This is the second part to my '8 Romances in 8 Sentences' segment.
TO TASTE TEMPTATION by ELIZABETH HOYT
Synopsis: Lady Emeline Gordon is the model of sophistication in London's elite social circles, always fashionable and flawlessly appropriate. As such, she is the perfect chaperon for Rebecca, the young sister of a successful Boston businessman and former Colonial soldier.
Samuel Hartley may be wealthy, but his manners are as uncivilized as the American wilderness he was raised in. Who wears moccasins to a grand ball? His arrogant disregard for propriety infuriates Emeline, even as his boldness excites her.
But beneath Samuel's rakish manner, he is haunted by tragedy. He has come to London to settle a score, not to fall in love. And as desperately as Emeline longs to feel this shameless man's hands upon her, to taste those same lips he uses to tease her, she must restrain herself. She is not free. But some things are beyond a lady's control...
Lady Emeline is as prim & proper as they come and she knows everything there is to know about fitting into the society ton. Samuel is the American colonial that takes London by storm with his unpolished look and demeanor. Samuel surprises Emeline by asking her to help educate his sister on how to properly fit into London's society circle. However, that's not the real reason he traveled all the way to London and he'll be damned if she truly found out why.
I continue to be a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt's work. The characters were both well developed; they were interesting, competent and strong, but with realistic flaws. The relationship didn't develop immediately but over time and it didn't overshadow the secondary plot of the massacre at Spinner's Falls. I worked my way backwards with the series which is a little weird, but it didn't take away from each individual story...and now I have part 4 to look forward to, "To Desire A Devil" :)
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WHEN THE DUKE RETURNS by ELOISA JAMES
The duke demands an annulment.
Isidore is tired of being a 23-year old virgin who is patiently waiting for her husband to return from his escapades. She decides to lure him back by attending the most scandalous party in all of London - and sure enough it works! However, he is not what she expected and she is certainly not what he expected either. He was tall, tanned and gorgeous with an air of rebelliousness about him and she was everything he didn't want in a woman - sensual, alluring and not the least bit docile.
These characters were unique in that neither one had any experience with intimacy or even kissing. They learned about their own sexuality by learning about each other and those little embarrassing moments made them so much more lovable! They didn't instantly fall in love but rather were given an appropriate amount of time to learn and accept each other. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series.
Note: I decided to read this book after reading a positive review from fellow blogger, Medieval Bookworm. Visit her page if you want to check out her review.
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SEDUCED BY HIS TOUCH by TRACY ANNE WARREN
Synopsis: Everyone in London agrees the Byrons are just as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" as their poetic non-relation. But Lord Jack Byron is facing a predicament that is scandalous . . . even for him! Marry a young woman because he lost a bet? Unreformed rake Lord Jack Byron would do anything to get out of it. But the rich merchant who holds his debt insists Jack lead his on-the-shelf daughter to the altar . . . and make her believe it's a love match. With no options, Jack agrees, thinking he'll be shackled to a closed-in spinster.
At 25 years old, Grave Danvers is by all accounts considered a spinster. Taller than the average women and with flaming red hair and glasses, she's no beauty. However, there is something about her that Jack Byron finds irresistible and he vows to bed then wed her (in that order!). He is successful in his scheme: get her to fall in love and marry him. However, just days before their wedding, the worst possible thing happens - she learns the truth!
Grace was insecure because she didn't fit the profile of how a typical Victorian beauty should look and so to watch her enter her own comfort zone was really refreshing. Jack was resolved to marry her to pay of his immense debt , but it certainly didn't hurt that they had fiery chemistry...but could they actually love each other? I loved and hated how stubborn these characters were; just when you think, this is it...the throw you for a loop. This author really knows how to build up the suspense and give you the perfect, romantic ending!
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WICKEDLY EVER AFTER by MICHELLE MARCOS
Synopsis: After discovering her fiancé in the arms of a courtesan, Lady Athena McAlister comes to a frightful realization: Most men prefer the company of their mistresses to their wives. How can she, and other brides-to-be, become both wife and mistress to a man? In her quest for knowledge, she begs her wealthy grandfather for money to start a finishing school for marriageable young ladies. There she and her friends discreetly invite London’s most notorious rakes to educate them on the art of seducing a man.
Marshall Hawkesworth’s sister has become far too knowledgeable about the ways of sex, and he suspects that her new finishing school is to blame. However, before he has Athena's school shut down for good, he’s determined to give her a few private lessons she won’t soon forget…
Athena is sick and tired of watching men sleep with whomever they please while she sits on the sidelines waiting to fall in love. Just when she thinks she's finally got the man of her dreams, she finds him with another woman and is left heartbroken. She intends to give this harlot a piece of her mind when she realizes that this other woman offers something she cannot... With the help of her friend, she opens a "finishing school" of sorts where by day, the ladies learn to be proper wives, but by night, they learn how to be vixens!
Everything is going well and many of her spinster students are successfully married until one day she meets Mr. Marshall. In a case of mistaken identity, she offers him a job as a nude model and he's far too amused to resist. Over time, he realizes that Athena is not as tough as she comes across and he tries to teach her that not all men are so callous. In addition to the love story between Athena and Marshall, there is a plot developing that will threaten Athena's future. (I ran out of sentences, but I will say that I loved this story!)
I hope you guys enjoyed this segment :)
Do you think I should try this again with another genre?
