Lady Olivia's Butterfly

Daring Charades #1

by Beverley Oakley, Beverley Eikli

A beautiful widow’s newfound love is threatened by the terms of her late husband's will and a mystery that threatens to destroy her son's future.

Denied access to her child by the terms of her cruel late husband’s will, the once-dazzling debutante, Lady Olivia, orchestrates a grand charade to reclaim everything she has lost.

Freed from the shackles of her violent marriage, Olivia finds true love with Max Atherton, the man responsible for returning her son. But with the revelation that Olivia unwittingly holds the key to a dark secret that threatens the future of the honourable man who has fulfilled her heart’s desire, she is forced to choose between Max’s future, and safeguarding her son’s.

This book was originally published by Robert Hale under the title Lady Farquhar's Butterfly. It is Book 2 in the Scandalous: Three Daring Charades in the Pursuit of Love Box set.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Regency, Fiction

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2009

About the author

Also writes under Beverley Eikli.

Beverley Oakley writes Regency, Victorian and Georgian-set romances full of passion and laced with mystery and intrigue.

Born in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, she married the handsome bush pilot she met in Botswana while managing a safari lodge and has spent the rest of her life as a ‘trailing spouse’ doing what she loves most: writing books from sweet to steamy; and from humorous to historical romantic suspense.

Here’s more about her series.

Daughters of Sin
A very steamy, funny, witty and dangerous Regency-set ‘Dynasty’ featuring two nobly-born debutantes and their illegitimate sisters - laced with political intrigue, cheating spouses and, of course, dangerous gentlemen.

1. Her Gilded Prison
2. Dangerous Gentlemen
3. The Mysterious Governess
4. Beyond Rubies
5. Lady Unveiled: The Cuckold’s Conspiracy
(Prequel coming October 2021)

The Scandalous Miss Brightwells
A humorous, sometimes steamy, matchmaking series – with some books sweeter and more sensual and poignant.

1. Rake’s Honour
2. Rogue’s Kiss
3. The Wedding Wager
4. The Accidental Elopement
5. The Honourable Fortune Hunter
6. The Wilful Widow
7. The Courtship Caper


Fair Cyprians of London

A group of women who work in a high class House of Assignation. Ranging from very steamy to sweet, hopeful redemption stories.

1. Saving Grace
2. Forsaking Hope
3. Keeping Faith
4. Wedding Violet
5. Christmas Charity
6. Loving Lily

Hearts in Hiding

Historical romantic suspense, very steamy often showing the darker aspects of Regency society, including the dependence and subjugation of women – and how, against the odds, they find their happy-ever-afters.

1. The Duchess and the Highwayman
2. The Bluestocking and the Rake
3. Duchess of Seduction
4. The Countess and the Cavalier

Scandalous: Three Daring Charades

Three sweet, yet intrigue-filled Regency historicals

Lady Sarah’s Redemption
Lady Olivia’s Butterfly
A Little Deception

You can connect with Beverley on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeverl...,
or through her website at: www.beverleyoakley.com

http://twitter.com/BeverleyOakley
https://www.facebook.com/beverley.eikli

Reviews

[HR-ML · Rating 1 out of 5]

******Caution: human & puppy abuse******

Disappointing: my worst read this year.

Regency kisses-only mystery romance. Lady Olivia's
butterfly referred to a birthmark & butterfly shaped
key. I read fiction for escape-NO escape here. Gave
this a generous 1-star review.

This was unnecessarily gritty. Two men (past &
present) heaped various forms of abuse & humiliation
on the heroine Olivia. This felt too much.

Widowed Olivia met former military man Max, by
design in order to claim her 2 1/2 yr old son Julian.
Max served as Guardian of the boy. She didn't reveal
her true connection to Julian. Her late spouse's
screwy last Will + Testament about redemption and
Julian's custody should've been challenged in court.
O+M fell in insta-love. Later Max thought her a sultry
and insincere woman as his cousin (her late spouse)
had described her. Max barely said sorry and needed
to grovel.

This had the 3 Gs. Grit, grovel (lacking) & gross.
Why did the baddie destroy an innocent puppy in
front of Julian? I need something light-hearted to
cleanse my mind after reading this I don't-know-
what-to-call-it.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light historical fiction with a somewhat shaky underlying premise. Rather too much author comment in the early chapters, and descriptions of the characters' thoughts without showing why they felt that way. But it got going around half-way through, and I did warm to the main character, Olivia, despite finding her a bit irritating at times. Max, the hero, is warm and likeable, and there's a rather delightfully ghastly controlling and santimonious clergyman.

Not Georgette Heyer, but readable enough. Maybe three and a half stars.

[Nada Baydoun · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Bad Read

A Bad Read

A bad read.Not written well at all.How can the author expect us to believe that a husband in those times would subjecate his wife to such acts in public and that she will still be accepted in public society? Aldo too many things in the plot don't add up at all.

[Suzanne Verhoeven · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half was okay, nothing special, but the story picks up in the second half having me hooked untill the end. Nice read.

[Beverley Eikli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what Danielle from CoffeeTime Romance had to say about my second book, Lady Farquhar's Butterfly:

“I thought the revelations and struggles Olivia goes through to rediscover her independence was written wonderfully. It makes you as the reader relate to her suffering, pain, and growth as you see her go from a shell of a woman to someone who should be proud of all she has survived. Ms. Eikli tells a story that shows a woman who is absolutely controlled and manipulated by all those around her. Max is shown as a man who has great faith in who Olivia is until her unselfish actions are shown in a wicked light. This is a good novel with a nice storyline.”

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book starts out with our heroine deliberately falling from her horse so the hero can find her, apart from how manipulative that is I also don't quite understand how she got there, his house is quite a long way from hers, and she was riding side saddle, did she ride all that way? Also what happened to her horse afterwards, we never hear about it again.
That aside I found the plot a bit tedious after a while and skimmed through several parts.
To be honest Max probably doesn't deserve Olivia, he's a bit of an ass really.

[Louise Forster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical romances are not my preferred genre, having said that, Lady Farquhar's Butterfly was a page turner. I needed to know who and why they were planning the evil conspiracies against her. Olivia's struggle through a male dominated world where intrigue and plots against her abound is well written, with smooth narrative and dialogue appropriate for the times.
An enjoyable read.

[Diana Aden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia wed at a young age to a lord who ended up treating her abominably. At his death, Olivia had to give up custody of her son due to the heinous terms of her husband's will. Her husband's cousin, Max, was given custody of Olivia's son and all he heard about Olivia is based upon scandalous rumors that have been circulated. Therefore he is unwilling to meet or listen to Olivia about her wish to regain custody of her child. Olivia has no choice but to meet Max under a concealed identity.
Initially, when Olivia and Max meet, it is obvious there is a chemistry between them. Olivia is torn because she knows Max is a man she can never have, even if he could accept her scandalous past as there is a dark secret she holds that he would not forgive. Olivia fears her only hope in regaining her son is if she accepts the offer proposed by a sanctimonious clergyman who acted as a confessor to her late husband. The said clergyman has his own agenda in this whole scenario.
Max is definitely a likable, warm character. Olivia has been so controlled and manipulated by others so that at times I lost my patience with her. Despite that, she eventually develops some backbone and refuses to be controlled anymore.

Rating: 3 1/2 to 4 Stars

[CJ Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a dull book. There are other irritations: She too frequently refers to Lucian but is in lovee with Julian by p. 45, cliches of romance fiction are too frequent too; his "susceptibility to her charms" is almost as much a cliche as "turned on his/her heel," which seems to be increasingly popular in romance fiction. Try that, you writers out there, then try spinning on your heel. How well did those work. Why that cliche even appears when one can write "he spun away."
I'm a professional writer and an English teacher. I'm sorry if looking at fiction through that lens bothers you, because I read all fiction through that lens. The books I like have few of this sort of flaws.
sorry, Ms Oakley

[Norma Gorrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Olivia's butterfly

An amazing story of love ,deceit and intrigue. This story of a wife forced to do things she would not normally do because her husband forced her too. Olivia was used abused and defied for being a wanton girl, but non of this was of her doing . Her husband forced her to do acts for his friends because he was so out of his head that the reverend could tell him what to make her do and then beat her up if she failed in any way. She lost her children through no fault of her own and he continually beat her for that. This was a very compelling book as we as a free Arc read and one I read and enjoyed. This is my review and mine alone. Norma Gorrill

[PAMpublish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceedingly well-written with much description and character development but, can there be too much of a good thing? Lady Olivia, eloped at a young age to a monster and assisted by his pastor during his vile control over his young wife. Despite him dying five years after (no explanation given), she is still controlled by the pastor by the many secrets and his desire to wed her. Defiled and labeled, she must gain control of her child, obtained through dubious methods, from Lucien's cousin whom she falls in love with. Steaminess is mostly inferred with limited details and not specifically described. Many twists and turns until it is all resolved at the very end.

[Tina Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did finish this book but honestly it was rather heavy going for me. There were several plot points that seemed achingly obvious to me and I found it hard to be engaged in the story.
I felt a great deal of sympathy for the heroine, having been locked in an abusive relationship. I was impressed with her efforts to overcome the effects of that experience. The book was such a rollercoaster between hope, joy and despair that I grew impatient with it to be over. Fortunately there was an HEA.
No doubt many readers will enjoy this book but it just wasn’t to my taste.

[HistoricalHussy]

Incorrect form of address right off the bat in the title. Had the potential to be something I'm into but the hero was rather boring, the romance a bit *too* intense for what I believe was essentially a four day acquaintance iirc, and POV switches that felt rather unbalanced (we get A LOT more of the heroine's thoughts). Oh and there's a 2.5 year old child that often behaves like a 4 year old and just "too much plot" for my particular taste. I might give the author's other work a try because overall the writing in this book isn't awful/off-putting anything like that

[Rose Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

Loved reading this book. Great from start to end. Olivia has gone through alot of pain and ridicule. Her late husband was an evil man and Reverend Kirkman thought to be her friend turns out to be the opposite. Max comes into the picture and he falls for Olivia but a few obstacles come along the way.
A must read and a page turner. If you love romance, this is a great book to read.

[Uma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. I'm not sure why some weren't feeling it. Reading about what Olivia went through was totally heartbreaking. The poor girl had been suffering since the age of 17. The author made it clear the kind of woman Olivia was. Amidst everything she had gone through, she still had a big heart and was willing to sacrifice her happiness for her child. I wasn't fond of any of the men in the book, including Max. Jumping to conclusions and behaving in a superior manner didn't sit well with me. I kept turning the pages for Olivia and Olivia only!

[Denise Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Different!

I would have to read another book by this author because this book disappointed me. There were thrills, chills and suspense. It is a very easy read I didn't want to put it down. But for some reason it didn't seem to fire on all cylinders (for want of a better analogy). The plot was drawn out to the point of tedium. The end just pissed me off it was so abrupt. I'm not an author but for me this was a different kind of regency mystery.

[Rachel Crosby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only if you like reading about women debased and beaten

I had hope this novel would shift into less disgusting territory, but at the 62% mark I gave up and skimmed through the rest until I reached the poorly contrived and unbelievable so-called happy ending. Poor, poor, Olivia. To be a character at the mercy of an author who apparently expects others to enjoy the way she treats women.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dark. This is a tale of domestic physical and emotional abuse and it’s subsequent effects. Oakley appears to have little understanding of how Lucien’s treatment of his wife would have been social suicide for them both in Regency England. Additionally, there are a number of inconsistencies such as when Olivia rides her horse to where Max resides in order to stage a fall and yet later we discover their homes are several hours apart.

[B.A. A. Mealer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book

The story was good and I did enjoy the main characters even though there were some stereotypes. The book did need better editing and it was difficult to read with the dialogue set off worth single quotes and not double making it merge into the rest of the paragraph.

[Irène Wadowski uliasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une histoire intéressante et sombre . J'ai aimé le personnage de Max qui est ouvert et chaleureux alors qu'Olivia est plus difficile à cerner, trop torturée. Cela nous fait réfléchir sur la perversité de la manipulation mentale.

[Jeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

This was not a happy, feel good book. The character's suffering continued thru the entire story. I started wanting it to end when I realized we weren't getting anywhere. The characters weren't likable, the story felt lethargic. Disappointing time spent.

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

2-1\2 stars

Hated Olivia's stubbornness because by simply not telling her story, all this other shit went down. The slow unfolding of the truth (it was obviously the "religious" arsehole) was well done, though.

[Jane Blackwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touch too chatty and over sharing of the characters. Needs more polish. I found myself jumping ahead and I never do that no matter the struggle to read a book. May I suggest a new editor. Trimming out the fat would put this book as a 5*.

[Rosario Barrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets and scandals

A bittersweet love story, about a scandalous widow and an upstanding gentleman. This story is very Victorian melodrama, often corny, but nevertheless engaging. It was a fun rainy afternoon read.

[L JONES · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected Mar 2022

A very complex story with an original plot, a female with a backbone but led to believe she was unworthy and her spirit almost crushed a shame it ends so abruptly.

[Beth McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the usual!

This is not the usual romance! This book is full of surprises and lots of action. The mysteries behind the whole story are revealed in increments, and you will find yourself wanting to read faster as you wonder what comes next! Fun and easy read.

[Merry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

Exciting story. This will keep you on the edge of your seat. Enough romance to give the tale interesting characters. Love the writing.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Butterfly

An intriguing read with twists and turns. Interesting characters and plot which will keep you turning pages. Highly recommended series.

[terri l. ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sucked

I can't believe the stupid people in this book. 2 stars is a gift. Not a food read at all. Never.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Max❤️ Olivia