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The Order of the MUSE #2
The Madness of Lord Westfall
Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall is mad. Everyone knows it. He fell from a tree when he was a boy and woke to hear strange voices. When the voices grow stronger as he grows older, his family commits him to Bedlam. But what he hears are the thoughts of those around him—a gift to be used in service to the Order of the M.U.S.E. Until he falls again…this time for a totally unsuitable woman.
Lady Nora Claremont hides her heartbreak behind the facade of a carefree courtesan. Viscount Westfall is the most confusing man she’s ever met. He seems to know exactly what she wants...and what she's thinking.
Which is a dangerous thing, because what Nora wants is Pierce.
And what she's thinking could expose her as a traitor to the crown..
Lady Nora Claremont hides her heartbreak behind the facade of a carefree courtesan. Viscount Westfall is the most confusing man she’s ever met. He seems to know exactly what she wants...and what she's thinking.
Which is a dangerous thing, because what Nora wants is Pierce.
And what she's thinking could expose her as a traitor to the crown..
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2015
16 people are currently reading
602 people want to read
About the author
Mia Marlowe
35 books389 followersMia's work has been featured in PEOPLE magazine's Best of 2010 edition. One of her books is on display at the Museum of London Docklands next to Johnny Depp memorabilia. Her books have been tapped for numerous awards including RomCon's Reader's Crown, RT Reviewers Choice and Publishers' Weekly named her
Touch of a Rogue
one of their 10 Best Romances!
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April 26, 2016
More than anything he wanted to fix this for her. That was what it meant to be a man, wasn't it? He was supposed to solve problems and make the world a good place, a safe place for those he loved.
Okay, let's talk about this book.
First of all, it's a marked improvement on its predecessor, The Curse of Lord Stanstead, which I gave one star. As everyone on Goodreads knows, I
You're obsessed with kissing.
No, well, I mean, YES, that's true, kissing is life, but what I was going to say is that I'm always on board with giving authors second chances. I read a book, it's horrible. I give it one star, I rip it to shreds. I pick up another book by the same author. People call me nuts. But actually a lot of times the author improves and everything is fine. This book is MUCH better than The Curse of Lord Stanstead, not only the sex but the general plot, IMO.
Pierce - Lord Westfall - is plagued with a horrid gift/curse of being able to hear the thoughts of others. These roll over him in a constant din of noise and emotion. He hates it. And it caused him to be committed to the hell of Bedlam (Bethlam Royal Hospital). He was plucked out of this horror by Camden, aka Professor X, and joined the forces of M.U.S.E., a sort of secret British mutant spy society. Or something. ANYWAY.
He and Stanstead go to a party where they meet this utter weirdo named Nora. Actually, her name is Honora but everyone calls her "La Nora" for no apparent reason and it annoyed me a lot and also made no fucking sense.
You're getting off track, Carmen.
Long story short: she's not a weirdo, even though she seems that way at first glance because she approaches him and says stuff like
"I'm no clergyman."
"Pity. They often make the best lovers - all that guilt and angst seething beneath the surface desperately seeking release," she said, her tone sultry...
and
"Have you never heard the saying, 'Repressed sex is the best sex?'"
But then the book is like, "She's a courtesan," and I'm like "OH, she's a PROSTITUTE, okay, no wonder she was acting so strange, never mind, carry on."
Let's talk about some main aspects of the book.
ONE: Marlowe is a shitty paranormal author. She seems (based on reading both this book and The Curse of Lord Stanstead) to just... do whatever she wants, make up rules left and right and on the spot, and logic and reason be damned. It's horrible. If she needs something to happen in her plot, she'll just make up some nonsensical bizarre reason for this to happen. It's highly annoying and unskilled.
Here's an example: Westfall hears everyone's thoughts, right? He reads people's minds all day and night because he is just inundated with an onslaught of feelings and emotions. But when he meets Nora at the ball, he can't read her mind because:
He'd only encountered that level of resistance when he tried to peer into the minds of those who regularly trod the boards on Drury Lane. Because actors so embraced their roles, so became the characters they portrayed, nothing of their own lives, their own thoughts, broke through. It was deceit at the most elemental level, and Westfall recoiled from it in abhorrence.
That is the STUPIDEST thing I've heard since I've read the last Marlowe book. WTF? If you are an actor, even if you are a method actor, you're still yourself. Even if I WAS going to buy this cockamamie theory, it's bullshit because Nora isn't "pretending to be" anyone other than herself. Pretending to be interested in men she really doesn't want but has to flirt and charm because she needs to earn money? Yes, but I'd hardly put that on the level of deceit he's talking about here. Also, it turns out her patron So this is stupid on many levels.
Of course, Marlowe throws this little made-up ploy in the trash as soon as it benefits her plot more to have Westfall able to read Nora's mind perfectly. Extra level of stupid.
Also, he's a freakin' PSYCHIC and he can't tell for about half the book that Fucking worthless psychic, if you ask me. It's because Marlowe wanted him to be jealous of her "lover" but, seriously, this doesn't work. I mean, it makes NO FUCKING SENSE.
Then, I don't even have words for how stupid this is.
Lastly on the dumb-ass paranormal front, UGH. Stuff like this makes me want to throw my Kindle across the room.
So brace yourself for a whole onslaught of stupid in re: paranormal stuff, okay?
TWO: While decent, the romance/sex isn't anything to get too excited about.
This book has the potential to be SO HOT. So hot. I mean, come on. She's a prostitute and he's a virgin... the mythical kind of virgin who's never even been kissed even though he's about 32. AND he's psychic. A female prostitute and a psychic virgin. This has the potential to be one of the greatest books ever written.
Alas, Marlowe just can't pull it off. She can't write erotic sex, for one thing.
She ran a hand down his flat belly and cupped his genitals.
Come on, come on! You're not even TRYING anymore at this point, Marlowe!
I mean, most of it is not bad. It's not turning me on, but it's sweet and much better than the sex of the previous novel.
She was wet and welcoming, and holding her was like holding a piece of her soul, all trembling and naked. When his fingers moved, she grasped the lapels of his jacket as if she were drowning, and he was all that would keep her afloat.
There were no more words, no more thoughts forming in her mind for him. Nothing he could make sense of in any case. Instead, a burst of sensations shivered through him.
Harder. Ah, just there. That's it.
The sensations gathered themselves into a fist and punched his heart. His knees nearly buckled.
Whether they were her sensations or his, he wasn't sure.
Maybe it didn't matter.
And this:
He didn't want to rush. He wanted to savor. Each moment would be etched on his psyche forever. This was the first time he was going to bed a woman, and he wanted everything to be perfect for him and for her. Lovemaking was a journey. The last thing he wanted to do was miss something wonderful along the way because he was in too much of a hurry to reach the final destination.
And some mildly funny stuff, like this:
Pierce ached to take her right there on the cool stone floor of the hothouse, but he held himself back. It was bad enough to be labeled mad. If he was also discovered to be a rutting beast, they'd lock him up and never let him run free again, no matter how much the duke vouched for him.
Cute and romantic, no? Likable, but this isn't really too sexy. Which is a shame, given the electrifying premise.
Which brings me to the madman question.
"If we stay here, one or both of us is going to get a rug burn," he said with maddening practicality.
Then, with seeming effortlessness, he rose to his feet, careful to support her bum so his cock remained firmly inside her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and hooked her ankles at the small of his back. He was every bit as strong as he looked.
"Which one is your bedchamber?" he asked as if he were asking for directions to the nearest market.
"One more flight up. End of the hall. I'd rather face the garden than the street."
"You'll only be facing me for a while," he said with a grin.
It was so unusual for him to smile, the whiteness of his teeth caught her by surprise. "You should do that more often."
"If one smiles without something to smile about, one is generally considered a bit nipped in the noggin." He shrugged as he climbed the remaining stairs with her still clinging to him. "Of course, in my case, it would only confirm the general consensus."
"I don't think you're really mad."
He smiled again, this time wryly.
It's generally accepted that Westfall is mad. Since Nora has no idea of his abilities, and she knows the rumors, and he certainly does act odd, she actually does think she's risking having sex with a madman. Rather than be scared of this, she surprisingly finds it a turn-on.
"If you continue as you've begun, I'll never believe this is your first time."
"This is your first time as well."
She cocked her head.
"Your first time with a madman."
She attempted to lighten the moment with a little laugh. "I do not think you mad."
"Yes, you do," he said without rancor, "and what's more, you like the idea."
OKAY, we could go somewhere with this. How much is Marlowe going to play this up? How far is she going to go with this? Because this, too, could be very interesting sexually.
"You think because I am mad, I'm dangerous. And I am," he admitted. "But I will not harm you. Not for worlds."
The closest we get is a tiny, tiny, little scrap like this:
His clumsy fingers snarled the laces in her stays so badly, he had to resort to his boot knife to cut them.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the blade.
"I meant what I said. I'll never harm you, Honora," he promised. "However, your laces are in imminent danger."
Which actually goes nowhere and Marlowe sits there and does nothing to accelerate the exciting possibilities of this storyline.
"You think I'm a monster."
"No, I don't." Then because she could be truthful, too, she added, "Maybe a little."
To her surprise, that made him chuckle. "That makes two of us."
As in the first book, she does write some good kissing, though. She seems to understand the true importance of kissing in life.
In some ways, a kiss is far more intimate than the ultimate act of love. It is a shared breath. We inhabit each other's bodies. Taking another's essence in with each breath, letting your own go with each exhale. It means trusting someone enough to allow them to carry a bit of you inside them. It is a joining of souls. Why does it not break our hearts to take such chances?
She takes the time to write some good, fairly detailed (although not fully glorious) descriptions of kissing. I was happy with that, since I did enjoy the very first kiss between Stanstead and Cassie in Book One. She doesn't skimp here, also adding some choice kissing.
Extra points for this.
Another REALLY interesting aspect and one I think could have been explored further and with more intense feeling is the idea Nora has that she is less valuable and undesirable because she is a prostitute.
Yet the real objection is not one I voiced to him. You see, with my first love, my heart was boundless. I gave freely out of a well which I thought would never run dry. Now I'm a desert. It's not that I don't have feelings for Pierce. I assuredly do. But my heart is so shriveled, so desiccated, I can't offer it to him.
He deserves so much more.
It's touching and sad to me when women devalue themselves just because of "x," whether "x" is the fact that they've sold their bodies, or that they are fat, or that they are scarred or maimed in some way, or because of whatever. It has the potential to really stir up your feelings and tug on your heartstrings.
"My heart is not a whole one, Pierce. Bits of it are missing, probably some rather important bits, and what's left is bruised and battered."
I love when "I'm not worth anything" is also coupled with a healthy dose of "I don't trust men," and we get hints of that here:
...but she still couldn't reciprocate. She didn't dare. If there was one constant in the universe, it was that men were inconstant. Love was a risky business. It was hurt. It was loss. And even if a lover was the exception that proved the rule and was faithful all his days, like her Lewis had been, love still ended in the ultimate betrayal - the abandonment of death.
That's heavy shit. However, instead of pursuing this plot, wrenching our hearts out through our chests, and emotionally manipulating us to the nth degree, Marlowe just lets it lie there. I was very disappointed. I love romance novels that yank my still-beating heart out through my chest (as long as there's a happy ending).
However, it seems that Marlowe doesn't know how to write neither intense feelings nor hot sex.
Much to my dismay.
Tl;dr - The book is pretty decent. As far as a romance novel goes, it is perfectly fine IMO. Nothing to knock your socks off, but a nice love story.
However, Marlowe's idea of what a paranormal book involves is pathetic. I really... there's no words, it's just intensely stupid. The only thing I was mildly happy about was the fact that Marlowe acknowledges that thoughts are neither linear nor readable.
He'd promised himself he'd go slow, but those urgent little sounds she made as he kissed her went straight to his groin. No one would call them words. Even when he opened his mind to her, nothing he recognized as a fully formed thought materialized. It was far more primal, more basic than thought.
This is often a main sticking point for me in psychic novels. However, like everything else, this only seems true during sex and she throws it over any time it's not convenient. And obviously, it would be like that even out of bed.
I am also grateful that Marlowe didn't pull the "she's a prostitute! Ha, ha, only not, she's never actually exchanged money for sex, I was only kidding!" ploy that's so popular in romance novels. Even though Nora has only slept with a "handful" of clients, she most definitely was selling her body for money, once even at auction, and Marlowe wasn't trying to pull the "virginal prostitute" ploy.
SO... read at your own risk. The romance book angle deserves a three, but the shitty paranormal ideas bring this down to two stars.
Okay, let's talk about this book.
First of all, it's a marked improvement on its predecessor, The Curse of Lord Stanstead, which I gave one star. As everyone on Goodreads knows, I
You're obsessed with kissing.
No, well, I mean, YES, that's true, kissing is life, but what I was going to say is that I'm always on board with giving authors second chances. I read a book, it's horrible. I give it one star, I rip it to shreds. I pick up another book by the same author. People call me nuts. But actually a lot of times the author improves and everything is fine. This book is MUCH better than The Curse of Lord Stanstead, not only the sex but the general plot, IMO.
Pierce - Lord Westfall - is plagued with a horrid gift/curse of being able to hear the thoughts of others. These roll over him in a constant din of noise and emotion. He hates it. And it caused him to be committed to the hell of Bedlam (Bethlam Royal Hospital). He was plucked out of this horror by Camden, aka Professor X, and joined the forces of M.U.S.E., a sort of secret British mutant spy society. Or something. ANYWAY.
He and Stanstead go to a party where they meet this utter weirdo named Nora. Actually, her name is Honora but everyone calls her "La Nora" for no apparent reason and it annoyed me a lot and also made no fucking sense.
You're getting off track, Carmen.
Long story short: she's not a weirdo, even though she seems that way at first glance because she approaches him and says stuff like
"I'm no clergyman."
"Pity. They often make the best lovers - all that guilt and angst seething beneath the surface desperately seeking release," she said, her tone sultry...
and
"Have you never heard the saying, 'Repressed sex is the best sex?'"
But then the book is like, "She's a courtesan," and I'm like "OH, she's a PROSTITUTE, okay, no wonder she was acting so strange, never mind, carry on."
Let's talk about some main aspects of the book.
ONE: Marlowe is a shitty paranormal author. She seems (based on reading both this book and The Curse of Lord Stanstead) to just... do whatever she wants, make up rules left and right and on the spot, and logic and reason be damned. It's horrible. If she needs something to happen in her plot, she'll just make up some nonsensical bizarre reason for this to happen. It's highly annoying and unskilled.
Here's an example: Westfall hears everyone's thoughts, right? He reads people's minds all day and night because he is just inundated with an onslaught of feelings and emotions. But when he meets Nora at the ball, he can't read her mind because:
He'd only encountered that level of resistance when he tried to peer into the minds of those who regularly trod the boards on Drury Lane. Because actors so embraced their roles, so became the characters they portrayed, nothing of their own lives, their own thoughts, broke through. It was deceit at the most elemental level, and Westfall recoiled from it in abhorrence.
That is the STUPIDEST thing I've heard since I've read the last Marlowe book. WTF? If you are an actor, even if you are a method actor, you're still yourself. Even if I WAS going to buy this cockamamie theory, it's bullshit because Nora isn't "pretending to be" anyone other than herself. Pretending to be interested in men she really doesn't want but has to flirt and charm because she needs to earn money? Yes, but I'd hardly put that on the level of deceit he's talking about here. Also, it turns out her patron So this is stupid on many levels.
Of course, Marlowe throws this little made-up ploy in the trash as soon as it benefits her plot more to have Westfall able to read Nora's mind perfectly. Extra level of stupid.
Also, he's a freakin' PSYCHIC and he can't tell for about half the book that Fucking worthless psychic, if you ask me. It's because Marlowe wanted him to be jealous of her "lover" but, seriously, this doesn't work. I mean, it makes NO FUCKING SENSE.
Then, I don't even have words for how stupid this is.
Lastly on the dumb-ass paranormal front, UGH. Stuff like this makes me want to throw my Kindle across the room.
So brace yourself for a whole onslaught of stupid in re: paranormal stuff, okay?
TWO: While decent, the romance/sex isn't anything to get too excited about.
This book has the potential to be SO HOT. So hot. I mean, come on. She's a prostitute and he's a virgin... the mythical kind of virgin who's never even been kissed even though he's about 32. AND he's psychic. A female prostitute and a psychic virgin. This has the potential to be one of the greatest books ever written.
Alas, Marlowe just can't pull it off. She can't write erotic sex, for one thing.
She ran a hand down his flat belly and cupped his genitals.
Come on, come on! You're not even TRYING anymore at this point, Marlowe!
I mean, most of it is not bad. It's not turning me on, but it's sweet and much better than the sex of the previous novel.
She was wet and welcoming, and holding her was like holding a piece of her soul, all trembling and naked. When his fingers moved, she grasped the lapels of his jacket as if she were drowning, and he was all that would keep her afloat.
There were no more words, no more thoughts forming in her mind for him. Nothing he could make sense of in any case. Instead, a burst of sensations shivered through him.
Harder. Ah, just there. That's it.
The sensations gathered themselves into a fist and punched his heart. His knees nearly buckled.
Whether they were her sensations or his, he wasn't sure.
Maybe it didn't matter.
And this:
He didn't want to rush. He wanted to savor. Each moment would be etched on his psyche forever. This was the first time he was going to bed a woman, and he wanted everything to be perfect for him and for her. Lovemaking was a journey. The last thing he wanted to do was miss something wonderful along the way because he was in too much of a hurry to reach the final destination.
And some mildly funny stuff, like this:
Pierce ached to take her right there on the cool stone floor of the hothouse, but he held himself back. It was bad enough to be labeled mad. If he was also discovered to be a rutting beast, they'd lock him up and never let him run free again, no matter how much the duke vouched for him.
Cute and romantic, no? Likable, but this isn't really too sexy. Which is a shame, given the electrifying premise.
Which brings me to the madman question.
"If we stay here, one or both of us is going to get a rug burn," he said with maddening practicality.
Then, with seeming effortlessness, he rose to his feet, careful to support her bum so his cock remained firmly inside her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and hooked her ankles at the small of his back. He was every bit as strong as he looked.
"Which one is your bedchamber?" he asked as if he were asking for directions to the nearest market.
"One more flight up. End of the hall. I'd rather face the garden than the street."
"You'll only be facing me for a while," he said with a grin.
It was so unusual for him to smile, the whiteness of his teeth caught her by surprise. "You should do that more often."
"If one smiles without something to smile about, one is generally considered a bit nipped in the noggin." He shrugged as he climbed the remaining stairs with her still clinging to him. "Of course, in my case, it would only confirm the general consensus."
"I don't think you're really mad."
He smiled again, this time wryly.
It's generally accepted that Westfall is mad. Since Nora has no idea of his abilities, and she knows the rumors, and he certainly does act odd, she actually does think she's risking having sex with a madman. Rather than be scared of this, she surprisingly finds it a turn-on.
"If you continue as you've begun, I'll never believe this is your first time."
"This is your first time as well."
She cocked her head.
"Your first time with a madman."
She attempted to lighten the moment with a little laugh. "I do not think you mad."
"Yes, you do," he said without rancor, "and what's more, you like the idea."
OKAY, we could go somewhere with this. How much is Marlowe going to play this up? How far is she going to go with this? Because this, too, could be very interesting sexually.
"You think because I am mad, I'm dangerous. And I am," he admitted. "But I will not harm you. Not for worlds."
The closest we get is a tiny, tiny, little scrap like this:
His clumsy fingers snarled the laces in her stays so badly, he had to resort to his boot knife to cut them.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the blade.
"I meant what I said. I'll never harm you, Honora," he promised. "However, your laces are in imminent danger."
Which actually goes nowhere and Marlowe sits there and does nothing to accelerate the exciting possibilities of this storyline.
"You think I'm a monster."
"No, I don't." Then because she could be truthful, too, she added, "Maybe a little."
To her surprise, that made him chuckle. "That makes two of us."
As in the first book, she does write some good kissing, though. She seems to understand the true importance of kissing in life.
In some ways, a kiss is far more intimate than the ultimate act of love. It is a shared breath. We inhabit each other's bodies. Taking another's essence in with each breath, letting your own go with each exhale. It means trusting someone enough to allow them to carry a bit of you inside them. It is a joining of souls. Why does it not break our hearts to take such chances?
She takes the time to write some good, fairly detailed (although not fully glorious) descriptions of kissing. I was happy with that, since I did enjoy the very first kiss between Stanstead and Cassie in Book One. She doesn't skimp here, also adding some choice kissing.
Extra points for this.
Another REALLY interesting aspect and one I think could have been explored further and with more intense feeling is the idea Nora has that she is less valuable and undesirable because she is a prostitute.
Yet the real objection is not one I voiced to him. You see, with my first love, my heart was boundless. I gave freely out of a well which I thought would never run dry. Now I'm a desert. It's not that I don't have feelings for Pierce. I assuredly do. But my heart is so shriveled, so desiccated, I can't offer it to him.
He deserves so much more.
It's touching and sad to me when women devalue themselves just because of "x," whether "x" is the fact that they've sold their bodies, or that they are fat, or that they are scarred or maimed in some way, or because of whatever. It has the potential to really stir up your feelings and tug on your heartstrings.
"My heart is not a whole one, Pierce. Bits of it are missing, probably some rather important bits, and what's left is bruised and battered."
I love when "I'm not worth anything" is also coupled with a healthy dose of "I don't trust men," and we get hints of that here:
...but she still couldn't reciprocate. She didn't dare. If there was one constant in the universe, it was that men were inconstant. Love was a risky business. It was hurt. It was loss. And even if a lover was the exception that proved the rule and was faithful all his days, like her Lewis had been, love still ended in the ultimate betrayal - the abandonment of death.
That's heavy shit. However, instead of pursuing this plot, wrenching our hearts out through our chests, and emotionally manipulating us to the nth degree, Marlowe just lets it lie there. I was very disappointed. I love romance novels that yank my still-beating heart out through my chest (as long as there's a happy ending).
However, it seems that Marlowe doesn't know how to write neither intense feelings nor hot sex.
Much to my dismay.
Tl;dr - The book is pretty decent. As far as a romance novel goes, it is perfectly fine IMO. Nothing to knock your socks off, but a nice love story.
However, Marlowe's idea of what a paranormal book involves is pathetic. I really... there's no words, it's just intensely stupid. The only thing I was mildly happy about was the fact that Marlowe acknowledges that thoughts are neither linear nor readable.
He'd promised himself he'd go slow, but those urgent little sounds she made as he kissed her went straight to his groin. No one would call them words. Even when he opened his mind to her, nothing he recognized as a fully formed thought materialized. It was far more primal, more basic than thought.
This is often a main sticking point for me in psychic novels. However, like everything else, this only seems true during sex and she throws it over any time it's not convenient. And obviously, it would be like that even out of bed.
I am also grateful that Marlowe didn't pull the "she's a prostitute! Ha, ha, only not, she's never actually exchanged money for sex, I was only kidding!" ploy that's so popular in romance novels. Even though Nora has only slept with a "handful" of clients, she most definitely was selling her body for money, once even at auction, and Marlowe wasn't trying to pull the "virginal prostitute" ploy.
SO... read at your own risk. The romance book angle deserves a three, but the shitty paranormal ideas bring this down to two stars.
October 12, 2015
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Welcome to the Book Tour for The Madness of Lord Westfall by Mia Marlowe. This is a talented writer and she always delivers a unique style of romance. I love the way she writes, its different from any other historical writer. She has a fresh and rich voice that is evident through the pages. So excited for this new series full of adventure, intrigue and depth of emotion.
In this story, we have Viscount Westfall who hears the thoughts of others. He was sent by his uncle into a mad house and his time there still haunts Pierce. But then he was rescued by a friend and leader of the order of the M.U.S.E. His mentor is training him to handle his gift and to block if he needs to. Then at a ball, he meets Lady Nora Claremont, a carefree courtesan he feels sparks with. Pierce and Nora share passion with each other, but Nora is mixed up with business that could lead to her being a traitor. Only Pierce will be able to find a way to protect the woman he loves and exposing the real traitor.
This was quite interesting to read, and unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. I was super tired while reading this one, so I believe that was the biggest reason or I might have had a much more fun time with this book. The plot was just fascinating, and even though I was a bit confused about the order of the M.U.S.E. and what is exactly was for a while. I do believe I want to read the first book and hopefully it will help make more sense before I read the next book.
What I really liked about this book was seeing the mix of psychic and historical elements come into play. This isn’t your average regency romance. Mia Marlowe has created such a unique series that has a feel to it that is set apart from anything else she has ever written. What we have is a order of the M.U.S.E., agents that all have psychic abilities and aid in the crown. We see some fun characters and I was really intrigued by a few that were closely tied to this couple. It was interesting seeing the plot development, and there was such depth to this story. I really wasn’t expecting so much from this book. This book had spicy passion, delicious adventure, intrigue and load of secrets to be unraveled. Mysterious and engaging, this story is packed with enough to satisfy and add some tasty delights to your appetite. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
Welcome to the Book Tour for The Madness of Lord Westfall by Mia Marlowe. This is a talented writer and she always delivers a unique style of romance. I love the way she writes, its different from any other historical writer. She has a fresh and rich voice that is evident through the pages. So excited for this new series full of adventure, intrigue and depth of emotion.
In this story, we have Viscount Westfall who hears the thoughts of others. He was sent by his uncle into a mad house and his time there still haunts Pierce. But then he was rescued by a friend and leader of the order of the M.U.S.E. His mentor is training him to handle his gift and to block if he needs to. Then at a ball, he meets Lady Nora Claremont, a carefree courtesan he feels sparks with. Pierce and Nora share passion with each other, but Nora is mixed up with business that could lead to her being a traitor. Only Pierce will be able to find a way to protect the woman he loves and exposing the real traitor.
This was quite interesting to read, and unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. I was super tired while reading this one, so I believe that was the biggest reason or I might have had a much more fun time with this book. The plot was just fascinating, and even though I was a bit confused about the order of the M.U.S.E. and what is exactly was for a while. I do believe I want to read the first book and hopefully it will help make more sense before I read the next book.
What I really liked about this book was seeing the mix of psychic and historical elements come into play. This isn’t your average regency romance. Mia Marlowe has created such a unique series that has a feel to it that is set apart from anything else she has ever written. What we have is a order of the M.U.S.E., agents that all have psychic abilities and aid in the crown. We see some fun characters and I was really intrigued by a few that were closely tied to this couple. It was interesting seeing the plot development, and there was such depth to this story. I really wasn’t expecting so much from this book. This book had spicy passion, delicious adventure, intrigue and load of secrets to be unraveled. Mysterious and engaging, this story is packed with enough to satisfy and add some tasty delights to your appetite. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
September 11, 2015
4.5 unexpectedly delightful stars. I love when you can't help but really like a book that you weren't expecting to more than just kind of like. This novel twists historical romance with paranormal phenomena which made for an interesting and eventful read. Pierce is no ordinary citizen and his gift led him to be locked away at Bedlam.
I really liked Pierce because he was such a good human even after going through literal hell. Pierce is perceptive, quiet, and interesting. He treats others with respect and would rather a woman have brains rather than just beauty. When meets Nora he's completely enthralled.
While Nora is the daughter of an earl, she's forced to be a mistress in order to live and support herself. The arrangement isn't as horrible as one might think but it does leave physical needs unmet. When Nora meets Pierce she can't help but feel attracted to him.
The fact that these two fall in love in a time when both need it is sweet. Pierce needs someone like Nora who accepts him and all his faults and gifts. Nora needs someone who will love her no matter the circumstances. This story is a merry adventure in a historical setting and quite a good read.
I really liked Pierce because he was such a good human even after going through literal hell. Pierce is perceptive, quiet, and interesting. He treats others with respect and would rather a woman have brains rather than just beauty. When meets Nora he's completely enthralled.
While Nora is the daughter of an earl, she's forced to be a mistress in order to live and support herself. The arrangement isn't as horrible as one might think but it does leave physical needs unmet. When Nora meets Pierce she can't help but feel attracted to him.
The fact that these two fall in love in a time when both need it is sweet. Pierce needs someone like Nora who accepts him and all his faults and gifts. Nora needs someone who will love her no matter the circumstances. This story is a merry adventure in a historical setting and quite a good read.
September 9, 2015
This story captivated me from the very beginning. Lord Westfall, fell out of a tree when he was a born and injured his head. When he awoke he could hear other people's thoughts. His Uncle had him committed to Bedlam after his parents died but the Duke of Camden had him freed and made him a part of The Order Of the M.U.S.E. A secret group of people with special "gifts" that can help Westfall learn to control his gift and use it for good.
Lady Honora "Nora" is the second daughter of an Earl who disowned by her family because she wouldn't marry the man they wanted her to and instead married the man she loved. When her husband died she is left alone and poor. She does the only thing she can and becomes a courtesan. Her current protector is Lord Albemarle.
Westfall is sent out on a mission to find the person who could potential harm the Prince Regent when he comes across Nora. He is attracted to her in a way that he never thought possible. He also finds out she has information of the person he is looking for. To stop the plot against the Prince, Westfall and the team work to get close to Albemarle and Nora. During this time, Westfall learns Nora secrets and set out on a mission of his own to free her protector from blackmail and in turn free her for himself. Will he be able to succeed or will he fail and end up back in the asylum? Will Nora be able to accept Westfall with his gift or will she too think he is a madman? Is there a happily ever after for Westfall or is he destined to spend his life alone with only the voices in his head?
The secondary characters are just as intestine as Westfall and Nora. The Duke of Camden has his secrets that he needs answer to. Meg is a sweet young woman with the gift to Find, who just want to be loved and do her best to please the Duke. Vesta is another courtesan who is a fire mage and she is a feisty loveable older woman with needs that need to be filled. Lord Stanstead has the ability to Send thoughts to other people and make them believe that they are their own. He's funny and determined to draw Westfall out of his seclusion.
The story is full of intrigue, mystery, blackmail, special "gifts" history and romace. Mia Marlowe does an excellent job in writing Westfall and all he's been through. She writes so the reader can feel his and Nora's pain and it really draws you in.
I definitely recommend this either as a stand alone or as the second book in the series. It's an excellent historical romance.
Lady Honora "Nora" is the second daughter of an Earl who disowned by her family because she wouldn't marry the man they wanted her to and instead married the man she loved. When her husband died she is left alone and poor. She does the only thing she can and becomes a courtesan. Her current protector is Lord Albemarle.
Westfall is sent out on a mission to find the person who could potential harm the Prince Regent when he comes across Nora. He is attracted to her in a way that he never thought possible. He also finds out she has information of the person he is looking for. To stop the plot against the Prince, Westfall and the team work to get close to Albemarle and Nora. During this time, Westfall learns Nora secrets and set out on a mission of his own to free her protector from blackmail and in turn free her for himself. Will he be able to succeed or will he fail and end up back in the asylum? Will Nora be able to accept Westfall with his gift or will she too think he is a madman? Is there a happily ever after for Westfall or is he destined to spend his life alone with only the voices in his head?
The secondary characters are just as intestine as Westfall and Nora. The Duke of Camden has his secrets that he needs answer to. Meg is a sweet young woman with the gift to Find, who just want to be loved and do her best to please the Duke. Vesta is another courtesan who is a fire mage and she is a feisty loveable older woman with needs that need to be filled. Lord Stanstead has the ability to Send thoughts to other people and make them believe that they are their own. He's funny and determined to draw Westfall out of his seclusion.
The story is full of intrigue, mystery, blackmail, special "gifts" history and romace. Mia Marlowe does an excellent job in writing Westfall and all he's been through. She writes so the reader can feel his and Nora's pain and it really draws you in.
I definitely recommend this either as a stand alone or as the second book in the series. It's an excellent historical romance.
September 9, 2015
After his family has him committed to a mental institution for his hearing voices, hence deemed "mad", Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall has been placed into the custody of the Duke of Camden. Edward St. James, the Duke of Camden is the founder of the Order of the M.U.S.E. an organization which protects and mentors people with extraordinary gifts, and Pierce Langdon is definitely extraordinary with his ability to hear the thoughts of those around him. The duke is attempting to teach Pierce to filter those thoughts so he will be able to g out into public and feel normal.
Lady Nora Claremont has had her share of hard knocks in her young life. Married and widowed, the disinherited Nora now lives her life as a renowned courtesan, but she is not all she seems. When Nora meets the baffling Pierce, she is not only confounded by his demeanor, but she is more than curious about who he is. Nora has consigned herself to a life which includes freedom, but also one of loneliness. Her attraction to Pierce is not only a distraction, but one which could lead to more heartache if she isn't careful. Nora is a conundrum that Pierce would like to solve, but he also has secrets that if are revealed, could have him back at Bedlam.
THE MADNESS OF LORD WESTFALL by Mia Marlowe is the second in The Order Of The M.U.S.E. series and sadly I did not red the first before I began this one. I did however go back and grab the first one because THE MADNESS OF LORD WESTFALL was an intriguing and well written book. I had no idea when I began this that it was a paranormal Regency, but I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the story thoroughly. The characters are interesting and engaging. The story, fast paced and fascinating. I am looking forward to the next installment and now have Ms. Marlowe on my auto-buy list.
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September 28, 20155 stars
I loved this book.
I wasn't overly thrilled about a courtesan as the heroine, but as I got to know and understand Nora, the more I liked and respected her.
And Pierce! As much as I love a rake, given the choice I will pick the socially awkward hero first every time! I loved him. Seriously - Loved him.
I can't really give too many details of the book without going spoilerish, so suffice it to say, the book is great. It is well written, flows nicely, has evil villains, heart wrenching moments, steamy love scenes and an ending that will make your heart stutter and weep for joy!
Read the book!
I loved this book.
I wasn't overly thrilled about a courtesan as the heroine, but as I got to know and understand Nora, the more I liked and respected her.
And Pierce! As much as I love a rake, given the choice I will pick the socially awkward hero first every time! I loved him. Seriously - Loved him.
I can't really give too many details of the book without going spoilerish, so suffice it to say, the book is great. It is well written, flows nicely, has evil villains, heart wrenching moments, steamy love scenes and an ending that will make your heart stutter and weep for joy!
Read the book!
January 26, 2016
I really enjoyed the first book in Mia Marlowe's Order of the Muse series, and I've been waiting for the second book to come out. When it did, I was able to muster a bit of willpower and waited for the third book to come out, because, I knew that, after reading Pierce's book, I would want to read the third book IMMEDIATELY -- and, that's exactly what happened.
In terms of "superpowers", many would think Pierce Langdon, Lord Westfall, has a really great one: his ability allows him to hear people's deepest darkest thoughts. I could think of a million ways that Pierce could use his talent to take advantage of people, but, in reality, Pierce sees what he has as a great burden, and he's had to train with the Duke of Camden in order to build a wall to block out the invasion of other people's thoughts.
Pierce is such a great character -- he spent most of his formative and adult years locked away in Bedlam, and, before that, he lived in the countryside, so he hasn't really had any real experience of the outside world. Ever since he was liberated from Bedlam by the Duke of Camden, Pierce has worked with MUSE within the safe confines of their house/headquarters. But now Pierce is needed in the field, to locate an object with psychical powers, that the Duke suspects will be used against the Prince Regent. It's a rare, and unwanted, moment for Pierce, who is happy to live away from people -- but, he knows he owes the Duke his life, and so he risks succumbing to madness and ventures out to help MUSE with its latest mission.
Pierce finds himself inside the mind of Lady Nora Claremont, a famed courtesan.
This is where it gets very interesting, because Pierce has had no previous knowledge of Nora, he sees and accepts her without any prejudice or regard for the past. For Nora, this is a godsend: for the first time in her life, someone is seeing her beyond her youthful mistakes and her tarnished reputation. At the same time, Nora, while a member of the aristocracy, but has long been exiled from it, had never heard of Pierce, or of his life. Maybe it's a strange choice of words to describe a "madman" and a courtesan, but there's a heartbreaking innocence to their encounter. It is a clean slate for both our hero and heroine, and a chance for them to show the other their real identity.
It's innocent meets jaded, as Pierce disarms Nora with his earnestness. Nora has never met anyone like Pierce, who genuinely appreciates her and talking to her. Most men of her acquaintance only want one thing from her. It's a challenge for Pierce not to listen to Nora's thoughts -- again, this is a testament to Pierce's heart -- he could easily just read her mind and become her ideal person. But he would rather try on his own, without the use of his powers. I loved imagining the delight in a new beginning, a fresh start, for both of them. In Pierce's case, it was a revelation to him that he could be with someone, and that someone could love and accept him -- "madness" and all. It is rare in historical romances for the hero to be the one to discover love for the first time, but that is the case with Pierce -- and it is a breathtaking moment.
But things were never easy for Pierce or Nora, who have had to fight to survive up to this point, so it comes as no surprise that their own relationship would prove to be a seemingly insurmountable struggle: Nora is in an arrangement with Lord Albemarle, and Pierce is investigating him. The weakest part of the story is the psychical object, which is Fides Pulvis, which allows the user to control whoever consumes the powder.
The plan is to slip some in the Prince Regent's drink, and then control his decision regarding the ..., which would, therefore, extend the armed conflict between France and England. Part of me wasn't convinced that the truth powder was a game changer, if it was ever used on the King. Maybe it's a lack of explanation or history/backstory on the powder -- but, it just felt, harmless to me. But, it does create a very complex test of love and loyalty for the characters in the story: Nora loves Pierce and wants to help him, but she understands Lord Albemarle's situation and why he has the Fides Pulvis. It's a crisis of priorities and sides, and it falls on Pierce to make the correct judgments -- he is in an intimate position to know Nora's thoughts, but does he have to share these discoveries with the Duke of Camden? Is his love for Nora greater than the needs of his country?
But the Sensory Extraordinaires believed that it would change the tides of history, and they all put themselves on the line in order to locate it. Mia Marlowe uses Pierce's story to develop Meg Anthony's story a bit. She's a "finder" and little else is known of her -- Marlowe delves a little bit deeper into her history and explains her abilities a little bit more. (Yes, when I finished Pierce's book, I immediately started reading Meg's book.)
What I love about this series is this: while the stories have a touch of paranormal in them, Marlowe uses it as a vehicle to highlight the very, very human needs and wants of the Sensory Extraordinaires. Lord Stanstead needed to feel hope, Lord Westfall needed to feel wanted and accepted, the Duke of Camden needs closure, and Vesta needs the Duke's love.
In terms of "superpowers", many would think Pierce Langdon, Lord Westfall, has a really great one: his ability allows him to hear people's deepest darkest thoughts. I could think of a million ways that Pierce could use his talent to take advantage of people, but, in reality, Pierce sees what he has as a great burden, and he's had to train with the Duke of Camden in order to build a wall to block out the invasion of other people's thoughts.
Pierce is such a great character -- he spent most of his formative and adult years locked away in Bedlam, and, before that, he lived in the countryside, so he hasn't really had any real experience of the outside world. Ever since he was liberated from Bedlam by the Duke of Camden, Pierce has worked with MUSE within the safe confines of their house/headquarters. But now Pierce is needed in the field, to locate an object with psychical powers, that the Duke suspects will be used against the Prince Regent. It's a rare, and unwanted, moment for Pierce, who is happy to live away from people -- but, he knows he owes the Duke his life, and so he risks succumbing to madness and ventures out to help MUSE with its latest mission.
Pierce finds himself inside the mind of Lady Nora Claremont, a famed courtesan.
This is where it gets very interesting, because Pierce has had no previous knowledge of Nora, he sees and accepts her without any prejudice or regard for the past. For Nora, this is a godsend: for the first time in her life, someone is seeing her beyond her youthful mistakes and her tarnished reputation. At the same time, Nora, while a member of the aristocracy, but has long been exiled from it, had never heard of Pierce, or of his life. Maybe it's a strange choice of words to describe a "madman" and a courtesan, but there's a heartbreaking innocence to their encounter. It is a clean slate for both our hero and heroine, and a chance for them to show the other their real identity.
... "Have I offended you in some way, sir?"
If not, it wasn't for lack of trying. Something about him made her uncomfortable. She'd be just as happy if this man left Albemarle's party. He wasn't the jovial sort Benedick Albemarle usually cultivated at his routs.
"No, you've given me no cause for offense. Though I suspect the world has offended you more than once," he said. "I am sorry for it. You deserve a full measure of respect."
That took her aback. While she was arguably the most sought after high-flyer in London, no one had ever cared if they offended her.
- loc 204 - 215
It's innocent meets jaded, as Pierce disarms Nora with his earnestness. Nora has never met anyone like Pierce, who genuinely appreciates her and talking to her. Most men of her acquaintance only want one thing from her. It's a challenge for Pierce not to listen to Nora's thoughts -- again, this is a testament to Pierce's heart -- he could easily just read her mind and become her ideal person. But he would rather try on his own, without the use of his powers. I loved imagining the delight in a new beginning, a fresh start, for both of them. In Pierce's case, it was a revelation to him that he could be with someone, and that someone could love and accept him -- "madness" and all. It is rare in historical romances for the hero to be the one to discover love for the first time, but that is the case with Pierce -- and it is a breathtaking moment.
Nora looked up, aware that most men loved to catch a woman in this state. She was wearing half-dress, her hair unbound, her expression appropriately dewy-eyed and hopeful after supposedly letting Byron's lush verses surge over her.
"Hullo, Westfall," she said.
"Your book is upside down."
"Oh!" She laid it aside as quickly as if it were a viper.
"But you looked lovely pretending to read it. I assume that was the point, so, well done."
- loc 1076 to 1086
But things were never easy for Pierce or Nora, who have had to fight to survive up to this point, so it comes as no surprise that their own relationship would prove to be a seemingly insurmountable struggle: Nora is in an arrangement with Lord Albemarle, and Pierce is investigating him. The weakest part of the story is the psychical object, which is Fides Pulvis, which allows the user to control whoever consumes the powder.
"Trust Powder. One pinch and whoever takes it from me will believe whatever I tell them is gospel. Damned handy thing in the right hands."
- loc 545
The plan is to slip some in the Prince Regent's drink, and then control his decision regarding the ..., which would, therefore, extend the armed conflict between France and England. Part of me wasn't convinced that the truth powder was a game changer, if it was ever used on the King. Maybe it's a lack of explanation or history/backstory on the powder -- but, it just felt, harmless to me. But, it does create a very complex test of love and loyalty for the characters in the story: Nora loves Pierce and wants to help him, but she understands Lord Albemarle's situation and why he has the Fides Pulvis. It's a crisis of priorities and sides, and it falls on Pierce to make the correct judgments -- he is in an intimate position to know Nora's thoughts, but does he have to share these discoveries with the Duke of Camden? Is his love for Nora greater than the needs of his country?
But the Sensory Extraordinaires believed that it would change the tides of history, and they all put themselves on the line in order to locate it. Mia Marlowe uses Pierce's story to develop Meg Anthony's story a bit. She's a "finder" and little else is known of her -- Marlowe delves a little bit deeper into her history and explains her abilities a little bit more. (Yes, when I finished Pierce's book, I immediately started reading Meg's book.)
What I love about this series is this: while the stories have a touch of paranormal in them, Marlowe uses it as a vehicle to highlight the very, very human needs and wants of the Sensory Extraordinaires. Lord Stanstead needed to feel hope, Lord Westfall needed to feel wanted and accepted, the Duke of Camden needs closure, and Vesta needs the Duke's love.
August 8, 2019
I don't get to read too many books that have a supernatural theme like X-Men, so when I found this historical romance series (last year?) I was extremely excited to say the least. However, the first book was just ok and didn't leave me rushing to pick up the next one. I'm thankful for Romanceopoly that made me pick this one up. This fulfilled the Mystery Challenge #2 for reading a book with a courtesan heroine.Let me backtrack some. The hero of this story can hear people's thoughts, but he's not fully in control of his abilities. He's a new recruit at the Order of the M.U.S.E. and they are trying to teach him how to harness that power and protect himself from the onslaught of mental chatter. But now is time for him to use that skill on a mission to uncover a plot of kill the King. From all the thoughts he picks up at a party, one person seems to have the knowledge he's seeking. The beautiful and mysterious courtesan who has also captured his heart.
This book was definitely a step up from the first one. The romance plot and the spy and intrigue stuff was woven in really well throughout the story. At the same time each character had a lot of depth and I cared for both individually as much as I wanted them to end up happily together. They are both strong and resilient in their own ways and I loved that strength and sacrifice they showed, both in their past and now to fight for their relationship.
THE MADNESS OF LORD WESTFALL was both fun and captivating, wrapped up in a cloud of mystery and a dash of danger. I am excited to read the next book but also a bit sad that there isn't more in this series after that.
*Reviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
January 25, 2016
Incidentally, what a beautiful cover!
I will start saying I might have conflicting feelings towards romances with "supernatural" traits, I must admit I'm not the biggest appreciator of those. I normally approach myself to them with a bit of involuntary distance if not even scepticism.
Preamble enunciated, I have to say I liked this novel; it's very much catching, engaging and thrilling. I liked the characters; they are all charming and I want to know what happens to all of them, I'm interested in each of their own stories and I'm looking forward to their happy-endings (especially the Duke of Camden and Vesta's one, which hopefully is going to be accomplished in the same novel).
The protagonists, Pierce and Honora, are very suited, I liked them together, their attraction is strong and I loved their first meeting, how it's described, how the inner emotions are portrayed. I think, throughout the whole romance, the author did a great job in dealing with the transliteration in written words of Lord Westfall's gift. Pierce has the capacity to read minds and I believe that organising it so to be enjoyable, interesting and not burdensome for the reader is quite the hard work. In a romance, clearly, there are always the necessary hero and heroine's introspective parts, aside from dialogues, and in not few novels I found those parts to be slightly tiring, making the reading difficult and not particularly engaging. The Madness of Lord Westfall is not one of them.
The part of the plot related to the M.U.S.E. (which is a sort of secret organisation, leaded by the Duke of Camden, that gather together people with supernatural capacities to employ those peculiar qualities in favour of the common good - something like the The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) is honestly very interesting, I was really sort of fascinated by it, it's very fast paced and entertaining.
So why didn't I give more to The Madness of Lord Westfall? Simply because I did't adore how the love story has been developed.
As already said, I really liked the protagonists, so my doubts are not strictly related to them as individuals, and I've also found them to be very sweet together, moreover I understand that Pierce's capacity cut down the timing normally needed to know if the feeling for the heroine is love or just affection, however I thought his realisation comes too soon in the story. Unfortunately this "small" aspect didn't permit me to develop that feeling of deep love which I look for in a romance.
However this is a more than good romance, and I'm sure it is a must for those who like a twist of supernatural in a romance. For sure I'm going to read the rest of the series.
**I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book on courtesy of NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review, thank you for the opportunity**
FOR MORE REVIEWS VISIT IL PROFUMO DELLE PERGAMENE
I will start saying I might have conflicting feelings towards romances with "supernatural" traits, I must admit I'm not the biggest appreciator of those. I normally approach myself to them with a bit of involuntary distance if not even scepticism.
Preamble enunciated, I have to say I liked this novel; it's very much catching, engaging and thrilling. I liked the characters; they are all charming and I want to know what happens to all of them, I'm interested in each of their own stories and I'm looking forward to their happy-endings (especially the Duke of Camden and Vesta's one, which hopefully is going to be accomplished in the same novel).
The protagonists, Pierce and Honora, are very suited, I liked them together, their attraction is strong and I loved their first meeting, how it's described, how the inner emotions are portrayed. I think, throughout the whole romance, the author did a great job in dealing with the transliteration in written words of Lord Westfall's gift. Pierce has the capacity to read minds and I believe that organising it so to be enjoyable, interesting and not burdensome for the reader is quite the hard work. In a romance, clearly, there are always the necessary hero and heroine's introspective parts, aside from dialogues, and in not few novels I found those parts to be slightly tiring, making the reading difficult and not particularly engaging. The Madness of Lord Westfall is not one of them.
The part of the plot related to the M.U.S.E. (which is a sort of secret organisation, leaded by the Duke of Camden, that gather together people with supernatural capacities to employ those peculiar qualities in favour of the common good - something like the The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) is honestly very interesting, I was really sort of fascinated by it, it's very fast paced and entertaining.
So why didn't I give more to The Madness of Lord Westfall? Simply because I did't adore how the love story has been developed.
As already said, I really liked the protagonists, so my doubts are not strictly related to them as individuals, and I've also found them to be very sweet together, moreover I understand that Pierce's capacity cut down the timing normally needed to know if the feeling for the heroine is love or just affection, however I thought his realisation comes too soon in the story. Unfortunately this "small" aspect didn't permit me to develop that feeling of deep love which I look for in a romance.
However this is a more than good romance, and I'm sure it is a must for those who like a twist of supernatural in a romance. For sure I'm going to read the rest of the series.
**I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book on courtesy of NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review, thank you for the opportunity**
FOR MORE REVIEWS VISIT IL PROFUMO DELLE PERGAMENE
September 17, 2015
The Order to MUSE continues with probably my favorite character, Lord Westfall. MUSE stands for Metaphysical Union of Sensory Extraordinaires, and the group is reminiscent of A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The Order's purpose is to prevent psychic threats to the royal family, and they use their own special powers to flush those out. Powers include sending thoughts, hearing thoughts, finding things, fire mages, water mages, and who knows what else we will get as the series continues. This series offers a nice (and steamy) break from traditional regency romance.
Lord Westfall's psychic power is that he hears people's thoughts... and the deluge of busy minds is sometimes debilitating, and sometimes makes me appear rather odd. So odd, that his uncle had him committed to Bedlam. I shudder just thinking about that place and the "treatments" they inflicted on their patient victims. Lord Westfall was an interesting and endearing character... but I always enjoy reading about characters who have been cast as mad, bad and dangerous. As you can imagine Westfall's "madness" stunted his social development - to the extent that is one of the very rare virginal heroes!
I liked Westfall so much that he really overshadowed everyone else in the book for me. So I don't have a ton to say about our heroine. Honora is a member of the demimonde, and is known about the ton as La Nora. Nora was solid heroine and I can't say that I disliked anything about her. She had a tough time after marrying a poorly physician for love and being disowned by her family. When she lost her husband in the war with France, Nora did not have many options open to her. She was a likable character... but I was just too focused on Westfall to pay her any extra attention.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars / 3 flames.
Lord Westfall's psychic power is that he hears people's thoughts... and the deluge of busy minds is sometimes debilitating, and sometimes makes me appear rather odd. So odd, that his uncle had him committed to Bedlam. I shudder just thinking about that place and the "treatments" they inflicted on their patient victims. Lord Westfall was an interesting and endearing character... but I always enjoy reading about characters who have been cast as mad, bad and dangerous. As you can imagine Westfall's "madness" stunted his social development - to the extent that is one of the very rare virginal heroes!
I liked Westfall so much that he really overshadowed everyone else in the book for me. So I don't have a ton to say about our heroine. Honora is a member of the demimonde, and is known about the ton as La Nora. Nora was solid heroine and I can't say that I disliked anything about her. She had a tough time after marrying a poorly physician for love and being disowned by her family. When she lost her husband in the war with France, Nora did not have many options open to her. She was a likable character... but I was just too focused on Westfall to pay her any extra attention.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars / 3 flames.
November 28, 2015
3.5 stars
A little Regency woo-woo? Yes, Please! I had fun with The madness of Lord Westfall. I always enjoy the characters that are deemed "mad" and hearing voices...definitely lands Westfall with that qualifier from his peers. Having spent time in Bedlam? Even more so.
I did feel like I'd walked in mid-series (turns out this was book two oops!) but it passed quickly and I was easily pulled in by this group of agents that all have interesting abilities--hearing thoughts, sending thoughts, control of fire or water or soul skipping and use them to keep country safe.
The quick of it is that someone means harm to the Prince and the team has set about finding the ones behind the plot and it brings a courtesan into their mists and one Pierce must get close to in order to unravel the evil masterminds.
I had a good time with them. It's a quick read with interesting characters, depth and a couple surprises along the way. Risk, danger, love, forgiveness and finding peace. It was a lovely story that had some grit and has me curious about everyone else on the team. Looking forward to reading the next.
A little Regency woo-woo? Yes, Please! I had fun with The madness of Lord Westfall. I always enjoy the characters that are deemed "mad" and hearing voices...definitely lands Westfall with that qualifier from his peers. Having spent time in Bedlam? Even more so.
I did feel like I'd walked in mid-series (turns out this was book two oops!) but it passed quickly and I was easily pulled in by this group of agents that all have interesting abilities--hearing thoughts, sending thoughts, control of fire or water or soul skipping and use them to keep country safe.
The quick of it is that someone means harm to the Prince and the team has set about finding the ones behind the plot and it brings a courtesan into their mists and one Pierce must get close to in order to unravel the evil masterminds.
I had a good time with them. It's a quick read with interesting characters, depth and a couple surprises along the way. Risk, danger, love, forgiveness and finding peace. It was a lovely story that had some grit and has me curious about everyone else on the team. Looking forward to reading the next.
December 18, 2019
I'm loving this series. So unique amd different from any other historical romance.
December 23, 2015
Originally posted at SmexyBooks-http://smexybooks.com/2015/09/review-...
The Madness of Lord Westfall is the second installment in the Order of the MUSE series but easily stands on it’s own. A strong character driven historical romance with a suspenseful paranormal base. Smooth writing, fast pacing, and a well developed storyline seizes your attention right from the start. We are given two story lines in here; the recovery of a supernatural artifact and a grand love affair that seems doomed even before it starts. Running parallel with one another; they intertwining and blend together throughout the book. This story packs quite an emotional punch as our hero and heroine struggle to reconcile their attraction to one another while remaining loyal to their individual causes.
Pierce Langston is a dream of a hero. Large, handsome, broody, and socially stunted. His own suffering makes him more empathetic than most when faced with injustice. Pierce has suffered greatly for his gift. Having fell from a tree as a child, the resulting injury opened a doorway that allowed him to hear other people’s thoughts. Unbeknownst to him that everyone wasn’t like this, he frequently blurted out personal information that set the stage for his supposed madness. When his parents passed away, his uncle, who was also his guardian, had him committed to Bedlam in order to seize control of inheritance. He spent years in there at the hands of so called professionals hose cures often mimicked torture. Thankfully, Pierce was rescued by the Duke of Camden and spirited away to his estate and inducted into the Order of the MUSE.
Nora Claremont has also known much grief and sorrow in her relatively short life. Going against her family’s wishes and marrying a doctor lead to her being disinherited. When her husband is killed on the battlefield, Nora is left desolate and forced to make some very difficult decisions for herself and those who depend on her. Choosing to become a courtesan enables her to maintain some sort of independence while acquiring the things she needs to survive. Having accepted the protection and in turn the secrets of an old friend, she now leads a dual existence that only becomes harder to maintain once she meets Pierce and spends time with him.
I found our hero and heroine to be utterly divine and captivating as they maneuver their way around each other. Two lonely souls for whom life has been nothing but a series of disappointments and sorrow. Yet neither are beaten down by their past. Their strength is magnified by their perseverance, intelligence, and lust for life. The journey they travel together is littered with pitfalls, traps, and secrets but Marlowe tempers the seriousness with playful flirting and witty banter. Both of them know that due to their circumstances, falling in love is not a luxury that either can afford at this time, but the heart wants what the heart wants. The chemistry between these two blazes white hot off the pages and Marlowe amplifies the heat with some delicious love scenes.
Vibrant secondary characters are bursting from the seams of the book yet you never feel overwhelmed. We interact with various characters from previous books and meet a few very interesting new ones. Their strong camaraderie is felt and I loved that the order doesn’t discriminate. I look forward to reading their stories in the future. The inclusion of additional subplots is well done and blends well with the main storyline. A single grand gesture of love is a mixture of hope and despair that catapults you to the end, leaving you emotionally drained but elated from the ride Marlowe has taken you on.
RATING: B+
The Madness of Lord Westfall is the second installment in the Order of the MUSE series but easily stands on it’s own. A strong character driven historical romance with a suspenseful paranormal base. Smooth writing, fast pacing, and a well developed storyline seizes your attention right from the start. We are given two story lines in here; the recovery of a supernatural artifact and a grand love affair that seems doomed even before it starts. Running parallel with one another; they intertwining and blend together throughout the book. This story packs quite an emotional punch as our hero and heroine struggle to reconcile their attraction to one another while remaining loyal to their individual causes.
Pierce Langston is a dream of a hero. Large, handsome, broody, and socially stunted. His own suffering makes him more empathetic than most when faced with injustice. Pierce has suffered greatly for his gift. Having fell from a tree as a child, the resulting injury opened a doorway that allowed him to hear other people’s thoughts. Unbeknownst to him that everyone wasn’t like this, he frequently blurted out personal information that set the stage for his supposed madness. When his parents passed away, his uncle, who was also his guardian, had him committed to Bedlam in order to seize control of inheritance. He spent years in there at the hands of so called professionals hose cures often mimicked torture. Thankfully, Pierce was rescued by the Duke of Camden and spirited away to his estate and inducted into the Order of the MUSE.
Nora Claremont has also known much grief and sorrow in her relatively short life. Going against her family’s wishes and marrying a doctor lead to her being disinherited. When her husband is killed on the battlefield, Nora is left desolate and forced to make some very difficult decisions for herself and those who depend on her. Choosing to become a courtesan enables her to maintain some sort of independence while acquiring the things she needs to survive. Having accepted the protection and in turn the secrets of an old friend, she now leads a dual existence that only becomes harder to maintain once she meets Pierce and spends time with him.
I found our hero and heroine to be utterly divine and captivating as they maneuver their way around each other. Two lonely souls for whom life has been nothing but a series of disappointments and sorrow. Yet neither are beaten down by their past. Their strength is magnified by their perseverance, intelligence, and lust for life. The journey they travel together is littered with pitfalls, traps, and secrets but Marlowe tempers the seriousness with playful flirting and witty banter. Both of them know that due to their circumstances, falling in love is not a luxury that either can afford at this time, but the heart wants what the heart wants. The chemistry between these two blazes white hot off the pages and Marlowe amplifies the heat with some delicious love scenes.
Vibrant secondary characters are bursting from the seams of the book yet you never feel overwhelmed. We interact with various characters from previous books and meet a few very interesting new ones. Their strong camaraderie is felt and I loved that the order doesn’t discriminate. I look forward to reading their stories in the future. The inclusion of additional subplots is well done and blends well with the main storyline. A single grand gesture of love is a mixture of hope and despair that catapults you to the end, leaving you emotionally drained but elated from the ride Marlowe has taken you on.
RATING: B+
January 5, 2017
This is a hard book to rate - it was all over the place and I did not enjoy it as much as Book 1. I was so disillusioned by the halfway point, I abandoned the read, and I have not been motivated to get back to finishing the story.
I found the start of the book laborious and a bit dreary and it seemed as if the recap of their first meeting, etc. was a literal lifting of text from Book 1.
Some of the writing I enjoyed - there were some clever, witty and entertaining bon mots and exchanges, but many parts of the book drew away from these enjoyable moments. I enjoyed finding out more about their gifts, particularly Meg's astral travel and the description of his telepathic blending of thoughts and feelings
I found unbelievable his insta-lust/love, and his ongoing agonies of guilt about his lust I found tedious. His decision making and unstable moral compass was also very frustrating. His gift and mission was a big secret and then he became Viscount Blabbermouth who while on a secret mission to discover the location of a potentially lethal psychic weapon, spills the beans to his mark at the time of their first sexual encounter, just because he did not want to upset her…sigh…there are also places where he is angsting about wanting to be her lover and convince her he cared for her and would never betray her, but at this point he has already betrayed her by passing information he picked up from her telepathically…and he has betrayed MUSE by blabbing to her before he knew which side she was on.
The first half of the book was filled with the Hero’s and Heroine’s self-critical internal dialogues - her ongoing thoughts were filled with angst, self-recrimination, and guilt interspersed with episodes of him beating himself up - it began to hit me that all the characters in Books 1 and 2 seemed to debase themselves and go on and on about being unworthy. At one point I asked myself does everyone in this series hate themselves? All this negative self-talk did not generate sympathy, it just became annoying and tedious.
The scene I hated that caused me to finally bail, was the sexual encounter between his Nibs the Duke of Camden and Vesta. How he treated her from his place of self-hatred was disappointing and degrading. Up until then I thought as Head of the Order we were supposed to respect and admire him, and after that I just did not care about any of them enough to read on.
So I lost patience by the midpoint in the story and have abandoned it for a week, and can't motivate myself to pick it up again. I will shortly force myself to eventually finish it, just to complete it and remove it from my E-Reader. Current Rating: 1.5 Stars
Minor Peeves: I know this is partially a fantasy, but it is specifically set in the time of George III and the Regency period and I think it required a bit more research around details. At one point the author has Westfall calming the noise of everyone's thoughts by gardening – fantastic and sensible idea, but she has him re-potting African Violets. I have read many Regency romances and did not remember violets being popular at that time, so did a quick internet search and it turns out they were not discovered until 1892 and this story is ostensibly set sometime between 1811 and 1820. I had the same peeve with use of the phrase ‘taking something out of mothballs’ which felt out of place. Naphthalene the main ingredient found in mothballs was not discovered until 1819 and was not produced until 1826, so again a lack of details and research regarding the language and background of the Regency period was jarring and kept pulling me out of the story.
I found the start of the book laborious and a bit dreary and it seemed as if the recap of their first meeting, etc. was a literal lifting of text from Book 1.
Some of the writing I enjoyed - there were some clever, witty and entertaining bon mots and exchanges, but many parts of the book drew away from these enjoyable moments. I enjoyed finding out more about their gifts, particularly Meg's astral travel and the description of his telepathic blending of thoughts and feelings
I found unbelievable his insta-lust/love, and his ongoing agonies of guilt about his lust I found tedious. His decision making and unstable moral compass was also very frustrating. His gift and mission was a big secret and then he became Viscount Blabbermouth who while on a secret mission to discover the location of a potentially lethal psychic weapon, spills the beans to his mark at the time of their first sexual encounter, just because he did not want to upset her…sigh…there are also places where he is angsting about wanting to be her lover and convince her he cared for her and would never betray her, but at this point he has already betrayed her by passing information he picked up from her telepathically…and he has betrayed MUSE by blabbing to her before he knew which side she was on.
The first half of the book was filled with the Hero’s and Heroine’s self-critical internal dialogues - her ongoing thoughts were filled with angst, self-recrimination, and guilt interspersed with episodes of him beating himself up - it began to hit me that all the characters in Books 1 and 2 seemed to debase themselves and go on and on about being unworthy. At one point I asked myself does everyone in this series hate themselves? All this negative self-talk did not generate sympathy, it just became annoying and tedious.
The scene I hated that caused me to finally bail, was the sexual encounter between his Nibs the Duke of Camden and Vesta. How he treated her from his place of self-hatred was disappointing and degrading. Up until then I thought as Head of the Order we were supposed to respect and admire him, and after that I just did not care about any of them enough to read on.
So I lost patience by the midpoint in the story and have abandoned it for a week, and can't motivate myself to pick it up again. I will shortly force myself to eventually finish it, just to complete it and remove it from my E-Reader. Current Rating: 1.5 Stars
Minor Peeves: I know this is partially a fantasy, but it is specifically set in the time of George III and the Regency period and I think it required a bit more research around details. At one point the author has Westfall calming the noise of everyone's thoughts by gardening – fantastic and sensible idea, but she has him re-potting African Violets. I have read many Regency romances and did not remember violets being popular at that time, so did a quick internet search and it turns out they were not discovered until 1892 and this story is ostensibly set sometime between 1811 and 1820. I had the same peeve with use of the phrase ‘taking something out of mothballs’ which felt out of place. Naphthalene the main ingredient found in mothballs was not discovered until 1819 and was not produced until 1826, so again a lack of details and research regarding the language and background of the Regency period was jarring and kept pulling me out of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2022
Everyone believes Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall, is mad. He fell from a tree and hit his head as a boy, only to wake with the ability to hear the thoughts of others. His parents kept him sheltered from the world and tried to hide his ability, but his uncle eventually had him committed to Bedlam. But the Duke of Camden recognizes the usefulness of Pierce’s gift and has him released into his own care so he can employ his skills in service to the Order of the M.U.S.E. This plan is going well until Pierce falls head over heels for a wholly unsuitable woman.
Lady Nora Claremont is a heartbroken widow, but the world sees her as the carefree courtesan she presents to them. But Viscount Westfall seems to see right through her and know everything she wants and desires before she can express herself. This is most unsettling for Nora as she’s begun to want Pierce and his closeness to her could lead to charges of treason for the employer she is utterly loyal to.
I was pulled into this book world almost immediately. Listening to it on audio certainly helped that, but I was quickly engrossed in this story. Poor Pierce had endured so much, and I loved it when Honora finally realized everything he’d done and started trying to help take care of him. He certainly deserved to have someone care for him after everything he’d been through. I really liked the gothic sort of feeling of this book and this unique take on the typical regency romance kept things feeling fresh. Pierce was a different sort of tortured hero and while I would’ve liked to see him get more of a comeuppance against his family, I’m glad he did get some recognition and the chance to finally take his rightful place and with someone who loved him unconditionally. I also really liked that Pierce was able to heal Nora’s wounds with his love and help her feel worthy of giving and receiving love as well. I couldn’t help but be charmed by Pierce’s determination and just his general goodness and neither could Nora. I loved that she showed her loyalty to him fairly quickly and wound up being just as ready to fight for him as he was for her. It was great that these two had such great chemistry in and out of the bedroom, but I must say the steamy scenes were very well done. I really like this version of Regency London and I will be reading more of this series.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Lady Nora Claremont is a heartbroken widow, but the world sees her as the carefree courtesan she presents to them. But Viscount Westfall seems to see right through her and know everything she wants and desires before she can express herself. This is most unsettling for Nora as she’s begun to want Pierce and his closeness to her could lead to charges of treason for the employer she is utterly loyal to.
I was pulled into this book world almost immediately. Listening to it on audio certainly helped that, but I was quickly engrossed in this story. Poor Pierce had endured so much, and I loved it when Honora finally realized everything he’d done and started trying to help take care of him. He certainly deserved to have someone care for him after everything he’d been through. I really liked the gothic sort of feeling of this book and this unique take on the typical regency romance kept things feeling fresh. Pierce was a different sort of tortured hero and while I would’ve liked to see him get more of a comeuppance against his family, I’m glad he did get some recognition and the chance to finally take his rightful place and with someone who loved him unconditionally. I also really liked that Pierce was able to heal Nora’s wounds with his love and help her feel worthy of giving and receiving love as well. I couldn’t help but be charmed by Pierce’s determination and just his general goodness and neither could Nora. I loved that she showed her loyalty to him fairly quickly and wound up being just as ready to fight for him as he was for her. It was great that these two had such great chemistry in and out of the bedroom, but I must say the steamy scenes were very well done. I really like this version of Regency London and I will be reading more of this series.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
September 21, 2015
The 2nd in The Order of the MUSE series, this is Pierce Langdon's (Lord Westfall) story. This series is Mia Marlowe's take on "X-Men in Regency England" - you have a group of individuals with various powers & their leader who molds them into agents to serve their country.
As a result of a fall when a child, Lord Westfall hears - or more like, is inundated by - other's thoughts. His family had him committed to bedlam as being crazy where he is later saved by the Duke of Camden, the leader & founder of the order of the MUSE who takes him in & teaches him to shield and protect himself.
When Camden comes to know of yet another plot to endanger the Prince Regent, it is Westfall whose talents discover that what they are looking for is a mysterious "trust powder" that is in the possession of Lord Albemarle. Westfall discovers this reading the thoughts of a beautiful woman whom he is instantly smitten by whom he later discovers is Albemarle's mistress, Lady Nora.
This story is slightly different from the 1st book. The focus is primarily on Westfall's (Pierce) romance with Nora & mostly from the male's perspective. The MUSE's activities a minor backdrop. All the MUSE characters from the previous books are here with the addition of a new character, a Mr Legrand.
Westfall is a virgin hero to Nora's experienced, courtesan heroine. I didn't like her at their initial meeting where she was crass, insinuating & acting the sensual, provocative woman but luckily it got better as the story progressed.They have sex on their THIRD meeting when she invites him over with exactly that intention “invited him to see her orchids”. Indeed. He declares he is falling in love with her then. Oh please *rolls eyes*.
Basically they have wild sex 1st, (declare they) fall in love & only thereafter start to get to know each other. But it does get better after the initial chapters, when they start to learn & like each other. I liked both their vulnerabilities & Westfall has a charming naivete for a hero.
Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review.
As a result of a fall when a child, Lord Westfall hears - or more like, is inundated by - other's thoughts. His family had him committed to bedlam as being crazy where he is later saved by the Duke of Camden, the leader & founder of the order of the MUSE who takes him in & teaches him to shield and protect himself.
When Camden comes to know of yet another plot to endanger the Prince Regent, it is Westfall whose talents discover that what they are looking for is a mysterious "trust powder" that is in the possession of Lord Albemarle. Westfall discovers this reading the thoughts of a beautiful woman whom he is instantly smitten by whom he later discovers is Albemarle's mistress, Lady Nora.
This story is slightly different from the 1st book. The focus is primarily on Westfall's (Pierce) romance with Nora & mostly from the male's perspective. The MUSE's activities a minor backdrop. All the MUSE characters from the previous books are here with the addition of a new character, a Mr Legrand.
Westfall is a virgin hero to Nora's experienced, courtesan heroine. I didn't like her at their initial meeting where she was crass, insinuating & acting the sensual, provocative woman but luckily it got better as the story progressed.They have sex on their THIRD meeting when she invites him over with exactly that intention “invited him to see her orchids”. Indeed. He declares he is falling in love with her then. Oh please *rolls eyes*.
Basically they have wild sex 1st, (declare they) fall in love & only thereafter start to get to know each other. But it does get better after the initial chapters, when they start to learn & like each other. I liked both their vulnerabilities & Westfall has a charming naivete for a hero.
Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2015
... Paranormal regency revelations!
Having been declared mad as a boy because he claimed to hear voices, Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall, a telepath, was subjected to the most abominable treatments devised. Placed in Bedlam by his uncle, the tortuous methods used to 'heal' him were more akin to torture .
The descriptions of the supposed healing methods are outrageous.
That was in the past. Today he is a member of the Order of the M.U.S.E. (Metaphysical Union of Sensory Extraordinaires). A highly secret organization comprising people with extra sensory gifts and headed by His Grace, the Duke of Camden , committed to the protection of King and Country.
Prinny, the Prince of Wales, is in danger. There is a move afoot to have him controlled through a substance, Fides Pulvis.
M.U.S.E. is tasked to find the substance and uncover those behind the plot. All roads lead to Lord Albemarle and his mistress the breathtaking Lady Nora Claremont.
Pierce is smitten by Lady Nora and he senses a world of heartbreak behind her carefree facade. As he comes to know her that first attraction turns to hard core, all or nothing, love. Now Pierce has to not only find the traitor, and the substance, but protect and help Lady Nora.
He is willing to go to any length--and he does.
A wonderful mix of the paranormal and regency romance that add spice and interest to an already intriguing world. I really enjoyed this more unique perspective of Regency style story!
A NetGalley ARC
Having been declared mad as a boy because he claimed to hear voices, Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall, a telepath, was subjected to the most abominable treatments devised. Placed in Bedlam by his uncle, the tortuous methods used to 'heal' him were more akin to torture .
The descriptions of the supposed healing methods are outrageous.
That was in the past. Today he is a member of the Order of the M.U.S.E. (Metaphysical Union of Sensory Extraordinaires). A highly secret organization comprising people with extra sensory gifts and headed by His Grace, the Duke of Camden , committed to the protection of King and Country.
Prinny, the Prince of Wales, is in danger. There is a move afoot to have him controlled through a substance, Fides Pulvis.
M.U.S.E. is tasked to find the substance and uncover those behind the plot. All roads lead to Lord Albemarle and his mistress the breathtaking Lady Nora Claremont.
Pierce is smitten by Lady Nora and he senses a world of heartbreak behind her carefree facade. As he comes to know her that first attraction turns to hard core, all or nothing, love. Now Pierce has to not only find the traitor, and the substance, but protect and help Lady Nora.
He is willing to go to any length--and he does.
A wonderful mix of the paranormal and regency romance that add spice and interest to an already intriguing world. I really enjoyed this more unique perspective of Regency style story!
A NetGalley ARC
March 14, 2016
I found myself really liking the story, which was different than other HR's in that a bit of paranormal was thrown in.
The characters were likable and the pace was steady.
I don't think I can truly do the story justice by a mere summary so therefore I will forego it.
I will however say that I felt the writing a bit rough and the pace too fast. I felt there were details missing which should have been added to give the chartacters more dimension. The one detailed love scene was meh in my opinion and the subsequent ones were short with little romance and passion. The hero was very quick with the ILY's but I suppose it is justifyiable since he knew what the h was thinking. This also helped him in his first kiss and love making with the h (since he was a virgin). He read her mind to know what she wanted from him.
Overall it was a good quick read, but I wish the book was longer so that there was more time for build up of the romance and more insight to the characters. I supose if I had read the previous 2 books I might have had that.
I don't plan on reading the others in the series at this point, but may consider it at another time.
The characters were likable and the pace was steady.
I don't think I can truly do the story justice by a mere summary so therefore I will forego it.
I will however say that I felt the writing a bit rough and the pace too fast. I felt there were details missing which should have been added to give the chartacters more dimension. The one detailed love scene was meh in my opinion and the subsequent ones were short with little romance and passion. The hero was very quick with the ILY's but I suppose it is justifyiable since he knew what the h was thinking. This also helped him in his first kiss and love making with the h (since he was a virgin). He read her mind to know what she wanted from him.
Overall it was a good quick read, but I wish the book was longer so that there was more time for build up of the romance and more insight to the characters. I supose if I had read the previous 2 books I might have had that.
I don't plan on reading the others in the series at this point, but may consider it at another time.
January 24, 2016
I really liked Pierce Langdon, Lord Westfall, in the first book in Mia Marlowe’s Order of the M.U.S.E. series, The Curse of Lord Stanstead. So much so that I really looked forward to reading his story before book three for a review blog. His quiet honor, kindheartedness, and his past treatment at the hands of cruel and scheming relatives made him stand out.
Marlowe writes a tender story, one that she also impressively connects among its likeable characters. It’s smooth, readable, and very enjoyable.
She touches on many complex themes including the horrifying treatment of the insane, the inner and past lives of courtesans, and homosexuality.
For my full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1PsEArP
Marlowe writes a tender story, one that she also impressively connects among its likeable characters. It’s smooth, readable, and very enjoyable.
She touches on many complex themes including the horrifying treatment of the insane, the inner and past lives of courtesans, and homosexuality.
For my full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1PsEArP
September 18, 2015
This is the second book in the Order of the Muse series. It is a pleasant story with a strong female lead which I liked. It is also an attractive mix of paranormal and historical. There isn't anything in the story that is distinctive for me so I wont continue with this series but it was nice to read. Copy provided by NetGalley.
October 1, 2015
LOVED THIS! Totally unexpected, not my usual romance genre, but so much fun. Regency romance meets Agents of Shield ❤️
October 28, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
I really enjoy the world that Mia Marlowe’s built in these books and this one was really quite good. Interesting and complex, with two characters who are unique for the time. Their journey in meeting each other, falling into love, and finding their way towards their happily ever after is very different than most and involved a lot of turns–but the plot twists are insanely suspenseful and this reader actually gasped at one point. Can you do too much in the name of love? You’ll have to read this book and decide for yourself.
Lady Nora Claremont fell onto hard times because of love. Noble born, she fell in love with a commoner and married him over her parent’s protestations. When she did, they cut her off rather abruptly and refused to help her even after his death doctoring soldiers on the continent . Her subsequent pregnancy and the birth of her daughter caused her great heartache and a huge financial burden that could only be solved by using her one remaining asset: her beauty. Luckily a short string of protectors had ended in her current situation with Lord Albemarle, where to protect him she was acting as his mistress but was actually a sham to cover up his homosexuality. So she got all the perks but none of the unpleasantness.
Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall, had fallen from a tree and sustained a head injury as a child that left him able to hear the thoughts of those around him. Tricked by an avaricious uncle and committed to Bedlem, the infamous insane asylum in England, he was finally freed by the Duke of Camden because of this unusual skill. Only someone with Pierce’s ‘hearing’ could help gather this specific information about a nefarious plot against the crown.
Having always been hidden away, Pierce has an incredible lack of social skills; being reintroduced into society, as it were, is hard enough without having to master the voices in his head. However, with the plan afoot there’s no time for him to practice learning how to filter first–he’s got to do both at once. Attending a scandalous soiree at Lord Albemarle’s with the creme de la creme of the demimonde, .he catches a sliver of a thought that he feels sure is integral to the plot. When he reports back who it came from and what it was, things get more dangerous. They’re planning treason.
Very suspenseful and engaging read. Interesting dilemmas are entertained and solved in a very unusual way in this book–at one point, I almost didn’t want to look! Enjoyable, entertaining read that I would recommend to anyone who loves historicals with paranormal elements. Thanks!
I really enjoy the world that Mia Marlowe’s built in these books and this one was really quite good. Interesting and complex, with two characters who are unique for the time. Their journey in meeting each other, falling into love, and finding their way towards their happily ever after is very different than most and involved a lot of turns–but the plot twists are insanely suspenseful and this reader actually gasped at one point. Can you do too much in the name of love? You’ll have to read this book and decide for yourself.
Lady Nora Claremont fell onto hard times because of love. Noble born, she fell in love with a commoner and married him over her parent’s protestations. When she did, they cut her off rather abruptly and refused to help her even after his death doctoring soldiers on the continent . Her subsequent pregnancy and the birth of her daughter caused her great heartache and a huge financial burden that could only be solved by using her one remaining asset: her beauty. Luckily a short string of protectors had ended in her current situation with Lord Albemarle, where to protect him she was acting as his mistress but was actually a sham to cover up his homosexuality. So she got all the perks but none of the unpleasantness.
Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall, had fallen from a tree and sustained a head injury as a child that left him able to hear the thoughts of those around him. Tricked by an avaricious uncle and committed to Bedlem, the infamous insane asylum in England, he was finally freed by the Duke of Camden because of this unusual skill. Only someone with Pierce’s ‘hearing’ could help gather this specific information about a nefarious plot against the crown.
Having always been hidden away, Pierce has an incredible lack of social skills; being reintroduced into society, as it were, is hard enough without having to master the voices in his head. However, with the plan afoot there’s no time for him to practice learning how to filter first–he’s got to do both at once. Attending a scandalous soiree at Lord Albemarle’s with the creme de la creme of the demimonde, .he catches a sliver of a thought that he feels sure is integral to the plot. When he reports back who it came from and what it was, things get more dangerous. They’re planning treason.
Very suspenseful and engaging read. Interesting dilemmas are entertained and solved in a very unusual way in this book–at one point, I almost didn’t want to look! Enjoyable, entertaining read that I would recommend to anyone who loves historicals with paranormal elements. Thanks!
September 7, 2015
This is book 2 in the Order of the Muse series.
Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall, spent many years in Bedlam until he was rescued by the Duke of Camden and joined the Order of the Muse. He soon learned that the knock on the head that he received during his childhood didn't actually make him mad, he truly could hear the voices of the people around him. He soon learns how to put a wall up to ignore the voices and how to take it down when necessary. Part of his job as a member of the Order is to help take down individuals trying to hurt the government or its leaders. One such job leads him to Lady Nora Claremont.
Once a respectable lady, Nora has become a lord's mistress in order to survive. She is use to men coming on to her, but the viscount seems different. She soon learns just how different he really is. Even though she has a protector, she can't help but be attracted to Pierce and is soon tangled in his case.
Has Nora finally met the man that will give her the life that she was meant to live, one with a family and respectability?
Before you pick this up, make sure you know that it is a paranormal historical romance. It's not my normal cup of tea, but I have really enjoyed this series.
I was intrigued by Lord Westfall while reading book 1 in the series, The Curse of Lord Stanstead. So much so, that I had to immediately started reading this one after finishing it. I was intrigued by the fact that he could read minds and that he had a very reserved personality. I couldn't wait to meet the woman that he would open up to.
I really liked Nora. She did what she had to do to survive. She was left on her own and woman of that time didn't have many options for survival. She was leary of Pierce when they first met and who can blame her after what she had gone through. After she finally opened herself up to Pierce, she knew she had found the man for her.
Without giving away too much, Pierce did something huge to get Nora her freedom from her protector. major swoon!!
I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series!
Thanks go out to Entangled Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall, spent many years in Bedlam until he was rescued by the Duke of Camden and joined the Order of the Muse. He soon learned that the knock on the head that he received during his childhood didn't actually make him mad, he truly could hear the voices of the people around him. He soon learns how to put a wall up to ignore the voices and how to take it down when necessary. Part of his job as a member of the Order is to help take down individuals trying to hurt the government or its leaders. One such job leads him to Lady Nora Claremont.
Once a respectable lady, Nora has become a lord's mistress in order to survive. She is use to men coming on to her, but the viscount seems different. She soon learns just how different he really is. Even though she has a protector, she can't help but be attracted to Pierce and is soon tangled in his case.
Has Nora finally met the man that will give her the life that she was meant to live, one with a family and respectability?
Before you pick this up, make sure you know that it is a paranormal historical romance. It's not my normal cup of tea, but I have really enjoyed this series.
I was intrigued by Lord Westfall while reading book 1 in the series, The Curse of Lord Stanstead. So much so, that I had to immediately started reading this one after finishing it. I was intrigued by the fact that he could read minds and that he had a very reserved personality. I couldn't wait to meet the woman that he would open up to.
I really liked Nora. She did what she had to do to survive. She was left on her own and woman of that time didn't have many options for survival. She was leary of Pierce when they first met and who can blame her after what she had gone through. After she finally opened herself up to Pierce, she knew she had found the man for her.
Without giving away too much, Pierce did something huge to get Nora her freedom from her protector. major swoon!!
I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series!
Thanks go out to Entangled Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
September 12, 2015
Sadly, I thought I would favor this story based off what I read within the actual synopsis, but I didn't. Yet the book itself is by no means what I would consider to be a undesired read.
My largest fault with the book was the paranormal aspect of the plot. As I have expressed in prior reviews I love a paranormal-theme, but for historical romances I am not such a larger fan. With historical romances I want grand balls, gowns and a rogue. I do not want a spooky aspect to the plot nor to any of the characters as I feel like that should be labeled strictly paranormal. This was the story behind the hero Westfall in the novel.
Having fallen from a tree when he was young Westfall now experiences hearing the thoughts of people. I personally do not like this trait at all. It is unique yes, but it just did not work well against the backdrop of the historical content. As for Westfall himself he seemed like a backwards character perhaps because of the accident I did not know whether to like or to dislike him.
The romance was somewhat dry and like the plot there were moments when it shined brightly, but for the most part it dried out as it was back and forth constantly between the characters and in the end did not work for me.
As for what worked for me was the historical aspect of this book was worth loving. Marlowe has always been a wonderful writer and her divine writing style was reflected within the descriptive details of the book. So if you are a reader not interested in reading a romance novel only that of historical or even paranormal than this book may just work for you.
-This review was submitted directly to all rightful parties PRIOR to posting the actual review to GoodReads.
-For me reviews please checkout The Bookish & The Romantic.
My largest fault with the book was the paranormal aspect of the plot. As I have expressed in prior reviews I love a paranormal-theme, but for historical romances I am not such a larger fan. With historical romances I want grand balls, gowns and a rogue. I do not want a spooky aspect to the plot nor to any of the characters as I feel like that should be labeled strictly paranormal. This was the story behind the hero Westfall in the novel.
Having fallen from a tree when he was young Westfall now experiences hearing the thoughts of people. I personally do not like this trait at all. It is unique yes, but it just did not work well against the backdrop of the historical content. As for Westfall himself he seemed like a backwards character perhaps because of the accident I did not know whether to like or to dislike him.
The romance was somewhat dry and like the plot there were moments when it shined brightly, but for the most part it dried out as it was back and forth constantly between the characters and in the end did not work for me.
As for what worked for me was the historical aspect of this book was worth loving. Marlowe has always been a wonderful writer and her divine writing style was reflected within the descriptive details of the book. So if you are a reader not interested in reading a romance novel only that of historical or even paranormal than this book may just work for you.
-This review was submitted directly to all rightful parties PRIOR to posting the actual review to GoodReads.
-For me reviews please checkout The Bookish & The Romantic.
October 20, 2015
Posted on What I'm Reading
Oh my goodness, I don't know where to beginning. I mean The Madness of Lord Westfall is pretty darn good. I think a lot of my feelings lie to Westfall, because he's a pretty awesome. At first, he seems like a prig, but as we get to know him he's not. We need to take into account that he can hear others thoughts, and that can be bothersome. Yes, he does give off this standoffish presence until we fully understand what is going on. When he meets Lady Nora he kind falls for her. Yes, she's a little jealous of her protector. However, we learn that not everything is what it seems with Lady Nora and her protector.
I ADORE WESTFALL! He's an amazing character and feel empathy for him, because he would love to be normal, but that's not going to happen. He accepts the fact that he might be a little mad. Yes, it's scary to have someone to read your thoughts, but he tries not unless it's for MUSE. He does scares Nora a little when he reveals his secret to her. I feel bad for the guy, because he tries to be a decent guy and is given a craptastic hand. He's a decent guy and willing to help those he cares about, even risk his life.
The Madness of Lord Westfall, definitely left me with feelies. You definitely feel for Westfall and his situation. You get to understand Nora. I loved The Madness of Lord Westfall story. I so do have a soft spot for Westfall. LOVE HIM! There is no way around it, I love his character and he makes the story. Yep, I did choked up at parts of the story, especially towards the end. I can't wait to see Meg's story came alive.
Copy provided by Entangled via NetGalley
Oh my goodness, I don't know where to beginning. I mean The Madness of Lord Westfall is pretty darn good. I think a lot of my feelings lie to Westfall, because he's a pretty awesome. At first, he seems like a prig, but as we get to know him he's not. We need to take into account that he can hear others thoughts, and that can be bothersome. Yes, he does give off this standoffish presence until we fully understand what is going on. When he meets Lady Nora he kind falls for her. Yes, she's a little jealous of her protector. However, we learn that not everything is what it seems with Lady Nora and her protector.
I ADORE WESTFALL! He's an amazing character and feel empathy for him, because he would love to be normal, but that's not going to happen. He accepts the fact that he might be a little mad. Yes, it's scary to have someone to read your thoughts, but he tries not unless it's for MUSE. He does scares Nora a little when he reveals his secret to her. I feel bad for the guy, because he tries to be a decent guy and is given a craptastic hand. He's a decent guy and willing to help those he cares about, even risk his life.
The Madness of Lord Westfall, definitely left me with feelies. You definitely feel for Westfall and his situation. You get to understand Nora. I loved The Madness of Lord Westfall story. I so do have a soft spot for Westfall. LOVE HIM! There is no way around it, I love his character and he makes the story. Yep, I did choked up at parts of the story, especially towards the end. I can't wait to see Meg's story came alive.
Copy provided by Entangled via NetGalley
April 23, 2016
I enjoyed the first book in this series so I picked up the second one a week later or so. The main character in this one is the man who hears thoughts, Pierce Langdon aka Lord Westfall, who obtained this ability when he fell out of a tree at age nine. His relatives shut him up in Bedlam for years, until he was rescued by the man in charge of M.U.S.E., who then helps him to control his "curse" and puts him back into Society. This is where he meets Nora Claremont, a fallen daughter of the ton whose love match got her disowned by her lordly father, and now that she is a widow she makes her living as a highly esteemed courtesan. Of course these two come together as Pierce is looking for another object in service to M.U.S.E., and needs Nora's help.
The characters in this book were well done and very adult, with a minimum of "I can't possibly tell you this" that I find so annoying nowadays. I particularly liked the complexity of the relationship between Nora and her current paramour, with a much more realistic look at his situation in light of the time when this book is set. Both of our leads are complex and reveal their pasts in more detail, and both eventually overcome their issues and find bravery in order to solve the puzzle, recover the item, and end up together.
Overall, this was another fun entry that was well done, and initially I'd rank it a high 3 stars rounded up to 4. However, I found the "country house" scenes to be almost a duplicate of the ones in the first novel, which turned out to be rather boring instead of interesting or adding to the story, more of a "we must have a country house escapade, yes?" sort of thing than something that added to the plot. My final rating is thus a low 3 star, rounded to 3 overall.
The characters in this book were well done and very adult, with a minimum of "I can't possibly tell you this" that I find so annoying nowadays. I particularly liked the complexity of the relationship between Nora and her current paramour, with a much more realistic look at his situation in light of the time when this book is set. Both of our leads are complex and reveal their pasts in more detail, and both eventually overcome their issues and find bravery in order to solve the puzzle, recover the item, and end up together.
Overall, this was another fun entry that was well done, and initially I'd rank it a high 3 stars rounded up to 4. However, I found the "country house" scenes to be almost a duplicate of the ones in the first novel, which turned out to be rather boring instead of interesting or adding to the story, more of a "we must have a country house escapade, yes?" sort of thing than something that added to the plot. My final rating is thus a low 3 star, rounded to 3 overall.
December 10, 2015
The Madness of Lord Westfall by Mia Marlowe for me is basically book version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with a lot more romance and sex scenes.
It's a story of men an woman who have some kind of special abilities and they use those abilities to do good. But besides doing good, they change their life, as they all were single at the beginning, now they find their better half one by one. Sometimes the additional members also have special abilities, sometimes not, like in this story - the hero can hear others thought and is considered to be mad because of it and the heroine is just an ordinary Lord's daughter who's choices in life had made become a courtesan (but maybe is has a touch of extraordinary too).
As usual, at the beginning the loving couple do not want to be in love and they find all kinds strange excuses why the thing that they feel is not love. But little by little firs one and then other give in and when he is ready to give his life for her, she accepts her feelings and his. So we have a happy ending. But the way to the end and all the extraordinary things that the members of the M.U.S.E. can do ... it's interesting and especially interesting is the part when Pierce is in Bedlam.
It was an typical Regency romance novel, with a dash of extraordinary. Good read.
It's a story of men an woman who have some kind of special abilities and they use those abilities to do good. But besides doing good, they change their life, as they all were single at the beginning, now they find their better half one by one. Sometimes the additional members also have special abilities, sometimes not, like in this story - the hero can hear others thought and is considered to be mad because of it and the heroine is just an ordinary Lord's daughter who's choices in life had made become a courtesan (but maybe is has a touch of extraordinary too).
As usual, at the beginning the loving couple do not want to be in love and they find all kinds strange excuses why the thing that they feel is not love. But little by little firs one and then other give in and when he is ready to give his life for her, she accepts her feelings and his. So we have a happy ending. But the way to the end and all the extraordinary things that the members of the M.U.S.E. can do ... it's interesting and especially interesting is the part when Pierce is in Bedlam.
It was an typical Regency romance novel, with a dash of extraordinary. Good read.
September 11, 2015
Pierce, Lord Westfall is privy to everyone's thoughts. Once commited to Bedlam by non other than his family, he was saved by Lord Camden and the Order of the Muse. Lady Nora is a courtesan with some secrets of her own. They are drawn to each other despite how dangerous it could be.
This was a decent read. I did find it very annoying how much they tossed around the word "courtesan". We got it; Nora was a courtesan and so was Vesta. It was also annoying how much Westfall thought of her as one too, and as well as Nora with her constant knowing how much men liked things (though she rarely put it to use. They both often flip flopped as well. For instance, Nora told herself that she would not think of him as Pierce, despite what he wished and how it would be better, but a page later, she's correcting herself and calling him Pierce. This was the second in the series and I was interested in reading the first one, featuring Lord and Lady Stanstead, but I will confess that I was decidedly turned off by his ogling of Nora within the first few pages, and again with Vesta. Once I got past those little annoyances, I did like the story and plot. It's not often I've had the chance to read a fantasy/paranormal regency, so this was a nice twist and I will be reading future releases.
This was a decent read. I did find it very annoying how much they tossed around the word "courtesan". We got it; Nora was a courtesan and so was Vesta. It was also annoying how much Westfall thought of her as one too, and as well as Nora with her constant knowing how much men liked things (though she rarely put it to use. They both often flip flopped as well. For instance, Nora told herself that she would not think of him as Pierce, despite what he wished and how it would be better, but a page later, she's correcting herself and calling him Pierce. This was the second in the series and I was interested in reading the first one, featuring Lord and Lady Stanstead, but I will confess that I was decidedly turned off by his ogling of Nora within the first few pages, and again with Vesta. Once I got past those little annoyances, I did like the story and plot. It's not often I've had the chance to read a fantasy/paranormal regency, so this was a nice twist and I will be reading future releases.
April 16, 2023
I loved the first Order of the M.U.S.E. book and was looking forward to this one. Pierce Westfall is an intriguing character - tormented by the voices he can't control. Nora is an aristocrat who fell from the graces of her family when she married for love. Together these two are central to a plot to use Truth Powder on the Prince and restart a war.
This is a smoothly-written, well-rounded historical romance with paranormal aspects. I love all the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Stanstead and Westfall. I also enjoyed catching up with Lady Cassandra, as she continues her life with Stanstead. This is such a brilliant set of characters, I would be hard-pressed to say which one is my favourite.
The descriptions of Bedlam were horrible, but I'm sure nowhere near as bad as they could have been. Well done to Mia for capturing the essence of Bedlam, without it overpowering the storyline. A brilliant addition to the M.U.S.E. series - highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 23, 2015
This is a smoothly-written, well-rounded historical romance with paranormal aspects. I love all the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Stanstead and Westfall. I also enjoyed catching up with Lady Cassandra, as she continues her life with Stanstead. This is such a brilliant set of characters, I would be hard-pressed to say which one is my favourite.
The descriptions of Bedlam were horrible, but I'm sure nowhere near as bad as they could have been. Well done to Mia for capturing the essence of Bedlam, without it overpowering the storyline. A brilliant addition to the M.U.S.E. series - highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 23, 2015
December 12, 2015
This is book two in the "The Order of the MUSE " series by Mia Marlowe. I have not read the previous book (The Curse of Lord Stanstead) so for me I found this to be a stand alone book. Yes, they do mention the couple from the other book and I would assume the first book covers the team getting together and how our hero was freed from the Bedlam....but I didn't feel the need that I had to read that book first to enjoy this one. And I did enjoy this book..it is another hot love story by Ms. Marlowe. Our hero, Pierce Langdon, Viscount Westfall is able to read other people's mind and the group has set their sites in a certain gentleman that our heroine is a "courtesan" for the man that they want to further investigate. Our heroine, Lady Nora Claremon has had a sad and tough life so far. Nora has lost her husband who was a Doctor and who her parents did not approve of. Which made her family disowned her then her husband was killed. So she had to choose to be a courtesan to make a living. When Pierce first sees her he is so taken with her..and she is with him. This starts their story of struggle to be together... I liked this book a lot and hope that you do too.
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