Lord Atwood's Lovers

by Eva Clancy

To the rest of the ton, Lord and Lady Atwood seem to have the perfect marriage. They wed for love and their marriage bed doesn't lack for passion-but Imogen is haunted by the memory of her first marriage…while Charles harbors secret thoughts and desires he's been unable to confess to his wife.Then Charles's ex-lover, Alexander Lambert, arrives in town, throwing Charles into a tailspin-and awakening a surprising attraction in Imogen. Now, both have to face the possibility that they may need more than just each other to be truly complete….

Genres: Erotica, Menage, Historical, Historical Romance, Romance, 19th Century, Erotic Romance

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, for me, Lord Atwood's lovers, though not bad, was way too short to be interesting. In just about 40 pages, we are to meet a happily married couple, come to like them and understand why they decided to include another man, the hero's ex-lover who the heroine didn't even know that existed, in their relationship, and see the three of them as a kind of family. Though I had no problems with the heroes, they were pretty nice, it's impossible to come and care at all about them in such short a space, so what's left is the sexual part of the story.

The sex scenes were well done, tasteful yet hot, but to be honest, I think I've read much more scorching scenes in more traditional romances. On top of that, we learn that the two men were lovers in the past, but they don't have sex with each other here (if you define 'sex' as Bill Clinton does, which I do in this case, lol); the only sex they have is m/f/m, while they all agree to try other things in the future.

Not bad, but nothing great either; I believe a few extra pages were necessary in this case.

ARC received by NetGalley

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This steamy little tale, from netgalley, was a pleasant read between books, but felt like it missed something for me.

I don't normally read ménage romances, but generally think that if something is well-written, it's usually worth reading, and I'm fairly open-minded, so the subject matter doesn't bother me.

This was an interesting set-up, a recently and happily married marquess can't get his former lover out of his mind etc. The story itself flowed really smoothly, and didn't waste word count on irrelevancies.

But, I'll be honest, for me, a ménage book has got to jump over the hurdles of convincing me (a) that every party in the ménage really wants to be there and why and (b) that a HEA is possible. I think this one did go a long way to the HEA. I could see Lord and Lady Atwood residing with their "special friend" for the rest of their lives. It wasn't that much a stretch of the imagination. However, I never really understood why Imogen wanted the ménage, or even Alex really. It just felt like she was going along with it to keep Charles happy and Alex was just glad to be back in Charles's life, neither of which worked for me.

I guess as a result, Imogen came across, not as a sensual, experimental woman, but as a bit, well, drippy and just happy to be happy, and be surrounded by equally happy people. Maybe she'd been at the laudanum a bit too often?

Anyway, 3 stars. It was better than OK, but not great.

[Alycia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this novella. People thought Lord Atwood would never marry, until he meets the young and vivacious Imogen. They marry and it is apparent to Imogen and the ton that Lord Atwood is totally and completely in love with his new wife. Their connection is definitely demonstrated during their private time away from others and in the bedroom. A wrench is thrown in this perfect marriage when Lord Atwood's friend and former lover comes back to town. Imogen meets Alexander innocently enough and invites him to dinner and inadvertently back into her husband's life. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so others will read this for themselves. I did wish this story was longer, but it is a Spice brief. I would recommend this one to fans of historical erotic romance fans who are looking to try a new author. I look forward to reading more from this author, especially a full length novel.

*I received this ARC through NetGalley.

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

I read this novella on a whim, since the author was a new-to-me one and I don’t usually read ménages (if any, those are very few). But honestly, I’m really glad that I read Lord Atwood's Lovers. I absolutely loved EC’s writing style, along with the central characters. I loved Charles’s quiet intensity, Alex’s sensitivity and Imogen’s smartness.

Imogen and Charles have been married for a few months but totally in love. Imogen had been married once before and widowed but she still bears some hurt from that marriage. Charles also has his own secret burden, something he never shared with anyone; that his best friend Alex has been his lover once. I actually thought it was a long time ago, but apparently it wasn’t. They had a spat over their relationship, as Charles wanted to get married and have heirs. I don’t remember much about Alex’s family but I think he’s not from the nobility or rather, a second or third son, so he isn’t burdened with the thoughts of begetting heirs. Now, I liked that both were bi men and has had women before, even shared sometimes. After they broke up, Alex went away for sometimes, only to come back and find that Charles has married. It broke his heart because he loved, still loves Charles. But the trouble was, Charles couldn’t say the word back instantly, and I believed why he was reluctant.

When Imogen coincidentally meets Alex after his return, she invites him over for dinner, learning that he was once Charles’ best friend. Later, seeing both men together, she understands that something’s amiss... When they’re alone, Imogen pleads Charles to open up to her, which, a burdened Charles does. I was glad to see that he didn’t have the cause to regret his decision. Imogen was a smart girl and wanted to make Charles happy. She knew this situation required her understanding. It only proved that she really loved him.

I’m not going to give away anymore of the story since it’s a novella but I can honestly say that I believed in their emotions, feelings. And it mattered to me a lot. When I finished it, my only thought was I wanted more, MORE! I wanted to know more about Charles and Alex’s past relationship. Even from the snippets, I thought it was intense. Then, Charles and Imogen together in bed was really , so was the only ménage scene. Gosh, I still want to read more of this story and definitely a glimpse into what the future holds for these three. I’ll be keeping track on EC’s later releases. I don’t know if she’s a first time published author but I wish her all the best anyway!

BTW: Why is it that as I’m writing this review, I keep thinking of Adam Lambert?


This copy of Lord Atwood’s Lovers was provided to me by Harlequin via netgalley which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.

[Maria Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Atwood's Lovers
________________________________________

Author: Eva Clancy
Date: 01-JUN-2012
Narrator: Helen Stern
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd. (Harlequin Spice)
Length: 1 h 20 min
File size: 121 KB

To the rest of the ton, Lord and Lady Atwood seem to have the perfect marriage. They wed for love and their marriage bed doesn't lack for passion - but Imogen is haunted by the memory of her first marriage, while Charles harbors secret thoughts and desires he's been unable to confess to his wife. Then Charles's ex-lover Alexander Lambert arrives in town, throwing Charles into a tailspin - and awakening a surprising attraction in Imogen. Now, both have to face the possibility that they may need more than just each other to be truly complete.
This is one of the HOTTEST Harlequin novels that I have ever read! Hot! Passionate! Sexy! Imogen is a very savvy lady of her time. She is beautiful, intelligent and can seduce a room full of men just by entering, which is how she meets Lord Atwood. Although she loved her first husband, he returns from war a destroyed and tormented soul, pushing her aside. He eventually passes and Imogen is allowed to move on. Charles meets her at a party and falls instantly. What drew him to that party was his realization that his life needed to move on. He needed a wife and an heir. Never did he imagine he could fall in love with the bride he would choose. Alex flees the confines of the society returning to find Charles married and happy. But is Charles truly happy with his beautiful bride? Does Charles still love him? Can Charles find room in his passions and heart for two people?
This was NOT the type of Harlequin that I grew up reading, it is much better! I used the audio version of this title and truly enjoyed it. Helen Stern has the perfect voice for the era. Her voice is accented well, perfect pitch and tone, a real class act. She must have used a fan placed on the “high” setting and her inflection kept perfect rhythm with each scene.
Unfortunately this book is hard to find. I found it on Audible.com then it was removed and is no longer on sale. Nook users are the only ones enjoy this purchase, I can’t even find it on the Harlequin website. It seems that the title may have been archived, but never fear…Harlequin does re-issue popular titles.
The Oracle (Maria Mercedes)
All synopsis are published by Barnes & Noble or Goodreads.
The Oracle Reviews: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, sometimes I get a little skeptical about the HEA factor in a menage. What it needs, in order to be believable for me, is a real thread to connect each member of the trio together in a meaningful way. This story manages to acheive that in my opinion and left me wanting more.

Imogen and Charles Atwood are newlyweds and they are head over heels in love with each other. Charles was always considered serious and removed by members of the ton but he was so enamored of Imogen, he threw all that aside to court her. Now that she is his, he can't keep his eyes --or his hands-- off her.

Imogen was a widow when she met Charles and though she loves him completely, she still mourns the death of her first husband and how he pushed her away in their last years of marriage. She doesn't want any secrets between her and Charles and she wants to make him happy. So when she learns of a rift between him and his old friend Alex, she wants to help make it right.

She comes to learn that Charles and Alex were once lovers, and she decides on a risky proposition to give her husband everything he wants.

I liked the writing in this novella quite a bit. The relationships worked for me. In fact, I found myself wishing I could have read the story of Charles and Imogen's courtship as well. I thought Imogen jumped into the menage-boat rather quickly, but the love scene with the three of them was very hot. I could definitely feel the love Charles had for both his wife and for Alex, which is important, because it was balanced in the bedroom.

This is really short, only about 40 pages, but it's just right for a little lunch hour diversion. I enjoyed it.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Atwood's Lovers was a pretty good Menage tale. I kept getting the sense that I had read about these characters in another book and this was the continuation of their story. After some research, I realized the author just did a great job of making the characters seem familiar to me in such a short story. For many novellas, this never happens as there isn't often enough time to develop the characters well. I ended up enjoying this one a lot. It was well written and I loved the characters. The love scenes were tastefully done and were very steamy. The HEA was very sweet.

[Mephala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another novella from an old Harlequin Spice Briefs series, this time a historical one.

It's a really nice and hot ménage à trois, but I'm a little disappointed how short it was. I'd love to read a full length book about how Lord and Lady Atwood handled the reappearance of Lord Atwood's former lover and his presence in their relationship.

4+/5 stars

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super short read, but pretty h.o.t!

Lord Atwood, Charles, is married and very much in love with his wife. The guy LOVES her, but he has a dark little secret he guards.

Lady Atwood, Imogen, loves her husband dearly, but when she meets Alex, her husband's former best friend, and invites him over for dinner, she immediately knows there is more to their "quarrel" than meets the eye.

The thought of Imogen finding out Charles' secret, scares him to no end. And Alex wants to turn the opposite way, when Imogen propositions him... Um, yeah... you'll have to read it to find out what the indecent proposal is.

Overall, it is super, super short. BUT, I actually enjoyed it. It would've been nicer if it'd been longer. This is one of those perfect for bed time.


Blurb:

To the rest of the ton, Lord and Lady Atwood seem to have the perfect marriage. They wed for love and their marriage bed doesn't lack for passion—but Imogen is haunted by the memory of her first marriage…while Charles harbors secret thoughts and desires he's been unable to confess to his wife.

Then Charles's ex-lover, Alexander Lambert, arrives in town, throwing Charles into a tailspin—and awakening a surprising attraction in Imogen. Now, both have to face the possibility that they may need more than just each other to be truly complete...

[Books & Vodka Sodas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been years since I read anything historical. Since discovering paranormal romance, and then BDSM erotic romance, I have sinceleft my beginning romance roots behind. I saw this come up on netgalley, decided that it was worth a shot. I’m hot for ménage books of any kind. Lord Atwood’s Lover did not disappoint. It was a hot, quick read that left me panting, and wanting more with each turn of the page. The characters were fully dimensional and I related to them. Lord Atwood was a bit kinky with a voyeur flare that made me arch a brow and wonder what else he was willing to do with his naughty little wifey. Imogen, a delightful female lead that was open minded, sexy, and loved to perform for her husband. She was beautifully submissive and this story had some D/s themes that increased the enjoyment. It was a delightful surprise that made this book a top read for me.

Enter Alex, ex lover to Charles.

Oh, yes, you guessed it. Imogen was not only willing to enter in the third to their already wicked relationship, but the chemistry and sex between these three—to hot for words! This was one of the hottest erotica reads to date. It gave me hot, D/s, ménage, and a HEA. It was all tightly wrapped in a short story that well written. Eva has a fantastic voice as an author, relatable characters, sexy themes, Eva has moved to the top of my to buy list!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this could have been a 4 or 5 star book if it had been longer. I really began to like the characters, but felt that I was only at the tip of them discovering themselves and each other. This says much about the author’s writing, really.

I regularly read ménage stories, so I was able to move quickly past any issues with threesomes. I liked that their relationship was honest enough that she was able to admit her attraction to Alex, and that Charles was able to indulge his appetites as well. That said, I didn’t feel an emotional connection to the characters because there wasn’t enough time. Physically, they steamed up the pages. On an intellectual level, I could see the beginnings of something. But as a reader I couldn’t believe that they were in love (yet). And I usually like to end a book with a clear HEA in place. I wish we had had more of the story before they move to the bedroom, so that I could better understand both Imogen and Alex’s willingness to share Charles, and what this might mean to their future.

I hope that the author continues their stories in the future.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review written for www.books-n-kisses.com

I think this was trying to be a story of erotica but it just didn’t work. While the background story was interesting there was not enough of it. And there was not enough of the sex scenes to have it fall under the erotica heading. Surprisingly though the story might have made a really good novella since there could have been more put into the characters story but it felt like the story was being rushed to get to where Alex is brought into the story but yet when he finally is brought it there is nothing interesting that happens. It could have been written so we see more of how Charles enjoys watching Imogene flirt with other men and more about the nightmares she has. Then we could have maybe met Alex with more of a storyline like maybe Alex and Imogene flirt at first without Charles knowing or something... I do not know I just know that there was not enough to this story in any way shape or form which is too bad because the premise was really good.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a novella--short, spicey, and oh, so readable as a historical romance! It embraces a couple who are indeed in love with one another surprisingly, whose marriage is really a love affair in disguise, and who are shocking the ton with their open admiration for one another. Yet Imogen, as much as she loves her husband, becomes aware that there is a past love that shocks her and actually scares her, only because she truly doesn't ever want to give up her husband and lover. Yet she is smart enough to know that the man who has shown her so much passion and love is hurting deeply. Yes, this is a story about a menage--a surprising one for Imogen, but one that also brings two former lovers together and whose love blossoms once again because of the faith and emotional bravery of this amazing woman. A note worthy read and one that will entertain all those who love erotic historical fiction.

[Aisha Oaktree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowzer!!!! This is a short and HOT and I do mean HOT read. The story starts with the lovers Mr & Mrs Atwood and their clear love for each other, there is a sensual and smokey sex scene between them, including Lord Atwood's fantasy on-top of it and wooo!!

Then of course we get to the real good stuff with the couple and Alex *fans self*. In less than fifty pages you get an amazingly sensual and fun read. The author doesn't try to make it about more than what it is, a love triangle that goes ohh so right. The fact that they were lovers before makes it even more and just a quickie and lend the ending some credibility.

My only complaint was in the beginning scene between husband and wife, she used the term 'slut' which jerked me out of the mood of the story. It's a personal dislike for that word and it's connotations, i wish it hadn't been included especially in that scene. Otherwise this story was great!!

It's a brief and steamy read, I highly suggest it.!!

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars! A lovely (well, maybe lovely is not the best word, just the first that came to my mind, lol!) menage a trois. Even though it was erotica, Lord Atwood’s Lovers was actually quite sweet in its execution in regards to the main couples relationship. I enjoyed the brief glimpse into their life as husband and wife, as well as seeing Imogen's emotional growth. Alexander was a fun and perhaps quirky addition!

I probably would have enjoyed it more if the scenes were more detailed (Did I just say that?) I am keeping this review short, since this was a novella/short story, and I am trying to stay away from spoilers. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone who wants a “quickie.” ;-)

[Daisy Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story Lord Atwood’s Lovers. Eva Clancy did a fantastic job creating characters you care about in such a short time. The character development is done more through story telling than dialogue. This can be difficult for readers to shift in their minds as most are used to development through dialogue than story telling.

Lord and Lady Atwood definitely understand each other and are willing to do whatever it takes to make the other happy. The love they feel for each other shines through in the story-telling.

Overall a very good, quick read.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Violetta Vane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have very little interest in Regency England and actively dislike aristocratic characters, but I love MMF and was intrigued enough by reviews to give this a chance. I'm glad I did! It delivered everything I was hoping for:

- a rich style with sinuous sentences (I get rather tired of the lean contemporary style in erotica as a steady diet, it's like nonstop mashed potatoes) and fun usage of outdated filthy language combined with enough modern language so I know what the hell is going on
- enough backstory to care about the characters
- a great threesome sex dynamic that incorporated voyeurism

This is a shortie but a goodie. I'd love to read more in this style!

[Shan ~A~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love historical menage stories, but this one just didn't do it for me. I may have worked out better if it had been a full novel with more back story or more time for Imogen to realistically be okay with bringing another lover into her marriage. Especially since she had no previous experience with this type of relationship. At the very least I would have been satisfied to see a little outrage on her behalf when he said he left Alex to get married because he needed an heir. I know he explained by saying he fell in love with her, but there should have still been a period of anger. A moment of, I have invited this man into my home, you should have told me then that you were his lover.

[Nita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is super short - only 43 pages. But Clancy does a very good job giving us a sense of who the characters are and a nice little story between the sex scenes.

I did find Imogen a little too perfect, and therefore a little unbelievable. She takes the news that her husband had a male lover before they met a little too easily. But I think the author wanted to highlight more the conflict between the two male characters.

Otherwise, a very well done, short sexy read.

ARC provided through NetGalley.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC/Review Copy.

A saucy, historically-set ménage à trois. When Lady Atwood finds out about the "forbidden" relationship between her husband and his best friend/lover she invites them both to share her in the bedroom. A taboo and sexy short story that was well imagined and written.

The only thing that would have made this better if it had been a full-length novel with more build-up and backstory. Ms. Clancy is very well on her way to becoming the next rising-star historical romance author for Harlequin publishing!

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was ok. I think that I enjoyed the openness of the married couple. I think that being honest with yourself and your mate allows for a wonderful partnership. The couple in this story had that. I loved their sexual prowess... how they played games with one another to keep that 'excitement' there. Personally, what's hotter than 2 guys and a girl? So, kudos for making a story about that. I always feel like you can't help who you love, nor should you help it, but just accept it. Its a good read.

Enjoy.

[Slavena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and steamy historical erotica. I do enjoy having a little spice in historical romance. Lord Atwood has married Imogen but he still desires his old friend and lover Alexander. When Alexander comes back to town, lady Imogen has a vary indecent proposal for him and her husband. I did enjoy the lovemaking between Lord Atwood and Imogen but was a little disconnected at the scene between him and Alex in front of her. Something in that scene was off, but overall good short story.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord Atwood surprised most of the ton when he decided to get married to the widow Imogen. While they have a satisfying love life there is something missing. Once upon a time Lord Atwood fell in love with Alex, but decided he wanted a wife and family. At Lady Imogen’s urging Alex comes over for dinner and tells the two men, that they can be together as long as she can watch and participate. Not a bad short story but a little stale. Been there, read that.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short novella. The characters (Lord and Lady Atwood - Charles & Imogen - and Charles' ex-lover Alexander Lambert) and were quite well developed for a 40 page novella. The sexual tension was well built-up among the three characters and the sex was very steamy.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and pretty hot. Because yes, sometimes I just need some erotica in my life.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5