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Desire Beyond Status
The fiery Eliza Baxter lives a peaceful life, until her aunt decides to take her to London for the Season in order to introduce her to the ton. Upon her arrival, the passionate Eliza finds herself in distress as she must endure her devious and jealous cousins, who will do anything to make her time in London unbearable. Yet, at the upcoming ball, Eliza's fateful encounter with the attractive Duke of Ellis will be her chance to gain a new ally, as they both have to get through the Season avoiding the pretentious nobles. However, Eliza's growing feelings for the Duke will soon set her heart on a fire she is unable to tame... Will she surrender to her burning desire for the enchanting Duke or will her lack of a title ruin what her heart is deeply longing for?
Hugh Conrad, the new Duke of Ellis, is a war hero and a man of duty, who struggles to accept and live up to his title after the tragic passing of his brother. When his wicked mother insists that he must find a wife, Hugh masters his past strategic skills to sneak out of his troubles. However, a ball will soon be the cause of meeting the most interesting and captivating woman he has ever seen. When Hugh lays eyes on the seductive Eliza, he will not only agree to a fraudulent courtship with her in order to mislead the suppressive relatives, but also to dive into an endless game of lust. Will Hugh overcome society's norms and fight for his flaming passion?
Even though Eliza and Hugh come together under the most unexpected circumstances, their plan soon turns into a lustful affair and when they cross the line, it is impossible to resist their tantalising romance. As their tremendous affection unfolds, so does the malice of a cunning woman who desperately schemes for their separation. With many forces conspiring against them, will Eliza and Hugh manage to pursue their unconventional attraction? In a society that revolves around titles and income, could that love and desire prevail after all?
Hugh Conrad, the new Duke of Ellis, is a war hero and a man of duty, who struggles to accept and live up to his title after the tragic passing of his brother. When his wicked mother insists that he must find a wife, Hugh masters his past strategic skills to sneak out of his troubles. However, a ball will soon be the cause of meeting the most interesting and captivating woman he has ever seen. When Hugh lays eyes on the seductive Eliza, he will not only agree to a fraudulent courtship with her in order to mislead the suppressive relatives, but also to dive into an endless game of lust. Will Hugh overcome society's norms and fight for his flaming passion?
Even though Eliza and Hugh come together under the most unexpected circumstances, their plan soon turns into a lustful affair and when they cross the line, it is impossible to resist their tantalising romance. As their tremendous affection unfolds, so does the malice of a cunning woman who desperately schemes for their separation. With many forces conspiring against them, will Eliza and Hugh manage to pursue their unconventional attraction? In a society that revolves around titles and income, could that love and desire prevail after all?
- GenresHistorical Romance
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2021
144 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Langton
119 books61 followersLucy Langton was born in Boston but currently lives in Maine with her husband and their beautiful twin daughters.
She has a PhD in English literature from Columbia University. Her field of expertise was 19th-century British novel. After college, she went backpacking in Europe where she met her husband. It was love at first sight!
Lucy knew she wanted to be a writer ever since she was a little girl, writing stories from different eras to read to her little brother. Her first story felt like a dream come true.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting, eating pizza and baking… not necessarily in that order! She also identifies herself as the biggest Jane Austen fan!
Lucy loves to connect with her readers!
She has a PhD in English literature from Columbia University. Her field of expertise was 19th-century British novel. After college, she went backpacking in Europe where she met her husband. It was love at first sight!
Lucy knew she wanted to be a writer ever since she was a little girl, writing stories from different eras to read to her little brother. Her first story felt like a dream come true.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting, eating pizza and baking… not necessarily in that order! She also identifies herself as the biggest Jane Austen fan!
Lucy loves to connect with her readers!
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 24, 2021
SQUEAKY CLEAN ROMANCE!! NO SEX OR SENUALITY AT ALL!!
Eliza Baxter is a Silk Merchants Daughter and goes to live with her Aunt Federrica the Countess of Carthope and her two cousins Hennrietta and Latica. Eliza is 20 and has never had a season. She would like to find a husband.
Hugh Conrad is the new Duke of Ellis after the death of his brother and really isn't interested in marrying at this time. Of course his mother is pushing him to obtain a wife.
Eliza has attracted all of the titled men of the Ton. Everywhere she goes she is swamped by suitors. She has even caught the attentions of Hugh The Duke of Ellis. This cause her aunt and cousins to become very jealous of her.
I really like Hugh the H and Eliza the H. They made a very good couple.
BUT Eliza Aunt and her two cousins Hennrietta and Latica were beyond cruel. I hate when villains go scot free they all should have been arrested for locking Eliza up for 5 weeks in her bedroom to stop her from marrying the Duke and garnering more attention from titled suitors in the Ton. These people were Beyond Mean and Nasty to Eliza.
The hate in this story is very depressing. I am a bit sorry I read it. I hate to feel unhappy when reading a story and these characters even Hugh's mother made me feel unhappy and sad at the way they treated Eliza!! Hugh and Eliza do eventually get there HEA!
Eliza Baxter is a Silk Merchants Daughter and goes to live with her Aunt Federrica the Countess of Carthope and her two cousins Hennrietta and Latica. Eliza is 20 and has never had a season. She would like to find a husband.
Hugh Conrad is the new Duke of Ellis after the death of his brother and really isn't interested in marrying at this time. Of course his mother is pushing him to obtain a wife.
Eliza has attracted all of the titled men of the Ton. Everywhere she goes she is swamped by suitors. She has even caught the attentions of Hugh The Duke of Ellis. This cause her aunt and cousins to become very jealous of her.
I really like Hugh the H and Eliza the H. They made a very good couple.
BUT Eliza Aunt and her two cousins Hennrietta and Latica were beyond cruel. I hate when villains go scot free they all should have been arrested for locking Eliza up for 5 weeks in her bedroom to stop her from marrying the Duke and garnering more attention from titled suitors in the Ton. These people were Beyond Mean and Nasty to Eliza.
The hate in this story is very depressing. I am a bit sorry I read it. I hate to feel unhappy when reading a story and these characters even Hugh's mother made me feel unhappy and sad at the way they treated Eliza!! Hugh and Eliza do eventually get there HEA!
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September 17, 2021
This book is like Cinderella, instead of wicked step-mother & sisters. It's Aunt & two cousins who are the villains of this regency romance.
The fiery Eliza Baxter lives a happy & contentful existence with her father.
However, now her horrible Aunt has convinced her brother to let Eliza come to London for a season to be introduced to the ton. In the beginning, Eliza seems to be excited to go into society, balls, etc. Until it's apparent that she has overshadowed her cousin's attention for suitors. They are jealous, resentful for something Eliza has no control or interest in.
Henrietta & Leticia end up being devious, gossipy spitful, all right ugly to her. One is upfront, nasty, cruel, & treats Eliza as she's nothing but a servant.
The other sister is cunning, quiet & befriends Eliza, only to backstab, betray & scheme to discover that she was as vicious as the older sister if not worse.
while the Aunt has spread gossip of her own brother, that Eliza & her father are not of good standing. He owes debts, is in with the wrong crowd. all to get everyone to stop being interested in her Neice. When in fact Eliza's father is a well-known, businessman within the community for his fabrics, dressmaking.
At one of the balls, Eliza meets one of the most eligible bachelors, as luck would happen is being pushed to get married soon, to create that heir.
Hugh Conrad, the new Duke of Ellis, is a war hero and a man of duty, who struggles to accept the new title bestowed to him, due to the recent tragic passing of his brother.
Hugh's conniving, crooked mother insists that he must find a wife. Hugh uses his past war strategic skills to sneak & delay out of marriage proposals for as long as he can. However, his plans change dramatically once he meets Eliza Baxter. The most interesting, captivating woman he has ever seen.
They both seem to hate society's notion of getting married & creating an heir on demand!
They decide to help each other by pretending they are courting. This will mislead & have mothers take notice not to pawn their offspring in their direction. To delay the endless game of cat & mouse for potential suitors' affections.
Hugh is thrilled with this idea because he has lusted Eliza from the moment they met. He finds her seductive, smart, honest & will do everything he can to make Eliza his wife. Hugh overcome society's norms and fight for his flaming passion?
Eliza's fateful encounter with the attractive Duke of Ellis will be her chance to gain a new ally, as they both have to get through the Season avoiding the pretentious nobles. However, Eliza's growing feelings for the Duke will put her heart on fire, which she might not be able to tame... Will she surrender to her burning desire for the enchanting Duke or will her lack of a title ruin what her heart is deeply longing for?
Ms. Baxter & the Duke of Ellis come together under unexpected circumstances, their plan soon turns into a lustful affair & when they cross the line, it is impossible to resist their tantalizing romance.
As their love blossoms, so does malice, deception of the cunning women who desperately schemes for their separation. With many forces conspiring secrets, lies & cruelty against them; Can Eliza and Hugh manage to pursue their unconventional attraction? In a shallow society that revolves around titles and income, could that love and desire prevail after all?
I thoroughly enjoyed this couple, & hated the villains. Which is what good writing is all about. Though I knew from the beginning not to trust either of the sisters. But to have Eliza's own Aunt gossip & make accusations again her own brother. HORRID!
The fiery Eliza Baxter lives a happy & contentful existence with her father.
However, now her horrible Aunt has convinced her brother to let Eliza come to London for a season to be introduced to the ton. In the beginning, Eliza seems to be excited to go into society, balls, etc. Until it's apparent that she has overshadowed her cousin's attention for suitors. They are jealous, resentful for something Eliza has no control or interest in.
Henrietta & Leticia end up being devious, gossipy spitful, all right ugly to her. One is upfront, nasty, cruel, & treats Eliza as she's nothing but a servant.
The other sister is cunning, quiet & befriends Eliza, only to backstab, betray & scheme to discover that she was as vicious as the older sister if not worse.
while the Aunt has spread gossip of her own brother, that Eliza & her father are not of good standing. He owes debts, is in with the wrong crowd. all to get everyone to stop being interested in her Neice. When in fact Eliza's father is a well-known, businessman within the community for his fabrics, dressmaking.
At one of the balls, Eliza meets one of the most eligible bachelors, as luck would happen is being pushed to get married soon, to create that heir.
Hugh Conrad, the new Duke of Ellis, is a war hero and a man of duty, who struggles to accept the new title bestowed to him, due to the recent tragic passing of his brother.
Hugh's conniving, crooked mother insists that he must find a wife. Hugh uses his past war strategic skills to sneak & delay out of marriage proposals for as long as he can. However, his plans change dramatically once he meets Eliza Baxter. The most interesting, captivating woman he has ever seen.
They both seem to hate society's notion of getting married & creating an heir on demand!
They decide to help each other by pretending they are courting. This will mislead & have mothers take notice not to pawn their offspring in their direction. To delay the endless game of cat & mouse for potential suitors' affections.
Hugh is thrilled with this idea because he has lusted Eliza from the moment they met. He finds her seductive, smart, honest & will do everything he can to make Eliza his wife. Hugh overcome society's norms and fight for his flaming passion?
Eliza's fateful encounter with the attractive Duke of Ellis will be her chance to gain a new ally, as they both have to get through the Season avoiding the pretentious nobles. However, Eliza's growing feelings for the Duke will put her heart on fire, which she might not be able to tame... Will she surrender to her burning desire for the enchanting Duke or will her lack of a title ruin what her heart is deeply longing for?
Ms. Baxter & the Duke of Ellis come together under unexpected circumstances, their plan soon turns into a lustful affair & when they cross the line, it is impossible to resist their tantalizing romance.
As their love blossoms, so does malice, deception of the cunning women who desperately schemes for their separation. With many forces conspiring secrets, lies & cruelty against them; Can Eliza and Hugh manage to pursue their unconventional attraction? In a shallow society that revolves around titles and income, could that love and desire prevail after all?
I thoroughly enjoyed this couple, & hated the villains. Which is what good writing is all about. Though I knew from the beginning not to trust either of the sisters. But to have Eliza's own Aunt gossip & make accusations again her own brother. HORRID!
May 25, 2021
To Like or Not Like
"Desire Beyond Status" by Lucy Langdon is not my favorite book by this author. I have mixed feelings about the main characters. Eliza Baxter is a young lady with money but no title. She is in London for the season to find love and get married.
The young man she falls for is Hugh Conrad, Duke of Ellis. He seems to see a beautiful girl and fall for her, but my feeling about the character was that he never really appreciated her character. She was generous, personable, and loved her father even in spite of gossip always stood up for him to other society people. Her aunt and cousins were beyond belief. I have not been so angry at characters in years.
The problem with the story was that in the end the duke did not seem genuine. I just felt there was something havy-cavy about his business dealings. Maybe its not fair but I just did not trust him.
I gave this 4 stars.
"Desire Beyond Status" by Lucy Langdon is not my favorite book by this author. I have mixed feelings about the main characters. Eliza Baxter is a young lady with money but no title. She is in London for the season to find love and get married.
The young man she falls for is Hugh Conrad, Duke of Ellis. He seems to see a beautiful girl and fall for her, but my feeling about the character was that he never really appreciated her character. She was generous, personable, and loved her father even in spite of gossip always stood up for him to other society people. Her aunt and cousins were beyond belief. I have not been so angry at characters in years.
The problem with the story was that in the end the duke did not seem genuine. I just felt there was something havy-cavy about his business dealings. Maybe its not fair but I just did not trust him.
I gave this 4 stars.
May 24, 2021
This well written and entertaining regency novel will keep you engrossed. Commoner Eliza Baxter is brought to London for the Season by her aunt. Only to find her cousins are both devious and jealous. Hugh Conrad, a war hero and now Duke of Ellis due to his brother’s death, is trying to outmanoeuvre his mothers plans for him to marry. When they meet at a ball attraction sparks and they agree to a fake courtship. However more than attraction grows out of that meeting as there are conspiracies everywhere to keep them apart. Follow Eliza and Hugh along their turbulent journey towards happiness and you won’t be disappointed at the end. I had ARC notification and am leaving a completely honest and unbiased review.
May 20, 2021
Will the captivating woman be his?
If you go by just the cover this is one steamy love story and what you will find is a romance full of emotion, passion, and a bit of adventure this book is a smorgasbord of goodness. Eliza and Hugh were awesome characters they start off just with a plan to fool and they ended getting caught in their own trap. The extended epilogue was a great follow-up. Once I started I had a hard time putting the book down I am so glad I started it early in the day I hope you check this gem out.
If you go by just the cover this is one steamy love story and what you will find is a romance full of emotion, passion, and a bit of adventure this book is a smorgasbord of goodness. Eliza and Hugh were awesome characters they start off just with a plan to fool and they ended getting caught in their own trap. The extended epilogue was a great follow-up. Once I started I had a hard time putting the book down I am so glad I started it early in the day I hope you check this gem out.
May 16, 2021
Another great work which we have come to expect from Lucy
This is another extremely entertaining work, that will keep you enthralled all the way through. The plot has the main characters having to navigate an extremely tumultuous journey before they can achieve their desires and happy future. The extended epilogue has brought a delightful glimpse into their later lives and on going fears. I read an ARC copy.
This is another extremely entertaining work, that will keep you enthralled all the way through. The plot has the main characters having to navigate an extremely tumultuous journey before they can achieve their desires and happy future. The extended epilogue has brought a delightful glimpse into their later lives and on going fears. I read an ARC copy.
May 20, 2021
Nice read
To meet your mother sister and have her take you to her home. To find out that her cousins are mean jealous and spoiled. Trying to get the duke to pay attention to one of her daughters not her niece her plan back fired. Jealousy played a part in telling lies about her father so the duke would look at one of the sisters. To finally know the truth and marry his lady love.
To meet your mother sister and have her take you to her home. To find out that her cousins are mean jealous and spoiled. Trying to get the duke to pay attention to one of her daughters not her niece her plan back fired. Jealousy played a part in telling lies about her father so the duke would look at one of the sisters. To finally know the truth and marry his lady love.
May 23, 2021
This book is a page turner from beginning to end. Eliza outshines her cousins at her first Season in London. There is also a Duke named Hugh is attracted to her as well. Intriguing story as it has humour, adventure, suspense, betrayal, courage, determination, heartache, heartbreak romance, passion, love and attraction. A must read.
May 25, 2021
A very good story
Lucy is a good author and this story has been very good from the beginning to end. Eliza is the daughter of a merchant and Hugh is a duke they fall in love but his mother is against it and so is her aunt and cousins.They conspired against them but love wins The characters are determined and emotional The extended epilogue is very good and the family is happy
Lucy is a good author and this story has been very good from the beginning to end. Eliza is the daughter of a merchant and Hugh is a duke they fall in love but his mother is against it and so is her aunt and cousins.They conspired against them but love wins The characters are determined and emotional The extended epilogue is very good and the family is happy
August 16, 2021
As always, schemes and plans go awry when setting out to deceive people. Another story about two people who fake courting only to fall in love. This story differs in the fact the dialog is well written and light-hearted on occasion. In the end, Hugh does the one thing I wish most men would do with interfering mothers. Let's face it, being happy is better than status.
May 20, 2021
Fantastic
Great read, I enjoyed this book very much. A fantastic story. From beginning to end, A story that kept me engrossed from the beginning with twist and turns and a happier ever after end. I highly recommend this a nice clean read.
Great read, I enjoyed this book very much. A fantastic story. From beginning to end, A story that kept me engrossed from the beginning with twist and turns and a happier ever after end. I highly recommend this a nice clean read.
May 22, 2021
Meddling family!
For Eliza life would be so much easier if her family would just let find her happiness at her own pace, but jealousy and dislike drives them! Our hero’s mother is as bad as he4 family, must defy them!
For Eliza life would be so much easier if her family would just let find her happiness at her own pace, but jealousy and dislike drives them! Our hero’s mother is as bad as he4 family, must defy them!
May 24, 2021
Desire beyond status
It’s shocking how much cruelty and manipulation people could do. Hugh said it perfectly when he described it as being attacked on all sides. What was beautiful to read though was the absolutely true and pure love between Eliza and Hugh.
It’s shocking how much cruelty and manipulation people could do. Hugh said it perfectly when he described it as being attacked on all sides. What was beautiful to read though was the absolutely true and pure love between Eliza and Hugh.
July 13, 2021
Love Conquers?
This is an excellent idea for a must read by Lucy Langton. A beautiful little tale of the problems caused by jealousy and the trials to achieve a better solution to their problems.
This is an excellent idea for a must read by Lucy Langton. A beautiful little tale of the problems caused by jealousy and the trials to achieve a better solution to their problems.
October 18, 2021
I do not recommend. Although the stories show promise, the writing needs work.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews