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The Mysterious Miss M #3
A Reputable Rake
Cyprian Sloane's reputation is of the very worst. A gambler, smuggler, rake and a spy, he now faces the greatest challenge of all--respectability! He will force Society to accept him. Nothing will stand in his way....
Until he meets Morgana Hart, whose caring nature thrusts her into the company of ladies of the night and risks a scandal that will destroy them both. To become a gentleman Cyprian must sacrifice the lady--or is there a way for the rake to save them both?
Until he meets Morgana Hart, whose caring nature thrusts her into the company of ladies of the night and risks a scandal that will destroy them both. To become a gentleman Cyprian must sacrifice the lady--or is there a way for the rake to save them both?
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2005
3 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Diane Gaston
174 books126 followersDiane Gaston’s dream job had always been to write romance novels. One day she decided to pursue that dream and has never looked back; she is now writing full-time. Her books have won Romance’s highest honour—the RITA Award, the National Readers Choice Award and the Golden Heart. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three very ordinary house cats. Diane loves to hear from readers and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 23, 2017
Nothing had ever felt as right as this. She'd never felt before as if she were in the right place at the right time and belonged there. Tears stung her eyes. How could finally feeling she was no longer alone make her realise the ache of loneliness she'd lived with her whole life? And would return to again?
This book starts basically the same way as the movie SHOOT 'EM UP.A man is sitting on a bench, eating a carrot. A man is walking through the park, minding his own business. A pregnant woman runs by in obvious distress, being chased by a man with a gun. He sees a woman trying to wrest another woman out of the hands of an obvious ruffian. The man doesn't want to get involved, but makes the decision to save the female because he has the skillz and wherewithal to put fuckers down. The man doesn't want to get involved, but makes the decision to save the female because he has the skillz and wherewithal to put fuckers down.
I hated SHOOT 'EM UP, but it's an apt comparison.
The fight scene is laughable - Gaston can't help pouring on the cheese whenever she has Cyprian put on the vestments of his former life - but it's fair to note that Morgana (the heroine) gets involved and actually delivers the KO.
The hero and heroine go their separate ways, but that is not the end of it, of course.
This book went in a very different direction than I was expecting. Lucy, Morgana's maid (the one being held by the ruffian) wants to be a prostitute. At first you think she is being forced into it
"Nay, miss. I'm a bad girl." She stared directly in Morgana's eyes. "I've done it with men, you know. YOU know. Fornicating."
But she quickly makes clear that she would enjoy doing it as a profession.
The girl shook her head fiercely. "You don't understand, miss. I liked what the man done to me. I liked the money. Men pay lots of money. Why would I want to be hauling water and mucking out fireplaces and scrubbing and dusting all day when men give me more money for a few minutes of frolicking?"
In this way, in a lot of ways, this book reminds me of my beloved Ceremony by Robert B. Parker. I'm a huge, HUGE, Spenser fan and this is one of his best, IMO. Anyway, Gaston is also tackling here the problem of a young woman wanting a life of prostitution and seeking it out. Needless to say, Parker's book is loads better than this, but kudos to Gaston for confronting such a tough issue in a romance novel.
Well, Morgana can't just sit back and let Lucy become used by some pimp or madam. So she promises to school Lucy in decorum, dressing, manners, etc. and therefore is kind of a madam herself. When Lucy brings home three stray young women who also wish to pursue a life of prostitution, Morgana suddenly has a 'courtesan school' on her hands - with the hope of turning out women who can ask for a high price and not be at the mercy of some pimp.
Is this moral? Is Morgana doing the right thing? Like Parker's novel, Gaston explores the concept of morality and allowing women to choose their own future. I won't spoil what happens, but let's just say Gaston doesn't wrap everything up as neatly as I expected, which is to her credit. But this isn't deep. Read Spenser if you want a deep take on this... this is a romance novel.
So start talking about the romance!
Okay. That is where the problems come in.
THE HERO and HEROINE
Sigh. I'm sorry to say I did not like the hero. I held out a lot of hope for him, but he ended up being too big of an asshole for me to forgive.
Here are some problems:
- He thinks he's smarter than her and is always bossing her around and scolding her and lecturing her.
He gave her a contemplative frown "Do you truly wish my opinion?"
A frisson of anxiety crept up her back. Was he about to scold her again?
This isn't how you should feel about your true love - constantly cringing and expecting scolding and criticism. :(
Also, sometimes he is just an asshole. For no reason. And he says really hurtful things to her.
"Miss Hart, are you merely buffleheaded or must I consider you a FAST woman?"
Fuck you.
"If she can fool us, then she must know how to fool men!"
His expression changed to a stern one. "Is that what you desire, Miss Hart? To fool men?"
JFC. So he can have a history of having fucked HUNDREDS of women, and she can't even JOKE about having sex?! The fuck is his problem?
And he is SO inconsiderate about his sexual past, too.
Let's take their first kiss. It's in front of an audience, and they are basically ordered to kiss. Instead of either one of them refusing (which they should do) they have this super-intimate moment in front of everyone. THEN, five minutes later, Cyprian is kissing ANOTHER woman in the 'class' right in front of Morgana. Yeah. Yeah. You heard me correctly. He just had his first kiss with her - her first kiss ever! - and then he is kissing another woman on the mouth five minutes later. And possibly the other three women as well, it's not covered in the book.
He also brings around a prostitute (to teach at the 'school') whom he has fucked and who talks about fucking him right in front of Morgana. He doesn't even flinch. He doesn't even care. It's like he doesn't think about Morgana's feelings or even realize she has them.
And the way Gaston treats it is CRAZY. Morgana isn't mad. She isn't upset. She's completely resigned to being an old maid and convinced she isn't worthy of a man even looking at her. It's because of this she doesn't fight. She just lies down and allows Cyprian to treat her any way he wants to. And he treats her VERY DISRESPECTFULLY. I mean, how much more disrespectful can you get than kissing another woman right in front of her!!?!?? What a fuckboi. JFC.
Morgana has no spine. She has no pride. She has no sense of self-worth and it made it really pathetic to read about her.
She turned back to the spectacle, but her heart beat wildly, not at Madame Saqui's daring exploits, but that she could be in this magical place with Sloane even for a few minutes. Perhaps for the time being she could pretend he was her beau, pretend he was not about to scold her again.
This is sad. :( She cherishes every little scrap he throws her way - dinner with her, smile at her, escorts her on his arm, etc. but he doesn't commit to anything or show her any basic respect. And she allows this. :(
Let's look at the second time they have kissing:
By damn, he WANTED to make love to her, wanted to discover how that depth of emotion that swung her from weeping for Lucy to cheering for Rose, that passion would play out in bed. The same recklessness he chided her for, he'd been willing to exploit. And her enthusiastic response showed him she wanted him to be the rake, not the reputable gentleman.
"That was not well done, Morgana." he said.
She looked at him with a puzzled and wounded expression.
He had to impress upon her, convince her that this path she was bent upon would only bring her pain and eventual loneliness. If she did not exercise some restraint, how could he? "Were you practising Bisou's lessons, Morgana? Practising at being the harlot?"
Okay, who could say horrible, horrible stuff like this to a woman who just had kissing with you? The second kissing OF HER LIFE? Are you... Do you even realize she has FEELINGS? Why are you saying this shit? There is absolutely no reason to be so cruel to her. I couldn't make sense of it. This hero is irredeemable in my eyes. I can't believe she still feels for him after he pulls this shit.
And she has such low self-esteem that she blames HERSELF for his asshole behavior.
She realised the loss of his company had been her fault. He had scolded her for her wildness, but then she'd kissed him as wantonly as any harlot might do. He had lost respect for her, and that was painful indeed.
No, honey. You deserve better than this! He's trash! Open your eyes. He can't lose respect for you if he never had any!
She's also stupid. She lies to him and tells him she wants to be a courtesan, too (she does this for no real reason).
She also decides to sleep with him for the stupidest reason.
Why could she not be a courtesan for one night? What harm would it do? She would be doing nothing with Sloane that he would not do with another after his marriage. It was not so very bad, was it, to want one single night?
She just thinks that she has no chance to have sex with any man in her entire life, so she is going to have sex with the man she loves for one night, even though he treats her like trash and she KNOWS he will be married soon AND have a mistress on the side who isn't her. HAVE SOME SELF-RESPECT. I know she's a virgin, and she has some serious 'I will be alone for the rest of my life, I'm unlovable' shit going on, but come on. It's impossible to me she'd have such a low value of herself that she'd do this shit.
She's also really, really stupid when she WHY is she doing this. WHY. Obviously Gaston wants drama, it doesn't make any fucking sense. Highly frustrating when romance novels fall back on this idiocy.
THE GOOD
- I learned a lot of new words and phrases. Gaston uses a lot of regency-era slang and phrases. It's fun.
- Gaston is not a boring writer and I was gripped. I never felt like putting this down.
- Morgana gets into three physical fights. She is a scrapper. I like that.
- Interesting prostitution plot.
THE BAD
- Hero and heroine do stupid, stupid things that seem only for the sake of driving forward the novel's plot. Incredibly frustrating.
- Hero only thinks about fucking the heroine. He has no idea about her feelings, and he doesn't understand even basic stuff like 'kissing another woman in front of her will hurt her.' Most of the time he isn't even being deliberately cruel (although sometimes he definitely is), but instead just hurts her from treating her as and seeing her as a simple object to be fucked instead of a human being with a heart and mind. This is not a romance in my opinion. Nothing about a man like this is romantic.
- Every time Cyprian starts acting the spy, Gaston makes it very silly, talking about how catlike he is and making it like Cyprian is some all-powerful assassin or something. No, I'm not buying it.
- Cyprian is an ASSHOLE sometimes. A real asshole. Cruelly hurting Morgana with his words for no reason. I like kind, gentle heroes and this one is not. This is NOT how a man treats a woman he 'loves.'
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh. Cyprian isn't bad in bed, he doesn't do anything I consider objectionable, but he wasn't as good in bed as I was hoping.
Let's talk about why.
He undresses her, fingers her (not to climax, unfortunately), fucks her (she orgasms). Then fucks her again at her request (she orgasms). She asks for a third time, and
"Can it happen again?" she murmured.
She felt his voice rumble in his chest. "Not without making you sore. Sleep now, Morgana."
You fucking liar. You just can't get it up a third time. Eat her out like a gentleman! If you don't want to do that, you could at least finger her to climax. She's asking for more, give her more. FFS. You can't deliver? As Vivica A. Fox says, "As many times as he can get it up, you get it back down." This goes for women, too. Your woman wants more? Give her more, and be enthusiastic about it. You're disappointing me, Cyprian. I realize women are more difficult because they can cum over and over and over and over again and have larger sexual appetites and needs than men, but he should be able to handle this.
Not to mention that since she is a virgin and she believes this is the only time she will have sex in her entire life, I expected him to pull out all the stops. I wanted a ton more foreplay, a ton more orgasms... Why is he not bringing it? I'm disappointed. What is the point of making a man a rake and talking about his extensive sexual experience if you are not going to make him put it down in bed? All this big, bad rake talk and then he doesn't put it down for her to her (or my) satisfaction. *Carmen sneers*
Then, the next morning - another opportunity for him to shine - and he just roughly fucks her with no foreplay. *Carmen frowns* What a fuck-up. "I know it was you, Cyprian. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"
Tell me again why this is getting three stars?
I just couldn't bring myself to give it less. Gaston is actually a pretty good writer. I enjoyed the book, just not the stupid and occasionally cruel actions of the hero and heroine.
Here is a good scene so you can see what I mean:
With a dreamy expression, she gazed at the door through which Elliot and Lucy had departed.
Sloane put down his fork. "Do not make this into some Minerva Press novel, Morgana."
She raised an indignant eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"
He looked directly into her eyes. "Those are not two innocents. It is not a flower bed they are in search of, but the other kind of bed."
Her eyes flashed. "Do not be vulgar, Sloane."
"Then you do not be missish." He made sure she listened. "How much do you wish to wager on it? Elliot and Lucy are bound to engage in more than a waltz soon enough?"
"I do not wish to wager at all," she said in a huff, but she glanced back at the door with a pensive expression. "It is precisely what I am training her for, is it now? I dislike thinking on it."
He made no effort to relieve her tension. "You ought to think on it. You'd best realise what sort of life you are handing these young women."
She gave him a withering look. "I suspect you are about to tell me."
Her sarcasm set him off. "If they are lucky they will attract men of means. They will be selling themselves to the highest bidder. The man may be short or tall, fat or skinny. He may smell. He may be cruel. But one thing is for certain..." He paused so that she would be sure to pay him heed. "To the man she will be a mere ornament and bed partner. That is all. And she will be at his mercy for the food she eats and the roof that shelters her."
Her colour heightened. "Will it be so different when you choose a wife, Sloane?" She took an angry breath, and Sloane did not miss the tantalising rise of her chest. "Do you not seek a wife other men will consider beautiful? Will you not wish for the pleasure of her bed? I assure you, she will be at your mercy for her food and her shelter. At least my girls will not be tied to one man for life, if they do not wish to be."
He'd be damned if he'd allow her to know she'd struck a truthful chord. "Spare me this Wollstonecraft recitation. Next you will be penning A Vindication of the Rights of Doxies and Harlots."
For a second he thought she would slap him across the face, which he surely deserved. Her eyes flamed and flashed with pain. She gripped the edge of the cloth on the table. But he suffered worse than the sting of her hand. He watched as she blinked, straightened her spine and erased all expression from her face.
How many times in front of his father had he done the very same thing?
He could barely make himself speak. "Do not do that, Morgana. Please God, do not do that."
"Do what?" she responded,eyes bland.
"Pretend I did not wound you." His voice was a mere whisper. "I wish to God I had not said that to you."
She remained stiff and distant. "It is of no consequence. My unguarded tongue..." She waved her hand dismissively.
He caught it in his. "I fear I spoke like - in a manner I regret." Like his father, he almost said.
She pulled her hand away, and he snatched it back again. "You were correct, Morgana, about my marital desires. I do wish a beautiful wife and... the rest. It is the way of the respectable world, is it not?"
She darted a glance at their clasped hands. "The way for you, perhaps."
He rubbed her palm with the pad of his thumb. "And for you?"
She again pulled loose of his grasp. "If there exists a man who could consider me an ornament, with my outspoken nature, I am certain he would soon fail to find me decorative." She let slip a fleeting glimpse of pain. "So your assessment of me was not far off the mark."
Did she not know her appeal partly lay in her outspokenness? No pretence, no coy flirtations. He put his fingers under her chin and turned her face towards him, forcing her to look at him.
Her eyes glittered like topaz, and their gazes held until he felt like walls were cracking inside him, walls that held back his own pain, the pain he'd fended off almost since birth.
He cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, touching the corner of her mouth with the pad of his thumb. "Morgana - " he murmured.
Katy's voice sounded outside the door and they broke apart just in time before she burst in.
TL;DR: Sometimes I think this hero was a woman-hater. He doesn't like them being 'coy', he doesn't like them being missish, he doesn't like them being sexually forward, he doesn't like them greeting each other with exuberance, he doesn't like how chatty they are. To me, these are signs of a misogynist. Morgana is different - like 'no other woman' - and therefore he likes her. That's also misogynist.
He also just says really cruel stuff to her often. Not loving. Not kind.
Morgana also does some stupid shit. She has really low self-esteem and I spent most of the novel yelling at her to grow a spine.
That being said, Gaston created a gripping read for me. I was never bored. Not only did she do a good job at keeping me engaged in the novel, but she taught me a lot of new words. The story was far-fetched, but most romances are. I liked the whole prostitution plot, it was interesting.
Read at your own risk.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Historical Romance
Regency Romance
Virgin Heroine
This book starts basically the same way as the movie SHOOT 'EM UP.
I hated SHOOT 'EM UP, but it's an apt comparison.
The fight scene is laughable - Gaston can't help pouring on the cheese whenever she has Cyprian put on the vestments of his former life - but it's fair to note that Morgana (the heroine) gets involved and actually delivers the KO.
The hero and heroine go their separate ways, but that is not the end of it, of course.
This book went in a very different direction than I was expecting. Lucy, Morgana's maid (the one being held by the ruffian) wants to be a prostitute. At first you think she is being forced into it
"Nay, miss. I'm a bad girl." She stared directly in Morgana's eyes. "I've done it with men, you know. YOU know. Fornicating."
But she quickly makes clear that she would enjoy doing it as a profession.
The girl shook her head fiercely. "You don't understand, miss. I liked what the man done to me. I liked the money. Men pay lots of money. Why would I want to be hauling water and mucking out fireplaces and scrubbing and dusting all day when men give me more money for a few minutes of frolicking?"
In this way, in a lot of ways, this book reminds me of my beloved Ceremony by Robert B. Parker. I'm a huge, HUGE, Spenser fan and this is one of his best, IMO. Anyway, Gaston is also tackling here the problem of a young woman wanting a life of prostitution and seeking it out. Needless to say, Parker's book is loads better than this, but kudos to Gaston for confronting such a tough issue in a romance novel.
Well, Morgana can't just sit back and let Lucy become used by some pimp or madam. So she promises to school Lucy in decorum, dressing, manners, etc. and therefore is kind of a madam herself. When Lucy brings home three stray young women who also wish to pursue a life of prostitution, Morgana suddenly has a 'courtesan school' on her hands - with the hope of turning out women who can ask for a high price and not be at the mercy of some pimp.
Is this moral? Is Morgana doing the right thing? Like Parker's novel, Gaston explores the concept of morality and allowing women to choose their own future. I won't spoil what happens, but let's just say Gaston doesn't wrap everything up as neatly as I expected, which is to her credit. But this isn't deep. Read Spenser if you want a deep take on this... this is a romance novel.
So start talking about the romance!
Okay. That is where the problems come in.
THE HERO and HEROINE
Sigh. I'm sorry to say I did not like the hero. I held out a lot of hope for him, but he ended up being too big of an asshole for me to forgive.
Here are some problems:
- He thinks he's smarter than her and is always bossing her around and scolding her and lecturing her.
He gave her a contemplative frown "Do you truly wish my opinion?"
A frisson of anxiety crept up her back. Was he about to scold her again?
This isn't how you should feel about your true love - constantly cringing and expecting scolding and criticism. :(
Also, sometimes he is just an asshole. For no reason. And he says really hurtful things to her.
"Miss Hart, are you merely buffleheaded or must I consider you a FAST woman?"
Fuck you.
"If she can fool us, then she must know how to fool men!"
His expression changed to a stern one. "Is that what you desire, Miss Hart? To fool men?"
JFC. So he can have a history of having fucked HUNDREDS of women, and she can't even JOKE about having sex?! The fuck is his problem?
And he is SO inconsiderate about his sexual past, too.
Let's take their first kiss. It's in front of an audience, and they are basically ordered to kiss. Instead of either one of them refusing (which they should do) they have this super-intimate moment in front of everyone. THEN, five minutes later, Cyprian is kissing ANOTHER woman in the 'class' right in front of Morgana. Yeah. Yeah. You heard me correctly. He just had his first kiss with her - her first kiss ever! - and then he is kissing another woman on the mouth five minutes later. And possibly the other three women as well, it's not covered in the book.
He also brings around a prostitute (to teach at the 'school') whom he has fucked and who talks about fucking him right in front of Morgana. He doesn't even flinch. He doesn't even care. It's like he doesn't think about Morgana's feelings or even realize she has them.
And the way Gaston treats it is CRAZY. Morgana isn't mad. She isn't upset. She's completely resigned to being an old maid and convinced she isn't worthy of a man even looking at her. It's because of this she doesn't fight. She just lies down and allows Cyprian to treat her any way he wants to. And he treats her VERY DISRESPECTFULLY. I mean, how much more disrespectful can you get than kissing another woman right in front of her!!?!?? What a fuckboi. JFC.
Morgana has no spine. She has no pride. She has no sense of self-worth and it made it really pathetic to read about her.
She turned back to the spectacle, but her heart beat wildly, not at Madame Saqui's daring exploits, but that she could be in this magical place with Sloane even for a few minutes. Perhaps for the time being she could pretend he was her beau, pretend he was not about to scold her again.
This is sad. :( She cherishes every little scrap he throws her way - dinner with her, smile at her, escorts her on his arm, etc. but he doesn't commit to anything or show her any basic respect. And she allows this. :(
Let's look at the second time they have kissing:
By damn, he WANTED to make love to her, wanted to discover how that depth of emotion that swung her from weeping for Lucy to cheering for Rose, that passion would play out in bed. The same recklessness he chided her for, he'd been willing to exploit. And her enthusiastic response showed him she wanted him to be the rake, not the reputable gentleman.
"That was not well done, Morgana." he said.
She looked at him with a puzzled and wounded expression.
He had to impress upon her, convince her that this path she was bent upon would only bring her pain and eventual loneliness. If she did not exercise some restraint, how could he? "Were you practising Bisou's lessons, Morgana? Practising at being the harlot?"
Okay, who could say horrible, horrible stuff like this to a woman who just had kissing with you? The second kissing OF HER LIFE? Are you... Do you even realize she has FEELINGS? Why are you saying this shit? There is absolutely no reason to be so cruel to her. I couldn't make sense of it. This hero is irredeemable in my eyes. I can't believe she still feels for him after he pulls this shit.
And she has such low self-esteem that she blames HERSELF for his asshole behavior.
She realised the loss of his company had been her fault. He had scolded her for her wildness, but then she'd kissed him as wantonly as any harlot might do. He had lost respect for her, and that was painful indeed.
No, honey. You deserve better than this! He's trash! Open your eyes. He can't lose respect for you if he never had any!
She's also stupid. She lies to him and tells him she wants to be a courtesan, too (she does this for no real reason).
She also decides to sleep with him for the stupidest reason.
Why could she not be a courtesan for one night? What harm would it do? She would be doing nothing with Sloane that he would not do with another after his marriage. It was not so very bad, was it, to want one single night?
She just thinks that she has no chance to have sex with any man in her entire life, so she is going to have sex with the man she loves for one night, even though he treats her like trash and she KNOWS he will be married soon AND have a mistress on the side who isn't her. HAVE SOME SELF-RESPECT. I know she's a virgin, and she has some serious 'I will be alone for the rest of my life, I'm unlovable' shit going on, but come on. It's impossible to me she'd have such a low value of herself that she'd do this shit.
She's also really, really stupid when she WHY is she doing this. WHY. Obviously Gaston wants drama, it doesn't make any fucking sense. Highly frustrating when romance novels fall back on this idiocy.
THE GOOD
- I learned a lot of new words and phrases. Gaston uses a lot of regency-era slang and phrases. It's fun.
- Gaston is not a boring writer and I was gripped. I never felt like putting this down.
- Morgana gets into three physical fights. She is a scrapper. I like that.
- Interesting prostitution plot.
THE BAD
- Hero and heroine do stupid, stupid things that seem only for the sake of driving forward the novel's plot. Incredibly frustrating.
- Hero only thinks about fucking the heroine. He has no idea about her feelings, and he doesn't understand even basic stuff like 'kissing another woman in front of her will hurt her.' Most of the time he isn't even being deliberately cruel (although sometimes he definitely is), but instead just hurts her from treating her as and seeing her as a simple object to be fucked instead of a human being with a heart and mind. This is not a romance in my opinion. Nothing about a man like this is romantic.
- Every time Cyprian starts acting the spy, Gaston makes it very silly, talking about how catlike he is and making it like Cyprian is some all-powerful assassin or something. No, I'm not buying it.
- Cyprian is an ASSHOLE sometimes. A real asshole. Cruelly hurting Morgana with his words for no reason. I like kind, gentle heroes and this one is not. This is NOT how a man treats a woman he 'loves.'
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh. Cyprian isn't bad in bed, he doesn't do anything I consider objectionable, but he wasn't as good in bed as I was hoping.
Let's talk about why.
He undresses her, fingers her (not to climax, unfortunately), fucks her (she orgasms). Then fucks her again at her request (she orgasms). She asks for a third time, and
"Can it happen again?" she murmured.
She felt his voice rumble in his chest. "Not without making you sore. Sleep now, Morgana."
You fucking liar. You just can't get it up a third time. Eat her out like a gentleman! If you don't want to do that, you could at least finger her to climax. She's asking for more, give her more. FFS. You can't deliver? As Vivica A. Fox says, "As many times as he can get it up, you get it back down." This goes for women, too. Your woman wants more? Give her more, and be enthusiastic about it. You're disappointing me, Cyprian. I realize women are more difficult because they can cum over and over and over and over again and have larger sexual appetites and needs than men, but he should be able to handle this.
Not to mention that since she is a virgin and she believes this is the only time she will have sex in her entire life, I expected him to pull out all the stops. I wanted a ton more foreplay, a ton more orgasms... Why is he not bringing it? I'm disappointed. What is the point of making a man a rake and talking about his extensive sexual experience if you are not going to make him put it down in bed? All this big, bad rake talk and then he doesn't put it down for her to her (or my) satisfaction. *Carmen sneers*
Then, the next morning - another opportunity for him to shine - and he just roughly fucks her with no foreplay. *Carmen frowns* What a fuck-up. "I know it was you, Cyprian. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"
Tell me again why this is getting three stars?
I just couldn't bring myself to give it less. Gaston is actually a pretty good writer. I enjoyed the book, just not the stupid and occasionally cruel actions of the hero and heroine.
Here is a good scene so you can see what I mean:
With a dreamy expression, she gazed at the door through which Elliot and Lucy had departed.
Sloane put down his fork. "Do not make this into some Minerva Press novel, Morgana."
She raised an indignant eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"
He looked directly into her eyes. "Those are not two innocents. It is not a flower bed they are in search of, but the other kind of bed."
Her eyes flashed. "Do not be vulgar, Sloane."
"Then you do not be missish." He made sure she listened. "How much do you wish to wager on it? Elliot and Lucy are bound to engage in more than a waltz soon enough?"
"I do not wish to wager at all," she said in a huff, but she glanced back at the door with a pensive expression. "It is precisely what I am training her for, is it now? I dislike thinking on it."
He made no effort to relieve her tension. "You ought to think on it. You'd best realise what sort of life you are handing these young women."
She gave him a withering look. "I suspect you are about to tell me."
Her sarcasm set him off. "If they are lucky they will attract men of means. They will be selling themselves to the highest bidder. The man may be short or tall, fat or skinny. He may smell. He may be cruel. But one thing is for certain..." He paused so that she would be sure to pay him heed. "To the man she will be a mere ornament and bed partner. That is all. And she will be at his mercy for the food she eats and the roof that shelters her."
Her colour heightened. "Will it be so different when you choose a wife, Sloane?" She took an angry breath, and Sloane did not miss the tantalising rise of her chest. "Do you not seek a wife other men will consider beautiful? Will you not wish for the pleasure of her bed? I assure you, she will be at your mercy for her food and her shelter. At least my girls will not be tied to one man for life, if they do not wish to be."
He'd be damned if he'd allow her to know she'd struck a truthful chord. "Spare me this Wollstonecraft recitation. Next you will be penning A Vindication of the Rights of Doxies and Harlots."
For a second he thought she would slap him across the face, which he surely deserved. Her eyes flamed and flashed with pain. She gripped the edge of the cloth on the table. But he suffered worse than the sting of her hand. He watched as she blinked, straightened her spine and erased all expression from her face.
How many times in front of his father had he done the very same thing?
He could barely make himself speak. "Do not do that, Morgana. Please God, do not do that."
"Do what?" she responded,eyes bland.
"Pretend I did not wound you." His voice was a mere whisper. "I wish to God I had not said that to you."
She remained stiff and distant. "It is of no consequence. My unguarded tongue..." She waved her hand dismissively.
He caught it in his. "I fear I spoke like - in a manner I regret." Like his father, he almost said.
She pulled her hand away, and he snatched it back again. "You were correct, Morgana, about my marital desires. I do wish a beautiful wife and... the rest. It is the way of the respectable world, is it not?"
She darted a glance at their clasped hands. "The way for you, perhaps."
He rubbed her palm with the pad of his thumb. "And for you?"
She again pulled loose of his grasp. "If there exists a man who could consider me an ornament, with my outspoken nature, I am certain he would soon fail to find me decorative." She let slip a fleeting glimpse of pain. "So your assessment of me was not far off the mark."
Did she not know her appeal partly lay in her outspokenness? No pretence, no coy flirtations. He put his fingers under her chin and turned her face towards him, forcing her to look at him.
Her eyes glittered like topaz, and their gazes held until he felt like walls were cracking inside him, walls that held back his own pain, the pain he'd fended off almost since birth.
He cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, touching the corner of her mouth with the pad of his thumb. "Morgana - " he murmured.
Katy's voice sounded outside the door and they broke apart just in time before she burst in.
TL;DR: Sometimes I think this hero was a woman-hater. He doesn't like them being 'coy', he doesn't like them being missish, he doesn't like them being sexually forward, he doesn't like them greeting each other with exuberance, he doesn't like how chatty they are. To me, these are signs of a misogynist. Morgana is different - like 'no other woman' - and therefore he likes her. That's also misogynist.
He also just says really cruel stuff to her often. Not loving. Not kind.
Morgana also does some stupid shit. She has really low self-esteem and I spent most of the novel yelling at her to grow a spine.
That being said, Gaston created a gripping read for me. I was never bored. Not only did she do a good job at keeping me engaged in the novel, but she taught me a lot of new words. The story was far-fetched, but most romances are. I liked the whole prostitution plot, it was interesting.
Read at your own risk.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Historical Romance
Regency Romance
Virgin Heroine
January 30, 2008
I've read and enjoyed Diane Gaston's two previous books so I had high expectations for this one. While I didn't enjoy it as much it was still a very satisfying read.
The stakes are high in Cyprian Sloane’s latest game--to reform his reputation as a wagerer, womanizer, and worse--and thumb his nose at the father who’s always despised him. The prize is nearly in hand when Sloane encounters seemingly respectable Morgana Hart, a baron’s daughter, who engages in fisticuffs in Hyde Park and embroils him in her scheme to train young women to be courtesans. The lively and lovely Morgana proves the biggest risk of all, even more dangerous to Sloane’s quest for respectability than the violence of Regency underground threatening to close down her Courtesan School. Morgana makes Sloane long to be the rake again--with her.
I really liked Cyprian Sloane! Although he has been a rake and a gambler in the past he has decided to change his ways to became a respectable gentleman. He has even found the perfect bride to help him achive it, the only problem is when he meets her cousin Morgana and finds himself attracted to her despite all efforts in the contrary.
Morgana is an independent young woman, although she likes to go out in society she is already on the shelf and sometimes wonders about her cousin's luck in having a man like Cyprian Sloane courting her.
Full of inovative ideas she decided to help one of her maids became a courtesan to save her from being exploited in whore houses. This will lead her to help other girls in the same situation and as the word spreads she is in danger of being ruined. I must admit that when I first heard of the book story as being a lady helping young girls to become courtesans I dreaded what I find when I read it. Now I can safely say it wasn't as schocking as that initial idea may seem but Morgana does have a way of getting into trouble very often. For a while it seemed Cyprian was lot more intelligent, always trying to help her getting out of trouble and trying to stop her from going to dangerous places. I think Morgana suffered a bit of the TSTL syndrome and that's what made the book grade come down a bit. I also liked Cyprian's family subplot of past bitterness. It showed how he truly was the gentleman he wanted to be in how he behaved towards his father and brother.
Cyprian is a recurrent character from her previous books and I wish she would continue to write in this world as I wouldn't mind visiting these characters again.
Grade: B
The stakes are high in Cyprian Sloane’s latest game--to reform his reputation as a wagerer, womanizer, and worse--and thumb his nose at the father who’s always despised him. The prize is nearly in hand when Sloane encounters seemingly respectable Morgana Hart, a baron’s daughter, who engages in fisticuffs in Hyde Park and embroils him in her scheme to train young women to be courtesans. The lively and lovely Morgana proves the biggest risk of all, even more dangerous to Sloane’s quest for respectability than the violence of Regency underground threatening to close down her Courtesan School. Morgana makes Sloane long to be the rake again--with her.
I really liked Cyprian Sloane! Although he has been a rake and a gambler in the past he has decided to change his ways to became a respectable gentleman. He has even found the perfect bride to help him achive it, the only problem is when he meets her cousin Morgana and finds himself attracted to her despite all efforts in the contrary.
Morgana is an independent young woman, although she likes to go out in society she is already on the shelf and sometimes wonders about her cousin's luck in having a man like Cyprian Sloane courting her.
Full of inovative ideas she decided to help one of her maids became a courtesan to save her from being exploited in whore houses. This will lead her to help other girls in the same situation and as the word spreads she is in danger of being ruined. I must admit that when I first heard of the book story as being a lady helping young girls to become courtesans I dreaded what I find when I read it. Now I can safely say it wasn't as schocking as that initial idea may seem but Morgana does have a way of getting into trouble very often. For a while it seemed Cyprian was lot more intelligent, always trying to help her getting out of trouble and trying to stop her from going to dangerous places. I think Morgana suffered a bit of the TSTL syndrome and that's what made the book grade come down a bit. I also liked Cyprian's family subplot of past bitterness. It showed how he truly was the gentleman he wanted to be in how he behaved towards his father and brother.
Cyprian is a recurrent character from her previous books and I wish she would continue to write in this world as I wouldn't mind visiting these characters again.
Grade: B
July 28, 2011
Diane Gaston is one of those authors that when I’ve finished one of her books, I ask myself why I haven’t read more. It’s not for a lack of want. It’s the usual too-many-books-not-enough-time business that I’m sure a lot of you suffer from too. But I so enjoy Ms. Gaston’s writing and her characters, and I really liked the storyline in this book too, something I haven’t read before.
Cyprian Sloan is trying to regain his reputation. He’s been a high-caliber rake for a number of years and he’s tired of the gaming hells and everything else that goes along with being a rake. So slowly but surely he’s making inroads to being accepted by the ton once again. His father and brother have something to say about that at every turn, but Cyprian doesn’t give up. He’s run into an unexpected roadblock, however, by the name of Morgana Hart. He knows she could be his downfall into the depths of debauchery again, but for the life of him, he can’t get her off his mind, nor stay away from her.
Trying to keep one of her servants from throwing herself into the world of prostitution, Morgana decides to teach the girl how to behave as a courtesan so she can be her own woman, choose her own destiny as much as possible, though she has find a real lady of the evening to teach the fundamentals between a man and a woman. Before she knows it, though, three more girls from a local brothel show up at her home wanting to be part of Morgana’s “school.” And she thought she’d seen the last of the man who’d helped her free her maid from the clutches of a man determined to kidnap her for a local madam, but suddenly he’s bought the house next door and is embroiled in her scheme just as surely as she is.
This is actually a fun book to read. The now-and-then banter between Sloan and Morgana is done very well, showing Morgana’s independence and intelligence at the same time. They have their different views on what she’s doing with these young ladies and that makes for a lot of fun too, especially a night at Vauxhall Gardens. There is mystery and suspense to be had also, danger getting too close a time or two. I enjoyed all the characters, including the three girls who wish to become courtesans and I liked how each of their stories turned out.
This is only my second book by Ms. Gaston, but I will definitely be reading more as they come along in that old TRB mountain.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Cyprian Sloan is trying to regain his reputation. He’s been a high-caliber rake for a number of years and he’s tired of the gaming hells and everything else that goes along with being a rake. So slowly but surely he’s making inroads to being accepted by the ton once again. His father and brother have something to say about that at every turn, but Cyprian doesn’t give up. He’s run into an unexpected roadblock, however, by the name of Morgana Hart. He knows she could be his downfall into the depths of debauchery again, but for the life of him, he can’t get her off his mind, nor stay away from her.
Trying to keep one of her servants from throwing herself into the world of prostitution, Morgana decides to teach the girl how to behave as a courtesan so she can be her own woman, choose her own destiny as much as possible, though she has find a real lady of the evening to teach the fundamentals between a man and a woman. Before she knows it, though, three more girls from a local brothel show up at her home wanting to be part of Morgana’s “school.” And she thought she’d seen the last of the man who’d helped her free her maid from the clutches of a man determined to kidnap her for a local madam, but suddenly he’s bought the house next door and is embroiled in her scheme just as surely as she is.
This is actually a fun book to read. The now-and-then banter between Sloan and Morgana is done very well, showing Morgana’s independence and intelligence at the same time. They have their different views on what she’s doing with these young ladies and that makes for a lot of fun too, especially a night at Vauxhall Gardens. There is mystery and suspense to be had also, danger getting too close a time or two. I enjoyed all the characters, including the three girls who wish to become courtesans and I liked how each of their stories turned out.
This is only my second book by Ms. Gaston, but I will definitely be reading more as they come along in that old TRB mountain.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
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January 2, 2014Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Twists, turns & subplots fairly predictable with the happy endings. Just what I wanted.
October 18, 2019
When respectable Miss Morgana Hart realizes her young maid intends to run away with a scoundrel and join a bawdy house, Morgana intends to stop her by any means necessary. She just never expected a dashing, rakish stranger to help her in the middle of a dark park as she’s fighting with said scoundrel.
All Cyprian Sloane wants is respectability. He’s lived the life of a carefree rake, a smuggler, and an English spy, but he couldn’t stop himself from helping the woman and her charges. Then he learns Morgana is the cousin of the flirtatious debutante he’s courting. Though Morgana intrigues him, he’s determined to woo and marry Lady Hannah for her family’s connections. Once Morgana embarks on a crusade to help Lucy and a few other unfortunate girls (teenage prostitutes) to better themselves in their scandalous lifestyle (to become courtesans), Sloane sees the proper future he envisioned for himself slipping away. After all, he cannot allow Morgana to delve into London’s underworld and expect her to survive. Likewise, with his stained reputation, society would surely blame him for Morgana’s actions, especially since he’s her next-door neighbor. The only thing for him to do is help her run the “courtesan school” and introduce her to decent-enough people in that seedy world.
There was a lot of sexual tension between Morgana and Sloane, but very little romance, at least until the last quarter of the book. He’s determined to marry Hannah, and Morgana is determined to make sure he does. They’re both likable characters and their motivations for their actions are honorable.
A few loose ends aren’t tied up, so I have some questions. Mainly, I want to know what Sloane did that was so horrible during his time as a spy (he’s keeping this a secret even from Morgana) and I want to know about his past relationship with Harriette. Harriette is a courtesan, so it’s likely she and Sloane have been intimate, but Sloane has stated he’s never paid for a woman, so that leads to confusion.
The story is written in British English, which I enjoyed, but the single quotation marks for dialogue was hard to read. There were formatting issues in my print copy, such as the use of both normal and large font size for words.
Overall, I liked the plot and the characters, but I wish Sloane and Morgana would’ve spent more time developing their relationship than trying to manage the four girls in Morgana’s care.
3 Stars
All Cyprian Sloane wants is respectability. He’s lived the life of a carefree rake, a smuggler, and an English spy, but he couldn’t stop himself from helping the woman and her charges. Then he learns Morgana is the cousin of the flirtatious debutante he’s courting. Though Morgana intrigues him, he’s determined to woo and marry Lady Hannah for her family’s connections. Once Morgana embarks on a crusade to help Lucy and a few other unfortunate girls (teenage prostitutes) to better themselves in their scandalous lifestyle (to become courtesans), Sloane sees the proper future he envisioned for himself slipping away. After all, he cannot allow Morgana to delve into London’s underworld and expect her to survive. Likewise, with his stained reputation, society would surely blame him for Morgana’s actions, especially since he’s her next-door neighbor. The only thing for him to do is help her run the “courtesan school” and introduce her to decent-enough people in that seedy world.
There was a lot of sexual tension between Morgana and Sloane, but very little romance, at least until the last quarter of the book. He’s determined to marry Hannah, and Morgana is determined to make sure he does. They’re both likable characters and their motivations for their actions are honorable.
A few loose ends aren’t tied up, so I have some questions. Mainly, I want to know what Sloane did that was so horrible during his time as a spy (he’s keeping this a secret even from Morgana) and I want to know about his past relationship with Harriette. Harriette is a courtesan, so it’s likely she and Sloane have been intimate, but Sloane has stated he’s never paid for a woman, so that leads to confusion.
The story is written in British English, which I enjoyed, but the single quotation marks for dialogue was hard to read. There were formatting issues in my print copy, such as the use of both normal and large font size for words.
Overall, I liked the plot and the characters, but I wish Sloane and Morgana would’ve spent more time developing their relationship than trying to manage the four girls in Morgana’s care.
3 Stars
June 11, 2020
Intense with a dominant reforming rake and a diplomat's daughter who makes her own rules. Ties in with the gambling palace of Madame Bijou which later became Masquerade Club, a great read. Four women looking to become courtesans with only one truly wishing for such a life. Learning to lure, even Harriette Wilson gets into the act. Cyprian named for his bastardy is an overbearing, handsome attempting to reform rake. Morgana is an entirely unique heroine whose heart is lost to Cyprian but he doesn't get it until very late because he is courting her cousin. Secondary characters carry this along smoothly. Cyprian not quietly protects Morgana and is always on her case. Especially when both recognize their 'blazing' attraction. She goes forward, he steps back. A lot of hurt. All ends well for each 'fallen woman' proving that Bastardy sometimes is useful
July 5, 2018
Note: I read the Swedish translation, but couldn't find that edition on Goodreads. After reading a long review here on Goodreads I realized the Swedish edition must have been edited and probably shortened from the original, because the review contained information about both the male character and about kissing/love scenes that was not in the book I read. Weird! This is not the first time I realize a Harlequin book has been changed in the Swedish edition. Unfortunately Harlequin seems to do this a lot. I guess I'll have to start reading these books in English instead.
July 5, 2017
Enjoyable, brisk, fun subplots (courtesan school that is more matchmaking than anything). Gaston continues to be above the more run of the mill Regencies, for me.
July 16, 2018
Täydellisen köykäinen hömppä paahtavaan hellepäivään.
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September 26, 2021Read 2021
April 14, 2024
Just OK, but was a gift from my pal Liz so that gets extra points
March 18, 2013
This book was surprisingly good for the dollar bin at the bookstore. The first two chapters were a little slow, and the writing was a bit stuffy.
In the first chapter we are introduced to Cyprian Sloane, the male lead and the typical mysterious bad-boy-turned-good. He starts out a little one-dimensional, but his character fleshes out nicely. Morgana Hart, the female lead, is a prim and proper girl who is a little too old to be considered marriagable. By the end of the book, her repressed independent nature, tempered by her sheltered naivete, shines through. The characters' mutual interest in each other is believable, and their temptation and eventual passion is satisfying to read.
The rest of the story is a little less believable. I believe the author could have come up with a better premise for the main characters to interact with, but she took that story and made it work. I would have liked to see a little more period details to add to the book's background color - I was left wondering what year this should have taken place in. I do appreciate that the author made the details vague instead of making things up, and nothing jumped out to me and being blatantly factually incorrect.
So, in short, it's a little cheesy, but pleasant and easy to read.
In the first chapter we are introduced to Cyprian Sloane, the male lead and the typical mysterious bad-boy-turned-good. He starts out a little one-dimensional, but his character fleshes out nicely. Morgana Hart, the female lead, is a prim and proper girl who is a little too old to be considered marriagable. By the end of the book, her repressed independent nature, tempered by her sheltered naivete, shines through. The characters' mutual interest in each other is believable, and their temptation and eventual passion is satisfying to read.
The rest of the story is a little less believable. I believe the author could have come up with a better premise for the main characters to interact with, but she took that story and made it work. I would have liked to see a little more period details to add to the book's background color - I was left wondering what year this should have taken place in. I do appreciate that the author made the details vague instead of making things up, and nothing jumped out to me and being blatantly factually incorrect.
So, in short, it's a little cheesy, but pleasant and easy to read.
June 14, 2015
Although this is billed as a standalone on fantasticfiction, this still makes references to The Mysterious Miss M and the Wagering Widow. Idon't think this would have been a problem, but I'd already read both anyway. Seems to me I encountered this cross-referencing in another of Gaston's books.
This is quite gripping, with an unconventional heroine who accepts that the hero will be marrying her far more marriageable cousin. A very good and not entirely predictable read, even if some of the heroine's mischief is highly implausible.
This is quite gripping, with an unconventional heroine who accepts that the hero will be marrying her far more marriageable cousin. A very good and not entirely predictable read, even if some of the heroine's mischief is highly implausible.
June 22, 2010
A pleasant enough story, but having read a couple of Diane Gaston's short stories, which were steamy little numbers, I was rather disappointed. The plot premise was a bit silly, but it was quite well-written and the hero and heroine quite likeable.
June 3, 2012
Predictable, but amusing. Not for a serious read.
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