This is the second book in the Domestic Discipline Quartet.
Eleanor Villiers, now Lady Hyde and originally a reluctant wife to Lord Edwin, has has fallen in love with her husband without the reassurance that he loves her back. It's literally the very situation she'd been desperate to avoid. Eleanor begins to try out various tactics to discover her husband's true feelings towards her, only to find she knows very little about love and unfortunately her antics somehow seem to constantly lead her into situations where disciplinary measures become necessary.
Meanwhile, Irene has married Eleanor's brother Hugh Stanley, Viscount Petersham, even though she's in love with another man and has been since childhood. On their honeymoon to Hugh's estates, Irene finds her emotions becoming increasingly confused as she becomes more and more fond of her husband. Under his gentle care and approval her true self begins to emerge, unfortunately leading to some unsafe behavior on her part which requires Hugh's immediate attention. He never wanted a rebellious wife who would need constant discipline, but he doesn't hesitate to mete it out when necessary.
The ladies struggle with their notions of love, the men struggle with the hot and cold temperaments of their wives, and all of them wonder what kind of conclusion their relationships are leading to. Can they make their marriages work?
Be warned: This book contains hot scenes and seriously sexy alpha males who firmly believe in being the head of the household (as was the case during the Victorian time period).
1. Birching His Bride 2. Dealing With Discipline 3. Punishing His Ward 4. Claiming His Wife
Golden Angel is a USA Today best-selling author of heart and bottom warming romance.
She is happily married, old enough to know better but still too young to care, and a big fan of happily-ever-afters, strong heroes and heroines, and sizzling chemistry.
When not in front of her computer writing, she can be found sewing her next project, hanging out with friends, or wandering the grounds of the Maryland Renaissance Festival.
This series is pure smut in all its trashy glory but it has a very solid storyline too. Also, the characters are written very well. I actually care for them, which is pretty rare for smut. I like both couples - Edwin & Eleanor's explosive relationship and Hugh & Irene's sweeter one. I'm really looking forward to meet Wesley's naughty ward and Alex's reunion with Grace. I was intrigued by these two from the beginning of the series.
This is the 2nd book in the Domestic Discipline series, and it picks up right where the author left off at the end of with Eleanor and Edwin. If you have not read the first book, this review will contain spoilers.
The worst possible thing has happened to Eleanor: she has fallen in love with her husband, a man she resisted marrying bc she wanted someone pliable that she could easily manipulate, and Edwin is anything but. Though he disciplines her when she steps out of line (a habit she definitely has not yet curbed), she finds that she actually enjoys it. And she also enjoys that Edwin pays her so much attention and prioritizes her needs, especially since he was a well-known rake before they wed. But he hasn't said he loves her yet... so does he? What if he doesn't? She cannot possibly live with Edwin if he doesn't because then he would have the upper hand in their relationship and might send her away like her father did to her mother, and she saw her mother's suffering without him because she loved him so very much. Maybe she should leave him first? Or at least try to hold back her feelings to protect herself?
What on earth is wrong with his wife?! Edwin is completely enamored with his new bride, though he has known her for years as he grew up with her brother. He always treated her differently from the way their other friends treated her because on some level, he knew she was meant to be his. And when he married her, he found that not only were they compatible sexually, but Eleanor seemed to even enjoy when he had to take her in hand. And the little minx does push his buttons often enough, which is something that sparks both his ire and his passion. Their honeymoon was an absolute dream, and since they have been home, he has spent more time with her than he even imagined he would; he dotes on her; provides her with everything she wants; puts up with her sassy-ness (to an extent); and he knows he satisfies her every need and more in bed. But she seems to want something from him that he hasn't given her, and she seems to test him at times. As yet, he has not passed but has no idea what else she wants from him. That aside, he is glad Eleanor is his and not someone like Hugh's demure bride.
Hugh (Viscount Petersham, and Eleanor's older brother) has pursued Lady Irene for months and has finally married her. He has no idea that she is secretly in love with her childhood friend who also happens to be Hugh's newest friend Alex (Lord Brooke). Knowing that Alex is separated from his wife and takes lovers, Irene has decided to marry Hugh in order to learn how to please a man in the hopes that she can provide and heir, a spare and then become Alex's mistress. After all, men love mistresses, not wives. But whenever Irene is with Hugh, she feels unsettled. At first, she believes this is because he does not make her feel safe like Alex always has, but once they set out on their honeymoon and Irene discovers the power of chemistry, she realizes that those feelings are actually passion and anticipation. But she loves Alex, right? He is who she is meant to be with, not her husband who keeps creating a storm of feelings that only seems to grow the more she is with him. Will Irene make a play for Alex? If so, will he return her feelings? And what will Hugh have to say about it?
Wesley, Earl of Spencer, is the third in the trio of boyhood friends. He has recently returned from unfashionable (yet very profitable) business pursuits in India because he unexpectedly inherited the title. Though he is currently enjoying his notoriety and bachelorhood to the fullest extent in London, he must travel to Bath as his mother has sent letter after letter informing him that his ward (inherited upon his father's death) is unmanageable. The last thing he needs is a spoiled chit interfering with his lifestyle, so he plans to set her straight and get back to his debauchery as quickly as possible.
What I liked: --- The ladies in the story make significant strides with respect to maturity as they learn the dynamics of intimate relationships (both were very virginal and untried so their process of discovery is interesting to watch unfold) --- The men are definitely alpha and definitely in charge! --- LOTS of steamy goodness - early and often between both couples of focus in this installment of the series - there is no "fade out" when the couple starts getting busy - you get a full scene every time - it's almost excessive... almost ;)
What I didn't like as much: --- Sometimes the punishments seemed a little much as it related to the infractions, but none were overly violent or caused major harm --- There is a scene that bothered me similar to one that happened in the first book
Overall, I enjoyed this second steaming hot installment of this series and am looking forward to what happens next with these characters as well as with Wesley and his unruly ward, and Alex and Grace.
Plot --- 3.5/5 Main Characters --- 4/5 Supporting Cast --- 4/5 Steam Level* --- 4.25/5 (no anal, no M/M or F/F, and no menage/group but pretty much everything else - early & often!) Violence --- spankings galore (hand, birch); possible triggers (see spoiler above); also Language --- not egregious POV --- 3rd
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
Continues on from book 1 - focus is on brother's marriage. The women are so naive, thrown to the 'wolves', all of whom are immature. The husbands are private people who hide their fetish for domestic discipline. It's all silly good fun, well written and I can't help but enjoy it.
Overall I still enjoyed this book. The sex scenes got a little bit repetitive/long-winded at times and I did find myself skimming some of them. However, I love the characterisation - particularly of Edwin and Eleanor, both strong-willed, adventurous and passionate.
I did find myself getting a little frustrated by the author dragging out the storyline for Edwin and Nell. Whilst the reader gets their answer at the end of book 2, the couple involved do not. This plotline has underpinned the entirety of their interactions in this book, so to stretch that out into a second book feels a tad like lazy writing.
A wonderful read
This is a continuation of Edwin and Eleanor's story (from Birching His Bride) though it also follows her brother Hugh, and his bride Irene. The book is written in the third person, so it's easy to follow which POV you are reading. The writing is engaging and I felt the emotions, particularly Eleanor's and Irene's. I flew through the story and my only disappointment is that it ended.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be diving straight into the next one, where I'm hoping Edwin finally realises just what it is that Eleanor wants from him! I am smitten with this couple and love reading about their battle of wills. Irene and Hugh are also a magnificent couple, their characters were very distinct from Edwin and Eleanor as is their relationship dynamic. That said the girls both end up with very sore, red bottoms ;)
I highly recommend this series to those who love spanking romances and historical romances.
3.25 Stars Historical Erotica I didn't like this one as much as the 1st book in the series. Irene and Hugh just didn't seem to have much personality for the most part of the book. It also felt like they took the backseat to Elenore & Edwin whose sex scenes where Super Hot.
I did enjoy the story but have the same complaints as I did for the 1st one. I needed something more. This series really could have been So Much Better if it had some great humor included. While it does have some areas that make you smile, there just isn't enough to make you laugh out loud. And that is really what this series needs. Some great laugh out loud moments would have greatly improved the story and enjoyment of this entire series.
Will be continuing the series in our Dark Erotica group Buddy read. Very much looking forward to Wesley & his Ward! Hoping I get those LOL moments I want.
The story continues in part 2 of this delicious series. Dealing with Eleanor’s growing feelings towards her husband Edwin,and her fears he doesn’t feel the same. Worse even,that she’ll end up with a marriage like her parents,who spend more time apart than together....
And Irene is having her own kind of problems with her husband Hugh,Eleanor’s brother. Her growing feelings towards him confuse her as she’s always held a candle for her childhood friend,Alex. Being spanked for misbehaving doesn’t help matters.....at all!
And Wesley,Edwin and Hugh’s closest friend,has returned home after his father’s death. He is going to have to deal with his ward Cynthia,in the next part of this series.
It all adds to the fun,and i’m enjoying it....a lot!
This book is presented as part 2 in a series, but it's actually a serial. Hugh and Irene's story is told and they get their HEA, but Eleanor and Edwin's story drags on, with still no conclusion. The flipping back and forth not only between stories but also POVs within the stories makes for an erratic flow. But the worst thing about this book is the atrocious lack of proofreading, from missing words, wrong word usage, haphazard sentence structure, to missing contractions. This book was published almost 4 years ago, there's no excuse for the lack of editing and correction.
It must be only me,but aside the whole "spanking" thing every 40 pages or so,which doesn't really do for me,the storyline is actually interesting.Who would have thought 🤪
I liked this book better than the first one (no creepy almost incest like scenes in this one!) but I wasn’t that big a fan of Irene. She was very childish and sometimes annoying. But I loved Elenor and Edwin. I also love that this book includes more characters than the first book. I really enjoyed getting to know Wesley and Alex. I hope they are in the rest of the books.
Characters? Unlikable. Storyline? All over the place. Consent? Nonexistent. Don't even get me started on the lack of editing, weird sentences, missing words, and spelling errors. Another no from me.
This book can also be found in the "Dealing with Discipline Quartet." Golden Angel had me so totally immersed in the stories of Eleanor and Edwin, and Hugh and Irene, who come into themselves as individuals, as spouses, as members of society and the ton. Another time and social standards that would seem preposterous to a 20th-century mind are brought to life so vividly that at times I lost track of my surroundings. Between these two couples and their discoveries and their surrounding characters, they've kept me on the edge of my seat through quite a bit of the book. What a great story, a perfect representative of the times, and a masterful lead-in to the next book in the series. I can't wait.
This series isn’t for me. Although I wasn’t a fan of the first book I was able to find potential in it and this book killed any hope that I may have had to like this series. This series started on an uncomfortable note for me, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and assumed it would give me a variety of types of MMC leads unfortunately this is not the case.
This book features the couple from book one and the FMC brother and his very innocent virginal new bride as leads. I’m not going to go to deeply into what I didn’t like about the previous couple as it’s much of the same in this book. The difference being that I didn’t enjoy any of their naughty scenes this book, unlike the last one that had a few.
The new couple started out promising for variety with the MMC being gentle with the FMC as he introduced her to sex and different sex acts. This however dissolves midway into the book with the MMC mirroring the MMC from the previous book in a slightly tamer way in regards to discipline. I was disheartened by this book as the FMC is shaken after being punished and having her husband having his way with after her, only to have multiple people downplay or condone his actions. In one instance (her friend/former crush) not only downplays it when she begs for help/protection, but watches her spanking at her husband’s request and her utter humiliation.
By the end of their story the FMC comes to the conclusion that she loves him, thinks she deserved the punishments and is basically told if she is obedient she can avoid them. I was upset as this couple had the potential to introduce light BDSM in a consensual way and kinda play opposites off of the other couple and it was completely wasted to give readers much of the same.
I’m not inclined to read anymore of this series as I’m pretty sure it will be more of the same. I’m over reading multiple scenes of FMC saying no to be ignored and ending up enjoying the experience, punishment scenes that leave FMC in tears from (emotional or physical discomfort) only to have the MMC who inflicted the damage consoling them and FMC being cast in roles were the husband always knows best and can do absolutely no wrong. Lastly I’m REALLY over the MMC universal inner monologue of her mouth said no, but her body says yes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2nd reading: Hugh and Irene are definitely my favorite couple of the series.
This book was more about Edwin and Eleanor than Hugh and Irene, which made the latter’s story a smidge less satisfying. It also made Edwin and Eleanor’s story feel too drawn out and seriously tried my patience with the bratty girl. However, it was a good mix of sex and story. Edwin’s strongly dominant nature is extremely enjoyable. Hugh’s sweetness made for a great character and though Irene was immature, her hang ups and difficulties were unique, which kept things interesting. I wish Edwin and Eleanor’s issues had been wrapped up by the end of this book but at least it promises another sex scene with the steamiest couple in book three.
Irene is convinced that she loves Alex, Lord Brooke, her sentiment is not at all returned, as Lord Brooke thinks of her as a little sister. Besides Alex is married Lady Grace even though they are not together at the moment. Hugh and Irene have just gotten married. Hugh is fond of Irene and thinks she will be a good wife and not give him any trouble. Their wedding and the wedding night goes well, and then in the morning Hugh makes Irene come orally One day Hugh catches Irene trying her best to get to Rex his stalion in order that she might ride him, even though he expressly forbade her from attempting to ride as the is a one man horse and no one else rides him. At this point Hugh decides that he needs to give Irene a spanking in order to get her to obey him in this matter. So Hugh puts Irene over a near by hay bale face down and bottom up with her dress up so that her bottom was exposed and then proceeds to spank her with his hand. Once he is done spanking the next thing Irene knows he is having sex with her from behind as she lays over the bale, while he makes her promise to stay away from his horse, all the while Irene is in ecstasy.. On another day while at a Party Irene sort of throws herself at Alex and kisses him and is rebuffed, however her behaviour was seen by her husband. So Hugh takes her home along with Alex who comes with them. Hugh then proceeds to give Irene a punishment spanking with his hand, and all the while Irene is getting spanked Alex is watching them. After Hugh gives Irene fourty smacks on her bottom Alex leaves and Hugh takes her to their bed and has sex with her to their pretty much mutual satisfaction. Then there is more fun and more sex.
Next we have a nice ending along with an Epilogue containing a teaser for Punishing His Ward.
I still don't love this series. I feel like the "your husband has the right to discipline you" phrase is one of the worst on the planet. Like maybe if you've discussed it together and decided that yes, he can, then that's one thing. But these men are like "I'm going to drag her kicking and screaming and spank her without really telling her beforehand that I would if she misbehaved." Also, she is not your child, sir. I don't really foresee the series getting more consensual either.
This book can also be found in the "Dealing with Discipline Quartet." Golden Angel had me so totally immersed in the stories of Eleanor and Edwin, and Hugh and Irene, come into themselves as individuals, as spouses, as members of society and the ton. Another time and social standards that would seem preposterous to a 20th-century mind are brought to life so vividly that at times I lost track of my surroundings. Between these two couples and their discoveries and their surrounding characters, they've kept me on the edge of my seat through quite a bit of the book. What a great story, a perfect representative of the times and a masterful lead-in to the next book in the series. I can't wait.
3stars. Dealing with discipline is the 2nd book in the series. Although it is supposed to be focused on Irene and Hugh, it actually isn’t. Of course, we get to know them both, however their story isn’t as engaging as Nell and Edwin’s, and probably the author thought it as well since the book is in a great deal about them both. Not that I cared that much. Irene and Hugh got an arranged marriage, yet Hugh expects to find love in a discreet and quiet girl such as Irene. On the other hand, Irene is in love, but not with Hugh but with his childhood friend and champion Alex who happens to be Nell’s best friend’, Grace, husband. It is obvious since the first moment that Irene and Hugh are perfect for each other, only Irene stubbornly thinks differently. The “triangle” is not interesting enough and really weak. Nonetheless, it was nice catching up with Nell and Edwin’s marriage, Wesley’s upcoming story and the hint of Grace and Alex’s story. And it is also a bit hotter than book 1.
Enjoyed this historical erotic romance series. Easy to read and full of humour and the mischievous ways of women to get what they want. The grammar was good, not many typing/spelling errors and so was some of the research the author has done on that period. Even though I am a feminist of the first wave, I can see that we have lost some things along the way and it makes me wonder if by doing so we are feminising men. Why can't women accept that men are 'other' and they have protective and dominant traits that are inherent to them. We should be utilising those traits in a positive way not trying to change them altogether. So if you don't mind a bit of the 'old fashioned' then this series is an enjoyable read.
Irene kind of drove me crazy. I don't understand not being able to marry who you love but this is the 21st century and things were different back then. I think because of this that I think this is my least favorite couple.
The writing was very good and I did enjoy the book even though I didn't like the couple. I was still brought into the book and it kept my interest. I would recommend this book.
I found it a little plodding at times and often ( I don't believe I'm saying this ) sex dominated the story line more than story growth Eleanor still irritating but Irene did manage to grow on me some.
Eleanor and Edwin's story continues with Eleanor having fallen in love with Edwin without knowing if he feels the same. There are more punishments and we also have Hugh's story running parallel. It was fun and intriguing and still left me wanting more.
An entertaining read. The males are doms and the women are brats and it's a fun/funny mixture. Lots of spice, with great moments. There were more grammatical errors that threw me off but I'm not looking for perfection. I will be reading book 3!
Elanor finds herself going from an unwilling bride to a wife in love. She didn't want to fall in love because she felt that her husband didn't love her. She felt that he would discard her once she produced an heir and find solace with lovers. Meanwhile, her brother marries Irene. Irene is in love with another and only marries Hugh for family duty.
I read the first book of this and enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. This book and the first are steamy but in a very elegant way. I'm quite impressed. I was expecting something entirely different. These books seem to be a stand-alone series, but I recommend reading them in order anyway. There are comments and references that are made that make more sense if read in order.
The previous book placed a lot of spotlight on Elanor and Edward. I was assuming that this book would place a lot of spotlight on Hugh and Irene. I was mistaken. It seemed to split the attention between both couples evenly. It also had a little sprinkling and references of Wesley as well. Of course, there are other characters that take part in the story. These are just the ones spotlighted.
S. Kitten did just as great of a job with this audiobook as she did the first one. I feel like she actually made me feel like I was part of the time era in which the story takes place. I felt like I was actually in the world and surrounded by the story and characters. It was exhilarating. I can't even explain it better than that.
I believed this book and the book before it to be out of my comfort zone. However, this author made the book interesting anyways. I still think I wouldn't be interested in the genre itself. I'll attempt anyways. I am still willing to read from this author anyways. I'll make an exception for her if you will. I'll be reading the last two in the series as soon as I read them.
I listened to the audio version of this book. I do think the narrator does an excellent job with both the male and female voices. The British accent provides that extra edge that enhances the story. I am not sure I can imagine reading this instead of listening to it.
It is a continuation of Book 1, Birching His Bride. Edwin and Eleanor 's relationship continues to grow as she question his love for her. She continues to do silly things to try to prove whether or not Edwin loves her, which of course results in further discipline. This storyline was lasting much too long for me. It got to be really tiresome after a while.
There is also more time spent on Hugh and Irene's marriage and relationship. But, not as much as I expected. I thought more of the book would be devoted to Hugh and Irene. Hugh is Eleanor's brother, and one of Edwin's best friends. Irene believes she is in love with her lifelong friend, Alex, but discovers that she is falling in love with her husband, Hugh.
Alex has more of a story in this book. He is married to, but separated from, Grace. Grace is causing all sorts of scandal within the Ton, but Alex is not aware what went wrong with their marriage. Alex is becoming fast friends with Edwin, Hugh, and Wesley.
Wesley also has more of a storyline in this book. He is finally forced to become involved with his ward, Cynthia.
This is still an erotic, historical, spanking tale. If any of that offends you, don't waste your time on this series.
The book ends, not so much as a cliffhanger, but as a continuing story. Understand that if you want to have all the loose ends tied up, I am fairly certain that won't happen before book 4.
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Audio version of this book received from the author.
Ok like with the previous book in this series, you just from person to person, couple to couple and at times it can be a bit confusing. . You have Edwin and Eleanor and Hugh and Irene as the main couples. This layout is completely different to what I’m used to reading in Historical Romances. Their stories run simultaneously and although it’s interesting that you constantly get the varied peoples perspectives, at times it can become frustrating. . The 🌶 scenes are good but there isn’t much variation in the things they do. Also another thing I’m not used to is not really like any of the main female characters! . Eleanor and Irene at times really piss me off. At times it feels like they behave like millennials (attitude wise) and just happen to be in a historical setting. So far this series has nothing on the other one I read from @goldeniangel. . The writing is good and descriptive and the male characters (which I usually have to read on for them to grow on me) are far outshining the female. Eleanor is still a brat and I’m actually finding her more irritating as I read more books. And Irene is a bit delusional (although you can at least blame her mother for that) - I do prefer her at the end of the book though. . I think the other reason im not as drawn to this series/the layout of the books is that there is never that feeling of conclusion at the end of the book. Mentally for me personally I find it more enjoyable when you have a book for each couple, they go through all their troubles etc then have their conclusion. That absolutely doesn’t happen here. But as always I am still enjoying reading and will continue onto the next in this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It is hard to describe this second book of this series. It is several stories about a group of young boyhood friends and their wives in Victorian England. Edwin has married a childhood friend, Eleanor. Her father had asked him to marry her and he agreed. But what Eleanor didn't know was Edwin had been trying to figure out how he could ask. Then there is Eleanor's brother Hugh. He was approached by Irene's parents who was indebted up to their eyes. Hugh had agreed to marry her in exchange for clearing their debt and the land next to his. Then there is Wesley, the forever bachelor who changed mistresses quite often. Finally, Hugh and Irene told each other their feelings for the other. After clearing up a few misunderstandings especially about spankings. Eleanor is in love with Edwin, but won't tell him. She refuses to be like her mother, being left alone in the country. When they get to the healing waters of Bath, Eleanor and her mother have a heart to heart talk about some misconceptions. It leaves her to rethink some hard trurths. In the meantime, Edwin is talking to her father. Growing up, he would ask her father for advice. So, it seemed natural to go to him about his relationship with his daughter. And finally, Wesley meets his hoyden ward. I recommend reading this series from book one forward. You will meet each character through each story in each book. You will follow their progress in each book. Plus, there are loads of disciplines and sex throughout. So, this series is for adults only!