Category: Novella

The House of Pleasure by Jess Michaels

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

The House of Pleasure (The Scandal Sheet, #6)My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Scandal Sheet #6
Publication Date: 11/12/19
Number of Pages: 79

This was a lovely, romantic, steamy, short novella with lovely, lovely characters. It is a well-written and satisfying read.

As one does, Miss Hannah Blankenship attended the Donville Masquerade with the express purpose of losing her virginity. No, she’s not a wonton miss, she is just trying to do whatever she can to prevent her father from forcing her to marry the odious Viscount Hiram Gordon who is ten years her father’s senior. He is a letch with blackened teeth and foul breath and she knew she’d never be able to stomach being married to him – letting him touch her. She knew he’d refuse the marriage if she wasn’t chaste – so – she wouldn’t be chaste.

Duncan Cavendish’s brother, the Earl of Wilding, has been more and more dissatisfied with Duncan’s lifestyle of late. He has finally told Duncan that he must either straighten out his life, settle down or he’ll be cut off from his inheritance. So, Duncan has been busily betrothing himself to a young lady with a social-climbing father. He’s never met the woman, but she meets all of his requirements, so he’d bite the bullet and marry her. First, though, he is going to spend a night at the Donville Masquerade for a night of pleasure before committing himself for life.

Although everyone at the Masquerade was masked, there was an immediate, undeniable attraction between Hannah and Duncan as soon as they locked eyes across the room. Duncan headed straight for the beautiful, alluring woman he sees across the room and she’s smiling at him. They dance, they retire to a back room and he eventually makes a very shocking discovery.

When the man her father has betrothed her to arrives the next day, Hannah is shocked to find that it is Duncan. She recognizes him immediately even though they were both masked the previous night. He also recognizes her, but neither of them acknowledges that fact.

It was lovely to see two individuals who were rabidly afraid of love, trust and commitment grow to love each other – although they had both agreed that they would keep their relationship to a physical one – no emotions involved.

It was an entertaining, though short, read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Novella, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Someone to Remember (Westcott #7)Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Westcott, #7

Release Date: November 05, 2019

If you have been following the Westcott series, you know that at the end of Someone to Honor, Lady Matilda Westcott – Abigail’s maiden aunt, goes to see Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson and asks him to help Gilbert get custody of his daughter. In that book, it is clear to the reader that Charles and Matilda share a past and did not part on the best of terms, but the reader is never enlightened about what transpired and when.

Lady Matilda acts as caregiver/companion to her mother, the dowager Countess of Riverdale, she is fifty-six and has never married, but that doesn’t mean she was never in love or never wanted to marry, truth is, she was in love and wanted to marry Charles Sawyer, but her parents forbid the match and Matilda sent him away. Looking back, she believes it was the right choice, Charles went on to father an illegitimate child (Gilbert) and became a renowned rake, even after he married and sired 3 children. Matilda will admit to herself that she never stopped loving Charles, but wonders if he ever really loved her. It took all her courage to seek him out to help Abigail’s husband Gilbert and talking to him stirred up old feelings she has tried hard to bury. She was sure the worst was over, but now she has been invited to a family dinner honoring him for his assistance.

Charles doesn’t want to go to dinner any more than Matilda wants him there, but a small part of him needs to know why he has never forgotten her and why she is the only woman he has ever loved. At dinner he is annoyed about how she is treated by her mother and how her family largely ignores her, he tries to talk to her, but she brushes him off. Later when some of the young adult children want to visit Kew Gardens, Charles volunteers to chaperon and asks Matilda to help.
She goes to the gardens and is assaulted by memories of her courtship with Charles, later at the top of pagoda, he kisses her – just like he did 36 years ago. Thus begins a sweet courtship of two people who made mistakes years ago and are lucky enough to be granted a second chance at love.

This was a very sweet read, no real conflict, no drama and no villains, just two older people recapturing a love they shared 36 years ago. It is short, but well written and paced nicely, the love scenes are limited to kisses and the “courtship” does move rather quickly, but I felt considering their shared past, it was believable and I was rooting for their HEA.

This is the seventh book in the series, but it can easily be a stand-alone, however, if you read Someone to Honor – you will definitely want to read this book too, because it will answer the lingering questions you might have had at the end of that story. Either way, it is a very sweet read and I am happy to recommend it.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*