The Last Offer

The Dunne Family #1

by Chasity Bowlin

Alternate cover edition can be found here

Miss Olivia Dunne was the darling of society until a thwarted abduction and elopement scheme by an unscrupulous man left her reputation in tatters. But having moved from paragon to pariah, Olivia realizes that there is no reason for her to continue abiding by society’s mandates. In fact, she decides to embrace her scandalous nature and do the very thing she’s been accused of… take a lover. The man she’s chosen is one she’s secretly loved for years, but she’ll need to employ the aid of an unlikely ally to carry it off.

Lord Burke, Viscount Holland, has loved Olivia for years. He even offered for her once, only to be summarily dismissed by her older brother, his oldest friend. With his pride still stinging, Burke is confronted with the horrible truth that Olivia had never rejected him at all. Her brother never told her of Burke’s interest in her. But if he tells her now, she’ll take it for pity and reject him out of hand. The only way to make her his wife is to first accept her offer to be his mistress.

But not everyone wishes to see the couple achieve a happy ending. Some will do whatever it takes to keep them apart. Can true love prevail or will pride and greed conspire to keep them apart forever?

***This is a novella (not a novel) of approximately 30,000 words, which is half the length of a typical novel. It is however a complete story with no cliffhangers. It's a perfect read for when you don't have a lot of time to invest.***

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

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

USA Today Best Selling author and Winner of the 2019 Romance Through the Ages Award for Georgian/Regency Romance, Chasity Bowlin is the author multiple bestselling historical romance novels, both independently and with Dragonblade Publishing. She lives in central Kentucky with her husband and their menagerie of animals. She loves writing, loves traveling and enjoys incorporating tidbits of her actual vacations into her books. She is an avid Anglophile, loving all things British, but specifically all things Regency.

Growing up in Tennessee, spending as much time as possible with her doting grandparents, soap operas were a part of her daily existence, followed by back to back episodes of Scooby Doo. Her path to becoming a romance novelist was set when, rather than simply have her Barbie dolls cruise around in a pink convertible, they time traveled, hosted lavish dinner parties and one even had an evil twin locked in the attic.

Reviews

[HR-ML · Rating 2 out of 5]

^^^^Some spoilers^^^^


England 1817. The cover looked inviting: the contents: not so
much. I skipped ahead in places.

We had Burke (a viscount) & heiress Olivia. And her brother
Algie too. Prologue revealed Olivia being kidnapped, by
Melville, a man desperate for her money. Traveling towards:
Gretna. Baddie died, she sustained a carriage wreck injuries.
Olivia then seemed to enjoy (huh?) the freedom of being a
"ruined woman" even though she'd been the victim. Olivia
(a virgin) chose a lover. What was the glue holding together
the H+ h? Mutually satisfying sex?

Olivia became aware 2 men followed her+ female companion
Mrs. Carlton on a visit to Burke in Bath. Liv's TSTL actions
resulted in her and companion's kidnapping by a 2nd baddie,
when Liv abruptly left Bath. Duh?? Liv did not guard her safety.

The POVs of the H+ h + Algie defied logic. In this time period
a lady (Olivia) would not discuss seeking a lover with her
brother! Mrs. C seemed the only character w/ sense. I wanted
this crew to vamoose.

[AvidReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️
An entertaining read.

[Christy Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Last Offer sounded like a cute idea. Sadly, the characters felt flat and wooden. While I understand this is a novella, the lack of depth in terms of character, backstory, and plot development was sad. I felt like I was being told many things. I don’t need to be told. I want to be shown. I want to feel and think for myself. Also, I need more historical accuracy. Just a little more would have been nice. I didn’t really have strong feelings about anything. I didn’t hate it so 2 stars seems about right.

[BJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angsty short story, that seems to start part way through this couple's challenges. It felt as if the tragedy of their relationship started in a previous book. Now, the brave h is no longer accepted by society, even though her ruin was beyond her control. Her arrogant and controlling brother played a part in it, when he refused the H's offer without telling her. The plot was overdone and repetitive.

[Vickie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad but I feel I have read this same plot thousands of times and its just not fresh anymore. I am an avid reader and its probably just me, but it seems that there are no new plots and plot twists are just engineered to add pages and not real content. This was a good attempt but not as good as I expected.

Maybe if the author had gotten to the point and then let us in how they handled the Ton after the wedding it might have been more interesting and meaty. But as it is, it was just 'meh'.

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But you must see that I would never be an asset to you, and with all you’ve sacrificed to restore your family’s honor, you must marry a woman who will only improve upon that further.”
“The family honor can hang, Olivia! I didn’t work so hard to save the family fortune for that. I certainly didn’t curb my wild, reckless and exceedingly enjoyable behaviors for their benefit. It was all for you! I did all of those things so that I might one day be in a position to offer for you.” — Miss Olivia Dunne and Lord Burke

Look what do you want? It's a simple, near predictable almost trashy regency romance novella. The plot is woven in well the characters are likable enough. Personally, I think the character choices for Olivia were brilliant. It is a pleasant change to see a heroine embracing her fallen status and saying you know what f*** you all I will have my male companion then. At 25 Miss Olivia Dunne has so much spunk and joy for the world. She is aware of her place in it, aware she has fallen as low as she can within her rank and is now trying to figuring out how to live within her new situation. Regardless of everything else she does love her brother Algernon. Thankful for him for saving her from total disgrace even if she is unaware of the full story. Seven years her senior, Lord Burke, Viscount Holland is the long term friend of the Dunnes, he has been in love with Olivia for years. After asking Algie's permission to seek Olivia's hand and being denied their relationship turns somewhat adversarial. As a character, Burke is a wonderful passionate leading man. He does have one of my favourite lines in the story. "That’s an excuse that you’ve seized upon because, I think… a part of you savors the freedom of being a ruined woman". This is just a somewhat insightful line, as insightful as you get in a trashy novella. To me at least they are a good couple. Olivia is the kind of woman who needs an intellectual equal and someone who respects her character. Burke needs someone who wants him for him, not any connections he may bring. They can stop help each other in various ways, also blessed be it's a love much.

“Did you kill him, then?” Mrs. Carlton asked.
“No,” Olivia replied. “He died on his own… of disappointingly natural causes.”
Dismayed, Mrs. Carlton replied, “Oh. That is rather a let down.”
Burke rolled his eyes. “We could delay our departure long enough for you to abuse his corpse if you wish.”
“Really, my lord! You act as if we’re the blood-thirsty ones in this business!” — Mrs Wilhelmina Carlton, Miss Olivia Dunne and Lord Burke

Wilhelmina Carlton was unexpected. The lines that made me laugh the hardest were hers. Mrs Carlton, as she is always referred, is hired by Olivia as a female companion from an agency that specialises in fallen women (as employees but also as clients). I really hope that sort of agency actually existed in 1816. She's a combination of the modern woman and the comic relief. In a way, she is also the voice of emotion to Olivia's internal voice of reason. I really like this sort of character in historical fiction they can break some of the tension, or just dumb between the two main characters. In this case, it's more a will you two just talk already. While I did enjoy this story I'm unlikely to read more in this series but it did suit my needs during my 90-minute commutes. It will become forgettable. But sometimes that is what you need.

“I fully intend to live a life that is not chaste. If you’ve no wish to continue this interview—.”
Mrs. Carlton held up her hand. “If I may, Miss Dunne, chastity is all well and good for young women out of the schoolroom. But for women in a position where they will not marry, or will not marry again, the expectation that they should live without… the comfort of companionship, is too much to bear. Again, I will be both discreet and completely loyal.” — Miss Olivia Dunne and Mrs Wilhelmina Carlton (look I love the sentiment and there is nothing saying these arrangements wouldn't have been made between fallen women of rank and their female companions)

A representative gif:

[Sade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is simply just occupying space on my reading list.
Wasn't really expecting much from it anyway.

I want to say 2.5stars but meh I don't think I care so much so 3 stars.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author!

My only criticism of this book is that I wish it was longer. It's very short but I loved the H and his devotion to olivia. She was a little aggravating at times and I just wanted her to say yes and marry Burke. But it all came out it okay. I have read all this author's work and I can't wait for her next novel.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia is tired of hiding from society. One year ago she was kidnapped and injured in a carriage accident. The kidnapper never took her virtue, but her reputation is ruined. Taking matters into her own hands, she decides to move to her own house out of the eyes of her brother and take a lover. There is only man that she really wants, Lord Burke, Viscount Holland. Burke agrees to be her lover, but his plan is to make her his wife. Her life is in danger again from a man related to the previous kidnapping. She turns to Burke, the man she loves for protection. Burke will bargain for the life he wants rather than revert back to the rake he was in the past. Fast paced with some amusing characters and a hot hero!
Heat level 4. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a freebie on Amazon. I've actually read "The Beast Of Bath" before & gave it 5 stars.
Harlequin length, 13 chapters.

This was all right. On the short side. The drama isn't over the top, which is good IMO.
It's hard for me to believe a 25 year old spinster in Regency England would act like the heroine did, but I just went with it.

Just didn't hit the right buttons for me.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/25/2020)! 🎁

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

Sins of the past

Burke has secrets regarding Olivia! Olivia is tired of being shunned by society as she abducted for her dowry and the cur died when the carriage was overturned! Olivia was injured and did not have clear recollections of that day! Burke was there to rescue her and attempt to shield her reputation! A nosey old lady of society saw her at the inn unconscious and couldn't wait to destroy her reputation! Olivia has made a list of lovers and Burke name is on it! Olivia is honest about her plans and boldly shares them with her brother! Her brother had a hand in her single state turning away offers she knew nothing about! But there is another evil debauched Lord who wants her dowry and will stop at nothing to get it and her! Will Burke be able to save her this time? She would definitely have to rethink her life as she's received her last offer!

[MJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, I’ve now read at least three of CB’s books, and love one, but the other two (including this one) are just not cutting it.

This ones very clipped and fast, no effort in world building, just shooting along to the next plot point as quickly as possible. No relationship building, they just are cause they are. No character building, a descriptions been written, so moving on.

Weirdly, the characters I like most in this book are the four ‘muscle guys’ who are hired by the bad guy two by two, and we have little snippets of them thrown in as the plots skimming to the next part.

0620

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My very first read from this author. Lovely HEA story. So liked Burke and Olivia. Very enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading more of Chasity Bowlin. 4☆

[Sandra Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an OK Regency romance. I liked Burke, he was so good to Olivia, and would have done anything for her. I wanted to shake her a few times, though, because she was so sure that marriage to her would ruin him. Wouldn't that be his choice to make? I would also have liked for the story to be a little longer, with more details on their relationship before she was first abducted.

I also thought it was unrealistic that Olivia was abducted twice, and BOTH times her abductors died unexpectedly, which saved her from forced marriages. That was very unlikely -- I would have preferred that Burke had saved her from the 2nd abductor, as it would have been more believable.

My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. I’m a sucker for hero’s who are devoted to the heroine from page 1 and this guy delivered. There was a lot of drama and missed chances but it was nice to see that these two finally got to be together. There was some last minute drama as a result of a poor decision on the heroine’s part but I think the author used it as a point of second chance, different outcome sort of storytelling so I rolled with it. Overall a nice read and one I’d probably revisit especially when I read the other book in this series about the overbearing brother.

[abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was short and pretty simple, but I really enjoyed this. The hero was literally so in love with our heroine, it was absolutely adorable. If you want pining and angst but condemned to about 200 pages, read this.

[Scientist's Reading World | Hugo Lapa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of my reindeer readathon TBR book outside of my reading zone.

I did not dislike it as much as I thought but I wished it was a bit more developed not only the relationship but also the past and the final scene. It felt everything very rushed.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good romance! I loved everything about this book.

[Coucher de soleil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come soon...

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book and I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how much they both really liked each other it was inevitable that Olivia and burke would be together and I'm glad that the circumstances were there. These professions of love were beautiful. I liked the last line about them being unconventional together.

[Krys · Rating 2 out of 5]

I definitely feel like this book needed to be longer. There was just too much crammed into such a short amount of time that I don't feel like any one particular piece was as fully developed as it could have been.

Olivia has no sense of self-preservation as knowing that there are men who tried to abduct her lurking in London, she still flees the safety of Burke's home in Bath when he tries to propose. Although, there had to have been an easier way of a man to get a wealthy wife than by trying to have her kidnapped twice. I also wish she had done her villain justice, it was wholly disappointing to have him keel over of a heart-attack. I would have loved to have seen Olivia whack him before Burke burst in to rescue her.

I also wasn't sure why Burke thought he was in love with Olivia (and had claimed to have been for years, so much so that he changed his entire personality to be a better man for her). I would have liked to have seen more of their early friendship before the first botched kidnapping attempt. I also would have liked to have "seen" evidence of Olivia being considered ruined, even though she was a victim, and what finally pushed her over the edge into considering taking a lover.

One thing that bothered me about her plan, is that she not only openly tells her brother what she plans on, and who she plans on choosing, but then her brother runs along and tells the man in question what she is planning. Who knows how Burke would have reacted initially had he not been forewarned. The brother then goes a step forward and essentially not only gives his blessing, but proceeds to give him advice on what not to do (in this case reveal the fact that he supposedly was in love with her).

Another thing that kind of annoyed me about this story was the fact that when Burke does confess his feelings (and man do I wish we had gotten more scenes of them together before he spilled the beans), Olivia immediately rejects him saying that she was a fallen woman, and even though he had quite the scandalous past himself, he had become "better" and she didn't want to "ruin" him. In fact, she barely let him explain that he didn't care for what society thought, something that she should have been happy about considering how little she claimed to care for society herself.

Despite the things I mentioned above, I do believe this story will appeal to others more than it did to me. And I would give this author another chance.

[Janet Overstreet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a well written historical romance by Chasity Bowlin. Her writing made me feel like I was transported back to that time period. I loved that Olivia's character was such a strong women for the time. And nothing is better than a happy-ever-after; especially when some many things may be against you.

I would recommend this to anyone who would like to read a wonderful historical romance.

[Stephanie Bolen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was dumb

She was dumb. The villains were dumb. And he was dumb. The sex was mediocre. The plot development was god awful. I'm sorry but when you have to put in a half hearted villain to make an argument stretch then obviously it isn't strong enough. I like that the idiot finally pointed out that purpose of Society is to create heirs.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Olivia and Burke

I’m not sure if this story was classified as a novella or not, but this felt very novella like, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It wasn’t overaly short, however it did lack the development that I was hoping for when I read the symposia. I thought certain things were unnecessary like the bad guys point of view, though I understood why it was in there, and lacked what I thought should be more developed and more focused on like the romance between Olivia and Burke. If this was in a longer format then the bad guy point of view would have been fine because there would have been more time to explore more of the storyline, but since they wasn’t that length there, there needed to be more focused on the couple.

I did appreciate that this was a brother’s best friend trope with both Olivia and Burke having been in love for years though weren’t together because mainly her brother didn’t allow it to be so. The established relationship was there, and the had a history there between them that I really liked and drew me into the story.

However what I was looking for in the romanceI just wasn’t there. Where were my angsty moments? Where my moments of longing after denying their love for each other? Where were the feels at? Where was the romance and the wooing on Burke’s behalf? Where was the development at? There really wasn’t any aside from the bedroom scenes, but that wasn’t enough for me in the romance department. I need a balance between the emotional intimate side of their relationship and the physical side. Okay, they had all that built up for those years upon years, but I wanted to feel that. I wanted see it. It just wasn’t there as much as I would have liked to have seen. I just needed more on that score.

With that being said, the moments that Burke and Olivia were together were really good. They were steamy. They were sexy. They were playful and fun. The banter between them was really good. They had a really nice connection with one another. The level of caring, respect and love was adorable and lovely to witness. They just had a really good thing going on between them that I just wanted to see explore more of their relationship.

Overall I did like the story, but my issue like with most novella was the length and lack of development and exploration of the romance in the story. Yes, Burke and Olivia had known each other for years and were madly in love with each other for years, but it felt like they went from zero to sixty in no time. I just wanted to see more of an angsty journey between them. It was almost too easy for them to get together. I wanted to see more obstacles between them. More friction. Just more development between them that would have made for a more epic story between them. I just wanted more of the romance. I’m sure if this was a full length story I would have be sold, but I did like it and the sensual journey that they shared together before they got their happily ever after.

[Artep · Rating 2 out of 5]

This promised to be a perfect read if one doesn't have a lot of time to invest. It was definitely a quick read, which I appreciated. As for 'perfect'? Well...

The problem with this book is that it tries to cram the plot of a novel into the length of a novella, ultimately being too anti-climactic for the former (the big bad... dies... of a heart attack?!) and too rushed for the latter. There was so much going on, balls and abductions and seductions and gentlemen's clubs and frantic carriage rides, that there wasn't enough time to cover any of it properly. I started reading because of the premise of the plot, which I was hoping to enjoy, but the hero spilled the beans about being in love with the heroine so soon that there was hardly any time there to actually enjoy the tension the blurb promised.

Also, while I'd cheer the heroine on for taking ten lovers if she so chose, many of her other actions in the book were TSTL to the point where I couldn't drum up much sympathy for her. I might have actually groaned at the manufactured bit of drama where the hero tells her on two separate occasions that he only cleaned up his act to be "worthy" of her and she goes all "omg I never realized!" both times. What's with the short-term memory loss?

More problematic than the plot, though, was the language. The prose was so purple that I legit had a hard time deciphering what went where what went on at times. There were also some strange POV switches that left me unsure of whose head we were in, to the point where it disrupted the story. The book also features some minor lower-class characters, whose speech was peppered with apostrophes to the point of being ridiculous. In general, the novella could have used much better editing. There were multiple times when similar phrases appeared only words apart, as if the author had changed her mind about placement but had forgotten to delete one of the two instances of a phrase. A particularly jarring example was calling the heroine's kiss "achingly sweet" twice within three lines of text, but more generic ones happened on several other occasions.

Trope faves:
- Unrealized breath variation: "[it] offered a relief that she hadn’t even realized she required"
- Steamy historical romance euphemism: "sheath"

[Martha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her Scandal – His Obsession

When her abduction was discovered, Olivia Dunne's reputation was destroyed, as was any hope she would ever marry. If she is already a scandalous woman, then she may as well enjoy the pleasures of the flesh --- but only with the man of her dreams.

When the only woman he has ever wanted was abducted, Lord Burke not only rescued her, he also stepped away to protect her. He never dreamed she would come to him with a scandalous request --- but could this be the way to make her his forever.

Nineteenth century high society was unforgiving and cruel towards any woman who dared to breach accepted social behavior. Even if a woman was innocent of wrong doing, she and she alone suffered utter rejection and ridicule. Though unfair, this social behavior is at the heart of Olivia's decision in The Last Offer.

Even if the story is a bit unrealistic, still Olivia and Burke's story is an engrossing and well written read that is also very entertaining. The author, Chasity Bowlin has done a great job of developing both of the main characters, as well as the supporting players. They are not only likable but also engaging. I also enjoyed the dialogue and interaction between all of the characters. Though there is a threat waiting to pounce, our lovers still manage to secure their happiness with a very sweet ending.

Content 411: In addition to some moderate swearing, there are a few descriptive sex scenes.

[Linda J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this author, she pulls you into a story quickly, even in a novella. I see the book on the brother is just now going to be released.

The H has cared for the h for years. He use to be good friends with the h's brother and they had a falling out because he didn't want the H for his sister. They used to be rakes together, but the H turned his life around.

The H is honorable and shows his emotions on his sleeve. The h has been treated so unkindly by the ton and is not welcomed at many events. What happened to the h was awful. The author does an amazing job filling us in after the abduction. Even though we do not see it unfold, you still felt the aftereffects.

What I didn't like about the h was when she hears the truth from the H how he feels, she dismisses him. She'd rather be his lover than his wife. Her reasons were not to my liking. I loved how the H explains himself passionately, that she finally realizes his feelings.

There is descriptive lovemaking several times, outside of marriage - heat level 3.5 out of 5.

No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, little on romance and steam. I did want at least one more chapter so we knew how the Ton excepted her after she married.

I received this from Bookfunnel, all opinions are my own and voluntarily given. (ljb)