What do you think?
Rate this book
Teach Me
Ever curious, Elizabeth, Viscountess Rocksley, has turned her curiosity to erotic pleasure. Three years a widow, she boldly employs the madam of a brothel for guidance but never had she expected her education to be conducted by a coldly handsome peer of the realm.
To the Earl of Malvern, the erotic tutelage of a skittish widow is little more than sport, however the woman he teaches is far from the mouse he expects. With her sly humor and insistent joy, Elizabeth obliterates all his expectations and he, unwillingly fascinated, can’t prevent his fall.
Each more intrigued than they are willing to admit, Elizabeth and Malvern embark upon a tutelage that will challenge them, change them, come to mean everything to them…until a heartbreaking betrayal threatens to tear them apart forever.
To the Earl of Malvern, the erotic tutelage of a skittish widow is little more than sport, however the woman he teaches is far from the mouse he expects. With her sly humor and insistent joy, Elizabeth obliterates all his expectations and he, unwillingly fascinated, can’t prevent his fall.
Each more intrigued than they are willing to admit, Elizabeth and Malvern embark upon a tutelage that will challenge them, change them, come to mean everything to them…until a heartbreaking betrayal threatens to tear them apart forever.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2012
252 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Dean
42 books191 followersCassandra Dean is an award-winning author of historical and fantasy romance. She grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures.
Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.
Visit Cassandra’s website at http://cassandradean.com
Join Cassandra’s mailing list at http://cassandradean.com/extras/subsc...
Be sure to follow Cassandra on BookBub for the latest on sales: https://bit.ly/3rzSIpu
Follow Cassandra on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandra... and on Twitter @authorCassDean
Contact Cassandra at cassandra@cassandradean.com
Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.
Visit Cassandra’s website at http://cassandradean.com
Join Cassandra’s mailing list at http://cassandradean.com/extras/subsc...
Be sure to follow Cassandra on BookBub for the latest on sales: https://bit.ly/3rzSIpu
Follow Cassandra on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandra... and on Twitter @authorCassDean
Contact Cassandra at cassandra@cassandradean.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
March 23, 2022
First re-read, just as amazing the second time around!
Eroticism - “From the Greek “eros” (desire). The quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love.”
This story is the very definition of erotica. An intensely erotic, passionate tale entwined with a beautiful, steal-your-breath love. I didn’t expect this story to have such emotional depth and I was enthralled by the delicious intensity. The wonder, pleasure and joy Elizabeth discovered as this entirely new dimension of lust and passion opened up before her, juxtaposed with James, the ice cold, bored and very jaded rake falling hopelessly in love was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!
At such moments, one could almost term his appearance boyish. That was, until he fixed his gaze upon you, and then, well, then there could be no mistaking him for a boy.
“Voglio farvi gemito. Urlo. Voglio fare tanto cosi con te….” The soulful words trailed away, and he turned to brush his lips against her palm. “What did you say?” His lips quirked. “I love the feel of you beneath me. Around me.”
“I do have a question, though.” “Of course you do,” he said, attempting levity. “When do you not?” A wicked grin flashed across her face. “When can we do it again?”
Eroticism - “From the Greek “eros” (desire). The quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love.”
This story is the very definition of erotica. An intensely erotic, passionate tale entwined with a beautiful, steal-your-breath love. I didn’t expect this story to have such emotional depth and I was enthralled by the delicious intensity. The wonder, pleasure and joy Elizabeth discovered as this entirely new dimension of lust and passion opened up before her, juxtaposed with James, the ice cold, bored and very jaded rake falling hopelessly in love was absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!
At such moments, one could almost term his appearance boyish. That was, until he fixed his gaze upon you, and then, well, then there could be no mistaking him for a boy.
“Voglio farvi gemito. Urlo. Voglio fare tanto cosi con te….” The soulful words trailed away, and he turned to brush his lips against her palm. “What did you say?” His lips quirked. “I love the feel of you beneath me. Around me.”
“I do have a question, though.” “Of course you do,” he said, attempting levity. “When do you not?” A wicked grin flashed across her face. “When can we do it again?”
January 20, 2024
5 stars on a second re-read.
This is such a subtly emotional story. I found so many achingly tender moments which I had missed the first time around. One of the few books with a more than adequate Hero POV. Elizabeth is great for sure, but it’s James’s inner musings that captivated me and had me enthralled.
4 Stars on a re-read
I think I should read more erotica and keep the traditional romance novels on the back-burner for a while. Barring a couple of romances, the eroticas have been far more enjoyable in comparison, as the hero-heroine interface is better, there is more honesty, heroines are stronger, heroes are marginally less horrible, there is a manageable amount of drama, and the obvious one being smut peppered throughout the story.
This was my first Cassandra Dean story. It was such an unexpectedly delightful read that I am still surprised. Although I would be hard-pressed to call it an erotica, considering there were far too many fades to black, closed-door, and reminisced scenes, the story was sensual, seductive and simmering with passion.
My Thoughts
- New-to-me authors have a bit of a learning curve until I get comfortable with their writing style. I faced no such qualms with Ms Dean's craft. It was written & paced well, the characters were strongly developed, and it had a touch of humour & an emotional depth to a certain degree.
- Though the plot had the quite common "lessons in pleasure" trope, it unfurled with uniqueness. The "lessons" were theoretical lectures coupled with practical, and he had a curriculum. I found it to be very amusing. I had this bemused chuckle face throughout. In a word, it was damn cute.
- The romance was essentially an innocent meets jaded. Their interaction went on for over five months (a believable amount of time to develop feelings for one another) as opposed to a week or fortnight to love nonsense. Ms Dean handled the evolution of their relationship deliciously, and it was there in the little things. It had a very fluttery adorable flavour.
- Elizabeth was an amazing heroine. She was spunky, chatty, amusing, inquisitive, strong, a breath of fresh air, and I loved her.
- James gave the combination of staid, stoic, English stiff upper lip, jaded, hardened rake a new meaning. I get that he had a childhood that would have given the Child Services Department nightmares, but did he have to go that far in pushing Elizabeth away? I hated the way he behaved. Barring that one understandably overwhelmed lapse, he was a great hero, as he was solicitous, accepting, and sweet in his own way.
- Also, shockingly little grovelling. I don't know whether to respect or curse Elizabeth for accepting the crumbs he offered, the reason being that his body language was nervous for a cock sure man, really? This was the only downside I found in this story.
- But I have to hand it to the author to sticking to her guns with James's characteristic of being unforthcoming about his feelings. Well, who am I to stand in the way of true love?
*A Note about Grovelling - We as readers, collectively (majority of us at least) love it when heroes of romance novels grovel. Why? Because actual men don't grovel as well as women would like them to. They instead calmly highlight the nuances of the argument or tell us how they are right or deflect, and we, idiots that we are, calmly accept it or yell. Thus, our grovelling need goes unfulfilled. So we need our fictional men, who by the way are created by women, to satiate the said grovelling quota. I have come across so many books where there was not enough grovelling, that it baffles me! You would think that these talented female authors would throw us a bone here, but noooo, they have their heroine act all sensible and help fix things. That is enabling non-grovelling behaviour I tell you!
My Recommendation
My rant aside, it was a lovely book, go for it.
This is such a subtly emotional story. I found so many achingly tender moments which I had missed the first time around. One of the few books with a more than adequate Hero POV. Elizabeth is great for sure, but it’s James’s inner musings that captivated me and had me enthralled.
4 Stars on a re-read
I think I should read more erotica and keep the traditional romance novels on the back-burner for a while. Barring a couple of romances, the eroticas have been far more enjoyable in comparison, as the hero-heroine interface is better, there is more honesty, heroines are stronger, heroes are marginally less horrible, there is a manageable amount of drama, and the obvious one being smut peppered throughout the story.
This was my first Cassandra Dean story. It was such an unexpectedly delightful read that I am still surprised. Although I would be hard-pressed to call it an erotica, considering there were far too many fades to black, closed-door, and reminisced scenes, the story was sensual, seductive and simmering with passion.
My Thoughts
- New-to-me authors have a bit of a learning curve until I get comfortable with their writing style. I faced no such qualms with Ms Dean's craft. It was written & paced well, the characters were strongly developed, and it had a touch of humour & an emotional depth to a certain degree.
- Though the plot had the quite common "lessons in pleasure" trope, it unfurled with uniqueness. The "lessons" were theoretical lectures coupled with practical, and he had a curriculum. I found it to be very amusing. I had this bemused chuckle face throughout. In a word, it was damn cute.
- The romance was essentially an innocent meets jaded. Their interaction went on for over five months (a believable amount of time to develop feelings for one another) as opposed to a week or fortnight to love nonsense. Ms Dean handled the evolution of their relationship deliciously, and it was there in the little things. It had a very fluttery adorable flavour.
- Elizabeth was an amazing heroine. She was spunky, chatty, amusing, inquisitive, strong, a breath of fresh air, and I loved her.
- James gave the combination of staid, stoic, English stiff upper lip, jaded, hardened rake a new meaning. I get that he had a childhood that would have given the Child Services Department nightmares, but did he have to go that far in pushing Elizabeth away? I hated the way he behaved. Barring that one understandably overwhelmed lapse, he was a great hero, as he was solicitous, accepting, and sweet in his own way.
- Also, shockingly little grovelling. I don't know whether to respect or curse Elizabeth for accepting the crumbs he offered, the reason being that his body language was nervous for a cock sure man, really? This was the only downside I found in this story.
- But I have to hand it to the author to sticking to her guns with James's characteristic of being unforthcoming about his feelings. Well, who am I to stand in the way of true love?
*A Note about Grovelling - We as readers, collectively (majority of us at least) love it when heroes of romance novels grovel. Why? Because actual men don't grovel as well as women would like them to. They instead calmly highlight the nuances of the argument or tell us how they are right or deflect, and we, idiots that we are, calmly accept it or yell. Thus, our grovelling need goes unfulfilled. So we need our fictional men, who by the way are created by women, to satiate the said grovelling quota. I have come across so many books where there was not enough grovelling, that it baffles me! You would think that these talented female authors would throw us a bone here, but noooo, they have their heroine act all sensible and help fix things. That is enabling non-grovelling behaviour I tell you!
My Recommendation
My rant aside, it was a lovely book, go for it.
May 12, 2022
Very enjoyable spicy hot sexy book. A widow wants to experience pleasure that she did not have during her marriage. A lord whose upbringing was directed by his father (let's say the dad was a bad one). There is growth in friendship along with the sexy plot with a hea.
May 24, 2020
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Plot/Storyline: 📖 📖 📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Romance: 💞💞💞
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡️ ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Sex Scene Length: 🍆🍆 🍆 🍆 🍆
See end of review for details about the type of sex in this book.
See end of review for safety.
It’s very hard to find erotic romance with feeling and I was pleasantly surprised to have finally found one. This book was a solid 4 stars for me, in large part due to the steam and romantic development, although, there are some areas lacking compared to other great romances I have read.
This book was one of my favorite tropes. The heroine, Elizabeth, is a widow who has never had the opportunity to explore her sexuality. Sex with her husband had been impersonal. She found some minor satisfaction with a lover after he died, but it was short lived and only enough to whet her appetite and begin to question if there is more. She seeks out a brothel and arranges to get verbal lessons from the madam. She’s surprised when she ends up with James, who intends on teaching her with a more hands-on approach. But Elizabeth is not shy about this. In fact, she is quite excited.
For James, however, their lessons are more akin to afternoon tea than an exciting foray into sexual escapades. He had been the victim of various instances of sexual depravity, subjected to him by his father at a young age. From the age of twelve, his life had been saturated in sex, and as such, there was nothing he had not seen or done or heard about or imagined. For him, sex had always been out in the open. It was bold and bawdy, yes, but also matter of fact. Tawdry and pleasurable, but not surprising. This past has left him numb inside, incapable of emotion, and a master of the perfected icy veneer. He is cold and hard. Controlled and aloof. Unmoving.
In the beginning of their lessons, James drones on about sex in this dull, clinical way. It’s awkward and I enjoyed the sexiness of the strange tension between them. Erotic lessons should be exciting, but he’s so sexually experienced that he is unaffected by his own curriculum. But over time, as he sees sex through a new lens, through Elizabeth’s eyes, he begins to experience something entirely new: Innocence and discovery. And at her excitement over what she’s learning, the surprising passions she displays, he find an unexpected soft and tender intimacy begin to awaken in his heart.
As expected, the sex starts early in this book. For obvious reasons, it does not have that build up of longing you get in a more traditional romance. Nevertheless, the sex was still so hot. The scenes were long and descriptive. Sensual and passionate. Fire. My only complaint about them was that she described James as a dirty talker and I love dirty talk, but she never wrote his actual words out.
I did find something unique here in that even though sex was a regular occurrence between them, the tension was still there. Their passion only continued to grow. Their need for each other beyond the physical manifested itself in a desire to have more sexual experiences. To grow closer and want more.
And of course, as they start to want each other more and more, so begins the hurt. Because a relationship, a real one, wasn’t part of the deal. Their relationship becomes heady with emotion. Their feelings turn to something more than sexual, although there is still plenty of desire. The tension is there, along with so much wanting. Yearning for something more they didn’t see coming and never planned for.
And that was what I loved so much about this book. It was how the physical moments lent themselves to a deeper emotional connection. How Elizabeth could intertwine her fingers with his and he would let her hold him even after their lesson was complete. How James wanted to keep her close. How he ended up doing things he never thought he would because of how his feelings grew for her. There was a foreign intimacy growing between them that sex didn’t provide.
It had all the things I love in a romance. The things that give me all the butterflies. The seeing each other for who they are. The noticing of little things they do that no one else would care about. The tender thoughts. The warmth in their chest. The feelings of falling in love. I live for this in a romance. And best of all, a broken hero that ravages your heart. I don’t know if James was afraid of falling in love as much as completely unaware of what love might feel like, and seeing this aloof, oversexed hero fall in love with a demure and mousy widow was perfection.
So why four stars and not five?
While I did love the progression of their feelings, I don’t feel like I got into the deeper core of either characters motivations. I fell in love with them falling in love. But I didn’t fall in love with them. It was simply a flaw in character development and how the author chose to portray them to the reader. She didn’t weave threads of their personalities and pasts through the book effectively enough. When James or Elizabeth learned something new about each other, that’s when I learned about most of it too.
The perfect example of this is the moment at the end where their relation meets the “point of no return”. The catalyst is an incident that happens over an erotic book that James supposedly had given to Elizabeth earlier in the story. But this book was never mentioned and so her reaction to it and how she behaved in this moment lacked impact. There was also the element of James history with his father, which was the driving force for his controlled persona and why he felt he had to let Elizabeth go. But we are only told about this history in passing and it didn’t go deep enough into it to really feel how such sexual depravity had impacted him. He also never told Elizabeth about his past for her to come to understand him, which I found odd. These are just two examples, and I could honestly mention quite a few more.
If Cassandra Dean had just built their internal narrative a bit more and strung things together all the way through, she’d achieve more of an emotional punch. The book would feel more polished and complete.
Additionally, the later scenes where the sex turned more loving were rushed. This is a common problem in erotic romance, and also in regular romance. I love the hot and passionate scenes as much as the next person, but these are romance novels. Why are we shortchanged when the romance part finally hits full throttle? I especially feel that here, because one particular scene and his reaction to it was a turning point and it was relevant for us to witness, but it was glossed over.
James did not grovel nearly enough at the end. She did give me something I love. A “break up” and lots of pining and regret and heartache from having lost something so special. I love this in romance. But I don’t think James did enough to win her back. He was always so buttoned up and controlled that I was waiting the whole book to see that fracture. And he only fractured a little. A total loss of control would have been divine, even if it was only momentary.
And I cannot tell you how disappointed I was that Elizabeth was pregnant in the epilogue (I don’t consider this a spoiler because this is literally every romance novel). She believed she was barren the whole book and for once I would just like to see an author show a woman find happiness without children. There are women who can’t have children. They deserve their happily ever after too.
All said and done, I’ll forgive just about anything for hot sex and butterflies and I got both of those in wonderful abundance here. So it is a glowy four stars and I will absolutely read her again!
About the sex: This book is good for when you want more sex, but aren’t looking for kink. Lots of kink is mentioned in this book. There is an MFM scene that takes place between other characters. The hero has participated in pretty much every sex act you can imagine. But between the hero and heroine, it is your standard MF sex. No BDSM. No anal. Some people will find this too vanilla for them. I personally thought it was perfect.
Safety: OW (hero has off page sex with a woman after meeting the heroine. But they have no relationship yet and had known each other for less than a handful of minutes. Later in the book heroine catches hero with another woman. It’s important to remember here that he is her tutor and they are not in a “relationship”, although it is clear at this point that there are feelings. The hero does not do anything with this woman in the end.)
Plot/Storyline: 📖 📖 📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Romance: 💞💞💞
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡️ ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Sex Scene Length: 🍆🍆 🍆 🍆 🍆
See end of review for details about the type of sex in this book.
See end of review for safety.
It’s very hard to find erotic romance with feeling and I was pleasantly surprised to have finally found one. This book was a solid 4 stars for me, in large part due to the steam and romantic development, although, there are some areas lacking compared to other great romances I have read.
This book was one of my favorite tropes. The heroine, Elizabeth, is a widow who has never had the opportunity to explore her sexuality. Sex with her husband had been impersonal. She found some minor satisfaction with a lover after he died, but it was short lived and only enough to whet her appetite and begin to question if there is more. She seeks out a brothel and arranges to get verbal lessons from the madam. She’s surprised when she ends up with James, who intends on teaching her with a more hands-on approach. But Elizabeth is not shy about this. In fact, she is quite excited.
For James, however, their lessons are more akin to afternoon tea than an exciting foray into sexual escapades. He had been the victim of various instances of sexual depravity, subjected to him by his father at a young age. From the age of twelve, his life had been saturated in sex, and as such, there was nothing he had not seen or done or heard about or imagined. For him, sex had always been out in the open. It was bold and bawdy, yes, but also matter of fact. Tawdry and pleasurable, but not surprising. This past has left him numb inside, incapable of emotion, and a master of the perfected icy veneer. He is cold and hard. Controlled and aloof. Unmoving.
In the beginning of their lessons, James drones on about sex in this dull, clinical way. It’s awkward and I enjoyed the sexiness of the strange tension between them. Erotic lessons should be exciting, but he’s so sexually experienced that he is unaffected by his own curriculum. But over time, as he sees sex through a new lens, through Elizabeth’s eyes, he begins to experience something entirely new: Innocence and discovery. And at her excitement over what she’s learning, the surprising passions she displays, he find an unexpected soft and tender intimacy begin to awaken in his heart.
As expected, the sex starts early in this book. For obvious reasons, it does not have that build up of longing you get in a more traditional romance. Nevertheless, the sex was still so hot. The scenes were long and descriptive. Sensual and passionate. Fire. My only complaint about them was that she described James as a dirty talker and I love dirty talk, but she never wrote his actual words out.
I did find something unique here in that even though sex was a regular occurrence between them, the tension was still there. Their passion only continued to grow. Their need for each other beyond the physical manifested itself in a desire to have more sexual experiences. To grow closer and want more.
And of course, as they start to want each other more and more, so begins the hurt. Because a relationship, a real one, wasn’t part of the deal. Their relationship becomes heady with emotion. Their feelings turn to something more than sexual, although there is still plenty of desire. The tension is there, along with so much wanting. Yearning for something more they didn’t see coming and never planned for.
And that was what I loved so much about this book. It was how the physical moments lent themselves to a deeper emotional connection. How Elizabeth could intertwine her fingers with his and he would let her hold him even after their lesson was complete. How James wanted to keep her close. How he ended up doing things he never thought he would because of how his feelings grew for her. There was a foreign intimacy growing between them that sex didn’t provide.
It had all the things I love in a romance. The things that give me all the butterflies. The seeing each other for who they are. The noticing of little things they do that no one else would care about. The tender thoughts. The warmth in their chest. The feelings of falling in love. I live for this in a romance. And best of all, a broken hero that ravages your heart. I don’t know if James was afraid of falling in love as much as completely unaware of what love might feel like, and seeing this aloof, oversexed hero fall in love with a demure and mousy widow was perfection.
So why four stars and not five?
While I did love the progression of their feelings, I don’t feel like I got into the deeper core of either characters motivations. I fell in love with them falling in love. But I didn’t fall in love with them. It was simply a flaw in character development and how the author chose to portray them to the reader. She didn’t weave threads of their personalities and pasts through the book effectively enough. When James or Elizabeth learned something new about each other, that’s when I learned about most of it too.
The perfect example of this is the moment at the end where their relation meets the “point of no return”. The catalyst is an incident that happens over an erotic book that James supposedly had given to Elizabeth earlier in the story. But this book was never mentioned and so her reaction to it and how she behaved in this moment lacked impact. There was also the element of James history with his father, which was the driving force for his controlled persona and why he felt he had to let Elizabeth go. But we are only told about this history in passing and it didn’t go deep enough into it to really feel how such sexual depravity had impacted him. He also never told Elizabeth about his past for her to come to understand him, which I found odd. These are just two examples, and I could honestly mention quite a few more.
If Cassandra Dean had just built their internal narrative a bit more and strung things together all the way through, she’d achieve more of an emotional punch. The book would feel more polished and complete.
Additionally, the later scenes where the sex turned more loving were rushed. This is a common problem in erotic romance, and also in regular romance. I love the hot and passionate scenes as much as the next person, but these are romance novels. Why are we shortchanged when the romance part finally hits full throttle? I especially feel that here, because one particular scene and his reaction to it was a turning point and it was relevant for us to witness, but it was glossed over.
James did not grovel nearly enough at the end. She did give me something I love. A “break up” and lots of pining and regret and heartache from having lost something so special. I love this in romance. But I don’t think James did enough to win her back. He was always so buttoned up and controlled that I was waiting the whole book to see that fracture. And he only fractured a little. A total loss of control would have been divine, even if it was only momentary.
And I cannot tell you how disappointed I was that Elizabeth was pregnant in the epilogue (I don’t consider this a spoiler because this is literally every romance novel). She believed she was barren the whole book and for once I would just like to see an author show a woman find happiness without children. There are women who can’t have children. They deserve their happily ever after too.
All said and done, I’ll forgive just about anything for hot sex and butterflies and I got both of those in wonderful abundance here. So it is a glowy four stars and I will absolutely read her again!
About the sex: This book is good for when you want more sex, but aren’t looking for kink. Lots of kink is mentioned in this book. There is an MFM scene that takes place between other characters. The hero has participated in pretty much every sex act you can imagine. But between the hero and heroine, it is your standard MF sex. No BDSM. No anal. Some people will find this too vanilla for them. I personally thought it was perfect.
Safety: OW (hero has off page sex with a woman after meeting the heroine. But they have no relationship yet and had known each other for less than a handful of minutes. Later in the book heroine catches hero with another woman. It’s important to remember here that he is her tutor and they are not in a “relationship”, although it is clear at this point that there are feelings. The hero does not do anything with this woman in the end.)
July 30, 2021
Pleasantly surprised with this historical erotica.
An inexperienced widow seeking to gain sexual knowledge gets herself a very private tutor: a jaded libertine and destitute earl.
Slowly and despite his best efforts to remain cold and detached, the master is falling for his most eager student.
This started purely as erotica but I'm glad for the emotional turn the author decided to take. The fine portrayal of complex characters driving the plot kept me interested and excited all throughout. I enjoyed witnessing the gradual shift in Elizabeth's and Malvern's relationship as their tutoring lessons took place. The change of pace and the erotic charge steadily increased, departing from the first few clinical-like encounters to more passionate and emotional love scenes.
I'm slightly disappointed at the poor grovel demonstrated by the hero in regard to the deliberate hurt inflicted on the heroine. The apology doesn't match the injury and that was unsatisfying for me.
A truly good read for lovers of grumpy hero/sunshine heroine.
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
An inexperienced widow seeking to gain sexual knowledge gets herself a very private tutor: a jaded libertine and destitute earl.
Slowly and despite his best efforts to remain cold and detached, the master is falling for his most eager student.
This started purely as erotica but I'm glad for the emotional turn the author decided to take. The fine portrayal of complex characters driving the plot kept me interested and excited all throughout. I enjoyed witnessing the gradual shift in Elizabeth's and Malvern's relationship as their tutoring lessons took place. The change of pace and the erotic charge steadily increased, departing from the first few clinical-like encounters to more passionate and emotional love scenes.
I'm slightly disappointed at the poor grovel demonstrated by the hero in regard to the deliberate hurt inflicted on the heroine. The apology doesn't match the injury and that was unsatisfying for me.
A truly good read for lovers of grumpy hero/sunshine heroine.
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
April 13, 2024
First book by this author, and I am looking forward to reading another book from her.
I went into this book hoping for a beautiful love story, I go that and more. It was spicy, hot, and all beautiful layout for me to read
I went into this book hoping for a beautiful love story, I go that and more. It was spicy, hot, and all beautiful layout for me to read
November 29, 2023
I received a free copy from BookSprout and this is my freely given opinion.
This is at least the second time I am reading this Cassandra Dean novel again and I enjoyed it just as thoroughly.
This is like a romance in reverse... starting with the sex in a rather detached way, and ending with the wooing, courting, warmth, and affection. The couple are unlikely as well.
Elizabeth is a widowed and childless Viscountess, who is by nature a warm, effervescent woman with an overwhelming amount of curiosity. She has a large family that she seems rather overwhelmed by, who smother her a bit as they feel her natural curiosity and behaviour unseemly. As a consequence, she dresses rather dowdily and suppresses herself a bit and comes across a bit timid and mousy to those who do not know her, or care to know more about her. Apparently, including her own family.
However, they cannot suppress her curiosity completely, and as a widow, she has a great curiosity about carnal pleasure and how to give and receive it. To assuage her curiosity, she figures the most likely place to find that knowledge is to a famed brothel, where she hires the madam to find someone to educate her about carnal pleasure. She is introduced to Malvern, a man known to be a jaded, debauched rake. He is an interesting character; very jaded, and cold, raised by a father who introduced him to a rakish and rather misogynistic lifestyle as a boy, and with no real maternal influence as his mother essentially abandoned them when he was a boy. He is a rather cold, hard man and seems determined not to have deeper relationships. But he agrees to take on Elizabeth, to teach her about carnal pleasure - not to sleep with her... perhaps as an amusement, but he has no intention of sex with her, at least as far as penetration, and no intention of marrying her and he states these boundaries from the very beginning.
Elizabeth, naive woman that she is, initially thought the education would be in the form of lectures, and the like. But of course, there is some more engagement than that... but no actual sex... at first. Malvern teaches her to learn about pleasure, and how her previous lovers were lacking, how to find it herself, etc. In the meantime, she starts to warm and charm him with her engaging personality, despite his reservations about himself and relationships.
I found Elizabeth and Malvern to be two very opposite persons, but perhaps that is why it works; they complement each other. She is warm, rather naive, open, joyful, and curious. She is suppressed by her family, but he encourages her curiosity about herself, and her warmth and joy seem to thaw his coldness and withdrawal, and he is attracted to that. The sexual carnality was rather cold and clinical to begin with, but that is a reflection of his coldness and his rather clinical detachment to teaching her. I enjoyed the unfolding of their relationship and the thawing of Malvern, and his eventual realization of the truth of his feelings and their relationship. It was a bit of a rocky journey, but the end and epilogue were worth it.
4 stars out of 5.
This is at least the second time I am reading this Cassandra Dean novel again and I enjoyed it just as thoroughly.
This is like a romance in reverse... starting with the sex in a rather detached way, and ending with the wooing, courting, warmth, and affection. The couple are unlikely as well.
Elizabeth is a widowed and childless Viscountess, who is by nature a warm, effervescent woman with an overwhelming amount of curiosity. She has a large family that she seems rather overwhelmed by, who smother her a bit as they feel her natural curiosity and behaviour unseemly. As a consequence, she dresses rather dowdily and suppresses herself a bit and comes across a bit timid and mousy to those who do not know her, or care to know more about her. Apparently, including her own family.
However, they cannot suppress her curiosity completely, and as a widow, she has a great curiosity about carnal pleasure and how to give and receive it. To assuage her curiosity, she figures the most likely place to find that knowledge is to a famed brothel, where she hires the madam to find someone to educate her about carnal pleasure. She is introduced to Malvern, a man known to be a jaded, debauched rake. He is an interesting character; very jaded, and cold, raised by a father who introduced him to a rakish and rather misogynistic lifestyle as a boy, and with no real maternal influence as his mother essentially abandoned them when he was a boy. He is a rather cold, hard man and seems determined not to have deeper relationships. But he agrees to take on Elizabeth, to teach her about carnal pleasure - not to sleep with her... perhaps as an amusement, but he has no intention of sex with her, at least as far as penetration, and no intention of marrying her and he states these boundaries from the very beginning.
Elizabeth, naive woman that she is, initially thought the education would be in the form of lectures, and the like. But of course, there is some more engagement than that... but no actual sex... at first. Malvern teaches her to learn about pleasure, and how her previous lovers were lacking, how to find it herself, etc. In the meantime, she starts to warm and charm him with her engaging personality, despite his reservations about himself and relationships.
I found Elizabeth and Malvern to be two very opposite persons, but perhaps that is why it works; they complement each other. She is warm, rather naive, open, joyful, and curious. She is suppressed by her family, but he encourages her curiosity about herself, and her warmth and joy seem to thaw his coldness and withdrawal, and he is attracted to that. The sexual carnality was rather cold and clinical to begin with, but that is a reflection of his coldness and his rather clinical detachment to teaching her. I enjoyed the unfolding of their relationship and the thawing of Malvern, and his eventual realization of the truth of his feelings and their relationship. It was a bit of a rocky journey, but the end and epilogue were worth it.
4 stars out of 5.
April 4, 2021
Widowed Viscountess Elizabeth Rocksley is curious about pleasure. She hires the madame of a brothel, never imagining her instruction would be carried out by hardened rake, the Earl of Malvern. James is bored and takes on Elizabeth's tutelage as sport; however Elizabeth is not what he expects. He finds himself desperate for her company, and neither are able to guard their hearts.
This book is full of delicious, raging sexual tension...and that might be my romance catnip! I love books with hyped up “no we can’t touch/have sex even though we REALLY want to.” This is a good blend of sexuality and storyline, although I would have liked just a bit more from the ending. 4.5 rounded to 5.
Tropes: Lessons, Forced Proximity, Widow
Eggplant Rating: 5
This book is full of delicious, raging sexual tension...and that might be my romance catnip! I love books with hyped up “no we can’t touch/have sex even though we REALLY want to.” This is a good blend of sexuality and storyline, although I would have liked just a bit more from the ending. 4.5 rounded to 5.
Tropes: Lessons, Forced Proximity, Widow
Eggplant Rating: 5
June 23, 2021
What a travesty. Pages and pages of mechanical sex. James was such a cold and unlikeable man. Elizabeth wasn't any better. A bit of a ninny actually. I couldn't believe some of her reactions. Totally annoyed with her sister, Bella as well. What a judgemental shrew. I doze off while reading one of the numerous sex scenes. See how disinterested I was? I did finish the book whilst hoping that it would get better. It just felt shallow to me. I just didn't feel the passion. However, I guess I am the anomaly here. Seems like other people like it.
June 6, 2015
Learning the arts of desire from a consummate rake
Historical erotica has never been as sexy as in Teach me. Elizabeth is a widow but that doesn't mean she's dead. She's interested in all matter of things. What she's been wanting to learn more about is sex and the physical pleasures with a man. Elizabeth goes about it in a daring way for a woman of her times. She finds a brothel madam to provide a teacher in the arts of desire. The Earl of Malvern is her assigned adult tutor. A jaded libertine, Malvern creates a sexy curriculum for Elizabeth complete with hands on lab work and experimentation. The Earl of Malvern finds plain Elizabeth to be a nice diversion from his usual spoiled mistresses. Perhaps she can break through his carnal ennui. Historical erotic books can be odd with funny euphemism for sexual body parts. Ms. Dean avoids this and pens a pleasing erotic romance. What is nice is how Elizabeth is shown as an odd bluestocking but it isn't pointedly stated. Many times, a lady who doesn't fit is incessantly stated as an "Original". With Elizabeth, it's understated as she is show to be one without realizing it. Her constant quest for knowledge is causing hardships for her family members and it takes a rude awakening for her to see it. Elizabeth is an interesting character because she's not a wilting flower nor is she flamboyant. She's charming in her explorative manner. Ms. Dean designs a winning combination with this innocent and inquisitive nature. Honestly, Elizabeth comes across as a rambunctious little who is just learning about the big wide world. Malvern on the other hand is an old tom cat with a beleaguered expression whenever he encounters Elizabeth. The sensual tension between these two starts off with little sparks and gently bubbles into a nice simmer. The sex is too vanilla for my tastes so it never becomes smoking hot for me. The sex scenes are well placed to help enhance the plot. For this period piece, it's the right amount and plausible. The sex scenes never felt forced. The conflict in this story is a popular one in historical romances. It's a rake who becomes reformed by the love of a good woman. What made this story more enjoyable is the utter devastation Malvern puts Elizabeth through. I liked it because she doesn't turn into a crazy viper nor does she turn into a fainting drama queen. Her response stays consistent with her personality and it's a bit heart-rending. As with all lovely historical romances, it ends with a mushy happily ever after. Recommended for historical romance lovers who want a little bit more oomph in the sexual foreplay between the characters.
* Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Historical erotica has never been as sexy as in Teach me. Elizabeth is a widow but that doesn't mean she's dead. She's interested in all matter of things. What she's been wanting to learn more about is sex and the physical pleasures with a man. Elizabeth goes about it in a daring way for a woman of her times. She finds a brothel madam to provide a teacher in the arts of desire. The Earl of Malvern is her assigned adult tutor. A jaded libertine, Malvern creates a sexy curriculum for Elizabeth complete with hands on lab work and experimentation. The Earl of Malvern finds plain Elizabeth to be a nice diversion from his usual spoiled mistresses. Perhaps she can break through his carnal ennui. Historical erotic books can be odd with funny euphemism for sexual body parts. Ms. Dean avoids this and pens a pleasing erotic romance. What is nice is how Elizabeth is shown as an odd bluestocking but it isn't pointedly stated. Many times, a lady who doesn't fit is incessantly stated as an "Original". With Elizabeth, it's understated as she is show to be one without realizing it. Her constant quest for knowledge is causing hardships for her family members and it takes a rude awakening for her to see it. Elizabeth is an interesting character because she's not a wilting flower nor is she flamboyant. She's charming in her explorative manner. Ms. Dean designs a winning combination with this innocent and inquisitive nature. Honestly, Elizabeth comes across as a rambunctious little who is just learning about the big wide world. Malvern on the other hand is an old tom cat with a beleaguered expression whenever he encounters Elizabeth. The sensual tension between these two starts off with little sparks and gently bubbles into a nice simmer. The sex is too vanilla for my tastes so it never becomes smoking hot for me. The sex scenes are well placed to help enhance the plot. For this period piece, it's the right amount and plausible. The sex scenes never felt forced. The conflict in this story is a popular one in historical romances. It's a rake who becomes reformed by the love of a good woman. What made this story more enjoyable is the utter devastation Malvern puts Elizabeth through. I liked it because she doesn't turn into a crazy viper nor does she turn into a fainting drama queen. Her response stays consistent with her personality and it's a bit heart-rending. As with all lovely historical romances, it ends with a mushy happily ever after. Recommended for historical romance lovers who want a little bit more oomph in the sexual foreplay between the characters.
* Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2021
This story has a little of it all, found in historical romances.
Humor, heartache, sadness, adventure and of course sizzle between the two characters.
But there is a lot more to be found as the true emotions develop as they journey to a
real love that is rare!
Humor, heartache, sadness, adventure and of course sizzle between the two characters.
But there is a lot more to be found as the true emotions develop as they journey to a
real love that is rare!
May 27, 2020
I really was excited for this book and I had high expectations. The synopsis, lessons in seduction or pleasure, is one of my favorite tropes. So I really wanted to read it.
It was a good book. The heroine Elizabeth was very likable and relatable. I swear that girl is a Pisces with some Gemini in her too. James, the earl, was your cold, unaffected, distant rake (you know one of those, filled with ennui). I found it slightly ridiculous how a man so in control of himself like James could think that his father, even from beyond the grave, could dictate his life through his teachings. That's mostly why James felt like he had to pursue debauchery (who thinks they need to pursue that lol). I loved seeing their relationship progress, especially on James's part. Him slowly coming to care for her instead of thinking of her as a mouse, which frankly isn't too nice.
Honestly, my Kindle notes are like a whole review on its own, so I don't feel the need to say much more, besides he took way too long to say "I love you" to her. I didn't like that part.
It was a good book. The heroine Elizabeth was very likable and relatable. I swear that girl is a Pisces with some Gemini in her too. James, the earl, was your cold, unaffected, distant rake (you know one of those, filled with ennui). I found it slightly ridiculous how a man so in control of himself like James could think that his father, even from beyond the grave, could dictate his life through his teachings. That's mostly why James felt like he had to pursue debauchery (who thinks they need to pursue that lol). I loved seeing their relationship progress, especially on James's part. Him slowly coming to care for her instead of thinking of her as a mouse, which frankly isn't too nice.
Honestly, my Kindle notes are like a whole review on its own, so I don't feel the need to say much more, besides he took way too long to say "I love you" to her. I didn't like that part.
November 28, 2021
Elizabeth is a lively, sprightly widow with an insatiable curiosity about everything… and now she wants to learn more about sex, because her marriage has been pleasant, full of a tepid love, but devoid of passion. So the owner of the brothel she turns to for a little help in the matter gives her over to the tutelage of the handsome, but cold and dispassionate Earl of Malvern.
Malvern is bored with his life of excesses, so maybe tutoring a mousy widow could help him find an escape from the monotony of mistresses and debauchery…
But who will be the real tutor in this relationship? He can be an expert in the art of pleasure, but he doesn’t know anything about love, affection, a real relationship. And he craves all of these things, even if he still doesn’t know it!
I really LOVED this book to bits! At the beginning I was attracted by the sure presence of many sensual scenes in a book about this kind of “education”, but I found a very emotional story as well, exceptionally well-written and with two main characters who managed to find a place in my heart…
I loved Elizabeth quite a lot: she’s refreshing, she’s sweet, she’s passionate, she can be shy, but she knows what she wants. And I was smitten by Malvern, who is the sort of grumpy, cold hero that I adore and that I always look forward to seeing brought to his knees by real love. I’m so partial to stories like this!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Malvern is bored with his life of excesses, so maybe tutoring a mousy widow could help him find an escape from the monotony of mistresses and debauchery…
But who will be the real tutor in this relationship? He can be an expert in the art of pleasure, but he doesn’t know anything about love, affection, a real relationship. And he craves all of these things, even if he still doesn’t know it!
I really LOVED this book to bits! At the beginning I was attracted by the sure presence of many sensual scenes in a book about this kind of “education”, but I found a very emotional story as well, exceptionally well-written and with two main characters who managed to find a place in my heart…
I loved Elizabeth quite a lot: she’s refreshing, she’s sweet, she’s passionate, she can be shy, but she knows what she wants. And I was smitten by Malvern, who is the sort of grumpy, cold hero that I adore and that I always look forward to seeing brought to his knees by real love. I’m so partial to stories like this!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 15, 2021
I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I first started reading this book. I bought it because it was recommended in a fb historical romance group. I've been in a bit of a reading slump, so a lot of stories have not kept my attention.
This one started off as a typical erotica: an inexperienced widow who searches for a teacher in the erotic arts, dissolute lord who suffers from ennui and figures he could get entertainment at the widow's expense. Sexual congress ensues.
Honestly, my favorite trope is the super jaded guy and the innocent miss. This did not disappoint. Though this started off as an erotica, it became more nuanced and emotionally driven.
I was over 30% in when I wondered whether this was going to superficially skim the emotional aspect of the story. She was definitely setting it up for the heartbreak drama. She did not skim on the follow through, and bonus, it wasn't all healed through orgasms.
I will say, that my only disappointment is that the emotionally fearful hero lacked communication. The heroine simply took him back through conjecture and facial interpretation. Although, the "I love you" in the epilogue almost changed my mind. Almost.
This one started off as a typical erotica: an inexperienced widow who searches for a teacher in the erotic arts, dissolute lord who suffers from ennui and figures he could get entertainment at the widow's expense. Sexual congress ensues.
Honestly, my favorite trope is the super jaded guy and the innocent miss. This did not disappoint. Though this started off as an erotica, it became more nuanced and emotionally driven.
I was over 30% in when I wondered whether this was going to superficially skim the emotional aspect of the story. She was definitely setting it up for the heartbreak drama. She did not skim on the follow through, and bonus, it wasn't all healed through orgasms.
I will say, that my only disappointment is that the emotionally fearful hero lacked communication. The heroine simply took him back through conjecture and facial interpretation. Although, the "I love you" in the epilogue almost changed my mind. Almost.
January 1, 2022
This book is easily in my top 50, if not 25. Widow Elizabeth, Viscountess of Rocksley approaches Madam for instruction of erotic pleasure. The Madam asks her friend, the Earl of Malvern, to teach the widow because she thinks it will entertain him and fulfill his love of debauchery. Malvern, originally only intended to tutor her through verbal instruction, finds himself embarking on a passionate love affair with the unassuming Elizabeth.
This book is soooo good. I have read it several times. It's told in both POVs and you really get to know Malvern and his tortured past and view of himself. I loved his POV the most and how he falls in love with Elizabeth against his will. I also loved how quick Elizabeth is to figure out his bs and to counter it. Over the course of their relationship, she begins to come into her own and begins to build self-esteem. There were times when I found this book gutwrenching.
The love scenes are extremely erotic and well-written. I can not recommend this book enough. It is extremely graphic and if that's not your thing you probably won't love this book.
This book is soooo good. I have read it several times. It's told in both POVs and you really get to know Malvern and his tortured past and view of himself. I loved his POV the most and how he falls in love with Elizabeth against his will. I also loved how quick Elizabeth is to figure out his bs and to counter it. Over the course of their relationship, she begins to come into her own and begins to build self-esteem. There were times when I found this book gutwrenching.
The love scenes are extremely erotic and well-written. I can not recommend this book enough. It is extremely graphic and if that's not your thing you probably won't love this book.
October 16, 2022
Loved the premise, not so much the execution, unfortunately. I found the writing stilted, unnatural, and it was hard for me to feel the connection with the characters.
As a bonus, the female character suffered from ADS (acute doormat syndrom): when subjected to the male character's rudeness /insults/ dismissals, these women put a smile on their faces and soldier on despite the hurt because the hero, the poor thing, is suffering in the inside and nobody else can see it.
I call bullshit.
As a bonus, the female character suffered from ADS (acute doormat syndrom): when subjected to the male character's rudeness /insults/ dismissals, these women put a smile on their faces and soldier on despite the hurt because the hero, the poor thing, is suffering in the inside and nobody else can see it.
I call bullshit.
September 21, 2021
Elizabeth, Viscountess Rocksley three years a widow is curious, she can't help asking questions, she’s curious about her sexuality & boldly employs the madame of a brothel for guidance but never had she expected her education to be conducted by a coldly handsome peer of the realm. To the Earl of Malvern, the erotic tutelage of a skittish widow is little more than sport, however, the woman he teaches is far from the mouse he expects. Each more intrigued than they are willing to admit, Elizabeth and James embark upon a tutelage that will challenge them, change them, come to mean everything to them until a heartbreaking betrayal threatens to tear them apart forever.
This book was first published nearly a decade ago, a well written steamy read. I loved the optimistic Elizabeth & the grumpy James, the chemistry between them was combustible. I loved how James hid behind his dour expression & how Elizabeth gradually wormed her way into his heart until they needed each other. Whilst I couldn’t believe how James tried to betray & hurt Elizabeth it was in keeping with his character, I certainly would have made him grovel WAY more. I would have liked more about James’ relationship with his father & an update on Bella in the epilogue. An entertaining easy to read sizzling book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This book was first published nearly a decade ago, a well written steamy read. I loved the optimistic Elizabeth & the grumpy James, the chemistry between them was combustible. I loved how James hid behind his dour expression & how Elizabeth gradually wormed her way into his heart until they needed each other. Whilst I couldn’t believe how James tried to betray & hurt Elizabeth it was in keeping with his character, I certainly would have made him grovel WAY more. I would have liked more about James’ relationship with his father & an update on Bella in the epilogue. An entertaining easy to read sizzling book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
August 1, 2020
Elizabeth, Viscountess Rocksley, is looking for an education in erotic pleasure. James, Earl of Malvern, is known to be a cold, heartless man, but he has the experience Elizabeth needs for her lessons. I really enjoyed how Ms Dean went back and forth between the two characters thoughts and feelings throughout the book. Elizabeth is such a fun character, always asking questions and getting into trouble. James is much more buttoned up, but watching him struggle with his expectations and starting to open open up is amazing. I "read" this as an audible book and found Wendy Anne Darling an excellent narrator. This is definitely a spicy+ story, but considering the storyline, it really couldn't be anything less.
January 5, 2024
This was much better than expected. Thank goodness for the free download because now I have discovered the wonderful Cassandra Dean. Inscrutable, dissolute Earl teaches curious, inexperienced widow about passion and pleasure OR delightful, innocent widow teaches sad, lonely, dissipated earl about life and love. Either way there is lots and lots and lots of great sex with wonderful characters having it.
Read
September 5, 2024I dunno. I don’t like the first few pages already. Jumping right into a scene with the widow going to a brothel to get tips on carnal pleasures with a madam but where an aristocratic man decides to teach her instead. I guess I shouldn’t have picked it up. Just thought there would be more set up. More depth. More pretty writing…anything!
February 15, 2024
Absolutely LOVED this book!!!!
June 27, 2024
This was steamy hot. And emotional. And really good, I do so love the teach me trope with a dash of praise kink for flavor.
September 29, 2021
Wow, get ready for sparks to fly and passion to sizzle as this story takes off with the little mouse, widowed, Elizabeth, seeking a tutor in pleasure. Malvern (James) is an Earl and a well known rake and debaucher. He teaches her about passion, but she teaches him about love. He is hard and cold, having been raised by a debauched Father and an absent Mother. He brings her great pleasure, but puts her through an emotional roller coaster. Their dialogue is witty and sensual. Their chemistry is off the charts! Get ready for a wild ride!
November 12, 2021
This book was fun and fiery. I enjoyed all the sexual tension, and I liked seeing a story about a lady that wasn’t afraid to step outside the parameters of society.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 6, 2015
Head of the Class
Elizabeth Rocksley wants to experience passion, yet there aren't many options for a woman of her social status. In TEACH ME by Cassandra Dean, Elizabeth turns to a specialist of sorts for help.
When Malvern agrees to educate the lovely widow, he didn't expect her to be such an excellent student. The whole intellectual concept soon gets tossed out the window as Elizabeth masters each lesson.
As I was reading, I found myself giggling because some of the situations were so humorous. Even though she is a widow, poor Elizabeth clearly knows very little about pleasure.
When it comes down to it, both Elizabeth and Malvern find they have plenty to learn. Take a man who is an expert in the art of physical love and immerse him in emotions. The end result is an intriguing storyline that will leave the reader begging for more.
Reviewed by Rachel's Willful Thoughts
Pleasure can be taught!
Reviewed by Lynn
Teach Me raises the question of how a curious, widowed Viscountess goes about learning the art of sexual pleasure. The answer is quite simple- hire a brothel madam for private tutelage, of course!
This book definitely had some steam, made even more enjoyable by the fact that so much of it was between two people not having a sexual relationship. The sexual tension between Elizabeth and Malvern, while they are both making a futile attempt to deny their attraction, is palpable. A perfect amount of comedy ensues while they both work to maintain composure and an unaffected façade during Elizabeth’s lessons. The best part for me was when the raw emotions started to peek through. Once these two realize their efforts to deny their growing attraction are useless we get to see the vulnerability, the insecurities, and the lack of trust hiding in each of them. The author does a great job with character and story development. The interactions between Elizabeth and Malvern are honest and genuine and their journey, while ending happily, is not without struggle.
This book was fast paced, entertaining, and emotionally satisfying. A great story for those who like a tortured romance with a hard-fought for happy ending.
Both reviews for TheRomanceReviews.com
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
Elizabeth Rocksley wants to experience passion, yet there aren't many options for a woman of her social status. In TEACH ME by Cassandra Dean, Elizabeth turns to a specialist of sorts for help.
When Malvern agrees to educate the lovely widow, he didn't expect her to be such an excellent student. The whole intellectual concept soon gets tossed out the window as Elizabeth masters each lesson.
As I was reading, I found myself giggling because some of the situations were so humorous. Even though she is a widow, poor Elizabeth clearly knows very little about pleasure.
When it comes down to it, both Elizabeth and Malvern find they have plenty to learn. Take a man who is an expert in the art of physical love and immerse him in emotions. The end result is an intriguing storyline that will leave the reader begging for more.
Reviewed by Rachel's Willful Thoughts
Pleasure can be taught!
Reviewed by Lynn
Teach Me raises the question of how a curious, widowed Viscountess goes about learning the art of sexual pleasure. The answer is quite simple- hire a brothel madam for private tutelage, of course!
This book definitely had some steam, made even more enjoyable by the fact that so much of it was between two people not having a sexual relationship. The sexual tension between Elizabeth and Malvern, while they are both making a futile attempt to deny their attraction, is palpable. A perfect amount of comedy ensues while they both work to maintain composure and an unaffected façade during Elizabeth’s lessons. The best part for me was when the raw emotions started to peek through. Once these two realize their efforts to deny their growing attraction are useless we get to see the vulnerability, the insecurities, and the lack of trust hiding in each of them. The author does a great job with character and story development. The interactions between Elizabeth and Malvern are honest and genuine and their journey, while ending happily, is not without struggle.
This book was fast paced, entertaining, and emotionally satisfying. A great story for those who like a tortured romance with a hard-fought for happy ending.
Both reviews for TheRomanceReviews.com
Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2021
Because of the fairly simple premise, and the long length, the book meanders a bit and felt kinda slow at times. There weren't any terrible bits that desperately need to be cut, but there were definitely several parts that were just 'fine', or scenes that lingered longer than they needed, and the book would be much tighter and more continually engaging without those 'filler' parts. I quite like sort of 'cold' heroes, and watching them melt, and this hero was cold and did melt to some degree, but I'm not sure I fully bought his reasons for being cold in the first place. Often their backstory is absolutely tragic and there are strong reasons they are the way they are, but his were just kinda 'meh'. It didn't feel like he was quite overcoming as much when he made progress away from them. But I didn't dislike him, and there were still sweet moments when you could tell he was learning to care. The heroine was pretty resilient which I like. And this also fits well with the 'sunshine and grump' trope which is a fun one. The steam felt a little slow to get going, for the premise and how much of it there was, but that might go along with the book just generally being drawn out a bit longer than needed, that I mentioned before. I could follow the descriptions though, and there was a nice variety to the acts and scenes. And a nice verbal quality that is often lacking in steam. Overall it wasn't quite as good as I wanted it to be, but I was entertained. This is my first book by this author and I will try others.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 15, 2012
Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Sarah L.
Review Copy Provided by the Publisher
Teach Me captures your attention right from the start with Elizabeth waiting in a brothel for the Madame to arrive to give her guidance on erotic pleasure only to have James, the Earl of Malvern, appear unexpectedly at the door instead. They embark on a journey where James teaches Elizabeth everything she needs to know about giving and receiving pleasure.
I really enjoyed getting to know both characters. Elizabeth seemed quiet and shy on the surface but underneath she was courageous, determined and willing to go outside of her comfort zone. James on the other hand appears cold and hard however having been deserted by his mother at a young age and pushed into decadence by his degenerate father at an early age, he is actually very scared to let someone close. It was nice to watch their relationship develop from a cold, business transaction into a warm, tender romance neither expected.
Be prepared to experience a wide range of emotions. I found myself laughing, crying, blushing and even yelling at times. This was my first Cassandra Dean novel and I look forward to reading hopefully many more in the future.
Reviewed by Sarah L.
Review Copy Provided by the Publisher
Teach Me captures your attention right from the start with Elizabeth waiting in a brothel for the Madame to arrive to give her guidance on erotic pleasure only to have James, the Earl of Malvern, appear unexpectedly at the door instead. They embark on a journey where James teaches Elizabeth everything she needs to know about giving and receiving pleasure.
I really enjoyed getting to know both characters. Elizabeth seemed quiet and shy on the surface but underneath she was courageous, determined and willing to go outside of her comfort zone. James on the other hand appears cold and hard however having been deserted by his mother at a young age and pushed into decadence by his degenerate father at an early age, he is actually very scared to let someone close. It was nice to watch their relationship develop from a cold, business transaction into a warm, tender romance neither expected.
Be prepared to experience a wide range of emotions. I found myself laughing, crying, blushing and even yelling at times. This was my first Cassandra Dean novel and I look forward to reading hopefully many more in the future.
November 6, 2012
Widowed and ever curious, Elizabeth Viscountess Rocksley visits a brothel with the unusual request to be schooled in the art of erotic pleasure. She expects a woman to be her teacher, not a handsome man with a hands on approach.
The Earl of Malvern takes the job in teaching the young widow, not expecting her last more than a week. But when she arrives lesson after lesson, eager to learn more, he realizes she may be able to teach him a thing or two about himself.
I must admit that I have not read a historical romance for years. But the blurb of Teach Me caught my interest. It has renewed my desire to read about past romances, as well as more from Cassandra Dean. I loved this story, not only for the plot, but for the realistic characters, and the deep emotional attachment I felt for both the hero and heroine.
I highly recommend Teach Me, whether or not you read historical romance, and am including it in my favorite reads of 2012.
The Earl of Malvern takes the job in teaching the young widow, not expecting her last more than a week. But when she arrives lesson after lesson, eager to learn more, he realizes she may be able to teach him a thing or two about himself.
I must admit that I have not read a historical romance for years. But the blurb of Teach Me caught my interest. It has renewed my desire to read about past romances, as well as more from Cassandra Dean. I loved this story, not only for the plot, but for the realistic characters, and the deep emotional attachment I felt for both the hero and heroine.
I highly recommend Teach Me, whether or not you read historical romance, and am including it in my favorite reads of 2012.
April 2, 2023
I enjoyed this book so much, especially the heroine who was a very refreshing historical romance heroine. She owned her sexuality and felt comfortable with herself. My only complaint is why must every romance book have the hero utterly fuck up at 80% of the story by doing the most horrible shit you can think of? it’s getting real tiring.
December 21, 2025
Compelling erotic story with strong compelling characters. This is a journey of discovery for both of them, but it didn't really need the element of peril to make it work as a good read. I liked the initial setup as this device allowed allowed for a rapid development of the relationship and I have previously found this jarring when it happens in other stories.
I also much appreciated the acknowledgement in the introductory matter when the Kaurna people are mentioned as this caused me to look them up and learn a very small amount about them and their traditional land.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I also much appreciated the acknowledgement in the introductory matter when the Kaurna people are mentioned as this caused me to look them up and learn a very small amount about them and their traditional land.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews