For the Earl's Pleasure

by Anne Mallory

Beneath every scornful smile...They were once cherished childhood companions, until a scandalous secret tore them apart. Now Valerian Rainewood and Abigail Smart are the fiercest of enemies. To Abigail, Rainewood is a notorious rake, hell-bent on mischief and not fit for polite society. So what if it seems as if he can seduce her with nothing but his eyes? She will not succumb. But when the earl is viciously attacked, Abigail's distress tells her that something still binds her to the wild Rainewood. Lies an unquenchable desire...Though the ton believes there is nothing between them, Rainewood knows the truth. Abigail tempts him the way no other woman has. Wanton lust overwhelms him whenever she is near. But keeping her too close may put her precious life in danger. He must destroy his enemies-so that with every touch he may prove to Abigail that though their past was filled with trouble, their future will be nothing but pleasure.

• ISBN10: 0061887803
• ISBN13: 9780061887802
• Publish Date: 30 June 2009
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: HarperCollins eBooks
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amanda]

Two words: ghost sex.

So this book wasn't anything that I expected. I picked it up for this line in the synopsis: Wanton lust overwhelms him whenever she is near. Wanton lust! Overwhelming wanton lust! How could it possibly go wrong?

Perhaps the introduction of the paranormal, which isn't hinted at at all in the synopsis.

It's not that I dislike paranormal in my historical romance, it was just so... unexpected. And Valerian spent a good portion of the book as a ghost/spirit/whatever. It. You know. Ghost. Sex. Ghost sex. I expect that kind of thing from the GLA erotica I read with Kelly, not in my historical romance. Though I guess it rather takes care of the contraceptive question? OR DOES IT? Can a ghost impregnate you? Big life questions not answered in For the Earl's Pleasure.

Despite that, I did enjoy the relationship between Valerian and Abby. I'm just not sure the paranormal aspect of it hindered the development of their relationship (or rather, my enjoyment of it), especially since the end of the book raises more questions than it answers about Abby's abilities. So much of their relationship depended on her ability, and yet it was never fully explained. It almost made me want more of the animosity between Valerian and Abby throughout the book.

As an introduction to Anne Mallory -- paranormal parts aside -- it wasn't a bad one. It's just that the paranormal parts threw me enough that I perhaps spent less time taking it seriously than I could have. I would pick up another one.