Io: The Shrew: The Hale Saga Series: Americans in London, Book 2

The Hale Family: Americans in London #2

by S.M. LaViolette, Minerva Spencer, Clare Staniforth (narrator)

Lady Io Hale has no time for men. And certainly no time for her older brother's stuffy, grumpy, and oh-so-proper best friend, Corbin Masterson, who believes he is so morally superior to everyone else, especially her. Io might have been wrenched from her home in New York, dragged to London, and forced to attend ton parties and balls, but she is drawing the line at tolerating Masterson's snooty, judgmental, and accusatory looks for one second longer. Showing him just how susceptible he is to his own lusty desires is a challenge she is delighted to accept. Bringing the uppity Masterson to his knees will not only be educational for him, it will also be a pleasure for her.

Corbin has never met anyone—man or woman—like Io Hale. She says and does anything and everything she pleases! Somebody desperately needs to take the woman in hand. Or perhaps over their knee. In any case, Corbin knows exactly whose hand—and knee!—is perfect for the his. And while he is bringing her to heel, he can also get the mesmerizing siren out of his thoughts, where she appears to have taken up residence. At least he can try . . . What will these stubborn lovers do when they realize that—instead of breeding contempt—familiarity yields the one thing neither of them ever love?

Contains mature themes.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Enemies To Lovers, Victorian, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

Audible Audio

First published June 10, 2024

About the author

Who is S.M. LaViolette?

S.M. (that’s short for Shantal Marie) writes super spicy historical romance and historical erotic romance. S.M. likes to write about heroes and heroines who don't fit the mold--that means heroes who aren't always dukes and heroines who aren't always virgins.

People have described S.M.'s style as dark, angsty, and dryly witty.

S.M. also writes historical romance under the pen name Minerva Spencer, and historical mystery under S.M. Goodwin.

S.M. has been a criminal prosecutor, college history teacher, B&B operator, dock worker, ice cream manufacturer, reader for the blind, motel maid, and bounty hunter.

Okay, so the part about being a bounty hunter is a lie.

S.M. does, however, know how to hypnotize a Dungeness crab, sew her own Regency Era clothing, knit a frog hat, juggle, rebuild a 1959 American Rambler, and gain control of Asia (and hold on to it) in the game of RISK.

Reviews

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally book with 5 stars!
I was intrigued by the cover and also the title. It reminded me of Taming of the shrew and in the sense it was which turned out to be lot of fun.
Corbin and Io did not mince words nor their passion for each other.
He is tight laced secretary to her brother and she is an all-out reproductive rights activist.
The story moves quickly. We spend a lot of time with our main characters and see them care for each other bicker with each other, explore and of course do a lot of making out.
I liked that even though they were both hot for each other and made out few times they didn’t jump to bed immediately, they kept their distance because their worldviews were so different which made them argue often and broke whatever attraction they might have felt.
Great book.
I am so curious about all other siblings now, especially Zeus and Apollo.

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only been reading S.M. LaViolette/Minvera Spencer books since 2021 and I have already read 33 of her books. I just love her writing.

This story was interesting. Characters, Io and Corbin were different than my usual reads. I read book 1, Balthazar but it was over 300 books ago and although I loved it, I have to say I don't really remember all the siblings. I also don't remember them being from another country. Reading so many books, I have a tendency to read and move on.

I liked this book. I do have to say that there wasn't anything special that made me say, OMG, so good. Just an overall good read and good story.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

After living in the Canoga Community the six Hale siblings meet their older half brother Zeus who is not only extremely wealthy he’s also the newly minter Duke of Hastings. Zeus persuades his siblings to travel first to New York & then to England. Io is a feisty, independent, condom-distributing bluestocking & sparks fly every time she’s with Corbin Masterman, he’s Zeus’ best friend & secretary.
Another page turning riveting steamy, witty book. It’s the second in the series & whilst it could be read on its own some events do overlap. I simply love the Hale’s they are unconventional but love & care for each other. I loved Io & Corbin’s journey to a HEA, she’s no meek & mild lady but he seems to be placid, straight laced & judgemental until the passionate adorable man breaks out. The chemistry between the couple is electric, their verbal sparring a delight. A very well written engrossing romance which I found hard to put down
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one hot erotic book.The new Duke's sister Io isn't afraid to shake things up and follow her convictions. She also takes pleasure in rattling her brother's secretary, Corbin Masterson's composure. Nothing makes her smile more than trying to break through his icy facade. Corbin wasn't prepared for the woman he can't stop thinking about. A mutual agreement creates a turn in their relationship. Of course, there has to be a villian or two that causes complications. A little humor, some unpleasant tension and a lot of sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book gifted by the author.

[Ngarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not so much Enemies-to-lovers as it is Enemies-and-lovers.
Fabulous historical romance with themes of feminism, reproductive rights for women and BDSM.

[Diane Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book but it made me crazy. The condoms all over the cover is so crude. It’s not a typical historical romance, but it’s fascinating. The history is interesting, the Hale family truly unique. I can’t help but fall in love with them. Io the shrew deserves her name. I dislike her utterly, even while I respect her ability to speak her mind and buck expectations. But she goes too far for my taste. I hate her nasty mouth, her politics, her attitude, and her hypocritical behavior. She spouts the feminist bull**** that marriage is prison and children are burdens to be avoided at all costs. But she’s only 21 years old l, the sister of a Duke, and will never have to worry about money. Hypocritical. She says women don’t need a husband and children, that she never intends to marry, but she’s also promiscuous. This behavior is a great way to ruin your life for good, no matter which century you live in. Her philosophy smacks of Third Wave Feminism which has done so much damage to the nuclear family, the bedrock of every successful culture. I despise it. She says women dont need protection, yet refuses to take any reasonable precautions for her own safety, yet in private she…I can’t even talk about it. My father used to smack us around. I can’t read these scenes with enjoyment (this series is way over my smut tolerance, but they’re so good I’m reading them anyway.) You can decide for yourself if her public behavior and her private behavior reflect the same values. To me, they don’t. Even after we find out why she is the way she is I can’t respect her. I feel compassion for her, but it doesn’t change my mind about her. She deliberately seduces him knowing she has no intention of marrying him. Yet he puts everything on the line for her. Corbin Masterson (it’s a take on Taming of the Shrew and his name is Masterson. I love it!) is a great character. I wish we’d heard more of his back story. I find his character admirable, particularly since he put up with Io’s abuse and hideous behavior without taking off his belt and beating her bloody. (She probably would have liked it.) I wanted to beat her bloody. Hopefully, in future books marriage will have tamed her somewhat, especially if she ever deigns to give her husband children. What a waste. Meanwhile, I love Zeus and the secondary storyline. So thankful a certain character is out of the picture, and good riddance. That particular storyline had definitely run its course. I hope our beloved author writes fast because I’m dying for the rest of the series. I think it’s so clever how she wrote the two books to overlap. I can’t really recommend the audiobook. There are so many mispronunciations, it’s terribly distracting.

[Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book because i loved the first one, but this was just okay.

One thing I must say is that this book was fun and entertaining overall. I really liked, like the heroine, Io, and how committed she was with her beliefs and that she tried to adapt to her new life, without compromising her principles and work.

In contrast, something that was kind of a miss, was the hero... I love buttoned-up heroes, but Corbin was way too judgmental towards Io and didn't listen to her for a big part of the book.


So all combined, made me had mixed feelings about it.

[Holly Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the premise of this story… 5 siblings on a commune. Find out there older brother was a duke then takes them to London

[Hijinx Abound]

I’m suspect I may have to give up on this narrator. Perhaps I’ll read the next on my kindle.

[HankReadsRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Meegy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It went back and forth a bit unnecessarily. Apart from that I enjoyed it.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Minerva/SM’s books & this one was no different. I especially enjoy seeing unlikeable women characters find love in romance novels, & Io’s independence & commitment to her goals & values were great. I did find Corbin’s hypocrisy & “alpha-ness” frustrating & suffocating at many times. But that’s a personal preference as I have tired of this type of male character in recent years & now prefer when there isn’t a focus on the man’s jealous rage & need to control their partner. But I know these are tropes & traits that many many romance readers life & enjoy, so I know this is a character many many readers will adore. I did enjoy seeing Corbin frequently unnerved & off kilter by Io & his determination to answer her honestly rather than pretend to agree w her on her feminist perspectives. I get the sense he may grow in perspective the longer he’s with her. He was not completely inflexible & goodness knows these two characters matched each others’ freak, which I love to see. I liked that Io is never truly hurt by him, she legitimately enjoys his flaws & he enjoys hers (despite himself lol) which is what makes a great romance.

SPOILER!
I really do wish that more authors would be willing to allow female characters to have a romance book that does not end with marriage & children, when the female character herself clearly states a disinterest or objection to those states. Women deserve love & romance even if they don’t want marriage or children. If an author is going to write a woman character who doesn’t want those things it would be nice for the author to commit to following through. It is profoundly upsetting when women characters are constantly “converted” towards changing their mind on this. It happens all the time & it would be great for more writers to help disrupt that trend. For example, Scarlet Peckham’s The Rakess disrupts this trend, which is great. I personally have still not forgiven Bones creators for making the titular character change her mind on marriage and kids, not the Big Bang Theory creators for changing both Penny & Bernadette’s minds. It’s ok for some women to not want marriage or kids & then to not change their minds about that. This would have been a perfect book for the heroine to be allowed to have romance & love without marriage as it was such a central desire & value of her character thru the entire book. I thought that having these characters raised in their commune was going to lay the groundwork for nontraditional HEAs but so far everyone does just end up in straight & traditional marriage couples.

But perhaps this is just a personal pet peeve of mine! Other than that aspect tho I very much enjoyed this book. I look forward to Evadne & Zeus’ stories!

[KelseyreadsHR · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 Io: The Shrew is the second book in The Hale Saga Series:Americans in London. Taming of the Shrew is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays (and the modern adaptation, Ten Things I Hate About You) so it’s no wonder I loved this book. At almost 400 pages, I had a hard time putting this down and flew through it.

I liked that the story takes place over several months and it’s a culmination of their moments over time that helps build their relationship.

Io is a strong heroine that doesn’t bend to society dictates and won’t abandon causes that she’s passionate about. Contraceptives is one of those causes and despite the laws and societal acceptance of the times, she’s not going to stop doing what she can to help those that’s otherwise unable to help themselves. This is a big part of the story but doesn’t overtake the romance. I enjoyed the verbal sparring between Io and Corbin on this topic and others. I loved the development of Corbin as well, having always adhered to society’s rules, it’s hard for him to understand anyone openly and unabashedly acting outside of them. He’s open to her take on issues but is ignorant on them, never having thought of them before. But once he has, he works to do better and doesn’t want her to change.

You also get to know the other Hale siblings a bit more in this one and has me looking forward to all of their stories. I hope to see Apollo’s then Eva’s stories next.

For as long as it took for their relationship to get a HEA, I thought the ending was a bit abrupt even though the epilogue showed everything tying up nicely.

There’s six encounters with discipline and light dom/sub plus fantasized thoughts on other kinks. I didn’t count them part of the total but there’s also several other scenes that are either interrupted, fade to black, or off the page. While the encounters were all steamy, some of my favorite moments was the intimacy they shared surrounding those encounters.

CW below may contain spoilers.

This can be read as a standalone.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
CW: miscarriage

[Bryony · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel I'm in the minority here as this seems to have high ratings. And to begin with I could understand, Io especially is a fantastic character. But as with all regency novels it feels, the hero lets it down, and I honestly don't think I've ever hated a leading man as much as Corbin. I understand his views would have been common of the time, but he didn't seem to develop.

Edith... She was unlikable in the first book, but showed a human side. Here she was just plan cartoonishly evil.

Apollo, his story I am interested in, so will be intrigued to see where it goes. I'm assuming the implication is that he is gay. Unfortunately Ares has been used so rarely in both I kept forgetting he existed.

Zesus is another I'm interested in.

Overall, I'm undecided if I'll continue this series. I had a few problems but overall enjoyed the first book, this was almost unreadable.

Minor spoiler for about 40%
The scene in the masquerade honestly was creepy, ok she enjoyed it, but it didn't start that way, he did it to teach her a lesson. It happened a lot, where he was violent with her, and stalking her. It also seemed odd to have a female character who was against the traditional meaning of marriage and what it meant to be a wife back then, to be so submissive. That might have worked better with a different character, here it seemed out of character for her

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

Io finds her world thrown upside down when her and her siblings find out they have an older brother named Zeus who has become a duke. The eclectic family sets out to spend time with him, leaving behind their free love style commune and unusual upbringing. Corbin is a baseborn son who's had his whole life pulled out from under him when his father dies and leaves everything (including the business) to his legitimate son. Forced to find employment, he finds work with his best friend and Io's brother as his secretary.

Io and Corbin butt heads at every turn, she's stubborn, outspoken and sexually liberated, while he's stuffy, self possessed, controlled and conservative. Over time they find common ground and can't deny the intensity that crackles between them. They come to the agreement where they meet at a hotel every Wednesday to give in to their desires and things happen along the way.

I really enjoyed this book, Io is an interesting, the family is unusual and witty and Corbin is sexy and it's fun to see him let loose and get freaky. The spicy times in this book were really great but my only detractor was the plot sometimes got kind of meandering and slow. I found myself skimming to try to get to a more exciting point but all in all it was pretty good!

[Sarah Abelson Eelkema · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Fans Of: Bridgerton, Scarlett Scott
Genre: 💞Historical Romance
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
TW: Miscarriage
Avail: Now

Synopsis: The Hale siblings are transplanted from communal living in 19th century New York to London’s whirling ballrooms, after learning they have an elder brother, a newly minted duke. Book 2 in the Hale Saga follows Io—twin to Balthazar (featured in Book 1, The Spare)—a campaigner for women’s reproductive rights. She butts heads from day one with Corbin Masterson, the duke’s childhood friend & personal secretary. She thinks he’s uptight & his views on gender & class Puritanical. He thinks she’s an unladylike scandal magnet. Sparks will fly!

Thoughts: Boy does this book open with a bang (terrible pun intended). But it quickly transitions into what Spencer does best: layering character development, romantic tension, & a dual-POV story arc to create a compelling narrative. Io’s fierce passion introduces a real-life battle to educate contemporary women about reproductive health & provide access to birth control, efforts too-often stymied by self-righteous hypocrites. I appreciated the realistic evolution of Corbin’s views on the topic & Io herself, as he is challenged to confront his assumptions & the way society strips women of choice. Io the Shrew is a story grounded in the 19th century yet frighteningly relevant to today. But this is no philosophical treatise. Spencer weaves these deeper themes into a delightful romp that makes for a fun read from beginning to end. And the spice...delicious!

Looking for an author of great historical romance with a ton of steamy series already available? Look no further than Minerva Spencer.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only complaint is when Io and Corbin agree to marry. Io asks Corbin to marry her, perfectly understandable for the straightforward, unsentimental woman she is. However, she goes on to say that she “never wanted a large ceremony” and then not only demands a proposal from him, but expresses outrage when he turns it into a bit of a joke.

These actions are so out of character for Io. She has never considered marriage so would never have considered what kind of ceremony she would want and she has so steadfastly believed in the equality of the sexes that she would have accepted it as perfectly natural that Corbin first accepted her proposal.

Writing the scene to meet the accepted standards for a proposal, making Io into the typical kind of woman who imagines her wedding day, takes away from Io’s individuality as a character and weakens the theme of female independence.

[Stacie Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED Io and Corbin

This was another fantastic book by this author. I absolutely loved the growth in BOTH the MC’s. This was beautifully written and had so many feels.

Io was spunky, independent, and determined. Despite all that, she was willing to learn and willing to care. She was definitely a woman that knew what she wanted.

Corbin was uptight at first, but Io slowly unraveled him. You couldn’t help but love his buttoned up demeanor that turned in a whole different direction when he was passionate. Whew! His love and care for Io was so sweet too.

There were lots of fun moments too. From being seasick on a boat to “seeing” Zeus try to not laugh at his siblings’ antics, there was no lack for endearing moments.

I’m so excited to see who gets the next story. I just wish it was sooner! 😩

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what characters! I really love getting to know the Hale family. The ton has their expectations due to the news stories or investigation reports, but each of these siblings are so much more than what is reported.

Io and Corbin’s story is a very unique one, being contentious from the start and all throughout. Due to this friction and their vastly different beliefs, the chemistry is amazing between the two! I particularly enjoyed the prologue, which made me anticipate that scene as I read through the book. And anticipation is half the fun, right? 😉

Great book… looking forward to the next one to learn more about these unique siblings, and it can’t come soon enough!

I received a free copy of this book from the author. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Ruchika Mahajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the book is a standalone but it should be read in order of better understanding of the plot.
I haven't read anything like IO , the character. She is fiery, likes to speak her mind , is liberated in all sense of the word.
Then all Ms Spencer female leads are in a league of their own.
Now Corbin was her true match in all aspects. It took him a while to catch up to her level though.
He had no chance in front of her.
The Chemistry between them was sizzling.
All Hale siblings are very interesting and deserve their own book.
The plot har my attention all along. The pace could have been a little better.

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to a 4. For the most part this was enjoyable but overall it didn’t wow me. I liked lo and how she believed in contraception and sexual freedom but Corbin did start to get on my nerves with how rigid he was in his morals. The actual story though felt quite messy and unstructured in how it’s told. Something happens and then it says one week later, same day, 5 hours later every time an interaction happened between lo and Corbin and it got tedious. This had huge potential but I think this author is doing too many books at once, the authors note said she’d done 3 books in 3 months and this felt lacking in certain ways but also messy.

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this except for the spanking while angry & fighting. Also, I didn't feel like Corbin ever really supported and maybe never even understood Io passion for female bodily autonomy. I really thought the Duke & Corbin should have sat her down and asked why it was so important to her. They just maneuvered and manipulated her behind her back and expected her to compromise to their expectation. Also, once Bal gave her the $, Io totally would have moved out on her own once Zeus threatened to withhold her allowance to control her.

[Milly and Mac Dashwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun, wild, sexy romp! Really dynamic and fun explosive H and h. The dialogue was very clever. I loved how they were both right when they had big arguments. Her resistance and mistrust got a tad tedious, but I still loved her as a heroine. I also lost a bit of the plot with the whole condom smuggling, but we didn’t need it. Would definitely read more by her!

[Karen Hackett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Io: The Shrew: The Hale Saga Series: Americans in London Book 2 by Minerva Spencer writing as, S.M. La Violette

An enjoyable book! Wonderful characters, highly entertaining with the family drama, the sensuality, and a happily Ever After.

Minerva Spencer writing as, S.M. La Violette is one of my favorite authors!

[Amira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 3rd act breakup was short- usual for Spencer. But it tied in with the plot well so I'm okay with the rushed ending. Loved the flashback start and the overlapping storyline with the first book. She does a good job of writing about a rag tag group of siblings who love each other. That in and of itself is a wonderful concept.

[A.T. Abbott]

This one didn't work for me. The opening kind of took away my whole joy of reading by revealing the middle of the story, and the beginning has repetitions from the previous novel - sometimes even the same sentences and expressions. This doesn't seem to be a novel I will enjoy, so I decided to put it aside.

[Evelyn C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story

I didn’t like Io’s character in the first book, Balthazar, so I only bought/read this book based on my enjoyment of Minerva Spencer’s books. I’m glad I did because the story was so good. I liked the female empowerment storyline as well.

[Mary AF Kingsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

So good. Couldn't put it down all day. Love the inclusion of realistic situations and historical events. Even the fights were period. Thank you.

I look forward to all the stories.

[Natalie Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Amazing characters. I wouldn’t necessarily want to hang around either of them, but one could easily understand their motives for their actions.

And finally a book by this author without a super large age gap!

Looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.

[Gillian Woodruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read

This might be the best example of all the things I love about this author's work. I love the steam but also heart, that it is cozy but grounded in a larger world, the tropes of the genre are woven together to feel authentic to the characters. Excellent book.