Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: To Woo a Wicked Widow
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/
CITY:
STATE: VA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Directs community theater.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jenna Jaxon is a writer of historical romance fiction. She has published several series: the medieval series “Time Enough to Love,” the Georgian series “House of Pleasure,” and the Regency series “Widows Club” and “Handful of Hearts.” Jaxon places her work in the category of “erotic,” rather than “sensual” romance and, in an interview with Jess Michaels, describes the difference: “If you want to pin down the major difference for me between writing erotic romance and sensual romance is the use of language during the sexual encounters.” The historical contexts may require less graphic terminology but never less graphic encounters.
Only Scandal Will Do and Only a Mistress Will Do
The first in the “House of Pleasure” series is Only Scandal Will Do. Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam is kidnapped and sent to a London brothel, where she is sold to the highest bidder: a mysterious masked man. The stranger turns out to be Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, who cannot resist the women on offer at the house of ill repute. When he discovers that his lady really is a lady, he finds himself in love and contemplating marriage. A critic at Romancing the Book enjoyed the “flirtatious innuendo” and found the character of Duncan “fabulous.”
In her third entry, Only a Mistress Will Do, Jaxon tells the tale of Violet Carlton, who has been left on her own and struggling after the death of her grandmother. She decides to turn to prostitution and goes to work in a brothel. Her first client, a lord, is young and handsome. He is also kind and caring. When he learns the truth, Tristan, Viscount Trevor, takes her away from the brothel and makes plans to find her respectable work. Instead, he falls in love and faces walking away from his engagement to another woman. A contributor to All about Romance thought the novel “suffers from the cardinal sin of too much telling and not enough showing” and that the author used “far too many hackneyed plot devices.”
Only Seduction Will Do
The fourth in this series, Only Seduction Will Do, finds Alethea Forsythe in an illicit relationship with a married peer. She has also become pregnant with his child. She turns her attention to Jack Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Manning in the hope of saving her reputation through marriage to him. She has been enamored of him for a long time. Will they be able to form a true bond in their marriage?
Writing at Buried under Romance, a reviewer found herself “engrossed in the story” and enjoying both the “light-hearted moments” and those that were “steamy, sultry, beautiful.” Caitlyn Lynch, critiquing the book at her eponymous website, called the story “intriguing” and gave five stars to the “this well-written novel.”
To Woo a Wicked Widow
The first novel in “The Widows Club” series is To Woo a Wicked Widow. Long ago, her father prevented Lady Charlotte Cavendish from eloping with the man she loved. Instead, she was forced into marriage with an older man of her father’s choosing and was soon widowed. She and fellow widows have formed the Widows Club, and she is beginning to enjoy social life again. Lady Charlotte has invited Nash, the Earl of Wrotham, to a house party organized by the widows and attended by the men of their choosing, but she has no interest in marriage. The Earl of Wrotham is taken with her and very interested in marriage.
A Kirkus Reviews contributor pronounced the novel a “generally entertaining romance” though with “uneven” writing. In Publishers Weekly, a critic concluded that the “relationship development is nonexistent” and described the book as “clunky.” Writing in Booklist, Amy Alessio noted that the widows club premise was a “clever concept” and applauded the women’s friendship. She deemed To Woo a Wicked Widow a “memorable tale.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2018, Amy Alessio, review of To Woo a Wicked Widow, p. 27.
Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2018, review of To Woo a Wicked Widow.
Publishers Weekly, February 26, 2018, review of To Woo a Wicked Widow, p. 73.
ONLINE
All about Romance, https://allaboutromance.com (April 9, 2017), review of Only a Mistress Will Do; (March 12, 2018), review of To Woo a Wicked Widow.
Buried under Romance, http://www.buriedunderromance.com (June 7, 2018 ), review of Only Seduction Will Do.
Caitlyn Lynch, https://www.caitlynlynch.com (June 6, 2018), review of Only Seduction Will Do.
Jenna Jaxon blog, https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/ (June 30, 2018).
Jess Michaels, http://www.authorjessmichaels.com (November 24, 2014), author interview.
Romancing the Book, http://romancing-the-book.com (December 7, 2012), review of Only Scandal Will Do.
Series
House of Pleasure
1. Only Scandal Will Do (2012)
2. Only Marriage Will Do (2015)
3. Only a Mistress Will Do (2017)
4. Only Seduction Will Do (2018)
Time Enough to Love
1. Betrothal (2013)
2. Betrayal (2014)
3. Beleaguered (2014)
4. Time Enough to Love (2014)
Beloveds (2015)
Seduction at the Christmas Court (2016)
Handful of Hearts
1. A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe (2015)
2. Heart of Desire (2016)
3. Heart of Delight (2016)
4. Hearts at All Hallows' Eve (2017)
Handful of Hearts (omnibus) (2017)
Widow's Club
1. To Woo a Wicked Widow (2018)
2. Wedding the Widow (2018)
3. What a Widow Wants (2018)
Omnibus
Crashing into Love (2015) (with Daryl Devore, Brenda Dyer, Deb Julienne, Melissa Keir, Lisa Kumar and D'Ann Lindun)
Collections
All Wrapped Up (2011)
Novellas
7 Days Of Seduction (2016)
Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. She has just finished her fifth full length novel, To Woo A Wicked Widow, set in Regency England and the first book in her five part series, The Widow’s Club.
Only Scandal Will Do, the first book in her Georgian House of Pleasure series, is available in both e-book and print. Only Marriage Will Do, second book in the series, is due to release early in 2015. Her medieval trilogy, Time Enough to Love, is published by Rising Phoenix Publications. Betrothal,Book 1, Betrayal,Book 2, and Beleaguered,Book 3 are now all available.
Jenna has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.
She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.
Jenna Jaxon: Erotic Historical Romance Feature
Jess Michaels November 24, 2014 Erotic Historical Romance Monday, For Readers, Guest Author
Today’s featured erotic historical romance author is Jenna Jaxon. Her books are often listed as “also boughts” on mine and when I asked for erotic historical authors, several people mentioned her name. But she has something to say about that! Please welcome Jenna Jaxon!
Erotic Historical Writer…Who, Me?
I was very excited when Jess contacted me about appearing as a guest on her blog, but I felt compelled to ask her if she had the right person. Her blog was geared toward erotic historical romance and although I’ve written some contemporary erotic romances and my historical books have some hot sex in them, I’ve always thought of them as sensual rather than erotic. To my amazement Jess told me her readers had consistently listed me as erotic historical. Who knew?
So I began to think about the line between sensual and erotic romance. Is there a definite or a blurred line and when or how do you cross it?
I’ve always rated my historicals a 4 out of 5, based on the rating scale they give you when you publish. The reason behind this lies with one of my favorite authors, Lisa Kleypas. I adore her historical romances, but they were an eye opener in the sex department compared to the much tamer Kathleen Woodiwiss I’d read back in the day. Kleypas’ works really got me hot and bothered as I read, so I took her heat level as a guidepost and more or less tried to meet the mark. I’ve never heard her tagged as erotic historical, so I may have overshot the mark a bit. J
I suppose if you want to pin down the major difference for me between writing erotic romance and sensual romance is the use of language during the sexual encounters. In the erotic contemporaries I’ve written, there have been no holds barred. And this is a refreshing change from trying to come up with period euphemisms for a penis. Member, shaft, erection, manhood (I really try not to use that one) are replaced with dick, cock, dong and any other terms I can ferret out on the internet. I’ve even on occasion consulted my DH for more colorful terms for the male and female anatomy.
If truth be told, it may be that terminology is the only difference to delineate erotic from sensual in my works. My historical novels certainly have very detailed sex scenes although they are not nearly as frequent as in the contemporaries. My first historical, Only Scandal Will Do, only has two sex scenes in it and they don’t appear until three-quarters of the way through the novel. But the scenes themselves are every bit as graphic, if couched in somewhat less harsh words, as my contemporary works, such as Hog Wild or 7 Days of Seduction. The next historical in the House of Pleasure series, Only Marriage Will Do, has four sex scenes (but it seems like more to me thinking back), all very steamy and leaving little (or nothing) to the imagination.
Standing back and looking with a more objective eye, I can see where these works could very easily be considered erotic rather than sensual. Where there is no definite line to cross or rule to be broken, the designation must rest in the mind of the reader. One woman’s hot may be another’s luke-warm. If so, I am certainly pleased (or pleasured as the case may be), to join my fellow erotic historical authors in that pool. I hear the water’s HOT!
Jenna Jaxon is the author of The House of Pleasure House series, as well as the historical romance trilogy Time Enough to Love. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. Visit her at jennajaxon.wordpress.com.
Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. She is currently finishing revisions to her fifth full length novel, To Woo A Wicked Widow, set in Regency England and the first book in her five part series, The Widow’s Club.
Only Marriage Will Do, second book in her Georgian House of Pleasure series is with the editor. Her medieval trilogy, Time Enough to Love, is being published by Rising Phoenix Publications. Book 1, Betrothal is currently available. Book 2, Betrayal, will be available later this fall.
Jenna has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.
She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.
To Woo a Wicked Widow
Amy Alessio
Booklist. 114.14 (Mar. 15, 2018): p27.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
To Woo a Wicked Widow.
By Jenna Jaxon.
Apr. 2018. 352p. Lyrical, paper, $4.99 (9781516103256); e-book (9781516103249).
Lady Charlotte was stopped by her father when she tried to elope. The man who stopped her father from killing her fiancee finds her years later, after she married the older man her father insisted upon, only to become a widow. Nash, the Earl of Wrotham, wants the lovely young woman as soon as he sees her, but her father, once again, tries to meddle in her life and Nash's as well, to Charlotte's dismay. When she and her widow friends, the Widows' Club, organize a house party, they learn that Nash is a neighbor. At first, Charlotte enjoys flirting with other men, but when a rogue tries to force himself on her, she and Nash realize they want to fight for a future together. Charlotte matures and grows in appeal while she and Nash explore their potent attraction. The Widows' Club is a clever concept with which to launch a new series, and the women's friendship and support as they choose their own paths forward make for refreshing reading. Grace Burrowes fans will enjoy Jaxon's memorable tale.--Amy Alessio
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Alessio, Amy. "To Woo a Wicked Widow." Booklist, 15 Mar. 2018, p. 27. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A533094464/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=1df68786. Accessed 9 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A533094464
To Woo a Wicked Widow
Publishers Weekly. 265.9 (Feb. 26, 2018): p73.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
To Woo a Wicked Widow
Jenna Jaxon. Lyrical, $4.99 mass market (368p) ISBN 978-1-5161-0325-6
In Jaxson's clunky introduction to the Widows' Club series, set in Regency-era London, independent widow Lady Charlotte Cavendish sets out to lose the only thing she retained from her marriage: her virginity. Her father married her off to a much older, emotionally abusive man, and Charlotte refuses to entertain thoughts of remarrying. Nash, the Earl of Wrotham, needs a wife and an heir. He's taken with Charlotte the moment he sees her, but a misunderstanding leaves him believing she deserved her nickname of "the Wicked Widow." When her father blackmails Nash into courting Charlotte, Nash quickly falls for the headstrong woman, though it's not clear why or how, since they spend little time together prior to the declaration of love. Meanwhile, Charlotte keeps winding up in sexy situations with another man while claiming she has no interest in him; she does want Nash but refuses to accept his proposals. A dull house party is the backdrop for the antics of the wishy-washy, juvenile heroine. Relationship development is nonexistent, the blackmail is ignored, and, were it not for witty cousin Jane, the story would be void of any real entertainment. Agent: Kathryn Green, Kathryn Green Literary. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"To Woo a Wicked Widow." Publishers Weekly, 26 Feb. 2018, p. 73. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530637451/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=0204ffdc. Accessed 9 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530637451
Jaxon, Jenna: TO WOO A WICKED WIDOW
Kirkus Reviews. (Feb. 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Jaxon, Jenna TO WOO A WICKED WIDOW Lyrical Press (Adult Fiction) $4.99 3, 27 ISBN: 978-1-5161-0325-6
When an unhappily married woman gains a little freedom with widowhood, she decides to throw a house party, inviting the man who intrigues her but also, inadvertently, the man who wants to seduce her.
As a young woman, Lady Charlotte Cavendish made a bid for her happiness when she attempted to elope. Caught by her father and forced into a loveless marriage with an old lord, she's finally free now that her husband is dead and her mourning period is over. However, in her first foray into society, she dances with a known rake, who drags her into a shadowy hallway and kisses her, casting aspersions on her character. Mortified but also amused--she is, in fact, chaste, since her husband never demanded his marital rights--she decides to host a house party for her other widowed friends and the men they've expressed interest in. Her choice is Nash, the Earl of Wrotham, but she's interested in passion, not marriage. Accepting her invitation, he acknowledges their attraction, then comes to truly like her, only to be confounded by her claim that she never wants to wed again, since he wants a wife and her father would like him to marry her. They're at cross-purposes, and the situation becomes more complicated when the rake returns to the picture, a gang of thieves threatens her home, and a variety of men--including her father--try to hamper her choices. An enjoyable read, though there's a lot going on, the writing can be uneven, and Charlotte's fickleness, especially toward the rake, gets irritating.
A generally entertaining romance.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Jaxon, Jenna: TO WOO A WICKED WIDOW." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A527248277/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=409317c0. Accessed 9 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A527248277
To Woo a Wicked Widow
Jenna Jaxon
Buy This Book
Jenna Jaxson opens a new series with To Woo a Wicked Widow, a series focusing in on a group of merry widows who find love and lust in their second marriages.
Lady Charlotte Cavendish is young, lively, and finally free. Years ago she tried to elope with her first love, a man far below her station, only to be caught by her autocratic father and forced in a loveless (and sexless) marriage to the elderly Sir Archibald, who used her as a social pawn and otherwise controlled her behavior. Sir Archibald is recently deceased, and Charlotte throws herself into the social whirl that was choked off by her marriage, determined to experience all the bliss and joy life can throw at her.
In that heady swirl of her first party she meets Nash, twelfth Earl of Wrotham, a naval hero who has recently inherited his title following the deaths of his uncle and cousin. Nash has been looking high and low for a wife so he can get busy producing an heir; he is lucky enough to be instantly smitten by Charlotte’s pretty face but also initially mistrusts her motives. His notions seem to be confirmed when scandal erupts after Alan Garrett, a notorious seducer who wishes to make Charlotte his next conquest, repeatedly behaves in a forward manner around her in public and damages her fresh start.
Her father once more steps in, suggesting that Nash marry Charlotte to keep her reputation from further ruination, even going so far as threatening to ruin Nash’s career in Parliament in order to achieve his goal. Knowing that the bill he’s been desperately supporting might die in the House of Lords due to the man’s influence, aware of the fact that Charlotte’s father knows of his less-than-savory past earlier in his naval career, the idea of marrying the scandalous Charlotte gives him pause – but leaves him determined to do his duty by her.
Charlotte has no desire to marry again either – her first union has made her reluctant to rejoin the world of wedded bliss. But as the season passes by, Charlotte and Nash grow closer and promise to make a true match. But their miscommunication, Garrett’s constant pursuit and Nash’s percolating interest in another woman all threaten to undo their bond before they can truly unite.
Ah, those old comfortable tropes. To Woo A Wicked Widow is chock full of romancelandia clichés. We’ve got a jittery, clumsy, virginal widow, a soigné man who stumbles into nobility but who’s really deep down a Man of the Common People; a hero who mistrusts the heroine and believes her to make free with her affections when she’s actually innocent (see above); a past filled with woe that puts both hero and heroine at risk; the rival suitor who’s a jerk; a crappy ex-husband for the heroine to hate and an even worse relative to manipulate circumstances; the miraculous kiss that changes the hero’s mind, and so on and so on. And on.
In terms of the plot, this is sadly pretty stock stuff for an historical romance, and even though Ms. Jaxson seems to have done her homework, her prose doesn’t manage to punch through the clichés strongly enough to feel unique.
The characters are very stereotypical. For a woman who had the gumption to defy both her abusive father and society by trying to marry a commoner, Charlotte is a bit of a fainting goat of a heroine, conveniently swooning whenever the plot requires it, behaving with fiery determination in the next. The plot requires her to blow hot and cold in a stubborn way that’s unappealing. Her cousin Jane is rather more interesting for her liveliness but mainly joins the other women in the Widows Club as a kind of Greek Chorus.
Nash is a strange mix of stuffy and impassioned. His political career means everything to him until he kisses Charlotte, then he starts thinking with other parts of his anatomy and goes into alpha male putdown mode. He improves late in the story but it takes a long time to get there.
Collectively, they’re one of those couples who suck at communication but are excellent at being incredibly stubborn. If you’re a fan of that kind of romance, then you might like this a lot more than I did. Even a (highly ludicrous) late-book plot twist couldn’t save To Woo a Wicked Widow.
Book Details
Reviewer:
Lisa Fernandes
Review Date:
March 12, 2018
Publication Date:
03/2018
Grade:
C
Sensuality
Warm
Book Type:
Historical Romance
Review Tags:
The Widow's Club series
Book Review: Only Seduction Will Do by Jenna Jaxon
June 6, 2018
|
Caitlyn Lynch
This is a Regency with a really intriguing storyline. Though it’s (I think) third in the series, I was fine reading it as a standalone. There wasn’t really anything I felt confused about even though couples from previous books did make appearances, most notably Jack’s sister Katarina and her husband.
Alethea has been hopelessly and irrevocably compromised. A tryst in a vulnerable moment has left her pregnant with the child of a married man. Forced to confess to her cousin, she has to face some very unpalatable realities. Yet, she’s still lucky; she does know one honorable man, Jack, the Earl of Manning.
This may be a bit of a spoiler, but as someone who has suffered miscarriages, I know of what I speak. The miscarriage written about in this book, while handled sensitively, was still pretty confronting to read about and I actually had to stop and come back a couple of days later before I could finish it. I don’t consider I have any real ‘triggers’ but that hit a bit too close to home. Read with caution if you are sensitive to that sort of thing.
Jack as a virgin hero actually provided some moments of hilarity, though I did wonder at his being THAT ignorant of what lovemaking involved. It was still a lovely role-reversal.
Despite the slightly traumatic bit for me personally in the middle of the book, I still really enjoyed this well-written novel and would highly recommend it to lovers of the genre, with the caveat that anyone sensitive to discussions of miscarriage and other pregnancy issues might want to steer clear. Five stars.
Only a Mistress Will Do
Jenna Jaxon
Buy This Book
It can be tempting, when you read hundreds of books a year, to confine yourself to picking up titles by authors whose work you know you are going to enjoy. But when it comes to reviewing, I make a point of sampling books by some of the newer names in historical romance, and sometimes I’m lucky and I find a new author to add to my ‘’must read’ list. Sadly, however, it’s been my experience that the ‘finds’ are in the minority.
Jenna Jaxon’s Only a Mistress Will Do is most definitely NOT a find; in fact I now wish I’d lost it before I even started. Its overly contrived plot relies heavily on coincidence and consists of one cliché after another; no sooner have our hero and heroine emerged unscathed from one melodramatic development than they are thrust into another. The protagonists are barely two-dimensional, their behaviour is inconsistent and frequently contradictory, and the big reveal before the halfway point is no surprise whatsoever. And worst of all, this is a ‘romance’ in which readers are repeatedly told the hero and heroine love each other but are never shown the relationship progressing. By a quarter of the way through the novel, we’re meant to believe they’re desperately in love, but there is no chemistry and no romantic development; honestly, had I not been reading the book for review, I’d have abandoned it well before the halfway point.
Violet Carlton has been left destitute following the recent death of her grandmother and has reached the point where the only thing of value she has left to sell is herself. Remembering the name of a brothel once mentioned by her deceased brother (who was killed more than a year earlier in a duel) Violet makes her way there and asks the madam to employ her. A lovely, well-bred virgin will fetch a high price, so the woman is quite happy to accommodate Violet, and five days later, she is sent her first client, the man who has bought and paid for her virtue.
Violet, expecting an elderly roué, is surprised when a darkly handsome young man arrives, but even as she finds herself responding to his caresses, she can’t forget how low she has fallen and is unable to stop herself from crying. Fortunately for her, this ‘Lord John’ is sympathetic to her plight and, on being told the truth behind her need to earn her living on her back, immediately makes plans to remove Violet from the brothel. He takes her to the house that was, until recently, occupied by his mistress, promising Violet that he expects nothing in return, and explaining that he knew her brother slightly and is doing his gentlemanly duty by rescuing a damsel in distress. He also tells her that he is betrothed and has no designs on her; he believes in fidelity in marriage, having seen his parents’ relationship torn asunder by his father’s unfaithfulness, and has no intention of walking the same path.
Tristan, Viscount Trevor, installs Violet in the house and offers to try to find her respectable employment as a companion or governess. Over the next few weeks, they spend time together in the evenings, talking and getting to know each other, until – bam! – they’re in love and desperately trying to hide it from each other. Tristan’s enquiries as to a situation for Violet are unsuccessful so he decides that there is only one other option; he must find her a husband. He can’t marry her himself, but he can at least make sure she weds someone who will treat her well. Although of course, he is eaten up with jealousy at the thought of her in another man’s arms, and practically snarls when any other man comes within three feet of her.
But naturally, the passion they feel for one another will not be contained and the inevitable happens – they shag each other’s brains out and Tristan decides that he cannot go through with his marriage to the sweet Miss Harper, whom he had only agreed to marry in order to fulfil his father’s dying wish of gaining possession of the land that marches alongside Tristan’s Yorkshire estate. But hold – Violet cannot allow him to go back on his word and besmirch his gentlemanly honour! No, he must not sacrifice his good name for her and taint any children they might have with scandal – he must marry his innocent debutante and be happy! Hmmm. ‘I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself’ is one of my least favourite tropes in the genre; it’s patronising and implies that the person making the sacrifice is not capable of making their own decisions. But there is worse to come, although anyone in possession of more than half a braincell will have already worked out exactly why Tristan has been prepared to go to such lengths to help a complete stranger. After that big reveal, Violet naturally goes from ‘woe is we, doomed to love but can’t be together’ to ‘OMG I will hate you forever!’.
I normally try to avoid spoilers when writing a review, but sometimes they’re unavoidable if one wants to give an accurate picture of exactly what is wrong with a book. Anyone who has made it to this point and is STILL thinking of reading this novel, look away now.
After the reveal, Violet runs back to the brothel where Tristan found her – and when he finds her there again, she’s just received proposal of marriage from one of his friends. I started to wonder if it was a bordello or a dating agency, because nobody in this book gets any action there! Then I was hit by a massive sense of déjà-vu when the prospective groom turns up the next morning to tell Violet he can’t marry her after all because of… er… another… er… thing. Or something. I never found out what. So. Bloke number 1 (Tristan) rescues Violet from a brothel without shagging her, wants to marry her but can’t owing to another obligation. And bloke number 2 (Tristan’s friend) rescues Violet from a brothel without shagging her, wants to marry her but can’t because… I’ve heard of authors recycling plots, but have never come across it in the same book!
Not content with repeating herself, Ms. Jaxon rummages around in her big ol’ bag of clichés in order to put Violet in yet another tricky situation before finally engineering the ending of Tristan’s betrothal and an HEA for this insipid and unengaging couple. Only a Mistress Will Do suffers from the cardinal sin of too much telling and not enough showing, and the author has thrown in far too many hackneyed plot devices and failed to develop the romance to even the most basic degree. Tristan is a walking erection around Violet; fire erupts at the apex of her thighs whenever he touches her (I think she should probably get some ointment for that!) … but exploding loins do not a romance make. This is the third book in a series, and if you want to subject yourself to it, it can be read as a standalone. But I really don’t recommend it.
Book Details
Reviewer:
Caz Owens
Review Date:
April 9, 2017
Publication Date:
04/2017
Grade:
D+
Sensuality
Warm
Book Type:
Historical Romance
Review Tags:
Pleasure House series
Review: Only Scandal Will Do by Jenna Jaxon
Posted on December 7, 2012 by Romancing the Book Reviews
Only Scandal Will Do by Jenna Jaxon
Series: House of Pleasure (# 1)
Release Date: July 17, 2012
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Pages: 253
Source: Publisher
He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?
Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.
Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she’s a lady, but how can she be?
No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he’ll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who’ll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family’s name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He’s betting their future he’ll capture her heart, but does he have what it
takes to win the wager?
WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.
Review: Only Scandal Will Do packed quite the punch right from the start with Lady Katherine Fitzwilliam being kidnapped on her way to a ball and delivered to a brothel where she was gagged and sold to the highest bidder in an auction. The author did an excellent job of drawing the reader in and making you feel the wide range of emotions that Kat was experiencing.
Initially I understood why Kat was horrified with Duncan (he did just buy her at an auction) but towards the middle of the book her attitude became tiresome and the story started to wane. Her animosity towards Duncan went on too long. The last third of the book however, oh my! The action picked up and then some. Lots of excitement at the end and things started to really heat up.
Duncan’s character was fabulous. During the brothel scene right after the auction I really wasn’t sure how I would feel about him but I must say his character really impressed me a lot. He showed a lot of patience and kindness with Kat. More than she deserved for a while there. Kudos to him when he finally snapped and gave her the verbal lashing she deserved.
The interaction between Duncan and Kat in the barn when they were discussing Juliet riding Romeo the horse was cute and held a lot of flirtatious innuendo. I would have enjoyed seeing more of this throughout the middle of the story and watched the two gradually grow closer together rather than witnessing Kat’s bitterness.
This story held a lot of promise for many more in the series to come with all the wonderful secondary characters: Jack, Juliet and Reginald. It is actually very obvious the next book will be Juliet’s. I cannot wait to find out her escapade turns out.
Review: Only Seduction Will Do by Jenna Jaxon
June 7, 2018 By AnnMarie Leave a Comment
Only Seduction Will Do (House of Pleasure, #4) by Jenna Jaxon
Published by Lyrical Press on June 5, 2018
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Rating:
“Won’t you come to bed, my lord?”
In a vulnerable moment, Alethea Forsythe allows herself to be seduced by a married peer. Now she is with child—and without recourse. Her reputation will soon be in tatters and she will be forced to wed a stranger—unless she takes matters into her own hands.
When Jack Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Manning, is summoned from the House of Pleasure on a matter of importance, he hardly expects to receive a marriage proposal. He’s long been aware of Alethea’s infatuation with him, but at twenty-three, taking on an expectant bride is not in his plans. Yet the desperation in the lady’s lovely eyes overrides his misgivings.
Alethea would not have believed it possible for a man to be too chivalrous. But though her new husband is perfectly amicable in public, he insists they maintain separate quarters. Desperate to possess his heart and prove herself a wife in every way, she boldly reaches out to Jack. And as their unexpected connection between silken sheets is tested by jealousy and misfortune, Jack must decide where honor ends…and true passion begins.
~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~
Only Seduction Will Do is the fourth book in the House of Pleasure series by Jenna Jaxon. I haven’t read any of the previous books so can confirm that this book can be read as a standalone one.
Alethea Forsythe is single and pregnant. In a weak moment, when at her most vulnerable a so-called ‘gentleman’ took advantage of her. Her loss of virginity was a painful one physically, but also mentally when she discovered soon after that the man was married. Worse still, she also discovered she was pregnant. She desperately needs to marry and she has just the man in mind that she wants to approach. That man is Jack Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Manning. He is a most honourable person, and Alethea has been in love with him for the longest time. They are friends, but he has no idea how she truly feels about him.
Jack is 23 and hasn’t yet given much thought to marriage, he is also a virgin! When Alethea tells him of her predicament and explains how desperately she needs to be married he agrees with a degree of trepidation. She reminds him so much of his sister that he can never hope to be physically attracted to her. Even knowing that, and knowing that she could be carrying a son that would be brought up as his heir whilst not being his blood, he still agrees to marry her. That is how sweet and honourable the man is!
When they are married, thankfully Jack does start seeing Alethea as a beautiful woman he wants to bed. When his passions get the better of him and he grabs her for a passionate kiss and fondle in his carriage, he is too rough and ends up hurting her which shames him. He vows not to touch her again until he has the chance to find out how to treat a woman in bed and definitely not to hurt her. Of course, he won’t tell Alethea that he is a virgin and about his doubts, so she is sure he doesn’t want her because she has been with another man.
She aches for him and decides to do all in her power to seduce him into her bed. But it seems the harder she tries the more he pulls away! Will they be able to come to an accord, and if they do, what happens when the baby is born if it is a boy? Will that put the cat upon the pigeons and break their marriage? There is so much uncertainty and insecurity between our couple that it’s hard to see how they will manage to have their happy ever after! One that they definitely deserve.
It took me a chapter or two to fully find myself engrossed in the story, but from then on I just didn’t want to put the book down. There were some light-hearted moments, moments when I was angry, some very steamy, sultry, beautiful moments, and even a scenario that had me sobbing into a tissue. I really did run the whole gamut of emotions with this book, and don’t worry, YES our couple do have their happy ever after!
Having enjoyed this book so much I am definitely going to read the previous books and any future ones from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.