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Ladies of Infamy #1
Scandal
Secrets. Spies. Everyone lies.
Katherine, the Duchess of Hampshire, is a liar. Her marriage is one of convenience. Of necessity. But it's becoming increasingly difficult to remind herself of this when she's in the company of her enigmatic husband John and his lover, an artist by the name of Henry Fletcher.
Everything changes between the three of them after an otherwise uneventful evening. Words once left unsaid are spoken, repressed feelings can no longer be contained, and with just a few fevered whispers, their futures are forever altered.
But there is a darkness drawing closer to them, and just when they think they have a chance at true happiness, it's snatched from their fingers by an unseen enemy.
Scandal is an erotic historical fiction set amidst the chaos and intrigue of the Napoleonic Wars.
Katherine, the Duchess of Hampshire, is a liar. Her marriage is one of convenience. Of necessity. But it's becoming increasingly difficult to remind herself of this when she's in the company of her enigmatic husband John and his lover, an artist by the name of Henry Fletcher.
Everything changes between the three of them after an otherwise uneventful evening. Words once left unsaid are spoken, repressed feelings can no longer be contained, and with just a few fevered whispers, their futures are forever altered.
But there is a darkness drawing closer to them, and just when they think they have a chance at true happiness, it's snatched from their fingers by an unseen enemy.
Scandal is an erotic historical fiction set amidst the chaos and intrigue of the Napoleonic Wars.
587 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2014
420 people are currently reading
4150 people want to read
About the author
Navessa Allen
25 books20.2k followersNavessa Allen lives on a 200-year-old farm in rural New England with her husband, their cats, and an assorted collection of farm animals.
To keep up with her latest projects, check out her Patreon Page or subscribe to her website.
To keep up with her latest projects, check out her Patreon Page or subscribe to her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
August 5, 2014
EDIT: IT HAS A COVER!!!!!
As you guys may have noticed, I don't read erotica, and I'm not a fan of M/F/M romances. I am not homophobic, nor am I against the enjoyment of sexuality (I'm not exactly a Puritan, in case you can't tell from my constant use of profanity). It's just that I know what turns me on, and I know what I enjoy. I'm a traditionalist in that sense. I like commitment and monogamy in my relationships. I don't like reading about love triangles. I don't care about anything dealing with more than two people in a relationship.
Which is why it came as a complete surprise to me that I found myself enjoying this book.
Scandal challenged my very monogamous concepts on love. It showed me the possibility that there can be a meaningful relationship between more than the traditional model of a man and a woman or a man and a man. It opened to me the idea that two men can be soul mates and maintain that love and devotion even after a woman comes into the picture. It made me understand that pain can be pleasurable to some, and that submission and dominance is more than just sexual in nature. It made me realize that sometimes you need to lose control in order to maintain control in the face of chaos. When it feels like world is collapsing in ruins.
I guess what I'm saying here is please give this book a shot. It might challenge what you find to be acceptable and even enjoyable.
First, the disclaimer. I'm the author's friend, and I've been beta-reading her book chapter by chapter as she wrote it.
A group of us read it and criticized it, we told her what was good, we told her what sucked. I'm a tough reviewer, and I'm a tough reader. This isn't my first time beta reading a book, and I'd be pretty fucking useless if I was nice and considerate and not wanting to hurt feeeeeeelings.
If and when you guys have criticism, be it positive or negative, please do tell her. As she has repeatedly told us, this book is not her baby, and she will gladly accept your critique.
Like she accepted mine -.-
The Summary: Katherine (Kit), Duchess of Hampshire, has got a pretty sweet life. I mean, she's young, lovely, immensely wealthy, and the wife of an upwardly political man. To the public, they appear to be the epitome of all that is wrong with the British upper class. Prickly, snobby, asexual. Heaven forbid they should touch each other in public, 19th century voters don't want their politicians nuzzling their wives in open sight.
But in private, John is a kind, caring, gentle husband. His eyes light up at the sight of her.
Awesome! Perfect! So why the fuck is our lovely Kit so unhappy?!
But three years into the marriage, and things don't feel right. Kit is still a virgin, and becoming increasingly unsatisfied with their arrangement. It's all fine and well to be friends with two handsome men, but companionship isn't enough. She sees the love between John and Henry, and goddamn it, Kit wants to feel that passion, too.
And Kit's so very lucky that there are two men available to give it to her.
Henry and John are in love. John and Kit aren't quite there yet; they respect each other, but a mutual respect is a far thing from physical attraction. Can their marriage be consummated?
If words get out, his career will be ruined. Kit's life will turn to shreds. John, Henry, and Kit have no choice. They have to turn to themotherfucker douchebag asshole Jericho fucking Barrons one man who can help them.
As events unfold, Kit comes to realize that she has a fire that's just now started to burn. The scandal is just the beginning of Kit's journey to self-discovery.
John is such a gentleman. He always talks to Kit, he always asks her how she's feeling, without feeling effeminate, without being intrusive. He is respectful in a way that gives her space, and the three of them feel so right for me. It's a sexual relationship based on love, admiration, that eventually becomes lust.
That, I understand perfectly.
The Characters: Some, I loved more than others. I loved Marcus, but man, that boy had me half wanting to strangle him and half wanting to give him a hug.
Kit: I wasn't fond of Kit at first, as you can tell by my initial reaction to Chapter I.
It's a little hard to be sympathetic towards someone who's so privileged, and yet feels like she's so repressed. I was resentful and indifferent towards Kit in the beginning, but I slowly came to understand how she came to feel that way. I was with her as Kit grew, I cheered for her when she came to realize that she's got to get off her fucking ass and do something about it. Kit starts off as passive, a bystander to John and Henry's affair. She accepted her place as John and Henry's friend. As well-meaning as they are, John and Henry suppressed her needs out of their own selfishness and their inability to see beyond their own love affair.
Kit is someone who earned my respect as she came to self-actualization.
My thanks again to the author for allowing me to be a part of this sexually frustrating experience.
As you guys may have noticed, I don't read erotica, and I'm not a fan of M/F/M romances. I am not homophobic, nor am I against the enjoyment of sexuality (I'm not exactly a Puritan, in case you can't tell from my constant use of profanity). It's just that I know what turns me on, and I know what I enjoy. I'm a traditionalist in that sense. I like commitment and monogamy in my relationships. I don't like reading about love triangles. I don't care about anything dealing with more than two people in a relationship.
Which is why it came as a complete surprise to me that I found myself enjoying this book.
Scandal challenged my very monogamous concepts on love. It showed me the possibility that there can be a meaningful relationship between more than the traditional model of a man and a woman or a man and a man. It opened to me the idea that two men can be soul mates and maintain that love and devotion even after a woman comes into the picture. It made me understand that pain can be pleasurable to some, and that submission and dominance is more than just sexual in nature. It made me realize that sometimes you need to lose control in order to maintain control in the face of chaos. When it feels like world is collapsing in ruins.
I guess what I'm saying here is please give this book a shot. It might challenge what you find to be acceptable and even enjoyable.
First, the disclaimer. I'm the author's friend, and I've been beta-reading her book chapter by chapter as she wrote it.
A group of us read it and criticized it, we told her what was good, we told her what sucked. I'm a tough reviewer, and I'm a tough reader. This isn't my first time beta reading a book, and I'd be pretty fucking useless if I was nice and considerate and not wanting to hurt feeeeeeelings.
If and when you guys have criticism, be it positive or negative, please do tell her. As she has repeatedly told us, this book is not her baby, and she will gladly accept your critique.
Like she accepted mine -.-
The Summary: Katherine (Kit), Duchess of Hampshire, has got a pretty sweet life. I mean, she's young, lovely, immensely wealthy, and the wife of an upwardly political man. To the public, they appear to be the epitome of all that is wrong with the British upper class. Prickly, snobby, asexual. Heaven forbid they should touch each other in public, 19th century voters don't want their politicians nuzzling their wives in open sight.
But in private, John is a kind, caring, gentle husband. His eyes light up at the sight of her.
As he turned to meet my gaze, his full lips lifted in a welcoming smile, and his dimples made a rare appearance.Kit's even got a loving twin brother. Marcus.
“Damn you, man, you do not need to announce me!” a roar came from the hallway.Clearly, Marcus and the bucolic Kit are not identical twins. But they love each other, despite the fact that after her marriage, they're not as close as they once were.
"I have a standing appointment with her, which you bloody well know. We do not need to go through this every damn time, Sherman!” Marcus shouted, his voice much closer than before.
Awesome! Perfect! So why the fuck is our lovely Kit so unhappy?!
Sprawled over the rest of the couch, with his head on my husband’s thigh, was the large form of his lover, Henry Fletcher....Oh, well. Crap. Ok, that's a pretty legit reason. It turns out that Kit and John's marriage, while not devoid of "like," is empty of sex. Kit has been living a lie. She entered this marriage willingly, recovering from a broken heart. She has known about John's sexual proclivities all along. Kit accepts it, she even likes her husband's lover, Henry. The three are great friends, they adore each other, they enjoy each other's company. Three's company, or so they say.
But three years into the marriage, and things don't feel right. Kit is still a virgin, and becoming increasingly unsatisfied with their arrangement. It's all fine and well to be friends with two handsome men, but companionship isn't enough. She sees the love between John and Henry, and goddamn it, Kit wants to feel that passion, too.
His amber eyes shone like topaz as they fixed on the point where Henry’s lips touched my skin, and the intensity I saw in them unsettled me.The entire household knows John's secret. Kit is the object of the servants' pity. But John is nothing if not considerate, he senses that something is wrong.
What I would give to have a man look at me that way.
“Do you ever feel as though you made the wrong decision, Katherine?” he asked, his voice desperate and his beautiful face tormented in the dim light.John, ever the tortured soul, feels desperately guilty about his choice to entangle Kit into his mess. Kit tries to be happy for his sake, but clearly, something's got to give.
And Kit's so very lucky that there are two men available to give it to her.
Henry and John are in love. John and Kit aren't quite there yet; they respect each other, but a mutual respect is a far thing from physical attraction. Can their marriage be consummated?
“Is it possible?”And Henry is only too willing to assist.
It only took half a second for his eyes to come sliding back, and I watched as he dragged them down over my jaw, my throat, my breasts, my waist, and then back up again. “It’s possible,” he said on an exhale.
“We can’t just dive into this,” he said, his rumbling voice slow and lethargic."YES, THEY CAN," EVERYONE READING THIS CHAPTER SHOUTED.
Yes we can! I wanted to shout.
“I can tell you what I’d like to happen,” Henry offered, a lazy smile on his face. We both looked at him, waiting. “I want Kit to spread her legs, I want you to lean back into her, and I want you both to watch as I suck you off.”Perfect! Kit's got her men, she's lost the Big V. What can possibly go wrong now?!
About your husband.Well...crap. This is serious shit. John is a politician, remember? He wants to do good. He wants to help people.
Together the notes read, “I know a secret about your husband”. No, Henry hadn’t sent it, and neither had John. So that begged the question, who had? And why?
If words get out, his career will be ruined. Kit's life will turn to shreds. John, Henry, and Kit have no choice. They have to turn to the
“Who did you send for?” I asked.James is handsome. He's also bad news, but he can get the job done.
He eyed me a moment before responding. “James.”
As events unfold, Kit comes to realize that she has a fire that's just now started to burn. The scandal is just the beginning of Kit's journey to self-discovery.
I needed to lose control. I needed to find a person or a pastime to surrender myself to. I needed to be helpless to someone or something, turn my mind off, allow myself to feel, to want, and follow through without fear of the repercussions.The Respect: What sold me on the concept of M/F/M is the amount of respect and love that John, Kit, and Henry have for one another. John and Henry are always so considerate of Kit's feelings.
“Are you all right, Kit?” John asked, his voice sounding far away.Before every new sexual act, they ask for Kit's consent, in a way that doesn't kill the mood. It enhances my love for them, it enhances my respect for them, and the knowledge that they willingly seek Kit's consent makes me love them all the more. You will find no New Adult alpha fucking males asshattery in John and Henry.
Has he been calling my name all this time? I wondered. It took me several attempts before I finally managed to answer him with a strangled, “Yes.”
“Do you want us to continue?” he pressed.
John is such a gentleman. He always talks to Kit, he always asks her how she's feeling, without feeling effeminate, without being intrusive. He is respectful in a way that gives her space, and the three of them feel so right for me. It's a sexual relationship based on love, admiration, that eventually becomes lust.
That, I understand perfectly.
The Characters: Some, I loved more than others. I loved Marcus, but man, that boy had me half wanting to strangle him and half wanting to give him a hug.
Kit: I wasn't fond of Kit at first, as you can tell by my initial reaction to Chapter I.
It's a little hard to be sympathetic towards someone who's so privileged, and yet feels like she's so repressed. I was resentful and indifferent towards Kit in the beginning, but I slowly came to understand how she came to feel that way. I was with her as Kit grew, I cheered for her when she came to realize that she's got to get off her fucking ass and do something about it. Kit starts off as passive, a bystander to John and Henry's affair. She accepted her place as John and Henry's friend. As well-meaning as they are, John and Henry suppressed her needs out of their own selfishness and their inability to see beyond their own love affair.
Kit is someone who earned my respect as she came to self-actualization.
My thanks again to the author for allowing me to be a part of this sexually frustrating experience.
Read
February 25, 2020It's taken me seven years, but friends, Scandal is now live. Bonus: if you're a KU subscriber, you get to read this behemoth for free.
April 6, 2016
YOOOOOOOOO NAVESSA
This was actually really, REALLY good. I love this author's reviews here on goodreads, so should have expected that she'd be a great writer but I wasn't prepared as to how much so.
First of all, the sex was fucking phenomenal (pun intended). Good lord. I loved how consent was such a huge, important element for the relationship as well. Every step in the sexual exploration process everyone would check to see if their partner/partners are comfortable and interested in what's going on. But that didn't make it "tame" or watered down IN ANY WAY. It was still so deliciously erotic and sensual. The concept of sexuality explored here is so sex-positive and open-minded. Loved it.
I was additionally super impressed by the depth of the characters. They were so multi-dimensional. I especially appreciated that Henry wasn't a cardboard cutout of a gay lover and instead was his own person with hopes and fears. I wouldn't have been surprised if the story made him bland and stereotypical so the typical heteronormative relationship could prevail. BUT it remained positively and definitively F/M/M throughout, with all parties being distinct and believable human beings.
I definitely expected this to be straight erotica (which I was pumped for anyways) but then it becomes a complex, vivid story and I'm just like :o So if you're looking for a orgasm-inducing historical romance/drama/thriller, check this out.
I NEED the next chapter. Get on it, Navessa.
This was actually really, REALLY good. I love this author's reviews here on goodreads, so should have expected that she'd be a great writer but I wasn't prepared as to how much so.
First of all, the sex was fucking phenomenal (pun intended). Good lord. I loved how consent was such a huge, important element for the relationship as well. Every step in the sexual exploration process everyone would check to see if their partner/partners are comfortable and interested in what's going on. But that didn't make it "tame" or watered down IN ANY WAY. It was still so deliciously erotic and sensual. The concept of sexuality explored here is so sex-positive and open-minded. Loved it.
I was additionally super impressed by the depth of the characters. They were so multi-dimensional. I especially appreciated that Henry wasn't a cardboard cutout of a gay lover and instead was his own person with hopes and fears. I wouldn't have been surprised if the story made him bland and stereotypical so the typical heteronormative relationship could prevail. BUT it remained positively and definitively F/M/M throughout, with all parties being distinct and believable human beings.
I definitely expected this to be straight erotica (which I was pumped for anyways) but then it becomes a complex, vivid story and I'm just like :o So if you're looking for a orgasm-inducing historical romance/drama/thriller, check this out.
I NEED the next chapter. Get on it, Navessa.
Want to read
April 3, 2014Allen has been feeding me this chapter by chapter, and each and every time I do this:
Also, DO WANT.
Also, DO WANT.
August 3, 2014
4.5 Love A Good Menage Stars
The higher you rise, the further you may fall...
This is something that Lady Katherine, the Duchess of Hampshire and her husband are about to find out really soon. Katherine, Kit to her friends, married her husband, John, the Duke of Hampshire, out of convenience. Their marriage was never a romantic affair since John is very much in love with his lover, a famous artist by the name Henry Fletcher. Khit has been supressing every aspect of her character in public so there would be no room for gossip and speculation because John's political career is too important to jeopardise with a scandal. Their circle thinks of her as the frigid Duchess, a woman with little emotion.
But Kit was once a passionate woman, a vibrant girl, and all the pretending has began to take its toll on her. She wants more passion in her life, she wants love, she wants fire. And she will find this in the arms of the two most important men in her life, for who is better to teach her what she's missing than the two men she's spent most of her time with in the last years? The two men who know exactly what an extraordinary woman Kit is?
But now someone knows their secret and they are determined to stop John from passing a bill that will help the poor, either by threatening him until he relents, or by creating a scandal that will leave them ruined and descredited with polite society for all their lives. They will have to rely on a man who is as shady as his job requires in order to get out of this mess but can they really trust him with their lives?
I liked this book so much. It was a mix of erotica and mystery that had you biting your nails one moment and feeling all hot and bothered the next. The characters were interesting and completely lovable thought and the plot exciting and unpredictable. The end just about killed me.
What I liked about the writing of the book was that it lacked the usual love for flowery words and grant descriptions that Historical Romance are usually full of. You can only read so many muslin and pillow descriptions before you get a headache.
The reason I gave it 4.5 stars and not 5 is because I think that some ideas the heroine expressed in the book were slightly out of time. Too modern, too liberal, too revolutionary for a woman of that era. Still nothing I couldn't get over easily by thinking that she was just a free spirit.
My favorite love interest was Henry by the way, for anyone who didn't get it from my many SU dedicated to his worship.
PS. I can't wait for the next book. I hope the heroine is as intriguing as Kit and I want a romance between her and James. I hope the author indulges!*hint*
PPS. The book can still, for a limited time, be found for free on the author's website.
Scandal
The higher you rise, the further you may fall...
This is something that Lady Katherine, the Duchess of Hampshire and her husband are about to find out really soon. Katherine, Kit to her friends, married her husband, John, the Duke of Hampshire, out of convenience. Their marriage was never a romantic affair since John is very much in love with his lover, a famous artist by the name Henry Fletcher. Khit has been supressing every aspect of her character in public so there would be no room for gossip and speculation because John's political career is too important to jeopardise with a scandal. Their circle thinks of her as the frigid Duchess, a woman with little emotion.
But Kit was once a passionate woman, a vibrant girl, and all the pretending has began to take its toll on her. She wants more passion in her life, she wants love, she wants fire. And she will find this in the arms of the two most important men in her life, for who is better to teach her what she's missing than the two men she's spent most of her time with in the last years? The two men who know exactly what an extraordinary woman Kit is?
But now someone knows their secret and they are determined to stop John from passing a bill that will help the poor, either by threatening him until he relents, or by creating a scandal that will leave them ruined and descredited with polite society for all their lives. They will have to rely on a man who is as shady as his job requires in order to get out of this mess but can they really trust him with their lives?
I liked this book so much. It was a mix of erotica and mystery that had you biting your nails one moment and feeling all hot and bothered the next. The characters were interesting and completely lovable thought and the plot exciting and unpredictable. The end just about killed me.
What I liked about the writing of the book was that it lacked the usual love for flowery words and grant descriptions that Historical Romance are usually full of. You can only read so many muslin and pillow descriptions before you get a headache.
The reason I gave it 4.5 stars and not 5 is because I think that some ideas the heroine expressed in the book were slightly out of time. Too modern, too liberal, too revolutionary for a woman of that era. Still nothing I couldn't get over easily by thinking that she was just a free spirit.
My favorite love interest was Henry by the way, for anyone who didn't get it from my many SU dedicated to his worship.
PS. I can't wait for the next book. I hope the heroine is as intriguing as Kit and I want a romance between her and James. I hope the author indulges!*hint*
PPS. The book can still, for a limited time, be found for free on the author's website.
Scandal
August 4, 2014
THIS BOOK WAS A PROBLEM
First of all, you should know my rating is always subjective but today is only intuition and nothing more. I've never read erotica and I'm not planning to do it in the future. Not my cup of tea. Add F/M/M and M/M and after a few chapters I was like:
I didn't know... is that... you think I could too... tell me more.
After that first strong impression, I tried to focus in the story. (I didn't know erotica could actually tell a story) For the first half, Kit was a pain in the ass (not pun intended). She was once a passionate woman. After getting married, she lost that fire and just accepted the convenience of the union while John and Henry enjoyed the secrecy of their love (before the world, not Kit).
Damn. You can only try to understand how lonely she felt.
Mystery, plots and schemes with the exquisite period feel on the background (I love HR) made it impossible to get bored.
The invitation finally comes and Kit accepts, rekindling that almost extinguished fire. She very quickly finds her place in the relationship with urges and needs and a god helps us all curiosity...
*heavy breathing*
The thing is (and my biggest fear) how was this going to work? Was it possible for everybody to feel loved and privileged? It's like a meeting with friends, there's always someone feeling left out, right? I don't know how the author managed to balance this perfectly.
At first I tried to see this as a love triangle. Who I like the most? That was a big mistake because my head almost exploded. Both John and Henry (♥) were respectful and passionate. So I read. Didn't argue, didn't analyzed. Accepted every dynamic and found the rhythm of the story.
And then there was James.
Damn you, Navessa.
He was the alpha. The douchebag. The asshole. And I liked him. A lot.
Why did I say this book was a problem? Because I'd never explored this before. Lust? I could understand. Love? Not so much. How three people could love and share each other with out jealously or rivalry? There you got me, Allen.
I take my hat off to you, sir.
Also: THE COVER.
First of all, you should know my rating is always subjective but today is only intuition and nothing more. I've never read erotica and I'm not planning to do it in the future. Not my cup of tea. Add F/M/M and M/M and after a few chapters I was like:
I didn't know... is that... you think I could too... tell me more.
After that first strong impression, I tried to focus in the story. (I didn't know erotica could actually tell a story) For the first half, Kit was a pain in the ass (not pun intended). She was once a passionate woman. After getting married, she lost that fire and just accepted the convenience of the union while John and Henry enjoyed the secrecy of their love (before the world, not Kit).
Damn. You can only try to understand how lonely she felt.
Mystery, plots and schemes with the exquisite period feel on the background (I love HR) made it impossible to get bored.
The invitation finally comes and Kit accepts, rekindling that almost extinguished fire. She very quickly finds her place in the relationship with urges and needs and a god helps us all curiosity...
*heavy breathing*
The thing is (and my biggest fear) how was this going to work? Was it possible for everybody to feel loved and privileged? It's like a meeting with friends, there's always someone feeling left out, right? I don't know how the author managed to balance this perfectly.
At first I tried to see this as a love triangle. Who I like the most? That was a big mistake because my head almost exploded. Both John and Henry (♥) were respectful and passionate. So I read. Didn't argue, didn't analyzed. Accepted every dynamic and found the rhythm of the story.
And then there was James.
Damn you, Navessa.
He was the alpha. The douchebag. The asshole. And I liked him. A lot.
Why did I say this book was a problem? Because I'd never explored this before. Lust? I could understand. Love? Not so much. How three people could love and share each other with out jealously or rivalry? There you got me, Allen.
I take my hat off to you, sir.
Also: THE COVER.
August 13, 2014
Confession, I read my fair share of smut. I love it and I’m totally fine to admit that. However, before starting this book with some of my other favorite smut peddlers here on Goodreads I hadn’t ever read anything with a threesome *hangs head in shame* all my experience had strictly been M/F. I foolishly thought I didn’t like them or that they were degrading. I WAS SO WRONG!!! I absolutely positively loved the relationship that developed between Kit, John and Henry. I am now totally a M/F/M M/M convert in the right situation.
When Kit married John she knew what she was getting into. He explained he had a lover Henry and that their marriage would be in name only. She agreed to the marriage and while not exactly unhappy she is a bit lonely. Kit never imagined that three years later the dynamic of her relationship might change.
He wanted me. Henry wanted me. They wanted me. Together. And so help me God, I didn’t think I’d ever wanted anything so much in return. It was like every fantasy that I’d never allowed myself to have was coming true.
It seems that someone is onto their relationship though and threatens to out them to all of society. If that happens they will be ruined and everything that John has worked so hard for will be lost. The three are at a mad scramble to find out who knows their secret and what they could possibly want in return for their silence. Enter James a longtime friend of John and Henry who more than dabbles in spying.
There seems to be a good sized list of people who have cause to try and blackmail our happy trio. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the who and why of it. With each new clue I thought I was closer to the truth only to find out later how wrong I was.
Sure this is an erotic tale but it is also a wonderfully written intrigue. There isn’t just sex for the sake of it and everything in the story leads to something else. I had a wonderful time with both the erotica and the plot of the story. Sometimes I even liked the story more than the sex scenes which were incredibly hot *shhhh*.
This story also has some aspects of light BDSM. Nothing too intense but it just added another facet to the overall complexity of the relationship between Kit, John and Henry. It was also an interesting insight into the reasons someone might enjoy a little BDSM play
I needed to lose control. I needed to find a person or a pastime to surrender myself to. I needed to be helpless to someone or something, turn my mind off, allow myself to feel, to want, and follow through without fear of the repercussions.
The pressure of showing one face to society and living a completely different way was stressful and John found another way to release that tension and stress through dominance and pain play. Kit also enjoyed some areas of this as well and we get to travel into this world through the eyes of someone else for the first time.
All and all I had a great time with this story and my only complaint was that I read it in chapter installments and had to wait instead of devouring it all at once. Scandal really made me look at a threesome dynamic differently and since starting this book I have found a few others with similar formats of M/F/M consensual honest relationships to read as well. Thank you to Navessa Allen for opening up that entire world for me.
“Why must we try to define it by the social standards we were raised to believe in? Look at what else they’ve taught us, and how unhappy our peers are because of them. Why can’t it just be what it is? An unconventional love.”
I am totally excited to read the next book in this series as I really want to revisit our Trio of lovers and I must say that James is an intriguing character who might have met his match in the epilogue. They should be steamy together and be able to get into all sorts of diabolical situations.
This book is currently available on Wattpad for a limited time
When Kit married John she knew what she was getting into. He explained he had a lover Henry and that their marriage would be in name only. She agreed to the marriage and while not exactly unhappy she is a bit lonely. Kit never imagined that three years later the dynamic of her relationship might change.
He wanted me. Henry wanted me. They wanted me. Together. And so help me God, I didn’t think I’d ever wanted anything so much in return. It was like every fantasy that I’d never allowed myself to have was coming true.
It seems that someone is onto their relationship though and threatens to out them to all of society. If that happens they will be ruined and everything that John has worked so hard for will be lost. The three are at a mad scramble to find out who knows their secret and what they could possibly want in return for their silence. Enter James a longtime friend of John and Henry who more than dabbles in spying.
There seems to be a good sized list of people who have cause to try and blackmail our happy trio. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the who and why of it. With each new clue I thought I was closer to the truth only to find out later how wrong I was.
Sure this is an erotic tale but it is also a wonderfully written intrigue. There isn’t just sex for the sake of it and everything in the story leads to something else. I had a wonderful time with both the erotica and the plot of the story. Sometimes I even liked the story more than the sex scenes which were incredibly hot *shhhh*.
This story also has some aspects of light BDSM. Nothing too intense but it just added another facet to the overall complexity of the relationship between Kit, John and Henry. It was also an interesting insight into the reasons someone might enjoy a little BDSM play
I needed to lose control. I needed to find a person or a pastime to surrender myself to. I needed to be helpless to someone or something, turn my mind off, allow myself to feel, to want, and follow through without fear of the repercussions.
The pressure of showing one face to society and living a completely different way was stressful and John found another way to release that tension and stress through dominance and pain play. Kit also enjoyed some areas of this as well and we get to travel into this world through the eyes of someone else for the first time.
All and all I had a great time with this story and my only complaint was that I read it in chapter installments and had to wait instead of devouring it all at once. Scandal really made me look at a threesome dynamic differently and since starting this book I have found a few others with similar formats of M/F/M consensual honest relationships to read as well. Thank you to Navessa Allen for opening up that entire world for me.
“Why must we try to define it by the social standards we were raised to believe in? Look at what else they’ve taught us, and how unhappy our peers are because of them. Why can’t it just be what it is? An unconventional love.”
I am totally excited to read the next book in this series as I really want to revisit our Trio of lovers and I must say that James is an intriguing character who might have met his match in the epilogue. They should be steamy together and be able to get into all sorts of diabolical situations.
This book is currently available on Wattpad for a limited time
August 5, 2014
*tsk tsk* I'm doing that thing, again, where I start reviewing before I'm done the story.... spank me.
I have been loving this smutty little piece of intrigue since page one! That's a treat for me because I'm not a big fan of erotic fiction.
Let's take a minute here to talk about sexual shame, okay? (I seem to be doing these little side blurbs a lot lately o.O) I know it's a thing, I have it, hell most of the world has it....
Okay?! Sex, sexuality and sexual kinks are NOTHING to be ashamed of!! Let's make communicating about them "the norm" because if we all just float around being ashamed to like what we like or scared of being judged the world becomes a whole lot scarier.... okay?!
This is an unorthodox romance..... Kit:
(I know, I know.... I love Emma Stone, deal with it!)
is married to a wonderful, intelligent man, named John:
but John has a secret, he digs men.... Henry in particular.
This is historical fiction so the hush, hush let's not talk about it part is fairly valid. Especially since John is a very prevalent member of society. Kit has played the role of his aloof wife for years, for her own reasons.... and then things change! -- I am NOT a ménage fan, normally, but Allen does a wonderful job playing the three lovers different relationships off of each other.
One issue I have is the insta-love thing..... I know Kit has known John and Henry for years and is very close to both of them -- even loves them as friends -- but I would argue that that makes distinguishing a romantic love even more complex and tender-footed.
There is a scandal -- ooops spoiler :P.... not -- and they have to call for reinforcements.... Enter: James ;) (My book crush)
He is intense, guarded and a little bit terrifying.....
I really enjoyed all the relationships in here! More than merely the erotic fiction I signed on for, I found Allen's story interesting, engaging and thrilling by turns.
I will definitely be checking out Betrayal, which is looking to be all wrapped up in James' world ;).
I have been loving this smutty little piece of intrigue since page one! That's a treat for me because I'm not a big fan of erotic fiction.
Let's take a minute here to talk about sexual shame, okay? (I seem to be doing these little side blurbs a lot lately o.O) I know it's a thing, I have it, hell most of the world has it....
Okay?! Sex, sexuality and sexual kinks are NOTHING to be ashamed of!! Let's make communicating about them "the norm" because if we all just float around being ashamed to like what we like or scared of being judged the world becomes a whole lot scarier.... okay?!
This is an unorthodox romance..... Kit:
(I know, I know.... I love Emma Stone, deal with it!)is married to a wonderful, intelligent man, named John:
but John has a secret, he digs men.... Henry in particular.
This is historical fiction so the hush, hush let's not talk about it part is fairly valid. Especially since John is a very prevalent member of society. Kit has played the role of his aloof wife for years, for her own reasons.... and then things change! -- I am NOT a ménage fan, normally, but Allen does a wonderful job playing the three lovers different relationships off of each other.
One issue I have is the insta-love thing..... I know Kit has known John and Henry for years and is very close to both of them -- even loves them as friends -- but I would argue that that makes distinguishing a romantic love even more complex and tender-footed.
There is a scandal -- ooops spoiler :P.... not -- and they have to call for reinforcements.... Enter: James ;) (My book crush)
He is intense, guarded and a little bit terrifying.....
I really enjoyed all the relationships in here! More than merely the erotic fiction I signed on for, I found Allen's story interesting, engaging and thrilling by turns.
I will definitely be checking out Betrayal, which is looking to be all wrapped up in James' world ;).
January 28, 2015
Please excuse this scatterbrained "analysis." I finished this book a week ago and have since read two more books. To be honest, this book didn't leave much of an impression on me so it doesn't help that I waited to review.
Scandal tells the story of Katherine (AKA Kit,) an olden tyme politician's wife, who has resigned herself to a loveless marriage with a mighty fine gay man named John. John likes to flower the dirty pipe with Henry, another hunk of sizzling beefsteak, who is also an artist with rough, manly hands. Henry and John share a passionate, romantic relationship. Meanwhile, a lonely Kit sadly looks on and wonders if this is what it sounds like when doves cry.
How can you just leave me standing, alone in a world that's so cold?
Until one day, 3 years into their marriage, John finally notices his hot, virginal young wife practically begging for the D and decides he's not totally gay after all. After a quick grope in a carriage, John returns home ashamed to admit his infidelity to Henry, only to be rebuffed when Henry similarly admits he'd like to hit that and proffers a menage a trois. Kit is overjoyed. Rutting commences, etc...
If you're worried about spoilers, don't. This is all covered in the first 5 pages. If the absurdity of the situation doesn't strike you, then the speed of it should, but I suppose that is the way of these books.
Aside from the looney-tunes sex setup, I want to talk about our main character for a bit.
Kit began life as John's beard when she was just a young, rich duchess, recently engaged to a scoundrel whose name is entirely forgettable -- despite playing some kind of role in the dastardly plot that's supposed to come later, though he only shows up twice in the damn book -- blah, blah, blah. Anyway, she catches him with his hand up some old lady's skirt, is heart broken, and after declaring that it's her party and she'll cry if she wants to, she petulantly swears off love matches altogether.
This marks Kit to me as childish. She is very woe-is-me about the arrangement except when she's being bravely complacent. She is the ultimate passive character, self-defeating in the extreme, and the picture of damsel-daintiness throughout the book. She even goes so far as to faint/fall down when she is overwhelmed by *feelings.* I find this type of character annoying, but it wouldn't bother me so much if she weren't also a hypocrite (or just badly written) without a lick of self awareness, or sense.
Kit's ruminations before the menage a trois:
Followed by:
Then:
Yes, never mind reasons -- get back to the sexin'!
I want to point out that Kit goes on and on in various parts of the book about how marriage for love is stupid. She gives numerous examples of love gone wrong in her social circle (high society douche bags) and how she believes everyone is destined to end up heartbroken due to cheating, gambling, alcoholism, etc (I'm sorry I neglected to save excerpts demonstrating this, I couldn't be fucked.) She is super cynic...
Except when she isn't:
If you hadn't already guessed, the main plot of this book revolves around what happens if people were to find out about their little threesome, being politicians and all.
Kit expounds:
I'll tell you what's odious, woman: your superficial whining. But wait! She rethinks her position a tiny bit when she realizes...
Self-entitled brat alert. You're supposed to believe that Kit endures her celibacy and sadness out of friendship to John, but I find it hard to believe because:
1) From the very beginning he seemingly doesn't pay enough attention to her to notice that she's so lonely she spends all her free time masturbating to dirty books and, worse, she has no friends (I don't count him, who sucks at it.) Neither does she feel close enough to have had communicated any of this to him in three-whole-motherfreaking years.
2) While she eventually comes to her senses and realizes that maybe, just maybe, it'd be bad for John's career for her to come out as a sexual deviant, it's not her first, second, or third thought. WTF, lady! I'm not sure if she's just slow, selfish, or both. She has no interest in politics herself, so I guess it's none of her concern if shit gets real and she loses all integrity, but gah! How oblivious can you be?
The saving grace of this book are the two male characters who, astoundingly, don't take advantage of Kit's wishy-washy nature. Normally, in these types of romance books, men show off their manliness by engaging in very dominant, nay-abusive behavior. It's one thing for a character to dominate in the bedroom (provided there's consent) but for some reason a lot of authors won't divorce that behavior from other aspects in the relationship (50 Shades of Gray, Twilight, etc.) It's considered romantic to stalk, harass, and otherwise exploit your mate.
But John and Henry are extremely accommodating of Kit and always, always ask her permission before tearing her clothes off, and again before every new step they take sexually, romantically, whatever. They do proceed rather hastily through what I would consider pretty important, life-changing decisions, but I suppose too much responsibility-talk makes the ween grow cold. But for what there is, it's a nice change. John and Henry also have a very solid relationship among themselves, one that is communicative and respectful. I would read a romance featuring just them two, even though I'm not usually a reader of male-male pairings.
Let's talk about why you're really here: the sex. The sex is better than most. Not very explicit, actually. This was billed to me as a BDSM erotica, but I found it very light on kink -- unless you count gay sex as a kink. Silk cravats used as hand ties is about as extreme as it gets in here, although we did hear some pain for pleasure stuff through a door. Most of the BDSM is just talk. I thought the writing was too nondescript for an erotica, more like your standard romance where they employ words like "member" so as not to offend delicate sensibilities. I don't know if I care, but erotica is dirtier in my experience.
The BDSM is handled much better than most*. There's actual discussion beforehand, often impromptu, but everything happens gradually and everybody generally follows the rules. This is a lot different than the high pressure situations in other books suffering from the coersion-is-hot trope. There is even talk of aftercare, sort of. There were still parts that bothered me, like where Kit is tied up on the first date, but they gave her a knife to Rambo her way out if she needed to and that's miles ahead in my experience.
*I am not a BDSM expert.
Plot is an afterthought. I think the author tried harder than some, but let's be honest here: romance plots suck 99% of the time. This one is particularly messy and rushed. I'm not even sure what the hell happened, because the characters that were supposed to be behind the whole thing weren't fleshed out at all and had hardly any stage time. What's more, our three little musketeers Henry, John, and Kit are so stupidly naive that it's hard to feel sympathy for them.
Other things in no particular order:
-Parade of ridiculous side characters who don't serve to enrich the story: James the psychotic; Anne the dominatrix-spy; Kit's stupid first friend whose name I forgot; Ben, her husband, who doesn't even have any speaking lines; and the endless high-society boogey men who are so clandestine we know nothing about them (and therefore don't care.)
-The book is not entire unto itself. It's half a book that's been chopped into a serial, so the main plot isn't resolved at the end. Awkward.
I think I've covered everything I remember, and since this review is getting to be as long as the book (which is very short, a novella more like) I say go forth and read it... or not. It's free right now on Wattpad and, like the two star rating says, "it was okay."
Scandal tells the story of Katherine (AKA Kit,) an olden tyme politician's wife, who has resigned herself to a loveless marriage with a mighty fine gay man named John. John likes to flower the dirty pipe with Henry, another hunk of sizzling beefsteak, who is also an artist with rough, manly hands. Henry and John share a passionate, romantic relationship. Meanwhile, a lonely Kit sadly looks on and wonders if this is what it sounds like when doves cry.
How can you just leave me standing, alone in a world that's so cold?
Until one day, 3 years into their marriage, John finally notices his hot, virginal young wife practically begging for the D and decides he's not totally gay after all. After a quick grope in a carriage, John returns home ashamed to admit his infidelity to Henry, only to be rebuffed when Henry similarly admits he'd like to hit that and proffers a menage a trois. Kit is overjoyed. Rutting commences, etc...
“You’re not mad?” John spoke from above me.
“That you finally realized its high time you deflower your wife? God, no. I’ve been waiting for you two to come to this conclusion for years,” he answered, pushing himself up from his chair to yank John into a hard hug.
[...]
“So when are we going to get started?” he asked, grinning down at me rakishly. I felt my eyes widen and my smile slip. We?
If you're worried about spoilers, don't. This is all covered in the first 5 pages. If the absurdity of the situation doesn't strike you, then the speed of it should, but I suppose that is the way of these books.
Aside from the looney-tunes sex setup, I want to talk about our main character for a bit.
Kit began life as John's beard when she was just a young, rich duchess, recently engaged to a scoundrel whose name is entirely forgettable -- despite playing some kind of role in the dastardly plot that's supposed to come later, though he only shows up twice in the damn book -- blah, blah, blah. Anyway, she catches him with his hand up some old lady's skirt, is heart broken, and after declaring that it's her party and she'll cry if she wants to, she petulantly swears off love matches altogether.
This marks Kit to me as childish. She is very woe-is-me about the arrangement except when she's being bravely complacent. She is the ultimate passive character, self-defeating in the extreme, and the picture of damsel-daintiness throughout the book. She even goes so far as to faint/fall down when she is overwhelmed by *feelings.* I find this type of character annoying, but it wouldn't bother me so much if she weren't also a hypocrite (or just badly written) without a lick of self awareness, or sense.
Kit's ruminations before the menage a trois:
What had changed? Why had John, after three years of marriage, chosen tonight of all nights to come to the realization that he desired me?
Followed by:
This is pointless, I realized. There could have been a hundred signs or there could have been none. It didn't matter. What mattered was that something had changed. And what a change it was.
Then:
Yes, something could go wrong. Yes, something could sour between us. But there was risk in all aspects of life. Why should I miss out on a chance at happiness just because of the potential that it might not work out the way I hoped?
Yes, never mind reasons -- get back to the sexin'!
I want to point out that Kit goes on and on in various parts of the book about how marriage for love is stupid. She gives numerous examples of love gone wrong in her social circle (high society douche bags) and how she believes everyone is destined to end up heartbroken due to cheating, gambling, alcoholism, etc (I'm sorry I neglected to save excerpts demonstrating this, I couldn't be fucked.) She is super cynic...
Except when she isn't:
And more than once I'd caught the baron casting a gaze in his wife's direction when he didn't think anyone was looking that made me blush. They'd married for love and had somehow managed to maintain it for over twenty years. It gave me hope that others might be able to find the same, those like the Viscount and Viscountess of Dover.
If you hadn't already guessed, the main plot of this book revolves around what happens if people were to find out about their little threesome, being politicians and all.
Kit expounds:
I had been so afraid of the past week, terrified of my peers finding out about John and Henry ostracizing us. Why? I abhorred most of the nobility downstairs. If they did shun me, I would no longer have to endure the torturous small gatherings held by the Duchess of Amesbury, or those odious political dinners, or the endless recitals[...]
I'll tell you what's odious, woman: your superficial whining. But wait! She rethinks her position a tiny bit when she realizes...
I felt a small twinge when I realized that I would also miss out on the grand balls, like the one being held tonight, but then I thought about it and I knew that I would only be missing the spectacle, the beauty and the grandeur.
Self-entitled brat alert. You're supposed to believe that Kit endures her celibacy and sadness out of friendship to John, but I find it hard to believe because:
1) From the very beginning he seemingly doesn't pay enough attention to her to notice that she's so lonely she spends all her free time masturbating to dirty books and, worse, she has no friends (I don't count him, who sucks at it.) Neither does she feel close enough to have had communicated any of this to him in three-whole-motherfreaking years.
2) While she eventually comes to her senses and realizes that maybe, just maybe, it'd be bad for John's career for her to come out as a sexual deviant, it's not her first, second, or third thought. WTF, lady! I'm not sure if she's just slow, selfish, or both. She has no interest in politics herself, so I guess it's none of her concern if shit gets real and she loses all integrity, but gah! How oblivious can you be?
The saving grace of this book are the two male characters who, astoundingly, don't take advantage of Kit's wishy-washy nature. Normally, in these types of romance books, men show off their manliness by engaging in very dominant, nay-abusive behavior. It's one thing for a character to dominate in the bedroom (provided there's consent) but for some reason a lot of authors won't divorce that behavior from other aspects in the relationship (50 Shades of Gray, Twilight, etc.) It's considered romantic to stalk, harass, and otherwise exploit your mate.
But John and Henry are extremely accommodating of Kit and always, always ask her permission before tearing her clothes off, and again before every new step they take sexually, romantically, whatever. They do proceed rather hastily through what I would consider pretty important, life-changing decisions, but I suppose too much responsibility-talk makes the ween grow cold. But for what there is, it's a nice change. John and Henry also have a very solid relationship among themselves, one that is communicative and respectful. I would read a romance featuring just them two, even though I'm not usually a reader of male-male pairings.
Let's talk about why you're really here: the sex. The sex is better than most. Not very explicit, actually. This was billed to me as a BDSM erotica, but I found it very light on kink -- unless you count gay sex as a kink. Silk cravats used as hand ties is about as extreme as it gets in here, although we did hear some pain for pleasure stuff through a door. Most of the BDSM is just talk. I thought the writing was too nondescript for an erotica, more like your standard romance where they employ words like "member" so as not to offend delicate sensibilities. I don't know if I care, but erotica is dirtier in my experience.
The BDSM is handled much better than most*. There's actual discussion beforehand, often impromptu, but everything happens gradually and everybody generally follows the rules. This is a lot different than the high pressure situations in other books suffering from the coersion-is-hot trope. There is even talk of aftercare, sort of. There were still parts that bothered me, like where Kit is tied up on the first date, but they gave her a knife to Rambo her way out if she needed to and that's miles ahead in my experience.
*I am not a BDSM expert.
Plot is an afterthought. I think the author tried harder than some, but let's be honest here: romance plots suck 99% of the time. This one is particularly messy and rushed. I'm not even sure what the hell happened, because the characters that were supposed to be behind the whole thing weren't fleshed out at all and had hardly any stage time. What's more, our three little musketeers Henry, John, and Kit are so stupidly naive that it's hard to feel sympathy for them.
Other things in no particular order:
-Parade of ridiculous side characters who don't serve to enrich the story: James the psychotic; Anne the dominatrix-spy; Kit's stupid first friend whose name I forgot; Ben, her husband, who doesn't even have any speaking lines; and the endless high-society boogey men who are so clandestine we know nothing about them (and therefore don't care.)
-The book is not entire unto itself. It's half a book that's been chopped into a serial, so the main plot isn't resolved at the end. Awkward.
I think I've covered everything I remember, and since this review is getting to be as long as the book (which is very short, a novella more like) I say go forth and read it... or not. It's free right now on Wattpad and, like the two star rating says, "it was okay."
August 4, 2014
HOLY FUCKING CRAP BALLS!!!
My emotions!! And my heart, oh my poor heart. I have had two heart attacks and countless palpations. Navessa do you know how awful it sounds that a 23 year old needs a pacemaker now after this.
where is book two. I need it NOW.
My emotions!! And my heart, oh my poor heart. I have had two heart attacks and countless palpations. Navessa do you know how awful it sounds that a 23 year old needs a pacemaker now after this.
where is book two. I need it NOW.
January 8, 2015
Review of original version that was available on author's website and Wattpad during writing. So this review is going to be obsolete - major rewrites are under way (I'm DYING with the need to read the revised story!!!). I can't wait to get my beta-read copy!!!
So, my original review (which I was a slacker in getting up) is going in a spoiler tag :P I'm going to pull my disclaimer out, because it applies no matter what.
Disclaimer: Navessa is one of my very, very close friends. I love and treasure her. That being said, she's never once shied away from criticism. I beta read this book for her and was very frank with things that worked, didn't work, things I loved and (There wasn't one moment of me hating anything but if I had I know she would have taken that in stride, too!)
So, my original review (which I was a slacker in getting up) is going in a spoiler tag :P I'm going to pull my disclaimer out, because it applies no matter what.
Disclaimer: Navessa is one of my very, very close friends. I love and treasure her. That being said, she's never once shied away from criticism. I beta read this book for her and was very frank with things that worked, didn't work, things I loved and (There wasn't one moment of me hating anything but if I had I know she would have taken that in stride, too!)
April 14, 2021
I really hope the next one in this series is still coming because this was a fascinating book!
MMF Historical Romance with spies, intruige, and lots so sexy times. This was amazing!
MMF Historical Romance with spies, intruige, and lots so sexy times. This was amazing!
August 3, 2016
The only reason I read this was because it came recommended by a
March 14, 2016
Edited to add that this review was of the first version the author posted on her website. She has since heavily edited it and is re-posting it, so I'm about to start reading that!!! :D
4.5 Stars!!!
I really enjoyed this. Like, REALLY REALLY.
I read it as Ms. Allen posted it chapter by chapter on her website, and I plan to read it again once it is edited and published this fall.
The characters are wonderfully crafted, the intrigue is gripping and the sex scenes are fricking HOT.
HOOOOOOOT.
If you enjoy historical romances, READ THIS.
If you enjoy good writing, READ THIS.
If you enjoy hot sex scenes, but also like there to be an actual story, READ THIS.
4.5 Stars!!!
I really enjoyed this. Like, REALLY REALLY.
I read it as Ms. Allen posted it chapter by chapter on her website, and I plan to read it again once it is edited and published this fall.
The characters are wonderfully crafted, the intrigue is gripping and the sex scenes are fricking HOT.
HOOOOOOOT.
If you enjoy historical romances, READ THIS.
If you enjoy good writing, READ THIS.
If you enjoy hot sex scenes, but also like there to be an actual story, READ THIS.
July 29, 2016
The only reason I read this in its entirety was because it was serialized. It was boring, anachronistic, unrealistic, and had a Mary Sue main character. There is much more that was irritating, but I don't feel like bothering to write about it, because that would indicate that I care more than I do. (Even the erotic bits were boring and cringeworthy, and not particularly hot.)
December 10, 2023
Navessa Allen is a new-to-me author and I was so very impressed with the quality of writing. The characters were multi-layered, filled with depth and contradictions. The relationships, between John and Henry, John and Kit, Kit and Henry, and the three together, were so beautifully written; complex and raw and real and so very, very hot. This was one of the best portrayals of an MMF relationship I’ve ever read. And the mystery of who was blackmailing them, who was behind the notes and threats and why, held my interest throughout the story.
The side characters each added something special to the story, from Kit’s vile, abusive monster of a father, to her lost soul of a brother, to Haydar and Adnan. And then there was the spy James McNaught (such an enigma… I was very intrigued by his character).
He looked like some Greek god’s by-blow, too handsome to be real. If John and Henry were angels come to earth, then this man had been spawned by Hades himself, unleashed upon London to populate the underworld with the souls of the women laid low by his beauty.
A book of almost 600 pages is normally something I would avoid like the plague, and even though the pacing was often sloooow, it was never dull, I never lost interest, never skimmed, just kept reading way past my bedtime.
Secrets, spies, everyone lies…indeed!
He removed his hand from Henry and shrugged out of his robe. The loose linen pants he wore beneath it sat low on his hips. His stomach looked like a washboard. Just above his hips, a V of muscle drew my eyes down, straight toward his own arousal. I'd never seen anything as beautiful as the two of them standing side by side in lust. I don't know how long I stared at them, thinking of angels and seraphs, of light and darkness.
***
With one final thrust, John dropped me into the epicenter of the tempest. I broke the kiss with Henry and buried my face into his chest, clinging to his shoulders as I muffled my scream. John continued to pound into me, prolonging the climax, and soon my back arched, my hips flexed, and I closed my eyes and gave myself over to my pleasure. The men no longer existed. I no longer existed. I wasn’t a woman; I was a wild thing. If Death arrived for me in that moment, I would have gone with him happily.
Bloody brilliant storytelling!
The side characters each added something special to the story, from Kit’s vile, abusive monster of a father, to her lost soul of a brother, to Haydar and Adnan. And then there was the spy James McNaught (such an enigma… I was very intrigued by his character).
He looked like some Greek god’s by-blow, too handsome to be real. If John and Henry were angels come to earth, then this man had been spawned by Hades himself, unleashed upon London to populate the underworld with the souls of the women laid low by his beauty.
A book of almost 600 pages is normally something I would avoid like the plague, and even though the pacing was often sloooow, it was never dull, I never lost interest, never skimmed, just kept reading way past my bedtime.
Secrets, spies, everyone lies…indeed!
He removed his hand from Henry and shrugged out of his robe. The loose linen pants he wore beneath it sat low on his hips. His stomach looked like a washboard. Just above his hips, a V of muscle drew my eyes down, straight toward his own arousal. I'd never seen anything as beautiful as the two of them standing side by side in lust. I don't know how long I stared at them, thinking of angels and seraphs, of light and darkness.
***
With one final thrust, John dropped me into the epicenter of the tempest. I broke the kiss with Henry and buried my face into his chest, clinging to his shoulders as I muffled my scream. John continued to pound into me, prolonging the climax, and soon my back arched, my hips flexed, and I closed my eyes and gave myself over to my pleasure. The men no longer existed. I no longer existed. I wasn’t a woman; I was a wild thing. If Death arrived for me in that moment, I would have gone with him happily.
Bloody brilliant storytelling!
October 12, 2018
I am not a huge fan of historical romances, but I devoured this book!
December 6, 2021
This was good, but the subplot sadly didn't catch my attention.
Still, a great debut.
Still, a great debut.
February 21, 2020
4 STARS
What a nice surprise, I really enjoy it!Interesting story line and I find it very hot!I was looking a lot to find a steamy historical romance and this one was exactly what I needed!
I like the tension between the characters.It was fast paced and captivating I was hooked and I devour it!There is suspense some twists and super hot and sensual moments!
What a nice surprise, I really enjoy it!Interesting story line and I find it very hot!I was looking a lot to find a steamy historical romance and this one was exactly what I needed!
I like the tension between the characters.It was fast paced and captivating I was hooked and I devour it!There is suspense some twists and super hot and sensual moments!
August 3, 2014
While this book tends to tip over towards the melodramatic I must say that there is a brilliant plot going here. I feel lukewarm towards Kit but the story has been weaved in such a way that I find it entertaining to read. I was teeny, tiny bit disappointed that Kit wasn't left widow, I was honestly waiting for John to die but he didn't.
I'll definitely read book 2.
I'll definitely read book 2.
August 7, 2014
** THERE MAY BE SPOILERS AHEAD. Read at your own risk. Peace out.
Very hot. Extremmmely hot. Oh em gee, like for srsly. Surprisingly hot, considering I'm generally pretty vanilla in the bedroom and have not previously been interested in exploring the vast world of flavours beyond vanilla.
And James? Damn, damn, DAMN. People, THIS is how you do a mysterious, dangerous character. The way he was described, the way he was portrayed, was so well done that it left me utterly fascinated. It was an unexpected and refreshing take on the mysterious-broody-dark-handsome hero that is so blandly overused in all subcategories of romance. I love being fascinated-- it is utterly titillating, kind of euphoric--and I can't remember the last time I had actually been this intensely curious about a character. What really stuck out to me was that I while I was drawn to James, I also found myself simultaneously admiring the writer's talent for creating him. Usually I don't think about the author until the reading is over, but every time he entered a scene, I was struck by how great he was, and how great Allen was for making him so great. A truly awesome job on Allen's part. I look forward to more of this guy. Yesssss.
The other characters were also pleasant to read about, the mains all having very distinct personalities that had them reacting to various situations and conversations in various ways. I especially liked how the three MCs had characteristics that complimented each other, and really depicted how well they fit into the working dynamic of their unconventional relationship. I also appreciated how this was shown and not told; often times we as readers are told of how much in love two people are, how alike they are in character or aspiration, without really seeing any evidence of it. Here, it was achieved quite well with not two, but three people.
Fascinating. ;)
Though I doubt it needs to be said at this point, but I found myself enjoying this read very much. Again, surprisingly so, because while I'm a fan of romance, I don't usually like it being crossed with mystery as I've been disappointed in the past by the weak mystery elements (in favour of strengthening the romance). Here, the mystery still felt somewhat in the background at times, but the sense of urgency and suspense was still there for when the climax (the plot's climax, you perverts) appeared, I didn't feel like it was unrealistically being sprung on us. Though the event itself was quite unexpected, the build up had been enough to hint that something was coming, even while the romance was being developed.
I also read a decent amount of historical romances, and found it to be a refreshing change in narration and philosophy. Granted, some may be put off because it can feel very anachronistic at times, but I didn't find it pulling me out of the story enough to damper my enjoyment.
I only have two criticisms, if you can call them that:
1. The 'it was all a dream' sequence towards the end. The nightmare felt drawn out and unnecessary, considering it didn't really add anything to the plot or resolution. But this is just my opinion, which likely due to my personal pet peeve with the 'thank god it was only a dream' trope that I often find in films and some books. Again, it didn't subtract from my enjoyment, I just found myself rushing to get through it once I had deduced it was in fact a dream.
2. The parts with the pet cat, which are only a few sentences so I suppose it can be easily overlooked.
Kit observes that the cat is dirty several times, to the point that her gloves get dirty from patting him. Cats are not dirty creatures; a cat may not be totally clean, but it would never be so dirty as to sully someone's gloves enough for them to notice. This drew my attention most probably because I own two cats, and have something of a cat obsession following the traits of a stereotypical (yet aptly titled in my case) cat lady.
But seriously, if the only things I can bring myself to criticise about this book is a trite dream sequence and one short sentence on cat hygiene, I think it is safe to assume that this is a read well worth checking out.
I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
Very hot. Extremmmely hot. Oh em gee, like for srsly. Surprisingly hot, considering I'm generally pretty vanilla in the bedroom and have not previously been interested in exploring the vast world of flavours beyond vanilla.
And James? Damn, damn, DAMN. People, THIS is how you do a mysterious, dangerous character. The way he was described, the way he was portrayed, was so well done that it left me utterly fascinated. It was an unexpected and refreshing take on the mysterious-broody-dark-handsome hero that is so blandly overused in all subcategories of romance. I love being fascinated-- it is utterly titillating, kind of euphoric--and I can't remember the last time I had actually been this intensely curious about a character. What really stuck out to me was that I while I was drawn to James, I also found myself simultaneously admiring the writer's talent for creating him. Usually I don't think about the author until the reading is over, but every time he entered a scene, I was struck by how great he was, and how great Allen was for making him so great. A truly awesome job on Allen's part. I look forward to more of this guy. Yesssss.
The other characters were also pleasant to read about, the mains all having very distinct personalities that had them reacting to various situations and conversations in various ways. I especially liked how the three MCs had characteristics that complimented each other, and really depicted how well they fit into the working dynamic of their unconventional relationship. I also appreciated how this was shown and not told; often times we as readers are told of how much in love two people are, how alike they are in character or aspiration, without really seeing any evidence of it. Here, it was achieved quite well with not two, but three people.
Fascinating. ;)
Though I doubt it needs to be said at this point, but I found myself enjoying this read very much. Again, surprisingly so, because while I'm a fan of romance, I don't usually like it being crossed with mystery as I've been disappointed in the past by the weak mystery elements (in favour of strengthening the romance). Here, the mystery still felt somewhat in the background at times, but the sense of urgency and suspense was still there for when the climax (the plot's climax, you perverts) appeared, I didn't feel like it was unrealistically being sprung on us. Though the event itself was quite unexpected, the build up had been enough to hint that something was coming, even while the romance was being developed.
I also read a decent amount of historical romances, and found it to be a refreshing change in narration and philosophy. Granted, some may be put off because it can feel very anachronistic at times, but I didn't find it pulling me out of the story enough to damper my enjoyment.
I only have two criticisms, if you can call them that:
1. The 'it was all a dream' sequence towards the end. The nightmare felt drawn out and unnecessary, considering it didn't really add anything to the plot or resolution. But this is just my opinion, which likely due to my personal pet peeve with the 'thank god it was only a dream' trope that I often find in films and some books. Again, it didn't subtract from my enjoyment, I just found myself rushing to get through it once I had deduced it was in fact a dream.
2. The parts with the pet cat, which are only a few sentences so I suppose it can be easily overlooked.
Kit observes that the cat is dirty several times, to the point that her gloves get dirty from patting him. Cats are not dirty creatures; a cat may not be totally clean, but it would never be so dirty as to sully someone's gloves enough for them to notice. This drew my attention most probably because I own two cats, and have something of a cat obsession following the traits of a stereotypical (yet aptly titled in my case) cat lady.
But seriously, if the only things I can bring myself to criticise about this book is a trite dream sequence and one short sentence on cat hygiene, I think it is safe to assume that this is a read well worth checking out.
I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
April 8, 2014
What? That's it? No, there must be more.
------
I read until Chapter 16, and I must say, that I really like it. Overall, the characters are fabulous, and the plot is, even for erotic, unique.
Katherine, the heroine, is knowingly married to Duke who is privately a gay man, and has accepted her lot in life. But there is a grain of dissatisfaction, and after 3 years of marriage...she is drawn into her husband and his lover's relationship. But the dimensions of this relationship run deeper than she knows, and her own need to love and for someone to love her passionately grows. While her sexual and romantic relationships develops, there is also a mysterious person threatening her marriage.
Katherine, I really like as a character. She feels honest and relatable - though a bit horny for every attractive male character mentioned so far (except for her brother and his lover). Her husband, John, no matter how hot he may be, isn't my cuppa. He's a bit needy. Mr Henry Fletcher is a sweetheart, but the real dynamic is the mysterious James McNaught. Henry is the angelic artist, while James is a devilish spy with some seriously dark tastes.
Overall...I need more. Please give me more, Navessa Allen.
------
I read until Chapter 16, and I must say, that I really like it. Overall, the characters are fabulous, and the plot is, even for erotic, unique.
Katherine, the heroine, is knowingly married to Duke who is privately a gay man, and has accepted her lot in life. But there is a grain of dissatisfaction, and after 3 years of marriage...she is drawn into her husband and his lover's relationship. But the dimensions of this relationship run deeper than she knows, and her own need to love and for someone to love her passionately grows. While her sexual and romantic relationships develops, there is also a mysterious person threatening her marriage.
Katherine, I really like as a character. She feels honest and relatable - though a bit horny for every attractive male character mentioned so far (except for her brother and his lover). Her husband, John, no matter how hot he may be, isn't my cuppa. He's a bit needy. Mr Henry Fletcher is a sweetheart, but the real dynamic is the mysterious James McNaught. Henry is the angelic artist, while James is a devilish spy with some seriously dark tastes.
Overall...I need more. Please give me more, Navessa Allen.
July 1, 2022
4-1/2 In-Progress Stars
Reread: December 2018
(This is a work in progress, but I’ve read every chapter that’s available, so I’m calling it finished for review purposes. I’ll add updates as Ms. Allen uploads more chapters.)
I’ve reread this story because the author has added some new chapters. And she’s also rewritten the entire (incomplete) draft if I’m not mistaken. The whole thing is slightly different than last time. More tension between a few characters. More cloak-and-dagger type shenanigans. More high-stakes emotional risk.
Solid changes.
Well done, Navessa.
Also, that final scene ... S. T. E. A. M. Y. John and Henry (but especially Henry) are everything.
Original review: August 2016
I don't like to rush authors because 1) that's just rude, man 2) they have lives and such, and 3) the writing process is different for everybody...and sort of a mysterious thing. And as Miracle Max says, "You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles."
So, I won't rush you, Navessa. I'm here whenever you're ready to lay those new chapters on me, tho.
http://www.memecreator.org/static/ima...
Reread: December 2018
(This is a work in progress, but I’ve read every chapter that’s available, so I’m calling it finished for review purposes. I’ll add updates as Ms. Allen uploads more chapters.)
I’ve reread this story because the author has added some new chapters. And she’s also rewritten the entire (incomplete) draft if I’m not mistaken. The whole thing is slightly different than last time. More tension between a few characters. More cloak-and-dagger type shenanigans. More high-stakes emotional risk.
Solid changes.
Well done, Navessa.
Also, that final scene ... S. T. E. A. M. Y. John and Henry (but especially Henry) are everything.
Original review: August 2016
I don't like to rush authors because 1) that's just rude, man 2) they have lives and such, and 3) the writing process is different for everybody...and sort of a mysterious thing. And as Miracle Max says, "You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles."
So, I won't rush you, Navessa. I'm here whenever you're ready to lay those new chapters on me, tho.
http://www.memecreator.org/static/ima...
August 5, 2014
Oh my god! Ms. Allen has written a compelling, emotional, delightful mystery set in the early 1800's. And I'm not saying this because I beta-read for her. You won't believe me until you try it which you really have to!
Want to read
October 6, 2014Review to come once it's published.
March 30, 2021
3.75 stars but I did enjoy this for the most part.
The beginning of this felt very high drama, but in a way I enjoyed. There was a lot going on and I was invested. It did begin to drag a bit in the later half. There are definitely major events in the later half, but I do think the length kind of dragged it down a bit. I know this was first published on Wattpad and I think there may be a bit of padding because of the format it was first written in. I also personally didn't find the ending super interesting. This book ends on a cliff hanger and there's no book two yet. There was supposed to be a 1.5 book in fall 2020 but I'm not surprised it got delayed. I did enjoy the plot for the most part, I just wished it kept up the high drama feel throughout. I also really, really want to have multi-POV. This was a book where I really felt like I needed to be in all the character's perspectives. I had a really hard time feeling connected to John and Henry because we never got in their heads and there were times it felt like they disappeared from the story.
I did like the romance, I just wanted a bit more. I enjoyed the dynamic of the relationship but a lot of this book focuses on the external conflict, which is fine, I just would have like to have seen a bit more time with all three of our characters together learning about each other and discussing their relationship. There's a quick conversation at the beginning and then not a lot else. I like how protective all the characters were of each other but I wanted to see more relationship building that wasn't about the overall plot or sex. I mostly like the characters though I did feel there were a few too many side characters that weren't developed enough. I hope those characters are fleshed out a bit in book 2.
I would definitely be interested in reading a book two and I'll be keeping my eye out for it. This was a fun ride mostly and it hit on some things I really like in romance. Definitely some room for improvement and it maybe should have been a bit shorter but I enjoyed it.
The beginning of this felt very high drama, but in a way I enjoyed. There was a lot going on and I was invested. It did begin to drag a bit in the later half. There are definitely major events in the later half, but I do think the length kind of dragged it down a bit. I know this was first published on Wattpad and I think there may be a bit of padding because of the format it was first written in. I also personally didn't find the ending super interesting. This book ends on a cliff hanger and there's no book two yet. There was supposed to be a 1.5 book in fall 2020 but I'm not surprised it got delayed. I did enjoy the plot for the most part, I just wished it kept up the high drama feel throughout. I also really, really want to have multi-POV. This was a book where I really felt like I needed to be in all the character's perspectives. I had a really hard time feeling connected to John and Henry because we never got in their heads and there were times it felt like they disappeared from the story.
I did like the romance, I just wanted a bit more. I enjoyed the dynamic of the relationship but a lot of this book focuses on the external conflict, which is fine, I just would have like to have seen a bit more time with all three of our characters together learning about each other and discussing their relationship. There's a quick conversation at the beginning and then not a lot else. I like how protective all the characters were of each other but I wanted to see more relationship building that wasn't about the overall plot or sex. I mostly like the characters though I did feel there were a few too many side characters that weren't developed enough. I hope those characters are fleshed out a bit in book 2.
I would definitely be interested in reading a book two and I'll be keeping my eye out for it. This was a fun ride mostly and it hit on some things I really like in romance. Definitely some room for improvement and it maybe should have been a bit shorter but I enjoyed it.
February 13, 2015
Here is why you'd want to read this:
1. Its historical romance (and well done at that)- if you love those and even if you just love romance you'll probably enjoy it.
2. Its erotic- yes, there is sex, sex and sex. And damn, but its hot! Also there are all kinds of sex- m/m f/m m/f/m.
3. There is love and it shows. I mean, sex is great but a well done romance is better. And yes this is a love between three people and IT WORKS!
4. The guys are hot.
5. Each character has a personality of its own. The the MCs and some of the side characters have their own personality. Each has its own style and traits.
6. The female MC is rather not likeable but somewhat understandable.
7. There is character development. A realistic one at that. The female MC is rather passive at first but she grows and becomes more active as the story progress. I wouldn't go as far as to say she was a total kickass by the end (I don't think she's even close) but she did developed and changed and evolved.
8. The most important one- there is actual plot. I know, its hard to believe. But the sex and the love while being important do not a plot make, and the author (being awesome as she is) had created an actual interesting plot. Though some of it felt a little over the top.
9. The author is totally awesome. Yes, I know her but fact is she is awesome. She accepts critics. She wants to improve. I can give her the thumbs up just for that.
Now, yes, there's is a bit more of telling rather than showing in the first few chapters (mainly)- this is something that should be fixed in the edits toward the official publication. And some of the plot felt just somewhat over the top for me. And, for me at least, the pace was somewhat slower than I would have liked.
All in all a recommended read. I can't wait for the next one to be updated and I can't wait for this one to be available on kindle! Right now it is available on Wattapad.
1. Its historical romance (and well done at that)- if you love those and even if you just love romance you'll probably enjoy it.
2. Its erotic- yes, there is sex, sex and sex. And damn, but its hot! Also there are all kinds of sex- m/m f/m m/f/m.
3. There is love and it shows. I mean, sex is great but a well done romance is better. And yes this is a love between three people and IT WORKS!
4. The guys are hot.
5. Each character has a personality of its own. The the MCs and some of the side characters have their own personality. Each has its own style and traits.
6. The female MC is rather not likeable but somewhat understandable.
7. There is character development. A realistic one at that. The female MC is rather passive at first but she grows and becomes more active as the story progress. I wouldn't go as far as to say she was a total kickass by the end (I don't think she's even close) but she did developed and changed and evolved.
8. The most important one- there is actual plot. I know, its hard to believe. But the sex and the love while being important do not a plot make, and the author (being awesome as she is) had created an actual interesting plot. Though some of it felt a little over the top.
9. The author is totally awesome. Yes, I know her but fact is she is awesome. She accepts critics. She wants to improve. I can give her the thumbs up just for that.
Now, yes, there's is a bit more of telling rather than showing in the first few chapters (mainly)- this is something that should be fixed in the edits toward the official publication. And some of the plot felt just somewhat over the top for me. And, for me at least, the pace was somewhat slower than I would have liked.
All in all a recommended read. I can't wait for the next one to be updated and I can't wait for this one to be available on kindle! Right now it is available on Wattapad.
February 14, 2020
UPDATE: This review is for the original version of Scandal that I beta read for Navessa as she first started writing it back in 2014. The final version that is actually being published in 2020 (WOOHOO!) is so different that it's practically unrecognisable as the same story (that comes straight from Navessa) so I'll be reviewing that totally separately under a different edition of the book here on Goodreads. I'm leaving this review here anyway because it accurately records my thoughts from back in 2014
I have been beta reading Scandal for months now and I have LOVED every single minute of it. It's only fair to say that I'm good friends with the author but I don't think I've let that fact bias me towards the story - this really is a BRILLIANT book!
I'm not really going to write a proper review now because I want to save that until I've read the finished, professionally edited version in a couple of months time but I do want to share just how fantastic this is and encourage you all to read it :o)
The whole story can currently be read online on Wattpad here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/19450074... but the story will be removed once it's gone for editing so if you want to try it now while it's still free you'd best do that ASAP.
Scandal is a brilliant historical ménage romance with some of the most realistic and likeable characters you'll ever come across. It's full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, shocking twists and fantastic, super hot sex scenes. What more could you ask for?
I've probably read the whole book at least 5 times by now and I'm still just as crazy about these characters as I was the first time I met them. In fact, I can't wait to read the book again once it's been through a professional edit :o)
I have been beta reading Scandal for months now and I have LOVED every single minute of it. It's only fair to say that I'm good friends with the author but I don't think I've let that fact bias me towards the story - this really is a BRILLIANT book!
I'm not really going to write a proper review now because I want to save that until I've read the finished, professionally edited version in a couple of months time but I do want to share just how fantastic this is and encourage you all to read it :o)
The whole story can currently be read online on Wattpad here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/19450074... but the story will be removed once it's gone for editing so if you want to try it now while it's still free you'd best do that ASAP.
Scandal is a brilliant historical ménage romance with some of the most realistic and likeable characters you'll ever come across. It's full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, shocking twists and fantastic, super hot sex scenes. What more could you ask for?
I've probably read the whole book at least 5 times by now and I'm still just as crazy about these characters as I was the first time I met them. In fact, I can't wait to read the book again once it's been through a professional edit :o)
February 25, 2020
TW: CHILD ABUSE, MENTIONS OF RAPE, ATTEMPTED RAPE
Wow, what a book!
This is my first book by Navessa Allen and I can't wait to read the others! I honestly stayed up 'till 5 a.m. to finish this one!
Katherine is bound to marry a horrid man, but a twist of fate binds her instead to the Duke of Hampshire, John. Being an abuse survivor, she is quite content that her husband prefers the company of his lover Henry, but with time things between the three of them begin to change into something more than friendship... until an old mystery threatens their newfound happiness.
I loved, loved, loved this book!
I know this sounds sad, being a reflection of the current rape culture, but this is an absolute gem for its enthusiastic and reiterated consent! I hadn't even realised how tired I was of the same old so-called alpha males who require consent only once and then manhandle their partners like they're property.
The romance in this book was so sweet, I absolutely loved both male characters and I'm so glad she doesn't have to choose one of them - hopefully more authors will do away with the loathed love triangle and replace it with polyamorous relationships!
I can't recommend this book enough!
March 28, 2020
Wow. Wow. Wow. Navessa Allen should be on bestseller lists. She’s that good.
Scandal had me enthralled to the point where - no joke - I didn’t want to take a break to go the bathroom. I had just come off of reading another one of her books - The Lunatics - which was also incredible, and the two books could not have been more different. One of my biggest problems with authors I love lately is that I love a book, then I read a bunch of the author’s works, only to find that they all blend together. That was NOT the case with these two books.
Scandal grabbed me from the first page and spit me out 500+ pages later dazed and disheveled. The characters are gripping and many of them are hiding all kinds of goodies from the others, so much so that you’re never quite sure if they’re the good guys, even though you feel like they MUST be. It was a top notch spy thriller meets steamy smut-fest meets classic historical romance meets epic action.
Ya gotta read this book. Navessa Allen - hats off.
Scandal had me enthralled to the point where - no joke - I didn’t want to take a break to go the bathroom. I had just come off of reading another one of her books - The Lunatics - which was also incredible, and the two books could not have been more different. One of my biggest problems with authors I love lately is that I love a book, then I read a bunch of the author’s works, only to find that they all blend together. That was NOT the case with these two books.
Scandal grabbed me from the first page and spit me out 500+ pages later dazed and disheveled. The characters are gripping and many of them are hiding all kinds of goodies from the others, so much so that you’re never quite sure if they’re the good guys, even though you feel like they MUST be. It was a top notch spy thriller meets steamy smut-fest meets classic historical romance meets epic action.
Ya gotta read this book. Navessa Allen - hats off.
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