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Bartered Hearts #2
Harlot
HE CAME HOME TO MARRY AN ANGEL...
After two years of work in the gold fields of California, Caleb Hightower has come home to marry his childhood sweetheart, Jessica Willoughby. But when he returns, Caleb learns his refined bride-to-be is now a whore. Enraged by her betrayal, he can’t reconcile this shameless woman with the sweet innocent he once deeply loved--but Caleb knows what to do with a harlot. He’s determined to get everything from her that she’s sold to other men. And he’s prepared to pay for the pleasure of his revenge.
BUT ALL HE FOUND WAS SIN...
Left penniless after her father’s death, Jess made a deal with a devil. Now she must face her childhood sweetheart, whose scorn is no match for her regret. To make amends, she’ll let Caleb quench his rage with her body. Their bargain strips them down to searing passion and naked vulnerability, and Jess can still glimpse her loving Caleb buried deep inside this rough cowboy. In the end, an unbearable truth emerges that could push them toward forgiveness…or could destroy their fragile bond forever.
After two years of work in the gold fields of California, Caleb Hightower has come home to marry his childhood sweetheart, Jessica Willoughby. But when he returns, Caleb learns his refined bride-to-be is now a whore. Enraged by her betrayal, he can’t reconcile this shameless woman with the sweet innocent he once deeply loved--but Caleb knows what to do with a harlot. He’s determined to get everything from her that she’s sold to other men. And he’s prepared to pay for the pleasure of his revenge.
BUT ALL HE FOUND WAS SIN...
Left penniless after her father’s death, Jess made a deal with a devil. Now she must face her childhood sweetheart, whose scorn is no match for her regret. To make amends, she’ll let Caleb quench his rage with her body. Their bargain strips them down to searing passion and naked vulnerability, and Jess can still glimpse her loving Caleb buried deep inside this rough cowboy. In the end, an unbearable truth emerges that could push them toward forgiveness…or could destroy their fragile bond forever.
123 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2015
29 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Dahl
65 books2,002 followersI have my mother to thank for my passion for writing. My mom is an avid reader of popular fiction, and I began reading highly inappropriate books around the age of eleven, I think. (Thanks, Mom, for always leaving those delicious books strewn about!)
To Tempt a Scotsman, a Golden Heart winning historical, was my first published book. Here I am signing the cover! A Rake's Guide to Pleasure (which was excerpted at the back of Scotsman) is my second.
Due to my all-around goofiness, my agent suggested I also try my hand at a contemporary romantic comedy. Boy, is my agent smart! I had a great time writing Talk Me Down, the story of a young woman who goes back to her small hometown in Colorado and causes a huge stir with her secretive career and her burgeoning relationship with the chief of police. Not only did I have a great time writing it, but Tara Parsons at HQN liked it too! So if you like cold weather, hot sex and dirty jokes, be sure to check out Talk Me Down (out in January 2009).
Speaking of cold weather, my family and I live in a beautiful ski town in
Utah. No, I don't ski. I prefer to sit inside with a hot toddy and a good
book while the snow falls. It's especially beautiful to watch when from the inside!
I have a wonderful husband and children, and the house is kind of crowded, what with the dukes, Scotsmen, police chiefs, and naughty ladies running around, but my family is very understanding about my imaginary friends. Good thing, since they refuse to leave!
To Tempt a Scotsman, a Golden Heart winning historical, was my first published book. Here I am signing the cover! A Rake's Guide to Pleasure (which was excerpted at the back of Scotsman) is my second.
Due to my all-around goofiness, my agent suggested I also try my hand at a contemporary romantic comedy. Boy, is my agent smart! I had a great time writing Talk Me Down, the story of a young woman who goes back to her small hometown in Colorado and causes a huge stir with her secretive career and her burgeoning relationship with the chief of police. Not only did I have a great time writing it, but Tara Parsons at HQN liked it too! So if you like cold weather, hot sex and dirty jokes, be sure to check out Talk Me Down (out in January 2009).
Speaking of cold weather, my family and I live in a beautiful ski town in
Utah. No, I don't ski. I prefer to sit inside with a hot toddy and a good
book while the snow falls. It's especially beautiful to watch when from the inside!
I have a wonderful husband and children, and the house is kind of crowded, what with the dukes, Scotsmen, police chiefs, and naughty ladies running around, but my family is very understanding about my imaginary friends. Good thing, since they refuse to leave!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
July 9, 2017
4.75 stars
Loved it!
Loved it!
November 1, 2015
This one felt really rushed and I hard time connecting to the characters. I don't know why coming into this story I was expecting it to be like Redeeming Love. I do feel like if you're a fan of Dahl and if you don't mind it being rushed then you'd enjoy this. Me personally I just need more time to get deeper with my characters.
*ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review*
*ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review*
January 5, 2016
4 Dahl Stars * * * *
I happen to have great affection for Victoria Dahl. She was one of the first Romance authors I connected with. I read her books and became open to the idea of Sexy Happily Ever After.
Harlot at first seems very different from Dahl's usual books. It is a historical Western Romance and the books by Dahl are usually contemporary.
The basics of the book could have been boy meets girl, they fall for each other, a conflict arises and then they figure stuff out riding off into the sunset.
But that is not exactly what happens....
Instead you have two young people from different upbringings...a sort of East Coast sensibilities versus the New West. She is a daughter of an academic; refined and educated. He is a son who lost his dad early and took to working the land. His mother remarried to a banker and the son and him never quite hit it off.
These two fell hard and she knew he was the one for her. He loved her but never felt he was enough. As they matured, they both wanted to be together...but he felt he needed to make a stake, to have funds to provide for her so she could live as she was accustom. She told him it didn't matter ... he was enough for her...but he was determined...
He tells her he is off to make his fortune and will try to come back to start a life with her...will she wait. He does not say he wants to marry her or gives a ring... he leaves with her not having any way of knowing when he will return.
At first, they both write and letters are exchanged... but time passes and a year goes by. Soon the letters stop and her father passes. She is left with the debts he had accumulated and no place to live. She is told her man is doing well in California, happy. She realizes after no response from him, she is alone.
She is like so many women during this time; without funds, no way of making a living and subject to the harsh realities of the world. She needs housing and a proposition is made which would secure it for her. With no alternative, she takes the deal. Unfortunately, the terms and conditions changed once she signed on the dotted line. There was no going back from this hell.
Our Cowboy finally comes back from California with coin in his pockets and a desire for his girl. He was told by his mother she left after her father had died... but he will ask around to see where she traveled to. As he is asking after her, he starts to hear things which do not make any sense....people are saying awful things...telling of tales, calling her horrible names...He asks for the location of her house for he will see for himself if these things are true...
He rides out to the old ranch and sees a sad house in need of repair. There is a lone cow and some rag-tag chickens. He knocks at the door and a woman not his love answers....words are spoke and from the shadows she appears...He cannot believe she is there...both are surprised and he starts badgering her...what is going on, have you done the things the town is saying...tell me, are you...
A Whore....
This book is short in length but packs a punch in details. We have this stubborn Western man who sees life cut and dried. He is of his times... but he also has a bit of heart and always listened to our gal in the past. She is remarkable in how strong and intelligent she is... seeing the way through to owning her situation and then fighting back when met with ideas which don't make sense.
This couple goes through a process of reconnecting...and the ways are obvious to the title... but it is also vinatage Dahl. She has a way with sensual scenes...always in context with the story...and always smokin' hot.
There are secondary characters who touch on social injustice. This woman is able to show our gal how to emotionally get through these difficult times. The conversations between them have weight and gave her the needed guidance.
This read fast and I think those who pick it up will not be disappointed.
A gifted copy was provided by the author via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
I happen to have great affection for Victoria Dahl. She was one of the first Romance authors I connected with. I read her books and became open to the idea of Sexy Happily Ever After.
Harlot at first seems very different from Dahl's usual books. It is a historical Western Romance and the books by Dahl are usually contemporary.
The basics of the book could have been boy meets girl, they fall for each other, a conflict arises and then they figure stuff out riding off into the sunset.
But that is not exactly what happens....
Instead you have two young people from different upbringings...a sort of East Coast sensibilities versus the New West. She is a daughter of an academic; refined and educated. He is a son who lost his dad early and took to working the land. His mother remarried to a banker and the son and him never quite hit it off.
These two fell hard and she knew he was the one for her. He loved her but never felt he was enough. As they matured, they both wanted to be together...but he felt he needed to make a stake, to have funds to provide for her so she could live as she was accustom. She told him it didn't matter ... he was enough for her...but he was determined...
He tells her he is off to make his fortune and will try to come back to start a life with her...will she wait. He does not say he wants to marry her or gives a ring... he leaves with her not having any way of knowing when he will return.
At first, they both write and letters are exchanged... but time passes and a year goes by. Soon the letters stop and her father passes. She is left with the debts he had accumulated and no place to live. She is told her man is doing well in California, happy. She realizes after no response from him, she is alone.
She is like so many women during this time; without funds, no way of making a living and subject to the harsh realities of the world. She needs housing and a proposition is made which would secure it for her. With no alternative, she takes the deal. Unfortunately, the terms and conditions changed once she signed on the dotted line. There was no going back from this hell.
Our Cowboy finally comes back from California with coin in his pockets and a desire for his girl. He was told by his mother she left after her father had died... but he will ask around to see where she traveled to. As he is asking after her, he starts to hear things which do not make any sense....people are saying awful things...telling of tales, calling her horrible names...He asks for the location of her house for he will see for himself if these things are true...
He rides out to the old ranch and sees a sad house in need of repair. There is a lone cow and some rag-tag chickens. He knocks at the door and a woman not his love answers....words are spoke and from the shadows she appears...He cannot believe she is there...both are surprised and he starts badgering her...what is going on, have you done the things the town is saying...tell me, are you...
A Whore....
This book is short in length but packs a punch in details. We have this stubborn Western man who sees life cut and dried. He is of his times... but he also has a bit of heart and always listened to our gal in the past. She is remarkable in how strong and intelligent she is... seeing the way through to owning her situation and then fighting back when met with ideas which don't make sense.
This couple goes through a process of reconnecting...and the ways are obvious to the title... but it is also vinatage Dahl. She has a way with sensual scenes...always in context with the story...and always smokin' hot.
There are secondary characters who touch on social injustice. This woman is able to show our gal how to emotionally get through these difficult times. The conversations between them have weight and gave her the needed guidance.
This read fast and I think those who pick it up will not be disappointed.
A gifted copy was provided by the author via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
October 27, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
This book was exactly what I had hoped it would be. I was in the mood to read a short and sexy story about a bad girl. Yes, I will admit that the title got my attention. Any book named Harlot deserves a second look in my opinion. I was really kind of excited to read a historical novel that didn't feature an innocent girl as the main character. I am always looking for something a little different so I liked the premise of the story.
There really weren't any surprises in the story and some parts were largely predictable but I had such a good time reading it that I honestly didn't care. I did empathize with Jessica. The shame that she felt and her fears felt very real. I like that she didn't give up even when everything seemed to be against her. In fact, she was really pretty upbeat for someone that had had so many things go wrong for in her life.
I didn't warm up to Caleb nearly as quickly as Jessica. He seemed very quick to judge Jessica without asking any questions. He had to have it pointed out to him that his behavior was not exactly perfect and he may have played a role in how everything worked out. Despite his flaws, I did end up liking him by the end of the story. Once he takes the time to ask some much needed questions, he does see that things were not exactly how they had appeared on the surface.
The story of how Jessica ended up in her situation was really the part of the story that captured my attention. She seemed so innocent at times despite everything that had happened. I do wish that certain characters had been forced to pay a higher price. The sexy parts of the story were well done and I did think that Jessica and Caleb had a lot of chemistry on the page.
I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance with a steamy side. I definitely plan to read more from Victoria Dahl in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Victoria Dahl via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one. There were really no big surprises or anything but it was a nice enough story. It was fairly short and I wish that had a chance to connect with the characters a little better.
This book was exactly what I had hoped it would be. I was in the mood to read a short and sexy story about a bad girl. Yes, I will admit that the title got my attention. Any book named Harlot deserves a second look in my opinion. I was really kind of excited to read a historical novel that didn't feature an innocent girl as the main character. I am always looking for something a little different so I liked the premise of the story.
There really weren't any surprises in the story and some parts were largely predictable but I had such a good time reading it that I honestly didn't care. I did empathize with Jessica. The shame that she felt and her fears felt very real. I like that she didn't give up even when everything seemed to be against her. In fact, she was really pretty upbeat for someone that had had so many things go wrong for in her life.
I didn't warm up to Caleb nearly as quickly as Jessica. He seemed very quick to judge Jessica without asking any questions. He had to have it pointed out to him that his behavior was not exactly perfect and he may have played a role in how everything worked out. Despite his flaws, I did end up liking him by the end of the story. Once he takes the time to ask some much needed questions, he does see that things were not exactly how they had appeared on the surface.
The story of how Jessica ended up in her situation was really the part of the story that captured my attention. She seemed so innocent at times despite everything that had happened. I do wish that certain characters had been forced to pay a higher price. The sexy parts of the story were well done and I did think that Jessica and Caleb had a lot of chemistry on the page.
I would recommend this book to fans of historical romance with a steamy side. I definitely plan to read more from Victoria Dahl in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Victoria Dahl via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I liked this one. There were really no big surprises or anything but it was a nice enough story. It was fairly short and I wish that had a chance to connect with the characters a little better.
October 27, 2015
ARC provided by Victory Editing (Victoria Dahl) via NetGalley for an honest review.
There's a lot of thing I want to mention about this story, but I don't want to give anything away of the story-line itself so I think I will do a few bullet points...
1. This is one of the most anticipatory reads I have come across in a good long time. It's a story where you know something big and life-changing is about to happen and you even kinda know what it actually is, but you are still on pins and needles waiting for the moment. I now know precisely how the bomb squad feels when they're defusing a bomb and the timer is right in their face counting down the seconds. Every flick of a page on my kindle was like a second on a bomb....
2. There is nothing about this story that was over the top and the trope of the story was actually quite basic, yet it was all incredibly emotional and heart-breaking. Every interaction, especially between the H/h, was incredibly charged with feeling. I could not stop feeling. Feeling for the past. Feeling for the present. Feeling for what should have been. And even feeling for what might could be... I was completely drained when I finished reading. And oh so very sad, because it was over. I wanted more of the story, but didn't need more.
3. There's going to be a lot of you that are going to immediately say ..."So much was left unsaid and not developed" but you would be wrong. Because even tho Victoria Dahl does not explain every moment of every detail, past or present, what she did present to us is the only thing that matters. Sometimes, what is not said in a story is more important that what is actually said. This was a perfectly executed story. #TRUST
4. There is one tiny part of the story I felt was out of place...
I can't express enough how incredibly awe-inspiring this story is in its simplicity. You should just go forth and experience for yourself ... I promise you will not regret it!
There's a lot of thing I want to mention about this story, but I don't want to give anything away of the story-line itself so I think I will do a few bullet points...
1. This is one of the most anticipatory reads I have come across in a good long time. It's a story where you know something big and life-changing is about to happen and you even kinda know what it actually is, but you are still on pins and needles waiting for the moment. I now know precisely how the bomb squad feels when they're defusing a bomb and the timer is right in their face counting down the seconds. Every flick of a page on my kindle was like a second on a bomb....
2. There is nothing about this story that was over the top and the trope of the story was actually quite basic, yet it was all incredibly emotional and heart-breaking. Every interaction, especially between the H/h, was incredibly charged with feeling. I could not stop feeling. Feeling for the past. Feeling for the present. Feeling for what should have been. And even feeling for what might could be... I was completely drained when I finished reading. And oh so very sad, because it was over. I wanted more of the story, but didn't need more.
3. There's going to be a lot of you that are going to immediately say ..."So much was left unsaid and not developed" but you would be wrong. Because even tho Victoria Dahl does not explain every moment of every detail, past or present, what she did present to us is the only thing that matters. Sometimes, what is not said in a story is more important that what is actually said. This was a perfectly executed story. #TRUST
4. There is one tiny part of the story I felt was out of place...
I can't express enough how incredibly awe-inspiring this story is in its simplicity. You should just go forth and experience for yourself ... I promise you will not regret it!
November 21, 2015
5 stars!
***ARC kindly provided by Victory Editing and Netgalley for the exchange of an honest review***
This was a really amazing book! The story takes place somewhere in 1810 in America. The setting is fantastic and the characters are acting like it! The plot doesn't have any major twists but it spoke directly to my heart. In such a short book, I felt so many emotions....I felt angst, fear, betrayal, lust and most of all I felt love! True and pure love! I was having chills just to read this story from its power!
Jess is a girl left alone in the world and made some hard choices. She is so strong! A real survivor and although what she wente through she is still naive and pure in her heart! I really loved her! All of her!!!
Caleb is a typical guy from this period but with an honest heart. He has to face a reality that he doesn't like and he wants revenge. I can understand him. In the end he shows us that he is a real MAN! Unique in his kind and pure in his heart!
The end was beautiful! I loved it although there was no epilogue! I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves to read a true love story!
Thank you Ms. Dahl for this fantastic love story!
***ARC kindly provided by Victory Editing and Netgalley for the exchange of an honest review***
This was a really amazing book! The story takes place somewhere in 1810 in America. The setting is fantastic and the characters are acting like it! The plot doesn't have any major twists but it spoke directly to my heart. In such a short book, I felt so many emotions....I felt angst, fear, betrayal, lust and most of all I felt love! True and pure love! I was having chills just to read this story from its power!
Jess is a girl left alone in the world and made some hard choices. She is so strong! A real survivor and although what she wente through she is still naive and pure in her heart! I really loved her! All of her!!!
Caleb is a typical guy from this period but with an honest heart. He has to face a reality that he doesn't like and he wants revenge. I can understand him. In the end he shows us that he is a real MAN! Unique in his kind and pure in his heart!
The end was beautiful! I loved it although there was no epilogue! I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves to read a true love story!
Thank you Ms. Dahl for this fantastic love story!
June 11, 2022
I'm pretty sure I've read her books before, so I checked her backlist and nothing clicked. I realised I confused her with Roald Dahl, who wrote children's books (silly me!). Anyway, she's a new-t0-me author, and I was happy that I picked this one up. I've been reading a string of clean or low-steam historical romance, so I think I needed some smut to liven things up. This book definitely delivers on the smut. What surprised me was how incredibly well-written the book is; it was such an emotional read for me.
Jessica was forced to sell her virginity when her father died, leaving her in tremendous debt. Caleb, her childhood sweetheart, went to California to make his riches and returned to his hometown after two years. She was shocked to discover that Jessica became a prostitute in his absence after her father's death. She wrote to him after her father's death, but he never received the letters (some villainy was going on). Caleb didn't even give her a chance to explain her situation but branded her as a slut. So, she offered the use of her body since she had nothing to lose. What enfolded here is a powerful story of love, forgiveness and acceptance.
There was a particularly memorable and empowering scene where Jess gave Caleb a powerful setdown. People always look down when a woman sells herself for money, but what about the men who purchased the woman's services?
“That doesn’t make it right to sell your body, Jess.”
“It doesn’t make it right for you to buy it either, but you’ve done that, haven’t you?”
“Men have needs,” he snapped, but she cut him off with a furious slash of her hand. The anger was bubbling in her now, boiling up, overflowing.
“Men have needs,” she sneered. “The need for pleasure and debauchery. Do you know what a woman’s needs are? Food and shelter and a bed. You want me to be ashamed? Me? I did it for money, but you’ll soil yourself for the sheer sin of it, and you say you can’t forgive me?”
Frowning, he stood, hands raised as if to calm her. “You know it’s different for men,” he tried, but she pushed her finger into his naked chest.
“Yes, it’s different. I did it in order to live. You should be ashamed. How dare you look down on me? How dare you?”
He grabbed her wrist, but she jerked it back. “You’ll fuck a whore and then you just fasten your trousers and walk away, back to your life with no consequences, and we are marked forever! Marked by your stupid cocks. Marked by your precious need. You’re a monster. As bad as all the rest. Get out.”
Damn, if I wasn't cheering for Jess for this.
I loved her writing style. For a novella, this book feels incredibly fulfilling. I'll definitely be reading more of her books. I saw she mainly writes contemporary, but she has written some historical romance books, which are more of my jam. I can see why this book won a RITA award. This was a great read.
Steam factor: High. There are only three love scenes, but since this is a novella, that's a lot. The scenes were descriptive, explicit and lengthy.
Jessica was forced to sell her virginity when her father died, leaving her in tremendous debt. Caleb, her childhood sweetheart, went to California to make his riches and returned to his hometown after two years. She was shocked to discover that Jessica became a prostitute in his absence after her father's death. She wrote to him after her father's death, but he never received the letters (some villainy was going on). Caleb didn't even give her a chance to explain her situation but branded her as a slut. So, she offered the use of her body since she had nothing to lose. What enfolded here is a powerful story of love, forgiveness and acceptance.
There was a particularly memorable and empowering scene where Jess gave Caleb a powerful setdown. People always look down when a woman sells herself for money, but what about the men who purchased the woman's services?
“That doesn’t make it right to sell your body, Jess.”
“It doesn’t make it right for you to buy it either, but you’ve done that, haven’t you?”
“Men have needs,” he snapped, but she cut him off with a furious slash of her hand. The anger was bubbling in her now, boiling up, overflowing.
“Men have needs,” she sneered. “The need for pleasure and debauchery. Do you know what a woman’s needs are? Food and shelter and a bed. You want me to be ashamed? Me? I did it for money, but you’ll soil yourself for the sheer sin of it, and you say you can’t forgive me?”
Frowning, he stood, hands raised as if to calm her. “You know it’s different for men,” he tried, but she pushed her finger into his naked chest.
“Yes, it’s different. I did it in order to live. You should be ashamed. How dare you look down on me? How dare you?”
He grabbed her wrist, but she jerked it back. “You’ll fuck a whore and then you just fasten your trousers and walk away, back to your life with no consequences, and we are marked forever! Marked by your stupid cocks. Marked by your precious need. You’re a monster. As bad as all the rest. Get out.”
Damn, if I wasn't cheering for Jess for this.
I loved her writing style. For a novella, this book feels incredibly fulfilling. I'll definitely be reading more of her books. I saw she mainly writes contemporary, but she has written some historical romance books, which are more of my jam. I can see why this book won a RITA award. This was a great read.
Steam factor: High. There are only three love scenes, but since this is a novella, that's a lot. The scenes were descriptive, explicit and lengthy.
October 27, 2015
Hmmm...the title is a bit misleading, but that's all I want to say about it without spoiling it. The book blurb gives you a pretty clear picture of what to expect, so I won't get into that either.
What I will say is that I enjoyed this (rather short) story. I wish it had been developed a bit more fully (maybe explore the early relationship between the H/h rather than just a few pages about it) and definitely I would've adored an epilogue.
I haven't read too many erotic historicals, but I found it a little strange to hear the hero thinking/talking and using modern day lingo when it came to sexual matters. Maybe they spoke that way in the 1870's? Not sure, but it took a while for me to get used to it.
This story was largely about the capacity to forgive, and I loved how the author developed this theme. Not only did the heroine need forgiveness (and needed to forgive herself), but so did the hero. Just as I was thinking where/why did the hero learn all these sexual tricks since he was committed to a life with the heroine and obviously hadn't tried them out on her before, the author addressed this. Yes. Glad to see the heroine pose this same question.
My only other quibble with this book is that I wanted to see the evil-doers get their comeuppance. I wanted the heroine's . But, that wasn't the direction the author took...
An interesting read, different than the author's popular contemporaries and a book that made me think. Definitely a page turner, just one that needed to be a bit longer. A solid 4 stars
ARC received from the publisher via Netgalley
Warning: this book contains sexually explicit scenes (both oral and anal) language, and situations. Not for the faint of heart.
What I will say is that I enjoyed this (rather short) story. I wish it had been developed a bit more fully (maybe explore the early relationship between the H/h rather than just a few pages about it) and definitely I would've adored an epilogue.
I haven't read too many erotic historicals, but I found it a little strange to hear the hero thinking/talking and using modern day lingo when it came to sexual matters. Maybe they spoke that way in the 1870's? Not sure, but it took a while for me to get used to it.
This story was largely about the capacity to forgive, and I loved how the author developed this theme. Not only did the heroine need forgiveness (and needed to forgive herself), but so did the hero. Just as I was thinking where/why did the hero learn all these sexual tricks since he was committed to a life with the heroine and obviously hadn't tried them out on her before, the author addressed this. Yes. Glad to see the heroine pose this same question.
My only other quibble with this book is that I wanted to see the evil-doers get their comeuppance. I wanted the heroine's . But, that wasn't the direction the author took...
An interesting read, different than the author's popular contemporaries and a book that made me think. Definitely a page turner, just one that needed to be a bit longer. A solid 4 stars
ARC received from the publisher via Netgalley
Warning: this book contains sexually explicit scenes (both oral and anal) language, and situations. Not for the faint of heart.
April 12, 2016
3.5 stars
Harlot is an erotica western historical romance, so any of my more straight-laced friends are going to want to exit stage right, for the rest of you pervs, read on.
If someone were to ask me to describe this story in only five words (hey, it could happen) I would say "truth bombs and butt sex".
The basis of the story is that Caleb and Jessica were childhood sweethearts. Caleb left to go make his fortune so he could feel worthy of Jessica but in the two years he was gone, Jessica's father died leaving her in debt. Caleb's step-father conned Jessica into selling him her virginity and trapping her into a never ending cycle of being forced to sleep with him for money and security. Caleb finally comes home and finds his beloved, who he put on a pedestal, a whore. The meat of the story is Caleb and Jessica fighting against Puritan indoctrination ideals about sex, gender, and a person's value.
And whatever a whore did, there was a man doing it right there with them. "They're people's husbands, though," Jessica whispered, afraid to have this conversation even in the middle of a rocky field that was supposed to be a farm. "They're fathers and husbands, and we let them---"
"Aren't you somebody's daughter?" Melisande snapped. "Aren't I?"
Our heroine Jessica had fully drunk the Kool-Aid on how women in her position should be treated, self-hatred it's a tough one. It takes another woman living with her to drop some truth bombs on her about how society is messed up and how she still matters. Jessica's shame and guilt is felt but there were also times where the character came off a bit wooden. Her transition from scarlet letter to I am woman hear me roar comes about a little quickly but yet not fully as she still sees herself as not quite worthy of Caleb.
"That doesn't make it right to sell your body, Jess."
"It doesn't make it right for you to buy it either, but you've done that, haven't you?"
"Men have needs," he snapped, but she cut him off with a furious slash of her hand.
The anger was bubbling in her now, boiling up, overflowing. "Men have needs," she sneered. "The need for pleasure and debauchery. Do you know what a woman's needs are? Food and shelter and a bed. You want me to be ashamed? Me? I did it for money, but you'll soil yourself for the sheer sin of it, and you say you can't forgive me?"
In the beginning, our hero Caleb is not so heroic and he will make you cringe with how he feels about Jessica being what he calls a whore; if only we were all born enlightened and able to fight the good fight. I wish Caleb could have been all Joan Jett and not given a damn about bad reputations but there is something to be said about his transitional growth, too. His love for Jessica and her dropping a couple truth bombs his way, help him get the gears grinding on women's value and will for survival.
His stepfather coughed and wheezed. "She had a choice," he managed to say.
"You had a choice." Caleb let go of the man's throat just so he could slam his head against the wall. Hard. "You had a choice, and you chose to violate a girl who needed your help."
As always with novellas, the story feels a bit rushed and characters not fully fleshed out, I thought Caleb was the best and wanted more from Jessica; her story was what truly mattered to me. The villainous step-father was the catalyst for Jessica's situation but he was only really heard from the corners of the room, I guess I wanted to know him better so I could hate him even more. The historical time period wasn't really felt outside of the clothing descriptions and our Harlot not being accepted in town.
Now, on to what you all have been waiting for, the butt sex part of my description. As this is an erotic, there is a more sexual bent to the story. All the sexual scenes, except for one, are between the hero and the heroine. (The one scene not, is a brief rape scene between Jessica and the step-father with a minister thrown in that felt very unnecessary. The scene, characters, and connotations didn't have enough pages and emotional depth to be emotionally played out right and made it feel lewdly added.) As this is a Victoria Dahl story, the sex scenes were hot but Caleb and Jessica also had an emotional element of punishment. Caleb is angry that Jessica slept with other men and Jessica thinks she should be punished for sleeping with another. Caleb is never physically abusive with Jessica but he uses a few shamming words and thinks about how he never would have tried these sexual things with her if she wasn't a whore. This is where I think Jessica disappeared a little; she's lost a little in these scenes and seems to blindly go along with them. She starts to become sexually awakened and I would have liked to have seen more emotional growth/strife here. The butt sex scene felt completely thrown in, didn't feel natural to the character demeanors and added for a current trend bite, but also quite memorable.
Overall, reading the sex scenes felt fun, hot, and a bit uncomfortable with the emotional punishment aspects, while societal demands and strictures on sex and gender were very thought provoking. If someone were to ask me to describe this story in onlyfive six words (hey, it could happen this will never happen) I would say "salacious smile and raised feminist fist ".
Harlot is an erotica western historical romance, so any of my more straight-laced friends are going to want to exit stage right, for the rest of you pervs, read on.
If someone were to ask me to describe this story in only five words (hey, it could happen) I would say "truth bombs and butt sex".
The basis of the story is that Caleb and Jessica were childhood sweethearts. Caleb left to go make his fortune so he could feel worthy of Jessica but in the two years he was gone, Jessica's father died leaving her in debt. Caleb's step-father conned Jessica into selling him her virginity and trapping her into a never ending cycle of being forced to sleep with him for money and security. Caleb finally comes home and finds his beloved, who he put on a pedestal, a whore. The meat of the story is Caleb and Jessica fighting against Puritan indoctrination ideals about sex, gender, and a person's value.
And whatever a whore did, there was a man doing it right there with them. "They're people's husbands, though," Jessica whispered, afraid to have this conversation even in the middle of a rocky field that was supposed to be a farm. "They're fathers and husbands, and we let them---"
"Aren't you somebody's daughter?" Melisande snapped. "Aren't I?"
Our heroine Jessica had fully drunk the Kool-Aid on how women in her position should be treated, self-hatred it's a tough one. It takes another woman living with her to drop some truth bombs on her about how society is messed up and how she still matters. Jessica's shame and guilt is felt but there were also times where the character came off a bit wooden. Her transition from scarlet letter to I am woman hear me roar comes about a little quickly but yet not fully as she still sees herself as not quite worthy of Caleb.
"That doesn't make it right to sell your body, Jess."
"It doesn't make it right for you to buy it either, but you've done that, haven't you?"
"Men have needs," he snapped, but she cut him off with a furious slash of her hand.
The anger was bubbling in her now, boiling up, overflowing. "Men have needs," she sneered. "The need for pleasure and debauchery. Do you know what a woman's needs are? Food and shelter and a bed. You want me to be ashamed? Me? I did it for money, but you'll soil yourself for the sheer sin of it, and you say you can't forgive me?"
In the beginning, our hero Caleb is not so heroic and he will make you cringe with how he feels about Jessica being what he calls a whore; if only we were all born enlightened and able to fight the good fight. I wish Caleb could have been all Joan Jett and not given a damn about bad reputations but there is something to be said about his transitional growth, too. His love for Jessica and her dropping a couple truth bombs his way, help him get the gears grinding on women's value and will for survival.
His stepfather coughed and wheezed. "She had a choice," he managed to say.
"You had a choice." Caleb let go of the man's throat just so he could slam his head against the wall. Hard. "You had a choice, and you chose to violate a girl who needed your help."
As always with novellas, the story feels a bit rushed and characters not fully fleshed out, I thought Caleb was the best and wanted more from Jessica; her story was what truly mattered to me. The villainous step-father was the catalyst for Jessica's situation but he was only really heard from the corners of the room, I guess I wanted to know him better so I could hate him even more. The historical time period wasn't really felt outside of the clothing descriptions and our Harlot not being accepted in town.
Now, on to what you all have been waiting for, the butt sex part of my description. As this is an erotic, there is a more sexual bent to the story. All the sexual scenes, except for one, are between the hero and the heroine. (The one scene not, is a brief rape scene between Jessica and the step-father with a minister thrown in that felt very unnecessary. The scene, characters, and connotations didn't have enough pages and emotional depth to be emotionally played out right and made it feel lewdly added.) As this is a Victoria Dahl story, the sex scenes were hot but Caleb and Jessica also had an emotional element of punishment. Caleb is angry that Jessica slept with other men and Jessica thinks she should be punished for sleeping with another. Caleb is never physically abusive with Jessica but he uses a few shamming words and thinks about how he never would have tried these sexual things with her if she wasn't a whore. This is where I think Jessica disappeared a little; she's lost a little in these scenes and seems to blindly go along with them. She starts to become sexually awakened and I would have liked to have seen more emotional growth/strife here. The butt sex scene felt completely thrown in, didn't feel natural to the character demeanors and added for a current trend bite, but also quite memorable.
Overall, reading the sex scenes felt fun, hot, and a bit uncomfortable with the emotional punishment aspects, while societal demands and strictures on sex and gender were very thought provoking. If someone were to ask me to describe this story in only
October 27, 2015
I don't read a lot of hetero romance anymore but there are a few authors I trust when I want to go back to the boy/girl love and Victoria Dahl is one of them. Not only does she write amazing romance, she gives her characters this confidence that flies off the page and sinks into my soul. It's amazing and each time I fall more in love with her work.
I admit to requesting this because of the title and the cover. The cover is gorgeous and naming your book Harlot, I mean come on. Talk about taking a word and owning it and trust me, it's owned in this book.
Told from the alternate POV's of Caleb and Jessica, we meet Caleb as he comes home to claim his bride. Caleb left the redheaded love of his life to go out west to California and earn money to create and provide a life for he and Jessica once they are married. But life, it took a turn in directions neither of them could have seen and when he comes home, he learns that Jessica has turned into a whore. Not one to believe gossip, he heads out to get the truth from the woman he loves.
Ugh. That first chapter with Caleb hurt my heart and made me want to hug the hell out of him. There was so much feeling, so much hurt and so much raw emotion, I had to know how it would all turn out but when he says, "I have coin." I kinda lost it. You know?
But Jessica, she is strong and proud and has never stopped loving Caleb but she does what she needs to, so she can survive. The deal the strike, ooh boy. It brought on the feels and it brought on the dirty. And the dirty, it's damn good.
See, what I love about Dahl's work is that she empowers her female characters. Even though Jessica has had to do things in order to survive she owns her sexuality and once she is with Caleb, that ownership makes the sex, ridiculously hot.
This is a second chance kind of romance. A raw romance of hurt and comfort. A gritty, earthy romance of forgiveness and redemption. It's full of emotion, pain, loss and joy. It was really freaking fracking good and I can't say much more without giving things away but, lemme say this. I bookmarked a scene to read over and over again, because Caleb went there and it was sexay. Oh yeah.
*ARC provided by the author via NetGalley*
I admit to requesting this because of the title and the cover. The cover is gorgeous and naming your book Harlot, I mean come on. Talk about taking a word and owning it and trust me, it's owned in this book.
Told from the alternate POV's of Caleb and Jessica, we meet Caleb as he comes home to claim his bride. Caleb left the redheaded love of his life to go out west to California and earn money to create and provide a life for he and Jessica once they are married. But life, it took a turn in directions neither of them could have seen and when he comes home, he learns that Jessica has turned into a whore. Not one to believe gossip, he heads out to get the truth from the woman he loves.
Ugh. That first chapter with Caleb hurt my heart and made me want to hug the hell out of him. There was so much feeling, so much hurt and so much raw emotion, I had to know how it would all turn out but when he says, "I have coin." I kinda lost it. You know?
But Jessica, she is strong and proud and has never stopped loving Caleb but she does what she needs to, so she can survive. The deal the strike, ooh boy. It brought on the feels and it brought on the dirty. And the dirty, it's damn good.
See, what I love about Dahl's work is that she empowers her female characters. Even though Jessica has had to do things in order to survive she owns her sexuality and once she is with Caleb, that ownership makes the sex, ridiculously hot.
Jessica was a whore. And he was nothing at all. Perhaps he could fuck that shame and hurt away for both of them.
This is a second chance kind of romance. A raw romance of hurt and comfort. A gritty, earthy romance of forgiveness and redemption. It's full of emotion, pain, loss and joy. It was really freaking fracking good and I can't say much more without giving things away but, lemme say this. I bookmarked a scene to read over and over again, because Caleb went there and it was sexay. Oh yeah.
*ARC provided by the author via NetGalley*
October 24, 2015
I found this novel, like the last few I've read, to be a bit rushed. Maybe it's just me but that's what it felt like. I did, however, love the premise of this novel. After reading it I loved the undertone of empowering females especially placing it in a time when women really didn't have much power regardless of race, social class, and so forth. I give Harlot a deeply rooted 3.5 stars.
Caleb and Jess had young love but that wasn't enough for Jess to hold onto the belief that he would be back for her. Jess did what she had to do in order to survive with the death of her father, the debts he left behind, and having nothing and no one to rely on but herself. She sold off her virginity and was thus branded a harlot by the same people she knew all her life.
Caleb comes back into town and finds he was deceived by his step-father, Jess hadn't moved on with another man but was selling herself instead. Caleb is angry and tells Jess he'll pay for what she's given to others. His anger gives way to flood his system with how much he cares for her. He begins to get the answers he needed and the truth of the situation falls into place.
The two lovers tangle together and Caleb does whatever he can to have her with him. He wants to marry her but he'll take whatever she's willing to give him because he loves her. There's a moment where Jess tells him she had sex involving money because she needed the money to survive while men have sex with whoever they want and aren't viewed as less than anyone. In that moment the reality of being a woman left with nothing seeps into Caleb and he's a genuinely good man because he is able to see it from a different perspective. In a time when women were more property and baby makers than anything, Caleb is able to realize how unfair society is and how he wrongly treated Jess after learning she was no longer a virgin and sold her body in order to survive.
Caleb and Jess had young love but that wasn't enough for Jess to hold onto the belief that he would be back for her. Jess did what she had to do in order to survive with the death of her father, the debts he left behind, and having nothing and no one to rely on but herself. She sold off her virginity and was thus branded a harlot by the same people she knew all her life.
Caleb comes back into town and finds he was deceived by his step-father, Jess hadn't moved on with another man but was selling herself instead. Caleb is angry and tells Jess he'll pay for what she's given to others. His anger gives way to flood his system with how much he cares for her. He begins to get the answers he needed and the truth of the situation falls into place.
The two lovers tangle together and Caleb does whatever he can to have her with him. He wants to marry her but he'll take whatever she's willing to give him because he loves her. There's a moment where Jess tells him she had sex involving money because she needed the money to survive while men have sex with whoever they want and aren't viewed as less than anyone. In that moment the reality of being a woman left with nothing seeps into Caleb and he's a genuinely good man because he is able to see it from a different perspective. In a time when women were more property and baby makers than anything, Caleb is able to realize how unfair society is and how he wrongly treated Jess after learning she was no longer a virgin and sold her body in order to survive.
October 23, 2015
Harlot by Victoria Dahl is an erotic/western tale that delivers on multiple levels. It is erotic, emotional and romantic. A story of betrayal, loss and redemption. More than that it is a tale of the overwhelming power of love and its ability to withstand all the pain of what this world can bring to bear. It begs the question, how strong is your love when the illusion you have built around it falls away?
Caleb Hightower returns home after being away for two years in the gold fields of California. He had left to earn enough money to provide for and marry his childhood sweetheart, Jessica Willoughby. Jessica was always someone he believed to be too good for him. The daughter of the local Doctor, Jessica was refined and well educated. Caleb was not, but they found they loved one another despite their differences. But Caleb felt he needed to make more money to provide for Jessica.
When he returns home he finds that everything has changed. Jessica's father is dead and no one wants to tell him what has happened to Jessica. He hears rumors of a whorehouse on the outskirts of town and to his horror, he hears who is the whore that services the town.
Left without money or someone to care for her upon her father's death, Jessica does the only thing she can to stay alive. She is not prepared for Caleb's return.
Angry and bitter at Jessica's betrayal of his love, Caleb demands that she performs for him all the sexual favors she has performed for other men. He is willing to pay for however long it takes. Jessica, hurt by his demands, gives in knowing that the taxes on the property are due and she has no other option but to do as Caleb demands.
What Caleb does not know is how and why Jessica has made the decisions she has. He does not know or understand that she was betrayed and lied to. That for a woman alone, the choices that are made to survive are too often come with terrible sacrifice.
What Jessica does not understand is that the Caleb that has returned is not the some innocent man that left. That he has done many things as well in the gold fields of California that some would call unforgivable.
What neither understand is that they have not stopped loving each other.
Victoria Dahl has done so much more here than just pen a short erotic story. She has done what so many sex book writers fail to. She has infused this tale with emotion. So much pain. So much angst. So much sense of loss. It is not the nights of sex that bring Caleb and Jessica back to who they once were but the love that was lost and in each other's arms, found again. But the anger and betrayal they feel toward one another is powerful as well.
Dahl has written a complete drama here and if there is any criticism is that you are sometimes left with unexplored emotions and nights. This could have been a book that could have been much bigger. The characters certainly would have alot more story to tell. Instead it seems as if their lives and the the two years they spent separated have been compacted to fit into this short novel.
Harlot is better than most contemporary erotic novels and should be enjoyed for the drama it is.
Caleb Hightower returns home after being away for two years in the gold fields of California. He had left to earn enough money to provide for and marry his childhood sweetheart, Jessica Willoughby. Jessica was always someone he believed to be too good for him. The daughter of the local Doctor, Jessica was refined and well educated. Caleb was not, but they found they loved one another despite their differences. But Caleb felt he needed to make more money to provide for Jessica.
When he returns home he finds that everything has changed. Jessica's father is dead and no one wants to tell him what has happened to Jessica. He hears rumors of a whorehouse on the outskirts of town and to his horror, he hears who is the whore that services the town.
Left without money or someone to care for her upon her father's death, Jessica does the only thing she can to stay alive. She is not prepared for Caleb's return.
Angry and bitter at Jessica's betrayal of his love, Caleb demands that she performs for him all the sexual favors she has performed for other men. He is willing to pay for however long it takes. Jessica, hurt by his demands, gives in knowing that the taxes on the property are due and she has no other option but to do as Caleb demands.
What Caleb does not know is how and why Jessica has made the decisions she has. He does not know or understand that she was betrayed and lied to. That for a woman alone, the choices that are made to survive are too often come with terrible sacrifice.
What Jessica does not understand is that the Caleb that has returned is not the some innocent man that left. That he has done many things as well in the gold fields of California that some would call unforgivable.
What neither understand is that they have not stopped loving each other.
Victoria Dahl has done so much more here than just pen a short erotic story. She has done what so many sex book writers fail to. She has infused this tale with emotion. So much pain. So much angst. So much sense of loss. It is not the nights of sex that bring Caleb and Jessica back to who they once were but the love that was lost and in each other's arms, found again. But the anger and betrayal they feel toward one another is powerful as well.
Dahl has written a complete drama here and if there is any criticism is that you are sometimes left with unexplored emotions and nights. This could have been a book that could have been much bigger. The characters certainly would have alot more story to tell. Instead it seems as if their lives and the the two years they spent separated have been compacted to fit into this short novel.
Harlot is better than most contemporary erotic novels and should be enjoyed for the drama it is.
October 26, 2015
Thank you to VICTORIA DAHL and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how absolutely exquisite this cover is? It is an excellent example of how important the outside of a book is when the reader is just scrolling through haphazardly looking for a read. The title, Harlot, might not have grabbed me, but this cover… My mouse was instantly drawn to it and click! It was mine! Victoria Dahl is one of those authors who has been on my to be read pile for a while now. This short read seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a taste for her writing, and all I have to say is yum! I have a craving for seconds. Harlot is a beautifully written story of intense longing and second chances.
When Jessica is forced to strike a deal with the devil in order to survive, she sells the only thing she has left of any value – her virginity. It’s not long before she finds that everything has consequences, and her circumstances take an even bigger turn for the worse. Jessica was a woman with very little means determined to keep going. In the process, she brings hope to two other people; together they work hard and get by. When Caleb returns after being away for two years to claim the girl he’d left behind, he’s devastated to hear rumors of her being a prostitute. Knowing it can’t be true of the young lady he’d loved, he tracks her down in hopes of finding it untrue. Unaware that it isn’t so cut and dried, Caleb is devastated to learn the truth.
I loved the premise of this story. Unable to claim the girl he’d loved, Caleb decides to claim her body instead in an effort to punish her for what she took from them. Harsh actions for a man who loved her once up on a time, but Caleb’s love for Jessica trumps his anger in every steamy scene. (And there are a lot of them!) Degradation may have been his motivator, but it’s his adoration for Jessica that keeps him returning. Caleb’s revelations were the highlight of this book for me; he may have not entered this story in a very good light, but he certainly redeemed himself. Though this book was incredibly erotic, I didn’t feel like it overshadowed the plot – and for such a small book, there was a lot of plot! There was also a bit of a mystery here, but I think it was more a mystery for Caleb than the reader, as it was quite obvious from the beginning who Jessica sold herself to.
If you’re looking for a quick, steamy read that packs a big emotional punch, Harlot fits the bill!
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how absolutely exquisite this cover is? It is an excellent example of how important the outside of a book is when the reader is just scrolling through haphazardly looking for a read. The title, Harlot, might not have grabbed me, but this cover… My mouse was instantly drawn to it and click! It was mine! Victoria Dahl is one of those authors who has been on my to be read pile for a while now. This short read seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a taste for her writing, and all I have to say is yum! I have a craving for seconds. Harlot is a beautifully written story of intense longing and second chances.
When Jessica is forced to strike a deal with the devil in order to survive, she sells the only thing she has left of any value – her virginity. It’s not long before she finds that everything has consequences, and her circumstances take an even bigger turn for the worse. Jessica was a woman with very little means determined to keep going. In the process, she brings hope to two other people; together they work hard and get by. When Caleb returns after being away for two years to claim the girl he’d left behind, he’s devastated to hear rumors of her being a prostitute. Knowing it can’t be true of the young lady he’d loved, he tracks her down in hopes of finding it untrue. Unaware that it isn’t so cut and dried, Caleb is devastated to learn the truth.
I loved the premise of this story. Unable to claim the girl he’d loved, Caleb decides to claim her body instead in an effort to punish her for what she took from them. Harsh actions for a man who loved her once up on a time, but Caleb’s love for Jessica trumps his anger in every steamy scene. (And there are a lot of them!) Degradation may have been his motivator, but it’s his adoration for Jessica that keeps him returning. Caleb’s revelations were the highlight of this book for me; he may have not entered this story in a very good light, but he certainly redeemed himself. Though this book was incredibly erotic, I didn’t feel like it overshadowed the plot – and for such a small book, there was a lot of plot! There was also a bit of a mystery here, but I think it was more a mystery for Caleb than the reader, as it was quite obvious from the beginning who Jessica sold herself to.
If you’re looking for a quick, steamy read that packs a big emotional punch, Harlot fits the bill!
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
February 26, 2016
I am used to reading Victoria Dahl’s contemporary works. I love them for their fun and flirty tone. So, even though I read the book summary, I was unprepared at how angry I got over the subject matter.
Caleb and Jessica live in 19th Century Colorado. Having grown up together, they both knew they were destined to be a couple. Caleb ventures to California to stake him claim during the Gold Rush so that he can secure a future for the two of them leaving Jess back in Colorado. In the two years he is gone, Jessica’s father dies and she is left destitute. She writes to Caleb through his parents asking him to come home only to be told that he has found another woman and is settling down in California. Alone and without means, she enters into an “indecent proposal.”
Caleb comes back to Colorado seeking to marry his sweetheart to find that she has been labeled a harlot and whore by the townspeople. Feeling betrayed, Caleb buys time with Jessica. He intents on taking revenge on her for his lost dreams, but things do not necessarily go as he plans.
This story takes place in the “Wild West”, the area is populated by people from all social and economic classes looking for opportunities and a new life. However, many bring their old Puritanical attitudes about sex. Although Jessica has to compromise and sacrifice much to survive, it’s noted that men can have sex seemingly without censure. Women continue to bear the burden of being both a sexual object and bear the scorn of using sex for money. The hypocrisy is pronounced and the guilt Jessica feels is oppressive. She is left to feel dirty and unworthy. Jessica’s story breaks my heart. She continues live a shadow life, punishing herself for making difficult decisions. The double standard set between men and women makes me so frustrated. And although Caleb is disillusioned and angry, It’s only through her painful interaction with him does she begin to feel worthy. I applauded when this happened.
I give a lot of credit to Victoria Dahl for taking a very difficult story and telling it with a sense of compassion and class In the end, it is simply a beautiful story about forgiveness and redemption.
IN A NUTSHELL:
As short as this book is, it is full of strife, heartache, and ultimately, hope. I highly recommend this book.
Caleb and Jessica live in 19th Century Colorado. Having grown up together, they both knew they were destined to be a couple. Caleb ventures to California to stake him claim during the Gold Rush so that he can secure a future for the two of them leaving Jess back in Colorado. In the two years he is gone, Jessica’s father dies and she is left destitute. She writes to Caleb through his parents asking him to come home only to be told that he has found another woman and is settling down in California. Alone and without means, she enters into an “indecent proposal.”
Caleb comes back to Colorado seeking to marry his sweetheart to find that she has been labeled a harlot and whore by the townspeople. Feeling betrayed, Caleb buys time with Jessica. He intents on taking revenge on her for his lost dreams, but things do not necessarily go as he plans.
This story takes place in the “Wild West”, the area is populated by people from all social and economic classes looking for opportunities and a new life. However, many bring their old Puritanical attitudes about sex. Although Jessica has to compromise and sacrifice much to survive, it’s noted that men can have sex seemingly without censure. Women continue to bear the burden of being both a sexual object and bear the scorn of using sex for money. The hypocrisy is pronounced and the guilt Jessica feels is oppressive. She is left to feel dirty and unworthy. Jessica’s story breaks my heart. She continues live a shadow life, punishing herself for making difficult decisions. The double standard set between men and women makes me so frustrated. And although Caleb is disillusioned and angry, It’s only through her painful interaction with him does she begin to feel worthy. I applauded when this happened.
I give a lot of credit to Victoria Dahl for taking a very difficult story and telling it with a sense of compassion and class In the end, it is simply a beautiful story about forgiveness and redemption.
IN A NUTSHELL:
As short as this book is, it is full of strife, heartache, and ultimately, hope. I highly recommend this book.
January 4, 2016
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Harlot is a good story, and it especially shows how it was difficult for women to be empowered and take charge of their own lives and destinies in the past. When Jessica's father died and left her with only debts, she didn't know what to do. The house would have to be sold, as would most of her other possessions. Caleb had been gone for two years already, and she hadn't heard from him in a long time, and had to find a way to get through this on her own. When someone presented her with what seemed like the only possibility to find a place to live, and enough money to live with, she took it. Even if that possibility was to give her virginity to a man in exchange for a house...
When Caleb got back to town after learning that Jessica's father had passed away, the first thing he heard about her what that she was a whore now, working from her very own whorehouse on the outskirts of town. And to say he was angry to find his angelic girl opening her legs to strangers for money is an understatement!
Harlot is a good story, and it especially shows how it was difficult for women to be empowered and take charge of their own lives and destinies in the past. When Jessica's father died and left her with only debts, she didn't know what to do. The house would have to be sold, as would most of her other possessions. Caleb had been gone for two years already, and she hadn't heard from him in a long time, and had to find a way to get through this on her own. When someone presented her with what seemed like the only possibility to find a place to live, and enough money to live with, she took it. Even if that possibility was to give her virginity to a man in exchange for a house...
When Caleb got back to town after learning that Jessica's father had passed away, the first thing he heard about her what that she was a whore now, working from her very own whorehouse on the outskirts of town. And to say he was angry to find his angelic girl opening her legs to strangers for money is an understatement!
June 14, 2016
Harlot
The Characters:
Jessica “Jess” Willoughby: I liked Jess. She was thrown into a terrible circumstance but still held her head high and moved on with her life, even when she didn’t want to.
Caleb Hightower: I think Caleb let his pride blind him for a bit but after he pulled his head out of his butt and even a little before he was a pretty stand up guy.
The Story:
This story was heart breaking and uplifting at the same time. I loved the part when Jess told Caleb what’s what it was great. I loved the ending of their story too. Overall very enjoyable.
The Random Thoughts:
4 Stars
The Characters:
Jessica “Jess” Willoughby: I liked Jess. She was thrown into a terrible circumstance but still held her head high and moved on with her life, even when she didn’t want to.
Caleb Hightower: I think Caleb let his pride blind him for a bit but after he pulled his head out of his butt and even a little before he was a pretty stand up guy.
The Story:
This story was heart breaking and uplifting at the same time. I loved the part when Jess told Caleb what’s what it was great. I loved the ending of their story too. Overall very enjoyable.
The Random Thoughts:
4 Stars
November 13, 2015
I LOVE Victoria Dahl, she can do no wrong. This novella encapsulates her brilliance. It's wickedly hot, and tender and heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. Love the Wild West setting, so different. And really loved seeing a slice of what life was like for women at that time. Tough! But that only made the HEA more satisfying. It had an epic feel. And as for the sex scenes....you might want to read this alone ;)
October 19, 2015
I'll probably give this a B- or a C+
I liked the heroine a lot. Not sure I connected with the hero - and because of that the sex - I'm not sure.
*ponders*
*deep thoughts*
I'll report back with a full review near release date
I liked the heroine a lot. Not sure I connected with the hero - and because of that the sex - I'm not sure.
*ponders*
*deep thoughts*
I'll report back with a full review near release date
October 7, 2015
Victoria Dahl is a dirty girl but I like it. *evil grin* Harlot is messy, complicated, sexy and sure to stir up the feels.
June 16, 2017
***** 4 Stars *****
If you feel like a quick erotic story, pick this up. It will satisfy your needs. I loved reading about Jess and Caleb, and the drama level was perfect.
If you feel like a quick erotic story, pick this up. It will satisfy your needs. I loved reading about Jess and Caleb, and the drama level was perfect.
August 25, 2017
Oh 'Pretty Women' what you did to me? Why I must read every love story featuring a prostitute? And why, while we are on this subject, there are not more good romance novels about prostitutes? Books where prostitutes are strong female leads.
At one time Jessica says: "I did it in order to live. You should be ashamed. How dare you look down on me?" If her behavior from the start owned up to those words, I would have cheered for her and loved her.
Instead, this whole book is used to paint her as a victim. The bad guys exploited her goodness and deceived her.
The sex is bland and not even luke-warm. The characters are flat, cliched and boring. I hope I will forget all about this book soon.
At one time Jessica says: "I did it in order to live. You should be ashamed. How dare you look down on me?" If her behavior from the start owned up to those words, I would have cheered for her and loved her.
Instead, this whole book is used to paint her as a victim. The bad guys exploited her goodness and deceived her.
The sex is bland and not even luke-warm. The characters are flat, cliched and boring. I hope I will forget all about this book soon.
January 4, 2016
I really liked this book. Yes, the hero is a jackass. Yes, the heroine trades her innocence for security. Dahl does angst and heartbreak so well that I spent most of this novella repeatedly getting my guts ripped out. A hero struggling with the fact that the girl he put on the pedestal fell from grace and a heroine who has to learn to own her choices and stop apologizing. In other words - she ain't dead. There are steamy sex scenes, but honestly it was the raw emotion of this story that will stick with me long afterward. Nice use of setting and historical detail as well. I hope Dahl finds time to write more westerns.
November 6, 2015
This was my first Victoria Dahl book but I will definitely be reading more by her. I was drawn by the topic, specifically prostitutes in the American West. I've been fascinated by these women who were some of the only women in their time to be autonomous and experience some freedom. Victoria's book presents the darker side of living this life, specifically how once a woman worked, even briefly, as a whore she was branded for life as unclean. No one would want her or even want to buy a house she had lived in.
The beauty of this story is the way those hard facts are woven into a very sexual and strong story. I absolutely love the heroine, her strength and her moxie. She's naive, but no more so than any pampered woman of her time and she learns quickly once she is trust into hard situations.
What blew me away was the complexity of the sex scenes. They are so nuanced with words and acts shedding light on the story and feelings of both main characters. Victoria also took into account the verbiage and customs of the day. I was sold from the moment Caleb said, "I have coin."
I will definitely read more Victoria Dahl, especially any western romances she writes. Her attention to detail and style add an authentic flavor without going into cartoonish cliches.
The beauty of this story is the way those hard facts are woven into a very sexual and strong story. I absolutely love the heroine, her strength and her moxie. She's naive, but no more so than any pampered woman of her time and she learns quickly once she is trust into hard situations.
What blew me away was the complexity of the sex scenes. They are so nuanced with words and acts shedding light on the story and feelings of both main characters. Victoria also took into account the verbiage and customs of the day. I was sold from the moment Caleb said, "I have coin."
I will definitely read more Victoria Dahl, especially any western romances she writes. Her attention to detail and style add an authentic flavor without going into cartoonish cliches.
January 21, 2016
ARC received from the author.
This story is romantic, erotic , emotional and overwhelming. This might be a short story but it has everything that you need.
Two years ago Caleb left for California to earn money and provide for his loved one Jessica . She was the daughter of the local doctor , a very beautiful and educated young lady . Caleb was more of an average Joe and he thought that if he'll provide more then he will be able to overcome his condition.and social status. However , when he returns home he finds out that Jessica's father died and he is in for a big surprise. Left without money or someone to care for her upon her father's death, Jessica sleeps with men for money.
Caleb is hurt and disappointed and doesn't understand why Jessica betrayed him. He doesn't realize that he, too, is no longer the same . The horrible things that he did in the gold fields of California changed him. Caleb decides to punish Jessica .
This story is romantic, erotic , emotional and overwhelming. This might be a short story but it has everything that you need.
Two years ago Caleb left for California to earn money and provide for his loved one Jessica . She was the daughter of the local doctor , a very beautiful and educated young lady . Caleb was more of an average Joe and he thought that if he'll provide more then he will be able to overcome his condition.and social status. However , when he returns home he finds out that Jessica's father died and he is in for a big surprise. Left without money or someone to care for her upon her father's death, Jessica sleeps with men for money.
Caleb is hurt and disappointed and doesn't understand why Jessica betrayed him. He doesn't realize that he, too, is no longer the same . The horrible things that he did in the gold fields of California changed him. Caleb decides to punish Jessica .
October 14, 2015
this erotic romance is written in the same smooth as silk prose style that has earned Victoria Dahl top ranking in the literature of love. where it goes further is when the lights go out. sex, oh son, that just so happens to be her bailiwick. best not to read this one anywhere a passerby might ask why you're sweating so suddenly. and harlot, the word, the label? Dahl digs deep into that, exploring double standards, judgment of self and others, and those things that have little to do with morality and much to do with ideas of dominance, possession, and control. all that and the wild, wild west? keep a cold shower handy, pilgrim.
October 27, 2015
2.5 stars
hmmmmmmm
I don't know what to say
I don't know if I like the story (the writing's good, it's Victoria Dahl after all) but I can definitely say it's an emotional read. I feel a lot for Jessica, I just want to rescue her and feed her cakes and, I don't know, maybe hold her for a bit. *glares at Caleb*
I think what didn't work out for me is the fact that this all can be avoided if they just sit down and talk. I hate miscommunication or lack of it being used as the conflict in a plot. Like I get Jessica's decisions and why she did what she did, but yeah.
hmmmmmmm
I don't know what to say
I don't know if I like the story (the writing's good, it's Victoria Dahl after all) but I can definitely say it's an emotional read. I feel a lot for Jessica, I just want to rescue her and feed her cakes and, I don't know, maybe hold her for a bit. *glares at Caleb*
I think what didn't work out for me is the fact that this all can be avoided if they just sit down and talk. I hate miscommunication or lack of it being used as the conflict in a plot. Like I get Jessica's decisions and why she did what she did, but yeah.
November 2, 2015
Thank you to Victoria Dahl and Netgalley for the ARC!
I follow Victoria on Twitter, so was seeing a lot of her tweets about this book and was getting really excited for it, so was pleased to get an ARC. I really did enjoy the book, though I found the hero a bit difficult to sympathize with. I was rooting for the heroine the whole time, and her journey was a nice one to read.
Yay for feminist historical romance!
I follow Victoria on Twitter, so was seeing a lot of her tweets about this book and was getting really excited for it, so was pleased to get an ARC. I really did enjoy the book, though I found the hero a bit difficult to sympathize with. I was rooting for the heroine the whole time, and her journey was a nice one to read.
Yay for feminist historical romance!
October 31, 2015
An amazingly strong heroine, a flawed (and hypocritical) but believable hero..
October 29, 2015
3.5 stars
June 26, 2016
3.75 Stars
Victoria Dahl is currently one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, but I actually discovered her when she was writing historicals. So I was ecstatic when she announced that she was returning to that genre, specifically with a western erotic romance.
Harlot is the tale of reunited childhood sweethearts who must deal with the changes that have occurred to one another since they last met. Caleb had been in love with Jessica for years and went off to earn a fortune in California so he could marry her. But, his triumphant return is derailed when he discovers that she is no longer the refined innocent he left behind. In frustration, he decides to take revenge on Jessica by treating her like the "whore" he believes her to be, but the tides are quickly turned on him when he learns the truth.
My favorite part about this story was Jessica. As a young woman, she had everything that her heart desires including a boy who loved her. But, after Caleb left and her father died, she learned how false her impression of her life was. A moment of desperation forced her into a difficult situation which has had ramifications on her life and reputation. What I loved the most about Jessica was her survival instinct and her intelligence. She hasn't had it easy the past few years and doesn't let Caleb get away with treating her like a whore very long. Her big speech had me nodding my head vigorously and cheering loudly by the end.
Caleb was much more difficult for me to root for. I understood that he was a man of his time, that the situation he came back to was just another way that he felt like his life was spiraling out of control, and that both he and Jessica were being manipulated by others. But, his initial coarse treatment of Jessica rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. I am all for the hero going through a journey like this, but the page length didn't allow for his redemption to occur at a more natural pace. It just seemed very abrupt and not as developed so I never really liked or cared about Caleb getting his happy ending.
Since this is an erotic romance, I, of course, have the mention the sex. It is plentiful (especially for such a short story) yet I never felt like it was just there for spiciness's sake. Victoria Dahl is a master at using sex scenes to show character development and that happened in Harlot especially for Jessica. I do have to admit that, because of my feelings on Caleb's character, I found the first sex scene to be difficult to read though it is made clear that Jessica would not be doing this if she didn't want to.
I had high expectations for Harlot and most of them were met. The story moved along at a decent pace, the heroine was wonderful, and the sex was well-written. I just wish that I hadn't spent most of my reading time wanting to bash the hero over the head every time he opened his mouth. I do hope that Victoria Dahl continues to write historical romances because I love her voice in any and all genres. I would especially love to see a novella featuring Jessica's friends, Melisande and Bill.
I received a free eARC of this book from Victoria Dahl via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Victoria Dahl is currently one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, but I actually discovered her when she was writing historicals. So I was ecstatic when she announced that she was returning to that genre, specifically with a western erotic romance.
Harlot is the tale of reunited childhood sweethearts who must deal with the changes that have occurred to one another since they last met. Caleb had been in love with Jessica for years and went off to earn a fortune in California so he could marry her. But, his triumphant return is derailed when he discovers that she is no longer the refined innocent he left behind. In frustration, he decides to take revenge on Jessica by treating her like the "whore" he believes her to be, but the tides are quickly turned on him when he learns the truth.
My favorite part about this story was Jessica. As a young woman, she had everything that her heart desires including a boy who loved her. But, after Caleb left and her father died, she learned how false her impression of her life was. A moment of desperation forced her into a difficult situation which has had ramifications on her life and reputation. What I loved the most about Jessica was her survival instinct and her intelligence. She hasn't had it easy the past few years and doesn't let Caleb get away with treating her like a whore very long. Her big speech had me nodding my head vigorously and cheering loudly by the end.
Caleb was much more difficult for me to root for. I understood that he was a man of his time, that the situation he came back to was just another way that he felt like his life was spiraling out of control, and that both he and Jessica were being manipulated by others. But, his initial coarse treatment of Jessica rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. I am all for the hero going through a journey like this, but the page length didn't allow for his redemption to occur at a more natural pace. It just seemed very abrupt and not as developed so I never really liked or cared about Caleb getting his happy ending.
Since this is an erotic romance, I, of course, have the mention the sex. It is plentiful (especially for such a short story) yet I never felt like it was just there for spiciness's sake. Victoria Dahl is a master at using sex scenes to show character development and that happened in Harlot especially for Jessica. I do have to admit that, because of my feelings on Caleb's character, I found the first sex scene to be difficult to read though it is made clear that Jessica would not be doing this if she didn't want to.
I had high expectations for Harlot and most of them were met. The story moved along at a decent pace, the heroine was wonderful, and the sex was well-written. I just wish that I hadn't spent most of my reading time wanting to bash the hero over the head every time he opened his mouth. I do hope that Victoria Dahl continues to write historical romances because I love her voice in any and all genres. I would especially love to see a novella featuring Jessica's friends, Melisande and Bill.
I received a free eARC of this book from Victoria Dahl via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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