Unclaimed

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan 1218

Sir Mark Turner has become the most popular man in England after writing The Gentleman's Practical Guide to Chastity. He was knighted by the Queen, he is beset by every matchmaking mamma and papa in the realm, and he has reporters writing about every move he makes. His book has spawned the Male Chastity Brigade which has taken Mark's words and twisted them to make an exclusive organization that sees women as the impediment to male chastity. After being offered a position on the Poor Commission in the government, George Weston decides to ruin him by hiring his former courtesan, Jessica Farleigh to seduce Mark. Jessica has survived as a courtesan after being thrown out by her father, the vicar, but that is all she has done; merely survived. She hates Weston but is desperate for a way out of this life and the only way she sees to make enough money to never need a protector again is to take him up on this offer. Mark retreats to his small hometown of Shepton where he quickly runs into the widowed Mrs. Farleigh.

He is angry that the town has spurned Jessica purely because she dresses more provocatively than the rector deems appropriate and is drawn to her outsider status and her subtlety. One incident, where she reveals she hates him because of his righteousness and his purity, makes it clear to him that she is special. And Jessica is finding it harder to stick to her mission because for the first time she has met a man who is not attempting to simply use her for his own needs. She feels guilty but does not know how she can get out of her agreement and worries about what his reaction will be when the truth comes out. As she lets seduction fall by the wayside and her relationship with Mark becomes about so much more than physical lust, Jessica knows that she cannot do anything that will lead to Mark's ruin. Mark feels betrayed and hurt but he understands what Jessica has been through and knows that she is the one he is meant for. It is up to him to convince her that she is worthy of finally finding happiness and that he is someone who will always stand by her side.

Jessica is a courtesan and the book makes many apologies and excuses for her career choice and it is clear throughout the book that she detests her profession and it has killed her soul. Normally I dislike being so judgmental of prostitutes and their profession but Milan did a really great job explaining why the lifestyle really did not work for Jessica without completely trampling on all courtesans. It also went towards giving some justification for the horrible actions she was taking against Mark. I really felt like she underwent many changes throughout the book a she went from being desolate to being full of life and love and finding someone that she was willing to do anything for and who truly loved her for herself. It was moving really. Mark was wonderful because he was so conscious of who he was and was completely comfortable with himself. His virginity was not even a big deal to him, he handled fame very maturely, and his dealings with Jessica were spot on for a man who was falling in love and lust but who still wanted to do things the correct way.

Their relationship progressed in both a rational and a passionate way; he used her to illustrate his dedication to not treating women as whores and he did manage to abstain but it was clear throughout all their interactions that their was a connection sizzling just under the surface. They worked well together and they spent a lot of time together, including a lot of quality time getting to know each other. There was not very much sex between them and while it made sense because of the characters and the plot I still felt like these characters needed it. What brings the book down is the length and the very ponderous writing that went on and on with big, and even little, misunderstandings abounding and one thing after another popping up to keep them apart. The villain in the story was interesting but his plot against Mark held a pal over the whole novel and prevented me from feeling any enjoyment for them and in the book. I also could not help but feel like the idea of a man writing a book like that so utterly ridiculous that I wanted to laugh every time it was brought up.

Rating: While I felt like their relationship was well written, I could not get over the almost depressed tone of the book and the incredibly long length.

A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man

A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan 1023

Piper Chase-Pierpont is a curator at a Boston Museum and her job hangs on the line as she is designing an exhibit on Boston's favorite abolitionist, Ophelia Harrington. She is shocked when a secret compartment reveals Ophelia's diaries which detail her beginnings as London's most sought after courtesan and her very sexy escapades with a man known as "Sir." Her life becomes even more difficult when her college crush, Mick Malloy, shows up as a guest employee of the museum looking just as delicious as ever. Reading the steamy diary and the way that Ophelia changed her life has made Piper eager to take a plunge of her own and with her best friend's help she undergoes a makeover that is more than physical. Mick has always wanted the shy bookworm, and now that she is unabashedly trying to seduce him there is no holding him back. Along with a smoking hot affair Piper has to figure out a way to plan an exhibit that is true to Ophelia and sneak it by the conservative museum trustees, all while a brown-nosing employee named Linc is trying to get her fired.

Ohelia Harrington is tired of being controlled by her family so she takes a chance and enlists the help of The Swan to become a courtesan. Swan enlists her own friend, Sir, to help train Ophelia and Ophelia embarks on 7 nights of sin with her masked stranger before she is thrown into the the real world of London's demimonde. Throughout her career she never forgets Sir and although she knows it can never be she finds herself jealous of his other lovers. Even while she finds men whose company she enjoys Sir reappears in her life occasionally, including one time to warn her off one particularly nasty man. Ignoring him, Ophelia learns a dangerous lesson and it is Sir who is there to pick up the pieces. She lives her lie in freedom, enjoying herself and those she chooses to have around her, but there will always be people who are jealous of her success and they are determined to see that she is brought low. When those forces come together their charges threaten Ophelia's life and she must once more turn to Sir, who turns out to be far different than Ophelia had expected and he offers her far more.

I loved Piper as the repressed academic whose sole attempt to be wild backfired, so she hid in her shell for years and is only just now coming out. I guess I'm a sucker for ugly duckling- beautiful swan stories and this was a great one because it had some pretty awful parents thrown into the mix to justify her actions. Mick was also great as the sexy Irish hero who was just as brilliant as Piper and his honorable attempt to do the right thing backfired and he is just now getting together with the woman who intrigued him all those years ago. Obviously their romance was short so I did kind of feel like I was missing some things and their wasn't as much romantic development as I would have liked, but I still felt like they went so well together. They had common interests and helped each other out and supported each other through some really tense situations, especially his support of her museum exhibit. They had some pretty hot sex, nothing like Ophelia's story, and I liked their story best, which surprised me because I am more into historicals then contemporaries, but I related more to this Piper than Ophelia.

Ophelia was difficult, very difficult, for me to relate to or understand because while I could see that having her life planned out for her is unpleasant, it still seems impossible that a woman of her standing in that era would throw it all away to become a courtesan. While the sadder part of that life was touched on, I still felt like it was too glorified and there was so little thought given to what she was giving up and how her "freedom" was still based on a man, even if it was different than a marriage. Sir was nearly impossible to get a feel for because none of the story was told from his point of view and while we are lead to believe he's a male prostitute, and it was even questionable weather he was the actual hero, his identity is kept a secret until the very end. The sex is scorching, with quite a bit of kink and fantasies explored, and there is certainly quite a bit of it and it is not purely between Ophelia and Sir. Their relationship progressed slowly because they didn't really see very much of each other with him just popping up randomly so it was difficult to see how they worked together.

Rating: I felt like the contemporary story was stronger in the relationship, but both stories were enjoyable and were different from what I usually go for which was a nice change of pace.

The School for Brides

The School for Brides by Cheryl Ann Smith 912

Evangeline, the bastard daughter of a nobleman and his long time mistress Charlotte, has been masquerading as the prim, proper, and homely Miss Eva Black for years. Her father and mother were in love but after his death the two women were at the mercy of the law and her father's very bitter wife. Determined to help girls escape the life that her mother led Eva opened a school to train courtesans how to act and behave as proper ladies in order to prepare them for advantageous marriages, if not for marriage into the nobility. Nicholas, the Duke of Stanfield, is furious at Eva for stealing his mistress, Arabella, and shocked when he discovers what she had done with the former courtesan. Bent on revenge he buys up the debts that Charlotte had accrued during the mental decline she suffered after her protector's death and demands immediate payment from Eva. But Eva's reaction intrigues Nicholas and suddenly he realizes the perfect solution to his problem is for Eva to take the place of the mistress she had "stolen" from him.

Eva is horrified at the prospect of becoming a courtesan, but not only does she need to save her home as a safe place for her mother, she is tempted by Nicholas and the pleasure he promises her. She goes to him and he is stunned to discover that she is a virgin and he knows that one night with her will never be enough. However, Eva does not want to become like her mother and risk falling in love with a man who could never belong to her. Making things even more complicated for Eva is the sudden appearance of one of her half-sisters, a woman Eva had been lead to believe wanted nothing to do with her and only wished her hard. Suddenly Nicholas is forced to confront the truth about the woman he seduced under false pretenses and rethink his plan to marry a boring society maiden and keep a mistress on the side. But just as he's thinking about changing the course of his life one of Eva's reformed courtesans goes missing and helping her could be just what he needs to do to prove to her that despite her past, their future together is what counts and that as long as they love each other they can weather any storm.

The plot of this book was incredibly intriguing to me and I really like the idea of a school that is dedicated to helping courtesan's find husbands, not reform them because of religious or moral reasons, but because she genuinely wants these women to have more options. It came across as very advanced thinking for that time, but also realistic for someone with her back ground and past experiences. This made Eva such an admirable character and I liked that she cared deeply for her mother, but there were also elements of her that were frustrating. She held onto her belief that she was not good enough for Nicholas long after I felt that every obstacle in her path, from Nicholas to his mother to her way of contributing to society. It got to be a little much and I wanted her to just accept that she was good enough. Nicholas is a very hard to define character because he certainly started off as a douche to put it bluntly, and while he did make some definite improvements throughout the course of the book, I still felt like he was a bit of a snob and a misogynist.

Nicholas and Eva spent a lot of time together, which does often lead to a likable romance, but their initial few meetings were marred by the blackmail and the abject hatred they both seemed to harbor for each other. Things definitely got better the more time they spent together, but were still tinged with something that made me a little uncomfortable because I felt like they weren't coming at each other on equal footing until he discovered who her father was (like I said he was a bit of a snob) and he started thinking about marrying her. Once that occurred I liked it more because I liked that he was the one with the disadvantage and he was genuinely going after her. The sex between them was really hot, if somewhat long and drawn out, and there really was a decent amount of it spread throughout the course of the book. I also liked the brief side plot involving the missing courtesan because it was quick, but I did feel like it got a little too cutesy and featured too many "sassy" women working together as the bestest best friends. Side characters were really well done and I wish we'd seen more of both of their mothers.

Rating: A decent book that was easy to read and I enjoyed something genuinely new and interesting to me, but there were problems with the hero not reforming as much as I would have liked.

More Than a Mistress

More Than a Mistress by Mary Balogh 726

Jocelyn Dudley, the Duke of Tresham, is fighting a duel with the husband of his alleged lover, when a female servant calls out and distracts him. Jocelyn ends up with a bullet in his leg and is furious with the dowdy woman and while yelling at her makes her late for her next job. Jane Ingleby is in London trying to disappear; her father's death left her under the guardianship of her uncle whose son attacked her one night and when she tried to defend herself he ended up unconscious and rumors abound that she killed him and there are Bow Street Runners after her. When she loses her job she shows up at the Tresham's house and demands an explanation, but he is so mad at her that instead he hires her as his nurse for 3 weeks, vowing to make her regret her actions. Jocelyn quickly notices that her drab clothing and maid's cab are hiding a gorgeous young woman and that her mannerism and accent are not those of the orphan she claims to be. Jane tries to keep out of sight of Jocelyn's guests, but he forces her to be present, and she gets to know his friends and family.

Their relationship changes when she overhears him practicing the piano and this opens up Jocelyn's heart and Jane is there for him as he reveals what his childhood was like and how much of himself he has hidden in an attempt to be as masculine as possible. Meanwhile the woman he allegedly had an affair with is causing trouble and her five brothers have vowed vengeance against the man who "ruined" their sister. Their actions take a near- tragic turn and then it is Jocelyn and his brother who are out for blood. When their weeks are over Jocelyn cannot bear to part from Jane so he offers her a position as his mistress and Jane cannot turn down the opportunity to spend more time with him, even while it is not the most respectable employment. But her uncle is in town looking for her and when Jocelyn discovers that she has omitted such a large part of her past he feels betrayed since he had opened up so much to her, and ashamed that he has ruined a lady. Their time together means much to both of them and they will both have to forgive and admit to themselves how much they need the other.

Balogh's books always have a slow, calming air about them, which I have come to enjoy on occasion because her books always develop well. This book was different because it was more exciting, it had more happening, and there was more sex than I am used to in Balogh books. Jane was really almost a boring character to me because she really did not display very many emotions or really do much of anything but what she felt she had to do. I wanted her to be something else- do something for herself and really let me get to know her, but I didn't. I don't see how she actually hit a man at all. I love that Jocelyn was tough and devil-may-care, but was hiding such an artistic side of himself from everyone because of some childhood trauma. His issues were dealt with well and really contributed to how he and Jane ended up falling in love and showing how great they were for each other. Like many Balogh characters he has a tendency to raise a quizzing glass to his eye, which is obnoxious and overbearing, and he spent a good portion of this book being completely unlikable in my opinion.

Their relationship developed slowly, as it does in Balogh books, they spent a lot of time together, which I liked, and I could see how they fell in love with each other because he trusted her enough to open up about his secrets and she felt safe with him and like she was getting to know another person from the inside. The progression from nurse to mistress was a little abrupt and was undertaken with surprisingly little angst on either of their parts and I was a little uncomfortable with her throwing away her future on a rake who did not really seem worthy of her at the time. The sex was steamier than anything I had read from Balogh before and there was certainly more of it, but it was really nothing spectacular or special. While Jocelyn's duel served as the catalyst for bringing them together I felt like the feud between him and his lover's family took up far too much of the book and I wanted it to be over because the book was already long enough without it. Another difference between this and her other books is I did not feel hit over the head with her previous pairings or her future couples, which I liked.

Rating: An enjoyable, if slow moving, book. Two interesting, if not completely likable or sympathetic, characters who had a well written romantic relationship.

Ripe for Pleasure

Ripe for Pleasure by Isobel Carr 523

Viola Whedon is one of the most celebrated courtesan's in London and has a reputation for being very picky with her lovers. Her fame only increased when she writes a tell-all memoir, but when she begins to write a second one, one of the featured men is quite worried that she will tell all about him. Leonidas Vaughn discovered letters written by an ancestor that hinted about a treasure hidden in the home that Viola now occupies. His cousin, Charles MacDonald, is determined to find the money no matter the cost because he has felt like an outsider in the Vaughn family his entire life. Leonidas too, wants the money, because, as a second son, he does not inherit the bulk of his families money and he needs money to keep Dryham, his horse breeding farm, afloat. He is more subtle than his cousin and the night Charles sends people in to Viola's house to ransack it, Leo is there to save her and Viola runs right into his arms. Viola believes it is her disgruntled ex-lover who is stalking her, and she agrees to be his lover in public in order for protection.

He is not her normal protector, and Leo has no intention of being just another man who buys her affection, he is convinced he can give Viola everything her former lovers can't. He claims that he will make her beg before he finally consummates their relationship and while she tries to resist him, it is not long before she does indeed beg. Their relationship is something neither of them expected to experience; they are coming to care for the other even while they do not believe their is any possibility that they can be mistress and protector, or anything more because of their stations in life. The closer they get the more Leo fears telling her why he originally wanted to meet her because he worries it will make her turn against him. But his cousin Charles has other plans and steps in before Viola can give voice to her feeling's for Leo and by then it might be too late for them to salvage what they once had together. His family will have to step up to the plate for both Leo and Viola to realize that it is more than possible that they can have a future together as long as they are willing to risk a scandal for love.

I am always a fan of books that feature a sexually active heroine, especially an unapologetic courtesan because it is such a turn away from the newly awakened virgin or the repentant and guilt ridden woman who was forced into a life of sin. Viola was amazing because she was a great courtesan, she admitted to at times enjoying the life she lead, and yet she wasn't entirely the happy fallen lady because she admits that it was a life she was forced into by circumstance. She is intelligent, she took charge of her own life, she stands up for herself, and she goes after what she wants in a forthright manner, but she is kind and cares for others. Leo is also a great character, if not as well developed as Viola, because he is a family man who looks our for his little sister, and he is willing to admit to and accept his growing feelings for Viola. I really felt like Viola and Leo worked so well together; they spent a lot of time together throughout the book and I liked that they had their arguments and handled them like adults and I liked that they seemed to just be on the same wavelength together.

There was quite a lot of sex in this book, as I expected in a book with this title and in a book about a former courtesan. It was incredibly hot and spread throughout the book and I liked that he was not intimidated or upset about her sexual past and that not a lot was made about his own sexual exploits. The plot involving the money was nicely done, simple and yet historical at the same time, and it remained an important part of the background that was essential, but did not overwhelm. It served as a nice addition to an already strong story involving their relationship. As usual I enjoyed the parts told from the point of view of the villain, Charles and he was quite an intriguing character. I was confused about the big deal made of how Leo was a second son and was a part of the "League of Second Sons." It seems like just an excuse for a new series of books, and while I have no problem with that, it just seemed odd because it was thrown in there every once in a while. I liked the writing style, the book was easy to read and fast, and did not drag on endlessly because it was on the short side- perfect for what it was.

Rating: A very enjoyable book with two great characters who had a well-developed and interesting relationship. I would definitely recommend this sexy book.

When Harry Met Molly

When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer 1220

Lady Molly Fiarbanks and Lord Harry Traemore have been enemies since they were young and Molly revealed that Harry had kissed his brother's fiance, Molly's sister Penelope, during a large Christmas party. Molly had been sent to a strict boarding school to rusticate and Harry to the army and while their siblings forgave each other and had a happy marriage, they never got along at any family functions. After years in the country and no real hope of making a good match Molly decides to elope with her father's assistant, Cedric, but while stopped at an inn they run into Harry and his ladylove, Fiona. Harry is competing in The Impossible Bachelor wager proposed by the Prince Regent; whoever of the five bachelors has the most Delectable Companion will win a year free of matchmaking and the four losers will draw straws to decide who will have to marry within two months. When Cedric takes off with Harry's mistress, Molly has no means of transportation and Harry risks forfeiting the wager and being forced to marry quickly

Molly agrees to pretend to be Harry's mistress at the party at his hunting cabin in exchange for Harry helping her find a husband during the season. With a lot of makeup and some new dresses Molly is almost ready, but Harry knows that there is more to being a mistress than looking the part. He starts Molly's tutelage with some kissing lessons that she is more than happy to participate in. Unfortunately the competition doesn't go as well as practice and all the other bachelor's seem to realize that something is not quite right with Harry's new mistress. Nonetheless Harry is an awe of the way that Molly manages to befriend the other mistresses and maintain her upbeat attitude about the competition even while participating in "bouncy" competitions. But Sir Richard Bell, another competitor, has harbored a hatred of Harry for years and he will not leave Molly alone and the two of them worry that he will blow Molly's cover. Neither knows how they will be able to leave the other when their time together is at an end, but Harry believes Molly deserves someone better and she believes that he does not want to marry. Both of their families and an enemy will stir the pot before they can have their happily ever after.

I was really looking forward to reading the book as it seemed like a very fun romp and I always like discovering new authors and luckily I was not disappointed. Molly was incredibly fun and lighthearted and even though it did sometimes come across as immature or a little too romantic, it made sense given her upbringing and it worked so well with her character. She was so upbeat and her befriending the other mistresses was so in character and showed how friendly and really just how great she was. It was made even better because Kramer's writing style showcased perfectly what Molly was thinking and was very in keeping with how she behaved throughout the novel. It was really the perfect style for this novel. Harry was also great because he was noble and cared so much about Molly and yet he did not believe that he was and tried to pretend that he was not head over heels in love. I liked their past as enemies and some of their fights were truly hilarious and yet it did not stop either of them from being able to move on and find themselves happy in the others' company. Every interaction these two had was interesting, fun, well written, and just wonderful to read.

The wager itself was a little ridiculous but one thing I have learned from these romance novels is that the Prince Regent was apparently quite capable of creating such a contest and requiring his poor subjects to subject themselves to it. The contests in the competition were really quite embarrassing and I loved that Molly threw herself into them whole heartedly and made sure the others were doing so as well. I wish there had been more of these competitions in the novel because they showcased how independent Molly was and how much Harry was coming to care for her as he worried about her feelings about losing and if they were embarrassing. There were quite a few sexy scenes that were very well done but no sex until the very very end and while that normally frustrates me it was really in keeping with the book and how their relationship progressed so I didn't quite mind it so much. The ending got a little crazy though as the evil Richard tried to ruin both of their lives and then both Molly and Harry were "forced" into doing things they didn't really want to do and it took of a lot of craziness for everything to work itself out and it was just a little too nuts for me at the end.

Rating: Amazing characters and a really fun read, but there could have been more sex and a less crazy ending and perhaps some more seriousness all around.

Scandal of the Season

Scandal of the Season by Christie Kelley 1130

When Anthony Somerton discovers that his deceased mother is actually alive and well and running her own brothel, he is distraught. He runs straight into the arms of the captivating orange seller and in a drunken stupor he has sex with her and while his memory of the night isn't the best he knows that he raped her. He asked for help from his illegitimate half sister, Sophia, a famous seer, who promises to tell him the orange seller's name if he helps her arrange marriages for her friends. When that is done, she reveals the name, but it is to Victoria Seaton, the plain and spinster-ish vicar's daughter who runs the orphanage. It does not take him long to discover that Victoria is actually Anne Smith, his lovely orange seller, and her status has changed dramatically since then. He thinks the only way she could have made enough money is through pickpocketing, which he knows she is quite adept at, and whoring herself and he wastes no time in enlisting her in his next government mission.

Anthony has been hired to go to a house party hosted by the Earl of Farleigh and intercept a note being given to Lord Hardy, but he cannot go without a mistress because Farleigh is intensely jealous of the relationship between his wife, who used to be a prostitute, and Anthony. Victoria agrees to help Anthony in exchange for money she wants to use for a good Christmas for her orphans, but she hopes that she can keep her feelings for Anthony under control. This is more difficult than she imagined as the two spend time together and when she learns he believes he had coerced her ten years ago, she sets him straight and admits that she had wanted it as well. As her feelings grow she becomes desperate to end their charade before she completely falls in love with him and so she decides to try to help him by getting closer to Hardy. Anthony is furious that she puts her life in danger, but admires her willingness to help him and he realizes that his feelings for her have changed. But there are still spies out there for the two of them to confront before they can safely admit their love.

Kelley has definitely been an up and down author for me as I have really enjoyed a few of her books, but she has also produced a dud in my opinion. So I really had hopes that this would turn out to be one of the amazing ones, but was unfortunately disappointed. I liked that Victoria had completely remade herself with the help of a madame and that her life was dedicated to charity- especially since she enjoyed her work with the orphan and did not do it out of some need to help the little people. I was a little confused as to how she would have friends in the upper echelons of society and I was a little irritated by how frequently Kelley's previous characters made appearances in this novel. Anthony was interesting because he had some really great family issues such as an illegitimate half-sister, a mother who rose from the dead, and an overbearing father. I would have liked to have heard more about these relationships and really more about what mad Anthony tick on the whole and how he became involved with secrative government plots and spying.

Victoria and Anthony's relationship was pretty much based on anger, frustration, and downright mean-ness, especially for the first half of the book. While this is pretty common practice, it bordered into icky territory when it came to some rather violent kisses, especially considering their sexual encounter ten years earlier. While it wasn't rape, the very fact that he thought it was, made it just as bad in my opinion because he continued doing it even when he thought she didn't want it. Overall I wasn't really a fan of their interactions, even when they got closer, I still felt as though it wasn't enough. Normally I like her writing style but it seemed rather sloppy here at times, like she was just trying to chug out another book. The spy plot was boring for most of it and it just seemed to be a half hearted method of bringing Anthony and Victoria together and I did not really get into it until the very end when there was a great little surprise that I had never guessed.

Rating: Definitely not Kelley's best work with sloppy writing and rather boring plot and angry protagonists.

One Wicked Sin

One Wicked Sin by Nicola Cornick 1117

Lottie Paliser is the most notorious woman in London after her many love affairs ended with a scandalous divorce from her very wealthy husband. Her extravagant lifestyle and spending habits have left her destitute and her entire family has refused to help her. With nowhere else to turn Lottie agrees to become a courtesan in a brothel but her past experience with sex is of no use and she is in danger of being thrown out after leaving several customers unsatisfied. Ethan Ryder is an Irish nobleman who is being held in England as a prisoner of war after being captured fighting for the French. Ethan is planning something big regarding all the other prisoners being held in England and he wants to create a distraction so no one will dig too deeply and Lottie is absolutely perfect. He hires her as his mistress and she agrees because there really are no other options open to her and because she is intrigued by the handsome man who spurned his titled father and ran off to fight for the French.

Ethan escorts Lottie back to Wantage where he is being held and quickly sets her up in her own little cottage. The two begin their affair on a very physical level and neither can deny that there is something more there as Ethan is sweet and attentive and Lottie is strangely reticent. Both of them enjoy this softer side to their relationship but Ethan does not believe he can trust Lottie and Lottie doesn't believe that Ethan wants anything more from her than a bed partner. Lottie is pulled in different directions when her brother offers her a way back into society if she agrees to spy on Ethan and though she agrees she does not want to betray the man she is coming to care for. When she learns that the English have imprisoned Ethan's son, Arland, in a nearby prison just to torment him she is even more determined not to bring harm to Ethan. Ethan is finding that Lottie is nothing like the coldhearted shrew he had been expecting and when she helps his son he knows that he is hopelessly in love with her. But when Lottie discovers that he is hatching the prisoner escape plan she must make a heartbreaking decision and risk losing Ethan forever.

Lottie came across as incredibly awful, shallow, and selfish in Whisper of Scandal and I was a little worried that Cornick had created a character she would not be able to redeem and make worthy of her own book. While I still did not remain convinced that Lottie was an entirely likable character, it was obvious that her divorce and the ensuing scandal had made Lottie recognize her past mistakes and genuinely want to make up for some of her past transgressions. Her past, with her father leaving her and her ex-husband spurning her for other lovers, went a long way toward explaining her promiscuity but not necessarily her flightiness and willingness to betray her closest friend. Her life as a courtesan is rather cloudy and I am not certain she went through with any of her contracts but I admit that I admired her courage and willingness to do whatever she needed to do to survive and I really enjoyed reading about her learning to open up and trust someone and her struggles as she chose between love and country.

Ethan was a new character to the series and not very easy to warm to until we start learning about his son but I very much admired him for fighting for his principles by joining the French. I admit I've never really been a fan of books where the French Revolution is so roundly villain-ized because, although it did take a dangerous turn, it had good intentions and was an important step towards equality in Europe. The most disconcerting aspect of this was his acceptance of Lottie's betrayal as I felt like he should have been much more upset at her for spoiling his plans. I really liked the development of their relationship and how it progressed from sex to feelings and how it was detailed so throughly and so evident throughout the book. Each of them wanted to make the other happy and there were just little moments that made that so clear. I was a little weirded out by the reappearance of Joanna Grant and how she and Lottie were now the best of friends and so happy to see each other after the way things had ended between them, but the other secondary characters were very well done.

Rating: Another really great book by Cornick with an unconventional heroine whom I thoroughly enjoyed reading about.