There comes a time in a woman's life when she must do the unthinkable - and find employment. For the widowed Anna Wren, that means taking a job as female secretary for the Earl of Swartingham. Secretaries are always male - never female - as Anna well knows but the real downfall of her career is the realisation that she is falling in love with Edward de Raaf - the Earl. But when she realises that he is going to visit a brothel in London to take care of his 'manly' desires, Anna sees red - and decides to take advantage of the opportunity to also take care of her 'womanly' desires - with the Earl as her unknowing lover. But the Earl has another reason for going to London. He is formalising his betrothal and trying (with little success) to forget about a secretary that has no right being female. Unhandsome, he knows that no woman wants him. Except for the mysterious lady with whom he spent two unforgettable nights at Aphrodite's Grotto, the most scandalous brothel in London. But when Anna's plan is revealed, a bit of blackmail is thrown into the mix, a proposal is rejected and even the Earl himself will be unprepared for the intrigues that ensnare them.
What a great book to get me out of my reading slump! I found this story to be humorous, riveting, and just a great read all around. I absolutely adored Anna and Edward. They were genuine characters that truly seemed to care about each other. I thought they had excellent chemistry and the sex scenes were pretty hot. Anna had a spine, which was refreshing. I felt her reactions to the sexual encounters with Edward were realistic. Edward may have been boorish and ill-tempered, his affection for Anna was evident. I was worried how he would react when he found out what she did. It had me on the edge of my seat and I was really rooting for them to get a HEA. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second story.
