Series: The Gilded Age Heiresses, #4
Traits & Tropes: widow; lessons; fake relationship; illegitimate hero
Publication Date: 05.23.23
Genre/Setting: Historical; Victorian; London, England, Winter; 1878
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 4/5
Despite having married well, Camille, the Duchess of Hereford, has never been allowed to forget that high society does not accept her. Sure, the wealthy widow is invited to events thanks to her title, but she’s never allowed to forget her place as an American upstart. Now free from her cruel, overbearing husband, Camille begins to test her wings and even develops an interest in the suffrage movement, making her even more scandalous. When she meets Jacob Thorne, the co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club, Camille begins to revel even more in her newfound rebellion as he seems to be the key to facing a fear she’s kept hidden from everyone.
Jacob is accustomed to club members approaching him with all sorts of deals, but not ones as beautiful as Camille and certainly not with proposals as sweet as they are shocking. He has ambitions of buying his own club, without help from his father’s influence, but that means courting investors who demand respectability, something Camille can offer given her title. A fake engagement ensues, but Camille’s one condition to agreeing is that Jacob teach her about true pleasure in the bedroom.
Jacob finds himself unable to resist such terms, but things between him and Camille soon delve far deeper than anticipated.
I wound up enjoying this more than I even expected to. I loved how tender and gentle Jacob was with Camille. This made their relationship special given how gruff and jaded he is in other scenes. Camille was an intriguing combination of candor and guardedness that kept me invested in the story and clearly also enthralled Jacob. I loved how clear these two were with each other, using open communication and not playing games. I loved seeing Camille gain confidence and find herself through the freedom and safety Jacob gave her. I do wish Jacob’s epiphany of his feelings hadn’t felt quite so abrupt, but I do think that fit here and I really did enjoy their story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/629403374
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4468708794
Comments
Post a Comment