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Albright Sisters #2

Something Reckless

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Prim, headstrong, and beautiful Penelope is determined to expose the licentious affairs of the ton 's randiest rakes. Now one of their powerful number—the unrepentant libertine Jeremy Vaughn, Duke of Kilgrath—has been selected to put an end to the prudish lady's interference. Jeremy's plan is devilishly He will join Penelope's war against immorality, fighting passionately by her side, all the while showering her with anonymous erotic missives designed to titillate even the coldest, most unwilling maid. He will break down her defenses and inflame her repressed desires by escorting her (in the interests of their "noble campaign") to London's most notorious pleasure palaces. And he will visit her boudoir—masked—during the night to school her in the deliciously sinful arts she wishes to abolish. Then he will expose her hypocrisy to the world. But the handsome rogue's scheme is doomed to go awry, even as the lovely Penelope sheds her every inhibition and freely gives in to his every whim. For in this sensuous game of hearts, it's the seducer who becomes seduced . . .

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2008

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1117 people want to read

About the author

Jess Michaels

126 books1,572 followers
Jess Michaels is a USA Today Bestselling Author who likes geeky stuff like Star Wars, playing video games (she ships herself with Dragon Age’s Iron Bull FOREVER), Bob’s Burgers and collecting POPs! She also drinks a LOT of Diet Coke. Probably an unhealthy amount, but it’s her only vice. She will eat (almost) anything coconut, truly anything cheesy and nothing spicy (yes, she is a walking stereotype when it comes to that). She likes cats, her dog Elton and people who care about the welfare of their fellow humans.

Although she started out traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain Publishing, in 2015 she went fully indie and has never looked back! She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live tucked between the ocean and the mountains in Oregon.

When she’s not watching Our Flag Means Death or trying out all the new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with smoking hot heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want.

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544 (29%)
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152 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
Profile Image for KristenReviews.
845 reviews4,993 followers
August 15, 2012
2 1/2 to 3 stars

Something Reckless I'm sad to say, is not as good as the first book in the series, Everything Forbidden. The heroine in this book is awful and the complete opposite to the first book's heroine, Miranda. Where Miranda was a character to be loved and admired, Penelope, this books heroine, is shrewish, childish, and very self-righteous. She was a hard heroine to like. Also, this story's plot is much more far-fetched and unbelievable than the first books, which was fairly unrealistic considering the time frame and social status of the characters. The small involvement of Ethan and Miranda, the first book's hero and heroine, made reading this story somewhat worthwhile. While the ending left a smile on my face, it–like the first book–ended a little too abruptly. Leaving me wanting more. Overall, Something Reckless was a decent but not a great read.
Profile Image for Eastofoz.
636 reviews411 followers
June 19, 2009
Ooooo this was goo-oo-oo-d ! Not only does it have my favourite love/hate theme happening but the emotional involvement between the h/h coupled with the steam factor of an 120° in the shade(!) all came together beautifully making for a fantastic read that just whipped right by. Jess Michaels certainly knows how to develop a story without making it too long, bogging it down with filler and diving right into the romance from the first few pages.

This is historical erotica without the ick, with a strong story line and vivid characters. The sexual tension just builds and builds until it explodes into firecracker central. The h/h dislike each other immensely at the start and there’s a whole underhanded plot set up by the hero to take down the heroine. Penelope wasn’t the most likeable character when she appeared in the previous story “Everything Forbidden” but she just shone in this one. Jeremy Vaughn, the Duke of Kilgrath, plays the roll of the sob rake beautifully. He slowly sucks her in to his web of deceit (so hard not to give spoilers here) but also loses himself in the process. This book has THE best as well as most deserved slap across the face scene I’ve ever read --big time ouch there, but at the same time it was emotionally draining for both the hero and the heroine. You could just feel the betrayal right through to your bones and you’re sitting there saying “you bastard, you deserve it and then some dammit!” –geeze what a good read! :D

There’s just the right combination of sex and story to keep you turning those pages well into the night –or perhaps during the day at work (lol!). It’s also a comfortable book to read because you don’t have to crack it open with a jackhammer to see what’s written close to the spine and the print is a decent size too. It didn’t make the favourite shelf for me because I thought an additional love scene was needed but all the rest made for an excellent story --fabulous ending too. It’s got the love/hate-rakish hero/prim & proper heroine-protector-tables-turned story all rolled into one. If you liked Michaels’ Taboo or Everything Forbidden I can’t see how you wouldn’t love this one :D
Profile Image for Fani *loves angst*.
1,837 reviews222 followers
April 6, 2016
As much as I loved the first, I had trouble even liking this one. At least, it improved toward the end and left me with a better impression that even made me consider rating with 3 stars. However, the overall impression wasn't good. My main problem was Penelope. Immature, childish, prudish and naive, she was the exact opposite of her sister. She leads a campaign against the ton's mens' excesses and pleasures, without knowing what pleasure is and stubbornly believing that only men can feel it, even though she has seen more than one women enjoying the sexual encounters with their lovers. And then the hero comes by and claims he has reformed and is here to teach her about pleasure, so she can better know what she's fighting against. If that isn't a silly plot, I don't know what it is. A flimsy excuse for the erotic scenes in between, without any logic or realism. And when Penelope thinks of accepting an admirer's advances, just for research's sake... well, it's a wonder I actually finished this book. But to be honest, the writing was good, despite the lack of plot, and the sex scenes were erotic and powerful, but also sweet and tender.
Liking her writing so much, I'm not sworn off Jess Michael's books for now. On the contrary, I plan to read the next Albright book, as soon as it's published. I hope it will be closer to the first than this one.
Profile Image for Mafi.
1,201 reviews250 followers
February 10, 2016
Já é o 4º livro que leio da autora e sempre gostei dos seus livros. Teria sido mais compreensível ter lido tudo pela ordem correcta mas a culpa foi da editora que lançou tudo ao contrário.

Mais uma vez esta leitura foi de extrema rapidez. Muito semelhante aos outros livros da autora em termos de enredo e personagens foi com felicidade que vi que a Penelope era uma personagem diferente das anteriores. Gostei dela pela sua luta em que não acha justo que as mulheres daquela época ficassem em casa, enquanto os maridos procuravam algures amor e paixão fora da mesma. Gostei dela a lutar para que as mulheres tivessem mais respeitos e consideração.

http://algodaodoceparaocerebro.blogsp...
Profile Image for Gemma.
455 reviews2 followers
November 17, 2010
Having read the first book in this series, I was unsure how much I would like it. How wrong I was to doubt it. This was a brilliant book and a rather nice chage to the usual.

I loved the heroine who had been thrown into this role as a champion for the women of the ton through an innocent remark. The character was well rounded and I genuinally felt for her. Here was a woman who desperatly wanted someone to love her but due to her past relationship and what happened to her sister, it shaped her into what appeared to be a cold and shrewish women.

And now on to JEremy.oh how he was a dashing rake, intent on bringing down the woman who was stopping the playground of the Upper ten, only to be brought down by Penelope.

This was a smoking hot read and it was fantastic. I felt the pages burn between my hand. It was just..... fantastic.

I loved this one better than the previous book and I am saving up to buy book three.
Profile Image for Bekah.
394 reviews46 followers
April 6, 2010
These books by Jess Michaels are really fast quick reads. So in that fact, they are great. However, you pay a little more for them than other books, and I sort of feel frustrated because I feel like I'm not getting my money's worth. Not in the length/size of the book and not in the plot. This plot particularly seemed weak and farfethced. But, it wasn't a bad book, I just feel like I should be getting something meatier for my money. Plus, the sex doesn't blow me away...she writes well, but its sort of like she only takes you so far, and then your left wishing there was just a little bit more description/details. Either way, I'll finish the series, and then probably sell them on Ebay!
Profile Image for Célia Loureiro.
Author 30 books961 followers
July 19, 2012
Não posso dizer o que realmente penso deste livro... bom, talvez possa porque eu não sou exactamente conhecida por contornar o discurso directo. Ora bem: este livro é uma série daquilo que os indianos, no Kamasutra, se referem como Cunnilingus. Eu já estava enjoada de tanta descrição desta prática - sabores e cheiros e ruídos e novamente. E... quando pensava que a história ia andar em frente, lá estava ele novamente mascarado, ajoelhado entre as pernas dela de novo... Oh God, nem 5 páginas de história neste mar de Cunnilingus. "Mar" salgado é boa designação para este livro.
Profile Image for ChloeLeeNH.
286 reviews47 followers
July 13, 2009
I liked this... but I thought there would be more antagonistic exchanges between the h/h. The guilt factor on both sides got a bit old as well... but I like a reformed rake story sometimes and I thought that this one could have been more catagorized as that theme instead. But now I have to go back and read book 1!
Profile Image for Michelle.
571 reviews121 followers
March 1, 2016
3.5 stars

I liked this book but wasn't completely in love with it. I have read other reviews and most thought Penelope was a bit childish, I didn't really see her that way, and that Jeremy's personality was inconsistent, which I did see a little bit of. I liked them together, I definitely liked the overall plot but something about this book didn't draw me in. I also couldn't believe they had really fallen in love with each other. I felt bad for Penelope because of the position she put herself into but didn't necessarily want to be in later. She is fighting for a good cause but she wants to break some of the "Ice Queen" image and find some real passion in her life. She can't exactly do that without be called a hypocrite which kind of sucks. I ended up liking Penelope and Jeremy a lot but like I said I wasn't entirely in love with them. Definitely a fun and interesting read.

I don't know if I will read the last book, Nothing Denied. I am not too crazy about the main character, Beatrice, the younger sister of Penelope and Miranda (Everything Forbidden) because she seems very shallow and irritating but I won't say no way just yet.
Profile Image for S..
23 reviews11 followers
September 27, 2009
I picked this up not knowing it was #2 in a set until just now. I had suspicion, as there were a couple of references to things that were never fully explained in this one... however it didn't seem necessary to have read the first to enjoy the second, which is always a good sign in my opinion. Its too easy for authors to lean heavily on the recap of what happened in the other story, or to make only vague references assuming you've already read it. This had just the right balance.

In fact, the whole story is a balancing act. Deliciously erotic passages tangled around cleverly paced plot, character discovery, and development. No one element came off too heavily or too light, and all blended into a very enjoyable story.

I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more of this author's work, and the other Albright Sisters books are going on my to-read list.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
822 reviews38 followers
April 30, 2010
The heroine was so annoying in this book, that 3 stars is really all I can summon.
She manages to forgive in the end, but she never really admits she was wrong, and to me that is just annoying. I kinda sorta hated her. Yeah I know, this is make believe but I actually know people like her. Ugggggg makes you want to smack someone!


34 reviews10 followers
February 4, 2016
Gostei mais deste livro do que do anterior livro da série. Penso que, aqui, a história se sobrepõe às cenas eróticas, das quais, confesso, não sou a maior apreciadora. No entanto, continuo a ler estes livros pelas personagens, pela história e pelo amor que, no final, sempre tem prevalecido.
Profile Image for Danette.
884 reviews
July 2, 2011
Plot was boring and unbelievable (come on---can't tell the secret admirer is Jeremy??? ).
Profile Image for romancelibrary.
1,366 reviews583 followers
December 10, 2021
4.5 stars

WOW! I cannot believe that I almost passed up on this book because some of the reviewers still hated Penelope. I mean, I didn't like her all that much in the last book, but the premise of Something Reckless sounded too juicy to pass up. I am so glad I decided to read it because it was even better than the first book!

Sure, Penelope is less likable than Miranda and sure, even Jeremy came off as too smug for his own good, but Penelope & Jeremy held my interest from beginning to end. They were such interesting and complex characters. I could not wait to find out what would happen next. I wish I took the time to savour this book, but I literally could not stop reading it. The character development was incredible! I gradually fell deeper and deeper in tandem with Penelope & Jeremy. I got everything that was missing from the first book. Something Reckless was a slow burn and I was pleasantly surprised to read about the friendship between our hero and heroine, which added more depth to their relationship.

I want to talk a bit more about Penelope, just in case anyone else has the same misapprehensions I had. I feel that she was wrongly criticized by some reviewers. Sure, she was harsh to Miranda and yes, she was unable to understand passion. But she only and rightly disparaged the men of the ton, not their wives or mistresses, as some reviews would lead you to believe. Some reviewers criticized Penelope's "crusade" because they thought that she didn't think women could experience pleasure like men, despite the fact that she's seen women enjoying sex. But that was not the case here. She was speaking up against the injustices that women faced. She spoke up against the men who hurt and ignore their wives by flaunting their mistresses and indulging themselves in affairs and orgies. For God's sake, she even protected a former courtesan who was abused by her so-called protector. From what I gathered, she only criticized the men of the ton for their selfishness and excess in vices. Thus, I saw her more as a supporter of women, which is reinforced by her support and care for Fiona up until the very end.

She did have a lack of understanding when it came to passion though, and while this was partly why she was estranged from her sister, it was not the reason this "crusade" got started.
"The first day I spoke to my friends. All I said was that it wasn't fair that we were asked to sit at homes while our husbands found love and passion elsewhere. That we deserved more thought and respect than that. And that the only way we could get it would be to demand it...I must have hit a chord, for the entire thing escalated from that moment on. And now I am the one who is hissed at, stared at, the one who is supposed to lead some kind of uprising."

This may feel like a rant, but I just feel like Penelope was unfairly criticized by some readers. I didn't hate Penelope, and I can't say that I particularly love her either, but given her past experiences with passion, I was able to understand her reasoning and feelings a lot better. I don't condone her behaviour towards Miranda, especially after the latter married Ethan, but I understand where she is coming from. Miranda cannot be blamed for the choices Penelope made. I was finally able to understand why she reacted so harshly to her sister in the previous book. What surprised me (and shouldn't have, to be honest), was the fact that the ton had whispered about Miranda's illicit relationship with Ethan before their marriage.

Penelope was a very complex character, compared to Miranda, who was an easier character for readers to connect with. I found Miranda a little bland and boring. On the other hand, despite not really liking Penelope, I found her character more compelling. I was driven by a need to understand why she changed so much and to see where her path will take her. Her battle against herself was so interesting to read and I loved her reconciliation with her sister. She was a fascinating character to say the least and her character development was amazing.

The character development for Jeremy was also exceptionally well done. It's not like Penelope immediately forced him to lose
himself. His brother's marriage first triggered a change in him, and Penelope was the catalyst to him changing his ways and falling in love. I really liked that because it felt more realistic.

The relationship development was just so beautifully done. The way Jeremy made Penelope feel beautiful. The way their friendship and physical relationship blossomed. I did not even mind the whole secret lover thing. I think Jeremy proved himself in the end and Penelope blossomed into a woman who understood herself better and stopped being angry at the world.

The chapter where Penelope & Jeremy confessed their pasts to each other and almost kissed. Wow! And the chapter where she reveals everything to Jeremy in the end...WOW! That's the kind of angst and emotional intensity I need in my romance novels. Just...incredible. I was awed and swept away.

So...why 4.5 stars after all this praise?

There were some typos and grammar mistakes. One time, Ethan was mixed up with Jeremy, which led to a very weird image. Maybe it's my book copy?

I did not feel a solid connection to the time period and weirdly enough, Penelope barely had any "Crusade meetings" after she met Jeremy. If it were not for the words "Duke", "my lady", "chemise" and "candles" being thrown about, I would have quickly forgotten this was a historical. But the setting felt more authentic than it did in the first book, so there's an improvement there.

Finally, I wish we had an epilogue! Anyway, I can go on and on about this book and I don't think everyone wants to read more than I have already written. I am VERY excited for the next book! I liked Cassandra in the last book and it's a second chance romance! I'm in!
Profile Image for Titinha Scaeiro.
451 reviews9 followers
March 29, 2018
Mais um que está nos 3.5*
Gostei mais deste até ao final mas gostei mais da emoção final do primeiro livro. Porém é um livro com muito sexo e pouca história mas o pode ser diferente quando nos eróticos o principal personagem é o sexo? Por isso ler poucos ou nenhum, nem sei o que me deu para me lançar nos eróticos agora. É o que faz querer ler coisas diferentes, entre um policial (série Sebastian Bergman), e outros romances que quero ler e os livros ainda não saíram... Como Nora Roberts, Joanne Shupe, Sarah MacLean, Julia Quinn, Judith McNaught, J.D. Robb e Sandra Brown(espero a saída o ebook), tudo autoras que vão sair e deve faltar aqui livros que ainda não sei que vão ser editados... lol
Agora é ler o terceiro e devo dizer que pelas opiniões que já li, que vou a “medo”, pois palmadas e chicotes não é do meu agrado, quanto muito fico-me por uma algema ou mesmo um lenço, não consigo conceber prazer na dor... espero não em vir a arrepender de ler o terceiro... pfff
Profile Image for Ana María.
662 reviews41 followers
July 18, 2017
Romance histórico bastante erótico. Me gustó.
Una combativa puritana y un duque libertino decidido a convencerla de las ventajas del placer.
Me gustó porque compré el cambio de los dos: ella descubre la pasión y que no es algo malo, y él descubre lo malo que el trae el exceso (adulterio, desprecio a la mujer, violencia de género, etc.). No que lo haga él, eh.
Lo único que no me convenció (en ninguna novela) es esto de que el tipo tenga dos personajes y ella no se de cuenta que es la misma persona. Pero, ¿y la voz?
y ahí se pudre todo.
Igual esta buena, digamos que es un artilugio literario.
Profile Image for Cláudia | a.estante.da.sofia.
92 reviews
April 10, 2024
4,75⭐️ Andou muito perto das 5 ⭐️. Achei que faltou mais "drama" na resolução do conflito final (vivo para o drama, que posso eu fazer? 😂) e o final pareceu-me um nadinha curto e apressado. Recomendo a leitura para quem gosta de um romance histórico bem sensual com uma pitada de "sedutor é seduzido" 😊
Profile Image for Sassy Angel.
2,886 reviews
June 9, 2018
I always enjoy reading anything by Jess Michaels. This book was no exception. I love the plot and the characters.

Penelope's comments on the excess of the licentious affairs of the men in the Ton has sparked a movement among the women. The men of the Ton don't like this especially a group of men called the Nevers. The men convince Jeremy Vaughn, Duke of Kilgrath to find a way to stop her. Jeremy comes up with a plan to seduce her but along the way things change for him. He realizes that he loves her almost too late. After finding out about his deception, will she forgive him and take him back?

Highly recommend this book and series.
Profile Image for Shannon .
1,219 reviews2,583 followers
October 10, 2009
When Penelope Albright married Lord Norman, a much older, callous man, she believed she was doing the right thing for her impoverished family - and also ensured that she would never succumb to the sins of the flesh like her older sister Miranda did. Even though it turned out so well for Miranda, Penelope won't speak to her or see her. Now that her husband has died, Penelope is free - but to do what? He poisoned her self-image and only helped fuel her fear and dismay of pleasure.

A few passionate words made to a couple of ladies about the way the men of the ton treat their wives, leaving them to lavish attention on their mistresses, places Penelope in a position she never wanted: as spokeswoman for her peers, the gently bred wives of men who look elsewhere for pleasure.

A small group of powerful, wealthy men who pride themselves on their fast and loose ways are angry at how Penelope has stirred up their previously-complacent wives. Drawing straws on who should tackle the problem and silence the beautiful Lady Norman, Jeremy Vaughn, Duke of Kilgrath, picks the losing straw. He decides the only way to corrupt and possibly blackmail Penelope is to play a double game: pretend to be reformed and join her crusade, while secretly sending her inflaming letters and tapping into her repressed desires.

He's sure he can break her, but when Jeremy manages to reach past her natural scepticism and finds himself actually liking her - more than that, becoming friends with her, it becomes increasingly difficult to follow through with his original plan.

As he slowly draws Penelope out and encourages her to experience the very sinful things she's purportedly set against, their attraction, desire and friendship deepens to something stronger - can he still bring himself to expose her hypocrisy to the world, and does he even believe it any more?

Sometimes the problem with erotic romances is that they are often built on flimsy plot structures that serve merely to provide a pretext for lots and lots of good sex. When they get side-tracked on the plot, they become boring. When the plot isn't realistic enough, they become laughable. I was concerned, when I started this, that the latter would be true here. It worked in Taboo because the heroine worked in the world of pleasure games. It was a bit of a stretch in Everything Forbidden, the previous book in the series, because it was a gentlewoman crossing boundaries that you just never crossed. In Something Reckless, that line is completely discarded.

Eventually though, if you want to enjoy the story for its own sake and because it's the kind of book you're in the mood to read, you just have to let it go and go with the flow. I had to accept the story as presented and not stress about how improbable it could be. It's not the pleasure palaces and the naughty things people get up, sometimes practically in public, that is unlikely - that side of it is a given. But Penelope and Jeremy's story, especially the speed at which everything happens, can be a sticking point if you let it - and if you do, then there's no point reading the book.

It does set things back a bit though. Their chemistry wasn't as powerful as it could have been, and the subplot concerning the men and their mistresses - Jeremy tells a rather sad story about how he saw his father with his mistress and the two children they had together, and how happy his father was, playing with his daughter, while to his two legitimate sons he was perfunctory and distant - was dropped when I would have liked to see it play out a bit more. It served as too glaring a plot device, which made it all the more flimsy.

But it does have some solid electric moments, plenty of sexual tension and Penelope was likeable despite being a prude - especially at the end, when she really pulls herself together. It was harder to like Jeremy except when you got glimpses of what lay hidden behind his façade, because his motives are so monstrous - to ruin a woman's reputation and shame her, all so his friends can keep their mistresses while their wives shut up and do their duty. He comes across as a bit sleazy almost at times, and the description of him doesn't help much: he appears as a kind of Italian womaniser with long dark hair, tanned skin (seriously, very few men of his class would be tanned, especially all over) and beautiful green eyes. He was just too obvious.

He also didn't seem like much of a duke; dukes are very close to the royal family and have much more serious duties than the "lesser" nobility, including the need to marry and procreate. It would be unlikely that Jeremy would sowing his wild oats for such a long, unchecked time.

Ah dear, I've gone and done what I promised I wouldn't: focus on the plausibility of it all. Suffice it to say that dodgy plot points aside, for an erotic historical romance this is good fun and plenty spicy - nothing kinky - and ultimately satisfying in how it comes together at the end.
Profile Image for Sofia Teixeira.
607 reviews132 followers
July 3, 2014
3.5 - Opinião Brevemente

Ler Jess Michaels é sempre sinal de que nas próximas horas nos vamos rir, transportar para outros tempos em que a sociedade está cheia de etiquetas, (falsos) moralismos, e em que o escândalo pode acabar com a vida social de uma pessoa. Os bons casamentos, os interesses financeiros e, principalmente, a imagem que os outros têm do indivíduo, tomam graus de significância hoje considerados desmedidos, mas que na altura faziam parte do ar que respiravam. Em Sedução Perigosa revisitamos Penelope, desta vez sendo ela a protagonista de todo enredo.

O casamento de Penelope com um homem bem mais velho, para poder livrar a família de algumas despesas, é um facto que já conhecíamos do volume anterior, Emoções Proibidas, mas que agora sabemos terminado por este ter falecido. Após ter sido mal tratada durante o seu casamento, principalmente psicologicamente, a nossa protagonista está decidida a acordar todas as suas amigas para as realidades mais controversas dos seus maridos. O início nem sequer foi propositado, tendo feito apenas um comentário em relação ao tema das amantes e das noites repletas de luxúria dos maridos, mas rapidamente as amigas começaram a procurar inspiração nela para poderem controlar mais os seus maridos. Resultado? Pois claro, os homens ficaram furiosos e ansiosos por conseguir calá-la.

Planos começaram a ser delineados, mas foi literalmente na sorte, no jogo dos pauzinhos - quem fica com o mais curto perde - que Jeremy viu a sua vida mudar. Ao início de forma imprevisível, pois tudo o que ele queria era que os amigos se calassem, e para isso teria de convencer Penelope a parar com aquelas reuniões feministas, porém, à medida que se foi envolvendo com ela, quer sob a sua verdadeira identidade, quer sob um desconhecido que lhe escreve cartas eróticas, foi caindo na própria rasteira.

Esta é uma obra leve, que ainda assim consegue mostrar quão hipócritas e cínicas as pessoas conseguem ser, mas acima de tudo retrata uma mentalidade completamente oposta à dos dias de hoje, e como o papel da mulher foi mudando ao longo dos tempos. Não tão antípoda assim, é o sonho de qualquer mulher em encontrar um amante que a satisfaça, que a faça descobrir novos prazeres e que a faça sentir por inteiro. Existe toda esta descoberta sexual, intensa no erotismo e nos cenários descritos que, eventualmente, poderá fazer corar mentes mais pudicas. Resumindo, é um romance enternecedor, de personagens que nos conquistam e que no fim traz uma boa lição de sentido de justiça. Encantador.
Profile Image for Amarilli 73 .
2,727 reviews91 followers
November 27, 2012
Sorelle Albright n. 2 - Seconda trappola x nobili

Dopo che la sorella maggiore ha trovato l’amore, la seconda (Penelope), delusa e traumatizzata dalla scoperta della sua passione (mia sorella che gode, che orrore!!), ha pensato bene di sposare per ripicca il primo nobile incontrato, un sessantenne insipido.
Per sua fortuna, il matrimonio deprimente non è durato a lungo, e Penelope, divenuta la giovane vedova lady Norman, decide di dedicare la propria vita a lottare contro l’ipocrisia dei maschi nobili, che tengono le mogli chiuse in casa, mentre loro e si dedicano ad amanti, sollazzi e piaceri della vita.

Contro di lei si schierano i membri del circolo Mai-e-poi-Mai (un gruppuscolo di nobilotti annoiati che si sono dati poche regole chiare: non cambiare mai, non esitare di fronte a niente e non innamorarsi per nulla al mondo!), e in particolare il duca Jeremy, estratto a sorte per sedurla e ridurla al silenzio. Il finale è abbastanza prevedibile: partito al grido di guerra di “Quella donna dev’essere fermata”, il duca finirà per essere travolto lui stesso dalla dolcezza e dalla determinatezza di Penelope.

Questo è l’episodio che mi è piaciuto di meno, non tanto per i protagonisti, che ho trovato comunque ben delineati e apprezzabili, ma per l’escamotage individuato dal duca per frequentare Penelope sotto mentite spoglie. Passi che agli inizi dell’800 le notti dovevano essere davvero buie, ma si fa fatica a credere che Penelope non riuscisse a collegare il corpo mozzafiato dell’eroe mascherato, a cui si avvinghiava di notte, con il corpo mozzafiato del duca, che le stava accanto di giorno (anche se, in realtà, pure in Zorro e in Superman la stessa trovata pareva funzionare….).
Profile Image for ThePerpetualBookJunkie.
165 reviews26 followers
January 18, 2011
This story was the second installment to the Albright Sisters series by Jess Michaels. I haven’t had the chance to read the first though I have had a gist of what happened to Penelope’s sister Miranda, who was the heroine in the first series.

I didn’t really like the character of Penelope Albright in this story. As a heroine, I thought her character was really weak. Her campaign to expose the excesses of the ton’s “Nevers” was really lame. I was kinda hoping that her crusade would be in the form of just encouraging the wives to be more sensual or be open to sexual adventures so the wives would win the hearts and beds of their men and would forget their mistresses from whom they get their sexual gratification. But Penelope was portrayed as a hypocrite although she was not exposed by Jeremy Vaughn as he originally intended.

The hero on the other hand was very likeable, although at first he was really devious in plotting the fall of Penelope from grace. It was indeed not a noble intention. But I guess Jeremy Vaughn hadn’t anticipated that instead of Penelope falling from grace, he would be the one who would fall???…in love perhaps??? It was really funny reading about his plans of biting him back in the ass.

The story had definite drawbacks in the beginning but it picked up in the end and I was able to truly enjoy reading it. On the sensual side, it was a great read.
Profile Image for Zoe.
49 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2016
As much as Jess Michaels tried to tell us the opposite, I have to say, WHAT A HYPOCRITE !!!

And while I'm at it, WHAT A DUMBASS.

The idea of reforming the ton is admirable, and initially I was behind our chick. But the FIRST OPPORTUNITY she got to indulge in THE VERY THINGS SHE WAS CRUSADING AGAINST (albeit by accident) SHE TOOK IT!!!

Missy you are a discredit to people with conviction EVERYWHERE !

However the biggest buffoonery and (there isn't another word for it) HYPOCRISY is the fact that she agreed to get chummy with her secret admirer WITHOUT bothering to find out WHO HE WAS and whether he was MARRIED OR NOT! She could very well be committing ADULTRY with this dude. Cuckholding one of the very women she was COUNCILING!

The FIRST GUY - she got in bed with the FIRST guy. Shame on you. How dare you judge others when your own moral compass is so flimsy.

And I really don't see why Jeremy fell for her. She had just spite and negativity and poor character.


Can't believe the first book was so wonderful.

And don't even get me started on how poorly she treated Miranda. I could understand penelope ' s initial reaction in the first book but man could this girl carry a stupid grudge. All the while frolicking in the dark with one man and lusting after another .
Profile Image for Piratequeen.
32 reviews13 followers
May 18, 2011
Thoroughly fast paced and entertaining read! I loved loooved it!

Stunning novel of high passion with a totally bad ass handsome Duke and a passionate heroine. Loved all of the book, I was reading the Desperate Duchess before this one and noticed the major difference, here every page was interesting and was entirely relevant.

I always love the idea of secret identity in my romance novels and how the revelation happens is always my favourite part. Sometimes i hunt for that kind of storyline and glad i bumped into this one, First it was a Historical genre (my favourite) and secondly it is has that whole secret identity thing.

But I don't get why when she was close to Jeremy aka the Duke..(the uhhh soo hot hero) she couldnt tell the difference between Jeremy and the mystery lover, but only recognised the fact AFTER he quoted from the letters, I was expecting recognition from the intimacy she shared from her mystery lover and later on him ( the smell of him, the feel of him etc..).

I also loved the fact that here she confided everything to Jeremy ( which made him feel like an ass for fooling her) it was a good plot, found her honesty admirable.

Overall It was amazing, so nothing less than a 5 star from me!
Profile Image for Isabel  Almeida (Os Livros Nossos).
167 reviews38 followers
August 24, 2014
Leia a crítica completa em

http://oslivrosnossos.blogspot.pt/201...

"(...)Num ritmo narrativo bastante acertado para a dimensão do romance, com uma linguagem bastante acessível, que não descura o meio social elevado e a época histórica em que a narrativa decorre, a autora consegue manter um clima de conspiração que apenas se resolve no final da trama, prendendo as leitoras à história.

O romance contém diversas cenas de cariz explícito ao nível sexual, descritas com a sensibilidade, a ousadia e o detalhe a que autora já nos habituou, afirmando-se, de facto, como um dos nomes de relevo neste género literário bastante específico.

Conspiração, tensão, sensualidade ardente e uma heroína e um herói interessantes, que transportam consigo uma história pessoal, e que lutam por ultrapassar conflitos interiores, estas são apenas algumas das razões que tornam este romance uma excelente escolha de leitura.

Recomendamos!"
Profile Image for Billie Jo.
213 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2011
I should have figured it out when the first book of this series was only a few bucks and this - as the second book - was $10.

Although, I really enjoyed the first book of the series, I have stopped reading this one to find another book. It's slow and not much of a page turner. Too much description and not enough dialog.

I am not a fan of those books that each time the character says something there is a long description of deep personal thought. I prefer books that let the characters tell the story - not the author through description and deep thought.

I should have followed the advise of those who commented on B&N and not purchased the book. I will, however, most likely finish the book at sometime.

Profile Image for Celia {Hiatus until August}.
750 reviews138 followers
February 1, 2020
Sou só eu que acho a classificação 1 a 5 não muito justa?!?
Ora bem, este foi uma dessas indecisões.
5 é muito, 4 é pouco.
Gostei, mas não tem comparação com o primeiro.
Não gostei da personagem Penelope, aliás deixei de gostar dela no final do primeiro livro.
Apareceu como uma personagem simpática e transformou-se numa birrenta/mártir/vitima.
Tudo o que lhe aconteceu foi por sua culpa, uma personagem de carácter fraco que apenas deixou andar, não tomou nenhuma decisão, não impediu que nada acontecesse, mas Jess Michaels fez com que tudo lhe corresse bem no final.
Gostei de Jeremy, e até da cortesã Fi.
Gostei da forma como a história se complementa com o primeiro livro, sem descurar qualquer detalhe.
Salva o livro e decidir pelo "5", Ethan e Miranda. Adoro estas duas personagens.
Profile Image for Mey Buentipo.
213 reviews10 followers
June 16, 2011
I liked it and the same time frustrating. After reading this story, I am moved because I felt the characters of hero and the heroin. Chasing Penelope for her surrender, is a kind of frustrating and exciting and the same time. Although, I am wondering to what happened to her cause for exessive sensuality, did she persue it? Around the ending it's a bit of rushed. I am wanting more of the story. The ending did not statisfy me, because it keep me wondering if they got married? Did something more between them?. Inspite of this, I liked the book and made me more intrigue for the next book of the series.
Profile Image for Melanie♥.
1,093 reviews1 follower
July 22, 2009
Surprisingly good! I was not a big fan of Taboo and hesitated about buying this one, but it was a bargain book and I needed one more item for the free shipping:-)
Glad I bought it. Quick enjoyable read. It read more like a typical historical romance with some added steam. Found that it did not matter that I had not read the first Albright Sister's book, so it can be read stand alone. Think I will go ahead and read Miranda's story next.
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