As an agent to the Crown, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield, has fought numerous sword fights, been shot twice, and dodged more than any man’s fair share of cannon fire. And yet nothing excites him more than the primitive hunger his former fiance, Elizabeth, arouses. Years ago, she’d jilted him for the boyishly charming Lord Hawthorne. But now, the elegant widow is his to defend, and he will do so while tending to her other, more carnal needs, showing her the depth of a real man’s desire…
...and undeniable pleasure
Dangerous secrets led to the murder of Lady Hawthorne’s husband. Secrets she now holds in a diary many would kill to obtain. But to entrust herself to the protection of the most seductive man she’s ever known? Outrageous. Unthinkable. Irresistible. For it was Marcus’s strong passions and burning desire that frightened her into abandoning him years ago…and her answering craving has never waned. Now, he means to be at her service, in every sense. And perhaps the only sensible course isn’t to resist temptation, but to surrender to it completely…
Acclaimed for her signature emotionally charged storytelling and the psychological complexity of her characters, Sylvia Day is a number one bestselling author in twenty-nine countries, with translations in forty-one languages and over twenty million copies of her books in print. Day is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, #1 Sunday Times, #1 Globe and Mail, #1 Der Spiegel, and #1 international bestselling author of over twenty award-winning novels, including six Sunday Times, ten New York Times and thirteen USA Today bestsellers. Visit the author at sylviaday.com
I enjoyed Ask For It, my first full length novel by Sylvia Day. The writing style was comfortable and easy to read which made the story flow well from one scene to the next. The prose wasn’t overly flowery – in fact, I didn’t find it flowery at all and at times had to remind myself that this was a historical romance novel because there was such a lack of… elaborate or embellished dialog that is so often a part of the genre.
I’ll just come right out and say that the sexual scenes were very hot and some were downright erotic. I mention this first because they are what stand out most in my mind after reading this book and one scene in particular had me doing an immediate re-read! But the book is more than just sex – the plot was intriguing with enough twists, turns and whodunits? to keep me interested and guessing from the start to the finish, and while I did have some idea of who the “bad guy” might be, I was surprised at the way it all came together in the end and I definitely enjoyed that aspect of the story. For a book that focused so heavily on the sexual relationship, the mystery/suspense part of the storyline was pretty darned good.
I really liked the hero, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield, and the heroine, Elizabeth, Lady Hawthorne, as individuals, but together they just didn’t do it for me. In fact, they kind of drove me batty with their constant mood changes and indecision. One minute they wanted each other and the next they didn’t. Their wishy-washiness set a tone throughout the book that made me unable to fully invest in them… to connect with them as people. I kept reading because I wanted to find out “who did it,” but there was very little in their characters as a couple that had me hoping for their happily ever after which is not to say they didn’t deserve each other or belong together, it’s just that I never found myself cheering them on or needing that outcome.
I am looking forward to the next book, Passion for the Game, Christoper St. John’s story.
The Earl of Westfield, Marcus Ashford, has been obsessed with Lady Elizabeth Hawthorn since she left him high and dry to elope with another. Now four years later, her spouse has been murdered and Marcus is determined to scratch that itch for Elizabeth so he can stop obsessing over her.
Little does he know that one taste isn't enough to quench his need, it only leaves him wanting more. The love that develops between Marcus and Elizabeth is quite intense, especially when they try to deny the magnetism.
This love story had action, murder, angst, and love scenes far too hot for a historical romance! This is the third book I have read by Sylvia Day and I can never put them down. Though I do not usually read historical romance novels, I found myself re-reading passages and absolutely fell in love with this couple.
I was in a quandry about how to rate this one 4 stars seems too low but 5 too high, so it's a 4 1/2 really!
This story for me was an interesting read, a simple plot of intrigue, treason and blackmail with enough twists to surprise, that come when you least expect them and are very believable. The plot is not laid out to you on a plate so you find yourself knowing as much or a little as the hero and heroine, it's reads a little like a *who dunnit* and when you do find out who the instigator of the intrigue is it does come as a surprise. So no faults there.
The story between Marcus (Darkly handsome, ex-fiance of the Heroine, and spy) and Elizabth (beautiful, widdow of Marcus' friend (whom she married after breaking up with Marcus following a percieved indiscretion)), is intense and deep. When Marcus and Elizabeth meet again after 4 years apart their intense sexual attraction to each other is spontainious, it's as tho' they've never been apart. Elizabeth sees this a pure lust, her emotions also fighting the fact that she feels Marcus is using their intense sexual attraction as revenge for leaving him and marrying someone else. Marcus burns for Elizabeth every time he sees her and sometimes this intense emotion turns to anger. Elizabeth and Marcus argue, they sleep apart from each other in an attempt to quell their insatiable desire for each other, but always come back to one another. They end up marrying still viewing their relationship as lust, then at some point their view changes and they accept their relationship,and each other for what it is, and when this happens the penny drops that they actually do love each other.
So why did I think about giving this 4 stars? well for me sometimes the story read a little slow, but having said that as soon as I felt like this something came along and pulled me back in, so I couldn't decide whether I was loosing interest or if that is this authors style.
Anyway all in all an enjoyable Erotic 'Regency' Romance. With a very plausible story. Recommended for anyone and everyone who like this sort of thing:)
WOW...this is an amazing wicked historical by Sylvia Day!
I'm in disbelief that it's taken only until now for me to discover this gem.
I love the premise of this story. I was instantly drawn to Marcus' and Elizabeth's story. They were engaged 4 years ago but through a misunderstanding, she eloped with someone else and he was left with a broken heart. She's now a widow out of mourning and he takes no chances that someone else possess her. She was always suppose to be his and pursues her at her very first come out. Sylvia Day shines in her description of their awareness of each other. He is determined to have her no matter the cost and she's equally determined to ensure that she doesn't end up hurt again.
What is clearly and quickly evident is their sexual pull towards each other. Marcus is the only one that has ever made her feel that inner fire. Marcus launches a sensual onslaught that she's unable to resist however hard she tries. They experience a carnal thirst for each other that can't seem to be satisfied. What ensues is a veritable feast of sexual encounters. It naughty and it's plentiful and to me since this is historical, this kind of highly arousing coupling is that much more taboo and makes it that much more erotic. There were many gasp worthy sex scenes. ::fanning self::
What they didn’t count on is the fire that they were determined to exhaust with an affair is only the beginning. There’s intrigue, action, and emotions are finally acknowledged and realized.
But for me this stands out mostly as a scorching hot historical. What you would expect from the author that brought us Gideon and Eva – just in a different time and place but no less wonderful and exciting to read.
I normally love Sylvia Day books, but this one fell flat for me. Nothing really HAPPENED in it aside from the initial reunion between Elizabeth & Marcus and the climax at the end with the villain. I did not like Elizabeth at all. She spent the entire book complaining and pushing Marcus away for his supposed faults or mistakes, when in truth she was blaming him out of her own lack of trust. Every time you turned the page she was mad at him or barring him from her bed or crying because he didn't listen to her. She was a spoiled brat who didn't deserve him. Marcus would have been a great hero, if he hadn't put up with her crap for the whole book. I never quite understood why he had such a depth of feelings for her. A disappointment for sure.
Kitabın ilk başları bir türlü ilgimi çekmedi, okurken sıkıldım... Hep aynı şeyler, kadın adama direniyor, adam kadını zorla alıkoyuyor, sonra gün yatakta sona eriyor.. Ama ilerleyen sayfalarda Elizabeth'in ölen kocasının bıraktığı günlükle ilgili olaylar ne zaman ortaya çıktı,işte o zaman biraz daha ilgi çekici bir hale geldi benim için roman.. Çiftin birbirlerine karşı olan duyguları da zaman ilerledikçe hissedildi neyse ki, korktuydum sonuna kadar sadece şehvetlerini okuyacağım diye...
Out of 5 star: Overall: 2 Romance: 3.5 Sensuality: 3 Sex: 4 Hero: 2 Heroine: 2 Secondary Characters: 2 Likely hood of reading the rest of the series: 0
I didn't really like this book. Mostly because I spent the first half of the book hating the heroine Elizabeth because she was a cold cruel bitch to the hero Marcus. Then I spend the second half of the book hating the hero because we was a cold cruel bastard to the heroin.
It seemed like the same events kept happening over and over again throughout the book with slightly varying circumstances. They make progress, they, pull away, they have an argument, and they have sex. It was just stupid. I really didn't want to finish this book. But she is such a popular author and I had tried reading another book by her and couldn't finish it. So I told myself to keep reading that hopefully in the end it would be okay. WRONG!
I didn't like the h/h and I really didn't like the story either. So I think I will have to put Sylvia Day on my no read shelf.
This book was painful to read. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood to find the romance between a desperate cof-cof "in love" hero and an extremely difficult widow...credible?
Hm, I don't particularly like it when a widow is so difficult to express her feelings, especially when she's attracted to the hero and didn't love her husband 🤷♀️ and her jealousy, omg, just toxic!!
Anyway Marcus..."Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me".
note to self: not worth reading the "second chances" trope, you don't like it!!
Marcus and Elizabeth reunite years after a broken off engagement. Elizabeth cried off but with very good reason. Marcus doesn't quite see it that way!
Marcus is still angry and very much still in love.
But can they forget the past and move forward?
The chemistry between the two is sizzling hot!
One scene I will not forget is when Elizabeth is feeling bereft and unsatisfied seeking to easy herself rather than giving into Marcus. Just as she begins Marcus bursts into the bedroom declaring "Stubborn,contrary, maddening wench! I can hear you!"
Then proceeds to take matters into his own hands literally! VERY HOT!!!!!!
I do not care that this book was written in 2006, to me this is a bodice-ripper. If you like a hero that ties the heroine up, spanks her, and rapes her when she says no, this is the book for you.
I have read Sylvia day before and her sex scenes are hot! Although I have enjoyed all of her work, this one was the hardest for me to read. I put it down halfway through and took a break. Fortunately, when I came back to it, the last half was easier for me to read.
De laatste boeken van mijn grote idool vallen erg tegen. Het lukt me maar niet om me te identificeren met de hoofdpersonen. Er wordt geen aandacht besteed aan het gevoelsleven van de personen en het waarom ze doen wat ze doen. Erg oppervlakkig allemaal. Jammer!
I sincerely hope critics or those on the fence of deciding whether or not romance is worth their time, never read this book. It is all that is wrong with romance and the depictions of sexuality that give romance novels a bad name. NO means NO. I don't care what is in her eyes, I don't care how much her bosoms heave at your touch, if she says no, stop. I have really enjoyed other Sylvia Day books, this one was a big disappointment.
Good enough, though some social and historical facts incorrect, but the storyline was enjoyable. I guess it must be quite difficult writing about Regency England as an American living in 20/21st century and trying for authenticity. Generally pretty good though.
3-3.5 stars for me, but enough to say it is of sufficient interest to continue the series.
Few pick ups I’ve highlighted and made open to view.
Kitap Adı : Arzulanan Kadın Yazar Adı : Sylvia Day Orjinal Adı : Ask For İt Goodreads Puanı : 5/3,81 Puanım : 5/4,5
Sylvia Day 2013 yılında tanıdığım yazarlardan. Yazarı tanımak benim için bir sürpriz oldu aslında çünkü kaleminden bu kadar zevk alacağımı beklemiyordum..Doğan Kitap'dan çıkmış olan Crossfire Serisini henüz okumadım çevirinin kötü olduğunu duyduğum için bu konu da kararsızım. Pegasus Yayınevi'nden çıkan Historical kitaplarının tiryakisi oldum.
Her kitabını okuyuşumda beni bambaşka diyarlara götürüyor.Aşk sahnelerini her ne kadar çoğumuzun cüretkar bulacağı düzeyde yazsa da yazarın yansıttığı aşkı okumayı çok seviyorum. Buna ek olarak da bu kitap dört kitaplık Goergian Serisi 1714-1830 dönemlerinde geçiyor. Casusluk Tarih Tomans,Tutku,Erotizm temaları ile işlenmiş. Yazar aşk ile tutkuyu çok iyi harmanlıyor ve kalemi çok etkili. Bu okuduğum üçüncü kitabı konu ve tema bakımından çok zengin. Özellikle belirtmek istediğim roman ve filmlerde cüretkar aşk sahnelerinden hoşlanmıyorsanız bu yazara hiç yaklaşmayın derim. Çünkü bu romanda son zamanlar da moda olan tipte olmasa sa oldukça cüretkar sahneler var. Fakat bu sahneler de sapkınlık yok sadece çok cüretkar, romanda sahiplenici bir aşk da var. Kıskanan erkek ve kadın var. Üçüncü şahıs ile paylaşım yok.Zaten o tipte bir kitap olsa kitabın yanına bile yaklaşmazdım.
Kitabın Konusu :
Lady Elizabeth Hawthorne nişanlısı Marcus Asford'u dört yıl önce apansız terk ederek bir başka erkek ile apar topar evlenmişti. Marcus o olaydan sonra ülkeyi terk eder. Babası ölünceye kadar da dönmez..Ayrıca Kraliyet için çalışan gizli bir teşkilat için de çalışmaya başlamıştır. Elizabeth'in onu terk etmesinden dört yıl sonra dönmüştür ülkeye. Onun kocasını bir yıl önce öldürüldüğünü de öğrenir. Teşkilattaki şefi Elizabeth koruması için onu görevlendirmek ister fakat geçmişlerini öğrenince başka birisini görevlendirmek isterse de Marcus şefini ikna eder. Lord Hawthorne katillerini bulmak ve Elizabeth'i koruma görevlerini üstlenir. Dört yıl önce Elizabeth tarafından terk edilmiş olmasının acısını içinden atamamış ve nedenini öğrenememiştir.O yüzden onunla aynı ülkede kalamamış onun başka bir erkekle olmasını kesinlikle kabullenememiş bu durum ona büyük bir acı vermiş onu içinde saplantı haline getirmiştir.. İşte onu korurken bu eski hesaplaşmayı da Elizabeth ile yaparak ondan hesap sormayı ondan acımasızca intikam almayı hedeflemiş ve ona olan ihtiyacını gidermeyi hedeflemesi aralarındaki cinsel gerilimin etkisi ile de birbirlerine daha da fazla bağlanırlar..Öyle ki birbirlerinden denedikleri halde kopamazlar.
Özellikle Elizabeth Marcus'dan sonra evlendiği eşi ile çok da tutkulu olmayan bir evliliği paylaştıktan sonra Marcus ile bu tip beraberlik yaşaması onu alt üst eder. Her şey karma karışık olur. Bir yandan yaşadıkları tutkulu ilişki,bir yandan da Elizabath'n peşine düşen kişilerin kararlılığı ile durum ölüm-kalım savaşına dönüşür. Bu tehlikeli durum ile birbirlerine ya güvenecekler ya da durum daha da vahim olaylara neden olacaktır.
Çok güzel bir hikaye idi. Baştan itibaren katilin kim olduğunu az çok tahmin etsemde okurken büyük bir zevk ve heyecan ile okudum. Şimdi merakla serinin ikinci kitabını bekliyorum.Tavsiyemdir..
4.5 Stars. This book had everything I love except a certain indefinable quality which makes a novel 5 star worthy for me.
Marcus and Elizabeth are very real characters with all the flaws that makes human beings what they are. Because of my background in psychology I appreciated the complexities of their characters. I understood Elizabeth's fears of needing Marcus so intensely. I mean imagine if you have to depend on someone else for the very air you breathe or the modicum of sanity you maintain despite the crazy world you live in. I also understood Marcus' unrelentless pursuit of Elizabeth. Somehow he understood her more than others...he challenged all the barriers and broke down the walls to get to her love. Since he is human and therefore flawed himself he had his moment of fear and weakness which came to pass very quickly. They were two souls unwillingly drawn to each other but very incompatible in their personalities. Elizabeth's doubts and jealousy and Marcus' possessiveness and arrogance destroyed their chances of happiness once...but thankfully they came to their senses the second time and got together which was inevitable for them. Day's love scenes rivals that of Hoyt's which is high praise coming from a Hoyt 'fan girl'.
The spy-story line was interesting...I guessed pretty quickly who the villain was but I was kept in a constant state of doubt and when the mystery was revealed there were many surprising components which resulted in a satisfying resolution.
There are two things that bothered me about this book but I can't reveal it without spoiling the surprises so I will just vent to people who have already read the book lol.
So far I have not read a Day book I have not enjoyed...but I have only read her historical novels so I couldn't comment on her contemporary work.
Wow my first Sylvia Day book.. Lady Elizabeth Hawthorne jilted her former lover Marcus Ashford, Earl of Westfield due to a misunderstanding. Hastily she elopes with her brother's friend and finds herself widowed a year later. After three years of mourning the two are reacquainted when Marcus tries to find who murdered Elizabeth's husband. Stil harboring ill feelings towards Marcus, Elizabeth fights him at every single turn even denying her own passions. Now I must say that this story has some ups and downs. Though the Hero was arrogant and conceited he was lovable to me. I actually liked him more than the heroine. Speaking of her, she was annoying and stubborn to no ends. She fought him so hard and he still chased her. Even when she finally discovered the truth of what had occurred four years earlier, she still kept acting like an idiot. At one point, I wanted him to give her up. I think the plot could have been tighter. The whole mystery and danger kind of fell flat to me and it was disappointing. All the cat and mouse game that the H/H played the entire book could have been dealt with half way through the book and they should have work together to solve the mystery and rediscover love with one another. However it was still a good read. I loved the steamy love scenes. There was alot of them but I still enjoyed them.
Wow! Super Sexy! This is excellent reading if you're looking for intense and explicit sex.
The plot, characters and their actions were interesting but not great enough to earn 5 stars. Elizabeth was engaged to Marcus and sees him with another woman having just showered. It was an innocent shower, because the woman had fallen into the river. Elizabeth never took time to hear the truth. She ran away and married Hawthorne. Hawthorne later died, and then Marcus arrogantly pursued Elizabeth.
The storyline didn't grab me, so it was very put-downable. When I forced myself to finish it, it was actually pretty interesting though. Just not one of my favs.
Elizabeth annoyed me because even when she found out she still treated him like he was a bad guy. Huh?
Then, Marcus annoyed me because Huh?
The storyline with St John was somewhat interesting. The love scenes were decent enough. The book was ok, but nothing I'd jump up and down about.
2do libro de Sylvia Day, que leo. Buscaba algo light, necesitaba algo que mis celulas grises no tuvieran que trabajar y solo dejarme llevar por la paginas y la historia.
Es un libro que se le rapido, pero si estas buscando algo de trama o desarrollo de personajes este no es libro a seleccionar. En este libro la autora ha sacrificado toda la trama a favor de las escenas de sexo. Hay muchisimas, ( casi el 60% del libro, por Dios!!!) talvez demasiadas, y el argumento queda en un discreto segundo plano, a merced de lo que ocurra en la cama de los protagonistas.
En fin un libro para pasar el rato, pero que aportara poco.
J’avais un peu des appréhensions en ce qui concerne ce livre sur plusieurs aspects. Tout d’abord, je suis une grande fan de Sylvia Day ainsi que de sa plume, mais j’avais peur qu’elle se différencie beaucoup de celle dans la série #Crossfire. Alors, je sais qu’on est dans les années 1770 et que c’est logique que son écriture change, mais j’ai été ravi de voir qu’elle garde toujours autant d’importance à certains détails. J’appréhendais assez sur l’histoire et le contexte. Au début, j’étais dans le flou total parce qu’il y avait beaucoup trop d’informations, mais surtout de personnages balancer dans un seul chapitre. Accorder les prénoms au nom de famille n’a pas était évident pour ma part. Nous débutons tellement dans l’incompréhension entre les deux personnages, Marcus et Elizabeth. Une romance tellement pure, intense et attachante entre nos personnages m’a semblé évidente. J’ai adoré ce livre. Le côté mystérieux m’a beaucoup plus, j’attendais tellement avec impatience la fin du livre pour enfin découvrir ce qu’on attend depuis le début. Le côté historique donne tellement de charme à cette histoire qu’on s’attache vraiment à tous les éléments, à toutes les émotions, à tous les sentiments, à tous les dialogues et paragraphes tellement bien écrits qui nous transportent dans le temps réel. Sylvia Day m’a encore une fois conquise. J’ai vraiment hâte de lire le tome 2 qui à ma grande déception parlera de deux autres personnes. Je demande juste à être surprise.
This reads more like a bodice-ripper even though it was written in the 2000's. The hero forces himself on the heroine multiple times, even raping her 20% into the book. This is a second-chance romance with animosity between the main couple. I initially thought the sexual tension between the hero and heroine was delicious. Then I started to dislike the heroine for her stubbornness, mild jealousy, and unwillingness to trust the hero. The hero's not that great either (see sentence 2 above). Ultimately, this became a toxic relationship and the push and pull got repetitive and tedious after the halfway point. But the steam is great and occurred frequently! With words like "f*ck" and "c*nt." And this is during the Georgian era.
I kept reading because I was interested in the subplot about the heroine's dead husband's journal. The hero, the heroine's brother, and her dead husband were all agents of the Crown. The heroine's husband was murdered because supposedly his journal contained coded messages of his assignments. It was sent to the heroine, putting her life in danger, so the hero insists on being her bodyguard (of sorts) and decoding the message (no luck there). Unfortunately, and I'm semi-quoting a 1-star reviewer, "this subplot took a backseat to the "romance" that it was in a completely different vehicle." 🤣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Netter Erotikroman für zwischendurch. Man merkt, dass dieser vor Crossfire entstanden ist. Mit Eva und Gideon können diese beiden Charaktere nicht mithalten. Stellenweise waren Elizabeth und Marcus schon leicht nervig. Dafür waren die Nebencharaktere wieder richtig gut. Hat mich jedenfalls super unterhalten können :)
This was a hate finish. I hated this book. The hero's a jerk. The heroine is a jerk. Hopefully they can live together forever in their jerkiness.
I wouldn't even bother reviewing this, except I want to flag something here for other readers.
So, about twenty percent of the way into the book, they end up in a bedroom together. She tries to leave, but he grabs her and throws her face down on the bed. He holds her down and then ties her hands together with his cravat. At which point he says, "I should have done this years ago. But I was lost in your charmsand failed to see the signs. Even until this moment, I thought you so skittish that a gentle hand was necessary not to frighten you. Now I realize you need a good, hard riding to be broken properly."
Uh, no. And ew.
So she keeps trying to get away but he strips her down. She's kicking and fighting and screaming, so he spanks her until she finally stops fighting him. When she tells him she hates him, he says, "You protest too much, love. You will thank me eventually. I've given you the freedom to enjoy me. You can fight all you want and still get what you desire. All the pleasure and none of the guilt...Let yourself go, sweet. If you must be forced, why not relish the experience?"
IN WHAT UNIVERSE IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE SEXY? BECAUSE NO. THAT IS RAPE. RAPE IS NEITHER SEXY NOR ROMANTIC.
I should have just thrown the book at that point, but I kept reading wondering how in the heck Day was going to salvage this.
I really liked it - no idea why there are so many bad reviews ☺ It was a VERY erotic suspense historical ... I liked him - I liked her ☺ I liked the brother and sil. there was a lot of back and forth and misunderstandings and being mad at the other person - but it's a romance novel - that's to be expected! I enjoyed it and I will definitely read the other 3 books in the series!!
They really did not need to be together. What a bitter woman. How can she be mad at him for breaking up with him in a situation where she was all wrong and then getting mad because he had other women when you weren't with her? That's a run on sentence, that's how much the book annoyed me. How dumb, she is a terrible woman. The hero was terrible as well. The intimate scenes were nasty because he basically had to force her; She even mentions it herself. This was a terrible historical "romance". The paperback exchange section of my library let me down with this one.
Absolutely LOVED this book!!! It reminded me of why I fell in love with historical romances in the first place. out of the hundreds of books I have read, only about 6 of them have ever gotten a 5 star review from me and 2 of her books have. As a warning- this is a pretty steamy romance that walks a fine line between bodice ripper and erotica. Though there were a LOT of sex scenes, I never felt as though they were raunchy or over the top. They added meaning to the plot and were nicely written. This book is the 1st in a 4 book series.