(R) The Frenchman by Lesley Young

 

Fleur Smithers has traveled to France to spend time the birth mother who gave her up.  One night, she meets Louis Messette, star player on an international rugby team.  Immediately attracted to each other, she takes him home only to have him reject her when he realizes she's still a virgin.  But he cannot stay away from her - they quickly fall back into each other's arms... but with stipulations.  The main one being Fleur must keep their relationship a secret.  Confused but willing, Fleur agrees.  She accepts a necklace of the family crest, a fleur-de-lis, as a symbol of their love.  Soon, Fleur is caught between her biological mother who happens to be a high-ranking officer of the French Police Force and her lover, whose family she discovers is criminal royalty.  Fleur's mother discovers Louis is her boyfriend and is enraged.  Storming into his apartment, she quickly arrests Louis and his brother, Georges.  When Georges is charged with drug trafficking, Louis tries to make Fleur realize her mother is not the upstanding police officer she appears to be.  As an American in a foreign country, a girl finding her mother for the first time, and a woman who's heart is fighting to be heard, who does she believe?

I LOVED this story!  It took me a few chapters to get into but once I was, I was hooked.  I love how Fleur talks - she's a true American.  Many of the things she would say are things that, I feel, many Americans would say when they are found in a foreign country with foreign laws.  "I'm an American in France, what do I know?"  You really start to feel her confusion as the book goes on.  She knows Louis is hiding something and when she finds out, she's torn, being the daughter of a police inspector and all.  But she loves Louis - all dominating, confusing, loving parts of him.  As I read the book, I often questioned how Louis treated her but when you realize that Louis is also torn between protecting his family and protecting the woman he loves, you understand why he does the things he does.  And the very end... *swoon*  You will never question how much Louis loves Fleur when you reach the end.  One of the best endings of a confused set of lovers ever.  I cannot wait to read more by this author in her upcoming The Australian.

ARC was provided by the editor in exchange for my honest review.

(R) Control by Laura Marie Altom

Ella Patton is escaping from an abusive husband by adopting a new identity and working at a local store as a deli clerk.  Its there that she meets Liam Stone.  She thinks he is merely an every day kind of guy, looking to flirt (and more) with a local girl.  But she couldn't be more wrong.  Liam Stone is a billionaire who is used to getting what he wants by throwing money at it.  So when he throws his money at Ella, she turns and runs.  And then runs back to him.  Deciding the best way to hide is to go across the country, she agrees to become Liam's latest conquest.  They soon fall in love and Liam decides to take his relationship with Ella even further.  But what will happen when a drastic secret is revealed?

I have mixed feelings about this book.  At first, I couldn't connect with the characters and I spent a good majority of the first chapters wondering what in the world was going on.  But as I continued reading, I got the impression that the author was trying hard to make the reader FEEL what Ella and Liam are feeling.  The confusion; the panic; the uncertainty; the love; the lust.  Once I realized that was the author was aiming for, I was able to pour myself into the book more and I found myself enjoying it much more after that.  You know something is going on in Ella's mind - a secret she doesn't want known - but you are still rooting for her to understand Liam wants the girl he met at the deli who found him wasabi mustard.  And when you find out the secret, you are just as devastated as Liam.

So why only 3 stars?  Because I felt it took too long for me to realize the author's intentions with this novel.  Sometimes I wanted to slap both Ella and Liam and send them packing far away from each other; other times, I was just waiting for them to jump into bed so they could show each other just how much they loved the other.  I will certainly read the conclusion to this story because I want to know how Liam and Ella handle conquering this secret that could tear them apart.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

(E) Mastering the Marquess by Lavinia Kent

Louisa, Lady Brookingston, has a secret.  Despite being happily married to the love of her life for six years, she remains a virgin.  A war injury prevented her husband from fulfilling his martial duties before he passed away.  When she decides to remarry, she knows she cannot dishonor his memory by entering into a marriage as a virgin.  And she knows of only one woman who can help her:  Madame Rouge.  A woman owning a house of "ill reput", she is compassionate about Louisa's situation and feels she has the perfect man for her.

Geoffrey, the Marquess of Swanton, is in need of a wife.  He knows he needs an heir to carry on the family line but his sexual appetite prevents him from going after any woman.  He craves control; the control he receives at Madame Rouge's establishment.  When she comes to him to explain she is in need of a man to show a widow about carnal passion, he is intrigued.

After a night of passion, both players are drawn towards each other; both wanting to know who was with whom.  As a stipulation of Louisa's, neither know the identity of the other.  Until Geoffrey spots Louisa from across a crowded ballroom.  His body knows hers, his lone colorful memory is that of her beautiful hair.  Can he convince her that he is the man for her and that he is just the man she needs?

I absolutely adored this novel.  This is historical erotica at its finest.  Yes, the sex scene where Geoffrey unleashes Louisa's passions goes on for page after page, you never once feel that it is being drawn out.  You watch as Louisa's inner woman comes out after being a perfect housewife to her husband.  You watch as Geoffrey becomes enamored with Louisa and desperately wants to find out her true identity.  Underneath it all, this story is about each person's search for themselves.  Louisa struggles with this newfound sexual awakening; Geoffrey struggles with his desire for control and his "by day" gentlemanly appearance.  I loved taking this story with them and watching as both of them came to terms with both sides of their lives - together.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.