Break the sensual boundaries of Regency England with the bestselling author of The Slightest Provocation.
The ribald private life of novelist Countess Marina Wyatt is the stuff of public scandal?and it doesn?t hurt the sale of her romances either. But she?s totally unprepared for her consuming new affair with Jasper James Hedges, noted art appraiser and her former lover?s uncle. In Marina, Jasper sees a work of art of another kind. And for all of Marina?s passionate inventions, nothing can compare to what Jasper delivers?an erotic and dangerous voyage to the edge of impropriety and beyond.
At this rate, I’ve underestimated how many romances out there were written for me. I thought Provocation was good; this one is better. It hits my buttons: the Greek mythology, the cheeky candor, the two mature people who know who they are and what they want and yet still learn and grow. It’s earthy and funny and I’ve been waiting to call a book “earthy” since I started this project. (There’s one scene in the middle that, holy smokes, might be the hottest I’ve read.)
The supporting cast of Helen, Sydney, Anthony only adds to the story. Impetuous youth vs. the fullness of middle age. Jasper unfolds like a flower. The blackmailing Rackham is the one shaky note, but I like how his role resolves abruptly and ties a few threads together, so that earns a pass.
In fact, I’d say it’s not unlike Jane Austen, but with the added complexity of intimacy. That’s how I’d go back in time to sell this book to myself, and I’d read it all over again.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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19 June, 2017:
Finished reading
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19 June, 2017:
Reviewed