided women and sex all his life until the age of twenty-five because of the disgusting things he saw whilst he was in jail. So at the age of twenty-five he goes to a courtesan who teaches all she knows about the act of love. Then after three years he is set a case by one of his employers to find his runnerway fiance - which he does of course, hears her story, marries her himself, and finally falls in love. I thought this was a brilliant story because Nick never believed in love before and needed Lottie to show him the way after his sad previous life. I like that Nick has had sex with two women in his life but has only made love to one - thats what he says.
And the ending... Its just amazing... The way he admits his love for her is just breathtaking, believe me! RECOMMENDED!

Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas plunges into the sensual realm immediately, with the prologue, and continues for the entirety of the novel. The actual story begins with Nick Gentry searching for Charlotte, a missing girl who has run away from an impending marriage to the insane Lord Radnor. Gentry has been hired by Radnor to bring back his bride, but when Nick discovers Charlotte, he also discovers a need to possess her himself. Facing a dilemma without many tolerable solutions, Charlotte decides to accept Nick's marriage proposal because she can't deny the attraction, and she senses he alone would be able to protect her from Radnor. I liked this novel and thought it was well done; I enjoyed reading about Nick Gentry's transformation both with his identity and his guarded heart. My only warning to the reader - the sensuality is very steamy and not for the faint of heart!

Kleypas writes well, and I enjoyed this even though (as mentioned by others) the plot's a little unbelievable. It was a nice change to read a book that seemed mainly on the guy than the girl though.
I'd agree that Nick's big secret didn't seem particularly serious considering his hangups, and that Charlotte's was worth looking deeper into. And yeah, I would have been more impressed if the story had been about Radnor/Howards/Charlotte.
It would be a pity if this is the last of the Bow Street Runner books. I liked the 1st 2, and always wondered what would happened to Nick Gentry. Now I'm wondering what happened to Charlotte's sisters, especially Ellie.

Although he may not be my favorite hero, Nick Gentry rightly belongs near the top of the list. Many readers consider him THE ultimate romantic hero. I was certainly surprised by his secret, but I think it makes him more endearing. He's come a long way from his days prior to "Lady Sophia's Lover." He's still outrageously handsome, dangerous, and conflicted, but we see more of that softer side that was hinted at in LSL.
The situation set up by his taking on the job of finding the runaway Lottie and then falling for her permeates the conflicts of the book. Lottie is a fine heroine--resourceful, unassuming but strong. Considering Nick's past, she's just the woman he needs.
A splendid addition to the series.

I really enjoyed this book. After reading about Nick Gentry in "lady Sophia's Lover," I really enjoyed watching his character come to life in this book. The plot was very unique. I liked the way the chemistry flowed between Nick (hero) and Charlotte (heroine). There was no back and forth bickering between them. There were moments I laughed out loud. Then there were moments I wanted to cry. I love both characters. Nick is sexy, strong, mischievous, and s little recluse. Charlotte's character is strong, caring, and knows what she wants and goes for it. A lot of hot and sexy love scenes.

We first met Nick Gentry in Lady Sophia's Lover. He was a shady, mysterious, magnetic character--in other words, he showed so much promise as a hero that I COULDN'T WAIT for Kleypas to write his story.
In Worth Any Price, Nick Gentry is now working on the good guys' side as a Bow Street Runner, but his past is still shrouded in mystery. Nick is asked to track down Charlotte Howard, a nobleman's runaway fiancee. Nick finds her working at a large estate, and decides to observe her more closely under the guise of an aristocratic guest. He soon finds that he cannot turn Lottie over to her repulsive fiance, and coerces her to marry him instead. The crux of the story comes after the marriage, when virtual strangers must learn to trust and love each other, and Nick's secrets must finally be revealed if he is ever to move on with his life and be happy.
I have no complaints about Lottie. She was smart, strong and spunky--not at all that whining, throw-herself-headlong-into-trouble damsel in distress I hate so much. She was strong enough to defy her family in an era when it was unheard of, and real enough to go back and try to reconcile with them once she'd married Nick.
Unfortunately, Worth Any Price is much more Nick's story than Lottie's, as every issue in the book seems to depend in some way on this one specific incident that occurred in his past. Perhaps it's just me, but I thought Kleypas was setting Nick up to be a tortured hero type in the genre of Gabriel, from Gabriel's Woman (if you've read that book or its synopsis, then you know what I mean). He has gone years without being able to let anyone touch him, he isn't close to anyone emotionally and will not let himself fall in love with anyone...Really, the clues were all there.
In addition, although he is in reality a nobleman, no one knows this but his sister and brother-in-law (again, see Lady Sophia's Lover), and he has no intention of claiming the role--again, because of that incident in his past.
Given all this, when Nick's "Big Secret" was finally revealed, my reaction was: "That's it???? This is the big traumatic event that has scarred him for life and prevented him from loving anyone?" I was so annoyed that I almost threw the book across the room. Believe me, when you find out the Big Reason, it makes Nick seem as melodramatic as one of those latin soap operas. Needless to say, he also loses all credibility as an Alpha hero.
With this flimsy excuse for pathos, the author would've done better to focus on Lottie's story; parents basically selling their daughters to vile noblemen in order to attain a higher standard of living would have been a much better central issue.
I have been with Lisa Kleypas since Midnight Angel, and will continue to glom all her new books. This book is disappointing only because I had built up such expectations about Nick, and because, frankly, I expect more from Kleypas than from the average romance author. Especially after works like Lady Sophia's Lover, Suddenly You and Where Dreams Begin.

Lisa Kleypas is one of the best historicals writers around today, I have read all of her books so far. She releases often and writes all of them very well. Worth Any Price is very good and it was nice to catch up on the characters from Lady Sophia's Lover and Someone to Watch Over Me!
Worth Any Price was a sensual read, worth a purchase.
For first time Lisa Kleypas readers you must read Somewhere I'll Find You then Because You're Mine these go together. Another must is Where Dreams Begin" that was a beautiful book! Midnight Angel is another great one! The list is endless!

I really enjoyed all three of the Bow Street Runner books, including Worth Any Price. All three have excellent male characters as the "heroes" and the stories are all very intriguing. That said, I didn't quite like this story as well as those in Someone to Watch Over Me and Lady Sophia's Lover. I LOVED the character of Nick Gentry-- I thought he was totally delicious-- but I found the beginning of his romance with Charlotte Howard, and her eventual submission, a little odd. It just didn't seem to have as smooth a transition as the romances between Grant and Victoria and Ross and Sophia from virtual stranger to lover.

However, once they did stumble through that transition, it's a wonderfully steamy story. I didn't find Charlotte's character as interesting as Nick or the others from the previous books, but I thought they made a great match and it is definitely a good read. One of the best things about Lisa Kleypas is that her books are amazingly quick reads that are so difficult to put down, and as far as I'm concerned, that is the mark of a good writer!

Readers who enjoyed "Lady's Sophia's Lover" will definitely love the story of Sophia's ex-criminal brother, Nick. Nick is a tortured soul who spent several months in jail as an adolescent, exposed to nasty, abusive criminals. As an adult he cannot stand physical touch and has trouble being emotionally close to other people, but longs to change that. When he meets Lottie, he knows that she is the woman who can help him change. He is now a Bow Street Runner and is supposed to bring the run-away girl back to her rich fiance, but decides to keep her for himself instead, and they marry. In her he finds a new excitement for life and a tender side to his personality. It's a surprisingly sweet love story, and a lovely end to the Bow Street saga.

For me this book started out strong and then went down hill in the second half. Once again, just like in the last book, as soon as Lottie and Nick got together there was just one sex scene after the other with very little storyline in between. I had the same problem with the second book Lady Sophia's Lover, and this this book was no better. Too bad, the first book was so awesome books and two and three have just gone down hill. I haven't decided if I will read the last in the series or not.

Unlike Stephanie Laurens and Julia Quinn (with their "Cynster" and "Bridgerton" series), Lisa Kleypas knows when her interconnected books start to run out of steam. Not a lot happens in this novel, action-wise (unlike the two previous "Bow Street" books), but she neatly interconnects all the characters from all three, so that there's a satisfying conclusion. Actually, there are a lot of "satisfying conclusions" in this novel - it's also the sexiest of the three, in keeping with its featuring the most decadent character, Nick Gentry.

Like all of her books, Lisa Kleypas builds such dynamic characters that readers fall in love with each of them (at least the nice ones). Just finished reading it for the third or fourth time. It, like all of her books are on my keep forever shelf.

The sequel to "Lady Sophia's Lover", "Worth Any Price" brings back Nick Gentry, which is certainly a wonderful premise for any novel! Gentry's character is roguish yet sweetly entertaining and Charlotte is a wonderful foil for him, a somewhat reserved girl who comes into her own while standing up for herself and the love she finds with her husband. I would definately recommend the book for any Kleypas fan, but not as a novel of introduction to the author.

Yes, I have found a new favorite historical fiction author! This is my second by Ms Kleypas and I enjoyed it even more than the first...except for the detailed sex scenes. If you enjoy historical fiction, skip over the hot scenes and just keep reading!

This was a really good book. I loved the character of Nick. He was my favorite type of hero, the kind that has dark secrets and a bit of bad boy in them. The ones that are transformed by the women who love them. *sigh*. The only thing I didn't like was having to call the character Lottie. It reminded of an old woman's name. I much better like the name Charlotte. The love scenes were particularly steamy for this author, which I liked. Overall a great read and one I would highly recommned.

I only bought this book because I absolutely LOVED "In a Stranger's Arms". Unfortunately, this book just doesn't have the same flow or chemistry. I'm enjoying most of it, but there is TOO much dialogue. I'm finding myself flipping through most of it, which is something I hate to do. Considering I've read "Stranger" about three times since I got it, I'm very disappointed in "Worth Any Price". I personally can't see what Nick sees in Lottie, and the book delves more into his relationship with the men in his life than her. Get this one at the library!

I absolutely loved this story of Nick and Charlotte. It was
fast paced and very hard to put down and it was nice to see
what was going on with Sophia and Sir Ross too. My only complaint
was how she left Charlotte's parents without resolve to me, there should have been a confrontation with Charlotte's parents.
But I loved the whole story and would recommend it too anyone who
loves mysteries and hot steamy romance.

Great story! This was my favorite of the BowStreet Runner series. The story of Nick's redemption from heartless criminal to loving husband was such fun to read. The story flows well and the ending is very satisfactory, all our favorite characters living "happily ever after" - just the way a good love story should be. Thanks Lisa Kleypas for the entertainment - can't wait to discover your other stories.

We first meet Nick Gentry in "Lady Sophia's Lover" where he is a wanted criminal, but now and for the last three years he has worked for Sir Grant Morgan ("Someone To Watch Over Me")as a Bow Street Runner. Lord Radnor has hired Nick to find his fiancee Charlotte Howard who has been on the run for the past two years, but when Nick finds "Lottie", he wants her for himself. He gives Lottie the option of returning and marrying Lord Radnor or marrying him. Of course, Lottie chooses Nick and their relationship explodes into a very passionate romance that sets the pages on fire! This is the third book featuring the Bow Street Runners and I hated to see it end. Enjoy!

This book is wonderful as the third installment of Kleypas' Bow Street Trilogy. The first book was "Someone to Watch Over Me," and the second, which is actually the prequel to "Worth Any Price", is "Lady Sophia's Lover". Read in any order Lisa Kleypas once again take her audiences into a world of intrigue, adventure, and not to mention mind blowing romance.

I think this book starts ok. But round the middle the story loses all the thrill. Like there s not big moments at all and it turns really predictable, without any twist to the plot. I m sorry to say tris is the worse kleypas I have Ever read.

I have been working my way through Lisa Kleypas and this is another winner. This novel is follow up to 'Someone to Watch over Me' and 'Lady Sophia's Lover'. Nick is Sophia's brother and he was hired to find Charlotte the runaway fiance. Charlotte requests that Nick not return her fiance but she will become his mistress or not...

This book deserves at least 10 stars for being such an outstanding read. I have read everything written by Lisa Kleypas and she seems to get better and better every time. I can't wait until the next book comes out with the Bow Street runners.

Worth Any Price, by Lisa Kleypas is the sequal to Lady Sophia's Lover.
I found this book better than the first. It is steamy and tender, and you just cant help but love Nick Gentry. Lisa Kleypas became a favorite after just one book....Suddenly You. I highly recommend all her books, ESPECIALLY this one!

This novel is filled with intrigue, desire and sizzling love scenes. Worth Any Price is the perfect end to the trilogy.
Be sure to read the first novel, Someone To Watch Over Me and the second, Lady Sophia's Lover.

I loved Nick from Lady Sophia's Lover, and couldn't pass this one up about him.

I was glad to learn he wasn't sexually harrassed in the prison as a young boy, and I was glad he got his lover.

I was just not caught up into this. I adore LK's works, many of it. This one just doesn't appeal to me. I can barely get through half of the book.

And somehow, when the heroine decided to make love to her husband right after he tell her he have two hundred thousand dollars worth of saving, I feel the timing made it seemed rather as if she's interested in his riches rather than him. It was clearly described that she finally see him as a vulnerable man, but I just couldn't get pass on the 'savings' thing.