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Betrothed by Christmas
A madcap plan to avoid marriages they do not desire, leads two women to romance and passion they don’t expect in a duet of novellas by bestselling authors Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
Lady Evangeline is a Diamond of the First Water, but she fears her father will match her to his own advantage, not hers. She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
Miss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
Lady Evangeline is a Diamond of the First Water, but she fears her father will match her to his own advantage, not hers. She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
Miss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2019
82 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Jess Michaels
128 books1,577 followersJess Michaels is a USA Today Bestselling Author who likes geeky stuff like Star Wars, playing video games (she ships herself with Dragon Age’s Iron Bull FOREVER), Bob’s Burgers and collecting POPs! She also drinks a LOT of Diet Coke. Probably an unhealthy amount, but it’s her only vice. She will eat (almost) anything coconut, truly anything cheesy and nothing spicy (yes, she is a walking stereotype when it comes to that). She likes cats, her dog Elton and people who care about the welfare of their fellow humans.
Although she started out traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain Publishing, in 2015 she went fully indie and has never looked back! She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live tucked between the ocean and the mountains in Oregon.
When she’s not watching Our Flag Means Death or trying out all the new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with smoking hot heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want.
Although she started out traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain Publishing, in 2015 she went fully indie and has never looked back! She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live tucked between the ocean and the mountains in Oregon.
When she’s not watching Our Flag Means Death or trying out all the new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with smoking hot heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 15, 2019
Betrothed by Christmas features two great stories with a charming twist on the wallflower romance and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels — 4 Stars
In order to avoid the possibility of a match arranged by her father, Lady Evangeline decides the only thing to do is to pick her own husband first. Hoping to find someone she can easily manage, she settles on her friend Henry Killam only to quickly discover Henry isn’t as biddable as she expected. I loved Evangeline and Henry’s relationship from the start. She’s a social butterfly whereas Henry is more comfortable when he’s alone working on his equations. The two have fantastic chemistry and I thought the scenes where their physical relationship progressed were wonderfully done. The final scene where Henry wins Evangeline over was perfect for the two and I loved how much their relationship progressed over the course of the story. Overall, I highly recommend this story and I will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex — 4 Stars
All Miss Tamsin Lesley wants is the ability to lead her own life. Instead she’s trying to find a way to ruin herself to thwart her father’s heir who wants her along with the estate. Wallflower Simon Cathcart is the perfect candidate for her ruination, but he quickly shows Tamsin there’s more pleasure in ruining than she thought. I really enjoyed Tamsin and Simon together. They both understand each other in ways other people don’t and they develop a wonderful friendship over the course of their arrangement. I loved watching them both fall for each other despite their promise not to. Their physical chemistry is fantastic and I loved the scenes where they found ways to be alone. Both Tamsin and Simon have their secrets, but I was happy to see that they weren’t ones that negatively affected their relationship and that they worked through them rationally. I highly recommend this story and I will absolutely be reading more from the author in the future.
Overall Betrothed by Christmas was a fantastic read with two stories that work together wonderfully. I highly recommend this duet for anyone looking for some historical romances set during the holiday season.
Overall average rating — 4 Stars
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels — 4 Stars
In order to avoid the possibility of a match arranged by her father, Lady Evangeline decides the only thing to do is to pick her own husband first. Hoping to find someone she can easily manage, she settles on her friend Henry Killam only to quickly discover Henry isn’t as biddable as she expected. I loved Evangeline and Henry’s relationship from the start. She’s a social butterfly whereas Henry is more comfortable when he’s alone working on his equations. The two have fantastic chemistry and I thought the scenes where their physical relationship progressed were wonderfully done. The final scene where Henry wins Evangeline over was perfect for the two and I loved how much their relationship progressed over the course of the story. Overall, I highly recommend this story and I will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex — 4 Stars
All Miss Tamsin Lesley wants is the ability to lead her own life. Instead she’s trying to find a way to ruin herself to thwart her father’s heir who wants her along with the estate. Wallflower Simon Cathcart is the perfect candidate for her ruination, but he quickly shows Tamsin there’s more pleasure in ruining than she thought. I really enjoyed Tamsin and Simon together. They both understand each other in ways other people don’t and they develop a wonderful friendship over the course of their arrangement. I loved watching them both fall for each other despite their promise not to. Their physical chemistry is fantastic and I loved the scenes where they found ways to be alone. Both Tamsin and Simon have their secrets, but I was happy to see that they weren’t ones that negatively affected their relationship and that they worked through them rationally. I highly recommend this story and I will absolutely be reading more from the author in the future.
Overall Betrothed by Christmas was a fantastic read with two stories that work together wonderfully. I highly recommend this duet for anyone looking for some historical romances set during the holiday season.
Overall average rating — 4 Stars
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
September 26, 2019
Betrothed by Christmas
A Holiday Duet
Jess Michaels/Elizabeth Essex
Release date 10/15/2019
Publisher The Passionate Pen
A madcap plan to avoid marriages they do not desire, leads two women to romance and passion they don’t expect in a duet of novellas by bestselling authors Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction
Jess Michaels
https://www.facebook.com/JessMichaels...
Blurb :
Lady Evangeline is a Diamond of the First Water, but she fears her father will match her to his own advantage, not hers. She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.
My review :
What a woman to do when she wants to have control of her own destiny...
Oh how I loved this idea of Society Diamonds going after men Wallflowers!
It is such an enjoyable twist of the classic rakes and wallflowers meet.
My heart aches for Henry, because of his birth, he is subject to the will of everyone. He had little choice in life, and few freedom, especially when he is longing for other goals than gambling and whoring as he is expected.
He knows he is nothing in the society scale, a disposable being at the beck and call of others more powerful over him.
Why he is overlooked by everyone, no wealth, no title to expect and no interest for socialite entertainments.
So he watches from afar the one woman whom has caught his heart.
But he is not without failure, I adored his analytical view of things, he weighs and balances everything around him
Even his own reactions, until he himself misses the one point he shouldn’t have.
When Evangeline is in the same situation, she shuns her feelings to only retain control. Loosing her focus would put her in a similar situation as the women of her family, and she refuses to be a casualty. So much, she appears icy when it is about sentiments, with only one focus, to reach her own goal, why she will wager Henry’s own dreams.
I confess I had problems with Evangeline at first, but then the story unfolded and she had every right, to be wary of others. She knows her kin cares for her in their own way, but she is expendable if necessary. Never had she ever come first, other’s needs always override hers.
I loved the grand gesture of Henry to win Evangeline trust, it is no groveling, it is proof of his indefectible affection for her.
Mrs Jess Michaels has done an astonishing job with these two characters, they are so flawed they truly step out of the paper pages like blood and flesh persons.
A must read, 5 stars
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal
Elizabeth Essex
https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.es...
Blurb :
Miss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.
My review :
When looking for ruin, a young miss finds herself drawn to a man supposed so wrong for her...
What a delightful read it was, Mrs Elizabeth Essex has delivery a witty exquisite tale of seing beyond the appearance.
It was a perfect plea for the conditions and rights of those considered undeserving.
For Tamsin, it is certain, she has very few choice except comply to her family’s will and secure a future for them through her marriage or risk everything a choose a more scandalous path which may cost her everything too.
I do understood her conflicts, why she tiptoes with her « ruination », at time very unsure of what she is really looking for.
Simon has seen too much and survived, but he came back from war, a changed man. So much, he wants in his own way to retire from ton’s entertainments. Why he presents himself as a simpleton.
He does his duty for his family but avoid to engage in the usual society’s plays. Preferring the quiet places until a miss barges in and disrupts his rest.
They are two conflicted persons, Tamsin as she oscillates between her dreams and her duties until she decides to take her destiny in her sole hands, well with a little outside help too.
Simon is a mystery, at time I thought I knew why he chooses to hide his true self but when his real motives were exposed, I was taken aback and with surprise enchanted.
This bewitching tale had me entranced, it was just impossible to put it down until the very end.
5 well deserved stars for these two captivating novellas.
I was granted through Netgalley an advance copy by the publisher, I purchased also my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
A Holiday Duet
Jess Michaels/Elizabeth Essex
Release date 10/15/2019
Publisher The Passionate Pen
A madcap plan to avoid marriages they do not desire, leads two women to romance and passion they don’t expect in a duet of novellas by bestselling authors Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction
Jess Michaels
https://www.facebook.com/JessMichaels...
Blurb :
Lady Evangeline is a Diamond of the First Water, but she fears her father will match her to his own advantage, not hers. She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.
My review :
What a woman to do when she wants to have control of her own destiny...
Oh how I loved this idea of Society Diamonds going after men Wallflowers!
It is such an enjoyable twist of the classic rakes and wallflowers meet.
My heart aches for Henry, because of his birth, he is subject to the will of everyone. He had little choice in life, and few freedom, especially when he is longing for other goals than gambling and whoring as he is expected.
He knows he is nothing in the society scale, a disposable being at the beck and call of others more powerful over him.
Why he is overlooked by everyone, no wealth, no title to expect and no interest for socialite entertainments.
So he watches from afar the one woman whom has caught his heart.
But he is not without failure, I adored his analytical view of things, he weighs and balances everything around him
Even his own reactions, until he himself misses the one point he shouldn’t have.
When Evangeline is in the same situation, she shuns her feelings to only retain control. Loosing her focus would put her in a similar situation as the women of her family, and she refuses to be a casualty. So much, she appears icy when it is about sentiments, with only one focus, to reach her own goal, why she will wager Henry’s own dreams.
I confess I had problems with Evangeline at first, but then the story unfolded and she had every right, to be wary of others. She knows her kin cares for her in their own way, but she is expendable if necessary. Never had she ever come first, other’s needs always override hers.
I loved the grand gesture of Henry to win Evangeline trust, it is no groveling, it is proof of his indefectible affection for her.
Mrs Jess Michaels has done an astonishing job with these two characters, they are so flawed they truly step out of the paper pages like blood and flesh persons.
A must read, 5 stars
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal
Elizabeth Essex
https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.es...
Blurb :
Miss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.
My review :
When looking for ruin, a young miss finds herself drawn to a man supposed so wrong for her...
What a delightful read it was, Mrs Elizabeth Essex has delivery a witty exquisite tale of seing beyond the appearance.
It was a perfect plea for the conditions and rights of those considered undeserving.
For Tamsin, it is certain, she has very few choice except comply to her family’s will and secure a future for them through her marriage or risk everything a choose a more scandalous path which may cost her everything too.
I do understood her conflicts, why she tiptoes with her « ruination », at time very unsure of what she is really looking for.
Simon has seen too much and survived, but he came back from war, a changed man. So much, he wants in his own way to retire from ton’s entertainments. Why he presents himself as a simpleton.
He does his duty for his family but avoid to engage in the usual society’s plays. Preferring the quiet places until a miss barges in and disrupts his rest.
They are two conflicted persons, Tamsin as she oscillates between her dreams and her duties until she decides to take her destiny in her sole hands, well with a little outside help too.
Simon is a mystery, at time I thought I knew why he chooses to hide his true self but when his real motives were exposed, I was taken aback and with surprise enchanted.
This bewitching tale had me entranced, it was just impossible to put it down until the very end.
5 well deserved stars for these two captivating novellas.
I was granted through Netgalley an advance copy by the publisher, I purchased also my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
October 1, 2019
4.5 stars
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I know it's way too early to read holiday romances, but I couldn't resist this anthology because I love Jess Michaels's books and I knew her novella would be a winner because she's tweeted about it before. Reading this anthology also gave me the chance to read Elizabeth Essex for the very first time. So this was a win-win for me. This anthology's theme is based on the pairing of wallflower heroes with popular belles of the ball, a pairing I wish was more popular in romance novels. Both novellas take place at the same time as the heroines become friends early on. Both romances are also based on the friends to lovers trope.
A Lady's Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels (4.5 stars)
This was a wonderful friends to lovers romance, with a dash of unrequited love and pining hero. Lady Evangeline and Henry Killam know each other through their fathers and they've had an easy friendship for years. Henry was always attracted to Evangeline, but the latter never realized that she was also attracted to him until now. Evangeline knows that her dad plans to marry her off, but she's terrified of being married off to a man who will control every aspect of her life. So she decides to find herself a biddable groom, that is to say, a masculine wallflower. And who better than her dear friend Henry, the reasonable and easygoing scholar? She plans on seducing him, but little does she know that she's the one who will ultimately be seduced and wooed by scholarly Henry.
Henry and Evangeline's love story was short, steamy, and sweet. Henry was my kind of beta hero. He was utterly perfect and just so darn sweet. I also liked that the conflict was simple and not overly complicated. It was really well executed and not blown to proportions. It fit the length and tone of the story and ultimately led to a very satisfactory HEA.
A Lady's Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex (4.5 stars)
This was my first Elizabeth Essex book and omg where has she been my entire life?? A Lady's Gift for Scandal was an utterly delightful friends to lovers romance between a belle of the ball who only wants to be a bluestocking and a veteran who just wants to be left alone. Simon Cathcart accompanies his aunt to parties...only to retire to the library and take a nap until his aunt is ready to leave. Imagine his surprise when he is awoken by Tamsin Lesley who proposes that he lightly ruins her so that she doesn't have to get married.
This novella completely took me by surprise, mostly because of Simon. He was such a unique hero! He kind of reminded me of Gideon from Anne Gracie's The Perfect Rake. It was hilarious how Tamsin and Simon's plans for light ruination always had the most unexpected consequences. I had such a blast reading their shenanigans. The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the climax because I think Tamsin's actions came across as a little selfish and uncaring, but I loved everything else. I cannot wait to read more books by Elizabeth Essex!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I know it's way too early to read holiday romances, but I couldn't resist this anthology because I love Jess Michaels's books and I knew her novella would be a winner because she's tweeted about it before. Reading this anthology also gave me the chance to read Elizabeth Essex for the very first time. So this was a win-win for me. This anthology's theme is based on the pairing of wallflower heroes with popular belles of the ball, a pairing I wish was more popular in romance novels. Both novellas take place at the same time as the heroines become friends early on. Both romances are also based on the friends to lovers trope.
A Lady's Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels (4.5 stars)
This was a wonderful friends to lovers romance, with a dash of unrequited love and pining hero. Lady Evangeline and Henry Killam know each other through their fathers and they've had an easy friendship for years. Henry was always attracted to Evangeline, but the latter never realized that she was also attracted to him until now. Evangeline knows that her dad plans to marry her off, but she's terrified of being married off to a man who will control every aspect of her life. So she decides to find herself a biddable groom, that is to say, a masculine wallflower. And who better than her dear friend Henry, the reasonable and easygoing scholar? She plans on seducing him, but little does she know that she's the one who will ultimately be seduced and wooed by scholarly Henry.
Henry and Evangeline's love story was short, steamy, and sweet. Henry was my kind of beta hero. He was utterly perfect and just so darn sweet. I also liked that the conflict was simple and not overly complicated. It was really well executed and not blown to proportions. It fit the length and tone of the story and ultimately led to a very satisfactory HEA.
A Lady's Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex (4.5 stars)
This was my first Elizabeth Essex book and omg where has she been my entire life?? A Lady's Gift for Scandal was an utterly delightful friends to lovers romance between a belle of the ball who only wants to be a bluestocking and a veteran who just wants to be left alone. Simon Cathcart accompanies his aunt to parties...only to retire to the library and take a nap until his aunt is ready to leave. Imagine his surprise when he is awoken by Tamsin Lesley who proposes that he lightly ruins her so that she doesn't have to get married.
This novella completely took me by surprise, mostly because of Simon. He was such a unique hero! He kind of reminded me of Gideon from Anne Gracie's The Perfect Rake. It was hilarious how Tamsin and Simon's plans for light ruination always had the most unexpected consequences. I had such a blast reading their shenanigans. The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the climax because I think Tamsin's actions came across as a little selfish and uncaring, but I loved everything else. I cannot wait to read more books by Elizabeth Essex!!
January 14, 2020
A Lady's Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
I loved this short story!! Our hero, Henry, is wallflower. He has spectacles. He has a hobby that everyone in his family and social sphere seem to disapprove of. The heroine, Evangeline, has a take charge, be in control personality. She thinks she can manage the hero when she realizes she can use a relationship with him, but she quickly finds herself out of her depth. Really really enjoyed this story. It had enough conflict, tension, in depth character development to make me happy. And the steam! Definitely will be checking out more Jess Michaels. I believe this was my first story by her. My only complaint was the heroine was not easy to love and annoyed me a bit, especially towards the end. But it was nice seeing the more stereotypical roles reversed in the relationship.
A Lady's Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
As much as I enjoyed the first story of this duet, I think this one is my favorite. Tamsin thinks she can get what she wants out of life if she can just be 'lightly ruined'. She strikes a friendship with Evangeline and gets introduced to simple Simon. I adored Simon. I thought his character was just so different. If you love a man who lets the woman lead the way and is a true gentleman about consent, I think you will like this story as well. He's so much a gentleman. I loved watching them fall in love. It was so accidental and perfect. I did feel the heroine took it a little far with her poor mother at the end. I actually felt really bad for her mom in this story with the way she acted. Tamsin came off as rather self absorbed.
Overall I was extremely impressed with these two short stories. I will definitely be checking out more by these authors, as this was my first taste of both.
4.5 stars rounded to 5
I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I loved this short story!! Our hero, Henry, is wallflower. He has spectacles. He has a hobby that everyone in his family and social sphere seem to disapprove of. The heroine, Evangeline, has a take charge, be in control personality. She thinks she can manage the hero when she realizes she can use a relationship with him, but she quickly finds herself out of her depth. Really really enjoyed this story. It had enough conflict, tension, in depth character development to make me happy. And the steam! Definitely will be checking out more Jess Michaels. I believe this was my first story by her. My only complaint was the heroine was not easy to love and annoyed me a bit, especially towards the end. But it was nice seeing the more stereotypical roles reversed in the relationship.
A Lady's Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
As much as I enjoyed the first story of this duet, I think this one is my favorite. Tamsin thinks she can get what she wants out of life if she can just be 'lightly ruined'. She strikes a friendship with Evangeline and gets introduced to simple Simon. I adored Simon. I thought his character was just so different. If you love a man who lets the woman lead the way and is a true gentleman about consent, I think you will like this story as well. He's so much a gentleman. I loved watching them fall in love. It was so accidental and perfect. I did feel the heroine took it a little far with her poor mother at the end. I actually felt really bad for her mom in this story with the way she acted. Tamsin came off as rather self absorbed.
Overall I was extremely impressed with these two short stories. I will definitely be checking out more by these authors, as this was my first taste of both.
4.5 stars rounded to 5
I was able to receive an ARC copy complimentary from netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 15, 2019
Fun Christmas duet!
What a quandary! Two young women know their families want them to marry. Neither wants to be married to an idiotic nobleman with nothing but hunting and other pursuits on their minds. Neither of them want to be relegated to being owned by a husband and the subsequent loss of their freedom. So after a chance meeting at a ball, a few laconic comments about the idiotic gentlemen playing a game where they all but singe their eyebrows off, the two decide to look for wallflower gents to help them out of their predicament.
Where do they look? Why the library of course!
And this is the start of two immeasurably pleasurable, light hearted, Christmas Regency romances that dovetail beautifully.
Think of Ayckbourn's Norman Conquests and how the play happens in three different rooms over three separate plays and you get the idea of how these stories intertwine.
We see each story within the individual's scope but outside the room the other story is going on.
I loved Lady Evangeline's efforts in A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels, with her scientist Henry Killam and all her fears and the resolution. Full marks to Henry for his patience and determination.
I equally adored Thomasina Lesley's conundrum in A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex . Tamsin of the glasses and managing ways forging ahead with Simon Cathcart who's hiding behind a simplistic outer bearing. Tamsin requires to be 'a little bit ruined' so that she can lead an independent life. Simon is to be the ruiner.
So the fun begins! Ideas hatched at an evening event take on different realities in the fullness of the sunlight.
Christmas cheer indeed. After of course, the requisite struggles for both parties.
A Passionate Pen ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
What a quandary! Two young women know their families want them to marry. Neither wants to be married to an idiotic nobleman with nothing but hunting and other pursuits on their minds. Neither of them want to be relegated to being owned by a husband and the subsequent loss of their freedom. So after a chance meeting at a ball, a few laconic comments about the idiotic gentlemen playing a game where they all but singe their eyebrows off, the two decide to look for wallflower gents to help them out of their predicament.
Where do they look? Why the library of course!
And this is the start of two immeasurably pleasurable, light hearted, Christmas Regency romances that dovetail beautifully.
Think of Ayckbourn's Norman Conquests and how the play happens in three different rooms over three separate plays and you get the idea of how these stories intertwine.
We see each story within the individual's scope but outside the room the other story is going on.
I loved Lady Evangeline's efforts in A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels, with her scientist Henry Killam and all her fears and the resolution. Full marks to Henry for his patience and determination.
I equally adored Thomasina Lesley's conundrum in A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex . Tamsin of the glasses and managing ways forging ahead with Simon Cathcart who's hiding behind a simplistic outer bearing. Tamsin requires to be 'a little bit ruined' so that she can lead an independent life. Simon is to be the ruiner.
So the fun begins! Ideas hatched at an evening event take on different realities in the fullness of the sunlight.
Christmas cheer indeed. After of course, the requisite struggles for both parties.
A Passionate Pen ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
October 13, 2019
This was a loosely interconnected novella duo by Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex, featuring two ladies who don’t want to marry finding their HEAs - my average rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels – 5 stars – Lady Evangeline & Thomasina “Tamsin” Lesley meet at a ball, both worry that if they don’t find a husband, their fathers will choose for them. When Tamsin says she doesn’t want to marry, Evangeline has a suggestion, they should consider “male wallflowers” and she chooses Henry Killam, aspiring astronomer and younger son of Viscount Killam. Henry like Evangeline – always has – but she is out of his league. She is the daughter of a duke and he is the second son, whose father threatens to cut off if he doesn’t give up his “work”. But Evangeline offers a solution – marry her. What follows is a steamy and delightful tale of a woman who erroneously believes she has fallen for a man she can manipulate.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex – 4 stars – Miss Thomasina “Tamsin” Lesley has until Christmas to find a husband or she will be married off to her father’s heir, her cousin Edward, an odious man who only wants her because she is beautiful. But in reality Tamsin doesn’t want to marry at all, she wants to live in London with her Aunt Dahlia and write, but her mother refuses to consider that option. So when Evangeline suggests being “lightly ruined” so her mother will reconsider and introduces her to Simon Cathcart, the second son of a second son and a former soldier who has been dubbed “Simple Simon”. She immediately likes him, he is handsome and very agreeable. She explains that she doesn’t want to marry and asks for his help in convincing her mother that she is no longer marriageable. Simon agrees mostly to alleviate his boredom and because he likes her too. But as time passes and she gets to know Simon and learns his secrets, maybe being ruined isn’t the way to finding her HEA or is it?
Both stories where well written and entertaining, I thought all the characters were likeable and that the stories were paced well. Jess Michaels’ offering was a bit steamier, but they were both had love scenes that were on the warm side. Personally, I thought the whole “lightly ruined” ploy was a bit unbelievable and complete ridiculous, but it was a very entertaining read regardless. I enjoyed this book and would be happy to recommend it.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels – 5 stars – Lady Evangeline & Thomasina “Tamsin” Lesley meet at a ball, both worry that if they don’t find a husband, their fathers will choose for them. When Tamsin says she doesn’t want to marry, Evangeline has a suggestion, they should consider “male wallflowers” and she chooses Henry Killam, aspiring astronomer and younger son of Viscount Killam. Henry like Evangeline – always has – but she is out of his league. She is the daughter of a duke and he is the second son, whose father threatens to cut off if he doesn’t give up his “work”. But Evangeline offers a solution – marry her. What follows is a steamy and delightful tale of a woman who erroneously believes she has fallen for a man she can manipulate.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex – 4 stars – Miss Thomasina “Tamsin” Lesley has until Christmas to find a husband or she will be married off to her father’s heir, her cousin Edward, an odious man who only wants her because she is beautiful. But in reality Tamsin doesn’t want to marry at all, she wants to live in London with her Aunt Dahlia and write, but her mother refuses to consider that option. So when Evangeline suggests being “lightly ruined” so her mother will reconsider and introduces her to Simon Cathcart, the second son of a second son and a former soldier who has been dubbed “Simple Simon”. She immediately likes him, he is handsome and very agreeable. She explains that she doesn’t want to marry and asks for his help in convincing her mother that she is no longer marriageable. Simon agrees mostly to alleviate his boredom and because he likes her too. But as time passes and she gets to know Simon and learns his secrets, maybe being ruined isn’t the way to finding her HEA or is it?
Both stories where well written and entertaining, I thought all the characters were likeable and that the stories were paced well. Jess Michaels’ offering was a bit steamier, but they were both had love scenes that were on the warm side. Personally, I thought the whole “lightly ruined” ploy was a bit unbelievable and complete ridiculous, but it was a very entertaining read regardless. I enjoyed this book and would be happy to recommend it.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
November 22, 2019
A Lady's Gift for Seduction- Duke's daughter Lady Evangeline is much sought after and expected to marry well. Fearing her father is preparing to marry her off to his own advantage, she seeks to take matters into her own hands and decides to find herself a biddable husband. Her friend and avid astronomer Henry Killam seems the perfect choice, though she soon finds he's not so easily managed as she believed and her feelings for him are much deeper than she believed herself capable of.
Evangeline drove me crazy with her blatant manipulations, rigid control, and high standards and expectations for forgiveness, though I did understand her need to protect herself from hurt. I really liked Henry and was happy to see him get what he wanted for a change after everyone was so quick to write him off and try to belittle his feelings and his research. It was good to see both characters gain confidence and learn to lean on each other.
A Lady's Gift for Scandal- Tamsin Lesley simply wants the freedom to pursue her intellectual interests away from the pressure to marry. She especially doesn't want to marry her cousin Edward, her father's heir, though that is exactly what will happy if she doesn't find someone else during the little Christmas season. To take control of her own life, Tamsin seeks out a little light ruination from a masculine wallflower and Colonel Simon Cathcart is just the man for the job. But there is more to Simon than meets the eye and he soon has Tamsin rethinking what it is she wants.
I liked Tamsin as a heroine even if she was much more naive than I'd expect from a supposed bluestocking. It was funny to me that Tamsin's mother was so bent on avoiding scandal and yet she ultimately was the one who wound up causing it. Simon was an adorable, almost tragic hero and I'm glad he got to have his happy ending.
Both heroines were desperate to choose their own lives in a time in which women had few options. Overall, I enjoyed these two festive linked stories, but I did find the heroes much more likable than the heroines.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Evangeline drove me crazy with her blatant manipulations, rigid control, and high standards and expectations for forgiveness, though I did understand her need to protect herself from hurt. I really liked Henry and was happy to see him get what he wanted for a change after everyone was so quick to write him off and try to belittle his feelings and his research. It was good to see both characters gain confidence and learn to lean on each other.
A Lady's Gift for Scandal- Tamsin Lesley simply wants the freedom to pursue her intellectual interests away from the pressure to marry. She especially doesn't want to marry her cousin Edward, her father's heir, though that is exactly what will happy if she doesn't find someone else during the little Christmas season. To take control of her own life, Tamsin seeks out a little light ruination from a masculine wallflower and Colonel Simon Cathcart is just the man for the job. But there is more to Simon than meets the eye and he soon has Tamsin rethinking what it is she wants.
I liked Tamsin as a heroine even if she was much more naive than I'd expect from a supposed bluestocking. It was funny to me that Tamsin's mother was so bent on avoiding scandal and yet she ultimately was the one who wound up causing it. Simon was an adorable, almost tragic hero and I'm glad he got to have his happy ending.
Both heroines were desperate to choose their own lives in a time in which women had few options. Overall, I enjoyed these two festive linked stories, but I did find the heroes much more likable than the heroines.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 14, 2019
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michael
Lady Evangeline liked to be in control and enjoyed giving her opinion. She didn’t want a marriage like her mother’s or sister’s. Evangeline chose Henry Killam for her husband as she thought she would be in control in their marriage. Henry was such a lovely man, he had many problems with his family but he understood Evangeline. However, Henry was no pushover. I did enjoy how they came to terms with each other and came to understand what was needed. Although this was a good read, it wasn’t one of my favourite Jess Michael stories.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
This was a really entertaining read. Tamsin is aiming to be ‘slightly’ ruined to avoid a marriage and to enable her to continue with her bluestocking tendencies. Simon, although very intelligent, pretends to be lacking in intelligence due to a sabre cut in the war. I enjoyed the interaction between them and I loved the way Simon arranged events just for Tamsin’s enjoyment. Their growing relationship was a joy to read about.
I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lady Evangeline liked to be in control and enjoyed giving her opinion. She didn’t want a marriage like her mother’s or sister’s. Evangeline chose Henry Killam for her husband as she thought she would be in control in their marriage. Henry was such a lovely man, he had many problems with his family but he understood Evangeline. However, Henry was no pushover. I did enjoy how they came to terms with each other and came to understand what was needed. Although this was a good read, it wasn’t one of my favourite Jess Michael stories.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
This was a really entertaining read. Tamsin is aiming to be ‘slightly’ ruined to avoid a marriage and to enable her to continue with her bluestocking tendencies. Simon, although very intelligent, pretends to be lacking in intelligence due to a sabre cut in the war. I enjoyed the interaction between them and I loved the way Simon arranged events just for Tamsin’s enjoyment. Their growing relationship was a joy to read about.
I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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October 26, 2025It’s just not doing it for me.
October 13, 2019
Betrothed by Christmas by Jess Michaels & Elizabeth Essex
A Holiday Duet
This delightful duology provided me with escape, fun and holiday cheer as I read about two women who meet and form a plan to provide for their future. One wants nothing to do with marriage though she has been chosen as most beautiful of her sisters and thus more likely to land a wealthy husband so given a month to find him and the other knows her father will soon marry her off if she doesn’t find someone she prefers to marry who will live according to her own rules and regulations. Neither woman ends up with what she thought she wanted when the story began but both did end up with just what they wanted by the end of their stories. It was interesting that the male leads in both books were not the first sons of titled men. The two men were much more than what they appeared to be on the surface and brilliant even if others might not realize it. I really liked both Henry and Simon for some of the same and completely different reasons. Jess Michaels is one of my favorite authors and I believe, having just read my first book by Elizabeth Essex, that she very well could become a favorite, too.
Did I enjoy this book? Definitely!
Would I read more by these authors? Without a doubt
Thank you to NetGalley and The Passionate Pen for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
A Holiday Duet
This delightful duology provided me with escape, fun and holiday cheer as I read about two women who meet and form a plan to provide for their future. One wants nothing to do with marriage though she has been chosen as most beautiful of her sisters and thus more likely to land a wealthy husband so given a month to find him and the other knows her father will soon marry her off if she doesn’t find someone she prefers to marry who will live according to her own rules and regulations. Neither woman ends up with what she thought she wanted when the story began but both did end up with just what they wanted by the end of their stories. It was interesting that the male leads in both books were not the first sons of titled men. The two men were much more than what they appeared to be on the surface and brilliant even if others might not realize it. I really liked both Henry and Simon for some of the same and completely different reasons. Jess Michaels is one of my favorite authors and I believe, having just read my first book by Elizabeth Essex, that she very well could become a favorite, too.
Did I enjoy this book? Definitely!
Would I read more by these authors? Without a doubt
Thank you to NetGalley and The Passionate Pen for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
October 15, 2019
Betrothed by Christmas A Holiday Duet by Jess Michaels & Elizabeth Essex.
There are two Christmas Themed Romance stories in the set to put us in the Christmas Romance mode. Both authors are ones that I love so I was excited to read them, but if you are not familiar with these authors then it is a good way to find them. Besides, who doesn't love a Christmas Romance Story. This set has about 400 hundred pages and these are the stories that you will be getting:
1. A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
Lady Evangeline is a Diamond of the First Water, but she fears her father will match her to his own advantage, not hers. She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.
2. A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
Miss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.
There are two Christmas Themed Romance stories in the set to put us in the Christmas Romance mode. Both authors are ones that I love so I was excited to read them, but if you are not familiar with these authors then it is a good way to find them. Besides, who doesn't love a Christmas Romance Story. This set has about 400 hundred pages and these are the stories that you will be getting:
1. A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
Lady Evangeline is a Diamond of the First Water, but she fears her father will match her to his own advantage, not hers. She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.
2. A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
Miss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.
October 23, 2019
This is a duet of two stories which are separate but take place at the same time and the characters do meet.
A LADY'S GIFT FOR SEDUCTION by Jess Michaels: Lady Evangeline doesn't intend to submit to her father's plans for her. If she doesn't find a man to marry quickly, he intends to marry her off to someone "appropriate". Evangeline is having nothing of that and intends to take her future into her own hands by marrying a "biddable" man who will allow her to control her own life. Evangeline sets her eyes on her friend Henry Killam. Henry has his own problems as his father has forbidden him to do his "work" as an astronomer and threatened to cut him off. Marriage to Evangeline might solve his own problems but things become complicated. I enjoyed this book as a reversal of the typical historical romance. Here, the heroine is the aggressive one and the hero is the wallflower. I liked both Evangeline who wanted control of her life and Henry, who was sweet and only wanted to do his scientific work in a world that would have respected him more if he was a drunken womanizer. This story works well in the novella format. Rating: 4 stars.
A LADY'S GIFT FOR SCANDAL by Elizabeth Essex: Tamsin Lesley wants only to be a bluestocking but she fears being married off to her father's heir. She decides to get herself "slightly" ruined in order to avoid an unwanted marriage. And the perfect man to accomplish her goal is wallflower Colonel Simon Cathcart. Simon has his own secrets and the face that he puts on with the public does not fully represent the man. This story wasn't quite as good as the other story, but it was a nice easy read. I liked Tamsin, but never felt that Simon's situation and thoughts were as well developed. This was a story that could have been longer with the themes that were trying to be addressed. It was a nice read. Rating: 3.5 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
A LADY'S GIFT FOR SEDUCTION by Jess Michaels: Lady Evangeline doesn't intend to submit to her father's plans for her. If she doesn't find a man to marry quickly, he intends to marry her off to someone "appropriate". Evangeline is having nothing of that and intends to take her future into her own hands by marrying a "biddable" man who will allow her to control her own life. Evangeline sets her eyes on her friend Henry Killam. Henry has his own problems as his father has forbidden him to do his "work" as an astronomer and threatened to cut him off. Marriage to Evangeline might solve his own problems but things become complicated. I enjoyed this book as a reversal of the typical historical romance. Here, the heroine is the aggressive one and the hero is the wallflower. I liked both Evangeline who wanted control of her life and Henry, who was sweet and only wanted to do his scientific work in a world that would have respected him more if he was a drunken womanizer. This story works well in the novella format. Rating: 4 stars.
A LADY'S GIFT FOR SCANDAL by Elizabeth Essex: Tamsin Lesley wants only to be a bluestocking but she fears being married off to her father's heir. She decides to get herself "slightly" ruined in order to avoid an unwanted marriage. And the perfect man to accomplish her goal is wallflower Colonel Simon Cathcart. Simon has his own secrets and the face that he puts on with the public does not fully represent the man. This story wasn't quite as good as the other story, but it was a nice easy read. I liked Tamsin, but never felt that Simon's situation and thoughts were as well developed. This was a story that could have been longer with the themes that were trying to be addressed. It was a nice read. Rating: 3.5 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
January 20, 2020
Betrothed by Christmas contains two novellas, A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels and A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex. Two ladies have a plan to avoid marriages to men they don’t want and to find a husband among the “masculine wallflowers.” The idea of two ladies hunting for “masculine wallflowers” like the men who hunt for biddable wives amongst the wallflowers was brilliant! A spin on the normal way to find a husband. The wallflowers turn out to be not as biddable as the ladies think they will be, and the ladies are in for some fun. These stories were delightful to read and had wonderful characters and plots.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
Lady Evangeline hides behind her cool, controlling façade and allows no one close. She can’t be hurt by others if she doesn’t let them in her heart. She wanted to control her future and find a man who would allow her to live her life the way she wants. Henry Killam life is dedicated to his studies. He has always admired Evangeline but knew he didn’t have a chance as a third son. He knew something was up when Evangeline starts to pay him attention. Can the scheme Evangeline has come up with give her what she wants plus more?
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
Miss Tamsin Lesley wants to be a spinster and pursue intellectual activities. She has no interest in marry any gentleman of society. She plots to be “lightly ruined.” Society has nicknamed Simon Cathcart as “Simple Simon” after his return from the war. He was content with the name because it game him peace and quiet and a reason to avoid society. The idea of “lightly ruining” Tamsin delighted Simon, who had lately become bored. How can Tamsin not fall in love with his sunny smile?
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
Lady Evangeline hides behind her cool, controlling façade and allows no one close. She can’t be hurt by others if she doesn’t let them in her heart. She wanted to control her future and find a man who would allow her to live her life the way she wants. Henry Killam life is dedicated to his studies. He has always admired Evangeline but knew he didn’t have a chance as a third son. He knew something was up when Evangeline starts to pay him attention. Can the scheme Evangeline has come up with give her what she wants plus more?
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
Miss Tamsin Lesley wants to be a spinster and pursue intellectual activities. She has no interest in marry any gentleman of society. She plots to be “lightly ruined.” Society has nicknamed Simon Cathcart as “Simple Simon” after his return from the war. He was content with the name because it game him peace and quiet and a reason to avoid society. The idea of “lightly ruining” Tamsin delighted Simon, who had lately become bored. How can Tamsin not fall in love with his sunny smile?
September 15, 2019
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
These novellas are a nice holiday read. A bit of reversal of characters, where the men are wallflowers and the women are the center of attention, diamonds of the first water. Both stories slightly overlap, but are still their own. Love is found where it is least expected and nothing is as it seems. One is afraid of love, based on her own parents' marriage, fearful of having someone chosen for her, and decides she wants a man who can be managed, but never expected how her plan would backfire on her. One is a bluestocking, wishing to be ruined to avoid marriage to her cousin, who would show her off as a "trophy wife", never expecting the love that would develop for a man who unleashes her desires. Love is found where it is least expected and sometimes the best laid plans do not have the outcome desired, but rather something more.
These novellas are a nice holiday read. A bit of reversal of characters, where the men are wallflowers and the women are the center of attention, diamonds of the first water. Both stories slightly overlap, but are still their own. Love is found where it is least expected and nothing is as it seems. One is afraid of love, based on her own parents' marriage, fearful of having someone chosen for her, and decides she wants a man who can be managed, but never expected how her plan would backfire on her. One is a bluestocking, wishing to be ruined to avoid marriage to her cousin, who would show her off as a "trophy wife", never expecting the love that would develop for a man who unleashes her desires. Love is found where it is least expected and sometimes the best laid plans do not have the outcome desired, but rather something more.
October 17, 2019
A breath of fresh winter air, two delightful novellas that are truly worth reading and totally enjoyable. They are stories that are related to each other, with heroines who are friends. Tamsin wants Evangeline to help her find a man to ruin her so she won't have to get married. But she only wants to be “a little ruined” . Simon is the man Evangeline picks out for her and that's when the delight of Jess Michael's novella starts. While Evangeline is picking out Tamsin's object of ruination she is steering her away from Henry Killam because Evangeline has her own feelings for him. Elizabeth Essex brings these characters to life in her novella. I can highly recommend this book. Two 5 star gems.
I received this book free for review from the publisher.
More reviews: http://ladeetdareads.wordpress.com
I received this book free for review from the publisher.
More reviews: http://ladeetdareads.wordpress.com
December 28, 2019
This duet was rather sweet and undemanding fun.
The first story, by Jess Michaels, matched a somewhat beta hero with a lively, managing heroine, one who was looking for a biddable husband so that she will not need to sacrifice her independence. Her groom of choice is the sweet but distracted astronomer Henry. They muddle their way through some misunderstandings and ave to deal with a domineering father (on his side) and a selfish Duke (father of the heroine) before they get their HEA.
In the second story, bluestocking Tamsin needs to find a biddable husband who will not halt her intellectual pursuits. Her choice is Simon, a seemingly sleepy and slightly touched-in-the-head (he had been a soldier) masculine wallflower. It was cute and charming but, ultimately, probably not especially memorable.
A pleasant afternoon's read in the holidays.
The first story, by Jess Michaels, matched a somewhat beta hero with a lively, managing heroine, one who was looking for a biddable husband so that she will not need to sacrifice her independence. Her groom of choice is the sweet but distracted astronomer Henry. They muddle their way through some misunderstandings and ave to deal with a domineering father (on his side) and a selfish Duke (father of the heroine) before they get their HEA.
In the second story, bluestocking Tamsin needs to find a biddable husband who will not halt her intellectual pursuits. Her choice is Simon, a seemingly sleepy and slightly touched-in-the-head (he had been a soldier) masculine wallflower. It was cute and charming but, ultimately, probably not especially memorable.
A pleasant afternoon's read in the holidays.
October 15, 2019
A wonderful pair of novellas where diamonds who haven't met good matches take things into their own hands and create the future THEY want. The tales wouldn't be truly empowering without men worth creating a future with, and both heroes are swoonworthy. They are also the male equivalent of wallflowers, which is a refreshing change from many Regencies. As much as I love reading about wallflower girls meeting bold men, it's a lot of fun to have these novellas show us girls who should have every advantage going after guys that most people would ignore (but who turn out to be every bit as delicious as the rakes). I enjoyed both stories equally. These were my first reads for both authors, and I'll definitely be reading more. Highly recommended.
November 17, 2019
A wonderful pair of stories by two of my favourite authors does not disappoint. I enjoyed that the same scene in the library was repeated in both stories. The idea of male wallflowers was brilliant, and I would love to see in more stories. Treat yourself to this fun, engaging book. Highly recommend++
December 2, 2019
4 ish stars for the two historical romances that were refreshing, though there was not very much Christmas involved beyond the time of year and a few small notes (not that it was needed, but the title implies Christmas).
January 25, 2020
Really enjoyed this collaboration. Loved the masculine wallflower concept and how two strong willed women find unexpected.love. Have always loved Elizabeth Essex but Jess Michaels was new for me.
Will definitely revisit!
Will definitely revisit!
December 25, 2019
A delightful duo of holiday themed romances about two young women determined to arrange their own futures to the men they cherish.
February 10, 2020
Two very enjoyable reads. Lovely characters and storylines. My favourite character was Simon. He made me laugh. 5☆
June 28, 2022
Two delightful, short stories that find their heroines finding passion in unexpected places. These stories are the perfect way to spend an afternoon with a cup of tea and some hot leading men!
For the Jess Michaels story, A Lady's Gift for Seduction, I know and love her work, so I couldn't wait to read this one after reading her tweets about a nerdy hero who likes to pleasure a woman. I truly adored the story of Evangeline and Henry. Nothing like the smart, hot nerd!
Having never read a story by Elizabeth Essex, I'm now going book hunting to find some others after reading A Lady's Gift for Scandal! Tasmin finds Simon asleep in a room waiting for his aunt and she propositions him to ruin her, so she can avoid the marriage mart! It's a delightful turn of events and I couldn't wait to see where it would go.
For the Jess Michaels story, A Lady's Gift for Seduction, I know and love her work, so I couldn't wait to read this one after reading her tweets about a nerdy hero who likes to pleasure a woman. I truly adored the story of Evangeline and Henry. Nothing like the smart, hot nerd!
Having never read a story by Elizabeth Essex, I'm now going book hunting to find some others after reading A Lady's Gift for Scandal! Tasmin finds Simon asleep in a room waiting for his aunt and she propositions him to ruin her, so she can avoid the marriage mart! It's a delightful turn of events and I couldn't wait to see where it would go.
January 18, 2021
more 3.5...short story was ok all around (you can tell it’s definitely in her early years of writing because she’s so much better now). hotness 1.5/5
my personal markers for a great read...1. smart and engaging writing 2. Humorous 3. sexy interactions and 4. stories with family/friends.
my personal markers for a great read...1. smart and engaging writing 2. Humorous 3. sexy interactions and 4. stories with family/friends.
December 9, 2023
This is a fun little duet of stories. I have added it to my rotation of Christmas stories.
October 13, 2019
ARC courtesy of Netgalley
3 for Michaels' "A Lady's Gift for Seduction"
4.5 for Essex's "A Lady's Gift for Scandal"
I requested this anthology of two interrelated Christmas Regency novellas because I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Essex. I hadn't read any Jess Michaels' books before.
The collection opens with Michaels' story, "A Lady's Gift for Seduction." The opening scene features the heroines of both novella at a December party in 1814, where twenty-two-year-old Lady Evangeline suggests to Miss Thomasina (Tamsin) Lesley (Essex's heroine) that getting herself "lightly ruined" by a male wallflower will allow her to work on her biography of Bess of Hardwicke than marry any of the silly men being thrown at her by her marriage-minded mother. For some unstated reason, though, Evangeline decides to pursue the scheme for herself, too, at least in part, thinking that her neighbor Henry Killham will make for the perfect "biddable groom," "one who would thwart her own father's potential interference and give her a lasting independence that few ladies of her sphere ever enjoyed." I'm not quite sure why Evangeline doesn't just ask Henry to marry her, rather than try to seduce him; he's held a torch for her for ages (as we are told in the scenes written from his POV), and she feels jealousy when Miss Lesley initially thinks of Henry as a candidate for her own ruination. But this seems like one of those stories we're supposed to laugh at, rather than laugh with, the heroine, which aren't my favorite. I also didn't understand why Henry's father, or Evangeline's, would be so upset about Henry's scientific pursuits; it wasn't a shocking thing at the time for an aristocrat to pursue scientific discoveries, or to publish same; it would not be "dragging the family name in the mud of trade."
The story becomes less silly, and more interesting, once Evangeline finally does confide in Henry, and the two decide to marry. Afterwards, both are feeling a bit at sea—Henry, because he has to promise (falsely) to give up his scientific endeavors in order to gain permission to wed from Evangeline's father, and Evangeline, who is afraid of Henry's kindness, afraid of giving up any sort of control, afraid of loss. I didn't at all care for the self-sacrificing nature of the resolution of the black moment; even though the other partner rejects said self-sacrifice, it still seems necessary that the sacrifice be offered, in order for the reconciliation to happen...
"A Lady's Gift for Scandal" by Elizabeth Essex is far more intelligent, and far more delightful, than the earlier novella. (And far more elegantly written too: "She was a counterfeit diamond at best, a determined bluestocking being made to masquerade as a marriageable ninny in search of an equally marriageable ninny of a man."). The "male wallflower" whom Evangeline suggests that Tamsin request to help her with her "light ruination" is Colonel Simon Cathcart, or "Simple Simon," a man who has returned from the war mentally damaged. Or so Simon would have society believe. For a man weary of "honing his instincts while curbing his impulses," which had "left him tangled in such knots that he no longer trusted himself," Simon far prefers to have everyone think him addlepated than to continually ask him about the glory of his war experiences. But of late, Simon's role of "everyone's favorite idiot" is growing a bit tiresome, and Miss Lesley's surprising proposal promises the kind of fun that he hasn't allowed himself to have in a long, long time.
What's so wonderful here isn't just the amusing premise; it's the way that Tamsin and Simon interact, especially the sheer pleasure and joy Simon takes in Tamsin as a person:
"For some reason he could not name, he liked her. He liked the bossy bundle of deliciousness who couldn't see past her own nose, but assumed all the world beyond her gaze should be as she saw it. There was something hopeful about that assumption. Something reassuring. And reassuringly human. She wanted to be the heroine of her own story. In short, just his type."
Tamsin's competence and dry humor gradually leads Simon to reveal bits of himself while still wearing the guise of Simple Simon, while his "light ruination," all under her direction, piques Tamsin's interest far more than she initially thought it would. And while their "fake ruination" plans do lead to some kissing, their relationship is based as much on their discovery of shared intellectual interests as it is on physical attraction. The previous story talked about the protagonists relating to one another as equals, but here we actually see two people interacting as equals, and appreciating both their similarities and their differences.
I've rarely read such a delightful take on the "fake engagement" trope.
3 for Michaels' "A Lady's Gift for Seduction"
4.5 for Essex's "A Lady's Gift for Scandal"
I requested this anthology of two interrelated Christmas Regency novellas because I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Essex. I hadn't read any Jess Michaels' books before.
The collection opens with Michaels' story, "A Lady's Gift for Seduction." The opening scene features the heroines of both novella at a December party in 1814, where twenty-two-year-old Lady Evangeline suggests to Miss Thomasina (Tamsin) Lesley (Essex's heroine) that getting herself "lightly ruined" by a male wallflower will allow her to work on her biography of Bess of Hardwicke than marry any of the silly men being thrown at her by her marriage-minded mother. For some unstated reason, though, Evangeline decides to pursue the scheme for herself, too, at least in part, thinking that her neighbor Henry Killham will make for the perfect "biddable groom," "one who would thwart her own father's potential interference and give her a lasting independence that few ladies of her sphere ever enjoyed." I'm not quite sure why Evangeline doesn't just ask Henry to marry her, rather than try to seduce him; he's held a torch for her for ages (as we are told in the scenes written from his POV), and she feels jealousy when Miss Lesley initially thinks of Henry as a candidate for her own ruination. But this seems like one of those stories we're supposed to laugh at, rather than laugh with, the heroine, which aren't my favorite. I also didn't understand why Henry's father, or Evangeline's, would be so upset about Henry's scientific pursuits; it wasn't a shocking thing at the time for an aristocrat to pursue scientific discoveries, or to publish same; it would not be "dragging the family name in the mud of trade."
The story becomes less silly, and more interesting, once Evangeline finally does confide in Henry, and the two decide to marry. Afterwards, both are feeling a bit at sea—Henry, because he has to promise (falsely) to give up his scientific endeavors in order to gain permission to wed from Evangeline's father, and Evangeline, who is afraid of Henry's kindness, afraid of giving up any sort of control, afraid of loss. I didn't at all care for the self-sacrificing nature of the resolution of the black moment; even though the other partner rejects said self-sacrifice, it still seems necessary that the sacrifice be offered, in order for the reconciliation to happen...
"A Lady's Gift for Scandal" by Elizabeth Essex is far more intelligent, and far more delightful, than the earlier novella. (And far more elegantly written too: "She was a counterfeit diamond at best, a determined bluestocking being made to masquerade as a marriageable ninny in search of an equally marriageable ninny of a man."). The "male wallflower" whom Evangeline suggests that Tamsin request to help her with her "light ruination" is Colonel Simon Cathcart, or "Simple Simon," a man who has returned from the war mentally damaged. Or so Simon would have society believe. For a man weary of "honing his instincts while curbing his impulses," which had "left him tangled in such knots that he no longer trusted himself," Simon far prefers to have everyone think him addlepated than to continually ask him about the glory of his war experiences. But of late, Simon's role of "everyone's favorite idiot" is growing a bit tiresome, and Miss Lesley's surprising proposal promises the kind of fun that he hasn't allowed himself to have in a long, long time.
What's so wonderful here isn't just the amusing premise; it's the way that Tamsin and Simon interact, especially the sheer pleasure and joy Simon takes in Tamsin as a person:
"For some reason he could not name, he liked her. He liked the bossy bundle of deliciousness who couldn't see past her own nose, but assumed all the world beyond her gaze should be as she saw it. There was something hopeful about that assumption. Something reassuring. And reassuringly human. She wanted to be the heroine of her own story. In short, just his type."
Tamsin's competence and dry humor gradually leads Simon to reveal bits of himself while still wearing the guise of Simple Simon, while his "light ruination," all under her direction, piques Tamsin's interest far more than she initially thought it would. And while their "fake ruination" plans do lead to some kissing, their relationship is based as much on their discovery of shared intellectual interests as it is on physical attraction. The previous story talked about the protagonists relating to one another as equals, but here we actually see two people interacting as equals, and appreciating both their similarities and their differences.
I've rarely read such a delightful take on the "fake engagement" trope.
October 21, 2019
I am a sucker for a holiday regency - especially a novella collection. That being said, although these take place around the holidays - they are definitely NOT holiday books. The holiday stands as more of a deadline than anything else. I did enjoy both stories - and the role reversal of sorts. Both stories relate to a male "wallflower" and a diamond of the first water. The female part of the paring plotting to use the male wallflower to acheive her ends.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction is the first story by Jess Michaels (whom I usually love). Lady Evangeline is definitely awesome - she is extremely smart and wants to control her own destiny, which includes controlling her would-be husband. She expresses a desire to find a husband who will let her go her own way and control all the finances, while he pursues his own interests. She is in no way interested in an equal partner. Her viewpoint is actually really depressing - but maybe understandable in view of her life to-date. Her parents made each other miserable - particularly because of her fathers infidelity and disinterest in her mother. Evangeline doesn't want to be in her mother's shoes, but doesn't seem to have an issue with her husband being in that position. I enjoyed her management of the relationship with Henry and really wanted to kick him in the butt for most of the book. He doesn't need to be an alpha - but damn did he need to stand up for himself more. Even the big "betrayal" was really frustrating. He broke a promise - yes - but he shouldn't have ever made that promise and Evangeline shouldn't have asked him to make it. Overall - this story was just ok.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal was a better story for me. I liked Simon immediately from when we first met him in the first story. "Simple" Simon was clearly not really simple - even from the first you could tell he was acting. Simon had been a colonel in the army and played a major role in helping negotiate the treaties that helped end the napoleonic conflict. To give himself the space he needed to recover from war, he adopted a persona. Tamsin doesn't see this at all until at least midway through the story - but she likes Simon anyway. She likes him even more as he reveals his real self - but she accepts him and defends him - even as she seeks to use him to her own ends (albeit with full disclosure of her motives and ends). I liked Tamsin - but she was pretty selfish in some respects. I couldn't help but feel that although she didn't want to be a sacrificial lamb on the altar of matrimony for her family - and she shouldn't have to - she wasted a lot of money while having no plan to actual comply with her mother's wishes. I think I was supposed to find her mother ridiculous - but I actually felt badly for her. She shouldn't have forced Tamsin to go along with her wishes and should have really listened to her daughter before embarking on the plan to marry Tamsin off to a rich man, but Tamsin didn't really treat her mother well either.. The darker part of this story - whether it was intended or not - really highlights the vulnerability of women during this time as a whole.
I enjoyed both stories - but they weren't what I was looking for in a holiday read. If you are looking for well-written regency novellas, with a serious bent - these are good stories for you! If you were looking for a sweet holiday romance - these don't fit that bill.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own!
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction is the first story by Jess Michaels (whom I usually love). Lady Evangeline is definitely awesome - she is extremely smart and wants to control her own destiny, which includes controlling her would-be husband. She expresses a desire to find a husband who will let her go her own way and control all the finances, while he pursues his own interests. She is in no way interested in an equal partner. Her viewpoint is actually really depressing - but maybe understandable in view of her life to-date. Her parents made each other miserable - particularly because of her fathers infidelity and disinterest in her mother. Evangeline doesn't want to be in her mother's shoes, but doesn't seem to have an issue with her husband being in that position. I enjoyed her management of the relationship with Henry and really wanted to kick him in the butt for most of the book. He doesn't need to be an alpha - but damn did he need to stand up for himself more. Even the big "betrayal" was really frustrating. He broke a promise - yes - but he shouldn't have ever made that promise and Evangeline shouldn't have asked him to make it. Overall - this story was just ok.
A Lady’s Gift for Scandal was a better story for me. I liked Simon immediately from when we first met him in the first story. "Simple" Simon was clearly not really simple - even from the first you could tell he was acting. Simon had been a colonel in the army and played a major role in helping negotiate the treaties that helped end the napoleonic conflict. To give himself the space he needed to recover from war, he adopted a persona. Tamsin doesn't see this at all until at least midway through the story - but she likes Simon anyway. She likes him even more as he reveals his real self - but she accepts him and defends him - even as she seeks to use him to her own ends (albeit with full disclosure of her motives and ends). I liked Tamsin - but she was pretty selfish in some respects. I couldn't help but feel that although she didn't want to be a sacrificial lamb on the altar of matrimony for her family - and she shouldn't have to - she wasted a lot of money while having no plan to actual comply with her mother's wishes. I think I was supposed to find her mother ridiculous - but I actually felt badly for her. She shouldn't have forced Tamsin to go along with her wishes and should have really listened to her daughter before embarking on the plan to marry Tamsin off to a rich man, but Tamsin didn't really treat her mother well either.. The darker part of this story - whether it was intended or not - really highlights the vulnerability of women during this time as a whole.
I enjoyed both stories - but they weren't what I was looking for in a holiday read. If you are looking for well-written regency novellas, with a serious bent - these are good stories for you! If you were looking for a sweet holiday romance - these don't fit that bill.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own!
November 29, 2019
Originally posted on You Have Your Hands Full
The holiday season seems to start a little earlier every year, and I don’t mind one bit. I love the music and the decorations and the snow, and most importantly the time spent with my family and friends. Needless to say, I was very excited about the opportunity to read this new historical romance anthology.
The two novellas share the same which I thought was a fun worldbuilding element. They also take place during the Christmas season, but the plots are not overwhelmed by the holiday, which works well because the emphasis falls on the characterization rather than relying on the holiday to carry the plots.
In a Lady’s Gift for Seduction, Lady Evangeline decides to help her friend Miss Lesley ruin herself, but when considering the gentlemen of her acquaintance who would be best suited for this task, she eliminates her childhood friend Henry Killam. There’s nothing wrong with Henry, and Evangeline soon realizes it’s because she wants to marry him. She doesn’t particularly want to marry, but if she marries Henry, she won’t have to marry someone her father chooses.
Henry has his own predicament: his aristocrat father has told him that his pursuit of science is unbecoming, and that he’ll be cut off if he doesn’t stop experimenting.
It’s seems as though they’ll both get what they want with a marriage of convenience, but can it really be that easy? What would happen if they acknowledged their mutual attraction?
This was an utterly delightful story of a well-intentioned schemer and a sweet and kind cinnamon roll hero. There’s some minor conflict, but this story is basically two people completely in love with each other finally waking up and realizing that the person they love has been there all along.
In A Lady’s Gift for Scandal, the aforementioned Miss Thomasina “Tamsin” Lesley sets about laying her plan for ruination. She doesn’t particularly like London, and she has concluded (with Lady Evangeline’s help) that if she gets caught in a compromising position, she’ll be left with no option than to return home in disgrace which is just fine with her, thank you very much.
Simon Cathcart seems like the amicable sort of gentleman to enlist in her scheme, but being ruined is harder than it seems. So Tamsin and Simon keep trying….
Again and again
And then Tamsin starts to catch feelings for her kissing partner.
I liked this novella because it subverted many of the usual tropes and expectations. Most notably, Simon is a bit of a wallflower; shy heroes are growing in popularity, but they’re still not the norm.
This novella was lighter in tone, but still managed to convey a sense of gravity when appropriate. Simon is not taken seriously by those around him, and he is assumed to be generally shiftless, but of course, appearances are deceiving and Simon is much more complicated than he lets on.
I would recommend Betrothed by Christmas. These two novellas complement each other nicely. I have read some of Michaels’ books in the past, but this is my first experience with Essex. I’m certainly looking forward to reading more from both authors in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The holiday season seems to start a little earlier every year, and I don’t mind one bit. I love the music and the decorations and the snow, and most importantly the time spent with my family and friends. Needless to say, I was very excited about the opportunity to read this new historical romance anthology.
The two novellas share the same which I thought was a fun worldbuilding element. They also take place during the Christmas season, but the plots are not overwhelmed by the holiday, which works well because the emphasis falls on the characterization rather than relying on the holiday to carry the plots.
In a Lady’s Gift for Seduction, Lady Evangeline decides to help her friend Miss Lesley ruin herself, but when considering the gentlemen of her acquaintance who would be best suited for this task, she eliminates her childhood friend Henry Killam. There’s nothing wrong with Henry, and Evangeline soon realizes it’s because she wants to marry him. She doesn’t particularly want to marry, but if she marries Henry, she won’t have to marry someone her father chooses.
Henry has his own predicament: his aristocrat father has told him that his pursuit of science is unbecoming, and that he’ll be cut off if he doesn’t stop experimenting.
It’s seems as though they’ll both get what they want with a marriage of convenience, but can it really be that easy? What would happen if they acknowledged their mutual attraction?
This was an utterly delightful story of a well-intentioned schemer and a sweet and kind cinnamon roll hero. There’s some minor conflict, but this story is basically two people completely in love with each other finally waking up and realizing that the person they love has been there all along.
In A Lady’s Gift for Scandal, the aforementioned Miss Thomasina “Tamsin” Lesley sets about laying her plan for ruination. She doesn’t particularly like London, and she has concluded (with Lady Evangeline’s help) that if she gets caught in a compromising position, she’ll be left with no option than to return home in disgrace which is just fine with her, thank you very much.
Simon Cathcart seems like the amicable sort of gentleman to enlist in her scheme, but being ruined is harder than it seems. So Tamsin and Simon keep trying….
Again and again
And then Tamsin starts to catch feelings for her kissing partner.
I liked this novella because it subverted many of the usual tropes and expectations. Most notably, Simon is a bit of a wallflower; shy heroes are growing in popularity, but they’re still not the norm.
This novella was lighter in tone, but still managed to convey a sense of gravity when appropriate. Simon is not taken seriously by those around him, and he is assumed to be generally shiftless, but of course, appearances are deceiving and Simon is much more complicated than he lets on.
I would recommend Betrothed by Christmas. These two novellas complement each other nicely. I have read some of Michaels’ books in the past, but this is my first experience with Essex. I’m certainly looking forward to reading more from both authors in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2019
Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019...)
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Library recommendation: Recommended for public library holiday-themed historical romance ebook collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
____________________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 2 (Jess Michaels); 1 (Elizabeth Essex)
Love story speed: Medium burn (both novellas)
Relationship dynamics: The Gentleman Scientist (H1) and the Control-Mad Lady (h1) (A Lady’s Gift for Seduction) / The Gentleman Wallflower (H2) and the Determined Bluestocking (h2) (A Lady’s Gift for Scandal)
Sexual content: Some; both “on-screen” and explicit
Triggers: None flagged.
Grammar/Editing: This ARC had a fair number of typos and missed punctuation marks.
Review: This review will be a bit different from my normal format because I am reviewing two novellas within one review. That being said, both novellas in this “holiday duet” set a quick pace, and evidence a good level of research of the time period. Some license is taken with historical events, but this is acknowledged by the authors when it occurs.
Both stories take a familiar trope within the romance genre, and reverse the gender roles. Where typically the heroes are looking for a biddable wife or a marriage of convenience with a wallflower, here it is the heroines who are taking the lead and making the arrangements, and the heroes are the ones following the ladies’ lead. This is a refreshing take on these tropes. We so rarely see Regency romances that show sidelined men and so many that feature sidelined women. Both heroines are “diamonds of the first water” here, with the option to find a typical man in the ton, but the typical men are all essentially described as buffoons. I really liked both of the heroes in these novellas, and I also liked the second heroine (Tamsin). I wasn’t as enamored of Evangeline, the control freak, who withholds forgiveness for very little reason, and seems to expect major concessions to garner her forgiveness, even if she says she does not. I found the other characters far more straight forward and likable. I also thought the overlap between the stories and how they were linked together by the authors was well done.
The supporting characters were sufficiently developed in both stories and I could imagine at least one character from A Lady’s Gift for Seduction deserving their own story. It would be brilliant to have a gentleman wallflower series from these authors because it is an excellent concept that I would like to see more of.
Literary Mashup version: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland meets a less-bumbling version of Emma. Expect many tropes to be turned on their heads, a sprinkling of nonsense, and a healthy dose of pragmatic matchmaking.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Library recommendation: Recommended for public library holiday-themed historical romance ebook collections.
Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.
____________________
Number of titles I have read by this author: 2 (Jess Michaels); 1 (Elizabeth Essex)
Love story speed: Medium burn (both novellas)
Relationship dynamics: The Gentleman Scientist (H1) and the Control-Mad Lady (h1) (A Lady’s Gift for Seduction) / The Gentleman Wallflower (H2) and the Determined Bluestocking (h2) (A Lady’s Gift for Scandal)
Sexual content: Some; both “on-screen” and explicit
Triggers: None flagged.
Grammar/Editing: This ARC had a fair number of typos and missed punctuation marks.
Review: This review will be a bit different from my normal format because I am reviewing two novellas within one review. That being said, both novellas in this “holiday duet” set a quick pace, and evidence a good level of research of the time period. Some license is taken with historical events, but this is acknowledged by the authors when it occurs.
Both stories take a familiar trope within the romance genre, and reverse the gender roles. Where typically the heroes are looking for a biddable wife or a marriage of convenience with a wallflower, here it is the heroines who are taking the lead and making the arrangements, and the heroes are the ones following the ladies’ lead. This is a refreshing take on these tropes. We so rarely see Regency romances that show sidelined men and so many that feature sidelined women. Both heroines are “diamonds of the first water” here, with the option to find a typical man in the ton, but the typical men are all essentially described as buffoons. I really liked both of the heroes in these novellas, and I also liked the second heroine (Tamsin). I wasn’t as enamored of Evangeline, the control freak, who withholds forgiveness for very little reason, and seems to expect major concessions to garner her forgiveness, even if she says she does not. I found the other characters far more straight forward and likable. I also thought the overlap between the stories and how they were linked together by the authors was well done.
The supporting characters were sufficiently developed in both stories and I could imagine at least one character from A Lady’s Gift for Seduction deserving their own story. It would be brilliant to have a gentleman wallflower series from these authors because it is an excellent concept that I would like to see more of.
Literary Mashup version: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland meets a less-bumbling version of Emma. Expect many tropes to be turned on their heads, a sprinkling of nonsense, and a healthy dose of pragmatic matchmaking.
Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2019
As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-11L
Lady Evangeline and Thomasina meet at a ball, and discover they share some untypical views of marriage. As Christmas approaches, they each come up with a scheme which will hopefully allow them to avoid wedding unwanted suitors, a scheme that involves wallflowers of the male variety.
A LADY’S GIFT FOR SEDUCTION by Jess Michaels
4, hot
Lady Evangeline is the daughter of a duke, and her father has been hinting that it’s time for her to marry. Knowing that the duke may well make the choice for her, Evangeline decides to propose marriage to her longtime friend, Henry. For seven years, Evangeline and Henry have hid their mutual attraction behind their friendship. Henry is studious, an astronomer, and the third son of a viscount. Unfortunately, Henry’s father finds that Henry’s published work smacks of “trade” and orders Henry to abandon it, or he’ll be cut off. Astronomy is a genuine passion of Henry’s, so Evangeline’s proposal seems like it’s a way for him to continue after the marriage is a done deal. He only has to promise Evangeline to temporarily halt his studies, which he does. But, sometimes, things happen. Henry unwittingly breaks his promise, and seriously damages the fragile trust that had been developing between them. Will Henry be able to regain the ground he lost with Evangeline? Will she even go forward with the marriage? Can they build a future on their long time friendship and the newly discovered passion that has flared? A LADY’S GIFT FOR SEDUCTION has a lovable, glasses-wearing, sexy, wallflower hero, and a determined and wary heiress who fumble their way to genuine love in this steamy and satisfying story.
A LADY’S GIFT FOR SCANDAL by Elizabeth Essex
5, hot
Thomasina, also known as Tamsin, has been forced to come to London by her mother, who hopes that she’ll snag a husband. If that doesn’t happen, she’ll be coerced into marrying her dreadful cousin. Tamsin’s only desire is to be a bluestocking, remain unmarried, and enjoy intellectual pursuits with like minded people. Tamsin comes up with a plan to be “sort of” ruined, meaning she’ll be considered ruined, but won’t actually be. She selects Simon as her potential ruiner, and confides her scheme to him. Simon is a former soldier, who was injured, and came home a pacifist. Now, he dutifully escorts his aunt to society events, then disappears to a quiet room to nap or read. Simon created the persona of “Simple Simon,” giving the impression of having been injured enough to have suffered some mental damage, thus avoiding dancing, socializing, gambling, and marriage minded ladies. He is amiable enough to want to help Tamsin, and their encounters lead to some steamy kisses, surprising both of them with their intensity. Can two people with no interest in marriage make this attraction a forever romance? I fell in love with Simon, this charming, kind, and, yes, sneaky, man, who only wanted a peaceful existence, but found love instead with a passionate would-be bluestocking. A LADY’S GIFT FOR SCANDAL is another steamy story that is a pure delight to read.
Lady Evangeline and Thomasina meet at a ball, and discover they share some untypical views of marriage. As Christmas approaches, they each come up with a scheme which will hopefully allow them to avoid wedding unwanted suitors, a scheme that involves wallflowers of the male variety.
A LADY’S GIFT FOR SEDUCTION by Jess Michaels
4, hot
Lady Evangeline is the daughter of a duke, and her father has been hinting that it’s time for her to marry. Knowing that the duke may well make the choice for her, Evangeline decides to propose marriage to her longtime friend, Henry. For seven years, Evangeline and Henry have hid their mutual attraction behind their friendship. Henry is studious, an astronomer, and the third son of a viscount. Unfortunately, Henry’s father finds that Henry’s published work smacks of “trade” and orders Henry to abandon it, or he’ll be cut off. Astronomy is a genuine passion of Henry’s, so Evangeline’s proposal seems like it’s a way for him to continue after the marriage is a done deal. He only has to promise Evangeline to temporarily halt his studies, which he does. But, sometimes, things happen. Henry unwittingly breaks his promise, and seriously damages the fragile trust that had been developing between them. Will Henry be able to regain the ground he lost with Evangeline? Will she even go forward with the marriage? Can they build a future on their long time friendship and the newly discovered passion that has flared? A LADY’S GIFT FOR SEDUCTION has a lovable, glasses-wearing, sexy, wallflower hero, and a determined and wary heiress who fumble their way to genuine love in this steamy and satisfying story.
A LADY’S GIFT FOR SCANDAL by Elizabeth Essex
5, hot
Thomasina, also known as Tamsin, has been forced to come to London by her mother, who hopes that she’ll snag a husband. If that doesn’t happen, she’ll be coerced into marrying her dreadful cousin. Tamsin’s only desire is to be a bluestocking, remain unmarried, and enjoy intellectual pursuits with like minded people. Tamsin comes up with a plan to be “sort of” ruined, meaning she’ll be considered ruined, but won’t actually be. She selects Simon as her potential ruiner, and confides her scheme to him. Simon is a former soldier, who was injured, and came home a pacifist. Now, he dutifully escorts his aunt to society events, then disappears to a quiet room to nap or read. Simon created the persona of “Simple Simon,” giving the impression of having been injured enough to have suffered some mental damage, thus avoiding dancing, socializing, gambling, and marriage minded ladies. He is amiable enough to want to help Tamsin, and their encounters lead to some steamy kisses, surprising both of them with their intensity. Can two people with no interest in marriage make this attraction a forever romance? I fell in love with Simon, this charming, kind, and, yes, sneaky, man, who only wanted a peaceful existence, but found love instead with a passionate would-be bluestocking. A LADY’S GIFT FOR SCANDAL is another steamy story that is a pure delight to read.
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