Like No Other Lover

Written by Julie Anne Long

Narrated by Justine Eyre

Now or Never . . .

It's the last chance for Cynthia Brightly, the town's most bewitching belle. Driven out of London by a secret scandal, she must find a grand husband at the Redmonds' house party before word of her downfall spreads all over England. Unfortunately, someone at Pennyroyal Green is already privy to the whispers of broken engagements and dueling lovers: Miles Redmond, renowned explorer and-thanks to his brother's disappearance-heir to the family's enormous fortune.

Miles set his sights on Cynthia once, at a time when the ambitious beauty thought herself too good for a second son. But now he's heir apparent, relishing his control. He strikes a bargain with her: he'll keep Cynthia's steamy secrets and help her find a husband among the guests-in exchange for a single kiss.

What could be the harm in a simple kiss? Cynthia is about to discover that it's enough to unleash fierce passion-and that Miles Redmond is most certainly like no other lover in the world.

Contains mature themes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781541430839

Julie Anne Long

USA Today bestselling author and Rita® Award winner Julie Anne Long’s books have been translated into eighteen languages, nominated for numerous awards, and have appeared on dozens of “Best of” lists. NPR named her Pennyroyal Green series as one of the Top 100 romance series of all time. She currently lives in Northern California.

Reviews for Like No Other Lover

[jorgeousjotts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this one considerably more than the first book in the series. I liked the characters more, it was more believable, and it focused more on their relationship. Points of interest- House party, forbidden/secret relationship, other suitors.

[samnreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm giving this a 3.6.

I liked this apparently--checks notes--polarizing book. I thoroughly enjoyed the backstory with the house party, I loved Miles with his stuffy pragmatism, and Cynthia with her zesty fortitude.

And of course, JAL can 'miss' sometimes, but she's so romantic and I love her writing. Of course, the middle sagged. There was too much push and pull. It was still moving, entertaining and fun, but it was a little worn. I'm still rounding this up, I can see revisiting this series with time.

[dgrachel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much better than the first of the series, with some very amusing, laugh-out-loud moments. The drinking game was riotously funny. The secondary characters were entertaining, and I enjoyed the interactions between the main characters.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Like No Other Lover
3 Stars

While the hero and heroine are engaging and their romance is intense, the pacing is tediously slow until the last 30% and the phrasing is repetitious.

The seemingly selfish and mercenary Cynthia Brightly is in dire straights and nothing short of marriage to a man of means can save her from a life of destitution. Enter Miles Redmond who has all the inside information on every eligible bachelor in Pennyroyal Green and is willing to trade it for a kiss from the one woman who wounded his pride. This sets Cynthia and Miles on a collision course characterized by witty banter and some seriously steamy scenes.

It is a pity that every other aspect of the book is so brain numbingly boring because Like No Other Lover could have been a 5 star read but must ultimately settle for a mediocre 3.

[jendoyle2000 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So good! For the second time, Julie Anne Long has taken me by surprise with layered characters, subtle (and not subtle -- e.g., shooting parties and drinking games) humor, and emotion so deep that I found myself nearly sobbing at times. The moment on the bench has to be one of the most beautiful ever, still standing out to me in a way very few do, and I keep smiling as I think about Miles' internal dialogue about Cynthia's hair ("*brown* hair, her hair was *brown*"). I'm waiting for the moment that there's more interplay between the Redmonds and the Everseas (can't remember how much there was in the first of the series; I so need to go back and read one after another), but this is only the second in a series of nine (so far) so I'm holding out hope.

[thelustyliterate-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I adore the Pennyroyal Green series, unfortunately, this installment, despite solid writing, is not one of it's finest. It's hard to LOVE a book if you don't fall a little in love with the hero. Miles makes it difficult. His exterior may be striking, but his head and heart are severely lacking. Miles is far from charming, clever, tender or endearing. I question how anyone could fall for the oaf. The ending was nice but the journey to get there, without love for the hero, it didn't captivate me. The ending is nice but the journey to get there isn't all that captivating.

[cranberrytarts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's been so long since I read the first book in Julie Ann Long's Pennyroyal Green series, I'd forgotten how much I enjoy her writing. She's excellent at spinning beautiful prose and wrapping the reader up in her world.

I have to applaud Long for once again creating very unconventional characters. The heroine is not the type I generally would have chosen to read about. She is a diamond of the first water to be sure, but she's also cold and mercenary. The first time the hero sees her he's immediately taken by her. Sadly he over hears her discussing the wealth and title of the all the available gentlemen..and discarding those she deems too poor or unattractive. Unfortunately for Miles Redmond, as a second son, he falls into the unwanted category.

Once again Long has written a strong story with witty dialogue, unconventional characters, humor and depth.

[luvlylibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cynthia is an unabashedly calculating character and I have to admire her determination to better her station in life, and the character development that leads her to accept employment in lieu of an advantageous marriage. Of course, the story can't end like that. She is reunited with the man she has come to love, and there is no lengthly drawn out conclusion after the reunion, which is my least favorite part of romance books.

[jyl22075 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! It is very rare that a book will actually make me laugh out loud and this book did just that. The shooting party bit was hilarious. And on top of all that humor was a wonderful love story. I appreciated Cynthia's flaws which made her all the more human. Miles was a delightful hero and a bit of a nerd by today's standards, which is one of the reasons I loved him.

[kaetrin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another enjoyable story from Ms. Long. From what I've read and reviews of the other books in the series, I think I can rely on her to deliver a good story. This one didn't work quite as well for me as The Perils of Pleasure, but it was still very good. Miles was an interesting alpha-in-beta-clothes type character IMO (and quite yummy) and Cynthia was sympathetically drawn - she could have come across as merely a gold-digger - and on the surface that's exactly what she was, but she had honour and she had very good reasons for her behaviour. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt and that left me just a little bit flat at the end. Still, it was a very good book.

[ktleyed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This historical turned out to be a really good romance! It had all the elements I love: humor, steam, romance and an added dash of poignancy to it that tugged at my heart strings. Cynthia Brightly needs to get married in a hurry. With no family and barely any money left, the former toast of London must marry soon or be faced with the unhappy eventuality of becoming a companion to a nasty old lady in a bath chair in Northumberland. I found it hard to like Cynthia at first, but she grew on me and by the end she had me. While at a house party in Sussex she meets Miles Redmond, the handsome naturalist and unlikely heir to the Redmond fortune, (since his older brother, Lyon, has disappeared). Little does she know that Miles once met her - or rather - he overheard her a few years back and was repelled by what he heard come from her lips. She called him a "dour second son." Taking a page from Elizabeth Bennet's book, he is prejudiced against her from then on, convinced she's nothing more than a greedy mercenary bitch. He can barely be civil to her when she visits his family home as a guest for two weeks at a house party. That doesn't stop him from wanting to kiss her though - plus other things as well. Yet he knows she's all wrong for him. He needs an heiress who can finance his next expedition, he is an explorer. They're both in need of something other than love - money. Despite his common sense which tells him to avoid her at all costs, he is intrigued by her and can't stay away. They make a bargain, he'll help her with finding a husband by giving her pertinent information on the single men at the house party, if she gives him a kiss - and from there it turns into an eventful two weeks! I really loved this book, although it took me a long time to read it due to my busy schedule. If I had had the time, I would have raced through it! A keeper!

[rainrunner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's a scene during a card game that had me laughing so hard I had to stop reading to collect myself. The H/h are just great and I adored them both. First time reading this author and I'll have to see what else she's got out there.

[readinggeek451 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Miles Redmond is a rational man, an explorer and scientist. So why is he so intrigued by that money-grubber schemer Cynthia Brightly? Cynthia needs to marry a wealthy man--soon--or be out on the street. She has several prospects, so why is she so intrigued by the all-but-engaged Miles Redmond? Two intelligent, practical people are about to find out what love is.This is a romance novel, so of course they get together in the end, but watching it all work out is very amusing.

[cauterize · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Historical Romance; probably Regency Period. This author is quickly becoming a must-read for me. She always starts off a bit slow but then things get cracking. The heroine, Cynthia, caused some mysterious scandal in London, which broke off her advantageous engagement to a Duke and as a result, she flees to a house party in the country held by Miles Redmond and his sister. Cynthia has no one and no money. If she doesn't find a rich man to marry during this party before the scandal spreads, she will have to become a paid companion or starve. Unbeknownst to her, Miles has a grudge against her because she slighted him a few years ago and he knows about the scandal.Cynthia is pretty, yes, but it's her charm and intelligence that makes her irresistible. She's daring and bold and proud of it. She knows her worth and it's her ambition to leverage these things for money and title. This may seem mercenary... but you become sympathetic to her motives. Would it be better for her to be a sweetly sacrificing “nice” girl and become a penniless spinster servant for the rest of her life? In one of the best quotes she says to Miles, You – You with your money and your bloody grandeur and your family and history. It’s all very well for you and Violet to play at romance. It will be all right in the end, of course. But I’ve none of that. I’ve no one. And you’ve gone and play dice with my future. Why shouldn’t I have what Violet will have? What you will have so easily? Why shouldn’t I?”And I thought, “Yeah! Stick it to the rich jerk!”Miles derides Cynthia for her ambition, but Ms. Long is savvy enough to show that Miles is just as coldly rational about his own martial prospects. He has no moral qualms in marrying solely out of family duty to strategic alliances and protect social position. As an added bonus, his potential fiancee's family will invest in his next scientific expedition - money he cannot get otherwise. So who is mercenary now, hmmm?The great thing about this book is everyone's actions follow their characters. Miles is a scientist and even though he doesn't like Cynthia at first, he observes her and changes his opinions when the facts do not match with his original hypothesis. He notices... he makes the effort to see underneath Cynthia’s sparkle. Cynthia’s main asset is that she is able to read people and use her charm to make them shine. Therefore, she evaluates each suitor by charming them to be their flirty best. I was also impressed that Miles and Cynthia never mistake the attraction they feel for each other. No cutesy “mixed signals”. With both of them being so observant, they each know with certainty how the other feels even if it’s never said out loud. I like this so much more than the I’ll disguise that I like you, but I want to know if you like me plot. Intelligent characters should never be written like they are stupid, even in romances.The book has a very modern tone, and I never felt that there were any glaring historical inaccuracies. The dialogue is probably anachronistic, but I tend to like that in “fluff” romances. The author manages to insert a true-to-life drinking game and I ended up cracking up in laughter. The sex is hot, but quantity was low. As you can probably see, I really loved this book and I think Julie Anne Long writes better and better with every book. Drinking games and great writing, what’s not to love?I’m debating whether I want to bump this up to 5 stars as a “all-time favourite”. I know I’ll re-read this over and over.

[jjmachshev_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08Yippee! Now I have yet another author to add to my ‘watch’ list. I just finished Julie Anne Long’s latest historical “Like No Other Lover” and I’ll be heading to the store shortly looking for her backlist. If you’ve been reading my reviews, then you know I don’t throw out superlatives like confetti, but this book was so very, very good! When I’m ten pages in thinking I’ll never like the heroine and then end up cheering for her, you know the author is a talent. I laughed, I cried, and I finished the book wanting more. ‘Nuff said?Cynthia is two weeks from being homeless and destitute. In one week she went from being the toast of the ton to a social pariah, from being engaged to a rich, titled ‘catch’ to being ‘cut’ on the street. So the invitation from a friend to spend two weeks at a country estate house party is a godsend. Hopefully, the news from London won’t make it to the party until Cynthia has snagged a husband…a rich husband; because if she doesn’t, her chance at marriage and children will be crushed by a job as companion to a crotchety old lady.Miles Redmond is a rational scientist who lives to discover the reasons ‘why’. So when his first glimpse, two years ago, of Cynthia stopped his breath and caused his thoughts to become a morass of descriptive poetry, he immediately wanted to understand ‘why’. Unfortunately, he overheard her description of him then, which wasn’t flattering, and it pricked his pride and caused severely uncomfortable feelings in his chest! But now, two years later, she is a guest of his sister’s at their estate house party…and she’s apparently desperate to find a husband. It’s just a good thing his illusions were dashed at that long ago ball because all he needs to do to please his family and finally receive financing for a return scientific expedition to Lacao is marry his father’s choice. Not a problem.How delicious. The scientist and the social butterfly. Of course, the further you read the more you understand that while those descriptions may be accurate to all appearances; people, including our hero and heroine, are much more than just what appears on the surface. I am truly impressed by how intensely Ms. Long managed to touch my feelings. Slowly, over the course of the story, she drew me deeper and deeper under the surfaces of the hero and heroine. They become real, at times heartbreakingly real; and their efforts to find happiness without hurting each other or disappointing friends and family were, at times, almost painful. These are characters whose story will stay with me for quite a while.For a historical romance novel, “Like No Other Lover” had it all. Setting, pace, dialogue, and characters were all exquisitely drawn and there were no overused plot devices or ‘too stupid to live’ moments or ‘terrible misunderstandings’ to suffer through. Julie Anne Long wrote a story about two people who faced challenge and change…and found love in the process. Bravo!