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Lords of Lancashire #2
Hot Under the Collar
Despite the old saw about third sons being destined for the church, no one ever expected the rakish, irresponsible Walter Langston to take up the collar, least of all himself. After an accident renders him unfit for military service, however, he has few other options. When he’s given the post of vicar at a parish church in a sleepy, coastal village, he’s convinced he’ll molder in obscurity. Instead, his arrival brings a sudden resurgence in church attendance…or at least, the attendance of female parishioners. As word of the eligible young vicar spreads, every well-heeled family for miles with a marriageable daughter fills his pews, aiming to catch his eye. Unfortunately for these hopeful members of his flock, Walter’s eye has already been caught—by the one woman who doesn’t come to church on Sundays.
Artemisia Finch left a lucrative career as a celebrated member of London’s demimondaine to care for her ailing father. Returning home hasn’t been easy, though, as her past isn’t even a well-kept secret in the village. When the new vicar arrives on her doorstep, Artemisia is determined to send him on his merry, pious way. But Walter Langston is nothing like any man of the cloth she’s ever known—he’s funny, irreverent, handsome, and tempting as sin. Falling in love with a vicar would be a very bad idea for a former courtesan. Why does this one have to be so hot under the collar?
Artemisia Finch left a lucrative career as a celebrated member of London’s demimondaine to care for her ailing father. Returning home hasn’t been easy, though, as her past isn’t even a well-kept secret in the village. When the new vicar arrives on her doorstep, Artemisia is determined to send him on his merry, pious way. But Walter Langston is nothing like any man of the cloth she’s ever known—he’s funny, irreverent, handsome, and tempting as sin. Falling in love with a vicar would be a very bad idea for a former courtesan. Why does this one have to be so hot under the collar?
140 pages, ebook
First published June 24, 2012
22 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 19, 2012
What a fresh, memorable story! I was a little disappointed at first to realize that the hero is not a starchy vicar with a calling but one by default -- as a viscount's son with an unfortunate army experience, there's no other respectable profession open to him. Then I decided it could be interesting to read about such a situation, which presumably happened fairly often. It was indeed.
When Walter sees Artemisia Finch waiting to collect a member of his congregation, he feels both desire and a strange sense of recognition. In fact, he has seen her before -- when she was known just by her first name, as one of society's most sought after courtesans. Now she's home looking after her ailing father, and staying correctly away from condemning society. Being an unapologetically flawed human instead of a properly pious vicar, Walter feels no compunction about pursuing Artemisia -- and since she's passionate, lonely and has nothing to lose, she feels no compunction about pursuing him right back.
This story doesn't go the way you'd expect, because it's not Artemisia's journey; the focus is on Walter's growth as his conscientious efforts to be a good vicar become more. Faced with such interesting issues as pre-marital sex, post-partum depression, and death with dignity (in appropriate Regency terminology, of course,) it turns out that his worldy attitude and experience may be more valuable than "the qualities he'd thought a good vicar should possess -- piety, religious conviction, and a strong sense of 'vocation'." Indeed, it seems that "people didn't need help negotiating the spiritual world; they needed help negotiating this one."
As Walter's sympathy and live-and-let-live attitude help his parishioners, he begins to have a revolutionary thought: perhaps he can convince them to forgive and accept their resident outcast sinner, Artemisia.
This is a really charming story of a leader finding his calling on the job. I found the romance a little bit less satisfying, because the two don't spend that much non-sexual time together and but it's nicely mature, straightforward, and guilt-free. The happy ending may not seem plausible to all readers, but I thought Barbosa set it up well enough that I could believe it could happen.
When Walter sees Artemisia Finch waiting to collect a member of his congregation, he feels both desire and a strange sense of recognition. In fact, he has seen her before -- when she was known just by her first name, as one of society's most sought after courtesans. Now she's home looking after her ailing father, and staying correctly away from condemning society. Being an unapologetically flawed human instead of a properly pious vicar, Walter feels no compunction about pursuing Artemisia -- and since she's passionate, lonely and has nothing to lose, she feels no compunction about pursuing him right back.
This story doesn't go the way you'd expect, because it's not Artemisia's journey; the focus is on Walter's growth as his conscientious efforts to be a good vicar become more. Faced with such interesting issues as pre-marital sex, post-partum depression, and death with dignity (in appropriate Regency terminology, of course,) it turns out that his worldy attitude and experience may be more valuable than "the qualities he'd thought a good vicar should possess -- piety, religious conviction, and a strong sense of 'vocation'." Indeed, it seems that "people didn't need help negotiating the spiritual world; they needed help negotiating this one."
As Walter's sympathy and live-and-let-live attitude help his parishioners, he begins to have a revolutionary thought: perhaps he can convince them to forgive and accept their resident outcast sinner, Artemisia.
This is a really charming story of a leader finding his calling on the job. I found the romance a little bit less satisfying, because the two don't spend that much non-sexual time together and but it's nicely mature, straightforward, and guilt-free. The happy ending may not seem plausible to all readers, but I thought Barbosa set it up well enough that I could believe it could happen.
September 25, 2012
This is one of those reads where the author's voice made me want to overlook its flaws. Looking at the book now, it's nothing particularly fresh and/or original. She even tosses in a "He wore his hair longer than was currently fashionable," which, now that I've pointed this out, you will notice is in nearly every historical romance ever. While I was reading it, however, I didn't want to put the damn thing down. Something about the characters had me dying to know what happened next. I'd call this somewhere between a three and a four, since the ending is way too neat, but I'll round up.
September 28, 2021
This story was so-so for me.
I couldn't connect with either the heroine or hero, and the story felt rushed and lack-luster.
Although, Artemisia's past and her unapologetic attitude to the decisions she made while leaving in London made her at first interesting and unconventional, most of those qualities didn't matter much in the story. As with Walter's war injury. He was intriguing hero - not only a third son, but a vicar - but I feel any potential his character had was wasted. Speaking of Walter, he annoyed me. I couldn't look past how naïve he seemed when starting the affair with Artemisia. If the secret was out it wasn't he who would suffer the most of the community's wrath. Not to mention, he wasn't overly concerned when she voiced her fears about their relationship. All ended well of course, but still.
I understand novella format has its limits and the story needed to be short, but everything happened so quickly. Most of the qualities that made the characters interesting didn't matter, the villain was weak, and the ending rushed.
Nevertheless, I think all of this wouldn't be so bad if the sex scenes were good. I mean, the hero was man of cloth and , there should be some naughtiness there. But no. The previous book was much hotter.
2+/5 stars
I couldn't connect with either the heroine or hero, and the story felt rushed and lack-luster.
Although, Artemisia's past and her unapologetic attitude to the decisions she made while leaving in London made her at first interesting and unconventional, most of those qualities didn't matter much in the story. As with Walter's war injury. He was intriguing hero - not only a third son, but a vicar - but I feel any potential his character had was wasted. Speaking of Walter, he annoyed me. I couldn't look past how naïve he seemed when starting the affair with Artemisia. If the secret was out it wasn't he who would suffer the most of the community's wrath. Not to mention, he wasn't overly concerned when she voiced her fears about their relationship. All ended well of course, but still.
I understand novella format has its limits and the story needed to be short, but everything happened so quickly. Most of the qualities that made the characters interesting didn't matter, the villain was weak, and the ending rushed.
Nevertheless, I think all of this wouldn't be so bad if the sex scenes were good. I mean, the hero was man of cloth and , there should be some naughtiness there. But no. The previous book was much hotter.
2+/5 stars
July 20, 2012
What a charming couple, particularly the vicar. It was impossible not to like them.
It seems I'm quite jaundiced about courtesans in historical fiction. Some are portrayed more realistically than others -- like Blanche Hardcastle in Jo Beverley's Rogue series. Yes, we meet Blanche when she's a successful, accomplished and vastly popular actress but she, to paraphrase her former lover and protector Lucien, made her way up through the shadowy ranks of working girls, prostitutes and courtesans on her back. And Blanche enjoyed her sexual relationship with Lord Arden greatly. As Blanche told his wife, Beth, she would have asked him to be her lover had he not approached her first.
For the young Artemisia Finch, even though she was very beautiful, to start with a duke as a client and end up with an earl, is pretty unrealistic, to my way of thinking, without a pimp in sight, either. I was not particularly shocked at her asking Walter to couple with her, particularly since she had a handy hidden cottage -- why not, she couldn't get pregnant and she missed male companionship. That the vicar felt no compunction about a sexual relationship with a member of his congregation is part and parcel of the light, companionable air of the book. They were both adults and they met, it seemed to me, on fairly equal ground. I was disappointed when the rather obvious villain of the piece entered stage right that Artemisia did not confide in her lover but that's hardly surprising.
Leaving that aside, I enjoyed village life and the vicar's sensitive, ingenious solutions to his flocks' problems. Would they have broken into a cacaphony of "kiss her" in the church? Possibly not but it was a sweet ending for a sweet couple.
It seems I'm quite jaundiced about courtesans in historical fiction. Some are portrayed more realistically than others -- like Blanche Hardcastle in Jo Beverley's Rogue series. Yes, we meet Blanche when she's a successful, accomplished and vastly popular actress but she, to paraphrase her former lover and protector Lucien, made her way up through the shadowy ranks of working girls, prostitutes and courtesans on her back. And Blanche enjoyed her sexual relationship with Lord Arden greatly. As Blanche told his wife, Beth, she would have asked him to be her lover had he not approached her first.
For the young Artemisia Finch, even though she was very beautiful, to start with a duke as a client and end up with an earl, is pretty unrealistic, to my way of thinking, without a pimp in sight, either. I was not particularly shocked at her asking Walter to couple with her, particularly since she had a handy hidden cottage -- why not, she couldn't get pregnant and she missed male companionship. That the vicar felt no compunction about a sexual relationship with a member of his congregation is part and parcel of the light, companionable air of the book. They were both adults and they met, it seemed to me, on fairly equal ground. I was disappointed when the rather obvious villain of the piece entered stage right that Artemisia did not confide in her lover but that's hardly surprising.
Leaving that aside, I enjoyed village life and the vicar's sensitive, ingenious solutions to his flocks' problems. Would they have broken into a cacaphony of "kiss her" in the church? Possibly not but it was a sweet ending for a sweet couple.
July 27, 2012
I enjoyed Hot Under the Collar; it’s a fairly steamy romance novella with a happy-go-lucky vicar as the hero. No kidding.
One of the things I love about the romance genre is that its authors often take the accepted assumptions about the time (for example that women were downtrodden waifs whose lives were completely controlled by men) and turn them around, writing novels with independent female characters who direct their own lives. Hot Under the Collar does an excellent job of highlighting one of the cultural double standards of the time (and it’s still a double standard in our time, let me point out) that it was perfectly acceptable for men to have misadventures and then go on to be respectable members of society, but it was absolutely unacceptable for women to do the same, even if those “misadventures” were not really of their own doing. So Walter is a respectable country vicar even though he spent his youth carousing brothels and gaming hells and being a general ne’er-do-well, but Artemisia is shunned by her community because she was fully compromised (in a family way) when she was sixteen, taken in by false promises of love. Walter, as a vicar who doesn’t believe he has the right to judge anyone, ends up teaching morals and values to the entire community by behaving morally.
I loved this story and could not put it down. Walter is glorious, funny, charming, and indomitable, and Artemisia, while generally accepting her circumstances, is confident and strong, exactly the sort of character whose story I want to read. The secondary characters add depth to the story, certainly more depth than I expected from a novella, and allow us to get to know Walter in his professional guise.
I know I’m gushing, but whatever. The best books (my favorites, anyway) are the ones that make me feel better about humanity, and this one jumped to the top of my list of feel-good favorites.
One of the things I love about the romance genre is that its authors often take the accepted assumptions about the time (for example that women were downtrodden waifs whose lives were completely controlled by men) and turn them around, writing novels with independent female characters who direct their own lives. Hot Under the Collar does an excellent job of highlighting one of the cultural double standards of the time (and it’s still a double standard in our time, let me point out) that it was perfectly acceptable for men to have misadventures and then go on to be respectable members of society, but it was absolutely unacceptable for women to do the same, even if those “misadventures” were not really of their own doing. So Walter is a respectable country vicar even though he spent his youth carousing brothels and gaming hells and being a general ne’er-do-well, but Artemisia is shunned by her community because she was fully compromised (in a family way) when she was sixteen, taken in by false promises of love. Walter, as a vicar who doesn’t believe he has the right to judge anyone, ends up teaching morals and values to the entire community by behaving morally.
I loved this story and could not put it down. Walter is glorious, funny, charming, and indomitable, and Artemisia, while generally accepting her circumstances, is confident and strong, exactly the sort of character whose story I want to read. The secondary characters add depth to the story, certainly more depth than I expected from a novella, and allow us to get to know Walter in his professional guise.
I know I’m gushing, but whatever. The best books (my favorites, anyway) are the ones that make me feel better about humanity, and this one jumped to the top of my list of feel-good favorites.
July 17, 2012
I won a copy of this from Jackie Barbosa on Twitter...
Many historical romances have a corrupt vicar, usually a man who was the third son and had no other means of income. Not being a religious person at all, I've always been intrigued but that type of character. How must it have been for a person who doesn't have the desire or beliefs for such a position to have no other option to be be a vicar? It's not something I can imagine handling well myself, so it was interesting reading about Walter, a decent man who's making the best of his life as a vicar. And I'm a fan of the "fallen woman" trope, so this story was right up my alley.
Artemesia was a great character. Like Walter, she made the best of a bad situation with limited options. After having a (stillborn) child out of wedlock, there was no hope of her marrying, so she went to London and became a courtesan. When she goes back to care for her father, she has enough money of her own to live independently. She's still a pariah in her town, but she deals with it.
My one big complaint about this story is when Walter and Artemesia meet. Walter almost immediate says, "I want you," and while I, the reader, have enough of his POV to know his intentions, I felt that Artemesia should have been put off. That's the kind of behavior I'd expect of the stereotypical corrupt vicar, you know?
Other than that, I really like the way the relationship developed, and I believed that they could make it in the end, though the resolution was a little to easy for my tastes. But it's a short story, so that's understandable.
Many historical romances have a corrupt vicar, usually a man who was the third son and had no other means of income. Not being a religious person at all, I've always been intrigued but that type of character. How must it have been for a person who doesn't have the desire or beliefs for such a position to have no other option to be be a vicar? It's not something I can imagine handling well myself, so it was interesting reading about Walter, a decent man who's making the best of his life as a vicar. And I'm a fan of the "fallen woman" trope, so this story was right up my alley.
Artemesia was a great character. Like Walter, she made the best of a bad situation with limited options. After having a (stillborn) child out of wedlock, there was no hope of her marrying, so she went to London and became a courtesan. When she goes back to care for her father, she has enough money of her own to live independently. She's still a pariah in her town, but she deals with it.
My one big complaint about this story is when Walter and Artemesia meet. Walter almost immediate says, "I want you," and while I, the reader, have enough of his POV to know his intentions, I felt that Artemesia should have been put off. That's the kind of behavior I'd expect of the stereotypical corrupt vicar, you know?
Other than that, I really like the way the relationship developed, and I believed that they could make it in the end, though the resolution was a little to easy for my tastes. But it's a short story, so that's understandable.
May 30, 2013
Lovely and hot historical novella about a vicar who came to his profession rather unexpectedly and a fallen woman. I wished we would have seen more of how they actually fell in love with each other. They felt instantly lust for each other but the other part was a bit missing for me. I really loved Walther. He was such a fresh breath of air who found his calling with his new profession. Loved seeing his journey!
Favourite quote:
Favourite quote:
In fact, if it where not for his black coat and necktie, she would not for a moment have believed he was a man of the cloth. He most certainly should not be a man in clothes.
July 10, 2012
This is a charming novella about a vicar hero and a former courtesan heroine. The vicar Walter is a charmer and has a great sense of humor, and while I found it a bit improbably that the small village that had spent years looking down on Artemisia could find a way to accept and forgive her, the story is delightful.
I highly recommend this one, and I'll certainly be checking out the first and third in the series!
I highly recommend this one, and I'll certainly be checking out the first and third in the series!
August 6, 2012
Loved Walter!!! Yes, suspension of belief was needed but it was a great story, with fully developed characters. Fun, light, perfect for a quick read.
August 27, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this little ebook. I thought the plot was clever, and the characters great. I look forward to reading more work from this author.
September 22, 2025
Awesome!!!
October 27, 2021
Beautifully written
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters!
I enjoyed the theme and words of wisdom. A very inspiring read and a great romance! Enjoy!
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters!
I enjoyed the theme and words of wisdom. A very inspiring read and a great romance! Enjoy!
February 11, 2022
Good book with good messages of forgiveness. However it's not a clean, Christian romance at all.
April 27, 2022
This felt incredibly boring.
Not sure why, i loved book 1, but this one was very boring. I couldn't wait to finish it.
The sex scenes weren't very good. They had potential but they felt too rushed and i felt like everything was just happening with no prelude or feelings or any real detail.
The romance was lame, i didnt feel the love. I know its a novella but all the page time with alice and her beau or the conversation with the carpenter could’ve been put to better use to build the relationship between the two main characters. It's a short book so i feel like instead of having these things it should've been used better.
Also i didnt like how he thought of her in the beginning. I know she was a courtesan but i felt like he was just proving her point that she didnt deserve love. I would’ve preferred if he'd been admit to court her properly despite her background and have some spicy times. I feel like it would’ve combated her insecurities beautifully whereas he was basically using her cause she was "easy" imho.
This is 2 stars cause i didnt hate it enough not to finish. And i did think it was okay.
Safety: no ow drama, om is h's ex he propositions her and she declines him.
Not sure why, i loved book 1, but this one was very boring. I couldn't wait to finish it.
The sex scenes weren't very good. They had potential but they felt too rushed and i felt like everything was just happening with no prelude or feelings or any real detail.
The romance was lame, i didnt feel the love. I know its a novella but all the page time with alice and her beau or the conversation with the carpenter could’ve been put to better use to build the relationship between the two main characters. It's a short book so i feel like instead of having these things it should've been used better.
Also i didnt like how he thought of her in the beginning. I know she was a courtesan but i felt like he was just proving her point that she didnt deserve love. I would’ve preferred if he'd been admit to court her properly despite her background and have some spicy times. I feel like it would’ve combated her insecurities beautifully whereas he was basically using her cause she was "easy" imho.
This is 2 stars cause i didnt hate it enough not to finish. And i did think it was okay.
Safety: no ow drama, om is h's ex he propositions her and she declines him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2022
As a third son, Walter enters the military, but is injured in practice and sells out his commission. He takes up his studies to be a vicar. A vicar is the last position he expected to live his life. As Walter discovers life does not always follow rules, he finds a place in a community that needs him and a woman to love for the rest of his life.
A captivating story of a very sensitive, clever younlg man with a heart of gold.
A captivating story of a very sensitive, clever younlg man with a heart of gold.
July 21, 2022
I no longer go-to church myself nor do I believe in organized religion anymore but to do the thing in church goes beyond the pale. The author is truly irreverent. Apart from that it is a good story about second chances, compassion and acceptance.
January 23, 2022
Removed a star since it had no epilogue....
June 1, 2022
Not really into vicar/priest sex lives as a romance storyline. Sex in a church isn’t my thing.
October 21, 2022
Boring. Not research done to make this believably “historical”. DNF
April 16, 2024
ugh this had so much potential but I just didn’t enjoy it
December 14, 2021
Nice little novella. Totally unrealistic but it was nice that everything just worked out at the end.
April 12, 2022
Scribd Audiobook
July 8, 2012
And by one means or another, he meant to have her. In the most unholy ways imaginable.
The happy couple....
Artemisia Finch is a former courtesan who has returned home to care for her ailing father. Walter Langston is a third son who finds himself ministering to a small parish after his military career ends in injury.
The setting....
An English village. I kept picturing everything set in Dibley, with a young Richard Armitage as Walter, but without the guy who loves his sheep too much.
The storytelling....
Sexy and witty, with just enough backstory and angst and villagers and villainy to set up a believable conflict. I LOVED Walter’s common-sense approach to ministry – and I think all the preachers and theologians in my family would agree.
“Often the greatest sins are committed by those who believe they are the most righteous.”
The only thing that bothered me was that Walter seemed to say all the right things at the right time to the right people. His “everything will work out just fine” shrugging gave a lingering impression that the HEA come about too easily – even though it really didn’t. I usually whine about authors not being subtle enough, but I felt Walter’s self-discovery needed a bit more external drama to emphasize his transformation from charming rake to leader of a community.
The romance....
Did I mention that Walter is quite swoon-worthy? When he first started to seduce the reluctant heroine, I was afraid he was going to be a sleaze, but he redeemed himself pretty quickly when he commenced the wife-wooing. Artemisia was a good flawed heroine; despite her ruination, she had her own moral code that gave her the dignity and empathy to resist aiding in Walter’s potential scandal.
And yes, one or two of *those* scenes happened inside the church [*fans self*].
The recommendation....
Holy (heh) crap, this one had me written all over it before I even read it, and I wasn’t disappointed. This is one that I keep thinking about days and weeks later.
And no, I did not ask any of my Reverend Relatives if a vestry or apse or nave featured in any of their romances [*shudder*].
NOTE: I read a digital ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest review.
September 23, 2022
These might be the least sexy names for some very sexy characters, Walter and Artemisia. I did the audiobook of this and I don’t recommend going that route. The guys voice is cringey. A small town vicar and courtesan/town outcast strike up a relationship and cover hot topic religious problems.
Overall Book ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
Overall Book ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
March 29, 2014
Hot under the collar is the follow up novel to the short story The Lesson Plan. Freddie's twin, Walter Langston is a third son of a viscount who has escaped death in the military service and has reluctantly come to the conclusion that it would be safer to become a man of the cloth.
An unmarried handsome vicar attracts all sorts of prospective young ladies and their mamas, which Walter spends a great deal of time fending off.
However when he spies a beautiful young lady who does not come to Church, but who he is certain he has met in his former life, he decides to introduce himself to her.
Artemisia, what an unusual name. I know of it as a fragrant perennial herb in my garden. She's a former courtesan due to unfortunate circumstances in her youth, but now has come back to her childhood home to look after her ailing father, despite the hostility and gossip of the community.
I've read a few of Jackie's works and I love this story most of all. As always, it's well written but it's also the sweetest story of two people who fall in love when/where/ with whom they least expect. Walter is dazzled by her beauty and sexiness, she is terribly lonely. While he had a very small part in the Lesson Plan, Walter is quite yummy as the protagonist; he's kind, passionate, funny and personable. Under normal circumstances, I guess Walter would not have caught the eye of a beautiful woman such as Artemisia, but somehow, through his actions and character, he proves himself to be a hero and her savior, which made the match so much sweeter.
I hope Jackie will write an epilogue/ bonus story for Walter and Artemisia one day.
An unmarried handsome vicar attracts all sorts of prospective young ladies and their mamas, which Walter spends a great deal of time fending off.
However when he spies a beautiful young lady who does not come to Church, but who he is certain he has met in his former life, he decides to introduce himself to her.
Artemisia, what an unusual name. I know of it as a fragrant perennial herb in my garden. She's a former courtesan due to unfortunate circumstances in her youth, but now has come back to her childhood home to look after her ailing father, despite the hostility and gossip of the community.
I've read a few of Jackie's works and I love this story most of all. As always, it's well written but it's also the sweetest story of two people who fall in love when/where/ with whom they least expect. Walter is dazzled by her beauty and sexiness, she is terribly lonely. While he had a very small part in the Lesson Plan, Walter is quite yummy as the protagonist; he's kind, passionate, funny and personable. Under normal circumstances, I guess Walter would not have caught the eye of a beautiful woman such as Artemisia, but somehow, through his actions and character, he proves himself to be a hero and her savior, which made the match so much sweeter.
I hope Jackie will write an epilogue/ bonus story for Walter and Artemisia one day.
August 5, 2012
I like Walter Langston. He rises to the occasion when ever someone is needed without complaints or excuses, he just gets the business done. He wanted to be a soldier, but when that didn't work out, he accepted to become a Vicar to a sleepy town in Cumbria instead of just living off his rich family's wealth. Walter is a good person and although he was a trouble maker and a lover when he was young living in the high life of London, he has now settled down and done the best job he can as vicar to this tiny village. He is single so he is the target to every mother with an eligible daughter, but he falls for the only Lady that doesn't go to church, Miss Artemisia Finch.
Miss Finch made a big mistake when she was 15, which is normal but unforgivable to a daughter of a gentleman. So she is exiled to the outskirts of village society, but with the help of the hot young kind vicar Walter, she is earning redemption and forgiveness from the villagers.
I really didn't like the neighboring Earl Robert, but he is (in many ways) a normal selfish noble that thinks that everyone should be submitted to his whims and wishes which includes the fact that he wants Miss Finch has his mistress. She has other ideas and much better taste in men so needless to say she falls for the wonderful vicar Walter.
This is a fun historical English countryside romance with sexy time mixed in with a real story about the village and the redemption of Artemesia.
140 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
Miss Finch made a big mistake when she was 15, which is normal but unforgivable to a daughter of a gentleman. So she is exiled to the outskirts of village society, but with the help of the hot young kind vicar Walter, she is earning redemption and forgiveness from the villagers.
I really didn't like the neighboring Earl Robert, but he is (in many ways) a normal selfish noble that thinks that everyone should be submitted to his whims and wishes which includes the fact that he wants Miss Finch has his mistress. She has other ideas and much better taste in men so needless to say she falls for the wonderful vicar Walter.
This is a fun historical English countryside romance with sexy time mixed in with a real story about the village and the redemption of Artemesia.
140 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
May 30, 2013
Fans of regency romance will enjoy this one. The heroine is a "fallen" woman and she falls for the new village vicar, and her for her. They have this instant attraction for one another and act on it right away, within a day. That may seem too fast but Jackie writes a very believable lust at first sight, mainly on the part of the vicar who is a wonderful hero. The heroine isn't too bad either and compliments the hero.
If you enjoy easy to read historical novellas with sexy love scenes and a lovely couple, do give this one a try.
If you enjoy easy to read historical novellas with sexy love scenes and a lovely couple, do give this one a try.
February 2, 2015
Not bad. It was a very different kind of romance and I loved how Walter was an unconventional (to say the least) Vicar that made his parishioners see their double standards regarding scandal and their behavior - especially towards Artemesia.
The end felt rushed with a big public blowup that helped smooth everything out. i would have preferred the accepted Artemsia without the reveal. But still a sweet, quick read.
The end felt rushed with a big public blowup that helped smooth everything out. i would have preferred the accepted Artemsia without the reveal. But still a sweet, quick read.
October 29, 2012
This was a kindle freebie.
This was a pleasant read, with two very likable characters that I was happy to see get their HEA. The resolutions were a bit too neat, but that was also part of the book's charm.
Note that story ends at 84% with excerpts from other titles taking up the rest, but since I like her books, and the book was free, I didn't mind.
This was a pleasant read, with two very likable characters that I was happy to see get their HEA. The resolutions were a bit too neat, but that was also part of the book's charm.
Note that story ends at 84% with excerpts from other titles taking up the rest, but since I like her books, and the book was free, I didn't mind.
June 6, 2023
2.5 rounded up. I thought this story had potential but everything seemed to happen way too quickly, but then, it is a novella. I suppose it would have been more to my taste if there were fewer sex scenes, more dialogue between the protagonists, and more focus on the other aspects of the plot -- but I realize that's an unfair criticism of an erotic romance! Just not really my thing.
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