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Stapleton-Downes #2
A Precious Jewel
New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh weaves a sensuous spell of romance that brings together the unlikeliest pair of lovers in the unlikeliest place of all– an infamous London house of pleasure.
She was unlike any woman he’d ever met in the ton or the demimonde. But Sir Gerald Stapleton frequented Mrs. Blyth’s euphemistically dubbed “finishing school” for pure, uncomplicated pleasure–and nothing else. So why was this confirmed bachelor so thoroughly captivated by one woman in particular? Why did he find himself wondering how such a rare jewel of grace, beauty, and refinement as Priss had ended up a courtesan? And when she needed protection, why did Gerald, who’d sworn he’d never get entangled in affairs of the heart, hasten to set her up as his own pampered mistress to ensure her safety–and have her all to himself?
For Priscilla Wentworth, the path leading to Sir Gerald’s bed had been as filled with misfortune as it suddenly seemed charmed. But Priss couldn’t allow herself to believe she’d ever be more to a man like Sir Gerald than a well-cared-for object of pleasure. Now, despite Gerald’s deep distrust of marriage, neither scandal nor society’s censure can keep them apart–only the fear of trusting their hearts.
She was unlike any woman he’d ever met in the ton or the demimonde. But Sir Gerald Stapleton frequented Mrs. Blyth’s euphemistically dubbed “finishing school” for pure, uncomplicated pleasure–and nothing else. So why was this confirmed bachelor so thoroughly captivated by one woman in particular? Why did he find himself wondering how such a rare jewel of grace, beauty, and refinement as Priss had ended up a courtesan? And when she needed protection, why did Gerald, who’d sworn he’d never get entangled in affairs of the heart, hasten to set her up as his own pampered mistress to ensure her safety–and have her all to himself?
For Priscilla Wentworth, the path leading to Sir Gerald’s bed had been as filled with misfortune as it suddenly seemed charmed. But Priss couldn’t allow herself to believe she’d ever be more to a man like Sir Gerald than a well-cared-for object of pleasure. Now, despite Gerald’s deep distrust of marriage, neither scandal nor society’s censure can keep them apart–only the fear of trusting their hearts.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1993
233 people are currently reading
1409 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,346 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
August 28, 2010
I bought the reissue as an ebook, rather than try to find a used copy of the original, and it was well worth it, despite paying a MMPB price for a category length story.
A Precious Jewel is unlike any historical I've read. The heroine is a prostitute working in a brothel, the hero a beta of average intelligence and looks, and, get this, the sex is initially quite uneventful for her.
"What?" you say, "The heroine isn't a virtuous maiden pretending to be a prostitute? Neither is the hero a take-charge Adonis determined to rescue her?" I'm not sure a story like this could be published today. It's rather honest for a historical.
Sir Gerald Stapleton is our rather average hero, and he visits Miss Blyth's brothel for predictable, no-drama sex with as much passion as someone visiting a chiropractor. When he first visits fallen gentlewoman Priscilla Wentworth he tells her:
And lie still she does. There are no fireworks, no "treacherous bodies" reacting to the heat of the other's touch, just safe, passionless missionary. So pleased by her acquiescence, Gerald becomes her regular client for months before setting her up as his mistress.
As awful as this sounds, I was compelled by the honesty of it. In truth, they use each other in the beginning. Gerald gets his safe, passionless sex, and Priss gets her independence and the ability to be Priscilla the lady again. From this sturdy, amicable partnership grows a romance. That it builds so slowly makes the eventual HEA much more palatable.
Gerald has been ill-used by the women in his life. His mother left him when he was quite young and his step-mother was a less than savory character. He has understandable issues with relating to and trusting women. Unlike an embittered rake with woman troubles, however, Gerald is awkward and naive, rather than selfish and dismissive.
Priss, on the other hand, had wonderful relationships with her father and brother before they died. Her reluctance stems from her refusal to hope for something more. She has weathered her fall with grace and good spirits, but she's not sure she could do it again. Her facade of professional distance between them, that the sex is just a business transaction, is to keep her own sanity.
Despite both their efforts to the contrary, these two form a tight bond. They offset each other's weaknesses and strengths. Priss finds herself hoping for more and Gerald begins to trust her and place her pleasure and happiness before his own.
A Precious Jewel is a slow moving book. Those who prefer passion and desperate declarations of love would probably be bored with this book. It's a gradual joining of two souls who are too afraid to lay themselves open and become vulnerable, but eventually must do just that.
A Precious Jewel is unlike any historical I've read. The heroine is a prostitute working in a brothel, the hero a beta of average intelligence and looks, and, get this, the sex is initially quite uneventful for her.
"What?" you say, "The heroine isn't a virtuous maiden pretending to be a prostitute? Neither is the hero a take-charge Adonis determined to rescue her?" I'm not sure a story like this could be published today. It's rather honest for a historical.
Sir Gerald Stapleton is our rather average hero, and he visits Miss Blyth's brothel for predictable, no-drama sex with as much passion as someone visiting a chiropractor. When he first visits fallen gentlewoman Priscilla Wentworth he tells her:
I don't like any tricks...None of the little arts you girls know to make things proceed faster. I like to take it slowly at my own speed. All I want you to do is lie still.
And lie still she does. There are no fireworks, no "treacherous bodies" reacting to the heat of the other's touch, just safe, passionless missionary. So pleased by her acquiescence, Gerald becomes her regular client for months before setting her up as his mistress.
As awful as this sounds, I was compelled by the honesty of it. In truth, they use each other in the beginning. Gerald gets his safe, passionless sex, and Priss gets her independence and the ability to be Priscilla the lady again. From this sturdy, amicable partnership grows a romance. That it builds so slowly makes the eventual HEA much more palatable.
Gerald has been ill-used by the women in his life. His mother left him when he was quite young and his step-mother was a less than savory character. He has understandable issues with relating to and trusting women. Unlike an embittered rake with woman troubles, however, Gerald is awkward and naive, rather than selfish and dismissive.
Priss, on the other hand, had wonderful relationships with her father and brother before they died. Her reluctance stems from her refusal to hope for something more. She has weathered her fall with grace and good spirits, but she's not sure she could do it again. Her facade of professional distance between them, that the sex is just a business transaction, is to keep her own sanity.
Despite both their efforts to the contrary, these two form a tight bond. They offset each other's weaknesses and strengths. Priss finds herself hoping for more and Gerald begins to trust her and place her pleasure and happiness before his own.
A Precious Jewel is a slow moving book. Those who prefer passion and desperate declarations of love would probably be bored with this book. It's a gradual joining of two souls who are too afraid to lay themselves open and become vulnerable, but eventually must do just that.
Read
May 20, 2012I'm going to have to go against popular opinion on this one. I respect Ms. Balogh's work to no end, but this really, really didn't work for me.
In fact, I found it downright disturbing. Still reeling with the shock of it all, I've come to the Internets to find out if other people reacted similarly and instead I've learned that it's a much loved, much praised book.
Okay, so I'm a weirdo. This review is for you other weirdos out there.
First, I love the concept. I love that the heroine is a prostitute and the hero is an average gentleman. I wanted to love the book for that alone. But that originality does not make up for the flaws. My problems are easily stated. The heroine is a robotic doormat martyr. The hero is dimwitted and selfish with creepy mommy issues which make him prefer sex with an utterly passive partner.
(It could get a little spoilery from here on out, but I don't talk about the later parts of the book.)
It's like a regency Stepford Wives with her suppressing all her emotions and individuality and saying over and over, "How can I please you?" and him taking his ease in her whilst marveling how comfortable and uncomplicated she is.
A long time ago I saw these male masturbation devices sold in vending machines in Japan which look like big "cup o' noodle" cups, but which are filled with some kind of gel that you can warm in the microwave. You then take your pleasure in the comfortable and undemanding cup. The hero treated her like a noodle cup.
But you know, different strokes for different folks. If that's how they like being together in bed, that would be okay. But do they have any sort of relationship outside of bed? None that I can see. All they talk about is the weather. I swear to god. It could be a drinking game. My recreation of a typical encounter:
"Lovely weather."
"Warm for May"
"Would you like to go upstairs?"
"Yes, Priss."
(They go upstairs. She disrobes and lays flat on her back) "How may I please you?"
(2 minutes pass where she imitates a blow up doll)
"Thank you Priss. It hope the weather holds tomorrow."
"Thank you, sir. I hope so too, but May is so changeable."
"Well, good-bye Priss."
Ah! The romance!!!!
She falls in love with him on his first visit to her brothel. I have no idea why.
She works in a Disneyland brothel (run by her old governess!!!! This is never explained) where the women only have to serve 3 clients a day. She is supposed to be securely protected by the strict rules of this classy brothel, but the first time a man steps outside the rules she, being a martyr doormat, does nothing to defend herself, even though it's very clear from the text that the madam would support her. She doesn't want to make trouble. So she gets beat up and raped (off screen) and doesn't do anything afterward but prepare for her next client (the hero). She doesn't tell the madam.
Her bruising of course gives the hero the motivation he needs to take her into private keeping. Which is fine. But she could have defended herself, or at least reported the bad client afterward, or cancelled her next appointment, or reacted to the rape and beating in *any way at all* and still have been taken into keeping.
This scene happens very early in the book and that is where I snapped. I couldn't respect the story any more, but I had to wade through to the finish hoping against hope that there would be some character development in either the H or h. No such luck.
The hero is a tool. It's okay that he's not smart or handsome, but a hero has to have some redeeming qualities. One at least. In his case, I would have recommended that a big heart should be his virtue, but he was remarkably selfish, blind and clueless. He never *saw* her as a person. For instance, he never figured out she was a fallen gentlewoman. He accepted that her various talents and perfect elocution came from her 4 months tenure at the classy brothel. He never even asked her last name.
A very kind-hearted reader can find the evidence in the text to show that he was emotionally shut down and blind to things he subconsciously did not wish to understand. Fine. But he was still a tool.
If you're looking for a good prostitute romance, try Courtney Milan's Unclaimed. Highly recommended. Bonus: it has a virgin hero!
In fact, I found it downright disturbing. Still reeling with the shock of it all, I've come to the Internets to find out if other people reacted similarly and instead I've learned that it's a much loved, much praised book.
Okay, so I'm a weirdo. This review is for you other weirdos out there.
First, I love the concept. I love that the heroine is a prostitute and the hero is an average gentleman. I wanted to love the book for that alone. But that originality does not make up for the flaws. My problems are easily stated. The heroine is a robotic doormat martyr. The hero is dimwitted and selfish with creepy mommy issues which make him prefer sex with an utterly passive partner.
(It could get a little spoilery from here on out, but I don't talk about the later parts of the book.)
It's like a regency Stepford Wives with her suppressing all her emotions and individuality and saying over and over, "How can I please you?" and him taking his ease in her whilst marveling how comfortable and uncomplicated she is.
A long time ago I saw these male masturbation devices sold in vending machines in Japan which look like big "cup o' noodle" cups, but which are filled with some kind of gel that you can warm in the microwave. You then take your pleasure in the comfortable and undemanding cup. The hero treated her like a noodle cup.
But you know, different strokes for different folks. If that's how they like being together in bed, that would be okay. But do they have any sort of relationship outside of bed? None that I can see. All they talk about is the weather. I swear to god. It could be a drinking game. My recreation of a typical encounter:
"Lovely weather."
"Warm for May"
"Would you like to go upstairs?"
"Yes, Priss."
(They go upstairs. She disrobes and lays flat on her back) "How may I please you?"
(2 minutes pass where she imitates a blow up doll)
"Thank you Priss. It hope the weather holds tomorrow."
"Thank you, sir. I hope so too, but May is so changeable."
"Well, good-bye Priss."
Ah! The romance!!!!
She falls in love with him on his first visit to her brothel. I have no idea why.
She works in a Disneyland brothel (run by her old governess!!!! This is never explained) where the women only have to serve 3 clients a day. She is supposed to be securely protected by the strict rules of this classy brothel, but the first time a man steps outside the rules she, being a martyr doormat, does nothing to defend herself, even though it's very clear from the text that the madam would support her. She doesn't want to make trouble. So she gets beat up and raped (off screen) and doesn't do anything afterward but prepare for her next client (the hero). She doesn't tell the madam.
Her bruising of course gives the hero the motivation he needs to take her into private keeping. Which is fine. But she could have defended herself, or at least reported the bad client afterward, or cancelled her next appointment, or reacted to the rape and beating in *any way at all* and still have been taken into keeping.
This scene happens very early in the book and that is where I snapped. I couldn't respect the story any more, but I had to wade through to the finish hoping against hope that there would be some character development in either the H or h. No such luck.
The hero is a tool. It's okay that he's not smart or handsome, but a hero has to have some redeeming qualities. One at least. In his case, I would have recommended that a big heart should be his virtue, but he was remarkably selfish, blind and clueless. He never *saw* her as a person. For instance, he never figured out she was a fallen gentlewoman. He accepted that her various talents and perfect elocution came from her 4 months tenure at the classy brothel. He never even asked her last name.
A very kind-hearted reader can find the evidence in the text to show that he was emotionally shut down and blind to things he subconsciously did not wish to understand. Fine. But he was still a tool.
If you're looking for a good prostitute romance, try Courtney Milan's Unclaimed. Highly recommended. Bonus: it has a virgin hero!
August 16, 2017
Not to be totally flippant, but the following images ran through what’s left of my Harlequin, RomanceLand riddled brain for various reasons
Gerald, the hero emotionally vacant hero in search of Freud
He’s Forrest Gump down to the wire. Never let a stupid thought go unsaid.
Prissy, the heroine
The heroine has buckets more brains than the hero which isn't saying a whole lot, but don’t call a heroine Prissy. Ever. PRISSY! As many times as I have seen GWTW, every time Forrest called her Prissy all I could hear was….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tme_...
Review:
Emotionally slow hero hires Miss Priss to be his catatonic lover. He really does care for her, but in that way that Mary Balogh has, she makes the relationship both realistic and creepy. In modern days, I am so afraid we would be talking plastic raincoats, red ropes and I can't go there. The H is both sweet and pathetic. MB really pushes the line of discomfort when she makes him slow enough that it takes him a couple of days to go through his estate books that Prissy can see are fine from a few glances. Poor guy. I don't want to pity my hero that way. Pity if the heroine has shivved him, but not because he's slow.
And Prissy, my heart was with her as she is forced into a life of prostitution or as the H says a whore. Except we find out that her madam/ex governess offered her some other jobs that she turned down because the h wanted to stay “honest”. Sympathy drop. Really?
Regardless, love blossoms s-l-o-w-l-y like a time lapse flowering in a National Geographic nature show. And in the Iceland spring, the Dryas octopetala opens in the two hours of sun of an Iceland summer....
HEA? I really don’t see how as she was a whore. Even in 2017, that would be a big step to go from prostitution to respectability.
This would have been a three star, but on one of his visits to find out what happened to the heroine he has sex with one of the other prostitutes because he's too embarrassed to ask the madam where Prissy is. When I'm embarrassed or hesitant, I blush, or procrastinate. I don't have sex with someone else!
Gerald, the hero emotionally vacant hero in search of Freud
He’s Forrest Gump down to the wire. Never let a stupid thought go unsaid.
Prissy, the heroine
The heroine has buckets more brains than the hero which isn't saying a whole lot, but don’t call a heroine Prissy. Ever. PRISSY! As many times as I have seen GWTW, every time Forrest called her Prissy all I could hear was….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tme_...
Review:
Emotionally slow hero hires Miss Priss to be his catatonic lover. He really does care for her, but in that way that Mary Balogh has, she makes the relationship both realistic and creepy. In modern days, I am so afraid we would be talking plastic raincoats, red ropes and I can't go there. The H is both sweet and pathetic. MB really pushes the line of discomfort when she makes him slow enough that it takes him a couple of days to go through his estate books that Prissy can see are fine from a few glances. Poor guy. I don't want to pity my hero that way. Pity if the heroine has shivved him, but not because he's slow.
And Prissy, my heart was with her as she is forced into a life of prostitution or as the H says a whore. Except we find out that her madam/ex governess offered her some other jobs that she turned down because the h wanted to stay “honest”. Sympathy drop. Really?
Regardless, love blossoms s-l-o-w-l-y like a time lapse flowering in a National Geographic nature show. And in the Iceland spring, the Dryas octopetala opens in the two hours of sun of an Iceland summer....
HEA? I really don’t see how as she was a whore. Even in 2017, that would be a big step to go from prostitution to respectability.
This would have been a three star, but on one of his visits to find out what happened to the heroine he has sex with one of the other prostitutes because he's too embarrassed to ask the madam where Prissy is. When I'm embarrassed or hesitant, I blush, or procrastinate. I don't have sex with someone else!
June 20, 2022
This was a 5 star read for me 15 yrs ago - dumb teenager me - and 5 stars now - me with life experiences.
One of her best books.
Safety
No virgins
She worked as a whore, that’s how she met him.
He’s a stuffy, straight laced Titled gentleman, and an emotional coward with mommy issues.
He became her regular for 2 months, and he only slept with her.
However, since she worked in a whorehouse, she had sex with om during this phase . Emotionally this is a slow burn.
The MCs had some of the weirdest sex ever. Lol He wouldn’t let her move, even her inner muscles lol.
Then she becomes his mistress and things start looking like a normal regency romance.😁
-They’re together for a year, and break up. She told him she’s marrying another guy from home. After the break, he visits a whore (it’s vague but I assume he had sex with her) and regrets it. He felt like he cheated on the h, he wanted to cry and felt sick to his stomachs, even though he thinks she married another man.
“He had the strange feeling as he dressed and left the girl's room that he had just committed adultery. He felt rather sick to his stomach. He felt rather like crying and hoped, with a feeling of some alarm, that he would be able to control the urge, at least until he was back in the privacy of his own rooms.”
The book makes you feel so much, and I did shed a tear when they broke up.
Ends in HEA of course.
One of her best books.
Safety
No virgins
She worked as a whore, that’s how she met him.
He’s a stuffy, straight laced Titled gentleman, and an emotional coward with mommy issues.
He became her regular for 2 months, and he only slept with her.
However, since she worked in a whorehouse, she had sex with om during this phase . Emotionally this is a slow burn.
The MCs had some of the weirdest sex ever. Lol He wouldn’t let her move, even her inner muscles lol.
Then she becomes his mistress and things start looking like a normal regency romance.😁
-They’re together for a year, and break up. She told him she’s marrying another guy from home. After the break, he visits a whore (it’s vague but I assume he had sex with her) and regrets it. He felt like he cheated on the h, he wanted to cry and felt sick to his stomachs, even though he thinks she married another man.
“He had the strange feeling as he dressed and left the girl's room that he had just committed adultery. He felt rather sick to his stomach. He felt rather like crying and hoped, with a feeling of some alarm, that he would be able to control the urge, at least until he was back in the privacy of his own rooms.”
The book makes you feel so much, and I did shed a tear when they broke up.
Ends in HEA of course.
January 4, 2022
A Signet Regency with a for-its-time controversial topic and a much-reviled H.
While I was prepared for the coldfish, unimaginative beta H, it’s the annoyingly Pollyanna-ish courtesan/mistress h who stuns me.
But there’re so many layers to both of them and the authors slowly unveils a poignant and heartwarming love story all the more riveting for being told in a simple and matter-of-fact manner.
**Another one of my rambling reviews with Serious Spoilers**
While I was prepared for the coldfish, unimaginative beta H, it’s the annoyingly Pollyanna-ish courtesan/mistress h who stuns me.
But there’re so many layers to both of them and the authors slowly unveils a poignant and heartwarming love story all the more riveting for being told in a simple and matter-of-fact manner.
**Another one of my rambling reviews with Serious Spoilers**
June 18, 2024
Priscilla is a nice name. Prissy is not, and I involuntarily grimaced every time it was mentioned in this book.
Prissy (grimace) is a prostitute in the most sanitary and safe brothel in London, where rules are strictly enforced by the madame, who happened to be Prissy’s (grimace) former governess before her life fell apart. I felt really bad for her until it was revealed at the 75% mark that her former governess had offered to make her a secretary and companion, but Prissy (grimace) insisted on earning her living honestly…on her back. Ummm. I don’t even know what to say about that.
Sir Gerald is assigned to her one night when his regular girl is sick, and yada yada yada, Prissy (grimace) leaves the brothel to be his mistress. Sir Gerald is a good employer, Sir Gerald is completely self-absorbed with his own needs and his complete distrust of women, and Sir Gerald—how can I put this kindly?—is a genuine slow-top. The entire rest of the story is pretty competently and interestingly woven around those themes, although the lack of honest communication between these two drags the story out longer than it should.
And that whole thing about the village embracing a pregnant fallen woman? Snort.
Review edit because this plot point error should have occurred to me while I was writing my original review, so perhaps I’m a bit of a slow-top too: Sir Gerald, traveling to Prissy’s (grimace) hometown, realizes he doesn’t even know her last name—see “self-absorbed” above. But he reveals at the end that he was carrying a special license in his pocket at the time in hopes that she would marry him. (A) Pretty sure clerics didn’t issue special licenses with “fill in later” spaces for names and (B) wouldn’t he have realized at THAT moment he didn’t know her last name? C’mon, Mary Balogh, keep track of your plot.
Questionable characters in a decent story that occasionally challenges credulity.
Prissy (grimace) is a prostitute in the most sanitary and safe brothel in London, where rules are strictly enforced by the madame, who happened to be Prissy’s (grimace) former governess before her life fell apart. I felt really bad for her until it was revealed at the 75% mark that her former governess had offered to make her a secretary and companion, but Prissy (grimace) insisted on earning her living honestly…on her back. Ummm. I don’t even know what to say about that.
Sir Gerald is assigned to her one night when his regular girl is sick, and yada yada yada, Prissy (grimace) leaves the brothel to be his mistress. Sir Gerald is a good employer, Sir Gerald is completely self-absorbed with his own needs and his complete distrust of women, and Sir Gerald—how can I put this kindly?—is a genuine slow-top. The entire rest of the story is pretty competently and interestingly woven around those themes, although the lack of honest communication between these two drags the story out longer than it should.
And that whole thing about the village embracing a pregnant fallen woman? Snort.
Review edit because this plot point error should have occurred to me while I was writing my original review, so perhaps I’m a bit of a slow-top too: Sir Gerald, traveling to Prissy’s (grimace) hometown, realizes he doesn’t even know her last name—see “self-absorbed” above. But he reveals at the end that he was carrying a special license in his pocket at the time in hopes that she would marry him. (A) Pretty sure clerics didn’t issue special licenses with “fill in later” spaces for names and (B) wouldn’t he have realized at THAT moment he didn’t know her last name? C’mon, Mary Balogh, keep track of your plot.
Questionable characters in a decent story that occasionally challenges credulity.
hr-purgatory
January 13, 2016Welcome to my
HR Purgatory shelf
!
In Roman Catholicism, the purgatory is where the souls of the dead wander in an indefinite state. They stay in such a state unless they "become fit for heaven" at some point. Similarly, this shelf is where books that I am warned about stay—untouched and unread—unless a very compelling reason forces me to read them.
***
Reason(s) for putting A Precious Jewel in this shelf:
Heroine is a prostitute. Sex play is basically the H treating h like a blow-up doll. H is also a hypocrite of monumental proportions.
***
Thank you, Evie Byrne and Feminista, for your review!
Evie Byrne's Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Feminista's Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In Roman Catholicism, the purgatory is where the souls of the dead wander in an indefinite state. They stay in such a state unless they "become fit for heaven" at some point. Similarly, this shelf is where books that I am warned about stay—untouched and unread—unless a very compelling reason forces me to read them.
***
Reason(s) for putting A Precious Jewel in this shelf:
Heroine is a prostitute. Sex play is basically the H treating h like a blow-up doll. H is also a hypocrite of monumental proportions.
***
Thank you, Evie Byrne and Feminista, for your review!
Evie Byrne's Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Feminista's Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 24, 2024
4 Estrellitas. Me ha gustado bastante para ser de los viejillos, pero es que aquí sí he empezado a ver esos detalles de por qué Mary Balogh me gusta tanto.
"A precious jewel" es el segundo libro de la serie Stapleton-Downes, y en él tendremos a los "amigos" de los protagonistas del primer libro. Sir Gerald Stapleton es el mejor amigo de Miles, su amigo de correrías, el libertino, aquél que vimos suspirar por su amante, que le había dejado.
Y ella es Prissy, o lady Priscilla Wentworth. Prissy es una dama caída en desgracia. La muerte de su padre y su hermano, repentinamente y sin testamento, la ha dejado sola en manos de su primo lejano, Sir Oswald, que no dudó en mantenerla como criada y cosas menos nobles a cambio de mantenerla.
Priscilla huyó de ésa vida miserable, pidiéndole ayuda a su antigua institutriz, Kit Blythe. Prissy creía que su institutriz llevaba una escuela de señoritas y le rogó un puesto en él para mantenerse. Su sorpresa fue que en vez de encontrar una escuela, encontró que su institutriz formaba a mujeres normales, vulgares y hermosas como prostitutas, pero prostitutas de lujo. Por muy horrible que fuese esta existencia, el burdel de Kit Blythe era el mejor de Londres, y seguía unas reglas muy estrictas.
De manera que Prissy, acepta un puesto en casa de su antigua institutriz, para poder mantenerse y un techo sobre el que sobrevivir. Uno de sus primeros clientes será Sir Gerald Stapleton, un baronet, agradable y amable, no especialmente guapo y un poco simple de entendederas, pero que siempre es bueno con ella.
Sir Gerald no cree en enamorarse, su infancia fue desgraciada, pero sí cree en el placer pasajero, y Prissy es buena con él. Con el tiempo, le ha cogido ternura a Prissy y no cree que estar en el prostíbulo de Kit sea lo mejor para ella, de modo que le ofrece ser su amante.
Prissy y Sir Gerald pasarán un año maravilloso en que Prissy se enamorará de él, a pesar de que sabe que lo suyo no puede tener un buen final, pues en algún momento Gerald tendrá que casarse y se cansará de ella.
El detonante en su historia será un cambio irreparable que hará que Prissy ponga final a su historia para no seguir sufriendo más. Y es ése momento el que conocimos en la primera novela, cuando Gerald corre a recuperar a su amante.
En algunos tramos ha sido algo pausado y lamento no haber podido disponer de más tiempo para leerlo, pese a que es cortito. Los personajes son buenos y para nada perfectos, pero Prissy es honesta consigo misma desde el principio y siempre actúa de manera correcta, por otro lado me gusta que Gerald tampoco haya sido un hombre perfecto, al revés, es bueno y amable, pero algo cortito en algunos momentos.
El tema que trata no es desconocido en la autora, de hecho ha escrito sobre la prostitución en varias de sus novelas, y en la época en que escribió esto era más arriesgado. No he podido dejar de compararla por momentos con "La perla secreta", uno de sus mejores libros, y aunque "A precious jewel" está muy bien escrito, le ha faltado un pelín más de chispa.
Me ha gustado más de lo que creía y sobre todo la evolución de Mary Balogh como autora desde que escribía con Signet, hasta sus novelas posteriores. Sin duda seguiré con la serie.
"A precious jewel" es el segundo libro de la serie Stapleton-Downes, y en él tendremos a los "amigos" de los protagonistas del primer libro. Sir Gerald Stapleton es el mejor amigo de Miles, su amigo de correrías, el libertino, aquél que vimos suspirar por su amante, que le había dejado.
Y ella es Prissy, o lady Priscilla Wentworth. Prissy es una dama caída en desgracia. La muerte de su padre y su hermano, repentinamente y sin testamento, la ha dejado sola en manos de su primo lejano, Sir Oswald, que no dudó en mantenerla como criada y cosas menos nobles a cambio de mantenerla.
Priscilla huyó de ésa vida miserable, pidiéndole ayuda a su antigua institutriz, Kit Blythe. Prissy creía que su institutriz llevaba una escuela de señoritas y le rogó un puesto en él para mantenerse. Su sorpresa fue que en vez de encontrar una escuela, encontró que su institutriz formaba a mujeres normales, vulgares y hermosas como prostitutas, pero prostitutas de lujo. Por muy horrible que fuese esta existencia, el burdel de Kit Blythe era el mejor de Londres, y seguía unas reglas muy estrictas.
De manera que Prissy, acepta un puesto en casa de su antigua institutriz, para poder mantenerse y un techo sobre el que sobrevivir. Uno de sus primeros clientes será Sir Gerald Stapleton, un baronet, agradable y amable, no especialmente guapo y un poco simple de entendederas, pero que siempre es bueno con ella.
Sir Gerald no cree en enamorarse, su infancia fue desgraciada, pero sí cree en el placer pasajero, y Prissy es buena con él. Con el tiempo, le ha cogido ternura a Prissy y no cree que estar en el prostíbulo de Kit sea lo mejor para ella, de modo que le ofrece ser su amante.
Prissy y Sir Gerald pasarán un año maravilloso en que Prissy se enamorará de él, a pesar de que sabe que lo suyo no puede tener un buen final, pues en algún momento Gerald tendrá que casarse y se cansará de ella.
El detonante en su historia será un cambio irreparable que hará que Prissy ponga final a su historia para no seguir sufriendo más. Y es ése momento el que conocimos en la primera novela, cuando Gerald corre a recuperar a su amante.
En algunos tramos ha sido algo pausado y lamento no haber podido disponer de más tiempo para leerlo, pese a que es cortito. Los personajes son buenos y para nada perfectos, pero Prissy es honesta consigo misma desde el principio y siempre actúa de manera correcta, por otro lado me gusta que Gerald tampoco haya sido un hombre perfecto, al revés, es bueno y amable, pero algo cortito en algunos momentos.
El tema que trata no es desconocido en la autora, de hecho ha escrito sobre la prostitución en varias de sus novelas, y en la época en que escribió esto era más arriesgado. No he podido dejar de compararla por momentos con "La perla secreta", uno de sus mejores libros, y aunque "A precious jewel" está muy bien escrito, le ha faltado un pelín más de chispa.
Me ha gustado más de lo que creía y sobre todo la evolución de Mary Balogh como autora desde que escribía con Signet, hasta sus novelas posteriores. Sin duda seguiré con la serie.
June 26, 2022
Another great Balogh. It’s so different from anything I have read before. There was angst and sweetness and innocence between our MCs that kept pulling at my heart.
Even though Gerald and Priss become intimate early on they both guard their feelings behind high and thick walls. Love is just not something neither of them can even dream on. At the same time though we can feel their love building up under the surface like a huge volcano.
It is that slow building of lava under ground, all those things left unsaid, and avenues unexplored that create such a sweet heat in this book.
From the outside though they are both quiet, solid, not very passionate people. It’s really cool that Mary Balogh wrote about such a middle of the road characters and made it very interesting as well as hot.
Also really important to note. The hero seems so realistic for the time. Even though he has been paying for sex pretty regularly, sex for him is a mechanical act as if another person didn’t even exists.
Why I am giving one start down is that heroine is way too submissive. However I would not want to change the book in anyway. She makes sense and her character is very important to be exactly as she is, just as Gerald’s character is not perfect.
They are like two children who are learning the tropes of intimacy and love both coming from very subversive upbringing.
Even though Gerald and Priss become intimate early on they both guard their feelings behind high and thick walls. Love is just not something neither of them can even dream on. At the same time though we can feel their love building up under the surface like a huge volcano.
It is that slow building of lava under ground, all those things left unsaid, and avenues unexplored that create such a sweet heat in this book.
From the outside though they are both quiet, solid, not very passionate people. It’s really cool that Mary Balogh wrote about such a middle of the road characters and made it very interesting as well as hot.
Also really important to note. The hero seems so realistic for the time. Even though he has been paying for sex pretty regularly, sex for him is a mechanical act as if another person didn’t even exists.
Why I am giving one start down is that heroine is way too submissive. However I would not want to change the book in anyway. She makes sense and her character is very important to be exactly as she is, just as Gerald’s character is not perfect.
They are like two children who are learning the tropes of intimacy and love both coming from very subversive upbringing.
August 28, 2014
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Could have been so much better if the hero wasn't an ignorant hypocrite. Ignorant because he doesn't see what's right in front of him and makes up make-believe scenarios and hypocrite because only he can call her a whore and treat her like shit, but of course no one else can.
I had a lot of respect for this author for writing about a legitimate fallen woman story in historical times. But the hero was too much and so was the heroine for accepting the hero's actions and words like they were her due.
Could have been so much better if the hero wasn't an ignorant hypocrite. Ignorant because he doesn't see what's right in front of him and makes up make-believe scenarios and hypocrite because only he can call her a whore and treat her like shit, but of course no one else can.
I had a lot of respect for this author for writing about a legitimate fallen woman story in historical times. But the hero was too much and so was the heroine for accepting the hero's actions and words like they were her due.
December 8, 2021
Never thought I’d enjoy a romance between an emotionally immature baronet and his courtesan, which is why I picked this one up mostly out of curiosity. However, MB can humanise even the most unlikable of characters. Loved both the MCs’ development, even more so because it was fully believable, sans sugar-coating.
I don’t think this book is for everyone though, given the heroine’s occupation and the hero’s MANY issues throughout most of the book. Read this only if you can tolerate severely flawed heroes as well as heroines who aspire to sainthood.
I don’t think this book is for everyone though, given the heroine’s occupation and the hero’s MANY issues throughout most of the book. Read this only if you can tolerate severely flawed heroes as well as heroines who aspire to sainthood.
May 2, 2016
I think we can all agree that Mary Balogh writes romances with at least one flawed individual and a complex storyline. As a writer she manages to get into the heads of her characters and the reader. For good or for bad, she plays on our sympathies. A PRECIOUS JEWEL was a powerhouse of bittersweet emotions; it was a character-driven romance.
Using Mrs. Balogh's website, I started with THE IDEAL WIFE where I first 'met' the self-absorbed Sir Gerald Stapleton. On his own, I wouldn't have continued to read more about this unlikable man. But 'Priss' was mentioned numerous times and I wanted to get to know her character better. Gerald had no other women in his life and she was his paid mistress. During TIW, he was in denial of the importance Priss played in his life.
Mistresses, courtesans and prostitutes are not my favored type of heroine. I usually avoid them like the plague but for some reason I wanted to learn why Priss chose this lifestyle. And why, oh why, did she have a relationship with Gerald except for the money?
Though listed as part of a series on Goodreads, this story runs parallel with THE IDEAL WIFE. It starts before Miles and Abby's story and ends months after TIW has finished. That and a couple of other reasons are why you need to read A PRECIOUS JEWEL after TIW.
"You are a good girl, Priss." Gerald knows littlehe doesn't want to know or care about her. Not her full name or where she lived before joining Miss Blyth's establishment. Where was her family? Did she have a family?
"You are pleasing me well, Priss." His needs are simple, direct and uncomplicated. He expects her total obedience. After all, he is paying for her services.
And then.....
"I want you to be happy, Priss". Gerald had such a difficult time trusting women. He was very much a beta male; at times, even an omega male. There was lots of baggage attached to him; I felt like I was walking through sludge. He doesn't want Priss to be different from other women and he fights it on every level.
Agh! I was utterly drained by the time I finished this book. I started it early in the day and couldn't put it down late that night. That was how bad I wanted to finish the story.
I am giving it a generous three stars. I am still not sure whether I like Gerald but if anyone could make him a better person it would be Priss.
Using Mrs. Balogh's website, I started with THE IDEAL WIFE where I first 'met' the self-absorbed Sir Gerald Stapleton. On his own, I wouldn't have continued to read more about this unlikable man. But 'Priss' was mentioned numerous times and I wanted to get to know her character better. Gerald had no other women in his life and she was his paid mistress. During TIW, he was in denial of the importance Priss played in his life.
Mistresses, courtesans and prostitutes are not my favored type of heroine. I usually avoid them like the plague but for some reason I wanted to learn why Priss chose this lifestyle. And why, oh why, did she have a relationship with Gerald except for the money?
Though listed as part of a series on Goodreads, this story runs parallel with THE IDEAL WIFE. It starts before Miles and Abby's story and ends months after TIW has finished. That and a couple of other reasons are why you need to read A PRECIOUS JEWEL after TIW.
"You are a good girl, Priss." Gerald knows little
"You are pleasing me well, Priss." His needs are simple, direct and uncomplicated. He expects her total obedience. After all, he is paying for her services.
And then.....
"I want you to be happy, Priss". Gerald had such a difficult time trusting women. He was very much a beta male; at times, even an omega male. There was lots of baggage attached to him; I felt like I was walking through sludge. He doesn't want Priss to be different from other women and he fights it on every level.
Agh! I was utterly drained by the time I finished this book. I started it early in the day and couldn't put it down late that night. That was how bad I wanted to finish the story.
I am giving it a generous three stars. I am still not sure whether I like Gerald but if anyone could make him a better person it would be Priss.
November 20, 2022
Sad story of a destitute gentlewoman who decides to become a prostitute and a man who takes her as his mistress.
But everything is so cold and tasteless.
- there’s no reason for her to become a prostitute. She was living with a cousin and his family and asks her ex governess to help her to become a teacher. Good old governess is now a pimp. The heroine offers. What??? Are you serious??? We’re talking 1800 here not 2020, please. And she wasn’t in some sad situation that required huge sums of money. So her reason to throw away every single chance to be considered a respectable woman and to find a husband or to have a family was non existent.
- what about the hero. One of the worst MB heroes. Sometimes she writes about beta heroes who are unsure of themselves but this one, this one is borderline intellectually challenged, and not even sexy. He’s boring and slow and the epitome of useless nobleman.
- most appalling sex scenes ever. He wants his prostitute to stay still until he has finished. And so the heroine doesn’t even come until the half of the book. Jeezus those scenes. I want to bleach my brain to forget them. But eventually she tell him that sex wasn’t so bad with him, she could tolerate better than with any other client. Wohooo!!!
- the prostitution theme. Oh, she’s hurt because everyone talks about her as a ho and the hero thinks of her as a ho, and it’s not fair because men have their pleasure so they are guilty too, but baby, it’s 1800 and something here in England the most strict and conformist country in the world as regards morals so what’s weird here? She’s a ho and she chose to be, so it’s her fault too. No one could expect a modern attitude especially in that period of time.
- then there’s the gentlewoman theme. Ok, she might be a ho but she’s a gentlewoman with the proper upbringing and she paints, she writes poetry and she plays the piano, so she’s better than a low- born woman who maybe really hadn’t had any chance than to become a ho.
She actually had other choices.
- not one of MB best books for sure, no passion and a very tame love from both part. I didn’t enjoy it at all.
But everything is so cold and tasteless.
- there’s no reason for her to become a prostitute. She was living with a cousin and his family and asks her ex governess to help her to become a teacher. Good old governess is now a pimp. The heroine offers. What??? Are you serious??? We’re talking 1800 here not 2020, please. And she wasn’t in some sad situation that required huge sums of money. So her reason to throw away every single chance to be considered a respectable woman and to find a husband or to have a family was non existent.
- what about the hero. One of the worst MB heroes. Sometimes she writes about beta heroes who are unsure of themselves but this one, this one is borderline intellectually challenged, and not even sexy. He’s boring and slow and the epitome of useless nobleman.
- most appalling sex scenes ever. He wants his prostitute to stay still until he has finished. And so the heroine doesn’t even come until the half of the book. Jeezus those scenes. I want to bleach my brain to forget them. But eventually she tell him that sex wasn’t so bad with him, she could tolerate better than with any other client. Wohooo!!!
- the prostitution theme. Oh, she’s hurt because everyone talks about her as a ho and the hero thinks of her as a ho, and it’s not fair because men have their pleasure so they are guilty too, but baby, it’s 1800 and something here in England the most strict and conformist country in the world as regards morals so what’s weird here? She’s a ho and she chose to be, so it’s her fault too. No one could expect a modern attitude especially in that period of time.
- then there’s the gentlewoman theme. Ok, she might be a ho but she’s a gentlewoman with the proper upbringing and she paints, she writes poetry and she plays the piano, so she’s better than a low- born woman who maybe really hadn’t had any chance than to become a ho.
She actually had other choices.
- not one of MB best books for sure, no passion and a very tame love from both part. I didn’t enjoy it at all.
March 6, 2012
This book is one of those stories where its sooo different from the norm, that you can't be anything but impressed with the plot, the characters, and the writing style. The only reason I can't give this 5 stars is because the hero never felt like a hero to me, and I need that to be satisfied. Let's say that this is a 4.5 star book.
The hero, Gerald, is a typical gentleman. Average in all accounts, intelligence, looks, personality, etc. He has a little bit of a tragic past, so he's a bit self-centered. He visits the golden whorehouses of whorehouses (supposedly, it is run with strict rules for how, when, where the naughty stuff happen...WTF). Here, He meets Prissy, apparently his ideal lover who doesn't use any of her "tricks" and lies still while he "takes his pleasure". I'm still trying to understand how this makes Prissy like him... After 2 months, he decides to take a chance at a bit more permanence and makes Prissy his mistress. Prissy. I don't understand her, but apparently she's a lady hard on her times and turns to prostitution because her ex-governess is now the proprieter of a whorehouse. She's cheerful and childlike - and at times, I wondered whether she is fully matured, or whether Ms. Balogh employed a half-wit as her heroine. From the first time Prissy meets Gerald, she liked him and his frequent visits only allowed her to slowly fall in love with him, a cardinal sin in whore-world. And when she gets preggers (her 2nd cardinal sin), it's time to move out. Of course, the seperation isn't permenant and the couple reuinites and lives HEA.
I didn't like Gerald. I thought he was too selfish and self-centered to conduct a loving relationship with anyone. He was much like his father, who he had a troubled relationship with. He was absolutely NOT hero material and did very little to take care of Prissy. Prissy was also difficult for me to like. Her self-sacrificing nature held some appeal to me, because I enjoy things like that, but I don't understand WHY or HOW she fell in love with Gerald. Even Gerald was confused about her love for him since he wasn't at all hero material.
Miles, Gerald's friend, WAS clearly hero material, but his HEA popped out of nowhere. It's ok, though I really would have wanted a story for himself. He was a truly nice person, with the perks of being hot.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I was frustrated with the actual characters, but otherwise, the angst levels were perfect for me. I think a lot of people will enjoy reading this. But I will warn you, the heroine is an ACTUAL prostitute - so she has slept with other men on her job. At times, she gets harrassed for it, so it's real, not like the typical HR virginal courtesan route.
The hero, Gerald, is a typical gentleman. Average in all accounts, intelligence, looks, personality, etc. He has a little bit of a tragic past, so he's a bit self-centered. He visits the golden whorehouses of whorehouses (supposedly, it is run with strict rules for how, when, where the naughty stuff happen...WTF). Here, He meets Prissy, apparently his ideal lover who doesn't use any of her "tricks" and lies still while he "takes his pleasure". I'm still trying to understand how this makes Prissy like him... After 2 months, he decides to take a chance at a bit more permanence and makes Prissy his mistress. Prissy. I don't understand her, but apparently she's a lady hard on her times and turns to prostitution because her ex-governess is now the proprieter of a whorehouse. She's cheerful and childlike - and at times, I wondered whether she is fully matured, or whether Ms. Balogh employed a half-wit as her heroine. From the first time Prissy meets Gerald, she liked him and his frequent visits only allowed her to slowly fall in love with him, a cardinal sin in whore-world. And when she gets preggers (her 2nd cardinal sin), it's time to move out. Of course, the seperation isn't permenant and the couple reuinites and lives HEA.
I didn't like Gerald. I thought he was too selfish and self-centered to conduct a loving relationship with anyone. He was much like his father, who he had a troubled relationship with. He was absolutely NOT hero material and did very little to take care of Prissy. Prissy was also difficult for me to like. Her self-sacrificing nature held some appeal to me, because I enjoy things like that, but I don't understand WHY or HOW she fell in love with Gerald. Even Gerald was confused about her love for him since he wasn't at all hero material.
Miles, Gerald's friend, WAS clearly hero material, but his HEA popped out of nowhere. It's ok, though I really would have wanted a story for himself. He was a truly nice person, with the perks of being hot.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I was frustrated with the actual characters, but otherwise, the angst levels were perfect for me. I think a lot of people will enjoy reading this. But I will warn you, the heroine is an ACTUAL prostitute - so she has slept with other men on her job. At times, she gets harrassed for it, so it's real, not like the typical HR virginal courtesan route.
June 23, 2016
Where to begin? This was definitely not my favorite Balogh book, and I feel a little cheated for it.
The story is simple enough: insecure lord falls for his gently bred mistress. It's nothing out of the usual, and could have a great deal of potential. However...
Issue #1 - the hero is so terribly insecure, he can't acknowledge the possibility of caring for Priss, even though he clearly does. When he does find himself becoming more emotionally entangled he immediately withdrawals, says a few mean things to her, then disappears for a while. Naturally, Priss takes this as a rejection and a reminder of the fact she's just his paid employee, so then she withdrawals as well. It's a common theme that quickly becomes repetitive and annoying.
Issue #2 - Priss supposedly has "backbone" and strength of character. Yet all we see is a submissive little weakling. It makes sense that she behaves this way at the brothel, and also hides behind it every time he emotionally retreats, but she doesn't strike me as being a strong character at all.
Issue #3 - Every single character at one point or another refers to Priss as a whore (some do it repeatedly). Towards the end, the word "whore" is bandied around so much it became impossible for me to conceive the H/h could ever have a normal relationship. Society thinking that of her is a given, but her future husband and his bff saying it? That's a problem.
Issue #4 - there is a lot of creepy, dead-fish type sex. That's how the hero likes it. They finally kiss for the first time somewhere at the halfway point in the book. Not a whole lot of romance in this one, that's for sure.
The story is simple enough: insecure lord falls for his gently bred mistress. It's nothing out of the usual, and could have a great deal of potential. However...
Issue #1 - the hero is so terribly insecure, he can't acknowledge the possibility of caring for Priss, even though he clearly does. When he does find himself becoming more emotionally entangled he immediately withdrawals, says a few mean things to her, then disappears for a while. Naturally, Priss takes this as a rejection and a reminder of the fact she's just his paid employee, so then she withdrawals as well. It's a common theme that quickly becomes repetitive and annoying.
Issue #2 - Priss supposedly has "backbone" and strength of character. Yet all we see is a submissive little weakling. It makes sense that she behaves this way at the brothel, and also hides behind it every time he emotionally retreats, but she doesn't strike me as being a strong character at all.
Issue #3 - Every single character at one point or another refers to Priss as a whore (some do it repeatedly). Towards the end, the word "whore" is bandied around so much it became impossible for me to conceive the H/h could ever have a normal relationship. Society thinking that of her is a given, but her future husband and his bff saying it? That's a problem.
Issue #4 - there is a lot of creepy, dead-fish type sex. That's how the hero likes it. They finally kiss for the first time somewhere at the halfway point in the book. Not a whole lot of romance in this one, that's for sure.
May 17, 2022
Sir Gerald is a baronet that is... well he's there. He's not very smart, attractive, or charming, but he is self-aware enough to know all of these things. He's a regular at a bawdy house where he meets Prissy, his love interest.
Gerald immediately takes a shine to Prissy because she gives him what he wants. (No fancy tricks! Lie back and think of England!) When one of Prissy's other patrons abuses her, Gerald has a "Who did this to you?" moment that frankly read a bit more like "I would like to speak to a manager!"
To protect her and to keep her for himself, he hires her as his mistress, something he thought he would never do.
Prissy was highborn, and that's her big secret, but it isn't much of a secret because it is incredibly easy to hide things from Gerald. Poor man is oblivious!
I thought I was bored reading this until I recapped it to a friend and I couldn't stop smiling and laughing. It's not engrossing but it sticks with you. And Gerald! He really pulls through in the end, bless him.
There are some weird morality tales in here that didn't sit well with me (What are you going for, Balogh?), so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a great romance about a sex worker. What it is is an exploration of the type of man that almost never gets to be a romance hero.
Gerald immediately takes a shine to Prissy because she gives him what he wants. (No fancy tricks! Lie back and think of England!) When one of Prissy's other patrons abuses her, Gerald has a "Who did this to you?" moment that frankly read a bit more like "I would like to speak to a manager!"
To protect her and to keep her for himself, he hires her as his mistress, something he thought he would never do.
Prissy was highborn, and that's her big secret, but it isn't much of a secret because it is incredibly easy to hide things from Gerald. Poor man is oblivious!
I thought I was bored reading this until I recapped it to a friend and I couldn't stop smiling and laughing. It's not engrossing but it sticks with you. And Gerald! He really pulls through in the end, bless him.
There are some weird morality tales in here that didn't sit well with me (What are you going for, Balogh?), so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a great romance about a sex worker. What it is is an exploration of the type of man that almost never gets to be a romance hero.
dnf
July 10, 2019Normally I won't DNF a book in the middle of a series if I want to keep reading the series, because it offends my sense of order. It's a minor compulsion that I'm trying to overcome because of the sheer amount that I do not want to read any more of this book.
I don't come to romance for what's in this book, a hero who goes to the heroine (a high-class prostitute) and finds her special because she will give him his favorite kind of sex: missionary where the woman does not move or take part at all. MUCH ROMANCE. SUCH SEXY.
I don't come to romance for what's in this book, a hero who goes to the heroine (a high-class prostitute) and finds her special because she will give him his favorite kind of sex: missionary where the woman does not move or take part at all. MUCH ROMANCE. SUCH SEXY.
March 30, 2018
These are some of the worst characters in existence. Shallow, stupid, uninteresting. The H is described as a Beta hero but his behavior is abusive and creepy. If my friend was dating a guy like that I'd encourage her to see a therapist and get a restraining order. He's also boring. Boring and abusive.
May 19, 2010
As I sit at my computer writing this review, I am a mess. I read this book in one sitting and I am a complete emotional wreck....I love it! This feeling is how I feel after I've read something special, something "other", something unique, something unforgettable! This is how I feel after reading A Precious Jewel.
Priscilla Wentworth is precisely what that titles says...she is a precious jewel. Resorting to prostitution after her father/brother leave her penniless, she encounters Sir Gerald Stapleton at the brothel in which she works/lives. He is a paying customer and she completely dazzles him, not because of her beauty, but because of her sweetness and willingness to be and act exactly as he wants her to. Finally, not being able to bear watching her be abused by other men, he asks her to come under his protection by becoming his mistress. The relationship develops from this point. Let me warn you...it is slow to develop. Sir Gerald is a man with lots of baggage and it takes time for him to trust.
Sir Gerald is in many ways a more tragic character than Priscilla is. The love scenes between these two are some of the most uncomfortable that I have ever read because they are so emotionally unattached and mechanical. The reader soon comes to realize that Gerald is not capable of anything else. He is incapable of giving anything of himself to another human being because he fears rejection and protects himself against pain. He has incredible baggage from his parents and stepmother and it takes him a great deal of the book to come to terms with the ghosts of his past in order to be able to give himself to "Prissy".
This is not a light romance...if your looking for that check out "The Famous Heroine". This is an extremely complex and emotional read that will have you hooked in no time. The book evolves as do the characters within it and by the end you will be cheering and crying.....because it had to end.
Priscilla Wentworth is precisely what that titles says...she is a precious jewel. Resorting to prostitution after her father/brother leave her penniless, she encounters Sir Gerald Stapleton at the brothel in which she works/lives. He is a paying customer and she completely dazzles him, not because of her beauty, but because of her sweetness and willingness to be and act exactly as he wants her to. Finally, not being able to bear watching her be abused by other men, he asks her to come under his protection by becoming his mistress. The relationship develops from this point. Let me warn you...it is slow to develop. Sir Gerald is a man with lots of baggage and it takes time for him to trust.
Sir Gerald is in many ways a more tragic character than Priscilla is. The love scenes between these two are some of the most uncomfortable that I have ever read because they are so emotionally unattached and mechanical. The reader soon comes to realize that Gerald is not capable of anything else. He is incapable of giving anything of himself to another human being because he fears rejection and protects himself against pain. He has incredible baggage from his parents and stepmother and it takes him a great deal of the book to come to terms with the ghosts of his past in order to be able to give himself to "Prissy".
This is not a light romance...if your looking for that check out "The Famous Heroine". This is an extremely complex and emotional read that will have you hooked in no time. The book evolves as do the characters within it and by the end you will be cheering and crying.....because it had to end.
January 28, 2014
Luckily this was a rather short book with barely more than 300 pages.
Unfortunately there were many repetitions, especially in the lead characters' dialogues, Priss repeating ad nauseam that she just wanted to give Gerald pleasure and him telling her that she was a good girl. I cannot count the number of occurrences, as I read it from a paperback, but I would estimate each between 5 and 10.
Gerald embodied the anti-hero. Quite good-looking but not beautiful. Slow, definitely not intelligent, dim-witted and frankly bordering on being retarded (yeah I know not politically correct, but I thought for a while he might suffer from dyslexia to change my mind later and just settle on his being the opposite of smart). He suffered from a lack of attention and good-willing care when he was young, therefore he was convinced of being less than anyone else. Well, besides his being generally nice, though sometimes speaking in a careless and cruel way, he did not have anything for himself.
The heroine, Priscilla, was rather more interesting, in the sense that she had least had a spine, a strong will, and the ability to remain optimist and confident in her ability to make the most out of her life.
The plot was ok, though it relied a bit too much on Gerald's being very slow and not being able to know and trust his feelings. However the main deception for me would be in the insufficient character development and discovery of inner wishes. Priscilla had perfected a cheerful cover that we saw change and I liked that, but there was nothing such for Gerald and their relationship did not have much interest either.
I finished the book being convinced that Priscilla ended up with Gerald because he was the only one who would be able to forget the fact that she had been a prostitute. And him with her because he was too afraid to go for anyone else that might not be heavily damaged and unable to choose elsewhere.
Unfortunately there were many repetitions, especially in the lead characters' dialogues, Priss repeating ad nauseam that she just wanted to give Gerald pleasure and him telling her that she was a good girl. I cannot count the number of occurrences, as I read it from a paperback, but I would estimate each between 5 and 10.
Gerald embodied the anti-hero. Quite good-looking but not beautiful. Slow, definitely not intelligent, dim-witted and frankly bordering on being retarded (yeah I know not politically correct, but I thought for a while he might suffer from dyslexia to change my mind later and just settle on his being the opposite of smart). He suffered from a lack of attention and good-willing care when he was young, therefore he was convinced of being less than anyone else. Well, besides his being generally nice, though sometimes speaking in a careless and cruel way, he did not have anything for himself.
The heroine, Priscilla, was rather more interesting, in the sense that she had least had a spine, a strong will, and the ability to remain optimist and confident in her ability to make the most out of her life.
The plot was ok, though it relied a bit too much on Gerald's being very slow and not being able to know and trust his feelings. However the main deception for me would be in the insufficient character development and discovery of inner wishes. Priscilla had perfected a cheerful cover that we saw change and I liked that, but there was nothing such for Gerald and their relationship did not have much interest either.
I finished the book being convinced that Priscilla ended up with Gerald because he was the only one who would be able to forget the fact that she had been a prostitute. And him with her because he was too afraid to go for anyone else that might not be heavily damaged and unable to choose elsewhere.
May 24, 2012
One of the most boring romances Ive ever read. The blurb was more interesting.
It would have been better if it had bit grittier and darker in tone.
But no,lets make the heroine a saint instead.
The heroine tries to convince the reader that while she sells her body for money the place where she works is nice and all the other girls in residence are treated with respect and taken care of. Why sometimes she even enjoys the bedding.
.....
Face the truth, its a brothel and youre a prostitute. Simple as that.
The heroine went on to grate on my nerves further with her holier-than-thou airs and her favorite word. Wich is "lovely"
You could make a drinking game out of the number of time the heroine says the word "lovely"
"Sir Gerald",she said "How lovely to see you again" p 50
"But Hyde park was quite lovely too" p 51
"How lovely it is to see you again" "Lovely indeed" he said.
"It was a lovely day again,and Priscilla had looked several times from the window and sighed" p 73
"She was able to return to her book that evening and concentrating on the story. It had been a lovely afternoon.p 75
The hero is no better...while hes described as having a nice but plain face and not being overly tall(something unusual in regencies where the man usually is insanely handsome and 6 ft) wich I would have liked better if he had any personality to speak of.
He had a dramatic backstory but thats not the same thing.
Only read if youre a Balogh-fan who has to read all her works.
It would have been better if it had bit grittier and darker in tone.
But no,lets make the heroine a saint instead.
The heroine tries to convince the reader that while she sells her body for money the place where she works is nice and all the other girls in residence are treated with respect and taken care of. Why sometimes she even enjoys the bedding.
.....
Face the truth, its a brothel and youre a prostitute. Simple as that.
The heroine went on to grate on my nerves further with her holier-than-thou airs and her favorite word. Wich is "lovely"
You could make a drinking game out of the number of time the heroine says the word "lovely"
"Sir Gerald",she said "How lovely to see you again" p 50
"But Hyde park was quite lovely too" p 51
"How lovely it is to see you again" "Lovely indeed" he said.
"It was a lovely day again,and Priscilla had looked several times from the window and sighed" p 73
"She was able to return to her book that evening and concentrating on the story. It had been a lovely afternoon.p 75
The hero is no better...while hes described as having a nice but plain face and not being overly tall(something unusual in regencies where the man usually is insanely handsome and 6 ft) wich I would have liked better if he had any personality to speak of.
He had a dramatic backstory but thats not the same thing.
Only read if youre a Balogh-fan who has to read all her works.
March 13, 2025
This book was so interesting and complicated, and really not like any historical romance I've read. Priss is a sex worker in a brothel, and has been for two months. How she got there is tale as old as time, father and then brother die, she's left with nothing, goes to find former governess "Kit" in London to take a job at her "school" which surprise is not a school, tries to find legit job and can't. Gerald is a regular customer at Kit's, becomes one of Priss' regulars, and then sets her up as his mistress.
It's amazing that Priss is an actual brothel sex worker. I've read plenty where FMC is a mistress, this is the first where the FMC is labeled and referred to as a whore. Brothel workers are blamed for their station, they deserve nothing better and probably love it. If they get used roughly, well "she was just a whore who must expect occasional abuse." Mistresses are slightly up in the world, but still very much sex workers, there at (and for) the pleasure of their employer. Women are judged by the lowest station they ever had; while some mistresses are celebrated and even accepted socially, Priss would never be because she was a whore. It goes without saying that men are judged not at all for whichever they use. I think Balogh had to temper it by having her been there a short time and being absolute last gasp opportunity, but still.
Here's the thing. Gerald is pretty terrible. He HATES women (mommy abandonment issues and some sexual trauma from his young stepmother groping him when he was 18). He's cruel to Priss, never letting her forget "She was his. His personal possession." He insults her all the time, making sure she never forgets she's a whore. He plays games of saying he's coming (she has to be at the ready for him) and then not showing to reinforce how little she means. He has no interest in her as a person at all, his friend Miles comes to tea and they have a lovely conversation, (this is months into their relationship) and he realizes he had never had one with her before, and knows nothing about her. "'How the devil should I know who she is?' Sir Gerald said. 'It's nothing to me, Miles. She is my mistress. She has one function in my life. I have no intention of complicating matters by trying to find out who she is - or was.'" She might be safe with him physically, but she certainly isn't emotionally or psychologically.
To keep herself safe and sane in the brothel, Priss learned to separate her job from her Priscilla Wentworth self. She sets up the house Gerald rents for her so the upstairs is for her, and the downstairs is for the work. "This would be her private world, the world Gerald would not see, the world she would inhabit when not working[...]Now her two worlds could be kept separate. She felt almost like a real person again. She felt less dominated by that oppressive label that reduced her to only a body to be used for men's pleasure. She felt less of a whore." Gerald never goes upstairs.
How did Gerald get this way? I mean first off he is not at all smart. There's a great scene where he's puzzling over his estate accounting books and she looks over his shoulder and has it all figured out in five minutes and he tells her some men can figure it out in as little as an hour, but it takes him two days. He's also really bad at connecting dots or being even a little intellectually curious. His friend Miles figures out pretty fast that Priss is educated and a Lady, Gerald never even wonders and doesn't want to know. "He did not want her to be a person to him. Priss. Just his mistress, not a person."
Here's the thing, Gerald is the way he is in part because of being groped by a relation. When I was thinking about this, I thought how women never have their entire personalities shaped by this in HR, and indeed, the reason Priscilla has to leave her home is that her awful cousin "had begun to touch her, to kiss her, to whisper lewdness in her ear." So he's stunted completely, can't trust women, can't trust love, it's all a lie, etc etc. and she just does what she has to do to survive. Gerald's mommy issues keep him from wanting or believing in more from Priss, but the certainly don't keep him from feeling that "the pictures of Priss had got all mixed up with pictures of his mother. The warm smile, which extended all the way back into the depths of her eyes; the welcoming arms; the warm, soft body; and the sense of being wanted and welcomed." Forget Daddy in romance, let's move into our Mommy era!
Change of setting means change of circumstances (Balogh frequently uses the ancestral home as a character/emotional-stakes booster), and they are off to his country house for the summer. The clear lines of delineation between Priss and Priscilla start to blur alone in the country, sharing a bed. Both of them feel uneasy about knowing each other as people "It had been better, perhaps, to know him only as her employer, to know only his body with any degree of intimacy." and "Devil take it, who was she? But he did not want to know. He was afraid to know. He wanted her to be Priss." She makes the mistake of starting to feel "quite like Priscilla Wentworth again" in their weeks of happiness, but of course Gerald has the world's worst growth mindset, and can't let go of the idea that "Priss is just my mistress when all is said and done" and shoves her right back into whore category in a pretty cruel way.
This goes on for a while, then for Romance Reasons and Change of Circumstance, she's in the wind. Again, Gerald, the least intellectually curious person in England, has made his job much harder for himself. Balogh takes this time to have Gerald learn some hard truths about the women in his life. By the time he puts the pieces together it's like watching a toddler try to shove a cow into a horse-shaped hole in a farm puzzle.
Meanwhile Priscilla has found a place where she can live and is accepted as her full self, "I am not a lady [...] neither am I a whore. I was both but am neither. I am Priscilla Wentworth." She's making her own way and standing her ground and claiming her worth, and FOR ONCE Gerald has done something right and has the receipts to prove it.
I know I sound down on Gerald, but I also loved him? He's loyal and loves deeply, just can't express it and falls back on not wanting to be vulnerable and "matching hurt for hurt" when he feels so. He's such an unusual hero, and it's because of his defensive mean streak, his self-professed intellectual limitations, and his complete lack of a growth mindset. I compare him to his friend Miles in book one, who gets a completely different wife than he thought it wanted and rolls with it. I read it as part of the series with The Ideal Wife and The Christmas Bride and highly suggest you do so.
It's amazing that Priss is an actual brothel sex worker. I've read plenty where FMC is a mistress, this is the first where the FMC is labeled and referred to as a whore. Brothel workers are blamed for their station, they deserve nothing better and probably love it. If they get used roughly, well "she was just a whore who must expect occasional abuse." Mistresses are slightly up in the world, but still very much sex workers, there at (and for) the pleasure of their employer. Women are judged by the lowest station they ever had; while some mistresses are celebrated and even accepted socially, Priss would never be because she was a whore. It goes without saying that men are judged not at all for whichever they use. I think Balogh had to temper it by having her been there a short time and being absolute last gasp opportunity, but still.
Here's the thing. Gerald is pretty terrible. He HATES women (mommy abandonment issues and some sexual trauma from his young stepmother groping him when he was 18). He's cruel to Priss, never letting her forget "She was his. His personal possession." He insults her all the time, making sure she never forgets she's a whore. He plays games of saying he's coming (she has to be at the ready for him) and then not showing to reinforce how little she means. He has no interest in her as a person at all, his friend Miles comes to tea and they have a lovely conversation, (this is months into their relationship) and he realizes he had never had one with her before, and knows nothing about her. "'How the devil should I know who she is?' Sir Gerald said. 'It's nothing to me, Miles. She is my mistress. She has one function in my life. I have no intention of complicating matters by trying to find out who she is - or was.'" She might be safe with him physically, but she certainly isn't emotionally or psychologically.
To keep herself safe and sane in the brothel, Priss learned to separate her job from her Priscilla Wentworth self. She sets up the house Gerald rents for her so the upstairs is for her, and the downstairs is for the work. "This would be her private world, the world Gerald would not see, the world she would inhabit when not working[...]Now her two worlds could be kept separate. She felt almost like a real person again. She felt less dominated by that oppressive label that reduced her to only a body to be used for men's pleasure. She felt less of a whore." Gerald never goes upstairs.
How did Gerald get this way? I mean first off he is not at all smart. There's a great scene where he's puzzling over his estate accounting books and she looks over his shoulder and has it all figured out in five minutes and he tells her some men can figure it out in as little as an hour, but it takes him two days. He's also really bad at connecting dots or being even a little intellectually curious. His friend Miles figures out pretty fast that Priss is educated and a Lady, Gerald never even wonders and doesn't want to know. "He did not want her to be a person to him. Priss. Just his mistress, not a person."
Here's the thing, Gerald is the way he is in part because of being groped by a relation. When I was thinking about this, I thought how women never have their entire personalities shaped by this in HR, and indeed, the reason Priscilla has to leave her home is that her awful cousin "had begun to touch her, to kiss her, to whisper lewdness in her ear." So he's stunted completely, can't trust women, can't trust love, it's all a lie, etc etc. and she just does what she has to do to survive. Gerald's mommy issues keep him from wanting or believing in more from Priss, but the certainly don't keep him from feeling that "the pictures of Priss had got all mixed up with pictures of his mother. The warm smile, which extended all the way back into the depths of her eyes; the welcoming arms; the warm, soft body; and the sense of being wanted and welcomed." Forget Daddy in romance, let's move into our Mommy era!
Change of setting means change of circumstances (Balogh frequently uses the ancestral home as a character/emotional-stakes booster), and they are off to his country house for the summer. The clear lines of delineation between Priss and Priscilla start to blur alone in the country, sharing a bed. Both of them feel uneasy about knowing each other as people "It had been better, perhaps, to know him only as her employer, to know only his body with any degree of intimacy." and "Devil take it, who was she? But he did not want to know. He was afraid to know. He wanted her to be Priss." She makes the mistake of starting to feel "quite like Priscilla Wentworth again" in their weeks of happiness, but of course Gerald has the world's worst growth mindset, and can't let go of the idea that "Priss is just my mistress when all is said and done" and shoves her right back into whore category in a pretty cruel way.
This goes on for a while, then for Romance Reasons and Change of Circumstance, she's in the wind. Again, Gerald, the least intellectually curious person in England, has made his job much harder for himself. Balogh takes this time to have Gerald learn some hard truths about the women in his life. By the time he puts the pieces together it's like watching a toddler try to shove a cow into a horse-shaped hole in a farm puzzle.
Meanwhile Priscilla has found a place where she can live and is accepted as her full self, "I am not a lady [...] neither am I a whore. I was both but am neither. I am Priscilla Wentworth." She's making her own way and standing her ground and claiming her worth, and FOR ONCE Gerald has done something right and has the receipts to prove it.
I know I sound down on Gerald, but I also loved him? He's loyal and loves deeply, just can't express it and falls back on not wanting to be vulnerable and "matching hurt for hurt" when he feels so. He's such an unusual hero, and it's because of his defensive mean streak, his self-professed intellectual limitations, and his complete lack of a growth mindset. I compare him to his friend Miles in book one, who gets a completely different wife than he thought it wanted and rolls with it. I read it as part of the series with The Ideal Wife and The Christmas Bride and highly suggest you do so.
May 21, 2012
I'm giving this a 3+ stars ("I liked it") because, even though I think the story itself was unique, well-written, emotionally-gripping, and pretty much perfect for the characters it featured, I personally couldn't get much more excited than "I liked it" throughout the book. That said, two moments made me cry, so apparently I was invested enough in the story to feel that much. However, my overall feeling upon finishing it was "I liked it," but it was too angsty for my tastes. I should really know better, and I admit that this is my own fault for picking it up in the first place.
I note that the prostitute/mistress heroine is totally not my trope of choice by a long shot. I was surprised by how much sympathy I felt for Priss and her monstrously unfair life choices. She was a saint for bearing up so well under the circumstances. I initially was unsure if her gentle, saint-like qualities would translate into "doormat heroine," but yeah...in this book, I think she was exactly what Sir Gerald needed for a match.
Overall, the technical quality of the storytelling, writing, characterization, and emotional depth is excellent; in terms of personal satisfaction, though, I'm giving this book a 3+ stars rating. Objectively, though, I do recognize it merits a higher rating.
I note that the prostitute/mistress heroine is totally not my trope of choice by a long shot. I was surprised by how much sympathy I felt for Priss and her monstrously unfair life choices. She was a saint for bearing up so well under the circumstances. I initially was unsure if her gentle, saint-like qualities would translate into "doormat heroine," but yeah...in this book, I think she was exactly what Sir Gerald needed for a match.
Overall, the technical quality of the storytelling, writing, characterization, and emotional depth is excellent; in terms of personal satisfaction, though, I'm giving this book a 3+ stars rating. Objectively, though, I do recognize it merits a higher rating.
February 10, 2015
This is an unusual book for several reasons. First, although published as a traditional "little" regency, it turns almost every trope in that sub-genre on its head. The heroine is not a sweet young miss, but a prostitute. The hero is not a wealthy duke, but a middling sort of gentleman. The author does not romanticize their initial love scenes (they are not lewd or sordid, in my opinion, just matter-of-fact in a way that conveys the realities of the life the heroine leads). Balogh never writes typical fairy tales, and in this case she definitely did not.
So, why have I given such a high rating? Partly because I admire how well Balogh pulls this off. Mostly, however, because when at her best as she is here, Balogh's characters resonate for me. Their emotions have a truth that I recognize and feel. Yes, I think, that is what it would be like. I experienced something similar and the writer has given voice to what I felt at the time.
There are few authors who know the human heart so well.
So, why have I given such a high rating? Partly because I admire how well Balogh pulls this off. Mostly, however, because when at her best as she is here, Balogh's characters resonate for me. Their emotions have a truth that I recognize and feel. Yes, I think, that is what it would be like. I experienced something similar and the writer has given voice to what I felt at the time.
There are few authors who know the human heart so well.
January 25, 2010
Hmmmm, well written even if it was slow moving. I do though feel the need to wash my brain out after reading it. I derived no pleasure from it and I honestly did not like any of the characters.
February 26, 2022
”people rarely get what they deserve in this life. Perhaps that is why we have had to invent a heaven.”
Това се казва да хванеш бика за рогата :)) Нищо чудно, че романтичките са ударили нисък рейтинг в тази платформа, а книгата е страхотна. Такова regency още не бях чела, и съм крайно доволна. Малко авторки биха посегнали, и то качествено, към темата, още по-малко в днешните политкоректни времена, и това е пример за отлично написана история.
Няма достопочтена, еманципирана наследница с вирнат нос. Всъщност наследница има, но без пукнато пени, без нито един жив и даващ пукнато пени за нея роднина, а жената, която е познавала като своя гувернантка, всъщност върти малък, изискан, чист и елитен бардак в Лондон. Момичето е реалистка, пазарът на труда от 18-ти век далеч не е приятелски настроен към нея и трябва да яде - и се захваща за работа с клиенти. Само трима на вечер, което в сравнение с канавката е мега лукс. И свободно време, добра заплата и медицински грижи.
Героят не е красавец. Не е умник, всъщност си пада костенурка по скорост на мислене и решения. Не е херцог. Не е душата на компанията. Един кротък, крайно затворен баронет, човек на навика и рутината, всъщност добро момче, иска само да не го закачат. И е редовен посетител с нещо като абонамент, тъй като всякакви продължителни отношения с нежния пол го втрисат от ужас. Даже метреса не издържа - това би му дошло в повече.
По случайност се абонира за нея, и пак без да има никакво предварително намерение, я измъква от бордея, а тя започва да се грижи за него. Свикват един с друг, направо са сродни душички - и двамата пълни ръбове без капка самочувствие. И се разви една толкова трогателна история, че спокойно мога да твърдя, че книгата е объркала жанра. До края не ми беше ясно как ще се стигне до хепи енд, но тъкмо понеже момчето си беше ръб, а и не беше някоя знаменитост, краят беше много свеж и човешки.
“The degree of kindness we show to other people is really all that matters, isn't it?”
Това се казва да хванеш бика за рогата :)) Нищо чудно, че романтичките са ударили нисък рейтинг в тази платформа, а книгата е страхотна. Такова regency още не бях чела, и съм крайно доволна. Малко авторки биха посегнали, и то качествено, към темата, още по-малко в днешните политкоректни времена, и това е пример за отлично написана история.
Няма достопочтена, еманципирана наследница с вирнат нос. Всъщност наследница има, но без пукнато пени, без нито един жив и даващ пукнато пени за нея роднина, а жената, която е познавала като своя гувернантка, всъщност върти малък, изискан, чист и елитен бардак в Лондон. Момичето е реалистка, пазарът на труда от 18-ти век далеч не е приятелски настроен към нея и трябва да яде - и се захваща за работа с клиенти. Само трима на вечер, което в сравнение с канавката е мега лукс. И свободно време, добра заплата и медицински грижи.
Героят не е красавец. Не е умник, всъщност си пада костенурка по скорост на мислене и решения. Не е херцог. Не е душата на компанията. Един кротък, крайно затворен баронет, човек на навика и рутината, всъщност добро момче, иска само да не го закачат. И е редовен посетител с нещо като абонамент, тъй като всякакви продължителни отношения с нежния пол го втрисат от ужас. Даже метреса не издържа - това би му дошло в повече.
По случайност се абонира за нея, и пак без да има никакво предварително намерение, я измъква от бордея, а тя започва да се грижи за него. Свикват един с друг, направо са сродни душички - и двамата пълни ръбове без капка самочувствие. И се разви една толкова трогателна история, че спокойно мога да твърдя, че книгата е объркала жанра. До края не ми беше ясно как ще се стигне до хепи енд, но тъкмо понеже момчето си беше ръб, а и не беше някоя знаменитост, краят беше много свеж и човешки.
“The degree of kindness we show to other people is really all that matters, isn't it?”
June 20, 2012
Urgh and *gag* I really did NOT like this book at all. So much eye-rolling, cringing and groaning from me. I have no idea why people rave about it. I think they're attracted to the naughtiness and unexpectedness of it all in a regency historical romance ... The 'heroine' is a high born prostitute and the 'hero' is a fairly average-looking, not very smart guy with low self-esteem. How romantic – or not. Balogh likes writing about scandalous or unconventional pairings and I think that's admirable of her but in this instance, it's like she decided to write a book about a boorish village idiot and convince me that it was romantic. First of all, she amps up Priscilla's appeal far too much – she's beautiful, she's smart, she's high-born, she's compassionate, she's sexy – she's been brought prostitution by unlucky happenstance and the madam of the brothel happens to have been her childhood governess and the way Balogh writes about the brothel, it really comes across as a risqué finishing school rather than what it really is … Then we come to Stapleton who is possibly supposed to be dyslexic but Balogh makes him sound stupid. He is also socially awkward, sexist and just unappealing. I groaned when he kept telling Priscilla to leave him to his "man affairs" i.e. accounts and book-keeping when he was struggling to understand then and she could read them. He was domineering, bossy, sexist, rude, hypocritical and just downright unappealing. He wasn't even your typical, clichéd Alpha male from an eighties romance novel, he was just not supposed to be the hero of a romance novel – it's like Balogh got roped into a fic challenge: "Write a story about a girl who is great and a guy who is not".
The problem was, the more Balogh emphasised how great Priscilla was, the more I wondered: "What on earth does she see in Stapleton?" HUGE thumbs down for me and a massive WTF for all the five star reviews for this book that I see around the traps.
The problem was, the more Balogh emphasised how great Priscilla was, the more I wondered: "What on earth does she see in Stapleton?" HUGE thumbs down for me and a massive WTF for all the five star reviews for this book that I see around the traps.
August 27, 2017
Definitely one of the better books in the series. The premise was different and the characters were well drawn out. I liked that the hero wasn't charismatic or perfect. I liked that he had issues with reading, writing, arithmetic, and anything involving learning. It helped endear him to the reader which was important given his harsh attitude towards women and his sometimes close-mindedness. The heroine was also interesting with the way she hid behind her smiles to deal with what she was forced to become.
Characterization is everything in a story, especially this one. Even the secondary characters such as Miles (I fell in love with him in book 1) and Miss Blythe (not sure I liked her) added to the story and the overall journey the author wanted to take me on. I found it a bit unrealistic at times, but then again I don't read category romances for realism.
If you want to start the series, I would suggest reading them in sequence. Unfortunately, I started with the next to the last book, and am working my way through the books as they become available at my local library.
Characterization is everything in a story, especially this one. Even the secondary characters such as Miles (I fell in love with him in book 1) and Miss Blythe (not sure I liked her) added to the story and the overall journey the author wanted to take me on. I found it a bit unrealistic at times, but then again I don't read category romances for realism.
If you want to start the series, I would suggest reading them in sequence. Unfortunately, I started with the next to the last book, and am working my way through the books as they become available at my local library.
November 16, 2015
12/1/09: I devoured this book. It's the best hooker with a heart of gold story EVER. (My inner feminist had some issues, but I beat her unconscious with a copy of Edna St. Vincent Millay's collected poems and kept wallowing.)
August 6, 2015
Ah, Balogh and her ability to wring tears from me. Such interesting characterization too, as we have a beta hero and a heroine who, despite her choices, is quite content with being simply content. One of the most unusual pairings I've read in this genre, but nicely done? Certainly.
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