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Miranda's Dilemma

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Erotic Historical Romance ~ Courtesan/Non-virginal Heroine

Poised to become Mayfair’s most expensive and exclusive courtesan, Miss Miranda Jones finds her rise inexplicably blocked by a socially powerful nobleman. Scorned by her ducal father and determined to attain everything that life has denied her due to an accident of birth, she’s not about to let this arrogant earl stop her.

Adrian Sutherland, the Earl of Danvers, saw his father destroyed by a heartless, predatory courtesan. He has no time or patience for such exotic, expensive ladybirds. He’s far too busy restoring his family’s wealth and reputation whilst doing what he can to protect his friends from the clutches of all the scheming courtesans of London.

Then a moment of compassion turns intense dislike to breathless passion, and these two strong-willed, fiercely proud people are compelled to indulge in a brief affair. Each is convinced that they can satisfy their craving for the other without emotional risk.

But neither realizes that a little dalliance can be a dangerous thing.

Reader Advisory: This is an erotic historical romance and it contains frank sexual language and period appropriate sexual slang, frequent sexual scenes and descriptions and general bedchamber naughtiness. The characters discuss abuse issues from their backstories during the course of their developing relationship. For Adults 18 & Over Only.

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2015

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Natasha Blackthorne

20 books219 followers

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5 stars
53 (37%)
4 stars
46 (32%)
3 stars
27 (18%)
2 stars
12 (8%)
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5 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for ies.
1,549 reviews24 followers
July 19, 2017
Sedih banget nasib mbaknya, tp ini gak masuk ero si buat gw... mungkin karena buku 1, ini part series gitu... dgn lead sama, jadinya gak gitu panjang (akhirnya gw bisa kelar jg baca novel.. #edisimalesbaca) ending sampai masnya menyadari perasaan dan lanjut ke buku 2, most demanding mistress trs masih sambung lagi Sacrifice (Fashionably Impure Series)... kesel si nanggung gt tamatnya, tp jadi pendek2 meski gak pendek banget jg XD #apasihini

Miranda Jones, nama mbaknya.. bastard

Mbaknya gak punya pilihan hidup laen, padahal papanya Duke.. mustinya hidup bergelimang harta kata masnya…

Profile Image for J. Kahele.
Author 15 books439 followers
November 28, 2015
Historical romance

At its best. I am a huge fan of Natasha Blackthorne and I have to say she has never let me down. She is a clever wordsmith and engages you into her stories with her masterfully crafted characters and engaging plots. Love this author.
Profile Image for Felicia.
Author 5 books104 followers
August 6, 2016
Emotions Run High!

Generally, by chapter two of a book, I have some idea of what character or characters I’m behind. Not this time. Not only did I not like ANYONE, I was hoping this read would have a George R.R. Martin ending and everyone died. The constant battle of wills, polite personal slights, and put downs from both sides was exhausting. But, I’ve read this author before, and each and every word is applied in layers for a reason. So I persevered.

Chinks in steely personages began to appear. Internal thoughts became more honest, and while the words might never pass through a character’s lips, they at least were honest with themselves.

My heart broke as Miranda’s life is revealed. Her life was not her own. Women were already second class citizens, and as a courtesan, she wasn’t even considered a ‘lady’. It wasn’t hard to understand her attitude and choices. I didn’t always agree with her actions, but I understood. To be so young, yet responsible for so much, AND dependent on the whims of men…was indeed a dilemma. Now without a ‘protector’, Miranda must once again ‘shop around’ among the eligible men to find the best offer.

From the beginning, it’s obvious Adrian is struggling with inner turmoil…he just has no idea how to handle it. Living in the constant shadow…and ruin of his father weighs heavily on Adrian. I felt he was always trying to be the man people expected him to be, trying to cast a bigger shadow than the one his father – a man of poor judgements and frivolous pursuits – left him in. Never truly saw him as happy or joyful until he was around his sons.

The tension between Adrian and Miranda is actually two-fold. Each blames the other for their actions – or inactions – in the untimely death of the Duke of Carrville, Miranda’s former protector, and Adrian’s father-in-law. They’re also fiercely attracted to each other, and disgusted by that fact. She thinks he’s much too arrogant, and he believes her a manipulative schemer. Opinions begin to change though, after a gathering held at Adrian’s estate. Miranda is in need of medical attention, and not only does Adrian makes sure she gets it, he doesn’t leave her side. The battle of wills…and emotions truly begins.

This read really had me in knots. The constant need to hide emotions and not appear weak was exhausting, and time-consuming for them both. I do wonder how long they would have continued their sparring had not Miranda’s Aunt Cassandra betrayed her. Miranda is truly desperate now thanks to the vile actions of…her own father. Just when I believed this author couldn’t write a more repulsive character than ‘Meeker’ from ‘The Delicate Matter of Lady Blayne’, along comes the Duke of Winterton to win the prize. He goes to ridiculous lengths to make Miranda – his illegitimate daughter – suffer because of his hatred for her and her mother, and because of an incident that was purely HIS fault. In order to provide for her mother, Miranda must now seriously consider mistress offers made to her, or end up in the streets. While he has a title, Adrian has very little wealth, and cannot help her. Or can he?

Miranda’s dilemma begins in earnest with her love for one man, her fear and hatred for another, and her need to provide for her mother…all while the judgmental and cutting eyes of the English elite watch.

A well-developed plot and complex characters make this read hard to put down. I was cheering Adrian and Miranda on by the end of the book. Mind you…they had not changed from the people I disliked at the beginning of the story, but they had learned to accept each other for who they were, and open their hearts. Definitely looking forward to book 2…and you will too!

Enjoy!
Profile Image for Janelle Jones.
98 reviews1 follower
June 10, 2022
Disappointed

Both the main characters seemed so wishy washy with their emotions. They each seemed to be in a constant internal ping pong match with what they were feeling. I pushed thru and kept reading, it was not the ending I expected nor wanted. I will not be reading any more in this series as I don't care for the writing style.
Profile Image for daemyra, the realm's delight.
1,292 reviews37 followers
October 22, 2023
DNF at 88%. So close!

Kindle clean-out review:

Natasha Blackthorne was one of my top romance author discoveries for this year but I did not strike gold with the rest of her works. Everything about this blurb was like it was written for my specific niche tastes but it just felt quite dull and like homework to slog through, I am sorry to report.
142 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2023
Awesome book

The story was well told. Miranda and Adrian were an awesome couple who fell in love. They had a lot to work through but they made it. Loved this story Recommend to all to read this one
Profile Image for Aj.
2,489 reviews
October 15, 2022
Angst driven, passionate and full of desire wrapped up in an enemies to lovers romance that leaves nothing behind. A wonderful and sensual journey to love.
395 reviews8 followers
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December 23, 2015
Tantalizing and angst-ridden!

Miranda's Dilemma is another tantalizing and angst-ridden erotic historical romance from the pen of Natasha Blackthorne. I just love how this author delves deeply into the minds of her tortured heroes and heroines and Adrian and Miranda, the hero and the heroine of this novel are really put through the mill!

Adrian Sutherland, an earl, is seeking revenge, determined to prevent the young courtesan Miranda from securing a lucrative deal with a new protector from amongst his fellow aristocrats. Adrian has good reason to despise courtesans, attributing the ruination of his own father to one of their kind. This handsome and dominant man therefore goes all out to embarrass, belittle and shame Miranda at every opportunity, despising the fact that he somehow feels attracted to one of her kind. There are some extremely emotional scenes between the couple, full of sexual tension and mutual disrespect as they do battle.

My sympathies were very soon with Miranda, an illegitimate daughter of a ducal father, for despite her veneer of a consummate courtesan, is extremely vulnerable. The strong image she projects to others, especially prospective protectors, is clearly under threat by Adrian's actions. It is only when shocking circumstances conspire to reveal to Adrian exactly how vulnerable Miranda's lifestyle choice makes her, that he begins to see the real woman beneath the artifice. I will not give the plot away but suffice to say that I just LOVED how the author weaved this particular scene into the narrative, coming at just the right point to bring these two strong-willed characters together in some emotional and revealing scenes. Both Miranda and Adrian have demons to slay from their past and as they embark on a passionate affair, they begin to confide in each other.

Yet the couple have no future together as Miranda is under pressure to swiftly secure lucrative funds to protect someone she holds most dear. In her desperate need to meet her goals she needs to curtail her affair with Adrian, who can ill afford her, and secure a protector who can satisfy her financial needs, even if doing so will open deep psychological scars from her past that threaten to destroy her.

The novel is an addictive read. I enjoyed the initial sexual tension between Miranda and Adrian and adored the erotic love-making scenes between them and their growing mutual respect and attraction. Adrian is all alpha male and very dominant. Tortured by events in his own past he is torn as to what to do with Miranda. His need to protect wars with his need to restore and maintain his family fortunes and his inner conflict is immense. Once more Natasha Blackthorne has delivered a passionate and emotional erotic love story that both tantalizes and pulls at the heart strings.

I was pleased with the conclusion to Miranda's Dilemma and I'm looking forward to reading more about Adrian and Miranda's relationship. The sequel of their story, A Most Demanding Mistress is scheduled for release early in 2016. I recommend the read to historical romance fans who are partial to tortured and damaged characters who find true love, passion and solace in each other. Please note a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Profile Image for Lily.
306 reviews7 followers
September 22, 2016
Very hot and steamy erotic novel that has a strong and engaging plot. The characters are interesting in their complexity and I became emotionally involved in their difficulties. I am eager to read more of Adrian and Miranda's story in the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
684 reviews35 followers
December 31, 2015
There is nothing I enjoy more than an enemies to lovers story, and one that is an erotic historical? Even better!

Miranda is a courtesan, forced into this life by horrible circumstances, she must do this to keep her mother safe. She has made bitter enemy of her father, a Duke, who will stop at nothing to ruin her. Her benefactor has passed away, he was sweet and took very good care of her and never pushed her to do anything she didn't want to. Now she must find a new benefactor, but that is proving to be harder than she thought, because most men demand more of their courtesan's than she is willing to give. And Adrian Sutherland, the Earl of Danvers is not making it any easier for Miranda to find a new benefactor, in fact he is doing everything he can to make her life miserable.

Adrian hates courtesan's, they have ruined both his father and father-in-laws wife. And he doesn't care how innocent and alluring Miranda seems to be, he will stop his friend from becoming her benefactor at any cost. That is if he can get past his strong attraction to the lovely Miranda.

This story is filled with angst and has many twist and turns. The sexual tension between Miranda and Adrian is palpable. But, these two have a lot of hurdles to overcome, and the odds are stacked against them.

Natasha Blackthorne writes historical erotic fiction like no other author. All of her characters are intelligent, resourceful, and strong. Her story lines are always compelling, thought provoking and insanely sexy! This book is no exception and I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
Profile Image for Petula.
3,086 reviews86 followers
November 26, 2015
Miranda Jones is a courtesan and her first protector recently died. Because of her financial commitments she must find another very rich one soon. There is a man from her mother's past that caused her mental weakness and is now threatening her again. Miranda is prepared to do almost anything to protect her mother.
Adrian Sutherland, the Earl of Danvers dislikes all courtesans, because they use their beauty and womanly wiles to extract as much money as the can from the men foolish enough to fall for them. Miss Cassandra Jones (Miranda's aunt) ruined his father , and left him with a penniless estate to rebuild.
Both Adrian and Miranda have very good reasons for their outlook on life, but the intense attraction between them undermines all they need to do to keep their families safe.
This sexy historical gives us a taste of Regency life and the difficulties faced by the illegitimate daughters of unscrupulous noblemen, and the mentality of the over- bearing and privileged Lords..
This is a complete story, but leaves us wanting to find out what happens next.
Profile Image for SATIN SUE    .
309 reviews
December 8, 2015
This book tells the story of a Courtesan, Miranda has come to terms with the life she leads. she does it to provide for her mother. but when a man from her mothers past comes calling she finds she will do anything to protect her.

Adrian, doesnt like what Miranda does for a living after his uncle was ruined by one, left to rebuild his life after he was left penniless.

against all the odds they both find they have a strong attraction for each other, and this makes the need to keep a distance even harder.

the pair have a great deal to over come before romance can be a factor in there life.

Another great read by Natasha Blackthorne. Really well written. Its a creative book that's filled with conflict,passion and romance with a little bit sexual heat to warm you to your bones. If shits book doesn't leave flutters in your tummy then I don't know what will. Natasha never fails to grab my attention with her books. I really hope it will become paperback so I can add it to my shelf of wonders.
Profile Image for Sonia N..
996 reviews65 followers
August 25, 2020
Miranda and Adrian!! What an emotional, sensual, and romantic love story!
Miranda Jones is beautiful, but she has had a hard and traumatic upbringing, her father is a cruel, evil Duke. Her aunt trained Miranda as a courtesan, she is matched with a much older gentleman. Circumstances has her needing a new gentleman protector. Her aunt asks the Earl Adrian for help.
Adrian is such a strong alpha male, very handsome and notorious for hosting parties where gentlemen and courtesans can experience pleasure, or even find their next courtesan.
I don't think I can do justice in my review for such a beautiful book like this. I love this author's books, I have re-read her books. Her character are not simple heroines and alpha males. This book, like all her books, pay attention to details, great narrative, strong and emotional line!
Sensual and tastefully written love scenes. Action, suspense and page turner!
The title firs perfectly with the story. I am now reading the next book and will take my time, because I know I will fall in love again with Natasha Blackthorne's writing.
Profile Image for April.
1,850 reviews72 followers
June 18, 2016
Miranda's Dilemma (Fashionably Impure Book 1) by Natasha Blackthorne, promises to be an awesome Erotic Historical Romance.
Sizzling hot, intriguing and totally impure, with twists and turns. Begs the reader to continue turning pages.
Well written with engaging characters and a sexy, Regency Romance. WARNING: Frank language, discusses sexual abuse, and explicit sensual scenes.

Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Hot /sensual
Reviewed by: AprilR
Profile Image for Frances Shellings.
169 reviews
March 15, 2016
Too short

From start to finish this book is about trying to smolder feelings neither want to admit. Then at a house party he must be the hero and all feelings come to surface. Can she let him know her deep dark secret? Can he protect her?
Profile Image for Lisa Rivera.
41 reviews5 followers
Read
November 28, 2015
Needs more development

Not bad but I wanted more development and a little more tension! I did like them best of all Blackthorne's characters.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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