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The Pleasure Seekers #2
Naughty or Nice
Determined to escape the control of her new guardian, Lady Francine Fitz Hugh decides to drive the elderly man away, only to discover that, far from being old, Lucien Kendall is a charming man with a unique talent for seduction.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
7 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Melanie George
24 books36 followersBefore she discovered romantic fiction, Melanie George was the CEO of an executive-search consulting firm. Her most important job, however, has always been that of mother, to both a much-adored son and two precious dogs.
When she is not writing, she is trying to restore her hundred-year-old house and has come to the conclusion that paint speckles will more than likely be a permanent part of her person.
When she is not writing, she is trying to restore her hundred-year-old house and has come to the conclusion that paint speckles will more than likely be a permanent part of her person.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 29, 2021
No. Ha sido aburrido, no sé si por el argumento, que pese a estar muy de moda en aquellos años, recuerdo con mucho cariño Corazón de hielo de Gaelen Foley
Argumento muy usado de militar atormentado que vuelve a Londres para hacerse cargo de su pupila... y ya nos podemos imaginar
Dejando de lado ese horror de portada totalmente contemporánea (que no sé qué narices pinta), la novela no puede contar con más tópicos, algo que no suele disgustarme, pero es que me repatean estos protagonistas que simplemente son «guapos» y ya está, porque son dominantes, irrespetuosos, y con alguna escena que casi, pero no, se le va de las manos a la autora.
Después tenemos esa protagonista que me ha gustado pero ese final tan moderno no ha terminado de convencerme
Dejando de lado que las adicciones NO son tan fáciles de solucionar y que, me sorprende sobremanera, lo tan tranquilamente que se habla de ciertos temas en esa época.
Quizás en otro momento lo podría haber disfrutado, pero ahora no ha envejecido bien y la autora tiene un ritmo que me ha hecho obligarme a leer, eso es un claro «no» por mi parte
Argumento muy usado de militar atormentado que vuelve a Londres para hacerse cargo de su pupila... y ya nos podemos imaginar
Dejando de lado ese horror de portada totalmente contemporánea (que no sé qué narices pinta), la novela no puede contar con más tópicos, algo que no suele disgustarme, pero es que me repatean estos protagonistas que simplemente son «guapos» y ya está, porque son dominantes, irrespetuosos, y con alguna escena que casi, pero no, se le va de las manos a la autora.
Después tenemos esa protagonista que me ha gustado pero ese final tan moderno no ha terminado de convencerme
Dejando de lado que las adicciones NO son tan fáciles de solucionar y que, me sorprende sobremanera, lo tan tranquilamente que se habla de ciertos temas en esa época.
Quizás en otro momento lo podría haber disfrutado, pero ahora no ha envejecido bien y la autora tiene un ritmo que me ha hecho obligarme a leer, eso es un claro «no» por mi parte
December 15, 2008
This book kept me up late this Saturday as I found I could not put it down without finishing it. How I feel about the book is complicated. It was a very good romance with elements of realism that added to its appeal. The hero was not a goody-two shoes titled hero with no dark past or issues other than chasing women, drinking, and gambling. He does indulge in those sports to various degrees, though. Instead he is self-made and comes from the lowest of the lower class. He had grown up extremely poor in the worst of conditions, dirt poor. His father was a terrible man who abused him, his siblings, and his mother. He gets into trouble with an Earl's wife and ends up being shanghaied off to India where he develops an addiction to opium. He never hears from his family again as they simply disappear. Despite all this, he manages to become a respected and admired military man. Lucian was a complex character who I did not always like. I have a strong aversion to substance abuse so I know that this was a major issue for me. However, I really do like flawed heroes, so that was also an advantage. I struggled with whether I felt his reasons for falling into opium addiction were valid. In the end, there is definitely some credence for him seeking solace in the drug, although it wasn't a wise decision for his life. He was a honorable man in many ways, but at the same time, he did not always do the right thing. I liked that he was irresistibly drawn to the heroine, Fancy, who he finds out later is his ward. Initially he thinks she is a thief and a working-class woman who is available to be his short-term mistress. The initial draw is lust, but soon he finds that she brings him peace. When he finds out late that she has been pretending to be someone other than his guardian, it makes things a lot harder for him, because he knows he must give her up. The reasons why Lucian is Fancy's guardian stems from his time in India serving as the commanding officer for her brother. Even that situation turns out to be very complicated. This book is a very complex one to read, but very readable at the same time. It deals with issues of addiction, poverty, guilt, forbidden love, and also delves into the wrongs of imperialism. Although you could pick it up to have a nice romance novel read, be prepared to have your intellect and your heart involved, as this book does delve deep as the hero finds his way out of the morass of drug addiction and a tortured past into a bright future with Fancy.
March 6, 2021
I stopped taking this seriously after the introduction of the token Indian “friend” whose every other sentence was about Buddha’s will. I put friend in parentheses because although Melanie George would have the reader think there is a connection between him and the hero, the token friend follows the hero around, popping up every now and then like a spiritual guide the hero talks to whenever George needs to have an exposition about his traumatic past.
I am tired of the token exotic friend who comes back with the hero, and functions either as a servant, bodyguard, or spiritual guide- subservient and only exists to develop the hero or heroine’s self-growth:
"I didn't beg you to follow me around for the last ten years, you blistering pain in the rump. You could have stayed in India."
"Buddha has willed that you are to be my tribulation. I cannot ascent to the Final Nirvana until the day you have found the path of enlightenment." Tahj sighed wearily.
??? ALL I WANTED WAS TO READ ANOTHER BOOK LIKE THE PLEASURE SEEKERS, MELANIE GEORGE!!
It’s racist to read about these types of characters because they do not resemble real people but are othered by this orientalist gaze. I have also noticed this othering happen for Black American and African characters too. Can we stop with this character??
This took me out of an ok romance about a guardian who has the hots for his ward. I actually found it hard to connect with the couple but then when this happened, I just couldn't get into it. I did flip this through to the end but it's really DNF since I can't say what really happened.
I am tired of the token exotic friend who comes back with the hero, and functions either as a servant, bodyguard, or spiritual guide- subservient and only exists to develop the hero or heroine’s self-growth:
"I didn't beg you to follow me around for the last ten years, you blistering pain in the rump. You could have stayed in India."
"Buddha has willed that you are to be my tribulation. I cannot ascent to the Final Nirvana until the day you have found the path of enlightenment." Tahj sighed wearily.
??? ALL I WANTED WAS TO READ ANOTHER BOOK LIKE THE PLEASURE SEEKERS, MELANIE GEORGE!!
It’s racist to read about these types of characters because they do not resemble real people but are othered by this orientalist gaze. I have also noticed this othering happen for Black American and African characters too. Can we stop with this character??
This took me out of an ok romance about a guardian who has the hots for his ward. I actually found it hard to connect with the couple but then when this happened, I just couldn't get into it. I did flip this through to the end but it's really DNF since I can't say what really happened.
December 16, 2013
The cover and the little message "Have yourself a sexy little Christmas" let me thought this book would round up my Season's reading. Not at all, Christmas is mentioned once to say it's still some time ahead. And later on, never again. Misleading covers!
Then there's the genre itself. A "historical" romance, where none of the characters care about conventions and rules, nor do they know them mostly, except when those can be useless for the plot. I do not necessarily require the utmost realism, for instance I readily accept embellishment regarding hygiene practices, but it went way beyond that. The whole character of the hero could not have existed as such otherwise.
The beginning with the encounter between Lucien and his newly appointed ward, Fancy, was rather delightful. However it did not last. There was soon some bungle in the timeline - something came up a few weeks after the death of the grandma 1 year before and the poor girl was given a 3-months deadline; there still are 2 months remaining to that deadline. Add to that some highly improper behavior from the young Lady. Then a hero totally closed off. Sprinkle with hints of improper geography - the Buddhist munk is Indian, first unlikelihood, then he is also trained in the Shaolin fighting technics - well those come from China, like 3000 km away with the Himalayas in the middle, and the Taoism-Buddhism as practised there has just nothing to do with that of South East Asia or the Himalayas... I finished the reading at an accelerated speed, because I did not care enough for it. And that's a shame, because some things like Lucien's addiction and inner turmoil was not so poorly managed.
2.5 stars only
Then there's the genre itself. A "historical" romance, where none of the characters care about conventions and rules, nor do they know them mostly, except when those can be useless for the plot. I do not necessarily require the utmost realism, for instance I readily accept embellishment regarding hygiene practices, but it went way beyond that. The whole character of the hero could not have existed as such otherwise.
The beginning with the encounter between Lucien and his newly appointed ward, Fancy, was rather delightful. However it did not last. There was soon some bungle in the timeline - something came up a few weeks after the death of the grandma 1 year before and the poor girl was given a 3-months deadline; there still are 2 months remaining to that deadline. Add to that some highly improper behavior from the young Lady. Then a hero totally closed off. Sprinkle with hints of improper geography - the Buddhist munk is Indian, first unlikelihood, then he is also trained in the Shaolin fighting technics - well those come from China, like 3000 km away with the Himalayas in the middle, and the Taoism-Buddhism as practised there has just nothing to do with that of South East Asia or the Himalayas... I finished the reading at an accelerated speed, because I did not care enough for it. And that's a shame, because some things like Lucien's addiction and inner turmoil was not so poorly managed.
2.5 stars only
March 8, 2019
Well, I began reading this quite a while back. At least seven YEARS ago. (I may be slow but I'm also thorough which is an odd statement because I skipped also.) Yes, I read about girl parts but they were of the erotica nature, so not too bad. Yes my child, another feisty virgin meets her newish guardian and then they marry, the end. ("Same road, different attractions".) Recommended!
June 10, 2023
This review is just me recounting the events of what happened in the book so I can I remember waht I've read.
I suggest not reading this if you don't want to know all the details I'm recounting.
4/20/23
***
Chaps 3-6:
Franny return from the tavern & the runin w/her ward, Lucian, feeling all types of way, & that was from the kiss he bestowed upon her. Then she reconnects w/her housemaid jaines & olidine. Then there's Rosslyn- a younger woman he is truly beautiful. Franny takes care of her. They all question her on her black eye, she refuses to tell, they get ready for bed, the girls then hear a noise downstairs. Franny takes a shot at the intruder only to discover that it's her ward who followed her home. Which she's pissed bout. But ends up shooting agian...whoops. they tend to his needs, while he propositions franny because he doesn't know who she is. So, she takes his cues & let's hik think Rosslyn is franny & tells him her name is Mary.
6/10/23
***
Chap 6-9
Let's see, fancy is made to be by lucians bedside, he's flirting w/her, she side steps it as best as she can. She has Rosslyn fall in line w/her scheme in pretending to be her while fancy pretends to be a made instead. Lucian has a bad dream that she ends up asking him about, to which he doesn't divulge to her when asked. Then she goes on her way, the next day, outside & finds a kitten up a tree, to which she rescues it in the woods. But she ends up falling from the tree & landing promptly atop of Lucian who came to see who she was Theoretically "dallying" w/his jealous already spiking at the though of her being w/someone else only to learn she was instead rescuing a kitten then being w/a man over him.
They then spend some time together, hik flirting, she trying to get info out of him of what his plans are regarding his ward, to which he explains that he wants the girl married off, even though, since she's 20 & has already debuked suitors, it would be difficult to do so, while all the while trying to get under her skirts himself.
They find some oysters at the beach, there's some more kissing. He also helps/teaches her how to fight.
Oh right, he even seduced her a bit too, some minor happy happy fun time, that is for an "innocent" no less
6/10/2023
***
Chap 9-12
He wants fancy to commit to him while he's there, she doesn't because she's afraid she'll be found out, obviously. Then she runs to meath her neighbor heath Courtney & persuades him to keep up her lie so she get rid of Lucian but he just suggests that she marry him instead to which she doesn't want. Then Lucian after meeting the neighbor demands to know who the neighbor was to her even though she had already introduced him. Now he's staking claim, but she is still refusing him.
Fancy goes to find inkwell, one of the kittens & finds him nestled again lucians chest in the piano room. They flirt some more, then make an agreement. For every "advance" He wants from her, he has to give something in return. She wants to know about his life. He wants to hold her. They do so. Then there's again some happy happy fun times but still is chaste enough that's shes not compleltey ruined as of yet.
Calder, Rosslyn stepbrother breaks in & fights fancy. Then after Calder is fought of/ran off, it's revealed who fancy & Rosslyn are...awkward, because Lucian believes more men are seeking "mary" hand over his own & he doesn't like it.
Lucian speaks to her in the library & informs her they are to head to London the next day to marry her off. She explains that Calder Rosslyn stepbrother wants to marry her for her share of her inheritance to pay off his gambling debts. He comes to attack her agian but is agisn ran off. She explains this to Lucian, but he just sends her to her room to be away with her. She tells him that Rosslyn, jaines, & Olinda are to go along w/her to keep her comfortable. To which he agrees, but only if they don't have a hand in any of her schemes to not be married.
6/10/23
***
Chap 13-15
They set out into a carriage. She tries to bid heath a goodbye but he refuses. They drive separately from Rosslyn & jaines & Olinda, which unsettled her nerves - she doesn't want to be alone w/him. He ends up falling asleep. He has another nightmare. They discuss her brother. He tells her the men were all jealous that he got to be her guardian - them all thinking she could fix them. They arrive at his friends lady Clarissa
They meet lady dane, he leaves her w/lady dane. They get ready for "polite society" - they talk about lucians family & how they are all gone. He also can read & write or soemthing too.
A week later, the ball happens. Redding, his enemy tries talking up fancy. To which he disagrees w/hates even. Lady dane intervenes & tells Lucian to calm down he leaves, drowns his sorrows. Then he has another nightmare. He says he can't love anyone because of his dishonor or something like that to someone of his past.
2 wks later & Lucian avoids fancy like the plague after that disaster of the 1st ball. Another comes up, she dances again w/some potential suitor. He's the brither of Diana, the woman, she saw Lucian w/previously these past 2 wks & even saw them kiss. The guy tries convincing her that lucains is a bad guy. Then says my sister believes we to be a good match.
***
Chap 16-19
Wow, what a jerk, he plays w/her, yet still refuses to be w/her & wants her tp marry someone else, even after he tells the story of redding & his family's feud. At the ball though, he ends up stepping in between their dance agian & verbally going at him. Then his sister Diana comes to lucians defense & tells her brother that she threw herself at him yet he denied her.
Heath comes over, admits his fraudulent wrong doings of keeping her down so he can finally manage getting her under wing & to marry him instead. She's outraged, but then Redding shows his face at the same time & she's overwhelmed. Then the a person of the house comes in & says ,"come quick, he's killing hismefl" so at least there's that distraction.
Lucians smoking himself to death, feeling sorry for himself. Taj, his friend the monk, can't do anything because he made a Vow To only let him do whatever he wants & nothing against his wishes, so he gets fancy to do all thw work instead. They get him home after she convinces that he wants home. He wakes up, they have sex.
Apparently Taj locked them in his/her room to detox. She finds out that during one of drugged out moments, her brother died & he was compleltey unaware so naturally its his fault & this is how he self loathes, whatever. They have some more sex. He demands to be let out, she refuses.
***
Chap 20 & epi
He's finally let alone, he's released all his "past demons" he's in love w/fancy, they decide to he together. & in epi, Diana forgives him, they decide to move his mother elsewhere instead of on some cheap hovel. The end..
I suggest not reading this if you don't want to know all the details I'm recounting.
4/20/23
***
Chaps 3-6:
Franny return from the tavern & the runin w/her ward, Lucian, feeling all types of way, & that was from the kiss he bestowed upon her. Then she reconnects w/her housemaid jaines & olidine. Then there's Rosslyn- a younger woman he is truly beautiful. Franny takes care of her. They all question her on her black eye, she refuses to tell, they get ready for bed, the girls then hear a noise downstairs. Franny takes a shot at the intruder only to discover that it's her ward who followed her home. Which she's pissed bout. But ends up shooting agian...whoops. they tend to his needs, while he propositions franny because he doesn't know who she is. So, she takes his cues & let's hik think Rosslyn is franny & tells him her name is Mary.
6/10/23
***
Chap 6-9
Let's see, fancy is made to be by lucians bedside, he's flirting w/her, she side steps it as best as she can. She has Rosslyn fall in line w/her scheme in pretending to be her while fancy pretends to be a made instead. Lucian has a bad dream that she ends up asking him about, to which he doesn't divulge to her when asked. Then she goes on her way, the next day, outside & finds a kitten up a tree, to which she rescues it in the woods. But she ends up falling from the tree & landing promptly atop of Lucian who came to see who she was Theoretically "dallying" w/his jealous already spiking at the though of her being w/someone else only to learn she was instead rescuing a kitten then being w/a man over him.
They then spend some time together, hik flirting, she trying to get info out of him of what his plans are regarding his ward, to which he explains that he wants the girl married off, even though, since she's 20 & has already debuked suitors, it would be difficult to do so, while all the while trying to get under her skirts himself.
They find some oysters at the beach, there's some more kissing. He also helps/teaches her how to fight.
Oh right, he even seduced her a bit too, some minor happy happy fun time, that is for an "innocent" no less
6/10/2023
***
Chap 9-12
He wants fancy to commit to him while he's there, she doesn't because she's afraid she'll be found out, obviously. Then she runs to meath her neighbor heath Courtney & persuades him to keep up her lie so she get rid of Lucian but he just suggests that she marry him instead to which she doesn't want. Then Lucian after meeting the neighbor demands to know who the neighbor was to her even though she had already introduced him. Now he's staking claim, but she is still refusing him.
Fancy goes to find inkwell, one of the kittens & finds him nestled again lucians chest in the piano room. They flirt some more, then make an agreement. For every "advance" He wants from her, he has to give something in return. She wants to know about his life. He wants to hold her. They do so. Then there's again some happy happy fun times but still is chaste enough that's shes not compleltey ruined as of yet.
Calder, Rosslyn stepbrother breaks in & fights fancy. Then after Calder is fought of/ran off, it's revealed who fancy & Rosslyn are...awkward, because Lucian believes more men are seeking "mary" hand over his own & he doesn't like it.
Lucian speaks to her in the library & informs her they are to head to London the next day to marry her off. She explains that Calder Rosslyn stepbrother wants to marry her for her share of her inheritance to pay off his gambling debts. He comes to attack her agian but is agisn ran off. She explains this to Lucian, but he just sends her to her room to be away with her. She tells him that Rosslyn, jaines, & Olinda are to go along w/her to keep her comfortable. To which he agrees, but only if they don't have a hand in any of her schemes to not be married.
6/10/23
***
Chap 13-15
They set out into a carriage. She tries to bid heath a goodbye but he refuses. They drive separately from Rosslyn & jaines & Olinda, which unsettled her nerves - she doesn't want to be alone w/him. He ends up falling asleep. He has another nightmare. They discuss her brother. He tells her the men were all jealous that he got to be her guardian - them all thinking she could fix them. They arrive at his friends lady Clarissa
They meet lady dane, he leaves her w/lady dane. They get ready for "polite society" - they talk about lucians family & how they are all gone. He also can read & write or soemthing too.
A week later, the ball happens. Redding, his enemy tries talking up fancy. To which he disagrees w/hates even. Lady dane intervenes & tells Lucian to calm down he leaves, drowns his sorrows. Then he has another nightmare. He says he can't love anyone because of his dishonor or something like that to someone of his past.
2 wks later & Lucian avoids fancy like the plague after that disaster of the 1st ball. Another comes up, she dances again w/some potential suitor. He's the brither of Diana, the woman, she saw Lucian w/previously these past 2 wks & even saw them kiss. The guy tries convincing her that lucains is a bad guy. Then says my sister believes we to be a good match.
***
Chap 16-19
Wow, what a jerk, he plays w/her, yet still refuses to be w/her & wants her tp marry someone else, even after he tells the story of redding & his family's feud. At the ball though, he ends up stepping in between their dance agian & verbally going at him. Then his sister Diana comes to lucians defense & tells her brother that she threw herself at him yet he denied her.
Heath comes over, admits his fraudulent wrong doings of keeping her down so he can finally manage getting her under wing & to marry him instead. She's outraged, but then Redding shows his face at the same time & she's overwhelmed. Then the a person of the house comes in & says ,"come quick, he's killing hismefl" so at least there's that distraction.
Lucians smoking himself to death, feeling sorry for himself. Taj, his friend the monk, can't do anything because he made a Vow To only let him do whatever he wants & nothing against his wishes, so he gets fancy to do all thw work instead. They get him home after she convinces that he wants home. He wakes up, they have sex.
Apparently Taj locked them in his/her room to detox. She finds out that during one of drugged out moments, her brother died & he was compleltey unaware so naturally its his fault & this is how he self loathes, whatever. They have some more sex. He demands to be let out, she refuses.
***
Chap 20 & epi
He's finally let alone, he's released all his "past demons" he's in love w/fancy, they decide to he together. & in epi, Diana forgives him, they decide to move his mother elsewhere instead of on some cheap hovel. The end..
October 23, 2011
This started off ok but after beginning action it slowed down. After 100 pages in I started skimming, after 200 I skipped to last chapter. Lady Francine's guardian Lucien shows up interfering with her plans. Title & cover had very little to do with story.
February 17, 2008
Tormented Lucien is appointed the guardian to Lady Francine, who decides to masquerade as a simple servant.
This is one of those deeply psychological books. Sometimes a little too heavy.
This is one of those deeply psychological books. Sometimes a little too heavy.
May 4, 2008
Book 2 in Pleasure Series. Good.
September 25, 2009
Regency
March 28, 2010
Great sexual chemistry but I was surprised that it turned very serious in the end. Great read
January 12, 2016
Forgettable. I borrowed because it looked kinky. It was a holiday theme with nary a kink.
October 13, 2012
No me ha gustado tanto como el primero, pero he disfrutado leyéndolo. Es la primera vez que leo -que yo recuerde- a un personaje con semejante adicción.
June 13, 2015
me gusta las historias donde uno de los protagonista tiene que superar una historia tan triste
January 9, 2016
So much potential squandered in a speedy ending.
December 3, 2016
Good story about redemption and finding what is meant for you.
April 21, 2017
This statred off really great with action, tension and fun but went down from there. The first hundred pages or so went quickly but then I had to start skimming due to the fact that nothing was happening, she wrapped up the book in the final chapter which was goo but would have been better material in the middle and more history and detail on their lives.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews