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London's Greatest Lovers #3
Waking Up With the Duke
9 hours, 29 minutes
They are masters of seduction, London's greatest lovers . . .
Renowned for his bedchamber prowess, Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owes a debt to a friend. But the payment expected is most shocking, even to an unrepentant rake - for he's being asked to provide his friend's exquisite wife with what she most dearly covets: a child. Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one. Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort, is furious that such a scandalous agreement would be made. If she acquiesces, there must be rules: No kissing - and, certainly, no pleasure.
Until love takes them by surprise....
But unexpected things occur with the surprisingly tender duke - especially once Lady Jayne discovers the rogue can make her dream again - and Ransom realizes he's found the one woman he truly cannot live without.
They are masters of seduction, London's greatest lovers . . .
Renowned for his bedchamber prowess, Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owes a debt to a friend. But the payment expected is most shocking, even to an unrepentant rake - for he's being asked to provide his friend's exquisite wife with what she most dearly covets: a child. Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one. Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort, is furious that such a scandalous agreement would be made. If she acquiesces, there must be rules: No kissing - and, certainly, no pleasure.
Until love takes them by surprise....
But unexpected things occur with the surprisingly tender duke - especially once Lady Jayne discovers the rogue can make her dream again - and Ransom realizes he's found the one woman he truly cannot live without.
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First published June 28, 2011
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About the author
Lorraine Heath
90 books4,376 followersAlso writes Young Adult under Rachel Hawthorne, Jade Parker, and with her son as J.A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 715 reviews
August 11, 2016
Warning: This review is filled with spoilers, profanities, and graphic threats of violence against a specific character that would make Hannibal proud. If you still want read on, go ahead, but don't say I didn't warn you. This won't be pretty, because I'm writing this while I'm mad as hell. In fact, here's a preview of what's to come:
I respect Lorraine Heath's storytelling abilities very much. So much so, in fact, that I always take a risk with her, even if the premise of her stories would normally warrant me running for the hills. And this is one of such stories. I mean, hello, a woman getting knocked up by another man because her own husband couldn't give her a child? My normal reaction to that would be a big "fuck, no" because I'm probably the greatest stickler for morality you could ever meet in life, and I just cannot—cannot—tolerate infidelity. And violence against women, manipulation, and the hero loving the heroine and another woman at the same time (ugh).
All themes I have encountered in Lorraine Heath's works. But they didn't end up as 1 or 2-star books, which says a lot, believe me. In fact, I ended up liking or even loving them. Why? Because her writing is nothing if not brilliant, and her characters are normally very compelling. They have many dimensions to them, and there's always something about them that manages to redeem whatever mistake they've made in the story.
But that's not the case with this.
Because there is no way I could ever forgive Walfort, that lying, deceiving, manipulative, unrepentant motherfucker. If he didn't die at the end the book, I would have killed that bastard myself. No, I wouldn't have finished him off quickly—I'm not that kind. Instead, I would have tortured him slowly—flayed his skin as he looked on, tore his limbs one by one—and then I would laugh, laugh so hard, as he'd lie there, begging me to end his agony. But of course, I would let him bleed to death, because he deserved nothing less. Yes, I hate him that much.
Okay, before you brand me as a psychotic SOB, let me give you a brief run-through of what happened. You see, Walfort was the heroine's husband, the same husband who persuaded her to let his best friend, Ainsley, impregnate her. Walfort here suffered an accident that prevented him from doing that particular job. And he blamed Ainsley for it, and used that reason to blackmail him into doing the deed with his wife.
Yeah, amazing, right? And as if that wasn't disgusting enough, you'll find out later that he actually lied to Ainsley. Yes, you read that right: he fucking lied to his best friend to manipulate him . And when Ainsley confonted him, you would think that he would at least be sorry, especially since he was about to die at that time, but no. The fucker, as I said, was an unrepentant piece of shit.
You see? No remorse at all. And to make matters worse, he had another family while married to the heroine. He was actually fucking his mistress while the heroine was pregnant the first time, with his child (but she later on miscarried). Seriously, fuck you. Fuck you to hell, Walfort. Fuck. You.
My hatred for Walfort affected my feelings for Ainsley, sadly, because Ainsley knew about his other children and didn't tell the heroine. Sure, I get it, it was out of loyalty for his best friend, but what the fuck, you would think that his love for the woman would override that. She deserved to know the truth, damn it. She deserved to have a shred of dignity left after her sham of a marriage to that pig sapped everything from her.
I'm sorry, but yes, my hatred for a particular character overshadowed everything else in the book. As with all my reviews, I'm just being honest about my feelings. This book made me feel like shit, and I just can't lie about that.
I respect Lorraine Heath's storytelling abilities very much. So much so, in fact, that I always take a risk with her, even if the premise of her stories would normally warrant me running for the hills. And this is one of such stories. I mean, hello, a woman getting knocked up by another man because her own husband couldn't give her a child? My normal reaction to that would be a big "fuck, no" because I'm probably the greatest stickler for morality you could ever meet in life, and I just cannot—cannot—tolerate infidelity. And violence against women, manipulation, and the hero loving the heroine and another woman at the same time (ugh).
All themes I have encountered in Lorraine Heath's works. But they didn't end up as 1 or 2-star books, which says a lot, believe me. In fact, I ended up liking or even loving them. Why? Because her writing is nothing if not brilliant, and her characters are normally very compelling. They have many dimensions to them, and there's always something about them that manages to redeem whatever mistake they've made in the story.
But that's not the case with this.
Because there is no way I could ever forgive Walfort, that lying, deceiving, manipulative, unrepentant motherfucker. If he didn't die at the end the book, I would have killed that bastard myself. No, I wouldn't have finished him off quickly—I'm not that kind. Instead, I would have tortured him slowly—flayed his skin as he looked on, tore his limbs one by one—and then I would laugh, laugh so hard, as he'd lie there, begging me to end his agony. But of course, I would let him bleed to death, because he deserved nothing less. Yes, I hate him that much.
Okay, before you brand me as a psychotic SOB, let me give you a brief run-through of what happened. You see, Walfort was the heroine's husband, the same husband who persuaded her to let his best friend, Ainsley, impregnate her. Walfort here suffered an accident that prevented him from doing that particular job. And he blamed Ainsley for it, and used that reason to blackmail him into doing the deed with his wife.
Yeah, amazing, right? And as if that wasn't disgusting enough, you'll find out later that he actually lied to Ainsley. Yes, you read that right: he fucking lied to his best friend to manipulate him . And when Ainsley confonted him, you would think that he would at least be sorry, especially since he was about to die at that time, but no. The fucker, as I said, was an unrepentant piece of shit.
“Why would you let me believe all these years that my reckless handling of the horses resulted in the accident?”
“Because, my friend, guilt is a very valuable currency, and I needed to ensure you watched over my jewels.”
“I would have watched over them regardless,” he said.
“I had to ensure it, old boy.”
You see? No remorse at all. And to make matters worse, he had another family while married to the heroine. He was actually fucking his mistress while the heroine was pregnant the first time, with his child (but she later on miscarried). Seriously, fuck you. Fuck you to hell, Walfort. Fuck. You.
My hatred for Walfort affected my feelings for Ainsley, sadly, because Ainsley knew about his other children and didn't tell the heroine. Sure, I get it, it was out of loyalty for his best friend, but what the fuck, you would think that his love for the woman would override that. She deserved to know the truth, damn it. She deserved to have a shred of dignity left after her sham of a marriage to that pig sapped everything from her.
I'm sorry, but yes, my hatred for a particular character overshadowed everything else in the book. As with all my reviews, I'm just being honest about my feelings. This book made me feel like shit, and I just can't lie about that.
May 28, 2011
As much as I love Regency Romance novels, most of them have two things in common that I could really live without: A young innocent, virginal heroine... and a long, long wait for a sexual payoff. The first, I find unrelatable and get somewhat irritated that an insipid 19 year-old is the "woman" I'm supposed to rooting for. The second generally makes me impatient and frustrated.
It would be easy to say I was crazy about this book because it features a grown woman with a sexual history --and because we get to the action quickly. But it wouldn't do the book justice. There was even more to fall in love with.
Jayne is a loyal and loving wife to Walfort. Three years ago, her husband was in a carriage accident that left him paralyzed. She's been taking care of him ever since. In addition to the obvious hardship of his care, she also lost the baby she was carrying due to the stress of his near-death experience. And she has no chance to have another, since the accident robbed him of the ability to make love.
Walfort decides his wife deserves a baby, and he gets it in his head to ask his best friend Ainsley to get the job done. Ainsley is notorious rake and he still feels guilty that he escaped the carriage accident unscathed, when Walfort was so badly injured. Jayne is appalled by the idea. Not only is she a woman utterly devoted to her husband, but she blames Ainsley for the accident and hates his guts. But Ainsley uses his exceptional charms to change her mind --and soon she is at his county estate for a month of, er, family planning.
Jayne is a really great lead. She is a good woman, who is struggling to deal with the terrible hand life has dealt her. And we see her slowly come alive under Ainsley's care. The romance is both sexy and quite lovely. The first half of the book flies by.
It's not hard to figure out there is only one way for our characters to have a happy ending. And as the inevitable happens, the book does lose a little bit of steam. It takes Jayne a little too long to come around. Yes, her misgivings are well-within character, but by this point, I'm ready to get back to all the romance and sex that was so great at the beginning. And, of course, we do get there.
At no time did I ever find fault with Jayne for falling in love with Ainsley. If anything, as the book progressed, I find her husband to be more and more of a slimy toad, unworthy of his wife. There's a lot of heartache and heartbreak on these pages, but it makes a happy ending so much sweeter when we get there.
This was a good one. 4 1/2 stars.
It would be easy to say I was crazy about this book because it features a grown woman with a sexual history --and because we get to the action quickly. But it wouldn't do the book justice. There was even more to fall in love with.
Jayne is a loyal and loving wife to Walfort. Three years ago, her husband was in a carriage accident that left him paralyzed. She's been taking care of him ever since. In addition to the obvious hardship of his care, she also lost the baby she was carrying due to the stress of his near-death experience. And she has no chance to have another, since the accident robbed him of the ability to make love.
Walfort decides his wife deserves a baby, and he gets it in his head to ask his best friend Ainsley to get the job done. Ainsley is notorious rake and he still feels guilty that he escaped the carriage accident unscathed, when Walfort was so badly injured. Jayne is appalled by the idea. Not only is she a woman utterly devoted to her husband, but she blames Ainsley for the accident and hates his guts. But Ainsley uses his exceptional charms to change her mind --and soon she is at his county estate for a month of, er, family planning.
Jayne is a really great lead. She is a good woman, who is struggling to deal with the terrible hand life has dealt her. And we see her slowly come alive under Ainsley's care. The romance is both sexy and quite lovely. The first half of the book flies by.
It's not hard to figure out there is only one way for our characters to have a happy ending. And as the inevitable happens, the book does lose a little bit of steam. It takes Jayne a little too long to come around. Yes, her misgivings are well-within character, but by this point, I'm ready to get back to all the romance and sex that was so great at the beginning. And, of course, we do get there.
At no time did I ever find fault with Jayne for falling in love with Ainsley. If anything, as the book progressed, I find her husband to be more and more of a slimy toad, unworthy of his wife. There's a lot of heartache and heartbreak on these pages, but it makes a happy ending so much sweeter when we get there.
This was a good one. 4 1/2 stars.
January 2, 2015
I must confess that I had my doubts about this book from the moment I read the synopsis. I don't think I would have picked it up were I not familiar with this author, and particularly had I not read the prequels to this novel. Maybe that means it simply wasn't for me to begin with, but I did want to read Ainsly's story.
Here's the premise: Jane's husband is paralyzed and can't get her pregnant. He wants her to have a child, so he convinces his cousin, the Duke of Ainsly, to do the deed for him. Jane reluctantly agrees, so the two go off to spend a month together, during which time they fall in love.
I have never cared for a historical romance in which a married woman falls in love with someone else, and this was no exception. Inevitably, we spend the entire book waiting for the husband to die because that's the only thing that can happen. It's morbid. It's disturbing. And it is decidedly UNromantic. It doesn't even matter if the husband is a jerk. This guy...he was okay. Had his faults. But I certainly didn't want him to die. Meanwhile, all the scenes in which Jane and Ainsly come together were blackened by the knowledge of what had to happen for their HEA to come to pass, leaving me dead inside.
To make a long story short: They weren't free to love one another. So I wasn't free to fall in love with the idea of them coming together.
Here's the premise: Jane's husband is paralyzed and can't get her pregnant. He wants her to have a child, so he convinces his cousin, the Duke of Ainsly, to do the deed for him. Jane reluctantly agrees, so the two go off to spend a month together, during which time they fall in love.
I have never cared for a historical romance in which a married woman falls in love with someone else, and this was no exception. Inevitably, we spend the entire book waiting for the husband to die because that's the only thing that can happen. It's morbid. It's disturbing. And it is decidedly UNromantic. It doesn't even matter if the husband is a jerk. This guy...he was okay. Had his faults. But I certainly didn't want him to die. Meanwhile, all the scenes in which Jane and Ainsly come together were blackened by the knowledge of what had to happen for their HEA to come to pass, leaving me dead inside.
To make a long story short: They weren't free to love one another. So I wasn't free to fall in love with the idea of them coming together.
April 28, 2018
I love this book! Lorraine Heath proves yet again why she is one of my top favourite authors with this beautifully written and wonderfully romantic love story.
Ainsley really made this book for me. He’s such a wonderful hero; a tender, sweet, caring man. I love how he treats Jayne with such patience and sensitivity; how he is totally devoted to fulfilling her every desire; how he makes her feel treasured.
He wanted her to have happiness. He wanted to give her what Walfort could not, regardless of the cost to himself.
My heart went out to Jayne. She has lost everything but still shows strength and courage. She remains a devoted wife despite her husband’s lack of affection but longs for things she cannot have.
…she so desperately wanted to feel again. Pleasure, hope, possibilities, dreams, passion.
I love how Ms Heath shows the relationship between Ainsley and Jayne slowly changing over the course of the month they spend together. She makes their romance both believable and emotionally satisfying. Jayne’s feelings towards Ainsley don’t suddenly change overnight but, as they spend more time together, she comes to enjoy his company, to understand him, to respect him and ultimately fall in love with him.
She was capturing more glimpses into the man, and each one touched her heart.
Who wouldn’t fall in love with a man who treats you like the most precious woman in the world?
I have always admired Ms Heath’s writing. Highly evocative, deeply emotional and lushly sensual, she creates a real sense of mood and atmosphere whether it’s moments that are…
romantic…
“I love you, Jayne Seymour, future Duchess of Ainsley, with all my heart and soul.”
or
poignant…
Lowering his head, he placed a kiss on the spot where their child—for this moment in time it was theirs—grew.
or
sensual…
His talented hands roamed over every dip, peak, and valley. His mouth left hers, to journey along her flesh, trailing across her neck, teasing the delicate underside of her chin. Lower, to her shoulders. A nip here. A love bite there.
Walfort is a difficult character to define. I suppose you would have to call him the villain of the piece but his actions aren’t truly villainous and I’m glad that Ms Heath paints him in shades of grey rather than stark black. I certainly didn’t like him for all the pain he caused Jayne but neither could I truly hate him.
In the previous books, I always had a soft spot for Ainsley’s mother Tess and her younger lover, Leo. Tess loves her sons and really wants to see them happy and Leo is such a sweetheart and it’s obvious he loves Tess to distraction. I was so pleased to see them finally get their Happy Ever After.
His arm came around her, holding her near. It took long moments for their breathing to return to normal, for their hearts to stop pounding. Content, she began drifting off to sleep.
“By the way, Tess . . .”
“Hmm?”
“The answer is yes. I’ll marry you.”
This is such a beautifully crafted and emotionally satisfying love story which really touches the heart. Highly recommended.
RATING : 5/5 Stars
SENSUALITY RATING : HOT
London's Greatest Lovers series (click on book for more details)
Ainsley really made this book for me. He’s such a wonderful hero; a tender, sweet, caring man. I love how he treats Jayne with such patience and sensitivity; how he is totally devoted to fulfilling her every desire; how he makes her feel treasured.
He wanted her to have happiness. He wanted to give her what Walfort could not, regardless of the cost to himself.
My heart went out to Jayne. She has lost everything but still shows strength and courage. She remains a devoted wife despite her husband’s lack of affection but longs for things she cannot have.
…she so desperately wanted to feel again. Pleasure, hope, possibilities, dreams, passion.
I love how Ms Heath shows the relationship between Ainsley and Jayne slowly changing over the course of the month they spend together. She makes their romance both believable and emotionally satisfying. Jayne’s feelings towards Ainsley don’t suddenly change overnight but, as they spend more time together, she comes to enjoy his company, to understand him, to respect him and ultimately fall in love with him.
She was capturing more glimpses into the man, and each one touched her heart.
Who wouldn’t fall in love with a man who treats you like the most precious woman in the world?
I have always admired Ms Heath’s writing. Highly evocative, deeply emotional and lushly sensual, she creates a real sense of mood and atmosphere whether it’s moments that are…
romantic…
“I love you, Jayne Seymour, future Duchess of Ainsley, with all my heart and soul.”
or
poignant…
Lowering his head, he placed a kiss on the spot where their child—for this moment in time it was theirs—grew.
or
sensual…
His talented hands roamed over every dip, peak, and valley. His mouth left hers, to journey along her flesh, trailing across her neck, teasing the delicate underside of her chin. Lower, to her shoulders. A nip here. A love bite there.
Walfort is a difficult character to define. I suppose you would have to call him the villain of the piece but his actions aren’t truly villainous and I’m glad that Ms Heath paints him in shades of grey rather than stark black. I certainly didn’t like him for all the pain he caused Jayne but neither could I truly hate him.
In the previous books, I always had a soft spot for Ainsley’s mother Tess and her younger lover, Leo. Tess loves her sons and really wants to see them happy and Leo is such a sweetheart and it’s obvious he loves Tess to distraction. I was so pleased to see them finally get their Happy Ever After.
His arm came around her, holding her near. It took long moments for their breathing to return to normal, for their hearts to stop pounding. Content, she began drifting off to sleep.
“By the way, Tess . . .”
“Hmm?”
“The answer is yes. I’ll marry you.”
This is such a beautifully crafted and emotionally satisfying love story which really touches the heart. Highly recommended.
RATING : 5/5 Stars
SENSUALITY RATING : HOT
London's Greatest Lovers series (click on book for more details)
February 8, 2023
One of the more angsty historical romances I've read and I LOVED it.
Will be in my next vlog
Will be in my next vlog
December 23, 2015
This book made me feel, for a lack of a better term, like crap. The heroine was stripped off her dignity by the betrayal of her husband and it was not fully restored by the end of the book. My biggest issue here is the lack of respect for the heroine. No amount of hot sex scenes, or passionate confessions could erase the fact that she was disrespected in such a bad way, and I just cannot tolerate that in a romance novel.
September 1, 2011
I have waited so long for this book and the blurb for it made me pre-order!
But,but...but...oh...but!
After reading it I have this bitter sweet taste in my mouth and while I write this rew I almost wish I never read it. The love story between the hero and heroine was very sweet and it satisfied me. If I was to rate only them and maybe the duke's mother and Leo then I would have given it nothing under 4 stars, maybe even 5. But alas, as the author sates in the end of the book she was fascinated with husbands that have second families.
Well, sure. But I had the following problems with that and this book in general:
BIS SPOILERS AHEAD
a)The husband's feelings-he never really told me what he felt. I could feel his hurt over his wife being in love with the hero. He dreaded. He tells us how he loves her now, how he really saw her after the accident. But still he went to see his kids. Sure, seeing ones children is cool. But he still loves his mistress. Huh? Who does this man love? Really, who? I have no idea. And that bugged me. I know that the fact that he had kids and an other woman was hush hush trough most of the story so it could be a big bang…but sheesh, I had to go back and re-read the stuff he said. After I re read them I realized that I have no idea what he was feeling. And I never will.
b)The mistress-Let me start with the fact that there was one. I think that this story would not have left such a bad taste in my mouth if there were you know, women! But the fact that he had one with and that he had kids…By the was, why did he even have kids? French letters, stopped intercourse, etc-he planned to marry, hello! But again I guess there would be a less dramatic taste to his death if he did not have kids. And I keep going back to the fact that he did not have a penny to his name when he married-which means he kept his mistress’s house with his wife’s money. Horrible. The author tells me that he was not a bad man…well I kind of feel like I would have stabbed him with a letter opener if he did not die himself. I mean,god damn it, what is it that he wanted to get (this is again reason a) in parts) ? He made the hero and heroine fall in love and then? And then? He wanted her to have kids,ok. And then? What did he bring them but misery? All this while having fun with his mistress! W.t.f! He was just a selfish prick. Yes he was a manipulator but he never stopped to think in advance. About anything. So he spoiled most of my book. And then the mistress herself comes up and I just wanted to slap her.
‘Oh, oh, we like, touched and I was like gone! He told me he was gonna marry me, and I totally wanted because he had a title and was so cool, but he didn’t and I already had a kid and kind of loved him so hey I spent his money and had sex with him to celebrate the fact his wife was preggers! Oh, and now that he is dead I told people that this kid the heroine is having is not his. Because I did not want anybody to think I could not make him get it up! But I am really really sorry!’ Yes, I modernized the things she said. She sounded like the village whore even thou the author wanted to show her as a nice little commoner. If she was telling this in today's world she would be wearing a pink beby doll and she would have a big bubble gum that she kept jacking. But the thing that happened to her in the end brings me to
c)The tied ends. In the end she marries a viscount. Like I would have cared if she just went somewhere and died, really. And please! How does one common girl meet so many titled people and actually makes one marry her even thou she has two bastards? It would be ok in a nice lite HR but this whole book was about realism. So, where is the realism? Oh,and the rest of it was all so neat! Gah! The mistress had girls. No boy. Talk about convenient. Also the kid the heroine was to have with her husband she miscarried. Goody, goody! The man that gets the title after the heroines husband seems to be nice even thou he tried to ruin the future of the heroine's child. But hey it was his title ! Uh…if the said husband did not brake his spine there would be no title to pass to him! So why is it ok for him to be a bastard? It’s not. Oh! So he is a bastard? Well, no, he is nice. Oh, what ever,right!? All tied up in a nice pink bow.
All in all I know , as I stated that the author wanted a story about wayward husbands. But the premises I read about made me think of the book Anchor and Storm. It was about sharing a woman and it made me smile. It was a low cost book and not many people read it. The sad thing was that it was so much better than this one! It still had a lot of angst and a semy sad ending but it was never crude. Then again these whole series is categorized as realistic. That translates to cheaters, bastards, drama. And that means trouble. At least in my world. So, this book? Not a thing you would want to buy.
But,but...but...oh...but!
After reading it I have this bitter sweet taste in my mouth and while I write this rew I almost wish I never read it. The love story between the hero and heroine was very sweet and it satisfied me. If I was to rate only them and maybe the duke's mother and Leo then I would have given it nothing under 4 stars, maybe even 5. But alas, as the author sates in the end of the book she was fascinated with husbands that have second families.
Well, sure. But I had the following problems with that and this book in general:
BIS SPOILERS AHEAD
a)The husband's feelings-he never really told me what he felt. I could feel his hurt over his wife being in love with the hero. He dreaded. He tells us how he loves her now, how he really saw her after the accident. But still he went to see his kids. Sure, seeing ones children is cool. But he still loves his mistress. Huh? Who does this man love? Really, who? I have no idea. And that bugged me. I know that the fact that he had kids and an other woman was hush hush trough most of the story so it could be a big bang…but sheesh, I had to go back and re-read the stuff he said. After I re read them I realized that I have no idea what he was feeling. And I never will.
b)The mistress-Let me start with the fact that there was one. I think that this story would not have left such a bad taste in my mouth if there were you know, women! But the fact that he had one with and that he had kids…By the was, why did he even have kids? French letters, stopped intercourse, etc-he planned to marry, hello! But again I guess there would be a less dramatic taste to his death if he did not have kids. And I keep going back to the fact that he did not have a penny to his name when he married-which means he kept his mistress’s house with his wife’s money. Horrible. The author tells me that he was not a bad man…well I kind of feel like I would have stabbed him with a letter opener if he did not die himself. I mean,god damn it, what is it that he wanted to get (this is again reason a) in parts) ? He made the hero and heroine fall in love and then? And then? He wanted her to have kids,ok. And then? What did he bring them but misery? All this while having fun with his mistress! W.t.f! He was just a selfish prick. Yes he was a manipulator but he never stopped to think in advance. About anything. So he spoiled most of my book. And then the mistress herself comes up and I just wanted to slap her.
‘Oh, oh, we like, touched and I was like gone! He told me he was gonna marry me, and I totally wanted because he had a title and was so cool, but he didn’t and I already had a kid and kind of loved him so hey I spent his money and had sex with him to celebrate the fact his wife was preggers! Oh, and now that he is dead I told people that this kid the heroine is having is not his. Because I did not want anybody to think I could not make him get it up! But I am really really sorry!’ Yes, I modernized the things she said. She sounded like the village whore even thou the author wanted to show her as a nice little commoner. If she was telling this in today's world she would be wearing a pink beby doll and she would have a big bubble gum that she kept jacking. But the thing that happened to her in the end brings me to
c)The tied ends. In the end she marries a viscount. Like I would have cared if she just went somewhere and died, really. And please! How does one common girl meet so many titled people and actually makes one marry her even thou she has two bastards? It would be ok in a nice lite HR but this whole book was about realism. So, where is the realism? Oh,and the rest of it was all so neat! Gah! The mistress had girls. No boy. Talk about convenient. Also the kid the heroine was to have with her husband she miscarried. Goody, goody! The man that gets the title after the heroines husband seems to be nice even thou he tried to ruin the future of the heroine's child. But hey it was his title ! Uh…if the said husband did not brake his spine there would be no title to pass to him! So why is it ok for him to be a bastard? It’s not. Oh! So he is a bastard? Well, no, he is nice. Oh, what ever,right!? All tied up in a nice pink bow.
All in all I know , as I stated that the author wanted a story about wayward husbands. But the premises I read about made me think of the book Anchor and Storm. It was about sharing a woman and it made me smile. It was a low cost book and not many people read it. The sad thing was that it was so much better than this one! It still had a lot of angst and a semy sad ending but it was never crude. Then again these whole series is categorized as realistic. That translates to cheaters, bastards, drama. And that means trouble. At least in my world. So, this book? Not a thing you would want to buy.
August 19, 2012
4.5 stars
This was SOOOOO much better than the first two books!!! And I suggest skipping them altogether if you are so inclined, just to get to Ainsley. The youngest brother, he has been the constant voice of reason, so steadfast and responsible in his Duke-ly duties. He is old beyond his years.
For the last three years, the Duke of Ainsley has felt responsible for the accident that robbed his cousin of his ability to walk...after all, he was holding the reins, and drinking while doing so. The accident also left his cousin's wife, Jayne, in such distress that she lost their child. Basically, he feels responsible for the ruination of both of their lives. So when his cousin asks him to impregnate his wife to repay the debt he owes them, Ainsley reluctantly accepts.
The idea seemed a little farfetched at first, but Ms. Heath somehow made it all believable. Indeed, I shed tears more than once, for both Jayne and Ainsley. Jayne is such a sweet soul, and her life is consumed with taking care of a husband who can no longer walk...and who also no longer seemingly has any affection for her. Her existence is lonely, and at first she also blames Ainsley for the accident.
But this romance blooms so BEAUTIFULLY! Really, this is truly romance...slow to build, then passionate and poetic, and even tragic at times. Ainsley has to seduce Jayne, and I was seduced just reading it. Whew! This is the epitome of seduction...slow and sensual. I couldn't help but figure out exactly HOW Jayne and Ainsley would get to be together. It was pretty predictable. But that was okay, because the way the story is told, I was still consumed. I stayed up until two in the morning, anxious to get to their happily ever after.
Also, the story of Tessa and Leo (the mother of the Greatest Lovers), whom we have come to know during the course of this trilogy, get their own conclusive ending. I loved Tessa!!!! I loved that she is middle aged, with three titled sons and grandchildren, yet is still living the life that she wants. I love how unconventional she is and how she doesn't give a damn about society and how she will be recieved. She's a duchess, and she'll do whatever she pleases! So her lover Leo is a huge part of her life. (squeee!) I love that the boys accept him simply because he makes their mother happy and treats her like a queen.
Overall, this is by far my fave of the series. It was very emotional, and tugs at both my maternal and romantic heartstrings.
This was SOOOOO much better than the first two books!!! And I suggest skipping them altogether if you are so inclined, just to get to Ainsley. The youngest brother, he has been the constant voice of reason, so steadfast and responsible in his Duke-ly duties. He is old beyond his years.
For the last three years, the Duke of Ainsley has felt responsible for the accident that robbed his cousin of his ability to walk...after all, he was holding the reins, and drinking while doing so. The accident also left his cousin's wife, Jayne, in such distress that she lost their child. Basically, he feels responsible for the ruination of both of their lives. So when his cousin asks him to impregnate his wife to repay the debt he owes them, Ainsley reluctantly accepts.
The idea seemed a little farfetched at first, but Ms. Heath somehow made it all believable. Indeed, I shed tears more than once, for both Jayne and Ainsley. Jayne is such a sweet soul, and her life is consumed with taking care of a husband who can no longer walk...and who also no longer seemingly has any affection for her. Her existence is lonely, and at first she also blames Ainsley for the accident.
But this romance blooms so BEAUTIFULLY! Really, this is truly romance...slow to build, then passionate and poetic, and even tragic at times. Ainsley has to seduce Jayne, and I was seduced just reading it. Whew! This is the epitome of seduction...slow and sensual. I couldn't help but figure out exactly HOW Jayne and Ainsley would get to be together. It was pretty predictable. But that was okay, because the way the story is told, I was still consumed. I stayed up until two in the morning, anxious to get to their happily ever after.
Also, the story of Tessa and Leo (the mother of the Greatest Lovers), whom we have come to know during the course of this trilogy, get their own conclusive ending. I loved Tessa!!!! I loved that she is middle aged, with three titled sons and grandchildren, yet is still living the life that she wants. I love how unconventional she is and how she doesn't give a damn about society and how she will be recieved. She's a duchess, and she'll do whatever she pleases! So her lover Leo is a huge part of her life. (squeee!) I love that the boys accept him simply because he makes their mother happy and treats her like a queen.
Overall, this is by far my fave of the series. It was very emotional, and tugs at both my maternal and romantic heartstrings.
November 5, 2013
"A RARE GEM OF A BOOK"
It's a 6 star book for me,,i have read countless historical romances and used to think none can match Judith Mcnaught's writings since she truly is queen of HR's but this is one book that really matches up her mark.
Lorraine Heath outdid herself in this one,i found the plot extremely different from the usual HR plots(and they are very predictable), i fell in love with Ainsley and Jayne ,it was so well scripted that one could feel the sparks flying and i hung on to everyword and just when it felt the story was getting predictable there was an amazingly well planned twist.
The end was very sweetly ROMANTIC,,every emotion was beautifully penned and gave a sense of contentment after reading, not one where one feels something is missing.
Epilogue was just perfect.
Definitely a read again book.
Simply loved it!!
It's a 6 star book for me,,i have read countless historical romances and used to think none can match Judith Mcnaught's writings since she truly is queen of HR's but this is one book that really matches up her mark.
Lorraine Heath outdid herself in this one,i found the plot extremely different from the usual HR plots(and they are very predictable), i fell in love with Ainsley and Jayne ,it was so well scripted that one could feel the sparks flying and i hung on to everyword and just when it felt the story was getting predictable there was an amazingly well planned twist.
The end was very sweetly ROMANTIC,,every emotion was beautifully penned and gave a sense of contentment after reading, not one where one feels something is missing.
Epilogue was just perfect.
Definitely a read again book.
Simply loved it!!
June 17, 2015
The TBR Challenge for June was to read a book by an author who has More Than One book in my TBR pile. Having thoroughly enjoyed Lorraine Heath’s recent
Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James
series, I have purchased a number of her other books and picked this title from 2011, hoping for more of her excellent, emotionally charged storytelling.
Well. Emotionally charged it certainly was – and then some – and even though I got choked up on several occasions, Waking Up With the Duke was thoroughly enjoyable; a superbly wrought story in which the author brilliantly manages to steer-clear of the traps which can so often lie in wait when pursuing this particular storyline.
Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley has it all. He’s young, drop-dead gorgeous, charming, wealthy, titled – in short he’s almost too good to be true. He also happens to have a bit of a tendre for Jayne, the wife of his cousin and best friend the Marquess of Walfort, which is something he normally doesn’t think about or acknowledge to himself until, right at the start of the book, Walfort practically demands that Ainsley sleeps with her in order to get her pregnant. Due to a serious accident some years previously, the marquess is no longer able to perform his husbandly duties, and, knowing of his wife’s longing for a child, wants to give her something in return for her unfailing love and loyalty, and to make her happy.
Ainsley is horrified and immediately says no, but Walfort is insistent. Ainsley owes him, he says, because he was driving their carriage when it overturned, maiming him and indirectly causing Jayne to lose the child she was carrying due to the shock and stress of almost losing her husband. But no amount of guilt will persuade Ainsley that the scheme is a sensible one. For one thing, Jayne despises him, blaming him for the accident and for the loss of the life she had looked forward to leading, that of a wife and mother. And for another, Ainsley is convinced that betraying her marriage vows - even in such a cause and with her husband’s permission – would destroy Jayne, even if she would consider the idea. He is also aware that he could not remain dispassionate, either, knowing how easy it would be for him to fall in love with her completely, and how gut-wrenching it would be to have her and then have to give up both Jayne and any child of their union.
”To give her what she wanted, he feared he might well destroy her. In doing so, he could very well destroy himself.”
The more Ainsley thinks about it, the more terrible an idea it becomes, but Walfort is persistent and not above manipulating his cousin, suggesting that if Ainsley is unwilling, he will find someone else - even though that someone might not be as careful of Jayne as he knows Ainsley will be. Walfort also says that it’s only fair that Jayne should at least enjoy the experience – and Ainsley is not known as one of London’s Greatest Lovers for nothing.
Jayne is just as aghast when her husband suggests the plan to her, although she agrees to think about it. She does long for a child, but the thought of being with Ainsley terrifies her – and not just because she dislikes him. She’s still a young woman and she’s not blind to his personal attractions, but when she said “for better or worse”, she meant it and the thought of betraying her vows sickens her. Eventually, however, Walfort wears them down, manipulating Jayne by insisting that giving her her heart’s desire will make him happy in much the same way uses Ainsley’s guilt to ensure his assistance. They agree to spend a month together at a discreet location, and hopefully at the end of that time, Jayne will have conceived. After that, she will return to her husband. Ainsley knows it will be impossible for him to maintain his close friendship with his cousin because it will be too painful to watch Jayne grow large with child and then be unable to acknowledge his offspring or hold a place in its life.
All three principals – Jayne, Ainsley and Walfort – are three-dimensional, multi-layered characters, particularly Walfort, who is complex, mixed-up and all-too human. His motives for acting as he does are complicated, and while he undoubtedly does some despicable things, he’s not an out-and-out villain, because there is another side to his story, one in which he is doing what he perceives to be the right thing by his heart and his conscience.
Jayne, a beautiful, strong and vital young woman has become little more than a nurse to an invalid, struggling every day not to ”grieve for all that had been irrevocably lost.” She loves Walfort dearly, but she is dreadfully lonely, starved for companionship, affection and physical comfort. She and her husband do not share a bed, and he rarely touches, kisses or holds her; it’s not that he doesn’t love her, he just fails to realise that she has needs, too, and that even if he can’t make love to her, she still needs to feel loved and appreciated as a woman.
Ainsley is the perfect romantic hero – kind, sensitive, sexy, compassionate, honourable, protective, rich and gorgeous – and yes, perhaps he’s a little too perfect. But he needs to be something exceptional within the context of this story, because it’s as much about his emotional journey and needs as it is about Jayne’s, and in making him such an attractive, sensitive and empathetic character, Ms Heath makes his situation all the more believable. He is willing to sacrifice the woman he loves, the child who might have been his heir, one of his few close friendships and his own peace of mind in order to attempt to make reparation to his cousin - and that takes considerable strength of character. I’ve read other books with similar storylines, but in none of them have the implications of such an arrangement been so thoroughly explored, and the emotional consequences so gut-wrenchingly played out.
Jayne “wakes up” on several levels during the course of the book; sexually, of course, as she learns what it is to truly make love , but it’s also a gradually dawning awareness of the truth of Ainsley the man, and how she comes to abandon her enmity towards him and to see him as he really is. Most importantly, their time together enables Jayne to come the realisation that, even before the accident, there had been something missing in her marriage, not just in bed, but that it lacked true companionship and mutual understanding.
”Walfort and I seldom talk… even before the accident. That night you kissed me on the terrace and you mentioned something about how a kiss owns itself, that it simply is. You were correct. We could have kissed, we could have touched… it is as though we placed ourselves in separate cages. I was being a dutiful wife, not a loving one.”
“If he never kissed you, Jayne, I can hardly credit him with being a loving husband.”
I was also impressed with the way the author effects the resolution to her story. I observed in my review of Grace Burrowes’ Darius: Lord of Pleasures, which employs a similar plotline, that the only way the hero and heroine can finally be together is for the sick husband to shuffle off this mortal coil, and the difficulty is in arranging that without it seeming too contrived. In Waking Up With the Duke, Ms Heath presents herself with quite the challenge, as Walfort is only three years older than Ainsley, and thus a relatively young man. Yet her solution is simple and completely plausible given the medical knowledge of the time – as explained in her author’s note.
Waking Up With the Duke is a wonderfully angsty but emotionally satisfying read which, incidentally, includes a touching secondary romance between Ainsley’s widowed mother, Tess, and her lover, Leo, who is fifteen years her junior. It’s great to see an older woman in a loving, sexual relationship, even though that isn’t the main storyline. I haven’t read the previous books in this series, but I believe Tess and Leo’s story is woven throughout and its ending here is just as satisfying as the conclusion to Ainsley and Jayne’s romance.
I do think the ending is a teeny bit overly dramatic, but the rest of the story is so well put-together and so beautifully written, that it didn’t affect my enjoyment or my overall opinion of the book. I loved Waking Up With the Duke and am eagerly looking forward to reading more by Ms Heath.
Well. Emotionally charged it certainly was – and then some – and even though I got choked up on several occasions, Waking Up With the Duke was thoroughly enjoyable; a superbly wrought story in which the author brilliantly manages to steer-clear of the traps which can so often lie in wait when pursuing this particular storyline.
Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley has it all. He’s young, drop-dead gorgeous, charming, wealthy, titled – in short he’s almost too good to be true. He also happens to have a bit of a tendre for Jayne, the wife of his cousin and best friend the Marquess of Walfort, which is something he normally doesn’t think about or acknowledge to himself until, right at the start of the book, Walfort practically demands that Ainsley sleeps with her in order to get her pregnant. Due to a serious accident some years previously, the marquess is no longer able to perform his husbandly duties, and, knowing of his wife’s longing for a child, wants to give her something in return for her unfailing love and loyalty, and to make her happy.
Ainsley is horrified and immediately says no, but Walfort is insistent. Ainsley owes him, he says, because he was driving their carriage when it overturned, maiming him and indirectly causing Jayne to lose the child she was carrying due to the shock and stress of almost losing her husband. But no amount of guilt will persuade Ainsley that the scheme is a sensible one. For one thing, Jayne despises him, blaming him for the accident and for the loss of the life she had looked forward to leading, that of a wife and mother. And for another, Ainsley is convinced that betraying her marriage vows - even in such a cause and with her husband’s permission – would destroy Jayne, even if she would consider the idea. He is also aware that he could not remain dispassionate, either, knowing how easy it would be for him to fall in love with her completely, and how gut-wrenching it would be to have her and then have to give up both Jayne and any child of their union.
”To give her what she wanted, he feared he might well destroy her. In doing so, he could very well destroy himself.”
The more Ainsley thinks about it, the more terrible an idea it becomes, but Walfort is persistent and not above manipulating his cousin, suggesting that if Ainsley is unwilling, he will find someone else - even though that someone might not be as careful of Jayne as he knows Ainsley will be. Walfort also says that it’s only fair that Jayne should at least enjoy the experience – and Ainsley is not known as one of London’s Greatest Lovers for nothing.
Jayne is just as aghast when her husband suggests the plan to her, although she agrees to think about it. She does long for a child, but the thought of being with Ainsley terrifies her – and not just because she dislikes him. She’s still a young woman and she’s not blind to his personal attractions, but when she said “for better or worse”, she meant it and the thought of betraying her vows sickens her. Eventually, however, Walfort wears them down, manipulating Jayne by insisting that giving her her heart’s desire will make him happy in much the same way uses Ainsley’s guilt to ensure his assistance. They agree to spend a month together at a discreet location, and hopefully at the end of that time, Jayne will have conceived. After that, she will return to her husband. Ainsley knows it will be impossible for him to maintain his close friendship with his cousin because it will be too painful to watch Jayne grow large with child and then be unable to acknowledge his offspring or hold a place in its life.
All three principals – Jayne, Ainsley and Walfort – are three-dimensional, multi-layered characters, particularly Walfort, who is complex, mixed-up and all-too human. His motives for acting as he does are complicated, and while he undoubtedly does some despicable things, he’s not an out-and-out villain, because there is another side to his story, one in which he is doing what he perceives to be the right thing by his heart and his conscience.
Jayne, a beautiful, strong and vital young woman has become little more than a nurse to an invalid, struggling every day not to ”grieve for all that had been irrevocably lost.” She loves Walfort dearly, but she is dreadfully lonely, starved for companionship, affection and physical comfort. She and her husband do not share a bed, and he rarely touches, kisses or holds her; it’s not that he doesn’t love her, he just fails to realise that she has needs, too, and that even if he can’t make love to her, she still needs to feel loved and appreciated as a woman.
Ainsley is the perfect romantic hero – kind, sensitive, sexy, compassionate, honourable, protective, rich and gorgeous – and yes, perhaps he’s a little too perfect. But he needs to be something exceptional within the context of this story, because it’s as much about his emotional journey and needs as it is about Jayne’s, and in making him such an attractive, sensitive and empathetic character, Ms Heath makes his situation all the more believable. He is willing to sacrifice the woman he loves, the child who might have been his heir, one of his few close friendships and his own peace of mind in order to attempt to make reparation to his cousin - and that takes considerable strength of character. I’ve read other books with similar storylines, but in none of them have the implications of such an arrangement been so thoroughly explored, and the emotional consequences so gut-wrenchingly played out.
Jayne “wakes up” on several levels during the course of the book; sexually, of course, as she learns what it is to truly make love , but it’s also a gradually dawning awareness of the truth of Ainsley the man, and how she comes to abandon her enmity towards him and to see him as he really is. Most importantly, their time together enables Jayne to come the realisation that, even before the accident, there had been something missing in her marriage, not just in bed, but that it lacked true companionship and mutual understanding.
”Walfort and I seldom talk… even before the accident. That night you kissed me on the terrace and you mentioned something about how a kiss owns itself, that it simply is. You were correct. We could have kissed, we could have touched… it is as though we placed ourselves in separate cages. I was being a dutiful wife, not a loving one.”
“If he never kissed you, Jayne, I can hardly credit him with being a loving husband.”
I was also impressed with the way the author effects the resolution to her story. I observed in my review of Grace Burrowes’ Darius: Lord of Pleasures, which employs a similar plotline, that the only way the hero and heroine can finally be together is for the sick husband to shuffle off this mortal coil, and the difficulty is in arranging that without it seeming too contrived. In Waking Up With the Duke, Ms Heath presents herself with quite the challenge, as Walfort is only three years older than Ainsley, and thus a relatively young man. Yet her solution is simple and completely plausible given the medical knowledge of the time – as explained in her author’s note.
Waking Up With the Duke is a wonderfully angsty but emotionally satisfying read which, incidentally, includes a touching secondary romance between Ainsley’s widowed mother, Tess, and her lover, Leo, who is fifteen years her junior. It’s great to see an older woman in a loving, sexual relationship, even though that isn’t the main storyline. I haven’t read the previous books in this series, but I believe Tess and Leo’s story is woven throughout and its ending here is just as satisfying as the conclusion to Ainsley and Jayne’s romance.
I do think the ending is a teeny bit overly dramatic, but the rest of the story is so well put-together and so beautifully written, that it didn’t affect my enjoyment or my overall opinion of the book. I loved Waking Up With the Duke and am eagerly looking forward to reading more by Ms Heath.
December 6, 2025
So neutral about this
For most of the book I wasn't stirred by the characters. I did feel some annoyance at some revelations, but then I went back to not caring much pretty fast.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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For most of the book I wasn't stirred by the characters. I did feel some annoyance at some revelations, but then I went back to not caring much pretty fast.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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August 26, 2025
Well I ate up every single angst ridden moment of this morally complex and heart-wrenching romance. I may never recover but wow. Where have you been all my life Lorraine Heath?
CW: miscarriage, pregnancy
This story deals with very heavy topics, so make sure you are ready for that. Heath did an amazing job making Jayne, Ainsley, and Walfort human and complicated. You will ACHE for Jayne as she falls in love with Ainsley during their month long interlude to impregnate her. Your heart will break into a million pieces as Ainsley too falls for Jayne while also being riddled with grief and regret over his role in Walfort's accident.
I shan't tell you how Heath pulls off the HEA, but it was perfectly crafted and kept me on my toes. My god that scene in the carriage when Ainsley and Jayne are having their "last moments" together SLAYED MY SOUL. Loved it.
So excited to listen to the Fated Mates podcast next week!
what a re-read! i was still holding my breath because Lorraine Heath is THAT girl with the tension; like how!? how did she do it!? but oh she really did. The audiobook narrator is not that great, but I stuck with it and had a grand time any way reliving this masterclass in ~yearning~
CW: miscarriage, pregnancy
This story deals with very heavy topics, so make sure you are ready for that. Heath did an amazing job making Jayne, Ainsley, and Walfort human and complicated. You will ACHE for Jayne as she falls in love with Ainsley during their month long interlude to impregnate her. Your heart will break into a million pieces as Ainsley too falls for Jayne while also being riddled with grief and regret over his role in Walfort's accident.
I shan't tell you how Heath pulls off the HEA, but it was perfectly crafted and kept me on my toes. My god that scene in the carriage when Ainsley and Jayne are having their "last moments" together SLAYED MY SOUL. Loved it.
So excited to listen to the Fated Mates podcast next week!
what a re-read! i was still holding my breath because Lorraine Heath is THAT girl with the tension; like how!? how did she do it!? but oh she really did. The audiobook narrator is not that great, but I stuck with it and had a grand time any way reliving this masterclass in ~yearning~
May 24, 2025
4 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The H, the build up to more feelings/H's wooing, and the connection between them.
The Not-So-Good: How the h and her husband treated the H (at first for the h)
The Bad: Th last 10ish percent felt too rushed and while the epilogue was cute, I wanted way more experiencing them with their HEA
Overall: This was great until the ending. I really enjoyed the unique storyline, as I've never read anything like this. I would LOVE any recommendations if there are similar books out there! I really liked the H and I liked the h, at least when she wasn't hating on the H. I enjoyed their building of stronger/more positive feelings, and I really enjoyed their connection. I would recommend for anyone that doesn't mind the romances that fall in the grey area instead of simply just black a white.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Jayne and Ainsley's story. Jayne's wheelchair bound husband proposes a way for her to finally get the child that she has desperately wanted and he couldn't give her. He proposes that his cousin, Ainsley, who is a renowned lover and feeling major guilt over is part in his cousin's injury helps them out. They spend a month together even though Jayne really dislikes Ainsley, but the more time they spend together, the more she sees him in a different light. There are some secrets revealed, some sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Jayne and Ainsley in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good, until the very end where it felt too fast or rushed.
Instalove: No, the h hates the H at first.
H (Hero) rating: 4.5 stars. Ainsley. I really liked him. He was pretty dang perfect except how his loyalty to his cousin made him a bit of a martyr.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Jayne. I liked h, but her views/treatment of the H annoyed me at times (probably because I really liked him)
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed a few tears, but never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes
Separation: No, since they weren't really "together"
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends with a HEA , though this greedy reader really wanted more of their HEA on page.
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The H, the build up to more feelings/H's wooing, and the connection between them.
The Not-So-Good: How the h and her husband treated the H (at first for the h)
The Bad: Th last 10ish percent felt too rushed and while the epilogue was cute, I wanted way more experiencing them with their HEA
Overall: This was great until the ending. I really enjoyed the unique storyline, as I've never read anything like this. I would LOVE any recommendations if there are similar books out there! I really liked the H and I liked the h, at least when she wasn't hating on the H. I enjoyed their building of stronger/more positive feelings, and I really enjoyed their connection. I would recommend for anyone that doesn't mind the romances that fall in the grey area instead of simply just black a white.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Jayne and Ainsley's story. Jayne's wheelchair bound husband proposes a way for her to finally get the child that she has desperately wanted and he couldn't give her. He proposes that his cousin, Ainsley, who is a renowned lover and feeling major guilt over is part in his cousin's injury helps them out. They spend a month together even though Jayne really dislikes Ainsley, but the more time they spend together, the more she sees him in a different light. There are some secrets revealed, some sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Jayne and Ainsley in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good, until the very end where it felt too fast or rushed.
Instalove: No, the h hates the H at first.
H (Hero) rating: 4.5 stars. Ainsley. I really liked him. He was pretty dang perfect except how his loyalty to his cousin made him a bit of a martyr.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Jayne. I liked h, but her views/treatment of the H annoyed me at times (probably because I really liked him)
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed a few tears, but never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Yes
Separation: No, since they weren't really "together"
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends with a HEA , though this greedy reader really wanted more of their HEA on page.
Safety: This one should be either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
July 10, 2011
Intensely romantic.
For me, the hero made the book. That is not to say I did not like the heroine Jayne. I thought she was pitch perfect. First as a wife who loves her husband through the 'sickness' part of 'sickness and health', second as an individual who has to weigh her wants and needs against loyalty and what she feels is conventionally proper, and finally as a woman who has to come to terms with a lot of emotional turmoil. Really Jayne did most of the emotional heavy lifting in this book.
But it was Ainsley who stole the book for me. He was simply in love from the word go. And he did everything in his power, even if it was at cost to himself, to make sure the woman he love was happy and fulfilled.
I also thought Jayne's husband was a bit of a rotter. Not in the conventional villainous sense though. He was dishonorable, disloyal and quite manipulative. But while I could think he was an asshole, I couldn't completely hate him. I felt that the author did that wonderful thing all authors should do when writing either a villain or an antagonist. She made him feel that what he was doing was right. Sure, it was hella wrong. Every action he took from marrying Jayne in the first place while loving someone else and placing his burdens of guilt on everyone around him so they would do what he wanted was so very, very wrong. But in his mind he was coming from a place of rightness. That he needed to do these things to make things come out ok. And that is the thing that separates an effective, interesting antagonist from a boring one.
This book has all the stuff I really like in a book. A good plot hook, a couple with great chemistry and an intense connection, sexy love scenes that really pull you in, believable relationship complications, a dash of angst to season the romantic sweetness and a group of interesting secondary characters.
Highly recommended.
For me, the hero made the book. That is not to say I did not like the heroine Jayne. I thought she was pitch perfect. First as a wife who loves her husband through the 'sickness' part of 'sickness and health', second as an individual who has to weigh her wants and needs against loyalty and what she feels is conventionally proper, and finally as a woman who has to come to terms with a lot of emotional turmoil. Really Jayne did most of the emotional heavy lifting in this book.
But it was Ainsley who stole the book for me. He was simply in love from the word go. And he did everything in his power, even if it was at cost to himself, to make sure the woman he love was happy and fulfilled.
I also thought Jayne's husband was a bit of a rotter. Not in the conventional villainous sense though. He was dishonorable, disloyal and quite manipulative. But while I could think he was an asshole, I couldn't completely hate him. I felt that the author did that wonderful thing all authors should do when writing either a villain or an antagonist. She made him feel that what he was doing was right. Sure, it was hella wrong. Every action he took from marrying Jayne in the first place while loving someone else and placing his burdens of guilt on everyone around him so they would do what he wanted was so very, very wrong. But in his mind he was coming from a place of rightness. That he needed to do these things to make things come out ok. And that is the thing that separates an effective, interesting antagonist from a boring one.
This book has all the stuff I really like in a book. A good plot hook, a couple with great chemistry and an intense connection, sexy love scenes that really pull you in, believable relationship complications, a dash of angst to season the romantic sweetness and a group of interesting secondary characters.
Highly recommended.
September 18, 2011
After reading the synopsis I was a bit skeptical about the story but as soon as I started reading the book all my doubts were forgotten. It’s not often that I sit down with a book that involves infidelity. And what made this one work for me is the omission of the heartbreaking deception that is always present when a partner strays.
The betrayal of the wedding vows is proposed by the heroine’s husband, Walfort. Being paralyzed due to a reckless accident and haunted by guilt of tremendous proportion, he believes his redemption would come if his wife, Jayne, could have her heart’s desire, a child of her own. His plan involves his cousin and long time friend, Ransom Seymour, Duke of Ainsley. Knowing Ainsley is tortured by his own demons and that he feels responsible for his incapacitation, he works his magic convincing him to agree to seduce his wife and give her the child she longs for.
Jayne is a woman of honor and would never consider betraying her wedding vows. In addition she dislikes the handsome and charming Ainsley. She blames him for the horrific changes brought on by her husband’s accident. But now it is three years later and her days have become desolate, filled with only the details of running a household and taking care of an invalid husband. And she must admit with his proposal a tiny seed of hope begins to fester in her sad and lonely life.
And while Ainsley is renowned for his sexual prowess, his liaisons are always with unattached females. Being a man who honors duty and vows he would never have contemplated Walford’s plan except for his deeply felt remorse and guilt. But also there are his secretly held feelings for Jayne. He admires her courage and finds himself with a great tenderness towards her, wishing he was the one with the right to fill her days with laughter, her nights with sexual delight, and the responsibility of her care. While he has never acknowledge or allowed these thoughts to surface, he knows the danger of Waldrof’s proposal is that he could easily fall in love. And now he finds himself willing to forego his own trepidations and is willing to give up a child of his own in order to bring her happiness. .
And so the agreement is made, stipulations are given, and it is agreed this is to be a transaction, without emotion. And now continues a beautiful story, filled with all the emotion of two honorable people fulfilling a month long commitment along with the remorse that it brings, but also discoveries and delight! While this book deals with many emotional issues, there also is joy, fascination, and deep sexual desire and tension!
I liked this one from the very beginning. And while Ainsley is handsome as sin with a well muscled body, I could not help myself from falling hard for this amazing man as more of his character is revealed. As the story progressed and new discoveries are made, I began to worry how this one could have a HEA. But leave it to the very talented Lorraine Heath for giving us another poignant, beautifully written romance, with steamy love scenes, and one full of surprises, bittersweet emotion and a fantastic ending!
This is the third installment in her London’s Greatest Lovers Series. I have not read the first two and while this one does refer to his family and some of their past experiences, it does not hinder the enjoyment of this book.
A sampling
The betrayal of the wedding vows is proposed by the heroine’s husband, Walfort. Being paralyzed due to a reckless accident and haunted by guilt of tremendous proportion, he believes his redemption would come if his wife, Jayne, could have her heart’s desire, a child of her own. His plan involves his cousin and long time friend, Ransom Seymour, Duke of Ainsley. Knowing Ainsley is tortured by his own demons and that he feels responsible for his incapacitation, he works his magic convincing him to agree to seduce his wife and give her the child she longs for.
Jayne is a woman of honor and would never consider betraying her wedding vows. In addition she dislikes the handsome and charming Ainsley. She blames him for the horrific changes brought on by her husband’s accident. But now it is three years later and her days have become desolate, filled with only the details of running a household and taking care of an invalid husband. And she must admit with his proposal a tiny seed of hope begins to fester in her sad and lonely life.
And while Ainsley is renowned for his sexual prowess, his liaisons are always with unattached females. Being a man who honors duty and vows he would never have contemplated Walford’s plan except for his deeply felt remorse and guilt. But also there are his secretly held feelings for Jayne. He admires her courage and finds himself with a great tenderness towards her, wishing he was the one with the right to fill her days with laughter, her nights with sexual delight, and the responsibility of her care. While he has never acknowledge or allowed these thoughts to surface, he knows the danger of Waldrof’s proposal is that he could easily fall in love. And now he finds himself willing to forego his own trepidations and is willing to give up a child of his own in order to bring her happiness. .
And so the agreement is made, stipulations are given, and it is agreed this is to be a transaction, without emotion. And now continues a beautiful story, filled with all the emotion of two honorable people fulfilling a month long commitment along with the remorse that it brings, but also discoveries and delight! While this book deals with many emotional issues, there also is joy, fascination, and deep sexual desire and tension!
I liked this one from the very beginning. And while Ainsley is handsome as sin with a well muscled body, I could not help myself from falling hard for this amazing man as more of his character is revealed. As the story progressed and new discoveries are made, I began to worry how this one could have a HEA. But leave it to the very talented Lorraine Heath for giving us another poignant, beautifully written romance, with steamy love scenes, and one full of surprises, bittersweet emotion and a fantastic ending!
This is the third installment in her London’s Greatest Lovers Series. I have not read the first two and while this one does refer to his family and some of their past experiences, it does not hinder the enjoyment of this book.
A sampling
April 13, 2020
3.5! I enjoyed it! My first Lorraine Heath book, definitely not my last!
January 1, 2020
OMGGGG DID I LOVE THIS BOOK! I’ve been dying to read this ever since I heard it mentioned on one of my favorite romance novel podcasts, Learning The Tropes. The plot just gripped me and I had to read it ASAP.
So, the basic premise is the heroines’ husband is paralyzed from the waist down after a carriage accident and asks his cousin (who has always had feelings for the wife) to give her the baby she desperately wants. She has always blamed Ainsley (the cousin) for his part in the accident though and is shocked and horrified at her husbands crazy ass plan. But, as crazy as it is, they do come to be on board and you find yourself going along for the ride because, THEY GOT REASONS YALL! Lol. In fact, I’m sure very few authors could have pulled a plot like this off. Lorraine Heath is a true artist!
Two things I didn’t love though: 1) it could have been a bit shorter and condensed some toward the end to speed things up. 2) there was way too much waffling from Jayne at the end, hence the need to shorten things up. I liked her overall, but she annoyed me with how much she questioned Ainsley’s love and how she kept turning him down. I get all the reasons why, and there were reasons, but even after she found out the big secret about her husband she still waffled too much. I really felt for Ainsley who loved her so long and gave her so much.
This was nonetheless an amazing story and I had a hard time putting it down. Watching this couple fall in love was sooo lovely. And the fact that they kept having hotter and hotter sex was a plus! So often we have to wait for it, but this was a case where they found each other through the act and grew closer because of it. I know I’ll definitely be re-reading this many times in the future! ❤️
SERIES IMPORTANCE: Low. I’m sure it helps to read the previous 2 books but I didn’t and still followed things just fine. The characters all connect, but nothing huge story-wise. You get the sense the heroes mother and her lover have a story from the previous books, but nothing that I felt lost over.
So, the basic premise is the heroines’ husband is paralyzed from the waist down after a carriage accident and asks his cousin (who has always had feelings for the wife) to give her the baby she desperately wants. She has always blamed Ainsley (the cousin) for his part in the accident though and is shocked and horrified at her husbands crazy ass plan. But, as crazy as it is, they do come to be on board and you find yourself going along for the ride because, THEY GOT REASONS YALL! Lol. In fact, I’m sure very few authors could have pulled a plot like this off. Lorraine Heath is a true artist!
Two things I didn’t love though: 1) it could have been a bit shorter and condensed some toward the end to speed things up. 2) there was way too much waffling from Jayne at the end, hence the need to shorten things up. I liked her overall, but she annoyed me with how much she questioned Ainsley’s love and how she kept turning him down. I get all the reasons why, and there were reasons, but even after she found out the big secret about her husband she still waffled too much. I really felt for Ainsley who loved her so long and gave her so much.
This was nonetheless an amazing story and I had a hard time putting it down. Watching this couple fall in love was sooo lovely. And the fact that they kept having hotter and hotter sex was a plus! So often we have to wait for it, but this was a case where they found each other through the act and grew closer because of it. I know I’ll definitely be re-reading this many times in the future! ❤️
SERIES IMPORTANCE: Low. I’m sure it helps to read the previous 2 books but I didn’t and still followed things just fine. The characters all connect, but nothing huge story-wise. You get the sense the heroes mother and her lover have a story from the previous books, but nothing that I felt lost over.
June 22, 2025
rating: 4.25 ★
this is not a premise that is going to work for everyone but it sure worked for me!
it was deliciously angsty and steamy. my only complaint is it did feel a bit long but overall i enjoyed it a lot.
ending spoiler ish
this is not a premise that is going to work for everyone but it sure worked for me!
it was deliciously angsty and steamy. my only complaint is it did feel a bit long but overall i enjoyed it a lot.
ending spoiler ish
October 18, 2021
✨Quite the stir indeed✨
Sometimes you just want an absolutely bananas romance that somehow makes sense and punches you in the heart. I adored watching Ainsley and Jayne fall in love as so much of the book was dedicated to their relationship. If you’ve read the summary, there’s clearly a whole lot more bonkers stuff going down, but at the heart of it, this book was just so romantic. I said the same thing about Heath’s The Earl Takes All.
Both books from the beginning had me asking “how the FUCK will happily ever after be achieved?” Both books were so delicious because you knew that somehow despite it all, they would all end up happy. Both were so romantic because the couples fell irrevocably and insatiably in love, not in spite of, but because of the trials they were put through. It sounds dramatic I know but seriously these books are nothing if not dramatic. When life gives you bananas, you make banana bread.
Ainsley was such a cinnamon roll. Like seriously he’s one of the good ones. Watching Jayne realize this and grapple with being both happy and angry about it was elite. Jayne was a little too forgiving of Walfort for my tastes but by the end all was forgiven. It’s the kind of book that makes you forget it made you angry because it’s so heartfelt and emotional by the end.
Speaking of Walfort, I do wish he had a bit more mystery around him. I wanted to be conflicted about Jayne ending up with Ainsley but it was pretty apparent from the beginning that Walfort was The Worst. There were a few surprises as to just how The Worst he was, but you knew they were coming if that makes sense. The Earl Takes All was more of an emotional ride for me just because you grew to love the dead husband too, while still rooting for the couple.
Further, no one seemed to be as concerned as I was that Walfort was TERRIBLE. Like his big Bad was revealed and the characters just weren’t as aghast as I was. Heath wrote in the author’s note that he wasn’t a bad man just terribly flawed. And to that I call bullshit Ms Lorraine. He caused so much harm and was still coddled. UGH. The pure selfishness of not showing her emotional and physical love to the best of his abilities was just so deeply messed up. And the fact that she still loved him after all that malarkey was Hard. For. Me.
I was happy that this book didn’t hold off on the sex. You know when a couple gets married soon off in a book or makes a bet or something that pretty much requires sex but they somehow hold off banging until after 50%? None of that here. As soon as both parties agreed they were off to the races. Obviously the sex scenes changed and grew as they grew to love each other, but it was nice to start off with a bang.
I will say though, the sex was a little vanilla. There were a lot of good scenes, the couples just never mixed up the order of operations many times. The language was also a bit vague at times. I wanted a little more explicitly of Jayne exploring herself and Ainsley. Like it kinda skipped over those parts and referenced them offhand later on. It was more emotional and sensual than sexy and carnal.
There was also a really cute love story about Ainsley’s mother and her lover. Leo was such a charmer and I was really rooting for them, full Tyra. It added a bit of freshness and lightness to a pretty angsty story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.5/5
Sometimes you just want an absolutely bananas romance that somehow makes sense and punches you in the heart. I adored watching Ainsley and Jayne fall in love as so much of the book was dedicated to their relationship. If you’ve read the summary, there’s clearly a whole lot more bonkers stuff going down, but at the heart of it, this book was just so romantic. I said the same thing about Heath’s The Earl Takes All.
Both books from the beginning had me asking “how the FUCK will happily ever after be achieved?” Both books were so delicious because you knew that somehow despite it all, they would all end up happy. Both were so romantic because the couples fell irrevocably and insatiably in love, not in spite of, but because of the trials they were put through. It sounds dramatic I know but seriously these books are nothing if not dramatic. When life gives you bananas, you make banana bread.
Ainsley was such a cinnamon roll. Like seriously he’s one of the good ones. Watching Jayne realize this and grapple with being both happy and angry about it was elite. Jayne was a little too forgiving of Walfort for my tastes but by the end all was forgiven. It’s the kind of book that makes you forget it made you angry because it’s so heartfelt and emotional by the end.
Speaking of Walfort, I do wish he had a bit more mystery around him. I wanted to be conflicted about Jayne ending up with Ainsley but it was pretty apparent from the beginning that Walfort was The Worst. There were a few surprises as to just how The Worst he was, but you knew they were coming if that makes sense. The Earl Takes All was more of an emotional ride for me just because you grew to love the dead husband too, while still rooting for the couple.
Further, no one seemed to be as concerned as I was that Walfort was TERRIBLE. Like his big Bad was revealed and the characters just weren’t as aghast as I was. Heath wrote in the author’s note that he wasn’t a bad man just terribly flawed. And to that I call bullshit Ms Lorraine. He caused so much harm and was still coddled. UGH. The pure selfishness of not showing her emotional and physical love to the best of his abilities was just so deeply messed up. And the fact that she still loved him after all that malarkey was Hard. For. Me.
I was happy that this book didn’t hold off on the sex. You know when a couple gets married soon off in a book or makes a bet or something that pretty much requires sex but they somehow hold off banging until after 50%? None of that here. As soon as both parties agreed they were off to the races. Obviously the sex scenes changed and grew as they grew to love each other, but it was nice to start off with a bang.
I will say though, the sex was a little vanilla. There were a lot of good scenes, the couples just never mixed up the order of operations many times. The language was also a bit vague at times. I wanted a little more explicitly of Jayne exploring herself and Ainsley. Like it kinda skipped over those parts and referenced them offhand later on. It was more emotional and sensual than sexy and carnal.
There was also a really cute love story about Ainsley’s mother and her lover. Leo was such a charmer and I was really rooting for them, full Tyra. It added a bit of freshness and lightness to a pretty angsty story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.5/5
September 26, 2021
Waking Up With the Duke is the last book/book 3 in Lorraine Heath’s London’s Greatest Lovers series, and this book had the most hype and love for it in the series. Not even gonna lie, I wanted to read this book so that’s why I started the series to get to it too. 😅 And I agree with a lot of other readers that this book was my fav in the series.
This book is classic Lorraine Heath, she takes a completely unique, bonkers-wild sounding plot but then absolutely delivers on the emotions, the feels, the angst, the passion, the romance, the chemistry, the character development.
In this book the hero is the Duke of Ainsley, and the story opens with his friend (and cousin), Walfort, asking Ainsley to repay a debt in which Ainsley caused an accident that led to Walfort losing the use of his legs and unable to perform “husbandly duties” with his wife Jane. So now Walfort wants Ainsley to repay this debt by getting Walfort’s wife Jane pregnant.
Yup that’s right. And I know it sounds out there, but believe me when I tell you the way that Lorraine Heath writes these characters makes it so damn believable and good! The hero, Ainsley, has always wanted Jane so the pining in this was delicious. I loved how Ainsley and Jane dealt with their complicated feelings towards one another. The characters are complex and there are so many layers to this story. I also really enjoyed the side romance/story happening with Ainsley’s mother in this, her scandalous romantic life has been woven throughout the series (the heroes in this series are her sons) and I really enjoyed her parts in this book.
This book is classic Lorraine Heath, she takes a completely unique, bonkers-wild sounding plot but then absolutely delivers on the emotions, the feels, the angst, the passion, the romance, the chemistry, the character development.
In this book the hero is the Duke of Ainsley, and the story opens with his friend (and cousin), Walfort, asking Ainsley to repay a debt in which Ainsley caused an accident that led to Walfort losing the use of his legs and unable to perform “husbandly duties” with his wife Jane. So now Walfort wants Ainsley to repay this debt by getting Walfort’s wife Jane pregnant.
Yup that’s right. And I know it sounds out there, but believe me when I tell you the way that Lorraine Heath writes these characters makes it so damn believable and good! The hero, Ainsley, has always wanted Jane so the pining in this was delicious. I loved how Ainsley and Jane dealt with their complicated feelings towards one another. The characters are complex and there are so many layers to this story. I also really enjoyed the side romance/story happening with Ainsley’s mother in this, her scandalous romantic life has been woven throughout the series (the heroes in this series are her sons) and I really enjoyed her parts in this book.
November 6, 2018
What an intriguing plot! Lord Walfort is paralyzed from injuries suffered in a carriage accident. The carriage was driven by his best friend the Duke of Ainsley, a rich, handsome expert in the art of lovemaking. Walfort's wife, Lady Jayne, hates Ainsley for crippling her husband with his drunk driving and ruining her life. Believing that a having a baby would make Jayne happy, and unable to do the deed himself, Walfort persuades Ainsley to spend a month with his wife in hopes of impregnating her. Jayne doesn't like the idea but decides that she'll undergo any suffering to get a child and to make her husband happy.
Ainsley, in turns out, has always been attracted to Jayne but never dared act upon his urges. Now, he has permission, but Jayne is determined not to enjoy herself.
From this beginning, lots of things could have happened but most of them didn't. Every single potential problem or obstacle is overcome with such surprising ease that there is just no drama.
It was an enjoyable enough, but disappointing, read.
Ainsley, in turns out, has always been attracted to Jayne but never dared act upon his urges. Now, he has permission, but Jayne is determined not to enjoy herself.
From this beginning, lots of things could have happened but most of them didn't. Every single potential problem or obstacle is overcome with such surprising ease that there is just no drama.
It was an enjoyable enough, but disappointing, read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2021
2.5 stars. This whole book involved a married woman having an open relationship with her husbands best friend because he can't give her a child. The best friend reluctantly agrees to seduce the wife while our wife is shocked that this proposal is even on the table. Weird way to kick off a romance if you ask me. Then the plot twist happened and it drove me crazy because if it hadn't been that, it would have been a three star read.
March 5, 2023
Update 3/3/23 -re-read for book club. For lovers of angst, pining heroes and bonkers setups.
Re-read with audiobook. The story is still as angsty as I remember. The plot is bananas but in the end so emotionally satisfying. The narrator was atrocious.
Re-read with audiobook. The story is still as angsty as I remember. The plot is bananas but in the end so emotionally satisfying. The narrator was atrocious.
July 18, 2014
Opening Line: “I’ll consider your debt paid in full if you get my wife with child.”
Big Sigh* Oh this was just so good. Absolutely perfect romance filled with great dialogue and moments of humour amidst all the angst. Loved everything about it, and really, really wondered how this couple was going to get their HEA? Totally surprised by the outcome. Did not see that coming! What does one read next after such a perfect story? Thank you Lorraine Heath.
Big Sigh* Oh this was just so good. Absolutely perfect romance filled with great dialogue and moments of humour amidst all the angst. Loved everything about it, and really, really wondered how this couple was going to get their HEA? Totally surprised by the outcome. Did not see that coming! What does one read next after such a perfect story? Thank you Lorraine Heath.
May 25, 2019
This just wasn't my type of romance. I did like that the hero has loved the heroine for years.
In another note, 4 out of the 7 books (including this one) I've read written by Lorraine Heath contains . Is this something she's known for writing? (rhetorical question).
In another note, 4 out of the 7 books (including this one) I've read written by Lorraine Heath contains . Is this something she's known for writing? (rhetorical question).
July 12, 2011
SIMPLY AMAZING... one of the best HR's ive read in a long time
May 6, 2019
A beautiful angst-free yet emotional tale. H was an absolute sweetheart and so was h. A truly enchanting tale of their relationship blossoming through the guilt, honor, duty and love.
May 17, 2022
I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. Infidelities is such a difficult subject matter. I feel that Ms Heath has managed to deal it with a deft hand though. Not a re-read unfortunately.
November 13, 2020
Jayne and Ainsley (Ransom). Jayne is married to his cousin who for the last three years has been paralyzed from the waist down. The husband wants Jayne to have a baby so talks Ainsley and her into a month of having sex. They fall in love, but it was not romantic to me because Jayne stayed emotionally involved with both men. I also could not understand why Jayne tried to honor her husband wishes for her to claim the child after finding out he already had two children. Her husband, in hindsight, had not be the best of husbands-wham bam in the bedroom, mistress and a family on the side, and really only getting to know her after he was injured so it was hard for me to understand the loyalty lasting until she was actually in labor.
Meanwhile, I still only like Tessa (Ransom's mom) as a grandmother. She continued to keep Leo on a string and kept herself in her former lover family lives and practically ran to his side while his wife was on the verge of death. She held him in her heart as her main love for over 30 years at this point. I feel that the Earl had emotionally cheated on his wife which is also not noble. I cringed when Tessa told Leo that The Earl loves her. (So not romantic to me). Luckily, the wife was smarter than Tessa gave her credit for and encouraged her to go ahead and marry her husband after she dies. (ick) So instead of being honest and upfront years ago and now that The Earl's wife is dead he is available and willing she decides that it is Leo that has her heart. What a bummer. I wanted Leo to heal his heart with a cute adventurous after he got over Tess. Alas, his destiny was to marry Tessa and paint. Sigh.
My favorite part of this story was when Leo responded to why he and Tessa took so long to get married by saying. "I would have long ago, but...past loves, like mange, are sometimes hard to be rid of. " Ha!
Book three in the boxed set London's Greatest Lovers Collection
Meanwhile, I still only like Tessa (Ransom's mom) as a grandmother. She continued to keep Leo on a string and kept herself in her former lover family lives and practically ran to his side while his wife was on the verge of death. She held him in her heart as her main love for over 30 years at this point. I feel that the Earl had emotionally cheated on his wife which is also not noble. I cringed when Tessa told Leo that The Earl loves her. (So not romantic to me). Luckily, the wife was smarter than Tessa gave her credit for and encouraged her to go ahead and marry her husband after she dies. (ick) So instead of being honest and upfront years ago and now that The Earl's wife is dead he is available and willing she decides that it is Leo that has her heart. What a bummer. I wanted Leo to heal his heart with a cute adventurous after he got over Tess. Alas, his destiny was to marry Tessa and paint. Sigh.
My favorite part of this story was when Leo responded to why he and Tessa took so long to get married by saying. "I would have long ago, but...past loves, like mange, are sometimes hard to be rid of. " Ha!
Book three in the boxed set London's Greatest Lovers Collection
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2020
So many feels for this amazing enemies to lovers romance! The Duke of Ainsley owes his friend and cousin a debt for causing an accident that led to the loss of his legs. What he doesn't expect is for Walfort to ask Ainsley to repay it by impregnating his wife, Jane. It's true that Ainsley desires Jane and would do anything for Walfort, but this might be too much. Especially since Jane despises him. These characters were so amazing and of course a romance develops between Ainsley and Jane despite trying to treat their month long tryst like a transaction. Jane is free from her role as nurse-maid and Ainsley is able to indulge his desire for Jane if only for a little while. He wants her to find happiness again, and if giving her a baby that he can never acknowledge is what he has to do, he'll do it!
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