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Sold to the Duke
Though she once lived a life of privilege, Lady Eliza is now destitute and desperate to care for her ill sister. She decides to sell the one thing of value she has left: her virginity.
At the auction, a shocked Duke of Blackwood recognizes Eliza and refuses to allow her to fall into the clutches of a depraved bidder. But his role of noble rescuer is upended when the proud beauty insists on giving him his money's worth...
Note: Sold to the Duke was originally published in the Rake I'd Like to F... anthology.
At the auction, a shocked Duke of Blackwood recognizes Eliza and refuses to allow her to fall into the clutches of a depraved bidder. But his role of noble rescuer is upended when the proud beauty insists on giving him his money's worth...
Note: Sold to the Duke was originally published in the Rake I'd Like to F... anthology.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2021
About the author
Joanna Shupe
29 books2,641 followersWant a free Gilded Age read? Sign up for Joanna's newsletter and receive a link for The Knickerbocker Bride. You'll also be the first to hear about new books and discounts!
http://www.joannashupe.com/newsletter/
USA Today bestselling author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. Since 2015, her books have appeared on numerous yearly “best of” lists, including Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, Kobo, and BookPage.
She currently lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and a dashing husband.
http://www.joannashupe.com/newsletter/
USA Today bestselling author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. Since 2015, her books have appeared on numerous yearly “best of” lists, including Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, Kobo, and BookPage.
She currently lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and a dashing husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
April 2, 2023
Didn't like the heroine Eliza. She made no sense. Lord save me from characters with more pride than sense. RME. Pride and stubbornness made this heroine TSTL and so selfish. You are living in squalor for 5 years, trying to get money to help your very sick sister. So much so you put yourself on an auctioning block to sell your virginity for 7 nights to the highest bidder but refuse to take the money when you find out the man who bought you is your childhood friend who refuses to sleep with you but wants to give you the money anyway? O_o The non-logic was not computing for me. For someone supposedly smart and pragmatic she made a lot of dumb choices here.
The hero Lucien, The Duke of Blackwood, is Eliza's childhood crush and her late brother's best friend. He happens to be at the auction and recognizes the heroine and buys her for fifty thousand pounds to save her from a disgusting Earl who is about to buy her. Lucien refuses to sleep with her but wants to give her the money to help her out even more so when he realizes her and her sister were thrown out of their home 5 years ago after the death of their brother, Robert. However, our heroine refuses to take the money because she loves living independently and doesn't want to be "beholden to any man" if he gets nothing out of the deal. So much so she's easily willing to put herself right back on the auction block just to get "rid" of her virginity and get the money from another man. FROM A COMPLETE STRANGER. 😐 *crickets chirping* I...lord save me from this type of bullheaded stupidity.
I could understand this better if Eliza was on her own but she has her younger sister to think of. I also could have looked the other way if she didn't fight and push the hero every step into getting him to have sex with her and bargaining a price over every single sexual act. She kept saying she can't be beholden to any man because she can't trust them but she's known Lucien since she was a child, he was her brother's best friend and he's not a stranger and clearly wanted to help out. She even kept saying she trusts Lucien to take care of her so....you trust him but don't want to take his money unless he takes your virginity? You trust him with your heart and your body but not about money?.....IT MADE NO SENSE. You don't trust any man because they treat women like shit and take control and abuse their power but you are pushing and demanding this guy into treating you like a $2 whore by paying you for every sexual favor like a transaction. Johanna Shupe ARE YOU OK? My brain cramped at how this heroine would go out of her way to complicate everything just cause of her pride. It just made her look increasingly stupid and selfish the longer it went on. When you have a sick younger sister you are supporting there is no time or room for stubborn pride and finding "money elsewhere" when the olive branch is coming from someone who you know who literally wants nothing in return but make sure you are taken care of. She kept contradicting herself too. Your sister's health is so important to you and you need the funds quickly but willing to give up 50,000 pounds cause he won't take your V card? We are told they used to live on the streets and even ate garbage and had to leave lodgings and barely scraping by but the minute she runs into the hero she has all the time in the world and bills are paid. Wtf? Her reasoning for not trusting men and men controlling her life is understandable but bitch you are dirt fucking poor and need the money to take your sister to a sanitarium for her weak lungs. TAKE THE DAMN MONEY. Everything to her is about owing someone and being controlled and it felt extreme. I nearly wanted to strangle her at the end of the book This whole back and forth goes on through the whole story with impassioned repetitive speeches about the patriarchy, how she doesn't miss living a privileged life being controlled by men and money and "women are supposed to marry young and fade into the background of their husbands’ lives. A forgotten footnote in the sands of time..." Sands of time? RME. It just felt OTT and heavy handed. Even her younger sister was spouting the same type of preachy things and had me questioning how old Fanny is. It was a little absurd and sounded much too modern for me.
The hero Lucien, The Duke of Blackwood, is Eliza's childhood crush and her late brother's best friend. He happens to be at the auction and recognizes the heroine and buys her for fifty thousand pounds to save her from a disgusting Earl who is about to buy her. Lucien refuses to sleep with her but wants to give her the money to help her out even more so when he realizes her and her sister were thrown out of their home 5 years ago after the death of their brother, Robert. However, our heroine refuses to take the money because she loves living independently and doesn't want to be "beholden to any man" if he gets nothing out of the deal. So much so she's easily willing to put herself right back on the auction block just to get "rid" of her virginity and get the money from another man. FROM A COMPLETE STRANGER. 😐 *crickets chirping* I...lord save me from this type of bullheaded stupidity.
I could understand this better if Eliza was on her own but she has her younger sister to think of. I also could have looked the other way if she didn't fight and push the hero every step into getting him to have sex with her and bargaining a price over every single sexual act. She kept saying she can't be beholden to any man because she can't trust them but she's known Lucien since she was a child, he was her brother's best friend and he's not a stranger and clearly wanted to help out. She even kept saying she trusts Lucien to take care of her so....you trust him but don't want to take his money unless he takes your virginity? You trust him with your heart and your body but not about money?.....IT MADE NO SENSE. You don't trust any man because they treat women like shit and take control and abuse their power but you are pushing and demanding this guy into treating you like a $2 whore by paying you for every sexual favor like a transaction. Johanna Shupe ARE YOU OK? My brain cramped at how this heroine would go out of her way to complicate everything just cause of her pride. It just made her look increasingly stupid and selfish the longer it went on. When you have a sick younger sister you are supporting there is no time or room for stubborn pride and finding "money elsewhere" when the olive branch is coming from someone who you know who literally wants nothing in return but make sure you are taken care of. She kept contradicting herself too. Your sister's health is so important to you and you need the funds quickly but willing to give up 50,000 pounds cause he won't take your V card? We are told they used to live on the streets and even ate garbage and had to leave lodgings and barely scraping by but the minute she runs into the hero she has all the time in the world and bills are paid. Wtf? Her reasoning for not trusting men and men controlling her life is understandable but bitch you are dirt fucking poor and need the money to take your sister to a sanitarium for her weak lungs. TAKE THE DAMN MONEY. Everything to her is about owing someone and being controlled and it felt extreme. I nearly wanted to strangle her at the end of the book This whole back and forth goes on through the whole story with impassioned repetitive speeches about the patriarchy, how she doesn't miss living a privileged life being controlled by men and money and "women are supposed to marry young and fade into the background of their husbands’ lives. A forgotten footnote in the sands of time..." Sands of time? RME. It just felt OTT and heavy handed. Even her younger sister was spouting the same type of preachy things and had me questioning how old Fanny is. It was a little absurd and sounded much too modern for me.
September 20, 2022
I'm sorry, but this story didn't work for me.
The premise was unusual for a historical romance: we are used to seeing a woman "selling" her virginity at the polite and cynical marriage mart, so to have a woman literally selling hers at an action caught my attention. Unfortunately everything went downhill after the auctioneer delivered our destitute heroine Eliza to the highest bidder, our debauched hero Lucien. I won't go into details here, because I would end up telling the whole story; I'll just say that her behavior afterwards didn't make sense to me: !?! The whole story would have ended in the 2nd chapter if it wasn't for that, of course, I just wish Eliza's reasoning sounded more rational to me. As it was, I felt it was a means to keep the story going without a real conflict.
The premise was unusual for a historical romance: we are used to seeing a woman "selling" her virginity at the polite and cynical marriage mart, so to have a woman literally selling hers at an action caught my attention. Unfortunately everything went downhill after the auctioneer delivered our destitute heroine Eliza to the highest bidder, our debauched hero Lucien. I won't go into details here, because I would end up telling the whole story; I'll just say that her behavior afterwards didn't make sense to me: !?! The whole story would have ended in the 2nd chapter if it wasn't for that, of course, I just wish Eliza's reasoning sounded more rational to me. As it was, I felt it was a means to keep the story going without a real conflict.
January 4, 2026
3⭐️
A short story in which Eliza, daughter and sister to former earl's who has been cast out on the streets in Victoria London, auctions off her body and virginity. Luckily for her, the highest bidder is Lucien, Duke of Blackwood and her late brother's best friend.
I enjoyed the chemistry between these two and appreciate that the author squeezed as much information and character building into a short story as she could. We get to hear a tiny bit about Robert, Eliza's late brother, her childhood, her young interactions with Lucien and subsequent crush on him. We get to hear a bit about what the two of them have been up to in the years since they saw each other. It was all quite cute, and also very steamy, as the title would suggest
A short story in which Eliza, daughter and sister to former earl's who has been cast out on the streets in Victoria London, auctions off her body and virginity. Luckily for her, the highest bidder is Lucien, Duke of Blackwood and her late brother's best friend.
I enjoyed the chemistry between these two and appreciate that the author squeezed as much information and character building into a short story as she could. We get to hear a tiny bit about Robert, Eliza's late brother, her childhood, her young interactions with Lucien and subsequent crush on him. We get to hear a bit about what the two of them have been up to in the years since they saw each other. It was all quite cute, and also very steamy, as the title would suggest
September 10, 2022
I prefer Ms. Shupe's novella compared to her full-length novels. I've read two of her novellas and enjoyed both of them. Her full-length novels, not so much (I'd DNF 2 of her books. However, I managed to complete one of her books; it was okay, but it wasn't great). I think she's fantastic at writing novellas, but her full-length novels couldn't keep my attention. I liked the chemistry between the MCs and the writing is good. I thought the heroine's interest in mathematics and attending university were pretty unique. I also thought the hero's remorse over the heroine's brother's death was genuine, and its reason was original. I enjoyed reading this very much. I'm hoping I'll be able to enjoy some of her full-length novels. Fingers crossed!
November 21, 2022
Read this as part of the Rake I’d Like to F anthology back in November 2021. Sold to the Duke by Joanna Shupe is set in London in 1895 and is the only MF romance in this anthology. After her brother’s death, Eliza and her younger sister were thrown out of their home by their cousin when he took over the Earldom. In the 5 years since, Eliza has done what it takes to provide for them, but now her sister is ill and needs more help. Eliza decides to auction off her virginity and is shocked when she finds out her buyer is Lucien, Duke of Blackwood, and her late brother’s best friend. This romance was so good…Lucien refuses and tries to hold out but wants Eliza so badly and Eliza is tired of men holding power over her, so she refuses to accept his money or help without making it a business transaction and offering herself up. I loved their history, he was her crush as a young girl, they both love math/connected over solving math problems together. Lucien is continuously thrown off by Eliza’s boldness and want for him and it was so much fun to see.
June 9, 2023
I hate FMCs who put pride over their well-being. What kind of idiot would rather live in squalor than accept help from her brother's friend? 🙄 The idiot in this book. Give me a FMC who will say why yes Sir Duke I will gladly take the small fortune yore giving me with no strings attached. Quick read with Spicy scenes but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it.
December 4, 2022
No need for historical background and also didn’t like two mistresses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2022
I read this after a particularly heavy story because I needed something fun and fast to chase away that other book. Interestingly, I’m thinking about how in 300 pages, that other book didn’t convince me that main characters cared about each other (their relationship was a secondary plot line), but in 100 pages, Joanna Shupe can convince me that Eliza and Lucian are wildly in love. She’s got a knack for taking us from zero to 60 and I appreciate it!
November 14, 2022
Literally what it says on the tin—our heroine Eliza, daughter of a peer who’s down on her luck, planned to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. And then she was recognized and bought by her childhood crush Lucien, aka the Duke.
Kudos to Joanna Shupe for not messing around with this plot setup, we just got straight into it. And if like me, you’re worried that this book could ick-ily fetishize female virginity, don’t stress. It made virginity such a focus that it felt more like a critique, without feeling anachronistic.
But the best part? Having the person trying to do the honourable thing (ie. not have sex with your deceased best friend’s sister) be a spoiled duke with no impulse control. And Eliza, the person determined to see this whole deflowering thing through, was a life-hardened go-getter. This Duke had no chance 😂
That said, “novella with third-act breakup vibes,” is not a sentence I want in my universe. Especially when this couple spent half their auction-allotted days together actively avoiding one another.
Also, this corporeal punishment kink felt majorly shoehorned in. If Eliza had been spanking Lucien, it could have made sense 🤔 But Eliza was bossy and stubborn and her whole story arc was about her trying and succeeding to regain control over her own life. So why are we turning her into a submissive naughty schoolgirl in the bedroom? Especially when, during all their non-kinky steamy times, she was the aggressive one? This kink made no sense for these characters and it took away from the plot.
Kudos to Joanna Shupe for not messing around with this plot setup, we just got straight into it. And if like me, you’re worried that this book could ick-ily fetishize female virginity, don’t stress. It made virginity such a focus that it felt more like a critique, without feeling anachronistic.
But the best part? Having the person trying to do the honourable thing (ie. not have sex with your deceased best friend’s sister) be a spoiled duke with no impulse control. And Eliza, the person determined to see this whole deflowering thing through, was a life-hardened go-getter. This Duke had no chance 😂
That said, “novella with third-act breakup vibes,” is not a sentence I want in my universe. Especially when this couple spent half their auction-allotted days together actively avoiding one another.
Also, this corporeal punishment kink felt majorly shoehorned in. If Eliza had been spanking Lucien, it could have made sense 🤔 But Eliza was bossy and stubborn and her whole story arc was about her trying and succeeding to regain control over her own life. So why are we turning her into a submissive naughty schoolgirl in the bedroom? Especially when, during all their non-kinky steamy times, she was the aggressive one? This kink made no sense for these characters and it took away from the plot.
December 21, 2024
3.5 stars
Historical romance with transactional kink, where the high born but now destitute FMC decides to the sell her virginity in an attempt to save her sister, and the MMC is someone from her past who tries to rescue her at the auction.
I liked everything about this story (it’s a quick and steamy read with the FMC as the seducer), except how she kept trying to turn down his money. YOU ARE POOR, ELIZA, TAKE THE DAMN MONEY!
Historical romance with transactional kink, where the high born but now destitute FMC decides to the sell her virginity in an attempt to save her sister, and the MMC is someone from her past who tries to rescue her at the auction.
I liked everything about this story (it’s a quick and steamy read with the FMC as the seducer), except how she kept trying to turn down his money. YOU ARE POOR, ELIZA, TAKE THE DAMN MONEY!
Did Not Finish
August 31, 2026This book and the FMC in particular make no sense to me, common sense or just general. Dnf @ 20%. Surprised at how off this story is for the the author’s usual writing quality.
April 16, 2024
2.5
I liked the premise, but I did not like the heroine or the Hero at all. Hero was way too weak and didn’t give ducal vibes at all while heroine was illogical. She wanted to be independent, but refused the money that she sold her body for? Even though it was primarily for her sister? The smut was good though.
I liked the premise, but I did not like the heroine or the Hero at all. Hero was way too weak and didn’t give ducal vibes at all while heroine was illogical. She wanted to be independent, but refused the money that she sold her body for? Even though it was primarily for her sister? The smut was good though.
June 28, 2023
The duke pays fifty thousand pounds for seven nights with Eliza.
Honestly, it's the most exciting book I've read by the author. I'm even considering reading more of her novellas since her series are not for me..
Honestly, it's the most exciting book I've read by the author. I'm even considering reading more of her novellas since her series are not for me..
February 6, 2023
Read this if you are looking for a steamy historical romance with a bold heroine.
Avoid this if you don’t like endings that don't *quite* tie up all the hang-ups. He's still a duke, and she will still be back in "society" if they are together!
Spice level 🌶🌶🌶 Open door (at least one scene)
Avoid this if you don’t like endings that don't *quite* tie up all the hang-ups. He's still a duke, and she will still be back in "society" if they are together!
Spice level 🌶🌶🌶 Open door (at least one scene)
January 21, 2024
This was very annoying with some okay smut mixed in. Eliza is an idiot who’s motivations are confusing and would rather put her and her sisters life in danger than take some free money from a family friend who feels guilty. And it’s all given this lens of it being feminist, which is annoying as shit. Like being poor in London (or anywhere) especially at this time was not noble or whatever, it was scary, nasty, and dangerous, especially Jack the Ripper running around in this decade, and I’m sure any poor east ender woman would’ve gladly taken what Lucien was offering for free to Eliza and her sister. For Eliza to reject FREE help and then actually say she’s happier living in the slums than being at Mayfair just comes of as incredibly ignorant and spoiled “I want more” rich girl vibes. Yes wealthy women faced oppression in 1895, but I would’ve much rather been a wealthy Mayfair lady then living in the East End slums.
it just makes no sense - she had a few offers over the years to be other men’s mistresses, she rejects them which like okay, fine. But then she goes and sells her virginity? Which could’ve landed her with the exact same men she was avoiding in the first place? And then when she’s offered the money for free without having to have sex, and is offered “reputable” employment on top of that, she doesn’t want it?? I get that she is actually attracted to Lucien so she wants to have sex with him because of that, but her motivations are confusing and make no goddamn sense, and on top of all of that, her sister’s health is on the line here- it’s not just her, so for her to reject help makes no sense.
*my usual disclaimer: to be clear, I am a feminist and have no issue with women’s rights being a theme in novels, I just really annoyed when authors lecture me or try to have revisionist history in their novels - you can have strong female characters that feel like women of their time, you don’t need to make them act like 21st century women to appeal to an audience.
it just makes no sense - she had a few offers over the years to be other men’s mistresses, she rejects them which like okay, fine. But then she goes and sells her virginity? Which could’ve landed her with the exact same men she was avoiding in the first place? And then when she’s offered the money for free without having to have sex, and is offered “reputable” employment on top of that, she doesn’t want it?? I get that she is actually attracted to Lucien so she wants to have sex with him because of that, but her motivations are confusing and make no goddamn sense, and on top of all of that, her sister’s health is on the line here- it’s not just her, so for her to reject help makes no sense.
*my usual disclaimer: to be clear, I am a feminist and have no issue with women’s rights being a theme in novels, I just really annoyed when authors lecture me or try to have revisionist history in their novels - you can have strong female characters that feel like women of their time, you don’t need to make them act like 21st century women to appeal to an audience.
September 9, 2022
3 stars
An okay read with an original premise on many points.
I liked the H, Lucien, better than the h, Eliza. I liked that Lucien tried his very might to resist the temptation that Eliza was forcefully putting in his way. I did not think he would resist for so long. Despite the opening lines, he is not a real rake anymore. He was just swamped with guilt and he had let go of everything in his life. For a novella, I find that his character was well described by the author.
I liked Eliza less because initially I found her too pushy and I could not understand her stubborn reason for insisting on fulfilling her part of the transaction. Granted that she learned to live as a commoner in the last five years, but does it make her into a wanton creature bent on seducing him when she has no first hand experience? If she was really worried of having a man's shadow hanging over her, why not ask for a solid legal document to see that he is really serious in his declarations? I can see that halfway, her reasons shifted gears as she really wanted Lucien to be her first as he had been her crush when she was a girl. Yet, I was still not liking her much. Her core reasons got more clear when her sister Fanny explained them to Lucien. So, towards the end, her character made a little more sense. I loved how Fanny put lots of perpectives right to the bullheaded Eliza.
About their romance, there was some angst from Eliza's feeling of never to hope being more than a mistress for Lucien (so she chose to be blunt before getting hurt) and from Lucien's guilt on his involvement in her brother's death. All issues are satisfactorily resolved quickly, greatly helped by Fanny's pragmatism that encouraged the lovers to take a chance on a common future.
Nice, short, original read that gets better in the last half.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2023
4-Math-Is-Apparently-Sexy-Stars
I adore Joanna Shupe's novellas. They are fun, crisp and downright dirty! This short story is also a part of Rake I'd Like to F..., but I read it as a stand-alone.
A Quick Glance...
- Great writing, fun story, not dragging its feet (until the end).
- Eliza was spunky, independent, intelligent and flirty. I liked her quite a bit until her annoying tirade towards the end, but it did allow Lucien an opportunity to grovel, so there is that.
- Oh, Lucien, you poor bastard. He tried so hard to resist, he really did, but thankfully for us readers, he failed miserably, filthily and deliciously!
- For almost an erotica, it had a fair bit of romance as Eliza and Lucien knew each other for years, were friends and may have had a teensy bit of a crush on each other.
*Dare I say, I wish it was a smidge longer?
I adore Joanna Shupe's novellas. They are fun, crisp and downright dirty! This short story is also a part of Rake I'd Like to F..., but I read it as a stand-alone.
A Quick Glance...
- Great writing, fun story, not dragging its feet (until the end).
- Eliza was spunky, independent, intelligent and flirty. I liked her quite a bit until her annoying tirade towards the end, but it did allow Lucien an opportunity to grovel, so there is that.
- Oh, Lucien, you poor bastard. He tried so hard to resist, he really did, but thankfully for us readers, he failed miserably, filthily and deliciously!
- For almost an erotica, it had a fair bit of romance as Eliza and Lucien knew each other for years, were friends and may have had a teensy bit of a crush on each other.
*Dare I say, I wish it was a smidge longer?
September 19, 2022
3.5 🌟's!
📝 tropes: erotic HR, class diff, virgin auction, best friends sister/forbidden rom
🌶 spice: 3/5 (praise, dirty talk)
❌ CW: death, harassment
i really enjoyed this novella length steamy HR! there were some holes i found with the lack of build up between the MC's though idk how much of it is due to the writing vs the length of the story.. the steam was pretty high for an average HR so we loved that and overall, i enjoyed the whole "virgin sold at auction but turns out she's your best friends sister" trope :)
📝 tropes: erotic HR, class diff, virgin auction, best friends sister/forbidden rom
🌶 spice: 3/5 (praise, dirty talk)
❌ CW: death, harassment
i really enjoyed this novella length steamy HR! there were some holes i found with the lack of build up between the MC's though idk how much of it is due to the writing vs the length of the story.. the steam was pretty high for an average HR so we loved that and overall, i enjoyed the whole "virgin sold at auction but turns out she's your best friends sister" trope :)
December 23, 2022
I loved this novella! It was hot and emotional. 💜❤️
December 8, 2024
Lady Eliza and her younger sister Fanny have been living hand to mouth for five years. Now, Eliza needs cash fast so she decides to auction off her virginity. Except her dead brother's BFF Lucien, Duke of Blackwood, wins the auction! OH NO!
1. Just take the money, Eliza.
2. Eliza spends the majority of this novella convinced that she can't take the money if he doesn't take her virginity. Which is kind of fair, since Lucien does kind of start demanding she do things almost immediately without any sort of engagement with Eliza. So her frustration there makes sense.
HOWEVER.
The things Lucien is telling her to do...are things that would be good for her, and her ill sister. So her denying them over and over and over just feels foolish. Like, ensure that you GET THE MONEY and/or the DEED TO THE HOUSE. But saying no without even attempting to assert a potential stake or ownership in the things Lucien is offering seems...really shortsighted.
3. And/or a way to require boning, I guess?
4. There is inklings of a ~childhood crush situation that was...distasteful to me.
5. Also Lucien's a goddamned weanie.
6. JUST TAKE THE MONEY ELIZA.
1. Just take the money, Eliza.
2. Eliza spends the majority of this novella convinced that she can't take the money if he doesn't take her virginity. Which is kind of fair, since Lucien does kind of start demanding she do things almost immediately without any sort of engagement with Eliza. So her frustration there makes sense.
HOWEVER.
The things Lucien is telling her to do...are things that would be good for her, and her ill sister. So her denying them over and over and over just feels foolish. Like, ensure that you GET THE MONEY and/or the DEED TO THE HOUSE. But saying no without even attempting to assert a potential stake or ownership in the things Lucien is offering seems...really shortsighted.
3. And/or a way to require boning, I guess?
4. There is inklings of a ~childhood crush situation that was...distasteful to me.
5. Also Lucien's a goddamned weanie.
6. JUST TAKE THE MONEY ELIZA.
December 10, 2025
I liked the premise here, but the plot ended up feeling a bit dry, mostly because the heroine kept clinging to her pride in ways that did not always make sense. It sometimes felt like she was pushing the story forward out of stubbornness rather than genuine motivation, which pulled me out of the moment more than once. The smut, on the other hand, was definitely the highlight, and those scenes brought a spark that the rest of the book could have used more of. What kept me reading was the gradual shift in the heroine as she started to understand her own choices and move forward with a clearer sense of who she wanted to be. That growth added depth, even if the overall pacing never fully grabbed me. It was decent, enjoyable in parts, but not the most memorable read.
October 1, 2022
Pretty much what you can imagine from the blurb - and expect steamy sexual encounters!
I did like the fact that Lucien (why does the name Lucien always evoke a rake kind of man is beyond me 😄) had some sort of initial connection with Eliza (he was a friend of Eliza's deceased older brother and Eliza knew him previously and actually had a crush on him). This helps because of the quick timeline makes the falling in love process happens fast!
I did like the fact that Lucien (why does the name Lucien always evoke a rake kind of man is beyond me 😄) had some sort of initial connection with Eliza (he was a friend of Eliza's deceased older brother and Eliza knew him previously and actually had a crush on him). This helps because of the quick timeline makes the falling in love process happens fast!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2025
I regret nothing
September 21, 2022
Her novella's are always full of steam...
January 21, 2024
3.5⭐
I need a duke so bad.
The Duke was making my pussy so wet but I'm sorry if it's just me but when the heroine is TOO willing for that pounding it just throws me off😭
Oh the dick is very superior though ♥️
I need a duke so bad.
The Duke was making my pussy so wet but I'm sorry if it's just me but when the heroine is TOO willing for that pounding it just throws me off😭
Oh the dick is very superior though ♥️
October 31, 2022
Lady Eliza was SO stubborn it became a total pet peeve for me. You want him to show you he cares, he tries with money- she spurns it. He tries by taking care of her with safe lodging for her sister- she’d rather endanger them both in the slums. He grants her his body after she badgers him relentlessly- still not good enough. He attempts to retrieve some of her stolen personal affects- she doesn’t even care about it. He sends her math equations (their little love language) and it’s STILL NOT ENOUGH! He finally has to come out and say the words “I love you” as if the 20 kind things he did for her meant nothing! Honestly this woman is exhausting and if he were a real man I’d tell him to run!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2024
a smutty historical romance novella? how can this be anymore me.
September 7, 2025
Heroine: Eliza Hawthorne, about 19. Sister of the deceased Earl of Barnett.
Hero: Lucien, under thirty. Duke of Blackwood. A rake.
Date: 1895
How they meet: Eliza and Lucien met when she was a child. He was her brother’s close friend.
What happens: Following the death of her parents and brother, the new earl has taken no responsibility for Eliza and her ill sister, so they are living in poverty. Eliza decides the way to obtain money to pay for a doctor and a fresh start in America, is to auction off her virginity and a week of her favors. Lucien is at the auction to help out a friend. He recognizes Eliza and when he sees a brutish man is bidding on her, he makes it his mission to buy her himself.
DNF at 49%
Trigger Warnings:
Verdict: Wow. I have never DNFed a novella before, but this one was PAINFULLY bad. The heroine was a sexually aggressive virgin who clearly had zero self respect. The hero tried to rebuff her at every turn out of respect for her and her brother, who had been his good friend. The heroine made an absolute pest out of herself. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be funny but it was sadly pathetic and let’s face it, if a man had been hounding a woman like this, it would be labeled as sexual harassment. I admit, I like to see an emotional connection before the main characters get intimate, and this didn’t seem to be heading that way. Basically, this story was giving me the ick, majorly! I think the saddest thing of all is that the author is a feminist, yet doesn’t get that “no means no” applies to both parties in the relationship! After reading a few other reviews, I feel like my decision to give up on this book was a good one.
Steam level: don’t know, didn’t get that far
Rating:1 star
Hero: Lucien, under thirty. Duke of Blackwood. A rake.
Date: 1895
How they meet: Eliza and Lucien met when she was a child. He was her brother’s close friend.
What happens: Following the death of her parents and brother, the new earl has taken no responsibility for Eliza and her ill sister, so they are living in poverty. Eliza decides the way to obtain money to pay for a doctor and a fresh start in America, is to auction off her virginity and a week of her favors. Lucien is at the auction to help out a friend. He recognizes Eliza and when he sees a brutish man is bidding on her, he makes it his mission to buy her himself.
DNF at 49%
Trigger Warnings:
Verdict: Wow. I have never DNFed a novella before, but this one was PAINFULLY bad. The heroine was a sexually aggressive virgin who clearly had zero self respect. The hero tried to rebuff her at every turn out of respect for her and her brother, who had been his good friend. The heroine made an absolute pest out of herself. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be funny but it was sadly pathetic and let’s face it, if a man had been hounding a woman like this, it would be labeled as sexual harassment. I admit, I like to see an emotional connection before the main characters get intimate, and this didn’t seem to be heading that way. Basically, this story was giving me the ick, majorly! I think the saddest thing of all is that the author is a feminist, yet doesn’t get that “no means no” applies to both parties in the relationship! After reading a few other reviews, I feel like my decision to give up on this book was a good one.
Steam level: don’t know, didn’t get that far
Rating:1 star
June 2, 2025
It’s giving Bridgerton Season One energy—but with a heroine who’s educated!
This novella moves quickly but still manages to pack a whole serving of scandal and plot—yes, actual plot. Lady Eliza finds herself in dire need of money, so naturally, she auctions off her virginity.
Enter the Duke, who recognizes her identity and promptly buys her, not to bed her, but to protect her virtue. Chivalry with a side of possession? Yes, please. Eliza, however, has other plans. She’s determined to check "lose v-card" off her to-do list by the end of the seven days she’s contracted to stay with him. The Duke? Absolutely not. He's the embodiment of restraint…until he’s suddenly not. (You know how that goes.)
What surprised me was that this novella wasn’t only steamy. There’s a subplot tucked into the folds and finger swipes. And that’s exactly how a novella should be done: short, sizzling, and smart.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Audiobook: N/A Physically Read.
This novella moves quickly but still manages to pack a whole serving of scandal and plot—yes, actual plot. Lady Eliza finds herself in dire need of money, so naturally, she auctions off her virginity.
Enter the Duke, who recognizes her identity and promptly buys her, not to bed her, but to protect her virtue. Chivalry with a side of possession? Yes, please. Eliza, however, has other plans. She’s determined to check "lose v-card" off her to-do list by the end of the seven days she’s contracted to stay with him. The Duke? Absolutely not. He's the embodiment of restraint…until he’s suddenly not. (You know how that goes.)
What surprised me was that this novella wasn’t only steamy. There’s a subplot tucked into the folds and finger swipes. And that’s exactly how a novella should be done: short, sizzling, and smart.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Audiobook: N/A Physically Read.
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