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rjordan19's reviews
951 reviews
Time to love a duke by Lavinia Glen
slow-paced
3.75
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (how can you deny the love through the centuries being romantic???)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I didn’t connect as well with this steamy scenes as I was hoping. Not sure why! It might just be a ‘me’ thing right now)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (they vary a bit)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine (and a touch from a side character)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? probably on the slower end
When mains are first on page together: Not too long, about 3% (chapter 2)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a month later (plus an additional bonus epilogue offered to readers at the end of the book via bookfunnel link)
Format: bought e-book
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Glen’s Love Through Time series.
Basic plot:
Olivia travels to England on behalf of a client for an estate but gets pulled back to Victorian England.
Give this a try if you want:
- time travel romance
- Victorian setting (mostly) - 1872
- divorced heroine
- architecture and design heroine
- Duke hero
- bit of hero nurses hero back to health
- widower hero (his wife passed 7 years ago)
- only one horse
- current day technology comes with to the past
- celibate hero (it’s been years)
- hero plays piano
- marriage of convenience-ish
- skinny dipping
- higher steam – 7ish scenes plus some shorter scenes I didn’t count as ‘full’
Ages:
- Heroine is 32, hero is 38
First line:
“In one hundred feet, turn left.”
My thoughts:
I am always looking for more time travels so I was happy to try this one by Glen. I think this one was interesting because the hero was in on the heroine being from the future almost from the beginning so we didn’t have any secret keeping until the very end and I found that refreshing! I was also rather fun how so much of the heroine’s contemporary objects/technology came with her.
I enjoyed both main characters in this novel. Olivia is a divorced architect and Dale is a Duke that takes his responsibilities to his dukedom seriously. I enjoyed learning about Dale’s past and the resolution to that quite a bit but I did find some parts of story lagging. It was probably directly related to personal life stress and mood though, but I found myself setting this one down a lot and telling myself to pick it back up.
This one did introduce some side characters that were quite fascinating to me, and I’m very curious where the next book will take us (as they are the mains). The ending was different and fun. Overall this was a pretty unique time travel! Those looking for some high steam Victorian fun with a contemporary heroine should give this one a go.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
Taking a firm grip, she tipped his head back, forcing him to look up at her. Biting her lip, she moved forward until she hovered only mere millimeters from his ear. “Tell me, Dale, do you like to be dominated...or to be the dominator?”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- sibling death
- death of spouse
- mention of heroine’s husband cheating on her
- mention of a period of infertility
- hero’s marriage had issues and they didn’t get along – remembrances of unsatisfactory sex scenes between them, and her death while she was pregnant
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: Not for the first 4 or so penetration scenes, but then he starts pulling out to protect against pregnancy
Hows the consent? It’s good!
14% - kiss
23% - heroine self pleasure but it’s pretty short
24% - 🔥 hero self pleasure – it’s still pretty short but a bit longer than the prior scene and I decided to count it as a full one
Just imagining her naked and wet, all slippery from the soap, drove him wild.
Leaning his back against the closed door, listening to her in the bathtub, he grabbed himself.
29% - kiss
34% - kisses and touches
43% - 🔥 fingering for her in the music room then they move the bedroom, oral for her
46% - followed by a spooning sex scene
50% - 🔥 kisses, doggy
“Get on the bed. On your hands and knees.”
52% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her
55% - kisses
61% - kisses, her on top on the sofa (on the short side)
64% - mention of sex
73% - kisses
76% - 🔥 spooning sex
80% - 🔥 bondage scene – the hero ties the heroine to the bed, candle play (hero penetrates the heroine with a candle stick), missionary
95% - 🔥 bj followed by shower sex with anal fingering
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (how can you deny the love through the centuries being romantic???)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I didn’t connect as well with this steamy scenes as I was hoping. Not sure why! It might just be a ‘me’ thing right now)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (they vary a bit)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine (and a touch from a side character)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? probably on the slower end
When mains are first on page together: Not too long, about 3% (chapter 2)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a month later (plus an additional bonus epilogue offered to readers at the end of the book via bookfunnel link)
Format: bought e-book
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Glen’s Love Through Time series.
Basic plot:
Olivia travels to England on behalf of a client for an estate but gets pulled back to Victorian England.
Give this a try if you want:
- time travel romance
- Victorian setting (mostly) - 1872
- divorced heroine
- architecture and design heroine
- Duke hero
- bit of hero nurses hero back to health
- widower hero (his wife passed 7 years ago)
- only one horse
- current day technology comes with to the past
- celibate hero (it’s been years)
- hero plays piano
- marriage of convenience-ish
- skinny dipping
- higher steam – 7ish scenes plus some shorter scenes I didn’t count as ‘full’
Ages:
- Heroine is 32, hero is 38
First line:
“In one hundred feet, turn left.”
My thoughts:
I am always looking for more time travels so I was happy to try this one by Glen. I think this one was interesting because the hero was in on the heroine being from the future almost from the beginning so we didn’t have any secret keeping until the very end and I found that refreshing! I was also rather fun how so much of the heroine’s contemporary objects/technology came with her.
I enjoyed both main characters in this novel. Olivia is a divorced architect and Dale is a Duke that takes his responsibilities to his dukedom seriously. I enjoyed learning about Dale’s past and the resolution to that quite a bit but I did find some parts of story lagging. It was probably directly related to personal life stress and mood though, but I found myself setting this one down a lot and telling myself to pick it back up.
This one did introduce some side characters that were quite fascinating to me, and I’m very curious where the next book will take us (as they are the mains). The ending was different and fun. Overall this was a pretty unique time travel! Those looking for some high steam Victorian fun with a contemporary heroine should give this one a go.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
Taking a firm grip, she tipped his head back, forcing him to look up at her. Biting her lip, she moved forward until she hovered only mere millimeters from his ear. “Tell me, Dale, do you like to be dominated...or to be the dominator?”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- sibling death
- death of spouse
- mention of heroine’s husband cheating on her
- mention of a period of infertility
- hero’s marriage had issues and they didn’t get along – remembrances of unsatisfactory sex scenes between them, and her death while she was pregnant
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
14% - kiss
23% - heroine self pleasure but it’s pretty short
24% - 🔥 hero self pleasure – it’s still pretty short but a bit longer than the prior scene and I decided to count it as a full one
Just imagining her naked and wet, all slippery from the soap, drove him wild.
Leaning his back against the closed door, listening to her in the bathtub, he grabbed himself.
29% - kiss
34% - kisses and touches
43% - 🔥 fingering for her in the music room then they move the bedroom, oral for her
46% - followed by a spooning sex scene
50% - 🔥 kisses, doggy
“Get on the bed. On your hands and knees.”
52% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her
55% - kisses
61% - kisses, her on top on the sofa (on the short side)
64% - mention of sex
73% - kisses
76% - 🔥 spooning sex
80% - 🔥 bondage scene – the hero ties the heroine to the bed, candle play (hero penetrates the heroine with a candle stick), missionary
95% - 🔥 bj followed by shower sex with anal fingering
My Fair Katie by Shana Galen
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (Some are average, some are on the shorter side)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (being a bit generous because one is short)
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the heroine and hero
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: It takes a little bit, about 14%
Cliffhanger: No, their relationship ends on a happy for now (and marriage) but a few plot things with the curse are unresolved (just like book 1, I’m sure the ending curse breaking will be in the final book)
Epilogue: No, but the ending has a bit of a wrap up.
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form
Should I read in order?
I think it might be better in order because you’ll get the full prologue with the boy’s backstory and how the curse happens. This story also mentions King a bit and his dire straights, which you’ll understand if you read book 1. If you decide to read out of order, you get a brief recap though so you shouldn’t be confused. But you will miss out on a lot of the suspense and danger of the way the curse feels...
Basic plot:
Kate is basically a prisoner in her new country home her father won in a bet. But she wasn’t aware the prior owner (and duke) is now homeless and living with his mother in the dower house.
Give this a try if you want:
- Historical – I couldn’t peg the date?
- rival families – the two families wronged each other long ago during the French revolution
- heroine has a large birthmark on her face that she is self conscious about and her father has hidden her away from society
- artist heroine – heroine is a painter but has been forbidden to paint by her father
- bit of a size difference – heroine is 5 ½ ‘ tall and hero is 6’
- one horse
- bit of enemies to lovers – heroine thinks the hero has not been a good caretaker of his home and tenants and doesn’t like him
- medium steam – 3-4 scenes but some might be on the short side
Ages:
- Heroine is 21, hero is 30
First line:
The first time Henry’s life flashed before his eyes, he was thirteen, drenched and cold, shivering in the wilds of Scotland.
My thoughts:
I * mostly * loved this story! I enjoyed so much about book 1 of this series, and was curious how the curse would play out so I was eager to pick this one up.
This had so much to love in it. I loved the country setting and the close proximity of Henry and Katie. I loved the push back Katie gave Henry and how she pushed him to be a better version of himself. Henry’s mother is a side character here and I adored time with her too!
Henry is a hard man to love, but very real and raw. He has lost everything due to his gambling addiction. And it was hard to read in some instances. I struggled a bit with Henry having a break down so late in the story – but I do think this shows the realness of addiction problems, the constant pull and battle to overcome. And in romance we see a lot of curing impossible odds with love and I’m sure that can get tiring in regards to representation.
I adored Katie. She has been kept hidden by her father due to her large birthmark on her face and is self conscious about being uncovered. Henry’s mother’s influence on Katie was lovely and she was the motherly figure Katie needed.
I was left needing a bit more of a solid epilogue, but I am hoping that comes with the series end.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
Katie says this to Carlyle and I felt a kinship with her about my husbands long stories 😂
“I don’t care about this story.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some toxic family relationships – the heroine’s father basically imprisons her in the country
- mention of parental death
- mention of abuse a boys school
- some light supernatural elements that include a curse
- gambling addition
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No? It’s kind of vague
Hows the consent? It’s good!
Pg 82/208 – kiss
Pg 99/208 – kiss
Pg 120/208 – 🔥 kiss, oral for her
Pg 128/208 – brief kiss
Pg 129/208 – 🔥 kisses, breast play, oral for her
Pg 149/208 – 🔥 fingering for her then missionary that stops because she’s in pain
Pg 175/208 – 🔥 oral for her, missionary (it’s a bit short) followed by spooning in bed sex
Pg 202/208 – kiss, bj but it’s only a few sentences
Pg 204/208 – her on top (again it’s quite short)
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (Some are average, some are on the shorter side)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (being a bit generous because one is short)
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the heroine and hero
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: It takes a little bit, about 14%
Cliffhanger: No, their relationship ends on a happy for now (and marriage) but a few plot things with the curse are unresolved (just like book 1, I’m sure the ending curse breaking will be in the final book)
Epilogue: No, but the ending has a bit of a wrap up.
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form
Should I read in order?
I think it might be better in order because you’ll get the full prologue with the boy’s backstory and how the curse happens. This story also mentions King a bit and his dire straights, which you’ll understand if you read book 1. If you decide to read out of order, you get a brief recap though so you shouldn’t be confused. But you will miss out on a lot of the suspense and danger of the way the curse feels...
Basic plot:
Kate is basically a prisoner in her new country home her father won in a bet. But she wasn’t aware the prior owner (and duke) is now homeless and living with his mother in the dower house.
Give this a try if you want:
- Historical – I couldn’t peg the date?
- rival families – the two families wronged each other long ago during the French revolution
- heroine has a large birthmark on her face that she is self conscious about and her father has hidden her away from society
- artist heroine – heroine is a painter but has been forbidden to paint by her father
- bit of a size difference – heroine is 5 ½ ‘ tall and hero is 6’
- one horse
- bit of enemies to lovers – heroine thinks the hero has not been a good caretaker of his home and tenants and doesn’t like him
- medium steam – 3-4 scenes but some might be on the short side
Ages:
- Heroine is 21, hero is 30
First line:
The first time Henry’s life flashed before his eyes, he was thirteen, drenched and cold, shivering in the wilds of Scotland.
My thoughts:
I * mostly * loved this story! I enjoyed so much about book 1 of this series, and was curious how the curse would play out so I was eager to pick this one up.
This had so much to love in it. I loved the country setting and the close proximity of Henry and Katie. I loved the push back Katie gave Henry and how she pushed him to be a better version of himself. Henry’s mother is a side character here and I adored time with her too!
Henry is a hard man to love, but very real and raw. He has lost everything due to his gambling addiction. And it was hard to read in some instances. I struggled a bit with Henry having a break down so late in the story – but I do think this shows the realness of addiction problems, the constant pull and battle to overcome. And in romance we see a lot of curing impossible odds with love and I’m sure that can get tiring in regards to representation.
I adored Katie. She has been kept hidden by her father due to her large birthmark on her face and is self conscious about being uncovered. Henry’s mother’s influence on Katie was lovely and she was the motherly figure Katie needed.
I was left needing a bit more of a solid epilogue, but I am hoping that comes with the series end.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
Katie says this to Carlyle and I felt a kinship with her about my husbands long stories 😂
“I don’t care about this story.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some toxic family relationships – the heroine’s father basically imprisons her in the country
- mention of parental death
- mention of abuse a boys school
- some light supernatural elements that include a curse
- gambling addition
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
Pg 82/208 – kiss
Pg 99/208 – kiss
Pg 120/208 – 🔥 kiss, oral for her
Pg 128/208 – brief kiss
Pg 129/208 – 🔥 kisses, breast play, oral for her
Pg 149/208 – 🔥 fingering for her then missionary that stops because she’s in pain
Pg 175/208 – 🔥 oral for her, missionary (it’s a bit short) followed by spooning in bed sex
Pg 202/208 – kiss, bj but it’s only a few sentences
Pg 204/208 – her on top (again it’s quite short)
Hell of a Lady by Annabelle Anders
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 (for kisses and partial)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): (There is only an interrupted partial scene)
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: almost immediately (chapter 1)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audio from the library (Hoopla)
Should I read in order?
I would say yes. The events of the series are referenced, there’s character cross over, and this book and book 3 kind of happen concurrently in parts so I think it might flow better to read in order. (Though for a rebel reader, it’s still doable. There’s nothing ongoing in the series that will be confusing without the prior books)
Basic plot:
Rhoda has almost given up on finding a marriage prospect when an awful bet is placed at a men’s club and she starts getting harassed. Justin must marry for money, but his honor calls for him to protect penniless Rhoda...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- vicar turned Earl hero
- bet made against the heroine’s virtue is a plot point
- compromised heroine
- house party
- low steam – there’s quite a few kisses but only a partial scene and nothing complete for a sex act in this story
Ages:
- I didn’t catch them. If I had to guess, I’d guess Rhoda was around 20, maybe mid 20s and Justin was late 20s?
First line:
“I don’t understand it, Emily.”
My thoughts:
I think what really threw me for a loop with this one was I didn’t realize there was a novella attached to the end of my hoopla audio. So, I was glancing at the percentage and waiting to get to the ‘good part’ where they actually come together, and the book ended. And I was totally unprepared for that and it felt really abrupt to me (but I might have just been deluding myself because of the percentages…)
I did like this one – Rhoda and Justin are both needing to marry for money. Rhoda has hardly any dowry to offer so she is struggling to find a marriage match. Justin never thought he would become an Earl – he lived a simple life as a vicar before all this – but finds he desperately needs money to help his tenants and work on his estate. And they come together rather unexpectedly.
I love compromised heroine. It’s one of my favorite historical tropes. I liked both mains but I found myself not loving them. Rhoda did annoy me a touch, but I’m not sure why – maybe the way she said hurtful things and was prepared to go with another guy. Justin was enjoyable but a bit too wishy washy for me.
I was SO disappointed there wasn’t a full steamy scene. I was ready for it. And it ended without one and I was so confused.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- quite a few scenes of attempted assault
- remembrances of various plot points from prior books that include death and cheating
- remembrance of heroine being basically used and lied to (she gave her prior love her virginity and he ghosted her then died)
- death of prior significant other in a carriage accident
- mention of heroine’s mother having a bad marriage
- brief mention of thoughts of suicide
- mention of hero’s mother having to sell her body to feed them
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No? There's penetration on page, but not to completion
Hows the consent? It's good
Note that these percentages are OFF from this story as a whole because the audiobook version I was listening to had a novella attached to the ending chapters
23% - house party kiss
41% - kisses
52% - kisses
63% - kisses
68% - kisses and start of a sex scene (sex against a wall maybe?) but the heroine’s mother walks in
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 (for kisses and partial)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): (There is only an interrupted partial scene)
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: almost immediately (chapter 1)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audio from the library (Hoopla)
Should I read in order?
I would say yes. The events of the series are referenced, there’s character cross over, and this book and book 3 kind of happen concurrently in parts so I think it might flow better to read in order. (Though for a rebel reader, it’s still doable. There’s nothing ongoing in the series that will be confusing without the prior books)
Basic plot:
Rhoda has almost given up on finding a marriage prospect when an awful bet is placed at a men’s club and she starts getting harassed. Justin must marry for money, but his honor calls for him to protect penniless Rhoda...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- vicar turned Earl hero
- bet made against the heroine’s virtue is a plot point
- compromised heroine
- house party
- low steam – there’s quite a few kisses but only a partial scene and nothing complete for a sex act in this story
Ages:
- I didn’t catch them. If I had to guess, I’d guess Rhoda was around 20, maybe mid 20s and Justin was late 20s?
First line:
“I don’t understand it, Emily.”
My thoughts:
I think what really threw me for a loop with this one was I didn’t realize there was a novella attached to the end of my hoopla audio. So, I was glancing at the percentage and waiting to get to the ‘good part’ where they actually come together, and the book ended. And I was totally unprepared for that and it felt really abrupt to me (but I might have just been deluding myself because of the percentages…)
I did like this one – Rhoda and Justin are both needing to marry for money. Rhoda has hardly any dowry to offer so she is struggling to find a marriage match. Justin never thought he would become an Earl – he lived a simple life as a vicar before all this – but finds he desperately needs money to help his tenants and work on his estate. And they come together rather unexpectedly.
I love compromised heroine. It’s one of my favorite historical tropes. I liked both mains but I found myself not loving them. Rhoda did annoy me a touch, but I’m not sure why – maybe the way she said hurtful things and was prepared to go with another guy. Justin was enjoyable but a bit too wishy washy for me.
I was SO disappointed there wasn’t a full steamy scene. I was ready for it. And it ended without one and I was so confused.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- quite a few scenes of attempted assault
- remembrances of various plot points from prior books that include death and cheating
- remembrance of heroine being basically used and lied to (she gave her prior love her virginity and he ghosted her then died)
- death of prior significant other in a carriage accident
- mention of heroine’s mother having a bad marriage
- brief mention of thoughts of suicide
- mention of hero’s mother having to sell her body to feed them
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
Note that these percentages are OFF from this story as a whole because the audiobook version I was listening to had a novella attached to the ending chapters
23% - house party kiss
41% - kisses
52% - kisses
63% - kisses
68% - kisses and start of a sex scene (sex against a wall maybe?) but the heroine’s mother walks in
Hell Hath Frozen Over by Annabelle Anders
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: no
Format: listened to the audiobook from the library (Hoopla) as an add on of Hell in a Hand Basket (it’s also on for audible plus membership listens)
Should I read in order?
I think so yes – if you think you will read this series in entirety it’s better in order for sure. If you are just looking for a novella and won’t return to the series, you could grab this one alone without confusion. (To explain: This story’s heroine, Loretta, was Sophia’s mother in law in her story (which is Hell in a Hand Basket (book 2) and there is references to what happens in that story. Overall there’s not a ton of character cross over though, it’s more the order of events and how they are referenced in future stories but generally this one will be best in order in the series.
Basic plot:
When Thomas is considering buying property to be closer to his grandchildren, Loretta offers to travel with him to check the property
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- holiday themes
- older mains – heroine is 43 and hero is a similar age (grandparents)
- widowed duchess heroine (18 months since passing)
- widower hero
- bit of class difference – Duchess heroine and ‘man made for labor’
- average novella steam – 1 scene
Ages:
- Heroine is 43, hero is a ‘similar age’
First line:
Loretta reached down to examine the near perfect leaf that had fallen from the tree.
My thoughts:
I loved this novella so, so much. It was so sweet. If you’ve read the series in order, then you got to know Loretta in book 2 as a side character with a decent amount of page time. And you go through her series of losses that affect her greatly. You are just wanting her to have a HEA so badly!
I loved her pairing with Thomas. He’s a bit rough around the edges and pushes her a bit out of her comfort zone but also lifts her up and gives her confidence that she needs after her rather lackluster marriage (there was love but they weren’t IN love).
Super sweet read! I have one more novella for this series to finish. And I plan on reading more by Anders for sure.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- remembrance of an unsettled marriage
- death of spouse and children remembered
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No
Hows the consent? It’s good – the heroine is a bit reluctant but she struggles with confidence after being married to a gay man and never feeling loved – the hero doesn’t push, he asks
My locations are not accurate because I listened to the audio as an add on to a prior book in the series so I will just note the acts
- kisses
- 🔥 kisses, fingering for her, missionary
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: no
Format: listened to the audiobook from the library (Hoopla) as an add on of Hell in a Hand Basket (it’s also on for audible plus membership listens)
Should I read in order?
I think so yes – if you think you will read this series in entirety it’s better in order for sure. If you are just looking for a novella and won’t return to the series, you could grab this one alone without confusion. (To explain: This story’s heroine, Loretta, was Sophia’s mother in law in her story (which is Hell in a Hand Basket (book 2) and there is references to what happens in that story. Overall there’s not a ton of character cross over though, it’s more the order of events and how they are referenced in future stories but generally this one will be best in order in the series.
Basic plot:
When Thomas is considering buying property to be closer to his grandchildren, Loretta offers to travel with him to check the property
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- holiday themes
- older mains – heroine is 43 and hero is a similar age (grandparents)
- widowed duchess heroine (18 months since passing)
- widower hero
- bit of class difference – Duchess heroine and ‘man made for labor’
- average novella steam – 1 scene
Ages:
- Heroine is 43, hero is a ‘similar age’
First line:
Loretta reached down to examine the near perfect leaf that had fallen from the tree.
My thoughts:
I loved this novella so, so much. It was so sweet. If you’ve read the series in order, then you got to know Loretta in book 2 as a side character with a decent amount of page time. And you go through her series of losses that affect her greatly. You are just wanting her to have a HEA so badly!
I loved her pairing with Thomas. He’s a bit rough around the edges and pushes her a bit out of her comfort zone but also lifts her up and gives her confidence that she needs after her rather lackluster marriage (there was love but they weren’t IN love).
Super sweet read! I have one more novella for this series to finish. And I plan on reading more by Anders for sure.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- remembrance of an unsettled marriage
- death of spouse and children remembered
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
My locations are not accurate because I listened to the audio as an add on to a prior book in the series so I will just note the acts
- kisses
- 🔥 kisses, fingering for her, missionary
To Hell and Back by Annabelle Anders
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Overall: 4.5 rounded ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (Maybe a bit more for the heroine if you read the prior books)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Not much
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to audiobook from the library (Hoopla) – it was an add on ending to one of the audiobooks earlier in the series
Should I read in order?
I think so yes – if you think you will read this series in entirety it’s better in order for sure. If you are just looking for a novella and won’t return, you could grab this one alone without confusion. (To explain: This story’s heroine, Eve, is Rhodas mother (who is the heroine from the prior book Hell of a Lady (book 4) and there is references to what happens in that story. And Rhoda’s story happens kind of concurrently with book 3, Hell’s Belle and is probably best to read that one first. But then you’ll want to read book 2, Hell in a Hand Basket before book 3 because book 3 gives away a lot of the plot points of that book...Overall there’s not a ton of character cross over though, it’s more the order of events and how they are referenced in future stories)
Basic plot:
When Eve’s husband passes, she finds she can rely on her man of business for so much more than she thought...
Give this a try if you want:
- this is historical but I couldn’t place a time period – maybe Regency?
- widow and mother heroine
- working class hero – he is the family’s man of business
- some unrequited longing from the hero
- novella
- light road trip feels
- celibate heroine
- celibate hero
- average novella steam (one scene)
Ages:
- Didn’t catch but they are older – I would guess the youngest would be late 30s but maybe early to mid 40s (heroine has a grown daughter that is featured in book 4)
First line:
“Ma’am, please sit down.”
My thoughts:
I loved this novella!!! I didn’t realize at first how these characters related into the story, but once I realized she was Rhoda’s mother I loved it even more. She has some page time in Rhoda’s story and we know her marriage was not a happy one, so I am loving seeing her get her own HEA.
This is a novella and has some decent road trip vibes – the heroine’s husband has passed and she brings her man of business for the viewing and making sure everything is in order, legally. I ate up the unrequited love the hero felt for the heroine and how protective and gentle he was with her.
Overall, this was a lovely and quick read! I think I would have loved one more steamy scene between them after everything was kind of ‘sorted out’ but that’s okay.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- mention of abuse and almost death from husband
- death of spouse (it was not a happy marriage)
- mention of opium usage
- carriage accident on page
- forced drugging of the heroine
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: Just a fingering scene
Hows the consent? It’s good!
My percentages would be way off because I listened to an audio of the novella at the end of another full book in the series so I’m just going to note the acts
- kiss
- 🔥 kisses, fingering for her
- start of a scene, but the hero was injured and his ribs hurt so they end it
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (Maybe a bit more for the heroine if you read the prior books)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Not much
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to audiobook from the library (Hoopla) – it was an add on ending to one of the audiobooks earlier in the series
Should I read in order?
I think so yes – if you think you will read this series in entirety it’s better in order for sure. If you are just looking for a novella and won’t return, you could grab this one alone without confusion. (To explain: This story’s heroine, Eve, is Rhodas mother (who is the heroine from the prior book Hell of a Lady (book 4) and there is references to what happens in that story. And Rhoda’s story happens kind of concurrently with book 3, Hell’s Belle and is probably best to read that one first. But then you’ll want to read book 2, Hell in a Hand Basket before book 3 because book 3 gives away a lot of the plot points of that book...Overall there’s not a ton of character cross over though, it’s more the order of events and how they are referenced in future stories)
Basic plot:
When Eve’s husband passes, she finds she can rely on her man of business for so much more than she thought...
Give this a try if you want:
- this is historical but I couldn’t place a time period – maybe Regency?
- widow and mother heroine
- working class hero – he is the family’s man of business
- some unrequited longing from the hero
- novella
- light road trip feels
- celibate heroine
- celibate hero
- average novella steam (one scene)
Ages:
- Didn’t catch but they are older – I would guess the youngest would be late 30s but maybe early to mid 40s (heroine has a grown daughter that is featured in book 4)
First line:
“Ma’am, please sit down.”
My thoughts:
I loved this novella!!! I didn’t realize at first how these characters related into the story, but once I realized she was Rhoda’s mother I loved it even more. She has some page time in Rhoda’s story and we know her marriage was not a happy one, so I am loving seeing her get her own HEA.
This is a novella and has some decent road trip vibes – the heroine’s husband has passed and she brings her man of business for the viewing and making sure everything is in order, legally. I ate up the unrequited love the hero felt for the heroine and how protective and gentle he was with her.
Overall, this was a lovely and quick read! I think I would have loved one more steamy scene between them after everything was kind of ‘sorted out’ but that’s okay.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- mention of abuse and almost death from husband
- death of spouse (it was not a happy marriage)
- mention of opium usage
- carriage accident on page
- forced drugging of the heroine
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
My percentages would be way off because I listened to an audio of the novella at the end of another full book in the series so I’m just going to note the acts
- kiss
- 🔥 kisses, fingering for her
- start of a scene, but the hero was injured and his ribs hurt so they end it
The Prince's Runaway Lover by Robin Covington
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I wanted just a bit more emotional pull)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (Always hard to tell for me on audio but felt about average)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? probably character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: not too far in, chapter 2
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 6 months later
Format: listened to audiobook through library (hoopla)
Should I read in order?
This is part of the Men of the Zodiac series by different authors and seemed fine to pick up alone.
Basic plot:
Nicholas must find a bride, but it certainly cannot be his irresistible gardener...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- fictional country – Callanos
- workplace romance (bit of employer/employee)
- gardener heroine
- prince hero
- hero needs a wife
- secret identity
- triathlete
- divorced heroine
- pierced hero
- tattooed hero
- medium steam – 2 scenes but the page count felt a bit lower
Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned but would guess late 20s, early 30s
First line:
The pounding on the door was seriously messing up his rhythm.
My thoughts:
Overall this was a fun read. I haven’t tried Covington yet, but grabbed her as an option for an Indigenous author for the Diverse Baseline Challenge.
I liked the book, the characters were lovable. The steam was fun!
I did struggle a bit with the royalty aspect because it brought in quite a bit of political talk, and if the hero was fit to rule, including people scheming behind the hero’s back and I wasn’t into that. But the book was on the shorter side and a nice read. I’d definitely read more by Covington!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- mention of father having alzheimers
- death of brother and his wife
- refugee camps are mentioned and visited (and need extra funding/help as they are in bad shape)
- paparazzi danger/drama
- mention of family member getting cancer
- domestic abuse and violence remembered, remembered assault in self defense
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: Condoms used
Hows the consent? It’s good
Starts with a threesome sex scene (hero and two women) that’s interrupted
42% - kisses
52% - kisses that eventually lead to oral for her, hero as a pierced peen, bj (incomplete), missionary
77% - kisses, oral for her, her on top
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I wanted just a bit more emotional pull)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (Always hard to tell for me on audio but felt about average)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? probably character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: not too far in, chapter 2
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 6 months later
Format: listened to audiobook through library (hoopla)
Should I read in order?
This is part of the Men of the Zodiac series by different authors and seemed fine to pick up alone.
Basic plot:
Nicholas must find a bride, but it certainly cannot be his irresistible gardener...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- fictional country – Callanos
- workplace romance (bit of employer/employee)
- gardener heroine
- prince hero
- hero needs a wife
- secret identity
- triathlete
- divorced heroine
- pierced hero
- tattooed hero
- medium steam – 2 scenes but the page count felt a bit lower
Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned but would guess late 20s, early 30s
First line:
The pounding on the door was seriously messing up his rhythm.
My thoughts:
Overall this was a fun read. I haven’t tried Covington yet, but grabbed her as an option for an Indigenous author for the Diverse Baseline Challenge.
I liked the book, the characters were lovable. The steam was fun!
I did struggle a bit with the royalty aspect because it brought in quite a bit of political talk, and if the hero was fit to rule, including people scheming behind the hero’s back and I wasn’t into that. But the book was on the shorter side and a nice read. I’d definitely read more by Covington!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- mention of father having alzheimers
- death of brother and his wife
- refugee camps are mentioned and visited (and need extra funding/help as they are in bad shape)
- paparazzi danger/drama
- mention of family member getting cancer
- domestic abuse and violence remembered, remembered assault in self defense
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
Starts with a threesome sex scene (hero and two women) that’s interrupted
42% - kisses
52% - kisses that eventually lead to oral for her, hero as a pierced peen, bj (incomplete), missionary
77% - kisses, oral for her, her on top
The Lady and the Orc by Finley Fenn
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I kept putting this down and forcing myself to pick it back up)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 (I did get some angst!)
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ (I think it started out really strong for me but did fizzle by halfway dramatically for me. But the beginning was great!)
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (Really loved how her steamy scenes were written!)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium (maybe a bit slow in parts)
When mains are first on page together: pretty soon in, about 3% (chapter 2)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months in the future
Format: read e-book form from Kindle Unlimited
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Fenn’s Orc Sworn series.
Basic plot:
Grimarr wants revenge against Lord Norr, and kidnaps his wife in a raid.
Give this a try if you want:
- monster/fantasy romance
- this takes place in a fantasy realm similar to a medieval England
- orc hero / human heroine
- captured heroine
- unrequited longing (from the hero)
- pregnancy – very breeding kink
- revenge (hero wants revenge on the heroine’s husband)
- ravishment fantasy vibes
- enemies to lovers
- higher steam – 11 or so scenes
Ages:
- heroine is mid to late 20s? (Mentioned that her husband is nearing 40 and over a decade older than her)
First line:
Lord Norr was leaving.
My thoughts:
Well, I am sad I struggled with this one so much! I wasn’t sure what to expect – I have read a few orcs before and enjoyed but they didn’t have the, ahem, special ending bonus in bed that I’ve come to associate with Finley Fenn posts. So I had to try it!
Now, I think the sex in this book was one of my favorite parts. I loved how focused she was on the emotions AND the details. So. Many. Details. And I love that. I loved how developed her scenes were and how the angst and longing was even brought into them. I adored that.
But – and maybe this is me just struggling a bit with enemies to lovers – I just never came to LIKE either of them really. And their relationship was painful for me to read. I felt like I was a bit on a wheel of repetition and reliving a cycle of lust, bedding, hatred, hurt that repeated for however many sex scenes there were.
I was not a fan of whatever the orcs had going for them that kind of ‘endeared’ them to humans. It felt like some kind of brain fog almost, that Jule would come out after getting fucked and it really felt like all the body betrayed me tropes I read in the 90s by Johanna Lindsey that I never came to love.
There were definitely parts and things I really loved about this book. But ultimately I had issues throughout the whole story (though I was very partial the beginning through the first sex scene!) and it felt really long to me. I would definitely consider trying more from her in this series, I think I might like some other tropes at play a bit more.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- Our hero, Grimarr, is an orc
- skin is a deathly shade of grey and latticed over with scars, black eyes, long black hair and huge (a head taller at least than our heroine), pointed ears
- claws retractable? (‘now somehow with their claws pulled back’)
- cock is huge, as big around as a young tree-trunk or a cup
- so the orc culture has a bit of exhibitionism lifestyle – they don’t see it as a big deal to do things in front of others, and it’s an honor for their mates to parade around naked and covered in semen
- orcs have almost like a….lulling tactic they can use with humans – their smell and voice and taste of their semen all soothes the heroine and makes her almost under a spell and forget about her hatred of him
Endearments
The hero calls the heroine ‘woman’ – not sure if it’s an endearment though…
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
“Where are we?” she asked toward Grimarr, without thinking – but then she went stock-still all over, because she was looking at him, and he was looking at her. And here, standing in the bright, unforgiving daylight, the infamous captain of the orcs was truly, thoroughly hideous.
---
“That man is very powerful,” Jule said bitterly. “He is one of the highest-ranking nobles in the entire realm. He has five thousand armed men at his call.”
Grimarr came another silent step closer. “Yes,” he said, with undeniable satisfaction. “And now his woman is mine.”
---
“I have hungered for you,” he said, his voice almost a purr between them. “I wish to make you my own.”
His hot breath on her skin was strangely sweet, and too late Jule caught herself inhaling it, dep. Smelling that scent of earth, of rich warmth, of life.
“I will not force you,” that voice continued, deep rumbling heat in Juel’s thoughts, her belly. “I wish you earn your troth, woman. I wish for your hand, freely given. I wish for you to hunger for me, as I hunger for you.”
Ha. Hunger for an orc. That was impossible, ludicrous, he was the most hideous thing Jule had ever seen, a beast, a monster, he had kidnapped her…
“I hunger to touch you,” he purred, soft. “I hunger to taste you.”
His voice was doing inexplicable things to her, inside her, and Jule gulped for breath, for sanity.
---
“There is no pleasure in the mating,” she snapped. “Orcs ravage women. You leave them bloody and broken and miserable and terrified.”
There was another one of those low, rolling laughs, a replying clench deep in Jule’s belly. “That is the tale your men tell to keep you away,” his voice purred. “In truth, an orc gives his mate deep joy. Deep hunger.”
---
“You can’t give me anything,” she protested, weakly, even as her back arched a little at the touch, as that huge strong hand tugged her a little closer. “I’m a lady. You’re an orc. And you’re hideous.”
“Then do not look at me,” he whispered back, almost in her ear now, and how had he come so close? “Listen to me. Smell me. Feel me touch you.”
---
“I will fill you,” he breathed, promised, as his finger pressed in harder, deeper. “I will plough you and plant you. I will drench you with my seed.”
---
It was – huge. Larger than any man Jule had ever seen, as big around as a young tree-trunk, or perhaps a drinking-cup. And it was wet, slicked over, and with a gasp Jule realized that that was because he was dripping copiously out the tapered grey tip of it, a thick pale ooze of shining wet orc-seed.
“Ask me, woman,” he said, commanded, the words a breathless thud in Jule’s thoughts. “Beg me for this.”
---
He’d brought that hardness even closer with the words, and as Jule gasped, stared, his big hand came and stroked up it, once. Thickening that dripping ooze to a smooth steady stream, and – Jule gave a sharp little cry – drizzling it down on to her still-clenching wetness.
It felt hot, sticky, slippery, glorious, and the sight of it even more so, that leaking cock now connected to her with that thick band of white. While that big hand pumped out even more, oh fuck, coming even thicker, pooling hot and hungry against her, into her.
“You wish for more,” he whispered. “Beg me.”
---
His answering groan was a shout, almost like a war-cry – and his entire big body arched, straightened, fired. Pummelling his seed straight out that huge invading cock, driving it into Jule’s body like a geyser, a cannon, liquid gushing spraying everywhere, leaking, filling, drenching.
When it finally stopped Grimmar was dripping wet all over, his clothes stuck to his skin, his big chest heaving with his breath.
---
Releasing its hold with a loud, humiliating noise, and – Jule gasped – also releasing his thick white seed like a pent-up fountain, splattering over her, over him, the bed, the floor.
He’d pulled back to watch, Jule realized, even spreading her legs wider to see it, and once the worst of it finally subsided, she could still feel it seeping from her, oozing thick out onto the bed.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- heroine is in an abusive marriage – her husband is mean, neglectful and it’s mentioned he’s whipped her
- infertility
- death and violence on page
- possible feelings of infidelity – heroine is married (to an awful guy) when she gets with the hero and agrees to be his mate
- dubious consent – heroine is kidnapped (the hero is very good about consent and asking, but as she’s kidnapped and chained, I know consent is skewed in a situation like that)
- hero threatens heroine with binding, gagging, and starvation to get her to obey
- mention of parental murder
- threat of forced abortion
- heroine murders her husband on page
- beating and whipping of pregnant heroine on her knees by her husband (not the hero)
Author given content warnings: didn’t see them mentioned
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No
Hows the consent? It’s questionable due to the kidnapping/prisoner aspect. The first scene the hero is very clear he won’t take her against her will and he asks multiple times before moving forward.
10% - 🔥 touches, neck kisses, fingering for her, missionary
22% - 🔥 oral for her, missionary
29% - 🔥 bj for him, her on top
48% - 🔥 bj
55% - 🔥 missionary on the floor, forceful bj
59% - 🔥 hand job for Grimarr during a meeting that turns into a bj
62% - mention of sex on a rock (short and not a lot of details)
64% - 🔥 doggy
69% - 🔥 oral for her, anal (outdoors)
73% - 🔥 her on top
80% - 🔥 missionary
95% - 🔥 exhibitionism scene – bj (incomplete) her on top
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I kept putting this down and forcing myself to pick it back up)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋 (I did get some angst!)
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ (I think it started out really strong for me but did fizzle by halfway dramatically for me. But the beginning was great!)
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (Really loved how her steamy scenes were written!)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium (maybe a bit slow in parts)
When mains are first on page together: pretty soon in, about 3% (chapter 2)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months in the future
Format: read e-book form from Kindle Unlimited
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Fenn’s Orc Sworn series.
Basic plot:
Grimarr wants revenge against Lord Norr, and kidnaps his wife in a raid.
Give this a try if you want:
- monster/fantasy romance
- this takes place in a fantasy realm similar to a medieval England
- orc hero / human heroine
- captured heroine
- unrequited longing (from the hero)
- pregnancy – very breeding kink
- revenge (hero wants revenge on the heroine’s husband)
- ravishment fantasy vibes
- enemies to lovers
- higher steam – 11 or so scenes
Ages:
- heroine is mid to late 20s? (Mentioned that her husband is nearing 40 and over a decade older than her)
First line:
Lord Norr was leaving.
My thoughts:
Well, I am sad I struggled with this one so much! I wasn’t sure what to expect – I have read a few orcs before and enjoyed but they didn’t have the, ahem, special ending bonus in bed that I’ve come to associate with Finley Fenn posts. So I had to try it!
Now, I think the sex in this book was one of my favorite parts. I loved how focused she was on the emotions AND the details. So. Many. Details. And I love that. I loved how developed her scenes were and how the angst and longing was even brought into them. I adored that.
But – and maybe this is me just struggling a bit with enemies to lovers – I just never came to LIKE either of them really. And their relationship was painful for me to read. I felt like I was a bit on a wheel of repetition and reliving a cycle of lust, bedding, hatred, hurt that repeated for however many sex scenes there were.
I was not a fan of whatever the orcs had going for them that kind of ‘endeared’ them to humans. It felt like some kind of brain fog almost, that Jule would come out after getting fucked and it really felt like all the body betrayed me tropes I read in the 90s by Johanna Lindsey that I never came to love.
There were definitely parts and things I really loved about this book. But ultimately I had issues throughout the whole story (though I was very partial the beginning through the first sex scene!) and it felt really long to me. I would definitely consider trying more from her in this series, I think I might like some other tropes at play a bit more.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- Our hero, Grimarr, is an orc
- skin is a deathly shade of grey and latticed over with scars, black eyes, long black hair and huge (a head taller at least than our heroine), pointed ears
- claws retractable? (‘now somehow with their claws pulled back’)
- cock is huge, as big around as a young tree-trunk or a cup
- so the orc culture has a bit of exhibitionism lifestyle – they don’t see it as a big deal to do things in front of others, and it’s an honor for their mates to parade around naked and covered in semen
- orcs have almost like a….lulling tactic they can use with humans – their smell and voice and taste of their semen all soothes the heroine and makes her almost under a spell and forget about her hatred of him
Endearments
The hero calls the heroine ‘woman’ – not sure if it’s an endearment though…
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
“Where are we?” she asked toward Grimarr, without thinking – but then she went stock-still all over, because she was looking at him, and he was looking at her. And here, standing in the bright, unforgiving daylight, the infamous captain of the orcs was truly, thoroughly hideous.
---
“That man is very powerful,” Jule said bitterly. “He is one of the highest-ranking nobles in the entire realm. He has five thousand armed men at his call.”
Grimarr came another silent step closer. “Yes,” he said, with undeniable satisfaction. “And now his woman is mine.”
---
“I have hungered for you,” he said, his voice almost a purr between them. “I wish to make you my own.”
His hot breath on her skin was strangely sweet, and too late Jule caught herself inhaling it, dep. Smelling that scent of earth, of rich warmth, of life.
“I will not force you,” that voice continued, deep rumbling heat in Juel’s thoughts, her belly. “I wish you earn your troth, woman. I wish for your hand, freely given. I wish for you to hunger for me, as I hunger for you.”
Ha. Hunger for an orc. That was impossible, ludicrous, he was the most hideous thing Jule had ever seen, a beast, a monster, he had kidnapped her…
“I hunger to touch you,” he purred, soft. “I hunger to taste you.”
His voice was doing inexplicable things to her, inside her, and Jule gulped for breath, for sanity.
---
“There is no pleasure in the mating,” she snapped. “Orcs ravage women. You leave them bloody and broken and miserable and terrified.”
There was another one of those low, rolling laughs, a replying clench deep in Jule’s belly. “That is the tale your men tell to keep you away,” his voice purred. “In truth, an orc gives his mate deep joy. Deep hunger.”
---
“You can’t give me anything,” she protested, weakly, even as her back arched a little at the touch, as that huge strong hand tugged her a little closer. “I’m a lady. You’re an orc. And you’re hideous.”
“Then do not look at me,” he whispered back, almost in her ear now, and how had he come so close? “Listen to me. Smell me. Feel me touch you.”
---
“I will fill you,” he breathed, promised, as his finger pressed in harder, deeper. “I will plough you and plant you. I will drench you with my seed.”
---
It was – huge. Larger than any man Jule had ever seen, as big around as a young tree-trunk, or perhaps a drinking-cup. And it was wet, slicked over, and with a gasp Jule realized that that was because he was dripping copiously out the tapered grey tip of it, a thick pale ooze of shining wet orc-seed.
“Ask me, woman,” he said, commanded, the words a breathless thud in Jule’s thoughts. “Beg me for this.”
---
He’d brought that hardness even closer with the words, and as Jule gasped, stared, his big hand came and stroked up it, once. Thickening that dripping ooze to a smooth steady stream, and – Jule gave a sharp little cry – drizzling it down on to her still-clenching wetness.
It felt hot, sticky, slippery, glorious, and the sight of it even more so, that leaking cock now connected to her with that thick band of white. While that big hand pumped out even more, oh fuck, coming even thicker, pooling hot and hungry against her, into her.
“You wish for more,” he whispered. “Beg me.”
---
His answering groan was a shout, almost like a war-cry – and his entire big body arched, straightened, fired. Pummelling his seed straight out that huge invading cock, driving it into Jule’s body like a geyser, a cannon, liquid gushing spraying everywhere, leaking, filling, drenching.
When it finally stopped Grimmar was dripping wet all over, his clothes stuck to his skin, his big chest heaving with his breath.
---
Releasing its hold with a loud, humiliating noise, and – Jule gasped – also releasing his thick white seed like a pent-up fountain, splattering over her, over him, the bed, the floor.
He’d pulled back to watch, Jule realized, even spreading her legs wider to see it, and once the worst of it finally subsided, she could still feel it seeping from her, oozing thick out onto the bed.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- heroine is in an abusive marriage – her husband is mean, neglectful and it’s mentioned he’s whipped her
- infertility
- death and violence on page
- possible feelings of infidelity – heroine is married (to an awful guy) when she gets with the hero and agrees to be his mate
- dubious consent – heroine is kidnapped (the hero is very good about consent and asking, but as she’s kidnapped and chained, I know consent is skewed in a situation like that)
- hero threatens heroine with binding, gagging, and starvation to get her to obey
- mention of parental murder
- threat of forced abortion
- heroine murders her husband on page
- beating and whipping of pregnant heroine on her knees by her husband (not the hero)
Author given content warnings: didn’t see them mentioned
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
10% - 🔥 touches, neck kisses, fingering for her, missionary
22% - 🔥 oral for her, missionary
29% - 🔥 bj for him, her on top
48% - 🔥 bj
55% - 🔥 missionary on the floor, forceful bj
59% - 🔥 hand job for Grimarr during a meeting that turns into a bj
62% - mention of sex on a rock (short and not a lot of details)
64% - 🔥 doggy
69% - 🔥 oral for her, anal (outdoors)
73% - 🔥 her on top
80% - 🔥 missionary
95% - 🔥 exhibitionism scene – bj (incomplete) her on top
His Perfect Princess by Caroline Lee
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: It takes just a bit, 16% (chapter 2)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later
Format: read an e-book gifted to me (I LOVE YOU FOR IT!)
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Lee’s Tales of the Harlot’s Guide series.
Basic plot:
Rickard must marry as Crown Prince of Faencairn. Luckily he has a specific lady in mind...
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian Scots-ish
- royalty – hero is a prince
- fictional country
- hero falls first/hero pursues
- hero must marry
- shorter story
- higher steam – 3 full scenes in a shorter page count including kink elements (praise and light D/s elements)
- first person POV (point of view) in a historical (somewhat rare!)
Ages:
- didn’t see them mentioned
First line:
“Did ye tell him?”
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this short and steamy story by Lee!
I am definitely more used to first person now, after my foray into so much monster and science fiction books. You get a lot from the hero’s POV it felt like and I enjoyed that. This one is a short read, and very hot – perfect for the beginner kink exploring HR lover. It’s not over the top, but a nice introduction.
Lately I have been devouring shorter reads and this was exactly what I wanted! You don’t get too much world building or character depth – the focus is on the main characters and really their sexual journey. But this is perfect for a quick, steamy pick me up.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No but they are married
Hows the consent? It’s good – we know the heroine is into it – but the first scene does start with the hero kind of asking her to do sexual stuff without stating specifically why (but we’re in her point of view so I consider that a plus!)
36% - 🔥 heroine pleasures herself for the hero and bj for him ending in facial/marking
“I’m interviewing ye, Clarissa…” His rhythmic strokes matched his hypnotic voice. “For a verra important position.”
55% - mention of similar acts done in a linen closet
67% - 🔥 wedding night bj (incomplete), him standing and her laying on the bed
She stared up at me silently, trustingly, and that realization made me grin.
“I’m going to fook you now, wife.”
“Yes, sir,” she said promptly.
85% - 🔥 bathtub doggy with anal fingering
Gently I turned her, guiding her hands toward the wall, making her lean forward.
I climbed into the tub behind her. When she was properly braced, I pushed her feet apart with mine. Soon she was standing in the tub with her legs spread, bent at the waist, braced against the cool marble of the wall.
Perfect.
92% - start of a bj
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: It takes just a bit, 16% (chapter 2)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later
Format: read an e-book gifted to me (I LOVE YOU FOR IT!)
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Lee’s Tales of the Harlot’s Guide series.
Basic plot:
Rickard must marry as Crown Prince of Faencairn. Luckily he has a specific lady in mind...
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian Scots-ish
- royalty – hero is a prince
- fictional country
- hero falls first/hero pursues
- hero must marry
- shorter story
- higher steam – 3 full scenes in a shorter page count including kink elements (praise and light D/s elements)
- first person POV (point of view) in a historical (somewhat rare!)
Ages:
- didn’t see them mentioned
First line:
“Did ye tell him?”
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this short and steamy story by Lee!
I am definitely more used to first person now, after my foray into so much monster and science fiction books. You get a lot from the hero’s POV it felt like and I enjoyed that. This one is a short read, and very hot – perfect for the beginner kink exploring HR lover. It’s not over the top, but a nice introduction.
Lately I have been devouring shorter reads and this was exactly what I wanted! You don’t get too much world building or character depth – the focus is on the main characters and really their sexual journey. But this is perfect for a quick, steamy pick me up.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
36% - 🔥 heroine pleasures herself for the hero and bj for him ending in facial/marking
“I’m interviewing ye, Clarissa…” His rhythmic strokes matched his hypnotic voice. “For a verra important position.”
55% - mention of similar acts done in a linen closet
67% - 🔥 wedding night bj (incomplete), him standing and her laying on the bed
She stared up at me silently, trustingly, and that realization made me grin.
“I’m going to fook you now, wife.”
“Yes, sir,” she said promptly.
85% - 🔥 bathtub doggy with anal fingering
Gently I turned her, guiding her hands toward the wall, making her lean forward.
I climbed into the tub behind her. When she was properly braced, I pushed her feet apart with mine. Soon she was standing in the tub with her legs spread, bent at the waist, braced against the cool marble of the wall.
Perfect.
92% - start of a bj
Mating with Mallows: An Erotic Sentient Candy Romance by Nora Noodle
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because WHY NOT???
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (I am not ashamed that I liked it 🤣 )
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (the book is basically one scene)
Humor: Come on….it’s a peep fucking book
Perspective: First person from heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character/sex focused
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: 28% when she buys the peeps, 38% when they become MORE
Cliffhanger: No...but it ends kind of unknown as to the future (happy for now assumed?)
Epilogue: No
Format: read e-book from kindle unlimited
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone short story.
Basic plot:
Cece hasn’t had peeps since her bad experience at 6 years old. But one more taste can’t hurt...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary setting
- heroine works at a paper selling company
- M/F/M
- you have a disturbing craving for peeps/REALLY love marshmallow fluff
- 1 full steamy scene but it’s most of the book (and some praise kink)
- heroine overcomes her peep trauma
Ages:
- Not mentioned
First lines:
“Come on, Cece. Just try one,” Miranda pleaded from her seat five feet away from mine in our shared cubicle, a gliterring bonbon of a marshmallow held aloft for me.
My thoughts:
I saw it and I had to try it.
Absurd. Fun. Ridiculous. Delightful. Wrong. Titillating. Preposterous.
A threesome with some peeps. Why not? I deserve an Easter present too.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- They are huge 6 foot tall marshmallow bunny peeps with 8 pack abs.
- sugar coating that is sweet, taste like vanilla, but doesn’t melt (their fluffy goodness regenerating with each bit of deliciousness swallowed)
- huge cocks!
- semen is marshmallow fluff
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
"Ah, that's better," a deep, sensual voice crooned from my left, and my head whipped around.
There, in the middle of my kitchen, stood two hulking marshmallows. No - to call them marshmallows would be an understatement. These hunks were anything but mere mallows.
Standing at least six feet tall - not including the ears - dripping with muscles, coated in a fine dusting of neon sugar, were two incredibly sexy marshmallow bunny men.
---
I practically yelped as he came fully into view. Try though I might to keep my gaze firmly centered on his chest, it betrayed me, darting first to brilliantly corded thighs and up, up, up until it rested firmly on his giant cock.
Upon noticing my attentions, it rose to the same, and my insides ignited. Blue came to join, and the sight of their twin erections towering over me made my mouth into a desert ravine.
---
I had never been so full of marshmallow in my life, and something told me that this was just the beginning of this feeling.
---
"Careful, sweetheart," Blue growled from above me, one hand moving from my hair to help steady my arms, even as he rode me closer, the two cocks in either end of me pinning me in place like a rotisserie chicken.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- heroine has a lot of trauma from her father abandoning the family
- heroine microwaves and fucks some peeps
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No. Hopefully she has a stock up of antifungal medications
Hows the consent? It’s good
58% - kisses, heroine sucks pink peeps finger, heroine sucks blue’s cock and pink fucks her on the couch
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 (I am not ashamed that I liked it 🤣 )
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (the book is basically one scene)
Humor: Come on….it’s a peep fucking book
Perspective: First person from heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character/sex focused
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: 28% when she buys the peeps, 38% when they become MORE
Cliffhanger: No...but it ends kind of unknown as to the future (happy for now assumed?)
Epilogue: No
Format: read e-book from kindle unlimited
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone short story.
Basic plot:
Cece hasn’t had peeps since her bad experience at 6 years old. But one more taste can’t hurt...
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary setting
- heroine works at a paper selling company
- M/F/M
- you have a disturbing craving for peeps/REALLY love marshmallow fluff
- 1 full steamy scene but it’s most of the book (and some praise kink)
- heroine overcomes her peep trauma
Ages:
- Not mentioned
First lines:
“Come on, Cece. Just try one,” Miranda pleaded from her seat five feet away from mine in our shared cubicle, a gliterring bonbon of a marshmallow held aloft for me.
My thoughts:
I saw it and I had to try it.
Absurd. Fun. Ridiculous. Delightful. Wrong. Titillating. Preposterous.
A threesome with some peeps. Why not? I deserve an Easter present too.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- They are huge 6 foot tall marshmallow bunny peeps with 8 pack abs.
- sugar coating that is sweet, taste like vanilla, but doesn’t melt (their fluffy goodness regenerating with each bit of deliciousness swallowed)
- huge cocks!
- semen is marshmallow fluff
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
"Ah, that's better," a deep, sensual voice crooned from my left, and my head whipped around.
There, in the middle of my kitchen, stood two hulking marshmallows. No - to call them marshmallows would be an understatement. These hunks were anything but mere mallows.
Standing at least six feet tall - not including the ears - dripping with muscles, coated in a fine dusting of neon sugar, were two incredibly sexy marshmallow bunny men.
---
I practically yelped as he came fully into view. Try though I might to keep my gaze firmly centered on his chest, it betrayed me, darting first to brilliantly corded thighs and up, up, up until it rested firmly on his giant cock.
Upon noticing my attentions, it rose to the same, and my insides ignited. Blue came to join, and the sight of their twin erections towering over me made my mouth into a desert ravine.
---
I had never been so full of marshmallow in my life, and something told me that this was just the beginning of this feeling.
---
"Careful, sweetheart," Blue growled from above me, one hand moving from my hair to help steady my arms, even as he rode me closer, the two cocks in either end of me pinning me in place like a rotisserie chicken.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- heroine has a lot of trauma from her father abandoning the family
- heroine microwaves and fucks some peeps
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
58% - kisses, heroine sucks pink peeps finger, heroine sucks blue’s cock and pink fucks her on the couch
How to Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: no, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes (I believe a month or so in the future?)
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form that is now very old and not even close to being an advanced copy anymore 😆
Should I read in order?
I read this one alone and thought it was fine to pick up like that. The heroines from books 1 and 2 are this heroine’s friends and they have some page time but nothing major.
Basic plot:
Brina has sworn off marriage forever – so she has no idea why Zane would make a bet that he would marry her before Season’s end.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (my assumption)
- widow heroine (she’s been widowed for 5 years)
- the meet cute includes the heroine coming across the tied to a chair Earl…
- heroine started a charity school
- hero pursues
- hero wants the heroine to turn him respectable so he can be worthy of his new title
- reform the rake
- low steam – a few kisses and one very vague scene that’s a few sentences long
Ages:
- Hero is 30, heroine is 24
First line:
Brina Feld should have known a lady wasn’t safe from rakes, rogues, and scoundrels at a masked ball in Paris.
My thoughts:
I struggled a bit in the beginning of this one. It had some things I love, like reforming a rake and hero pursues the heroine. But I also kept waiting for more to happen between them and wanted a bit better build up.
I ended up really adoring one scene where they are in a carriage (or phaeton? Curricle? Something fast….) and they are trying to lose someone following them. The hero tells the heroine to grab onto the waist of his pants and hold on for dear life and I don’t know it was just the cutest scene. I just loved it. It was fun and sweet and such a good tension builder and a bit silly. It made me up my rating a bit.
The steam was such a let down. It’s only a few sentences long with no details in any way. And I feel like Grey really shouldn’t have the covers she has because they always grab my attention but also kind of imply there’s going to actually be SOME action in the book. Yes this isn’t no sex (or ‘clean’ – but I despise that term) there is technically a partially open door scene but not something we need to see shirtless men on her covers 😆 Everyone should be buttoned up real tight…
So, overall kind of cute. I did get pretty frustrated with the heroine at the end though.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
He pulled back from her but kept his gaze on her face. “If I am to make you mine for all time, I must not make you mine today. We have a bargain. Tempting though it is right now, I’m not going to break our pact.”
//
“Why do you all of a sudden have scruples?”
His brow and around his eyes wrinkled with concern. “I’m fighting for you,” he answered earnestly. “I told you I always play to win.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- there’s kind of a general feeling of dubcon throughout this book – the hero pursues pretty hard and pushes the heroine when she tells him repeatedly she’s not interested (we know as the reader that she is interested but fighting it) but I just wanted to note for those that prefer really strong consent in their books that you will probably get annoyed with this hero
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No idea because the sex is too vague I DON’T KNOW WHERE THE SEMEN WENT
Hows the consent? There’s some things that are questionable in the beginning – the first kiss and the general tone of the hero not taking no for an answer with pursuing the heroine in the beginning. But overall the consent is good and we know from being in the heroine’s POV that she is interested.
3% - kiss
37% - kiss
55% - kisses in a carriage
84% - very, very light scene with no details or explicitness
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: no, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes (I believe a month or so in the future?)
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form that is now very old and not even close to being an advanced copy anymore 😆
Should I read in order?
I read this one alone and thought it was fine to pick up like that. The heroines from books 1 and 2 are this heroine’s friends and they have some page time but nothing major.
Basic plot:
Brina has sworn off marriage forever – so she has no idea why Zane would make a bet that he would marry her before Season’s end.
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (my assumption)
- widow heroine (she’s been widowed for 5 years)
- the meet cute includes the heroine coming across the tied to a chair Earl…
- heroine started a charity school
- hero pursues
- hero wants the heroine to turn him respectable so he can be worthy of his new title
- reform the rake
- low steam – a few kisses and one very vague scene that’s a few sentences long
Ages:
- Hero is 30, heroine is 24
First line:
Brina Feld should have known a lady wasn’t safe from rakes, rogues, and scoundrels at a masked ball in Paris.
My thoughts:
I struggled a bit in the beginning of this one. It had some things I love, like reforming a rake and hero pursues the heroine. But I also kept waiting for more to happen between them and wanted a bit better build up.
I ended up really adoring one scene where they are in a carriage (or phaeton? Curricle? Something fast….) and they are trying to lose someone following them. The hero tells the heroine to grab onto the waist of his pants and hold on for dear life and I don’t know it was just the cutest scene. I just loved it. It was fun and sweet and such a good tension builder and a bit silly. It made me up my rating a bit.
The steam was such a let down. It’s only a few sentences long with no details in any way. And I feel like Grey really shouldn’t have the covers she has because they always grab my attention but also kind of imply there’s going to actually be SOME action in the book. Yes this isn’t no sex (or ‘clean’ – but I despise that term) there is technically a partially open door scene but not something we need to see shirtless men on her covers 😆 Everyone should be buttoned up real tight…
So, overall kind of cute. I did get pretty frustrated with the heroine at the end though.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
He pulled back from her but kept his gaze on her face. “If I am to make you mine for all time, I must not make you mine today. We have a bargain. Tempting though it is right now, I’m not going to break our pact.”
//
“Why do you all of a sudden have scruples?”
His brow and around his eyes wrinkled with concern. “I’m fighting for you,” he answered earnestly. “I told you I always play to win.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- there’s kind of a general feeling of dubcon throughout this book – the hero pursues pretty hard and pushes the heroine when she tells him repeatedly she’s not interested (we know as the reader that she is interested but fighting it) but I just wanted to note for those that prefer really strong consent in their books that you will probably get annoyed with this hero
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
3% - kiss
37% - kiss
55% - kisses in a carriage
84% - very, very light scene with no details or explicitness