Jean Wilde

An absolutely wonderful regency romance

Emily Price is in trouble. Her family has fallen upon poor fortunes and her sweet, well-meaning mother doesn’t have a head for business. It’s up to sturdy, strong-willed Emily to save the family. She goes to a Madam in town at the Scarlet Salon with a proposal: auction off her virginity and set up an ongoing arrangement with a wealthy client that will allow her to pay off her family’s debts. You can’t help but admire Emily’s pluck and also the skill with which author Jean Wilde paints every detail in this regency romance, from the intricate dresses and bedrooms to the descriptions of everyday life with ladies maids and trips to the millner’s shop. For lovers of steamy romances, this book has it in spades, with delectable scenes as Emily is taught by Genevieve, another lady at the brothel, what to expect when she will need to please her “buyer.” This novel truly masters the art of the slow tease!

Then we meet James, who has done very well for himself as an engineer and is being driven a bit crazy by his meddling family. This regency romance has it all—scandal, meddling mothers, forbidden love. He and Emily hit it off instantly, and she is bought and paid for—to be his mistress. But as their feelings grow deeper, and both want the relationship to become something more, societal rules and the scandal of Emily’s virginity auction come back to haunt them.

I really enjoyed how this was written perfectly in regency style, but also had current sensibilities in place. The role of how women are victimized by societal rules and the actions of men during this time period and sometimes left with few options but working in a brothel is examined through Emily’s story and also those of her contemporaries like Genevieve. Even when Emily and James fall in love and both want to marry—a way out that both wish for—there are so many barriers in place. A delightful mix of heated steamy scenes, scandals to smooth over, and a romance that was lovely to watch unfold.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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“An Eye for an Earl” is a Regency romance about a popular courtesan, Isabelle Beaumont. How and why she became one is a major part of the story. Besides being very beautiful she is very intelligent and at her core very kind-hearted. She repays those that helped her, and has vengeance on those that hurt her. I enjoyed reading the story very much. What I am about to say did not affect my enjoyment of the story. There are explicit sex scenes and talk, but after all, she is a skilled courtesan. If you do not like to read about sexual things, it is very easy to skim over those parts and not miss the anything in the story.… (plus d'informations)