Say You Love Me

By Johanna Lindsey

Left penniless and in dire straits, Kelsey Langton realizes that only by allowing herself to be sold at auction canshe rescue her sister's future. So the proud, desperate lady enters the infamous House ofEros, resigned to becoming some well-heeled gentleman's plaything -- and Lord Derek Malory is the highest bidder for Kelsey's charms.

A handsome and irredeemable scoundrel, Derek soon draws the sensuous, unsuspecting maiden into a world of unparalleled pleasures and dangerous rivalries. But Kelsey knows she must always guard the secretof her highborn past -- even as her grace, spirit, and beauty entice her new "master" to renounce his scandalous ways and take a gamble on true love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Aug 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9780062106650

Johanna Lindsey

One of the world's most successful authors of historical romance, every one of Johanna Lindsey's previous novels has been a national bestseller, and several of her titles have reached the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list. Ms. Lindsey lives in New England with her family.

Reviews for Say You Love Me

[emscape · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kelsey finds out her family is facing some money trouble and lets her uncle talk her into auctioning herself to the highest bidder as a 'mistress' and that could have gone so horribly because there's this super-depraved woman-beater bidding on her, but she's rescued by Derek Malory, which is great because he's gorgeous and rich and nice. Old, evil guy is still obsessed, though, so there's some suspense here, too. Also, some secrets revealed about the eldest Malory, Derek's father which sets us up nicely for the next book, The Present.

[sabrinajeffries · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay, I'm cheating here, and I don't like them all equally, but I do love the Mallory's. They're all funny. I especially liked "Love Only Once" (the first book), "Gentle Rogue" (my favorite), and "The Magic of You" (where the heroine chases the hero shamelessly).

[crazy4reading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't put this book down. I stayed up late last night to finish this book. I knew if I had tried to go to sleep I wouldn't because I wanted to reach the ending of this book. I also realized that this is the first book I had ever read by Johanna Lindsey. It had be about 10 years or more since I read this and I still loved it this time around.Say You Love Me is the romance of Derek Malory, heir to the Marquis of Haverston and Kelsey Langton. Kelsey is a lady but Derek does not know this when he purchases her at an auction just to thwarts Lord Ashford who is known to beat his whores.Kelsey is talked into selling herself to help her uncle avoid the creditors. She has to lie and she knows that once she does this she will never be able to marry. She has to tell a story of why she talks and acts like a lady. When they start falling in love with each other it is interesting. And seeing Derek's Uncles James and Tony noticing how much Derek is smitten with Kelsey. Only one family member learns the truth and that is Reggie. She knew when she first met Kelsey at the dress makers that they would be great friends. Lord Ashford kidnaps Kelsey as she is leaving the dressmakers one day. Luckily James has his butler tailing Lord Ashford and know that he has taken a woman. When James learns about it and hears the description he knows it has to be Kelsey. This is when I just couldn't stop reading. I needed to reach the end and know what would happen to Kelsey and Derek. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kelsey Langton has been convinced by the relatives that took her in that the only way to save her sister is to put herself on the auction block. Lord Derek Malory is the highest bidder for her but his motives are suspect.It's a fun read, falls apart if you poke it in any way but otherwise fun.

[halo776 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Brief Synopsis: Kelsey Langton and her younger sister are living with her aunt and uncle since their parents' deaths. Late one night, Kelsey's uncle confides that their fortune is gone, and they are ruined if he cannot pay his debts. He offers one suggestion for how she can save her younger sister: become the mistress of a wealthy lord. Lord Derek Malory cannot believe his eyes when he sees a young woman being auctioned to the highest bidder. When Lord David Ashford ups the bidding, Derek decides to win her at all costs, knowing Ashford to be brutal to women. He realizes Ashford will beat her and wants to save her. Derek does not know she is a gentle-born lady with a respectable family, and no one is more surprised than he when he falls in love. But how can he save her from Lord Ashford, who is determined to get his revenge? The Verdict: If you've read the synopsis, then you have an idea of how ridiculous the story is. It's not realistic in the least, and is certainly not the best historical romance you'll likely read. The dialogue is iffy; sometimes it seems authentic, but other times it's awkward and does not seem historically accurate in the least. Due to the nature of their relationship, sex occurs before they fall in love. There was one sex scene (Kelsey's first time), but their other exploits were not elaborated on. It's unclear why they fall in love, exactly. For Kelsey's part, I think she views Derek as a savior of sorts, but I'm not sure why he falls in love with her. This part was very unsatisfying for me. If you like to get in the head of the characters, you'll likely be disappointed. This was a very quick read with a happy ending, but it suffered from an overall lack of development.

[jan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The episode with Ashford was breathtaking! Kelsey and Derek are loveable characters. Just did not like the litany of all relatives and how they are related with each other. It was quite exhausting trying to recall who married who and how from being enemies they ended up married into the Malory family. Enjoyable read, nonetheless.

[addictofromance · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

SummaryKelsey Langton has always looked out for her sister. When they lost their parents to a tragic and dramatic death, they were taken in by their aunt and uncle. But when her uncle loses his funds, he convinces Kelsey that she can save them and help provide more security for her sister. So she agrees to sell herself as a Lord's mistress to save her family. When she is put on the block, she end up being Derek Malory's mistress. Derek Malory is not a man to be spontaneous or to buy a mistress especially for the large amount, but when a cruel fellow Lord bids on Kelsey, he knows the pain she will suffer at his hands and he can save her this time. But Kelsey is not what he expected. She is kind, beautiful, intelligent and passionate and innocent. But when Derek realizes he wants to marry Kelsey, because he loves her, it might be impossible with the scandal surrounding their relationship and the secret that Kelsey is keeping from him...The HeroDerek Malory is the only son of Jason Malory, with all the responsibilities and duties that come with the Title and being the only son of the eldest of the Malory siblings. Derek believed that his mother died, and his step mother Frances was never a true mother to him. Derek is charming but is also responsible when he needs to be. Derek is such a wonderful hero to read. I love the way he is with Kelsey. He definitely has the type of personality that is a bit different from others in his family. He has a good balance though. He isn't a rake like his uncles are, but also not as strict in responsibilities as his father and uncle Edward. I love seeing a mix of good characteristics from the family that Derek portrays in his personality.The HeroineKelsey Langton is a truly wonderful heroine that we have. I love her character and personality. She is the oldest of the two sisters, but she is the more responsibile one although she tends to have a bit of a temper at times and I did love seeing that side of her come out. She is very innocent though. And it was interesteing to see how she deals with her situation and how well she handles everything she faces. She is strong and courageous and kind. She is such a likable character and I love how protective she is of her sister and then Derek too.Plot and Story LineSay You Love Me was such a wonderful book and is one of my favorite books in this series. It was such a joy and fun experience to re read this one. Although I won't admit how much I have read this book, since its been on my bookshelf for many years and I still love it after allt his time. But then this whole series is like that for me. But there is something unique and different about this couple that I just love. Rarely do you fall in love with a couple that meets in such a unique way as these two meet. It might not be for everyone but I LOVE this and the unique meeting and we get a bit of a danger side to the plot, its a small amount and doesn't take away from the romance. Our villain of the story is Lord David Ashford, who enjoys whipping women to have sex with them. Yeah he is pretty horrible and has his sights set on Kelsey.“I find it intolerable that this lord is out there going about hisdepravities unhindered. I was hoping you might know some way to deal with the man.""Oh, Yes," James said with a dark, ominous smile. "I can think of a few ways.""Short of killing him, that is," Derek felt it prudent to add.James said nothing for nearly ten seconds, then, "If you insist.”But Derek is the one man that he fears. I did love seeing the way the Malory family deals with the "scandal" and the way each member of the family tend to clash when they disagree on a issue and can I say how amusing this family is. Now to get to the romance between Derek and Kelsey. I just love their story so very much. At first, its slow, getting to know each other and not what you expect especially with the set of the story and Kelsey being purchased as Derek's mistress. And a misunderstanding occurs in the beginning, but I really like seeing how you get to the heart of their characters in the beginning of the story. We see how wonderful of a connection they have together."She liked Derek, liked being with him, liked making love to him, liked everything about him. And unless he did something drastic to alter that, she was afraid those feelings were going to get much stronger.That was a horrible thought. She didn't want to love Derek. She didn't want to agonize over the day he would tell her he had no further use for her. And that day would eventually come. When it did, she wanted to sigh in relief, not cry her heart out."They can flirt, they can laugh, share powerful chemistry and just click pretty quickly. I love they their relationship isn't all "sex" in fact, its pretty light on that front compared to other romances I have read. I like seeing the growth and intimacy these two have emotionally despite the fact Kelsey is keeping a big secret like the fact she is a daughter of a titled Lord. That she is part of the same crowd as Derek but can't tell him the truth or risk the scandal touching her sister who she will protect no matter what. And its one of my favorite things about Kelsey. It would be easier to just tell everyone the truth, but then she risks hurting her family and is very protective of them. She is always thinking of others and is so selfless in so many ways and I truly love that about her. And when she falls in love with Derek, her selflessness only increases but not in a negative way. And it was fun to see how they find a way past the scandal with some creative ideas from the Malory family.The CoverI love this cover, with the gate looking into the manor, and makes me want to jump into the cover and explore the grounds.Overall ViewSay You Love Me, is a endearing and charming romance with a kind hero, a emotionally strong heroine and a romance that is superb!!! A MUST READ JEWEL OF A ROMANCE!

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

CA: "old school" romance misogyny and treatment of woman's sexuality (though it was on the mild end--not like Woodiwiss-level or anything)CW: attempted rape; non-con sadismA somewhat "old school" romance, Say You Love Me is a historical and part of Lindsey's long series about the Malory family. I enjoyed this very much, save for a ~50-page episode where the villain of the story kidnaps the heroine and we're subjected to some (obviously) very non-con sexual sadism (I had to skim). This scenario felt a little shoehorned into the story and wildly unpleasant in a way that I didn't think really added much to the story, either during it or afterwards. (I'm also really tired of the coupling of kink with villainy and/or mental instability, the latter of which this story leaned on hard, but that's a bit of a separate issue, I guess, especially as the book in question is twenty-five years old.) But aside from that (the book is over 400 pages long, so I don't really mean that facetiously--it was a pretty small portion of the story), this was a bit of an unexpected delight. There are some attitudes that wouldn't really fly in romance today but honestly most of it didn't really bother me, as it fit into the story and the time period reasonably well. It was a story I could just sink into (YMMV here, of course, depending on how the old school romance elements strike you), and I keep thinking about the atmosphere and tone of the book. I'll likely read more of Lindsey.