Lady Vice

Furies #1

by Wendy LaCapra

Not every lady plays by the rules…

Lady Lavinia Vaile knows what happens to a woman who puts her faith in society. For her, it was a disastrous marriage to a depraved man—one she threatened to shoot when she left him. Now Lavinia lives outside of society's strict conventions, hosting private gambling parties. It's only when her husband is shot dead that Lavinia finds herself in terrible danger...

A former judge in India's high court, Maximilian Harrison will do anything he can to help Lavinia. In the darkest of times, he held on to thoughts of her and the love they once shared. Now he risks his own position in society―along with his ambitions―in order to clear her name. Yet as desire reignites between them, Lavinia remains caught up in secrets and shame. Her only salvation is to do the unthinkable...and trust in both Maximilian and love.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction

323 pages, ebook

First published March 9, 2015

About the author

Wendy writes Historical Romance with a touch of intrigue & suspense. Her debut series, a trilogy about three Ladies who refuse to play by society's rules, was released by Entangled Scandalous in 2015. Her first indie, Her Duke at Daybreak, finaled in Romance Writers of America®'s RITA® contest.

Wendy was born a Jersey Girl, though most of her extended family lives in Maine. Trekking up and down the Northeast coast in the backseat of a car gave her plenty of opportunity not only to fight with her sister, but to read, to listen to her dad tell stories from history, and to dream up stories of her own.

She lives in NYC with her husband. Things she loves besides writing and reading and being an aunt to seven nieces and nephews include travel (50 states and all 7 continents), old things, pine trees, wine and pasta.

If you'd like to join her infrequent, never-shared mailing list for freebies and new-release information, sign up here: http://bit.ly/GetWendyNews

Reviews

[Bubu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really difficult to rate.

I liked it, and I liked it not. Does that make sense? No? I get it. Doesn't make sense to me either.

Let's start somewhere, shall we? The writing style is a little 'heavy'. As in 'Hang on, I'm not sure I understood what she meant' heavy. It can be convoluted, as if the author is trying to make an extra effort to sound sophisticated. The dialogues, although enjoyable, are of the same caliber. Read them, but read carefully, and re-read because it's not always clear what was meant. That's why the story didn't flow as easily, but hey, okay, I kept on reading.

The plot. Well, the plot, it's there, but it's too much. Or rather, because this is the first in a series, we have quite a chunk of the book filled with secondary characters who carried the plot along. I've noticed this a couple of times now with other series, especially when it's the the first book, that the author, in anticipation of the following books, weaves the upcoming heroes and heroines into the first book, so much so, that I start getting distracted and wanting to know about this or that couple more than the actual couple of the current book. Grrrr!

These are the plot lines to follow: Second chance romance, current murder mystery, plus a story line that creates a story arc for all three books. Which reminds me...the same can be said about Elizabeth Hoyt's 'The Legend of the Four Soldiers' series, but call me a sad, little fangirl, EH is by far better.

[...] I just deleted a long-arsed paragraph explaining Lavinia and Max's story. Basically, theirs is a Second Chance story, which I really, really like. But as I already said, the author put in so many secondary characters that their romance fell a little short. Although, nicely written, it wasn't well executed. A lot of the character development of our protagonists takes place in discussions with the secondary characters which always frustrates me. Give me more interaction between heroine and hero, instead of setting up the next books!!! Really getting tired of it.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Vice by Wendy LaCapra is a 2015 Entangled: Scandalous publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This story is an edgy historical romance with a darker tone and I for one am happy to see some stories with a little more depth for a change.

Duty, honor, and trust are the themes that run through out this story. Max went away to secure a more stable future for Livinia, only to find himself held prisoner in India. While he was away his fiance' marries another man. However, he worked for Livinia's parents and was like a son to her father despite Livinia's marriage and subsequent fall from grace, which resulted in an estrangement from her family. So, when she is accused of murder, Max sets out to clear her name... after all it was his duty.

Livinia' marriage was a ghastly nightmare and she has managed to leave her husband, but has been cast out of society. She is now working in vice- hosting gambling parties with several other women. When her husband is murdered and Livinia becomes the primary suspect, the man she has blamed for all her troubles, Maximilian Harrison comes to her rescue, promising to stand by her until they get to the truth and her name is cleared. But, she doesn't allow herself to believe for one moment that he is helping her for any other reason but his feelings of duty towards her.

Max suffers from PTSD but he doesn't know how to label this malady, so he soldiers on without saying much about his fear of closed in places and panic attacks, refusing to let them control him. As difficult as this is to live with, it's his broken heart that he suffers from most of all.
Livinia's abuse has left her emotionally damaged, bitter, cynical and hardened , especially towards the opposite sex. Is it possible these two wounded souls can come together once again and begin the healing process together, or will their differences of opinion keep them from gaining back all they lost?

I love a light regency romp as much as the next person, but lately it seems all the regency period historical romances are exactly alike and I find myself stifling a groan every time I pick one up and it's more of the same old, same old. I don't like to read super dark novels all the time either, but I am so pleased to see historical romance authors dipping their toes into deeper waters and tackling difficult issues. The author does this and still manages to stay true to the period. I actually learned some things about this period of time I had never heard of before, like wife auctions, the poorer classes way of ending a miserable marriage.

The mystery was intriguing and a few unexpected twist come into play along the way. Our baddie is truly one sick puppy. However, there are still some loose ends to tie up and it looks like Livinia's friend Sophie will have to pick up the slack in the next installment.
Although the storyline is a little more menacing, the romance doesn't suffer from that. The story still has some really sweet and sexy moments.
Max was someone I could fall in love with easily, his character is just so sweet and despite everything, pure, although at times his dialogue leaned toward the “flowery” side. Livinia has a harder road to travel, and at times I thought she was too hard on Max, but now that the enemies are at bay, at least for now, the couple can begin work on the future they were robbed of in their youth. 4.5 rounded to 5

[Mei · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know how to rate this book...

The over-flowery narrative, full of strange comparisons... I didn't like it...

The story is simple enough: a mistraeated wife, deviant husband, wounded hero and a mix of secondary characters all looking for a murderer.

It could be interesting, but I keep thinking: why don't you finish the discussion? Why every time somebody or something has to interrupt?

Also the angst of both hero or heroine was too much. They tried to communicate, but both didn't want to understand each other: both jumpt to conclusions that were their own and not those of the others...

So, I'm sorry, but I didn't liked it... even if there were some interesting biits about the place of the women in that era...

[WTF Are You Reading? · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story so mired in circumstance, that it is very difficult to get a real read on the characters. As such, there is never a time when the reader is able to truly see Lady Vaile as herself. She is always the victim, the martyr, or Lady Vice.

This story is well told, there is just too much going on outside of the romance. To many scandals, too many plots, and too many diversions.

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book... for more, visit Punya Reviews...

Wendy LaCapra’s debut release Lady Vice, book 1 of the Furies series, brings forth a breath of fresh air into the arena of historical romance. It had an interesting, even unique, storyline with characters that I greatly admired. Very early in the story, I also noticed that the author has a way with words, which was marvelous. The premise of a second chance romance was another highlight, so in short, I had a grand time! Without further adieu, let’s get to the review...

In Greek and Roman mythology, the Furies were female spirits of justice and vengeance. But in Lady Vice, the Furies are a group of 3 ladies, widowed and married yet estranged from their husbands, both; who have formed an unlikely friendship and are sworn to protect each-other. These ladies have fallen on hard times due to some injustice done to them, yet resolving to earn their living. And for that, they can’t afford to play by the rules. At that time, if an estranged lady didn’t have an allowance for an income, she had little or no way to earn money but discreetly bartering of her favor to her gentleman friends. Some weren’t even that lucky, and would get embroiled in scandals beyond hope. But these ladies- Lavinia or Lady Vaile, Lady Sophia and the Duchess of Wynchester, Thea, have put all their resources together to earn their living by opening a gambling club, where they went by as Lady Vice, Lady Scandal and Duchess Decadence. The events are hosted at Lady Sophia’s grand estate. In time, the club gained enough popularity with the rakes and gentlemen of the Ton alike, giving the ladies a strong financial backbone, though not without a scandalous reputation.

On a day that had the look to be a successful one, Lavinia aka Lady Vice, was playing with one of the patrons when someone from her past returns to haunt her. Max Harrison, her ex-fiancé, the man who left her to improve his financial position on a ship bound to India. The man, because of whom, she was forced to marry Lord Vaile and hasn’t been the same innocent girl of her youth in more ways than one. We don’t know the amount of psychological abuse Lavinia went through until a bit later, though there aren’t any details about any of the encounters; just a hint or a line here and there to give you an idea. Thankfully, she found kindred spirits in Thea and Sophia, who helped her when she had no one to turn to. And now, Max is here. Unfortunately, he is also the bearer of a grim news; that Vaile had been murdered in his bed just that evening.

Lavinia has heard bits and pieces about Max over the years but she had hardened her heart long ago. Now there’s nothing left of anything called a ‘heart’ in her. So when Max becomes adamant to protect her from all the fingers that’d be pointing at her now that Vaile is dead, she’s confused about the pull she’s still feeling at the sight of him, his voice... even a hastily shared kiss in the throes of shock. It seemed such a long time since they’d shared one. Max confirms that he’s heard of the rumors about Lavinia threatening Vaile, which makes it easier to condemn her, while Lavinia wages a war within herself to quell that intense attraction that obviously hadn’t died down in the intervening years. And so, she rejects Max’s offer of help. She immediately knew that no one can hurt more than Max. He held the power, and maybe, still held her heart in the palm of his hands. She had to avoid getting entangled with him at all cost.

But Max isn’t going to let her go so easily. He’d been through too many nightmares in that hellish Indian prison to give up; tortured, starved at the point of perishing before his rescue and subsequent return to England. He had no hope of having Lavinia in his life again, but now that he has an opportunity to prove his love all over again, he’s not going to lose it. Either way, when Lavinia is in danger, Max would never stay back and let her suffer. She’d always been the love of his life, though fate had played its cruel part to keep them apart. It hurt him when she got married but he was in no position to return from the hell he’d created for himself by taking on the challenge Lavinia’s wealthy father threw his way- when he asked him what can he, someone with no better prospect in life, give his only daughter to keep her in style? In the life of luxury she’s used to?

Though we don’t get any detailed narratives of what happened to Max in India, we’re told that he served as a judge there. It was also the reason why I picked up this book; a hero who isn’t a peer of the realm. Max was imprisoned along with several Englishmen, including the heir of the Duke of Wynchester, Eustace, who was then brutally murdered by a man named Kasai (or the Butcher) and his gang of degenerate mercenaries. With that experience, Max, a veritable gentleman, was changed forever. His time in prison gave rise to this ‘beast’, as Max refers to it throughout the story, what I assumed to be a wild, brutal temperament so unlike himself. Max has tried to contain this side of himself ever since his return. But with Lavinia in imminent danger, he’s having even harder time to cope with his inner beast. Sadly, Lavinia never knew of the reasons why he had to leave her in search of his own place in this world, something that obviously is the cause of all her distrust in him. But Max won’t give up. He’s a man sworn to protect his lady love, even if she doesn’t seem so inclined.

Thea, the Duchess, was instantly distrustful of Max since he’s currently working for the Duke, her husband. The current Duke became heir apparent after Eustace’s death. For some reasons, a few years after the marriage, things have gone downhill between them, which is why Thea left him too. Yet when you read them together in their scenes, you’ll find that Wynchester is superbly possessive of Thea, though not in creepy way. He’s obviously still madly in love, and while she’s trying to avoid him, showing that she doesn’t care, Thea most assuredly feels more than she lets on. Sophia is a widow and has her name entangled with the rakish Lord Randolph, who is one of the patrons and is a regular to their unusual gambling den. Everyone knows there’s something going on between them but Sophia wouldn’t confirm or deny the rumor. She proves to be the one with the strongest character and a prompt mind, who knows how to read people. From the beginning, she felt that Max’s intentions were very genuine. And thus he found an ally in her, though not without a threat should he harm Lavinia in his quest to win her over.

It was also on Sophia’s encouragement that Lavinia finally decides to listen to Max. After all, he is a former judge and would be able to advise her on the next steps to help herself out of this mess. Already Lord Montechurch, or Monte, a cousin of Vaile’s, had come and threatened her, condemning her as the murderess. If anyone knew Monte better than Vaile, it’d be Lavinia. Then, we’re introduced to Vaile’s world of perversion. He loved being watched while having sex, nothing else would turn him on. Because she had to be the ‘dutiful wife’, who must also bear his heir, Lavinia was somewhat forced into performing for Vaile in his home and at a brothel, which ironically, was also owned by Monte. Monte, who loved watching them in the act. Lavinia had to go through it all by herself because she had no other help. The innocent girl died the day she got married, and a jaded, disillusioned woman was born. She had never conceived, so Lavinia was made to perform, until the day she took a gun after Vaile suggested something more twisted, threatened him and ran. Besides, she couldn’t very well confide in anyone else about her husband’s perversions. She’s still freakin’ paying the madam of the brothel so that the mean and overused hag won’t spill her secret to the world. And we all know what’d happen if the ‘world’ per say, learns about it.

Now the time of reckoning has come. The world will probably know about her husband’s proclivities soon since inquiries are being made and Monte is the one who’s after her. He’d always been obsessed with Lavinia, even wanted her for himself. The mastermind who controlled and shared almost all the debaucheries with Vaile. He was one of the reasons why Lavinia had to get away. If this blows out of proportion, she’d probably be marked as a ‘whore’. But even that wasn’t what completely terrified Lavinia. It was the fact that, along with the world, Max would also come to know about it. Is there any way a gentleman like him can take it easily? How will she live with knowing that he hates her very presence for a sin she didn’t even commit willingly?

Thankfully, Max was already aware of this fact. He became Lavinia’s shadow the moment he found out about the murder. With that, he also found out her secret meeting with the madam. Max was the one who saves Lavinia from a few thugs bend on harassing her, though she was unaware that he was following her. When Max found out about her and Randolph’s meeting, he instantly becomes suspicious and jealous, thinking they were having an affair. But soon it’s clarified to him by Sophia; things were not how it seemed. After that, Max starts his investigation. Though things didn’t look well, through his investigation he finds out the extent of Monte and Vaile’s perversions. Now the question was, how can he prove her innocence when everyone knew of Lavinia’s threat to Vaile? Every gossip, every suspicion is being cast at her way, more so because she’s a woman. Monte apparently is hell bent on seeing her punished. But one thing Max knew that he has to convince Lavinia to confide in everything about her relationship with Vaile. After grudgingly accepting his offer of help, though she had been forthcoming with some information, Max knew Lavinia had held back much more. He wished more than anything that she’d confide in him on her own.

When a riot of sort threatens to break lose outside of Vaile’s house where all 3 Furies were at, both Max and Wynchester rush in to save them, thanks to the summon from Lavinia’s lady’s maid, Maggie and Sullivan, Max’s Irish friend. Together in India, they’d been through a lot, which solidified their friendship even though they’re not equal in social status. Max couldn’t have chosen a better man to become his eyes at Lavinia’s when, unbeknownst to her, Sullivan becomes Lavinia’s coachman. At Vaile’s house is where we get to see Thea and Wynchester together for the first time. I’d really like to know what’s going on between them, because their chemistry was so... good! I’m also a bit confused about Sophia and her own story with Randolph, about a secret group or something? The mentions were a little vague.

Lavinia needed a safe place during the time of the investigation, which she finds with Emma, Wynchester’s step-mother the dowager Duchess. Being a former courtesan, she herself is a scandalous figure, though Emma enjoys her notoriety and tackles the gossip with a joke here and a quip there. She was one of the characters I really liked because she completely understood Lavinia’s pain, confusion and guilty-feelings. In her, Lavinia found another staunch ally. She was also the one who makes sure that Max and Lavinia gets some alone time to ‘sort out’ their differences, and sort out they did. ;) Now here’s what I thought was the most beautiful part of the story. Even though, initially, their relationship had a trust fragile at best, and for good reasons, Max never lost hope. He was relentless about his determination to protect Lavinia, and to cherish her if she’d give him the opportunity. He wanted to marry her, plain and simple, but it all depended on Lavinia herself. His persistence pays off when she begins to reciprocate, even if slowly. Already mentioned that Lavinia never got over him, and why she was so reluctant. Lavinia knew that once they’re together in every sense of the way, she can’t bear the pain if he rejects her love, in her mind, once again. Thankfully, throughout the course of the story, that trust grew stronger and stronger, as if they knew each-other’s minds. There was no big misunderstanding to frustrate me because even if they had doubts over anything, they didn’t keep it inside to let it fester. Once that trust, and the hope of a new future, started flourishing, Max and Lavinia started talking. With trepidation, Lavinia at last confides in Max about the shameful truth of her own marriage. She finds it hard to believe that Max knows, and doesn’t blame her one whit! But then, she should’ve. Hadn’t Max reinstated it over and over again that he’ll be ‘her servant and her sword’ no matter what? I thought that was absolutely beautiful!

The next best scene was Lavinia’s meeting with her estranged mother. It was so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, that I couldn’t help feeling for both women. Especially Lavinia, because after they talk, it becomes apparent that everything around her was being manipulated by Vaile and Monte so that she’s virtually a prisoner of their whims. Lavinia also comes to learn of the whys of Max’s journey to India and just how he and her father had become very close, much like any father and son because Lavinia’s father always held himself responsible for Max’s traumatized experience that left him in such a vulnerable state of mind. It was because of his companionship and encouragement that Max finally got to his feet and started taking an interest in life once again. After the old man’s passing, Max is now taking care of Lavinia’s mother, as well as their brewery business. Lavinia didn’t learn any of this during her blank and miserable life with Vaile. Later, when she thought her mother was returning her letters unopened, she lost all hope. But her mother never received any of those letters. :( Lavinia hardened her heart and tried to move on, not bothering with that part of her life. It saddened me to think that they missed so many years together in between because of two mentally unstable men.

At one point, Kasai’s appearance in England with a very surprising guest stuns and alarms Max to no end. This certainly didn’t look good! Max was keeping an eye on Monte’s brothel where something sinister was about to take place when he finds out about it. Was there a connection to Vaile’s murder with this new development? The implication of the presence of that guest meant Max had to act fast, though his first and foremost concern was to get Monte to admit to the murder, preferably in the hearing distance of a magistrate to prove his guilt. By then, he was fairly certain that it was Monte who did it, as he was the one who heard Lavinia making the threat. He was one to spread it everywhere. Monte loved controlling and playing with people’s lives and Lavinia had been his obsession for a long time. He was a lunatic who wanted her in his web of obscene lies and deceit, to have her all to himself. But how can Max prove it? Randolph turns out to be someone much more than what meets the eyes as he helps Max with information. Something that also concerns his own problems with Sophia.

While Max was at it, Lavinia was planning her own charade to catch Monte. She knew a bit of Max’s plans, and though he wanted her to stay safe, Lavinia thought it was her business because Monte is a part of her past. A past, if luck holds, she’d bury with this last ‘performance’. Lavinia knew that she probably had enough power to control Monte to some extent, but she never had the stomach to do so before. Today, this is something she’s going to have to use to get Monte where she wanted him. At first, I thought Lavinia was taking a big chance here by playing with fire but I could also understand her determination. She was not only trying to clear her name but also seeking some sort of closure. She absolutely needed that closure IMO.

When all was said and done, with Max and Lavinia madly in love and tentatively planning a new future, the story, for the Furies, are far from over. Lady Vice found her long overdue happiness, but we’re still in the middle of another, big, treachery that might bring down the Wynchester Dukedom. Can’t wait to see what Duchess Decadence has to do about it. I can’t even comment on Lady Scandal’s secret marriage to Randoph, then, her subsequent departure to hide from him. God knows what these two are up to! Either way, I think I’m in a hell of a journey here with this series, thanks to Wendy LaCapra’s vivid imagination. A solid 4 star and recommended!


I received this ARC, courtesy of Entangled Scandalous, via netgalley which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: ⭐️⭐⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Not much
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast?
When mains are first on page together: Immediately (chapter 1, 1-2%)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Not really
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
This is the first book in LaCapra’s Furies series.

Basic plot:
After a very public separation from her husband, his death brings suspicion to Lavinia’s door. It also brings her former love to try to protect her.

Give this a try if you want:
- Georgian (1784)
- widow heroine
- murder mystery
- second chance
- hero pursues
- protective hero
- I don’t know if I would say enemies to lovers but there’s definitely some lingering misunderstandings/animosity between the mains
- lower steam – I could have missed something but I only noticed 1 full scene

Ages:
- Didn’t catch either! I would guess late 20s for heroine and same or possibly early 30s for hero?

First line:
Maxamillion Harrison’s heart beat for a single purpose.

My thoughts:
I really struggled with this one! I don’t love murder mysteries or second chance, so this book was just having bad luck with me before it started haha.

I read one by LaCapra years ago and just loved it so much. So I think my expectations were pretty high and I wasn’t expecting so much busy plot – I definitely wanted the mains together more than they were. And I felt like all of their relationship had already happened off page.

It’s a heavier book and I think I just wasn’t in the mood for it.

Those that love a faster paced, slightly dangerous second chance might love this one though.

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- scene of a mob with heroine is danger
- awful marriage remembered with forced exhibitionism
- heroine’s husband was murdered
- gun danger/gunshot wounds
- some mentions of British occupation of India (hero used to practice law there)


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: I don’t believe so? It’s not super detailed (just ‘he released’.)
Hows the consent? It’s good/implied
5% - kiss
31% - kiss
51% - kiss
67% - kisses, oral for her, missionary

“I have wanted you and only you for a long time.”
His breath whiffed on her skin.
“In my mind, I have made you mine a thousand times. I have undressed you and then kissed you here,” he circled his knuckle on her neck just below her ear, “mercilessly beguiling you until you writhed.”

100% there’s some minor implied scenes


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgement (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (4) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


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Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Amira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming

[Melody May (What I'm Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted on What I'm Reading

I have to say that this is definitely an interesting read, because you have the Lavinia suspected in the murder of her estranged husband at the beginning of story. Yes, things are about to get a little hairy. What made this story an interesting you have these three women who are outcast of society making it on their own and they are called the Furies. Each of them has there on names, we have Lady Vice (Lavinia), Duchess of Decadence (Thea), and Lady Scandal (Sophia). Each of them rely on one another, so they unite if one is in trouble. As a whole I like them, but individually they are a challenge. Todays focus is on Lavinia and her relationship with Max.

All right, I struggle with Lavinia. She is definitely not a character that you can be easily love, because she has been hurt by her deceased husband. Extremely emotionally scarred to the point that she lumps all men into the same category. So, poor Max he wants to help Lavinia, but he has to overcome Lavinia's barriers. Let's just say he's persistent when it comes to sticking around, because I would have given up on her after the third time. If that wasn't enough, Lavinia would keep flinging the past into Max's face that if he hadn't left she wouldn't be in this situation. The guy can't cut a break, because he tried to make a better man for himself. Anyway, she's a tough cookie. You can see why I would struggle with her. However, I adore Max. He's such a nice guy who tends to put his foot in his mouth when he's around Lavinia. Plus, it doesn't help she twists his words around.

Basically, this story is laying the ground works for a big elaborate story and we are only getting a glimpse of the big picture. Plus, the furies are tied into the story the men that are in the lives. I'm curious how it will all play out. So, Lady Vice is an interesting read that will keep you wondering what is going on. I liked how the author had me second guessing who the true killer of Lord Vaile. By the end it has you wondering what's going to happen in the stories to come. So, if you are looking for a story with a little intrigue and building plot, you might consider Lady Vice.

Copy provided by author via Author's Pal

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say that this book does not read like a début, yet never the less, it is. I mean, prose alone puts this author right there with Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, I kid you not!

This is the first story out of the three in the Furies series and it’s one of the best second chance romance story’s I’ve read. It was equal parts sweet and sensual, witty and entertaining.

Our first heroine is Lavinia or Lady Vaile, but she’s known to the ton as Lady Vice as are her friends, Lady Sophia as Lady Scandal and Her Grace Duchess of Wynchester, Thea Marie is better known as Duchess Decadence. All three have done something that has them on the outskirts of society now and all three are earning their own living by forgoing balls for private salons. And while the debutantes are attending Almack’s, rakes are clamoring for the invitations to the private salons with the Furies.

You know how you read a book and if you love it, it could be because of the plot, great dialogue, touching romance and so on. This book hit all of those for me, but I honestly swooned at the prose. It was so well done that it had me warm all over.

“Haloed in the pale pink glow of early dawn, she appeared almost as innocent as the girl he had courted all those years ago. She still commanded the colors of autumn. Her skin glowed like ripened wheat, and her smoky lashes rimmed eyes as brown as spiced ale. A man could become forever mired in those depths, enraptured and entombed.”

“Whenever the night had seemed frightening or endlessly lonely, she had lulled herself to sleep by silently repeating his name. She’d used him like a blanket, curling his image close and tucking herself into remnants of remembered love.”

“She stilled and grew quiet, though her chest rose and fell as if she were pursued by the Reaper with scythe drawn and sharpened.”

“The Maximilian of her memory ceased to exist next to the real man. The former was a simple penny-lute tune. In the flesh, Max was the King’s Theater orchestra playing Haydn.”

Need I say more?!

Loved it! Must read and keeper shelf worthy!

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the author

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely second chance romance that I thought was sweet, Lady Vice was a great historical romance and I really liked it.

Lavinia was okay. On the good side, she was strong and resilient enough to survive whatever situation faced her. On the bad side, I found myself getting frequently frustrated with her apparent determination to think the worst of Max, even though he never gave her a reason to think that way. It was especially frustrating because she berated him for not trusting her but was clearly unable to trust the best in him. So, that got on my nerves and brought down the book a bit for me. But, overall, I was fine with Lavinia's character. She just wasn't really my favorite heroine.

Max, on the other hand, was perfection. He was so sweet, so devoted to Lavinia and determined to prove himself worthy of her trust. He had made a name for himself, facing some real danger along the way, and he still remained humble and kind. I just adored him.

The romance was sweet. I thought Lavinia and Max were great together. It was clear that, despite the years apart, they loved each other as much as ever.

The plot was good, well paced enough to keep me engaged all the way through. There was kind of a mystery involved, but it wasn't much of one considering there was only one suspect at the start who turned out to be the culprit. But, it was a surprise to see how crazy this person was. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the ending was sweet.

Lady Vice was a lovely historical romance and I enjoyed reading it. Romance lovers, you'll want to check this book out.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Amy Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 1 in the Furies series.

Lady Lavinia Vaile is in the middle of one of her private gambling parties when her former beau informs her that her husband has been shot dead. Living estranged from her husband and having once threatened to kill him in the manner that he was killed, she soon becomes a suspect.

Maximilian Harrison will do anything he can for Lavinia because of the love they once shared. Risking his reputation to protect her, he sets out to clear her name. Being a former judge in India's high court, Max's word carries a lot of weight with the local authorities, but when someone is out to bring Lavinia down that might not be enough.

This appears to be LaCapra's first book and what a way to come flying out the door!! If this book is any indication of what is to come from this writer, she will be on my must buy list!

I loved Max!! He was do dedicated to Lavinia even though she had broken his heart. Having taken care of her family without her knowledge and he didn't want her to know. He just wanted them to be taken care of.

Lavinia had been hurt in her marriage and didn't want to get hurt again. As much as she stilled loved Max, she was afraid of what giving in to him would mean. I liked watching her learn to trust again and with such a great guy!

I also fell in love with the other Furies and can't wait to read their stories!!

Thanks go out to Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

[Madeline Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Lavinia Vaile has had a sordid past, and not by her own choosing. She thought she’d escaped the ugliness of her past, but when her vile and estranged husband ends up murdered, fingers start pointing in her direction. Max is the man she once loved before she married her awful husband. He’s never stopped loving her and did incredible things to prove this, including volunteering to be the man who intends to save her from the peril standing in front of her.
Lavinia is a strong heroine who overcame something that would have broken a lot of the women in her era. I love the way she struggles with her affections for Max and was so sucked into the story, I truly felt her the burden of her hesitation.
Max was so incredibly loveable and hot and wonderful and all those other great things that make up a fabulous hero. He was stoic at Lavinia’s side from the very beginning and never wavered from being her champion, even when things got dicey for him.
This incredible debut made me sigh wistfully, hold my breath with trepidation and silently squee at so many wonderful parts.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent historical read. It was thoroughly entertaining and I enjoyed the story, the chemistry between Max and Lavinia was great and I was cheering for Max to prevail. Max was so wonderful and I could really feel Lavinia’s pain. A wonderful debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here: http://lilmissvixreads.blogspot.com/2...

The three Furies, Lady Vice, Duchess Decadence and Lady Scandal, or Lavinia, Thea and Sophia, are independent women who have taken charge of their lives. They refuse to be downtrodden by men, and for Lavinia - who has fled a twisted marriage - Sophia and Thea company provide a kind of safety. I really liked the relationship between these three women, and their attitude made a refreshing change in fiction of this genre. I'm assuming and hoping that the other two Furies get their stories told too!

When Lavinia's husband is murdered, fingers immediately start pointing in her direction. Enter Max Harrison, childhood sweetheart of Lavinia who went away to make a name for himself. After a harrowing imprisonment, his only focus now is protecting the woman who got him through those dark times and clearing her name. I LOVED Max. He was devoted to Lavinia and prepared to do anything to keep her safe. He is the perfect gentleman with a tortured soul, and needs Lavinia to help him heal. Lavinia and Max each have their own scars to bear. Max hides his hurt behind a gentlemanly front of duty, while Lavinia finds it hard to trust men - even Max. It's clear that she's had a troubled past, but the way she kept shutting herself off and putting herself down did begin to grate on me.

Although the novel starts with a murder it isn't much of a whodunit - the culprit is pretty obvious from the start. Discovering the motive and provoking a confession however is the tricky part, particularly as the murderer seems determined to frame Lavinia. The novel is very well written, gripping in parts, and there is real chemistry between the two main characters. I look forward to reading more from this author! 4/5 stars.

*Thanks to Entangled Publishing for granting me a copy of this e-book in exchange for a review*

[Bambi Unbridled · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited about this book. The cover is great and the blurb got me interested in learning about these ladies of vice. Lavinia, Lady Vice, has left her debased husband and taking refuge with Lady Scandal and Duchess Decadence. When the debauching husband is murdered, former love Maximilian Harrison runs to Lavinia's rescue and we have a second chance romance blooming. All sounds very intriguing.

But reading this felt more like a chore to me - it just was not very enjoyable. The writing was too florid, switching between convoluted dialogue to purple prose and back again. The characters quoted Shakespeare a lot, so I am not sure if the author was writing with a Shakespearean bent, or she just has a serpentine writing style. I know some people may like this type of writing and, don't get me wrong, I would prefer complex, detailed writing to something overly simple. However, I was reading this late at night and I found myself having to read sentences twice to understand what the author was saying. Here are a few examples that made me particularly grumbly:

Crisis separated the superfluous from the necessary. You, as it turns out, are necessary. Would you accept such a gesture?

***************************

He understood her reticence— how could they settle into a minuet of familiar lovers when, for so long, they had lived in fantasia, playing extemporaneous chords of aspiration and memory? Years yawned between their present experience and the solid ground of their prior connection.

***************************

Was he to believe her accusation ? How could she have, in reverse alchemy, turned his intentions of gold into base actions done by rote? Was the honor he so esteemed just a loose configuration of dry duties?

So this one just wasn't for me. Maybe in another time and another place, but after a difficult day in court, my brain wanted to relax instead of work for it. 2 stars / 1 flame.

[Bev Ross]

lady Vice by Wendy LaCapra

This book was awesome! The twists and turns were exciting! I. Loved the plot it was invigorating! I couldn't put it down !! Max and Lavinias story was not your standard romance. The separation when they were young had bad results for both of them. But their love for each other kept them going until they eventually found their way back to each other and then they had to learn how to trust and love again. It was intense ,sad ,happy, and romantic all in one.! A very well written and unique love story. I hope to see more in this series there were several characters that I would like to know their stories and what happened to them after this particularly Lord Randolph and Sophie. I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Bev Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It had dark undertones but the story was so intriguing I couldn't put it down!!Max and Lavinias story was very intense both their lives went awry when they were young and though both went through. Very hard times they found their way back to each other and learned to love again,I would like to see more in this series. Particularly Lord Randolph and Sophia's story. I would recommend this book to everyone!!!

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced with danger, secrets, scandal, passion, and romance all blended together in a wickedly delicious romance. Engaging and challenging characters. Well written with a strong storyline. Kept me turning pages well into the night. Strongly recommended. Well done!


*Received for an honest review from the publisher through Net Galley*

Rating: 4
Heat Rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More

[Danae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its such a pleasant surprise to read a historical romance where the author invites us into her characters inner lives. And she doesn't shy away from writing about the seamier side of life in the mid 1700s. Max is a strong willed, loyal, infinitely patient and courageous young man who goes to India to make his fortune in order to win Lavinia's hand from her brewer father. While he is away and gets abducted and imprisoned in India, Lavinia is forced into marriage with a depraved peer who thinks nothing of physically and psychologically abusing his vivacious wife. Lavinia finally finds the inner strength to get away from her husband and joins her two friends to live on the fringes of society hosting gambling parties for the rich and wicked of London. Her husband gets murdered and she is suspected of committing it; which is when Max reenters her life. The struggle of the h/h to reestablish their harmonious relationship of old and the implicit trust that it engendered, while acknowledging/fighting the visceral attraction each holds for the other is told quite well. As is the rest of the tale with its twists and turns. I found myself rooting for Max more than Lavinia as she at times came across as pig headed and overly cynical.

As a debut novel this is an impressive start. Will follow this author and look forward to more from her pen.

[Jasmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be a very interesting series. I love that it takes a look at historical women who have found a way to take charge of their own circumstances and make a living - even if it is running a gambling yard. They have found a way to be successful and I love how devoted to each other they are.

Lady Vice is married to an awful man, and when he is found murdered, people blame her. She needs to bring her allies close quickly to find the true murderer before she finds herself at the hangman. Enter her ex-love, Max. Separated by a big of confusion, they have a lot of assumptions about the past they really need to deal with. They have to learn to trust each other all over again, and that can be a difficult task.

My biggest complaint was that Max wasn't up front about everything from the beginning. Everytime Lavinia finds out he wasn't forthcoming about something, she backs off and he can't seem to understand why. The suspense behind this story was fantastic. It really helped to carry the characters from page to page in a way that threw them back together again to work out their problems. It was also a nice look into the other two Furies, which I'm sure will have their own book soon.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

[Rosemary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Lavinia Vaile (Lady Vice) is estranged from her husband which means that she's shunned by polite society. To survive she hosts gambling parties with her two friends. They are known as the Furies. Suddenly danger is everywhere. She's suspected of murdering her depraved husband. What will happen now? Lavinia is a strong woman. She had to be to survive the degradation of her marriage. She may act cold and distant but inside she is not. I was pulled in by her plight. I loved her passion and the caring that she has for her friends and family. Maximilian Harrison was her first love. Their parting was heartbreaking. His time in India has scarred him. When he hears of Lord Vaile's death, he's determined to protect her. Max loves the Lady and will not let harm befall her. He is an amazing hero. This story is full of heartache and treachery. Lavinia and Max are star-crossed lovers. I wanted them to get the second chance to find the happiness they deserved. Wendy LaCapra has written a story filled with love, forgiveness and healing. This story is a compelling suspenseful and romantic tale. Lady Vice is a wonderful second chance-at-love story.

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley. Lavinia Vaile's has been married and she has been blamed. She hated the man as he made her do awful things for his pleasure and others. She did threaten him but did she kill him? Max Harrison has always loved her but he left her to go to India to make a fortune so he could be with her as he was made to feel that he was below her family. He is back and all he wants to do is protect and love her but Lavinia has been hurt very badly can she give him her heart?How can Max prove that he can accept her and all her secrets as they don't mean anything to him as he loves her no matter what. This book has everything spies, brothels, evil , scandal & love. It has some great characters and I am sure that we will see them in other book. The one thing that I liked was that the women were strong and took no crap from the men. Happy to recommend this to my friends. Great book great characters great plot

[Patricia Wissore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max and Lavinia..oh my. When I first read this book, I was worried I wouldn't make it through the first 3 chapters. She was filled with so much self loathing and hate that she was going to need LOTS of therapy. However, with Max's loving patience and her friends around, she started working through things. Max had his issues as well that he also had to handle, just without as much back up. I was glad I kept reading, because the story pulled me in and hung on. One thing I liked immensely about the book, the hero/heroine weren't perfect. You can tell they were taking things one step at a time emotionally and it wasn't a fairytale ending with everything "perfect". They were still "imperfect" but a work in progress. Can't wait for the next book to see what happens with Randolph and Sophia!

[Abigail Sharpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! I really enjoyed the fact that Lavinia had strong female friends (The Furies! How great is that!?!) who were interested in more than just how they fit in with society - a nice change from most historical romances. The only quibble I had was some dialogue and narrative kept being repeated as emphasis, and it lost its emphasis after a while. BUT other than that, a great book and I stayed up waaaaay too late reading it.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Mony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading, in this case listening to anything by Wendy LaCapra. It was a freebie, I couldn't get my hands on a actual book from the library to try out this author before deciding whether or not I'd invest in anymore by LaCara. I agree with some of the other reviews, this is a difficult book to rate. However, I did enjoy it & would read/listen to more of the series. I liked Lavina & Max, their chemistry was good & I liked the secondary characters, except Monty of cause. Lavinas trust issues dragged on a bit & the repetitive inner dialogue from Lavina & Max did became annoying towards the end. Especially, the "you should of trusted me" inner dialogue from Max . Was a different historical romance from the norm, it terms of the themes around the type of material abuse. Any issues I had with this book was minor & didn't stop me from enjoying it overall, nothing a goog editor couldn't have tweaked.

[melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going to DNF and give 2.5 stars this because frankly I didn’t understand why the hero and heroine were into each other besides having been in love prior to her marriage and now that I’m in quarantine it annoyed me too much to finish. I liked the female friendship even if that seemed... not as deep as it was supposed to be on page. I’ll probably pick up some other books by this author to see if this one was a fluke. More complex plots and lots of characters are actually a favorite of mine as it adds more depth so that didn’t bother me like some other reviewers.

The Sins of Lord Lockwood by Meredith Duran offers similar plot beats but better execution.

[Priscilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

A escrita desse livro é um pouco complicada no sentido que algumas frases são basicamente inintelígiveis. Eu supus que fosse algum problema com a minha edição, mas outros leitores reclamaram da mesma coisa, então provavelmente é algum vício de linguagem ou erro de revisão.

Quanto a trama... bem, ela é carregada. Há a trama principal envolvendo a reconciliação do casal ocupando espaço com uma investigação de assassinato, segue a participação de vários personagens secondário - acredite em mim, são muitos - e vários outros detalhes de construção de mundo que acabam distraindo da história principal.

Dispensável.

[Lisa Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, an ok book

I'm rating this story 3 stars, but I feel it may be more of a 2.5 stars. While the plot line seemed intriguing, it never really got to that level.
The characters had a lot of promise, but they also fell short. I think 8 have the next book, but I'm not sure I will bother.

[Gemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of characters to keep track of. Cleary this book is setting up the next books in the series. Author’s voice is a bit long-winded and flowery for my taste.

It got to halfway through and skipped to the end to see who the killer was.