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The Lovelocks of London #2
Clandestine Passion
Age and rank divide them. She will not face her weakness. He will not embrace his strength. Never have two people needed each other more.
Wealthy widow Catherine Lovelock thinks she will never love again. And then she meets James Cavendish, Marquess of Daventry. A handsome, gray-eyed souse of a rake—and seventeen years her junior. He couldn’t possibly be interested in bedding her... or could he?
James Cavendish, heir apparent to the Duke of Middlewich, has found a way he can serve his country and his future king. But to do so, he must create a web of lies and destroy his own reputation. And then he meets the one woman who can unmask him.
For too long, Catherine and James have both played roles. She, the good wife and mother. He, the dissolute rake.
The truth will come out when the clothes come off.
Clandestine Passion is book two of the steamy Regency romance series, The Lovelocks of London from author Felicity Niven. However, it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone book. It has an age-gap romance, a widow, spies and subterfuge, a happily-ever-after ending, and no cliffhanger.
Content warnings: steamy sexual material, coarse language, physical and sexual assault.
Wealthy widow Catherine Lovelock thinks she will never love again. And then she meets James Cavendish, Marquess of Daventry. A handsome, gray-eyed souse of a rake—and seventeen years her junior. He couldn’t possibly be interested in bedding her... or could he?
James Cavendish, heir apparent to the Duke of Middlewich, has found a way he can serve his country and his future king. But to do so, he must create a web of lies and destroy his own reputation. And then he meets the one woman who can unmask him.
For too long, Catherine and James have both played roles. She, the good wife and mother. He, the dissolute rake.
The truth will come out when the clothes come off.
Clandestine Passion is book two of the steamy Regency romance series, The Lovelocks of London from author Felicity Niven. However, it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone book. It has an age-gap romance, a widow, spies and subterfuge, a happily-ever-after ending, and no cliffhanger.
Content warnings: steamy sexual material, coarse language, physical and sexual assault.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2022
117 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Felicity Niven
11 books346 followersSign up for Felicity Niven's newsletter and to receive a free prequel novella to the series The Lovelocks of London at https://www.felicityniven.com/reviews....
Felicity Niven is a hopeful romantic. Writing Regency romance is her third career after two degrees from Harvard. And you know what they say about third things? Yep, it’s a charm. She splits her time between the temperate South in the winter and the cool Great Lakes in the summer and thinks there can be no greater comforts than a pot of soup on the stove, a set of clean sheets on the bed, and a Jimmy Stewart film on a screen in the living room.
Felicity Niven is a hopeful romantic. Writing Regency romance is her third career after two degrees from Harvard. And you know what they say about third things? Yep, it’s a charm. She splits her time between the temperate South in the winter and the cool Great Lakes in the summer and thinks there can be no greater comforts than a pot of soup on the stove, a set of clean sheets on the bed, and a Jimmy Stewart film on a screen in the living room.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
March 13, 2025
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 (There’s more scenes that are on the shorter/poetic side so this might feel hotter to you with more scenes :) )
Humor: Yes! Niven’s writing is really delightful in the humor woven throughout.
Perspective: Third person from the hero, heroine and some side characters including Roger Siddons and the Marchioness of Painswick but these are at the beginning and don’t happen again.
Cliffhanger: No
Epilogue: Yes, it starts 3 days later but continues over the next weeks and months later
Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary, but fun all the same! (You can get the prequel novella as a newsletter grab! And book 1 is Convergence of Desire and is delightful)
Basic plot:
Catherine thinks her love filled days are over, but she can’t get the friend of her daughter’s suitor out of her mind...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1818/1819)
- widow heroine (5 years widowed)
- Marquess hero, heir to a dukedom
- age gap (older heroine)
- instalust
- spy/government work
- actress heroine
- tall hero/short heroine
- epistolary siege, as the hero coins it
- touch of class difference
-
- hero loves first
- medium steam – at least 2 full scenes, plus extra (some I didn’t count but you might!)
Ages:
- Hero is 28, heroine is 45 I believe (”You should know that I last played Viola when I was nineteen. The company had difficulty finding a short-enough man to play my twin Sebastian and make the role-swapping and mistaken identity convincing. That was the end of my time in the part. You were two then, were you not?”
First line:
There were two sets of the plans.
My thoughts:
There is so much delight to be found in Niven’s prose! I really love her writing style. It’s just special and unlike anything else I’ve read. Something about her actually gives me Mary Balogh vibes, but also wholly unique. She’s just really fun!
These characters in this novel were really delightful. James has been involved in government work, but when he meets Catherine, he just falls for her so fast. And my heart wrenched for his chase of her and Catherine’s returning blossoming love. Catherine struggles with believing in being worthy of a relationship at all, but especially with a man so young. I enjoy age gap romance, especially with an ‘older’ heroine.
The thing I struggled with in this romance, and this is purely a personal thing for me, was I wanted them together more. I felt at the beginning I was waiting forever for them to be on page together (from about 3% to 14% they are apart) and when they were together I enjoyed it but then they would part again. They had a lot of time apart in this book (I counted and they are on page/writing letters to each other for about 58% of the book. This probably won’t bother anyone else I’m just...it’s my thing. I need them together. If they aren’t, I whine about it. I think I noticed it more too because some of the time they were together was spent in dangerous situations or with other people present and I really just wanted the two of them to be able to focus on each other.
Niven has some interesting author notes at the end of her book that are really fun. I also appreciated
I’ll definitely be completing this series because I really loved Dr. Andrews is book 1 and am super curious how it will go! Also, very VERY excited for her new series to be released!
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:
Content warnings:
Author listed content warnings
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Amount of time mains are together on page (with overcounting a bit and including letters written to each other)
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 (There’s more scenes that are on the shorter/poetic side so this might feel hotter to you with more scenes :) )
Humor: Yes! Niven’s writing is really delightful in the humor woven throughout.
Perspective: Third person from the hero, heroine and some side characters including Roger Siddons and the Marchioness of Painswick but these are at the beginning and don’t happen again.
Cliffhanger: No
Epilogue: Yes, it starts 3 days later but continues over the next weeks and months later
Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary, but fun all the same! (You can get the prequel novella as a newsletter grab! And book 1 is Convergence of Desire and is delightful)
Basic plot:
Catherine thinks her love filled days are over, but she can’t get the friend of her daughter’s suitor out of her mind...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1818/1819)
- widow heroine (5 years widowed)
- Marquess hero, heir to a dukedom
- age gap (older heroine)
- instalust
- spy/government work
- actress heroine
- tall hero/short heroine
- epistolary siege, as the hero coins it
- touch of class difference
-
- hero loves first
- medium steam – at least 2 full scenes, plus extra (some I didn’t count but you might!)
Ages:
- Hero is 28, heroine is 45 I believe (”You should know that I last played Viola when I was nineteen. The company had difficulty finding a short-enough man to play my twin Sebastian and make the role-swapping and mistaken identity convincing. That was the end of my time in the part. You were two then, were you not?”
First line:
There were two sets of the plans.
My thoughts:
There is so much delight to be found in Niven’s prose! I really love her writing style. It’s just special and unlike anything else I’ve read. Something about her actually gives me Mary Balogh vibes, but also wholly unique. She’s just really fun!
These characters in this novel were really delightful. James has been involved in government work, but when he meets Catherine, he just falls for her so fast. And my heart wrenched for his chase of her and Catherine’s returning blossoming love. Catherine struggles with believing in being worthy of a relationship at all, but especially with a man so young. I enjoy age gap romance, especially with an ‘older’ heroine.
The thing I struggled with in this romance, and this is purely a personal thing for me, was I wanted them together more. I felt at the beginning I was waiting forever for them to be on page together (from about 3% to 14% they are apart) and when they were together I enjoyed it but then they would part again. They had a lot of time apart in this book (I counted and they are on page/writing letters to each other for about 58% of the book. This probably won’t bother anyone else I’m just...it’s my thing. I need them together. If they aren’t, I whine about it. I think I noticed it more too because some of the time they were together was spent in dangerous situations or with other people present and I really just wanted the two of them to be able to focus on each other.
Niven has some interesting author notes at the end of her book that are really fun. I also appreciated
I’ll definitely be completing this series because I really loved Dr. Andrews is book 1 and am super curious how it will go! Also, very VERY excited for her new series to be released!
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:
Content warnings:
Author listed content warnings
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Amount of time mains are together on page (with overcounting a bit and including letters written to each other)
March 5, 2023
I absolutely loved the first book in this series and could not wait to read more from this debut (!) author, but man, this book was so frustrating.
Basically, it was a mess, and if you've read this and want to discuss, please for the love of god leave a comment.
The premise was great — older widow heroine, younger rake who's pretending to be a drunk idiot but actually is on a mission for the crown. It's like a marriage of Sherry Thomas's "His At Night" with an older heroine, which, sign me up.
But this book has two huge failings.
First is the hero. This book plays around with a spy plot, which is underdeveloped and not interesting to read. This happens primarily because the hero's motivation for spy work never gelled with the plot: We're told that he got into it because he needed a purpose and to be something because his daddy didn't love him, but none of that backstory has heft because we're shown, not told, everything, and the author fails to develop any sort of meaningful interiority or processing from the hero.
And then you get the actual spy work, which is so amateurish and nonsensical at points that I had a very hard time understanding why he was doing many of the things he was doing, nevermind whether or not I even cared that he succeeded. But of course, he succeeds at most of the things he does because the plot says he will, and not because the author wrote any meaningful stakes.
And then you have the heroine. I loved the glimpses of the character we got in the first book, but her characterization was simply baffling to me. We come to learn that she loves sex, which, GREAT, I love that in a historical heroine. But the author tries to do a thing and does it incredibly poorly: She amps up the "loves sex" bit and by making the heroine ... maybe have a sex addiction? I'm not totally sure and could not wrap my head around it at all — there are a few parts of the book where the heroine literally wills herself not to become aroused around the hero, and feels a sense of relief when she's able to contain herself around him. Which, WHAT. So we've blown past "enjoys pleasure" and taken this into a physiological-maybe-disorder territory. Like, get thee to a doctor and/or therapist!
The author attempts to explain that the heroine was once engaged in a torrid affair with someone who ended up being emotionally and physically abusive, but because she loved sex so much (?), she couldn't extricate herself out of that relationship. When you get THAT kind of backstory, I need there to be an actual thoughtful point to why this was included. Does she have an addiction to sex? Is it about her needing sexual approval from men because she grew up neglected? It seems like the author hints a little at the latter, but it's never explained and I kept grasping at a reason — this is brought up SO much and so repetitively throughout the book that I kept thinking, "There must be an explanation for this or at least some attempt to untangle this," but it never came.
In a way, it mirrored some of my frustration with the author's hero in the first book, who, once again, seemed to lean heavily on sex as a way to tamp down emotional trauma, but it's never meaningfully addressed or resolved through the book. And it seems strange that in two consecutive books, the author writes this kind of circumstance for her characters but leaves them dangling. This is a really freaking weird writing tic to have.
To be clear, I'm not trying to sex shame — I don't have a problem with characters who have difficult relationships with sex. People deal with emotions and trauma in many different ways. But when it's such a defining attribute to the character, I need to have the text address this in a thoughtful way, and not in a "well, once he/she meets the right person, their sex addiction will be cured!", which is KIND OF WHAT BOTH OF HER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES HAS DONE SO FAR. And I find this immensely frustrating and irresponsible.
So, the heroine was also a fail for me.
Finally, this pairing never got off on the right foot for me and so the entire book, I struggled to understand why anything was happening. They both basically meet each other and fall in INSTANT LUST to the most unfathomable degree, and the relationship builds from there. So there's basically no solid footing for this relationship beyond wanting to boink, and when a relationship starts on such shaky ground, it's incredibly difficult for me to see why all of their handwringing about why they should/shouldn't be with each other is necessary.
Why did I stick it out with this book? Because the first one was, once again, so brilliant, that I thought, this certainly will get better. Unfortunately, it never did.
Basically, it was a mess, and if you've read this and want to discuss, please for the love of god leave a comment.
The premise was great — older widow heroine, younger rake who's pretending to be a drunk idiot but actually is on a mission for the crown. It's like a marriage of Sherry Thomas's "His At Night" with an older heroine, which, sign me up.
But this book has two huge failings.
First is the hero. This book plays around with a spy plot, which is underdeveloped and not interesting to read. This happens primarily because the hero's motivation for spy work never gelled with the plot: We're told that he got into it because he needed a purpose and to be something because his daddy didn't love him, but none of that backstory has heft because we're shown, not told, everything, and the author fails to develop any sort of meaningful interiority or processing from the hero.
And then you get the actual spy work, which is so amateurish and nonsensical at points that I had a very hard time understanding why he was doing many of the things he was doing, nevermind whether or not I even cared that he succeeded. But of course, he succeeds at most of the things he does because the plot says he will, and not because the author wrote any meaningful stakes.
And then you have the heroine. I loved the glimpses of the character we got in the first book, but her characterization was simply baffling to me. We come to learn that she loves sex, which, GREAT, I love that in a historical heroine. But the author tries to do a thing and does it incredibly poorly: She amps up the "loves sex" bit and by making the heroine ... maybe have a sex addiction? I'm not totally sure and could not wrap my head around it at all — there are a few parts of the book where the heroine literally wills herself not to become aroused around the hero, and feels a sense of relief when she's able to contain herself around him. Which, WHAT. So we've blown past "enjoys pleasure" and taken this into a physiological-maybe-disorder territory. Like, get thee to a doctor and/or therapist!
The author attempts to explain that the heroine was once engaged in a torrid affair with someone who ended up being emotionally and physically abusive, but because she loved sex so much (?), she couldn't extricate herself out of that relationship. When you get THAT kind of backstory, I need there to be an actual thoughtful point to why this was included. Does she have an addiction to sex? Is it about her needing sexual approval from men because she grew up neglected? It seems like the author hints a little at the latter, but it's never explained and I kept grasping at a reason — this is brought up SO much and so repetitively throughout the book that I kept thinking, "There must be an explanation for this or at least some attempt to untangle this," but it never came.
In a way, it mirrored some of my frustration with the author's hero in the first book, who, once again, seemed to lean heavily on sex as a way to tamp down emotional trauma, but it's never meaningfully addressed or resolved through the book. And it seems strange that in two consecutive books, the author writes this kind of circumstance for her characters but leaves them dangling. This is a really freaking weird writing tic to have.
To be clear, I'm not trying to sex shame — I don't have a problem with characters who have difficult relationships with sex. People deal with emotions and trauma in many different ways. But when it's such a defining attribute to the character, I need to have the text address this in a thoughtful way, and not in a "well, once he/she meets the right person, their sex addiction will be cured!", which is KIND OF WHAT BOTH OF HER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES HAS DONE SO FAR. And I find this immensely frustrating and irresponsible.
So, the heroine was also a fail for me.
Finally, this pairing never got off on the right foot for me and so the entire book, I struggled to understand why anything was happening. They both basically meet each other and fall in INSTANT LUST to the most unfathomable degree, and the relationship builds from there. So there's basically no solid footing for this relationship beyond wanting to boink, and when a relationship starts on such shaky ground, it's incredibly difficult for me to see why all of their handwringing about why they should/shouldn't be with each other is necessary.
Why did I stick it out with this book? Because the first one was, once again, so brilliant, that I thought, this certainly will get better. Unfortunately, it never did.
March 26, 2023
DNF @ 23%
Storyline thinner than thread, there was nothing to it but their endless lust for each other.
Storyline thinner than thread, there was nothing to it but their endless lust for each other.
September 16, 2022
An age gap HR with a twist (cheers to the older lady and the younger man) proving soulmates are ageless!
MMC-James the Marquess of Daventry, future Duke of Middlewich
MFC-Catherine Lovelock, former actress and widow
This book has it all…espionage, a villain from the MFC’s past, blackmail, angst and lust. But, at its core, it is a story of two people who have spent so much time pretending to be someone else, they barely recognize themselves anymore. When they meet, they both “know” the other but don’t trust their feelings or instincts. It takes a lot of drama for them to realize what they feel for each other is real love…not just lust. Catherine is an interesting character. To the outside world, she presents as a strong, impeccably bred lady. But inside, she is a damaged, broken, lonely woman who doesn’t trust herself to make sound relationship decisions. She has had very bad experiences in the past so “safe” is her only consideration in a future marriage. James presents as a drunken fop, but he isn’t really anything of the sort. He is good at playing a wastrel when, in reality, he is the best of men.
It’s insta-lust when they meet and out of control passion when they finally submit to their desire. But Catherine isn’t convinced it’s real. Luckily, James won’t give up on her or them…and not in an Alpha-male type of way. He woos with friendship instead of demanding her affections.
The best part of the book, to me, is when all the subplots are wrapped up and we are left with two broken but hopeful people peeling away their damage and discovering that they can feel recklessly passionate AND safe with someone at the same time.
Felicity Niven’s writing style is superb. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received this book as an ARC and voluntarily give me review.
MMC-James the Marquess of Daventry, future Duke of Middlewich
MFC-Catherine Lovelock, former actress and widow
This book has it all…espionage, a villain from the MFC’s past, blackmail, angst and lust. But, at its core, it is a story of two people who have spent so much time pretending to be someone else, they barely recognize themselves anymore. When they meet, they both “know” the other but don’t trust their feelings or instincts. It takes a lot of drama for them to realize what they feel for each other is real love…not just lust. Catherine is an interesting character. To the outside world, she presents as a strong, impeccably bred lady. But inside, she is a damaged, broken, lonely woman who doesn’t trust herself to make sound relationship decisions. She has had very bad experiences in the past so “safe” is her only consideration in a future marriage. James presents as a drunken fop, but he isn’t really anything of the sort. He is good at playing a wastrel when, in reality, he is the best of men.
It’s insta-lust when they meet and out of control passion when they finally submit to their desire. But Catherine isn’t convinced it’s real. Luckily, James won’t give up on her or them…and not in an Alpha-male type of way. He woos with friendship instead of demanding her affections.
The best part of the book, to me, is when all the subplots are wrapped up and we are left with two broken but hopeful people peeling away their damage and discovering that they can feel recklessly passionate AND safe with someone at the same time.
Felicity Niven’s writing style is superb. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I received this book as an ARC and voluntarily give me review.
November 21, 2023
At first, the illicit romance between a "spy" who plays the drunken fool to get what he needs and a widow with a torrid lust for said spy was promising. But something happened to this plot, and it became a bit boring and confusing, and the characters were a bit boring too.
I can't believe I'm saying that this book was boring, considering that the previous one in the series was 99% math and 1% spicy, and I liked it a lot, but yeah, this one didn't hold me.
I can't believe I'm saying that this book was boring, considering that the previous one in the series was 99% math and 1% spicy, and I liked it a lot, but yeah, this one didn't hold me.
October 10, 2022
I received a copy of this from Booksirens and this is my freely given opinion.
This is book two of the Lovelocks of London series by Felicity Niven. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book in the series, Convergence of Desire, because of the incredibly original set of characters and storyline, involving a neurodivergent heroine, Harriet, who engages in a marriage of convenience with Thomas, an earl with an impoverished estate, who has a sex addiction and reputation of a whoremongering rake. She trades her fortune to him, so that she can avoid being involved in the social whirl and dedicate all her time to her passion for math and proving a particular mathematical problem. Their characters, backgrounds, and love story was very different from the norm, full of interesting depth and nuance, and really caught my imagination.
This story is about Catherine Lovelock, the stepmother of Harriet, and wealthy widow of the banker Edward Lovelock. She was formerly known as Catherine Cooke, and Kathy Cooksey - originally a farm girl who left the farm at the age of 16 to become an actress. She gained fame in her various roles, especially with Shakespearean roles such as Ophelia from Hamlet, and Viola from Twelfth Night (side note - Twelfth Night is my personal Shakespearean favourite). But she left that behind her when she married Edward. She then took on the new role of respectable wife of a banker, and loving calm mother figure to his family and her daughters, especially the difficult to raise Harriet.
But after several years as a widow, she is confronted with her own desires and her past. Her stepdaughters are out of the nest, and she still has Arabella, her teenaged daughter, to prepare for her come out. But she appears to have come to a bit of a cross roads of her life when she met James, the Marquess of Daventry, the best friend of the Earl, Thomas. She is incredibly attracted to him, despite the fact that she is in her 40s and he is under 30. She knows this is wrong and the feelings he engenders in her are reminiscent of when she was younger and engaged in a passionate, but abusive and hurtful affair with an artist. Especially because James appears to be a terribly debauched and licentious rake, known to drink to excess, gamble and womanize. To suppress those feelings and desires for James, she decides that she will marry again, to a safe option.
James, the Marquess of Daventry, and heir to his father, the Duke of Middlewich. He was a second son who fell into the role of the heir when his brother, the favoured and beloved first son, William, died of the French Pox. James was castigated by his parents for being the lesser man and wastrel. He decided to play this role out, but then his life took a bit of a twist when he happened upon some important strategic information during a night of debauchery with his friend Thomas. He decided to act on it, pass it on to people who could act on it, and it was used in pivotal military strategy, benefiting Britain. This gave him a sense of purpose and on an informal level, he used his reputation as a wastrel and sot, to help the Regent. He is wanting to do more, and happens upon some suspicious activities that he decides to investigate on his own, which throws him and Catherine Lovelock in each other's paths frequently.
He and Catherine are both attracted to each other, but have hidden and fought in on both their sides, knowing that it is imprudent because they do not realize the attraction is mutual. But they end up being involved in each other's drama, as Catherine's past comes back to haunt her when her prior lover seeks to control and embarass her, while taking advantage of her wealth, and James decides he wants to save her, and the intrigue he stumbled on swept her up in it's path.
Like the first book, this was very different from the typical love story. There is the age difference and the class difference. But the characters of James and Catherine are so richly drawn and full of interesting, history, depth, drama, pain, and nuances that they are very intriguing and draw you in. James has a bit of a hero-complex and definite issues with his parents which are not explored sufficiently and unresolved; the death of his father with no confrontation or resolution left me feeling a bit hollow and sad for him. But I am glad to see that while he was there to play some of the hero role for Catherine, that she ended up saving herself, and him, from the nemesis from her past, and that was very satisfying to me.
Another very intriguing, different, and interesting story that is out of the usual mold of Regency romances.
4 stars out of 5.
This is book two of the Lovelocks of London series by Felicity Niven. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book in the series, Convergence of Desire, because of the incredibly original set of characters and storyline, involving a neurodivergent heroine, Harriet, who engages in a marriage of convenience with Thomas, an earl with an impoverished estate, who has a sex addiction and reputation of a whoremongering rake. She trades her fortune to him, so that she can avoid being involved in the social whirl and dedicate all her time to her passion for math and proving a particular mathematical problem. Their characters, backgrounds, and love story was very different from the norm, full of interesting depth and nuance, and really caught my imagination.
This story is about Catherine Lovelock, the stepmother of Harriet, and wealthy widow of the banker Edward Lovelock. She was formerly known as Catherine Cooke, and Kathy Cooksey - originally a farm girl who left the farm at the age of 16 to become an actress. She gained fame in her various roles, especially with Shakespearean roles such as Ophelia from Hamlet, and Viola from Twelfth Night (side note - Twelfth Night is my personal Shakespearean favourite). But she left that behind her when she married Edward. She then took on the new role of respectable wife of a banker, and loving calm mother figure to his family and her daughters, especially the difficult to raise Harriet.
But after several years as a widow, she is confronted with her own desires and her past. Her stepdaughters are out of the nest, and she still has Arabella, her teenaged daughter, to prepare for her come out. But she appears to have come to a bit of a cross roads of her life when she met James, the Marquess of Daventry, the best friend of the Earl, Thomas. She is incredibly attracted to him, despite the fact that she is in her 40s and he is under 30. She knows this is wrong and the feelings he engenders in her are reminiscent of when she was younger and engaged in a passionate, but abusive and hurtful affair with an artist. Especially because James appears to be a terribly debauched and licentious rake, known to drink to excess, gamble and womanize. To suppress those feelings and desires for James, she decides that she will marry again, to a safe option.
James, the Marquess of Daventry, and heir to his father, the Duke of Middlewich. He was a second son who fell into the role of the heir when his brother, the favoured and beloved first son, William, died of the French Pox. James was castigated by his parents for being the lesser man and wastrel. He decided to play this role out, but then his life took a bit of a twist when he happened upon some important strategic information during a night of debauchery with his friend Thomas. He decided to act on it, pass it on to people who could act on it, and it was used in pivotal military strategy, benefiting Britain. This gave him a sense of purpose and on an informal level, he used his reputation as a wastrel and sot, to help the Regent. He is wanting to do more, and happens upon some suspicious activities that he decides to investigate on his own, which throws him and Catherine Lovelock in each other's paths frequently.
He and Catherine are both attracted to each other, but have hidden and fought in on both their sides, knowing that it is imprudent because they do not realize the attraction is mutual. But they end up being involved in each other's drama, as Catherine's past comes back to haunt her when her prior lover seeks to control and embarass her, while taking advantage of her wealth, and James decides he wants to save her, and the intrigue he stumbled on swept her up in it's path.
Like the first book, this was very different from the typical love story. There is the age difference and the class difference. But the characters of James and Catherine are so richly drawn and full of interesting, history, depth, drama, pain, and nuances that they are very intriguing and draw you in. James has a bit of a hero-complex and definite issues with his parents which are not explored sufficiently and unresolved; the death of his father with no confrontation or resolution left me feeling a bit hollow and sad for him. But I am glad to see that while he was there to play some of the hero role for Catherine, that she ended up saving herself, and him, from the nemesis from her past, and that was very satisfying to me.
Another very intriguing, different, and interesting story that is out of the usual mold of Regency romances.
4 stars out of 5.
January 25, 2023
If you are looking for that rare, but lovely pairing of an older woman and younger man -- this is the book for you!! Just gorgeously done. Bravo.
October 7, 2022
I received an ARC of this book in ebook format. This review may contain some spoilers.
After reading the first book in the Lovelocks of London series, I wasn't sure what to expect in the second book. The first book was unlike any I had read before, and I expected the second book to be sort of like a regular romance genre novel. I was wrong! The second book, Clandestine Passion, was only my second romance where the h was older than the H. It was so refreshing to have a romance story where the h is an older woman who actually loves and appreciates sex! I felt for her, because almost the entire time she felt like she was doing something wrong, and was in some way bad for her feelings. If she knew what we today know, then she would understand that she really was just a completely sexually suppressed woman, who at 45 (gasp!) is in no way "old." The H was very sexy. There is a lot of sexual tension in this book, but also a lot of great romance scenes. This book really blew me away. I did feel a bit of a lag toward the end of the story, but I understand the author was writing the two mains as friends to get to know each other, and here I am just wanting them to jump into bed again lol!! I recommend this book because of it is sweet, spicy, and original.
After reading the first book in the Lovelocks of London series, I wasn't sure what to expect in the second book. The first book was unlike any I had read before, and I expected the second book to be sort of like a regular romance genre novel. I was wrong! The second book, Clandestine Passion, was only my second romance where the h was older than the H. It was so refreshing to have a romance story where the h is an older woman who actually loves and appreciates sex! I felt for her, because almost the entire time she felt like she was doing something wrong, and was in some way bad for her feelings. If she knew what we today know, then she would understand that she really was just a completely sexually suppressed woman, who at 45 (gasp!) is in no way "old." The H was very sexy. There is a lot of sexual tension in this book, but also a lot of great romance scenes. This book really blew me away. I did feel a bit of a lag toward the end of the story, but I understand the author was writing the two mains as friends to get to know each other, and here I am just wanting them to jump into bed again lol!! I recommend this book because of it is sweet, spicy, and original.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2022
James Cavendish, Marquess of Daventry, was born the second son. His one wish was to be useful. With the war in France still on, he goes to his father to buy him a commission in the navy. His father refuses because there is no hope his brother will live much longer. Pretending to be a rake and consistently drunk, he picks up tidbits of information for the Home Secretary. Catherine Lovelock is a wealthy widow with a past. Pursued for her beauty as well as her wealth, she looks for a husband who will give her a calm and quiet life. Not so when James kisses her. They both can't forget that kiss. Crossing paths again and again, Caroline tries to resist, but James uses everything in his arsenal to win her heart and hand. Older woman, younger man trope. A younger man who grows up.
I suggest reading the books in this series in order just for consistency. A new author to add to your TBR.
Heat level 5.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
I suggest reading the books in this series in order just for consistency. A new author to add to your TBR.
Heat level 5.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
August 30, 2023
I enjoyed Felicity Niven's previous book, Convergence of Desire but Clandestine Passion is an exercise in frustration. There's so much I do like about this - older widow, angst, great sex scenes, v horny characters, good writing that making me feel things, actual stakes (for the widow, anyways).
However - this book felt 3 times longer than it needed to be, with at least 4 unnecessary subplots and deranged character decisions (Catherine is so afraid of being horny that her solution is to marry the first age-appropriate shitty fortune hunter she comes across, there's some kind of underdeveloped spy plot that apparently requires James to pretend to be a raging alcoholic 24/7). The age is mentioned many times as an obstacle, but we're never really shown a real gap in maturity or experience or any other problem outside of Catherine's head.
Several times I thought they wrapped up a big conflict and we were about to move onto the endgame, only for the characters to reset and be distracted by the next unresolved plotline. At one point I checked how far I was in the ebook only to realize I was only halfway through. Even at the end, just as you think all the remaining plotlines are finally wrapped up, the two characters need to go on some kind of hand holding retreat together before he can convince her to finally get married.
It's very disappointing because this book could have been great between the setup and angsty writing, but squandered my interest quickly.
However - this book felt 3 times longer than it needed to be, with at least 4 unnecessary subplots and deranged character decisions (Catherine is so afraid of being horny that her solution is to marry the first age-appropriate shitty fortune hunter she comes across, there's some kind of underdeveloped spy plot that apparently requires James to pretend to be a raging alcoholic 24/7). The age is mentioned many times as an obstacle, but we're never really shown a real gap in maturity or experience or any other problem outside of Catherine's head.
Several times I thought they wrapped up a big conflict and we were about to move onto the endgame, only for the characters to reset and be distracted by the next unresolved plotline. At one point I checked how far I was in the ebook only to realize I was only halfway through. Even at the end, just as you think all the remaining plotlines are finally wrapped up, the two characters need to go on some kind of hand holding retreat together before he can convince her to finally get married.
It's very disappointing because this book could have been great between the setup and angsty writing, but squandered my interest quickly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2022
I loved this! It’s different than the first book in the series. However, like scoops of chocolate and pistachio ice cream they complement each other. Quite honestly, the first half was slow going and I thought it had run out of steam when it suddenly transformed into a theme park of excitement filled with romance, passion, dastardly deeds, secret identities, and mystery. Oh, and if you think it’s all too improbable, don’t miss the Author’s Afterword. One of my favorite reads of 2022.
September 23, 2022
The widow Catherine Lovelock has been so busy helping her daughter and step-daughter look for marriage matches that she has almost overlooked her own needs and passion. (Read book 1 to see how Harriet survives the machinations.) Catherine has always felt something for James (Marquess of Daventry), but shrugged it off as a flirtation. He was much too young for her, she believed. Sad that a woman’s freedom to love was so restricted back then. People are still trying to put limits on women’s freedoms today which is sadder still.
It’s always the ones you don’t suspect who are spies. James presented himself as a dissipated, always slightly drunk, rakish persona. It was easier to get information he needed. James felt a connection to Catherine early on.
I felt frustrated with Catherine as she was seriously considering marriage to Sir Francis because he “reminded her at times of her late husband Edward”. She had the money to have him investigated to see if he was trustworthy and financially sound! It just didn’t make sense—-I would have advised her. Lol.
The author does a great job of presenting intrigue, problems with love, physical abuse, and trauma bonding (how it’s easier for the abused to stay in that relationship because they at least feel a little control).
I’m not typically a spy-novel devotee, but I really love this series. Can’t wait for more!
I received an advance copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
It’s always the ones you don’t suspect who are spies. James presented himself as a dissipated, always slightly drunk, rakish persona. It was easier to get information he needed. James felt a connection to Catherine early on.
I felt frustrated with Catherine as she was seriously considering marriage to Sir Francis because he “reminded her at times of her late husband Edward”. She had the money to have him investigated to see if he was trustworthy and financially sound! It just didn’t make sense—-I would have advised her. Lol.
The author does a great job of presenting intrigue, problems with love, physical abuse, and trauma bonding (how it’s easier for the abused to stay in that relationship because they at least feel a little control).
I’m not typically a spy-novel devotee, but I really love this series. Can’t wait for more!
I received an advance copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
April 15, 2025
I didn't really like this one as much as its predecessor. There were a few things, no matter how possibly believable for the times, that just took me out of the story. One being a repetitive mention of a figurative 'lust demon' and the other with mentions of sneezes or screams in ways that were not very conducive to the scene at hand. I also wasn't very sympathetic to James and his whole dissolute act. It didn't ring true and kept a lot of the initial interactions between him and Kate very surface-level stuff.
I'll be reading the next book, but I was bummed that I didn't like this one as much as Thomas and Harry's story
I'll be reading the next book, but I was bummed that I didn't like this one as much as Thomas and Harry's story
September 30, 2022
This author was previously unknown to me, and I didn't find the idea of an age-gap romance to be particularly appealing. Amazingly, I really loved this book! There was witty dialog and an intriguing plot, but the steamy romance of James and Catherine took center stage. Catherine was a refreshing departure from the typical HR heroine. She was a respectable widow who had loved her late husband. She wasn't an ambitious social reformer. She was just trying to live her life and make sure that her daughters were cared for. She wasn't trying to fall in lust with an attractive younger man. James fell madly in love with the beautiful Catherine and had to work very hard to prove that he was sincere with his affection. I was wiping the tears from my face as I read the last several chapters. Fortunately, the story came to a very happy ending. I'm looking forward to reading more books from this series!
I received a free ARC from BookSirens and this is my honest review.
I received a free ARC from BookSirens and this is my honest review.
September 25, 2022
Clandestine Passion tells the story of the seemingly improbable May-December love story between Jamie, the young Viscount/Duke of Middlewich and the much older widow Catherine Cooksey. The steam is off the charts! Kate’s checkered past makes her question whether their relationship stands a chance, but fortunately Jamie is willing to listen and address her very real concerns. There is action and danger that builds the excitement and anticipation. I thank the author for an advance review copy and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
October 20, 2022
The thing is, the prior book in the series, "Convergence of Desire", was so perfectly what I was looking for in a historical romance that it was almost a spiritual experience. I may have had, or rather I KNOW I had, unrealistic expectations for "Clandestine Passion." Would I really have liked to read a second book that was super-duper similar to the first, you ask? Um, frankly, yes.
Ace and demi representation is so vanishingly rare in the genre (the ignorant may argue that we hardly need it, given the subject matter, and I would kindly invite them to stuff it) that "Convergence of Desire" set itself in a class apart. A book that offers an under-represented perspective AND is gripping and well-written, well, that's a five star book, no doubt about it.
"Clandestine Passion" is a normal, very good historical romance. Catherine's sense that there is a "lust demon" inside of her which she cannot control and which she must somehow be protected from was an interesting aspect of her character, particularly as it reflected the repression of the era, but one can hardly argue that it's an idea that has been UNDER-explored in the genre. Frankly, I just really couldn't personally relate to Catherine's struggles, nor her abrupt and inexplicable attraction to James. In "Convergence of Desire" I had the impression that Catherine and James were developing a relationship that was flying under the radar for the time being, but I expected the explanation for their growing intimacy to appear in this book. I never felt like it did. There was an instant attraction, and then their whole relationship was fooling around and talking about why they shouldn't fool around any more. That's just honestly not that romantic to me.
All that said, the writing was just as solid as in the previous book, and I was interested to find out more about Catherine's past and why she was so convinced she had a problem, and I liked the side of political intrigue. It may seem harsh to dock two whole stars just because I can't relate to the heroine, but my rating system is based on whether or not I think I will ever re-read the book (4 stars means I probably will re-read, 5 stars means I DEFINITELY will), and at the end of the day I'm just not interested in reading "Clandestine Passion" a second time.
Still looking forward to Arabella's book, though!
I received an Advanced Review Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Ace and demi representation is so vanishingly rare in the genre (the ignorant may argue that we hardly need it, given the subject matter, and I would kindly invite them to stuff it) that "Convergence of Desire" set itself in a class apart. A book that offers an under-represented perspective AND is gripping and well-written, well, that's a five star book, no doubt about it.
"Clandestine Passion" is a normal, very good historical romance. Catherine's sense that there is a "lust demon" inside of her which she cannot control and which she must somehow be protected from was an interesting aspect of her character, particularly as it reflected the repression of the era, but one can hardly argue that it's an idea that has been UNDER-explored in the genre. Frankly, I just really couldn't personally relate to Catherine's struggles, nor her abrupt and inexplicable attraction to James. In "Convergence of Desire" I had the impression that Catherine and James were developing a relationship that was flying under the radar for the time being, but I expected the explanation for their growing intimacy to appear in this book. I never felt like it did. There was an instant attraction, and then their whole relationship was fooling around and talking about why they shouldn't fool around any more. That's just honestly not that romantic to me.
All that said, the writing was just as solid as in the previous book, and I was interested to find out more about Catherine's past and why she was so convinced she had a problem, and I liked the side of political intrigue. It may seem harsh to dock two whole stars just because I can't relate to the heroine, but my rating system is based on whether or not I think I will ever re-read the book (4 stars means I probably will re-read, 5 stars means I DEFINITELY will), and at the end of the day I'm just not interested in reading "Clandestine Passion" a second time.
Still looking forward to Arabella's book, though!
I received an Advanced Review Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 24, 2025
She's a widow, a mother, a stepmother. She's a farmer's daughter, an actress and a lady of the ton. But most of all she's a woman. A real woman. A wanton and passionate woman. A woman with many lives. So many in fact she needs to find her way back to herself.
He's a young man with a title he never wished for, a spy, a best friend. A dubious reputation of a wastrel, charming, perpetually tipsy rakehell. Never quite measuring up, a constant disappointment to his parents. But he’s so much more than meets the eye.
They meet at a ball. A look, lips brushing knuckles and they're both forever lost. She's 46. He's 28. This cannot be, they both know it, yet life keeps throwing them together in the most tempting, unpredictable ways.
At the end of the day, the heart wants what it wants. If only it were that simple…
This book has it all! An impromptu trip to Scotland, some epistolary love, a mysterious painting, a mad dash through the countryside, clandestine meetings in alleyways and a modiste dressing room, stolen documents, a robbery, a murder and tons and tons of steam, pure lust and raw desire…
Get comfortable, you’re in for a ride!
He's a young man with a title he never wished for, a spy, a best friend. A dubious reputation of a wastrel, charming, perpetually tipsy rakehell. Never quite measuring up, a constant disappointment to his parents. But he’s so much more than meets the eye.
They meet at a ball. A look, lips brushing knuckles and they're both forever lost. She's 46. He's 28. This cannot be, they both know it, yet life keeps throwing them together in the most tempting, unpredictable ways.
At the end of the day, the heart wants what it wants. If only it were that simple…
This book has it all! An impromptu trip to Scotland, some epistolary love, a mysterious painting, a mad dash through the countryside, clandestine meetings in alleyways and a modiste dressing room, stolen documents, a robbery, a murder and tons and tons of steam, pure lust and raw desire…
Get comfortable, you’re in for a ride!
March 11, 2025
I loved this book. I loved it even more than the first one, which I gave 4.5 stars. Perhaps it was because the FMC was 45 years old, which is close to my own age. It was a refreshing change from the usual 17-year-old heroine stereotype. As with the first book in the series, I appreciated the level of research the author put into her writing. It’s evident in everything from the dialogue to the descriptions to the characters. It makes for a superior level Regency romance. There’s a great plot, plenty of spice (age gap! forbidden romance!), espionage (Scarlet Pimpernel style!), and a great ending (which was hinted at in book one). This book is very much worth reading, and I can’t wait for the third one!
This book will be released September 29 on Amazon and will be on Kindle Unlimited. I received a complimentary e-ARC of the book from the author to review. All opinions are my own.
This book will be released September 29 on Amazon and will be on Kindle Unlimited. I received a complimentary e-ARC of the book from the author to review. All opinions are my own.
January 1, 2023
Wanted to enjoy this and the main love story was nice but I wasn’t in the headspace to follow the super convoluted backstory. there were just some plots that really didn’t make sense to me (why would she want to marry that horrible guy in the first place and has her own money?)
September 19, 2022
No spoilers…unless you didn’t read the first book in the series. I really enjoyed the first novel and the prequel novella, and was looking forward to the second novel in this series. That being said, I was on a roller coaster of opinions - at one point I almost stopped reading in frustration, but I am glad I stuck with it.
Positives - I have to say, the story had good bones and was very well written. I enjoyed the little mystery that needed to be unraveled and wished it took a more prevalent role in the plot. I empathized with Catherine’s past, and her present desire to bury skeletons. The last part of the book where the main characters started to connect on a deeper level also was well done.
Negatives - I was hoping to make a deeper connection with the heroine since we are of a similar age. I appreciated what she was going through as an “empty nester”, but I had a real hard time believing that she was A) as well preserved as described and B) the romance between her and the very young, super hot, titled, and wealthy hero… and this may just be my own romance novel preferences. I do so enjoy two flawed and believable middle aged characters getting together, gray hair, crows feet and all.
Learning in the afterword that Catherine was loosely based on a real life person did significantly boost my opinion of this book. Ms. Niven gives us another solid read and a real page turner. I look forward to Miss Arabella’s dramatic story next! 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Positives - I have to say, the story had good bones and was very well written. I enjoyed the little mystery that needed to be unraveled and wished it took a more prevalent role in the plot. I empathized with Catherine’s past, and her present desire to bury skeletons. The last part of the book where the main characters started to connect on a deeper level also was well done.
Negatives - I was hoping to make a deeper connection with the heroine since we are of a similar age. I appreciated what she was going through as an “empty nester”, but I had a real hard time believing that she was A) as well preserved as described and B) the romance between her and the very young, super hot, titled, and wealthy hero… and this may just be my own romance novel preferences. I do so enjoy two flawed and believable middle aged characters getting together, gray hair, crows feet and all.
Learning in the afterword that Catherine was loosely based on a real life person did significantly boost my opinion of this book. Ms. Niven gives us another solid read and a real page turner. I look forward to Miss Arabella’s dramatic story next! 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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July 7, 2024I think I was expecting more from this based on how strong the previous book in the series was. I did enjoy reading about a mature heroine with an interesting back story (farmer’s daughter turned stage actress and artist’s mistress turned banker’s wife and respectable widow launching her daughters into society), and the 17-year age gap between the widow and her younger suitor was a refreshing change of pace for the genre.
However, the story relied almost entirely on an instantaneous, overwhelming physical attraction ('insta-lust'), which made it difficult for me to buy into the central relationship. Only in the final 20% of the book did the characters make an effort to converse and actually get to know one another, and all the drama and major life decisions had already happened by then.
The spy subplot was mildly interesting and the characters were perfectly likeable, but I just didn't find their relationship particularly believable or interesting.
However, the story relied almost entirely on an instantaneous, overwhelming physical attraction ('insta-lust'), which made it difficult for me to buy into the central relationship. Only in the final 20% of the book did the characters make an effort to converse and actually get to know one another, and all the drama and major life decisions had already happened by then.
The spy subplot was mildly interesting and the characters were perfectly likeable, but I just didn't find their relationship particularly believable or interesting.
September 20, 2022
The love this young man savoured, in the form of Catherine Lovelock, was sweet and sure.
The desires she had within threatened to engulf her.. but surely, not for him.
This story was sweet, strong and clever. The characters engaging and intriguing. The underlying story of Catherine's last lives challenged her thinking, her age challenged her trust in her own self.
Woven through a backdrop of London, country estates, and the war that raged beyond, this story was a joy to devour.
I Thoroughly enjoyed Clandestine Passion.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The desires she had within threatened to engulf her.. but surely, not for him.
This story was sweet, strong and clever. The characters engaging and intriguing. The underlying story of Catherine's last lives challenged her thinking, her age challenged her trust in her own self.
Woven through a backdrop of London, country estates, and the war that raged beyond, this story was a joy to devour.
I Thoroughly enjoyed Clandestine Passion.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 20, 2022
I was fortunate enough to obtain an advanced reader's copy and this review is unsolicited and entirely of my own opinions.
Another solid book by Felicity Nivens! The story of Catherine and James is a sweet, romantic, delightful read that will leave you feeling the warm fuzzies. A great book that has pieces of the series woven in but can be read as a standalone. Fantastic job!
Another solid book by Felicity Nivens! The story of Catherine and James is a sweet, romantic, delightful read that will leave you feeling the warm fuzzies. A great book that has pieces of the series woven in but can be read as a standalone. Fantastic job!
September 28, 2024
I was not feeling the insta lust, but the ending bit was so beautiful and well-thought out, I could use about thousand more days of this courtship. I also liked that the heroine was older, such a rarity among historical romance novels, that seem like all the same tropes a lot of the times. Really a breath of fresh air.
September 30, 2022
A Different Kind of Love💘
ADULT Historical Late Regency Romance💕 and Adventure.
Older Widowed Noble woman💃💋 falls for the rakish younger second son🐺🍆⛲ of a Duke who is actually a spy👀 for the Crown👑 He unwilling becomes Duke🐺🍆⛲ after the death of his older brother from illness.
Extreme physical attraction is at the center of this story, but the two must develop a real relationship or it will never last.
ARC provided by Book📚 Sirens💃
I also got this ebook from Amazon📚 with KU.
Graphic ADULT scenes.
ADULT Historical Late Regency Romance💕 and Adventure.
Older Widowed Noble woman💃💋 falls for the rakish younger second son🐺🍆⛲ of a Duke who is actually a spy👀 for the Crown👑 He unwilling becomes Duke🐺🍆⛲ after the death of his older brother from illness.
Extreme physical attraction is at the center of this story, but the two must develop a real relationship or it will never last.
ARC provided by Book📚 Sirens💃
I also got this ebook from Amazon📚 with KU.
Graphic ADULT scenes.
September 21, 2022
This was a good read. This book could be a standalone but it would be better read as a series. I really enjoyed this book but I still think the first one was better.
February 29, 2024
Lovely book. Great characterization, intricate plot. Realistic conflict keeping them apart.
September 16, 2022
I have to admit that I started to read this book with a bit of trepidation. Because of the age gap? No, I find the age gap refreshing ( more on that later) Because the heroine is a widow with grown children? Nope! Again, I love to see an experienced woman as a MC
(It’s a nice break from the virgins in white debuting at Almack’s. )
No, it was because I was still in book euphoria from from the previous book in this series (Convergence of Desire) and I was afraid that book 2 wouldn’t match the feelings I had while reading book 1. And you know what, it didn’t. What it did do was give me entirely new and different feelings for the story of these characters.
I loved this story and I love the characters of Catherine (Kate) Lovelock and James(Jamie) Cavendish , Marquess of Daventry. We first met these two in book 1 and even though I think this book can be read as a stand alone, I think, for at least for Catherine you will have a better understanding of where she is in her life, her personality and her relationship with her children (step and bio) if you read book 1. And anyway, you should read book 1 because it so good. Both James and Catherine, unbeknownst to each other in the beginning, have a unbelievably strong sexual attraction to each other from the moment they meet.
For Catherine she tries desperately to ignore it, how could she be attracted to a man 17 years younger then her. Besides, his reputation as a constantly inebriated rake and charmer, who’s never serious makes him seem more of a boy than a man. But there’s more , much more to James then meets the eye and his character development throughout the book shows that he may act the foolish boy, but he’s desperate to show the world (and Catherine) the man he truly is.
Catherine has her own demons from the past, and they are high on the list of why it would be absolutely foolish to let her desire for James take flight.
But the fates seem to have them being thrown together and really, would it be so wrong if they enjoyed each other for the time being? And get together they do!! We get quite a few (much more then book 1) steamy sex scenes between them, and apart😉.
This is a tale of two souls who absolutely belong together but just happen to meet at times in their existence where their ages and rank make them unconventional as a couple. Ms. Niven is so gifted as to take us through this story is such a way that by the end you realize that there is no other for these two people.
Beyond the 2 MCs love story we get a bit of post Napoleonic war spy intrigue that shapes the persona James projects to the world.
So let’s address the age gap: Catherine is 45 and James is 28, a 17 year reverse age gap which is highly unusual in HR and this may put you off this story. But why is that?
It wasn’t unusual for an older man back in that era to marry a 17 year old debutant. Yes, in current HR fiction this would be used as a storyline for the young debutant to find a way out of this sort of marriage. But in the old Bodice Ripper days this was quite common. (Example: the seminal HR book the Flame and the Flower by K Woodiwiss: Brandon is 35 and Heather is 17 and that’s the least controversial subject discussed in this book) And it is certainly not unusual in today’s society for a much older man to marry a younger woman. But it still seems that even current society frowns upon and older woman being with a young man, which I find sad and a bit misogynistic. So I love that Ms. Niven took on this subject.
So I ask you, dear readers, to look beyond the age gap if this is what may keep you from picking up this book and reading it. Because in the end love is love and soul mates are ageless.
I was kindly given a ARC of this book by the author for my unbiased review.
(It’s a nice break from the virgins in white debuting at Almack’s. )
No, it was because I was still in book euphoria from from the previous book in this series (Convergence of Desire) and I was afraid that book 2 wouldn’t match the feelings I had while reading book 1. And you know what, it didn’t. What it did do was give me entirely new and different feelings for the story of these characters.
I loved this story and I love the characters of Catherine (Kate) Lovelock and James(Jamie) Cavendish , Marquess of Daventry. We first met these two in book 1 and even though I think this book can be read as a stand alone, I think, for at least for Catherine you will have a better understanding of where she is in her life, her personality and her relationship with her children (step and bio) if you read book 1. And anyway, you should read book 1 because it so good. Both James and Catherine, unbeknownst to each other in the beginning, have a unbelievably strong sexual attraction to each other from the moment they meet.
For Catherine she tries desperately to ignore it, how could she be attracted to a man 17 years younger then her. Besides, his reputation as a constantly inebriated rake and charmer, who’s never serious makes him seem more of a boy than a man. But there’s more , much more to James then meets the eye and his character development throughout the book shows that he may act the foolish boy, but he’s desperate to show the world (and Catherine) the man he truly is.
Catherine has her own demons from the past, and they are high on the list of why it would be absolutely foolish to let her desire for James take flight.
But the fates seem to have them being thrown together and really, would it be so wrong if they enjoyed each other for the time being? And get together they do!! We get quite a few (much more then book 1) steamy sex scenes between them, and apart😉.
This is a tale of two souls who absolutely belong together but just happen to meet at times in their existence where their ages and rank make them unconventional as a couple. Ms. Niven is so gifted as to take us through this story is such a way that by the end you realize that there is no other for these two people.
Beyond the 2 MCs love story we get a bit of post Napoleonic war spy intrigue that shapes the persona James projects to the world.
So let’s address the age gap: Catherine is 45 and James is 28, a 17 year reverse age gap which is highly unusual in HR and this may put you off this story. But why is that?
It wasn’t unusual for an older man back in that era to marry a 17 year old debutant. Yes, in current HR fiction this would be used as a storyline for the young debutant to find a way out of this sort of marriage. But in the old Bodice Ripper days this was quite common. (Example: the seminal HR book the Flame and the Flower by K Woodiwiss: Brandon is 35 and Heather is 17 and that’s the least controversial subject discussed in this book) And it is certainly not unusual in today’s society for a much older man to marry a younger woman. But it still seems that even current society frowns upon and older woman being with a young man, which I find sad and a bit misogynistic. So I love that Ms. Niven took on this subject.
So I ask you, dear readers, to look beyond the age gap if this is what may keep you from picking up this book and reading it. Because in the end love is love and soul mates are ageless.
I was kindly given a ARC of this book by the author for my unbiased review.
January 17, 2023
Am I giving a heist-y spy book (aka my nemesis) five stars??
I have to—this book was just so unexpected. As romance readers, we see a series called The Lovelocks of London, with three Miss Lovelock sisters, and we know what’s up.
But there’s four books in the series. And the math wasn’t mathing… a long lost sister, perhaps? Nope! Book two is about Mrs. Catherine Lovelock, their widowed mother. And that’s how this book hooked me.
This age gap was 🔥 and I loved the characterization of this heroine. I love that she was 45 (and our hero was 28). I love that she had a biological daughter ‘out’ and two stepdaughters married (in the prequel and book one). But mostly, I love that Catherine was equal parts mother and very hot romance heroine—all at once.
Ngl, the moment I read the stolen naval plans prologue, I’d mentally downgraded this book to four star territory. Spy stuff? Schemes to retrieve objects? For some reason, I’m just allergic to these story elements.
But then… the spy stuff was more character-driven than MacGuffin-driven, there was a very Clue-esque house party, and our hero James was such a Himbo spy that… I was having a good time? The best part was how well the spy stuff tied into the romance plot; way that James was outgrowing the facade he’d created as an agent, and the way Catherine was rediscovering, even growing into, herself.
And then this story hit me with my favourite word: Epistolary. Just imagine how I felt when I read this sentence:
“James sent Enfield out to buy foolscap, quills, and plenty of ink. He suspected he was going to need supplies for a long epistolary siege.”
Epistolary. Siege. Oh yes 🥰🥰
Ultimately, this was such a uniquely paced romance plot. It wasn’t friends to lovers, it was more like lovers to friends? Everything was so backwards that I never knew what to expect and by the end, I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
I have to—this book was just so unexpected. As romance readers, we see a series called The Lovelocks of London, with three Miss Lovelock sisters, and we know what’s up.
But there’s four books in the series. And the math wasn’t mathing… a long lost sister, perhaps? Nope! Book two is about Mrs. Catherine Lovelock, their widowed mother. And that’s how this book hooked me.
This age gap was 🔥 and I loved the characterization of this heroine. I love that she was 45 (and our hero was 28). I love that she had a biological daughter ‘out’ and two stepdaughters married (in the prequel and book one). But mostly, I love that Catherine was equal parts mother and very hot romance heroine—all at once.
Ngl, the moment I read the stolen naval plans prologue, I’d mentally downgraded this book to four star territory. Spy stuff? Schemes to retrieve objects? For some reason, I’m just allergic to these story elements.
But then… the spy stuff was more character-driven than MacGuffin-driven, there was a very Clue-esque house party, and our hero James was such a Himbo spy that… I was having a good time? The best part was how well the spy stuff tied into the romance plot; way that James was outgrowing the facade he’d created as an agent, and the way Catherine was rediscovering, even growing into, herself.
And then this story hit me with my favourite word: Epistolary. Just imagine how I felt when I read this sentence:
“James sent Enfield out to buy foolscap, quills, and plenty of ink. He suspected he was going to need supplies for a long epistolary siege.”
Epistolary. Siege. Oh yes 🥰🥰
Ultimately, this was such a uniquely paced romance plot. It wasn’t friends to lovers, it was more like lovers to friends? Everything was so backwards that I never knew what to expect and by the end, I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
April 8, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Readable, enjoyed it, or even loved it. Would recommend to someone who likes the genre.
Love this series so far! There were a few things in this book that fell a little flat for me, specifically the issues that the MFC faces individually. It didn’t quite make sense to me, but the rest was really fun. Refreshing to see no miscommunication trope, even though there was plenty of opportunity for it!
Love this series so far! There were a few things in this book that fell a little flat for me, specifically the issues that the MFC faces individually. It didn’t quite make sense to me, but the rest was really fun. Refreshing to see no miscommunication trope, even though there was plenty of opportunity for it!
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