A review by rjordan19
The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Mostly third person from hero and heroine but there are a number of scenes from side characters
Cliffhanger: No, it ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Can't recall for sure but I don't believe so.
Format: checked out audiobook version from hoopla

Should I read in order?
This is the first book in Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series.

Basic plot:
Madeleine has been hired to rescue Colin from the gallows. When someone tries to assassinate her, they bond together to solve the mystery surrounding Colin’s imprisonment.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- London setting
- soldier hero
- light heroine nurses hero back to health
- on the run
- widow heroine
- lower steam – 2 full scenes towards the end of the story

My thoughts:
I ended up not getting into this one. There were quite a few perspectives in the beginning that was pulling me all over. There were a lot of characters I was introduced to and I felt overwhelmed.

But, as the story really started and we met Colin and Madeleine, I liked it more. I loved the on the run vibes where they were together most of the book. But, honestly I didn’t care much about the mystery. I wanted more tension between them. There were a few scenes where it could have developed for me but it was cut short or something happened.

I also struggle when there’s other love interests in the story sometimes. The hero thinking about Louisa for much of this story really made me think he was using Madeleine as a back up relationship.

I loved the ending revelations between the two feuding families. But the actual ending of the love story I wasn’t a fan of – the way they separated and came back together...meh.

I just found this couple forgettable and I wanted to start something new well before it was over. I definitely will read this whole series though! I really like Long’s writing style – I think she will have some books I love. She’s great with poetic descriptions and adding in an emotional aspect I crave.

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- scenes of wrongful imprisonment, violence, murder, attempted murder, gunshots, and explosions
- hero is almost put the death by hanging
- talk of body snatchers, body exploration by medical students on bodies taken from graves


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
 
36% - light breast touches while hiding in a closet
72% - 🔥hand job, sex (missionary?) in a loft in a barn where they must be quiet
75% - kisses
80% - 🔥oral for her, missionary