My favorite of all the Hornblower books and I like them ...
342242
My favorite of all the Hornblower books and I like them all.  The movie with Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo takes liberties with the plot but remains a lovely film nevertheless.  The book arrived in perfect condition and replaces my mother's old disintegrating copy of some  80 venerable years.
4957018
Kent's series is topnotch all the way. After reading Hornblower series as a young girl (yes...girl!!!) in the late 50's, I started reading Kent and began a lifelong quest to read 'em all. Fifty years later, I still am.
954963
I've read this book three times and recently added the whispersync audiobook which is fantastic! While listening, I analyzed why I like this book so much. 1) I completely relate to the heroine who is awkward in society and loves numbers and finance. 2) The mystery is interesting and intelligently written without overwhelming the romance. 3) I personally felt like I was listening to a racy version of a Georgette Heyer book - Linden's turn of phrase, use of description, vernacular and subtle development of the romance all put me in mind of Heyer.

I've read the whole Truth About The Duke series and this one is my favorite. I Love the Earl is a novella about the brothers' Aunt which is worth reading too, especially since I think it's only .99 cents. One Night in London introduces the mystery of who is trying to blackmail their family and I've read it several times, but it's not necessary to read it first.  Edward is a staid, reliable, beta-hero and the heroine never appealed to me very much. Blame it on Bath is Gerard's story in which he agrees to a marriage of convenience with an heiress. I liked the heroine from that book, but Gerard is arrogant and a bit of a jerk and there's soooo many sex scenes there's hardly any story.

In this book, Charlie's character is very well developed and he grows a lot, from an indolent rake to a man in love who's ready to take on his responsibilities. I found him admirable. And I love that he recognizes his own weaknesses and limitations and convinces Tessa that she perfectly balances his deficits. Tessa is less well developed, but she grows too, in her willingness to overcome her fear of falling in love after being badly hurt in a previous relationship. I highly recommend this book with one caveat - there are a lot of historical details about investing and canals which some readers may find boring. I like history and enjoy these types of details in historical romances - I felt like I learned something new the first time I read it.

Other favorites by Linden:
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/A-View-to-a-Kiss/dp/B001NLL87Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">A View to a Kiss</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/What-A-Gentleman-Wants-Reece-Family-Trilogy-Book-1/dp/B002TWIVRG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">What A Gentleman Wants (Reece Family Trilogy Book 1)</a>
297694
This is probably my favorite book of the series. I'm going to start them again soon. Easy to navigate, great digital format of the book. I'd much rather have it on my Kindle than hard back but then again it's HP I may just have to buy the set anyways haha
4724509
Another great read in the Hornblower series - well paced, well told, with great insight into sailing in the early 19th century.
111621
I did like this attempt on the Hornblower series.  I won't compare this one with the originals because that would not be fair to Mr. Keller.  That being said, I feel the novel is a good read and even better if one has not read the original series first.
1954623
I read some of the Hornblower books when I was a young man and decided that I wanted to re=read them.  I just finished the final Hornblower book ( number 11)  and enjoyed them all.  Forester wrote many other books that I intend looking into.
2444678
4.5 stars

I've read a lot about history in the past 20-plus years, but I know next to nothing about the "Age of Fighting Sail" - Continental Navy, Napoleonic Wars, War of 1812, etc - so I've decided 2018 and probably longer than that I'll be devoting some reading to that era at sea - both fiction and nonfiction - I started with both Forester's Horatio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series.

Having just finished the first books in both, I can say I like them both but for completely different reasons, and will continue to read both series.

This book was a lot of fun to read - not nearly as "technical" as O'Brian's, but enough to maintain authenticity; Forester's characterization of the megalomaniac "El Supremo" was chilling and effective; the battle between the HMS Lydia and the Natividad was absolutely thrilling - it will be hard to beat in future reading, I think; the budding love story between Hornblower and Lady Wellesley was also intriguing, as was the British-Spanish political intrigue.

The only things that kept me from giving it a full 5 stars were:

a) I get that Hornblower has an inferiority complex, and that's part of the charm of his character, but Forester knocks you over the head with self-doubt at every turn - it was a little too much

b) I felt like Forester gave Lady Wellesley's maid, "Hebe," a cartoonish "Happy Negro" characterization, which I did not care for, and was in conflict with the apparent liberality of both Hornblower and the lady.

Other than that, it was terrific and I look forward to reading more - just trying to decide whether to go back to a chronological start, or carry through with the order in which they were written
2532682
I enjoy Hornblower better.  Few things are wrote quite that well.  Well done.  If you are the kind of man who like to hold a piece of dead tree in your hand I recommend it.
3009507
Having just finished book fourteen of this series, I want the author to know that he should keep writing.  I've read the Hornblower series and the Aubrey-Maturin series.  This Lewrie series is a little more bawdy, but very comparable to the Aubrey series and better than the Hornblower series.  With each book the author is improving his stories.  By "Troubled Water", the protogonist is now a post capitan with real life worries - marriage, work, legal.  Although to modern sensibilities some of the predicaments seems bizarre, I suspect that they are historically accurate.  So if you liked Aubrey, give this series a try.  A few scenes are R rated, but the vast majority of the book is G.
1770728
Long fan of Alexander Kent's Bolitho Series - there is not one that I would highly recommend.  Kent has a way of deeply drawing you into the hero and sidekick characters of this wonderful series.  While I am not a sailor, so I am not hugely excited by the background technical details of wooden decked and sailing ships, (and this detail is entirely supportive of the story, not overwhelming), the interaction of the characters, their inner needs, thoughts, fears, hopes, are brought alive by Kent's writing.  If anyone would wants to test and think about the trials and challenges of small and larger organizational leadership, then this is the series.  Very much in the tradition of C.S. Forrester and Hornblower, and definitely in the class of Patrick O'Brien and the Aubrey/Maturin series.
775604
Horatio Hornblower in spaceships with a female protagonist.  But I'm a sucker for such.  I just finished the book and immediately downloaded the second in the series.
25603
I really loved The Legacy of the Kings Pirates series first two books. At first I was disappointed when I realized this book did not continue Merrick and Charlisse's story, but then the story captivated me. It begs the question what lengths would a mother go to in order to save her child. This book is actually my favorite of three, and I highly recommend it.
2949400
Forester at his best. After reading the Hornblower series, this book continues the theme.
916546
I KISSED AN EARL is the fourth book in the Pennyroyal Green series.  It is the story of the wayward Violet Redmond and the newly minted Earl of Ardmay, Asher Flint.  A gypsy fortune predicted that Violet would take a sea journey.  Violet who is impulsive stores away on Flint's ship as he goes in search of a pirate who might be Violet's missing oldest brother.

These two characters are so well match: arrogant, passionate, determined, strategic.  The two are engaged in gameplay and gamesmanship throughout the book.  Being at odds over Violet's brother the two cannot see a future together and yet they are kindred spirits.  I loved the interplay between Violet and Flint.  Both have reasonable positions and the book does not shy away from the difficulties they face.

I could not put this book down.  The strong, clear unadorned language of the book allows the emotions and choices of the characters to shine.  This is my favorite of the series so far.

I recommend this book -- and you can read this book without having read the prior books.
4384111
Alan Lewrie, in these escapades further cements Dewey Lambdin's reputation as supplanting C. S. Forrester and the classic Horatio Hornblower series. Why? Lewrie, in addition to all the Hornblower qualities we so admire, has an irrepressible, and irresistible, dog which lurks just below the surface of his generally sterling character. Well done!
2500725
One of the really great books for anyone who appreciates great sailing vessels.