Always the Courtesan

Never the Bride #3

by Emily E.K. Murdoch

Always the courtesan and never the bride - it's a life she never chose and cannot escape...

Lady Honora Lennox hasn't gone by that name in three years - not since she was abducted and forced to work in a brothel. She's but nineteen and has given up on the world offering her anything of kindness. Until he walks through her door.

Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester, is exhausted with politics and games, deceit and lies - it's time for simplicity, and there's nothing simpler than the clear cut exchange of coin for pleasure. And yet there's something different about this girl. She knows how to please a man, certainly, but there's more to her. Something refined.

He's determined to find out the truth. She's terrified of destroying her family name. Tensions mount as wills clash, and there can only be one victor.

Can Josiah ever prove himself as trustworthy, or will he fall back to old habits? Can Honora ever return to society after her fall from grace - or is his bed far more inviting?

This full-length novel is a steamy Regency romance with a happily ever after, no cliffhangers, and is part of a series that can be read in any order.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency, Amazon

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2020

About the author

Emily E.K. Murdoch is also known as Emily Murdoch.

Emily Murdoch is a medieval historian and writer. Throughout her career so far she has examined a codex and transcribed medieval sermons at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, designed part of an exhibition for the Yorkshire Museum, worked as a researcher for a BBC documentary presented by Ian Hislop, and worked at Polesden Lacey with the National Trust. She has a degree in History and English, and a Masters in Medieval Studies, both from the University of York. Emily is currently working on a new four part Regency novella series, two of which are now published.

You can follow her on twitter and instagram @emilyekmurdoch, find her on facebook at www.facebook.com/theemilyekmurdoch, and read her blog at www.emilyekmurdoch.com

Reviews

[Els · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Passionate and intense, this couple have a wonderful chemistry together.
Josiah and Honora are a great pair.
Troubles are many and problems varied, the biggest is her situation are a whore , or a courtesan as Josiah likes her described.

Honora Sister to a Duke ,has no way of getting out of her predicament, her life has been this way since she was kidnapped years before.
Now she’s not sure if it’s wise to get out, she knows no other life and does not want to bring shame on her family, it’s better if she stays lost.

The story is wonderful and very good reading, maybe Josiah is a bit of a weaker character but he fits, and suits perfectly.

A great read and enjoyable.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once readers turn the first page in this book, they won’t want to put it down and will hate for it to end!

Read full review in the 2020 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[ChasingLeslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Never A Bride series. It still works as a stand alone.

At sixteen, Lady Honora Lennox was abducted and forced to work in a brothel. Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester, is exhausted by the insincere artifice of the ton and looks to a brothel for an easy exchange of money for pleasure. But Honora, under the name Hannah, is not what he expects. He wants to know more, but she is determined to safeguard her past.

This is the first time I am reading a book by Emily Murdock. It was a very intriguing read…The subject matter is difficult and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. Being abducted and forced into prostitution is not a sexy plot point, and the author doesn’t portray it as so. This is not a “Pretty Woman” situation where the heroine meets the hero and her situation melts away into a happily ever after. On the one hand, I totally appreciated that realism; but as a romance reader, it made me slightly uncomfortable.

Josiah wants simplicity and an easy human connection. He struggles with wanting to be closer to “Hannah” and believe she has true feelings for him, while dealing with the reality of her circumstances. For Honoria, Josiah comes to be a bright spot in her prison of a life. She wants to believe it could be real but being in a brothel means she’s only an object to be purchased for a time. Their happy end does come, but it’s not an easy journey.

I only wish the beginning of the book had been as fleshed out as the rest.

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #AlwaystheCourtesan #NetGalley

[Kuroo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where do I begin?

"Take it from a married man, chaps, and more happily married than a gentleman has any right to be. Women want to marry men and men want to bed women!" - says the male lead of the second book Duke Mercia, who is the brother of the female lead here.

After this, we have the very flimsy nature of 'love' from what I imagine they call it to be. He did love her sure, but had stopped going to her after he found out and realised how difficult it actually is to be with her since our h is a courtesean and still has to sleep with other men, but somehow buying her freedom is something that wasn't done. i don't know if there was a clear reason for this but if there was, it flew pass me.

then on their wedding day, she says she is pregnant....whose kid tho? i mean love the kid no matter what since its her and he married her, but I think it should be talked about slightly.

i just...? idk. confused. confused with their little interactions yet,,idk.

[niteskycs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, i was intrigued by this book because the synopsis talks about how honora is a courtesan forced into the job after she was kidnapped years ago. this makes the book very unique because most of it is josiah, earl of chester visiting her at the brothel because he's tired of scheming society women and just wants a simple encounter with a woman. obviously, they fall for each other over the course of the visits but in my opinion the strong suit of the book is is the last 20% after honora's brother the duke of mercia finds out where his missing sister has been. that was probably the most emotional moment aside from honora talking about how she has no escape from this lifestyle. her character was really strong and resilient and i wish we had more scenes of her with her brother. josiah was a nice person but a bit too naive and a hopeless romantic.

𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had conflicting thoughts on this book. I really like this author and find her books enjoyable and romantic. This topic however is a more serious and I feel deserved more serious treatment. The heroine is really not what we would consider a courtesan. She has been kidnapped and forced into prostitution. She is in a low end whore house which is just alluded to by the comments of patched clothes and no belongings. She is kept prisoner with the threat of beatings or even death. I really felt like this was minimized. I did believe that the hero did not catch onto the true circumstances of her situation, but even when it should have hit in the face of how bad her situation was, he whined about how she was not 100% devoted to her... even when it was because she was a prisoner. He acts like he was the one that was the victim. This scene was actually offensive it was so insulting. And when it could have possibly been redeemed by some sort of actualization on the hero's part that did not happen.

I ended up giving the story 3 stars because I was torn. I do enjoy this author and feel like she was trying not to give a message about sex trafficking, however I also think if you write about a subject like this you have to be more serious and provide more weight to the story. The heroine was strong but even so I really feel she would have a lot more PTSD then shown in this story after going what through what she did.

[Jill Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall this book left me with so many questions that my head was spinning! The best part of this story was Honora/Hannah. She was a strong, self reliant woman who did not let her woeful situation change her morals or principles. I found Josiah to be immature and mean. He was nasty to the matchmaker and had no remorse. He never thought about the prostitutes as anything but women who wanted to be in a whore house. Why did we not find out what happened to Honora to make her end up there? What happened to her friends? I don't even want to mention the epilogue!

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ping-pong between Western and Regency romances and stumbled on this excellent series by Emily E. K. Murdoch: Never the Bride series, with seven offerings and probably more on the way. #3, Always the Courtesan, struck to my heart because it deals graphically with the age old problem of human trafficking. Lady Honore, sister of a duke was forcibly abducted at age fourteen and held prisoner in a seedy brothel for the past three years. Josiah Stanhope, earl of Chester, is fed up with the phony young women in the marriage mart so ends up in the brothel, quite by chance, with Lady Honore! He doesn't see her for her trade but a sophisticated, well-bred lady of nobility. Her brother, and her entire family have been desperately searching for her as well. For shame and disgrace on her family, Lady Honore does not want to be found. Josiah loves her and finds it impossible for her to escape or even leave her prison. What a gripping story! Other than a couple of scenes of graphic sexual encounters, which have never appealed to me, the author has penned a gem of a story. Now, moving on to the other seven in this series. The author's style, unconventional plots and unusual characters have captivated me.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kidnapped and sold as a courtesan, Honora feels less than worthless and dreads her family ever finding out what had happened to her. Unbeknown to her, her brother's friend arrives at the brothel and chooses her for companionship. Josiah is smitten with Honora and the tiny peeks she gives him of her past intrigue him, making him long to know more about her. Unfortunately, with his place in society, marriage to Honora is out of the question, but that does not stop the sense of urgency he has to know her. This novel is very different from others that I have read by this author and I felt somewhat uncomfortable with it. Nevertheless it is well written and highlights the reality of the plight of women in the Regency era, as well as the stigma attached to loss of reputation. I received a copy of this standalone novel from NetGalley as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courtesan

Kidnapped and sold to a brothel Hannah was beautiful and sad. All she had dreamed of was being a wife and mother but those dreams were all gone Josiah, Earl of Chester, is fed up with all the ladies throwing themselves at him simply because of his title and wealth. He decides to find a courtesan to talk to without any strings story. Except he puts those strings I n pls e when he meets Hannah. I loved this book

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite in this series - but nice story. 3☆

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I liked Honora and Josiah. Their finding each other and falling in love was a sweet story . But using the term courtesan for a young woman who is kidnapped and forced into prostitution is a bit of a stretch.

[Avidreadersbc · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a mockery of love.

He visited her twice a week every week for months. What the hell did he think she did in the days between? Sit around sewing? She was with a different man each one of those day and he simply did not care. He proclaimed to care about her, she told him that this life was not her choice and yet he failed to rescue her? He went home, partied with friends and then came back routinely to her while she was forced to lay back for every man that crossed through her doors!! More infuriating is the fact that the decision to save her does not even cross his mind until months later!!! Even after he admitted to himself that he was in love with her, he let the woman he loves f@¢ked six ways to Sunday by countless other men. While he drank and debated what to do!!! What kind of a man is he!!

And marriage? The decision to marry her did not even cross his mind until he knew that she was the Duke's daughter. All he could think about before that was making her his mistress and keeping her apart from his future wife. Then he was all about proposing and grand gestures of romance. ( Does that sound like love? Cuz it doesn't to me!)

And the baby? She proclaims it's their child. How can she be sure? Considering the fact that she slept with multiple men along with the earl at the same time. He even caught her in the act with another man. 🤮 I shudder to even think about the STD risks.

That said, the situation was obviously not Honoura's fault. She made the best of her bad situation. It's her and the Earl's 'love' relationship that's questionable to me and I would really prefer to delete my mind of this entire sham of a love story and I find myself regretting wasting the past few hours.

[Behind The Potted Palm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always the Courtesan ( Never the Bride #3) by Emily E.K Murdoch

Always the Courtesan is short Regency Romance and number three in the Never the Bride Series. Our main characters are Josiah the Earl of Chester and Honoria the sister of a Duke who has been forced into prostitution. Josiah, looking for a simple arrangement, visits a brothel where he meets Honoria and their romance begins.

I really liked both of our main characters. Josiah is a bit awkward, but gentle and made me laugh more than once. Honoria is strong willed and I was thrilled when she confidently made demands for her own pleasure during the sex scenes! More of women asking for what they want in the bedroom please! Unfortunately, as the story continued I found Josiah a bit shortsighted and selfish in his thought process. I also could not understand why Honoria did not try to escape through Josiah despite many opportunities.

I would definitely have found the book sexier if there was less abuse ( this is not graphic or described in the novel but we know Honoria is being held against her will in a brothel) , or have liked it to have delved into the darkness. It was alluded to but very surface level. I would also have enjoyed more banter and build up between the two characters. The sexual tension was minimal and the sex scene was over very quickly. In truth, the entire book would have been better if it was fleshed out.

However, if you are looking for a short Regency Romance with an unconventional hero and a bold heroine then you may enjoy this one.

I received an ARC from Dragonblade Publishing through Netgalley

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always the Courtesan by Emily EK Murdoch is the third in her Never the Bride series. Always the Courtesan was an enjoyable read despite the fact that its premise was ludicrous. Honora Lennox had been kidnapped and forced into a life of prostitution. How forced, you ask? Constant vigilance on the part of her keeper and a life filled with debt that honor declared must be repaid. It was a trap. Her brothers had been searching for her for three long years, but of course they didn't patronize such an establishment. Josiah, Earl of Chester, by chance discovers her when he has given up running for damsels who are part of the ton and decided to keep it simple, by paying for it.

This is a really cute series, and Murdoch writes compelling characters. This is an entertaining book except for the fact that it would not have been possible to live as a whore for three years and then regain one's position in society, let alone marry an earl. Honora knew her place in the world, what it had become, and did her best with what she had. Josiah was so determined that love wasn't real, and he wasn't going to fall for it, that he fell for the most unlikely and inappropriate woman. I guess we, as readers of romance, suspend reality all the time. This is no different. The other books in the series make more sense. There is, however a certain continuity that must be maintained. For that reason, I recommend Always the Courtesan.

I received a free ARC of Always the Courtesan from Dragonblade, through Netgalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #alwaysthecourtesan

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the third book in a series, but you can read them as stand alone as well. In this we follow Honora (aka Hannah in the brothel) and Josiah, the wealthy male lead and how they fall for each other until we get a happy ending (which I believe doesn't count as spoiler).

The reasons for my rating are that it lacked originality, the "fix" is too easy and I'm not a fan of the "secretly royal/aristocratic" trope. I didn't like Josiah and his reasons why he chose Honora/Hannah. He's this whiny man, who has everything and complains about why every eligible lady wants to marry him and everything is so incredibly hard and complicated. What is he doing to solve his problem? He's going to a brothel.
Oh how awful your life is dear sir!

He mostly wanted Honora/Hannah because it's a more "simple" solution and she's hot and good in bed. I wanted more actual romance and a relationship that was better developed

Always the Courtesan is your standard formula romance with some sexy time, but who reads those romances because of their intellectual depth, right? Was it a fast read. Yes. Was it still entertaining. Yes.

2.5 coffee cups out of 5.

Thank you Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing Inc. for the eARC in return for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Emily some time back and was immediately captivated by her writing. So when a copy of this book came across my Amazon account I knew I had to grab it and continue my journey with the ladies of Never the Bride Series.

This is the third book in the series and they just keep getting better.

In this story, we finally meet Honora the missing sister of William. Years before she was kidnapped and dropped off in a courtesan house (AKA a brothel). Now years later Josiah has visited and become smitten with her.

As these two collide they battle each other to keep their secrets safe but when their secrets leak out can their growing love survive.

What I love about these books is how the author writes the women to be strong and comfortable in their skin and surrounding but just slightly flawed. I also love that the heroes aren't always completely confident in themself. They are just a wee bit unsure which makes them loveable.

This book was very fun. It was fast-paced and I loved getting to know the characters. Their story was unique and I enjoyed that as well.

I am excited to continue my journey with these characters and this writer. Definitely, a must-read for anyone who loves a good but slightly flawed love story.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always the Courtesan by Emily E.K. Murdock
Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester, felt there were too many lies and deceit going around between the fairer sex and men. He watched as his friend, Duke of Mercia, William Lennox married Lady Charlotte St. Maur, even though she was a spinster of thirty-five.
Lady Honora Lennox was standing in a lineup in a brothel. But she still tried to maintain her dignity and sense of shame. Three years ago she had been kidnapped off the street and forced to become a courtesan. She was kept locked up at the brothel with a huge man keeping guard if she or any of the other girls made a run for it they would be beaten or killed.
The story was funny and sad. She was nineteen when they took her, innocent, and unknowing. Josiah was a bit awkward and exasperating. Sometimes he was a little strange but he was always gentle. He would come and they would sit and talk. It had become a usual occurrence. He didn't know what to make of her. He thought she was beautiful and she also was gentle. I very highly recommend this lovely read.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A courtesan no more

Honora aka Hannah was a courtesan literally picked up off the street and forced into this life! Josiah is an entitled Earl with no real clue to the real world! After reading many stories on life in this time frame where women were forced into this lifestyle even as children! Josiah has been pursued for his title and wealth and he is weary of the farce! Honora has begun to loose hope and her previous pampered life is very dim! Josiah gives her glimpses of a better life only to return her to the brothel! Honora is rescued and it's too short a time frame for her to be acclimated to a "normal" life! It is also not clear on what happened to her two friends! Josiah attempted to be an honorable man with the constraints of what society expects of him! When telling his take of woe to the Duke of Lennox it is clear he doesn't really know this woman he claims to love as only a few details later more should have been revealed! Honora survived a life of shame, degradation and fear!!! Hopefully more of her redemption is shared in the continuing series! Fearless brave heroines are the order of the day!!!

[SH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honora has been forced to work as a courtesan for the past three years, having been kidnapped as a young girl. When Josiah Stanhope, the Earl of Chester, arrives at the brothel, he chooses Honora, only to find himself captivated by Honora. He is puzzled by her, believing that there is more to her story, than she reluctantly shares with him. As they spend time together, the secrets they both hide, threaten to destroy any chance of happiness that they might have.
Whilst I found this an interesting storyline, that highlighted a reality for women in this era, I found Honora’s reluctance to reveal her secrets, conflicted. However, given that the reputation of a family could be destroyed by any hint of impropriety, I am sure that this was possible. Honora is a brave young woman, who despite her aloofness, has managed to keep her spirits alive. Josiah presents as a kind and gentle man, yet at times, I wished for him to show a bit more strength of character. Altogether, this made for an interesting read, with a bit of a rush at the end.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a Courtesan is definitely a refreshing departure from the world of regency romance. It was common for men of nobility to have mistresses or even visit brothels, but it is rarely the main feature of a novel. The book seems to give a good overview of the poor women locked up in the brothels with almost no chance of freeing themselves from the life, Honora (Hannah) was kidnapped and sold to a brothel despite her titled upbringing. The romance that develops between Josiah, who is fed up with the silly young girls and pushy mothers of society, is looking for a companion without the strings, so the brothel seems like the perfect place to find such a "relationship". The romance is conflicted and stormy but eventually very steamy and satisfying. However, I thought that the plot was a too optimistic about the prospects of a courtesan, after 3 years, not being infected with venereal diseases and scarred for life. I also got tired of Josiah's waffling about what he wanted and his total obsession with Honora. But, in the end, it was not totally realistic, but still a good, steamy and romantic book.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honora/Hannah & Josiah. She was kidnapped off the street and taken to a distant brothel where she had to work as a courtesan. He was sick of the typical courting routine and was looking for simplicity in a relationship. He visited the brothel and chose her from the 3 girl lineup. Immediately, he felt she was different. He left after 10 min saying he would be back. He returned over and over and just talked to her during their time. She "checked" her out for a 3 day excursion outside of the brothel and it all became physical (they both had desired each other). He started getting the feels and so did she but the realization of what she is and that they had no future split them apart. He couldn't stop thinking about her. In his club he runs across the Duke of Mercia (her brother) about his issue. During the convo her brother realizes who she is and goes and rescues her and her friends. They marry and she tells him she's pregnant. So good! The characters were so relatable and their chemistry was excellent. I couldn't put it down but had to otherwise I wouldn't make it to work the next morning.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story with all the characters within. The main characters were  Lady Honora Lennox and Josiah Stanhope.

Lady Honora Lennox has been gone missing for three years. She was abducted and took to a brothel to work. Her named that she has at the brothel is Hannah. She is hoping that one day her family will find her. But with the years go by it gets her hope down with no show from her family or a way out.

Josiah Stanhope is the Earl of Chester. He is sick of the games that the ton has about marriage. He doesn't want young lady's push on him. He want no more games play. So he decides to do something about it. He go to a brothel and meet a young lady. She is different then others. He get to know her.

This was a fun story to read. It had action, adventure, and suspense throughout. It had a few giggles within.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

[Lori D · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say the least, the hero Josiah, the Earl of Chester was very outspoken about not wanting to marry. He was at his friend William's wedding and he could only think about he wanted simplicity. Like having a mistress. He did not endear himself to me at all and maybe that was the point. To see how he might change.
Honora had been taken when she was young and made to work in a brothel. She felt there was no way to escape and her family would not want her now anyway. Then Josiah walked in and there she was. He felt something instantly for Honora.
It was a sweet courting with Josiah falling in love with "Hannah" and he giving her some hope.
I was anxious to see how their journey would evolve and how their happy ending would come about..
Enjoyable and yes, a little different, but that is always a surprise.. Another great addition to this series!

[Barbara Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story Emily E K Murdoch has provided for us to read and enjoy. Lady Honora Lennox disappeared over three years ago and has not been found. Her brothers have search endlessly for her; but have found nothing of her existence. What could have happened and where could she be? Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester, is tired of the games among the mama’s and girls of the ton. Wanting something else in his life, he decides to go to a brothel and see if he can find a woman to be just listen to him. He pays her the fee and spends time getting to know Hannah {Lady Honora Lennox}, hears her story and feelings begin to grow. The characters are very well developed, enjoyable and help the story to grow into an interesting book. This is really a wonderful series and I am so glad to share it with you.

[Nanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read three books in this series, Always the Bridesmaid, Always the Courtesan and Always the Chaperone. All the books are a quick and easy read, with good characters that you can understand.,
These are steamy, entertaining if some what madding stories. For the most part I enjoyed reading them. I read a lot of historical and regency romance and these do not follow the time period. Some of the things the H & H do would just not happen. When you have Dukes, and Earls involved they can get things done others can not. They do not let incidents or crimes against those they love to go unnoticed. They do not bargain with the evil doers of the lower class.
You will have to read the series your self to see how you feel about the stories.
They are good for a quick read but I need my stories closer to the truth of the time period.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

We discover what happened to Honora - William and John’s sister

In the previous book we learned that William’s sister Honora was taken off the streets of Bath three years previously and that the family have been searching ever since. We now learn of what happened to her.

Honora has been forced to work in a brothel ever since she was snatched off the streets of Bath.

One night she is selected by Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester and he realises that there is more to her than she is telling.

Gradually Josiah realises he wants more time with this mysterious woman and pays for time away from the brothel to spend with Honora.

The story develops gradually and thanks to a conversation between William and Josiah Honora is rescued.

I once again loved the way Emily Murdoch developed the relationship between the two main characters.

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josiah Stanhope, the Earl of Chester is frustrated by the lies and deceit he sees from the marriage minded women of society.  Why can't female company be easy and honest.  

"Hannah", Lady Honora Lennox was abducted three years ago and has been forced to work in a brothel ever since. She's given up all hope.  Even if her family still loved her she would bring too much shame to them.  

Our hero is a genuinely good man who has a family to think of.  He can't think of a way to solve his problems.  

Our down to earth heroine knows how to face facts and put dreams behind her.  

A very unusual historical romance that looks impossible to have a happy ending.  It's part of a series of books that can all be read alone.  I have read and thoroughly enjoyed each one.  

Great fun.  

[Sandra Standefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josiah Stanhope is fed up with society women. Unable to find someone he can talk to with some substance he decides that he will live a simpler life. Finding a mistress to satisfy needs is his first stop. When he picks “Hannah” for the night he finds all he wants to do is talk to someone who will talk back and be honest, no deceit no lies. Hannah is really Lady Honora Lennox who was kidnapped and forced to become a courtesan. Unable to return home and ruin her family Honora has resigned herself to her current life. Josiah is a wonderful and sweet man who wants a companion in his life that he can talk to and Honora fits that person. Definitely a different romance than the norm, something you will definitely want to read! You will fall in love with Josiah and Honora.