Lieutenant Michael Thorpe is a forbidden temptation for Lady Hannah Chesterfield. Etiquette demands Hannah ignore the shivers of desire his wicked gaze provokes, but he's the only man to recognize her restless spirit, and her unawakened body is clamoring for his touch ...
TO PASSIONATE PRINCESS!
Thrown together by scandal, a defiant Hannah joins Michael on an adventure to uncover the secret of his birth --- is this common soldier really a prince? If so, will the ordinary man who has taught Hannah the meaning of pleasure now make her his royal bride?
Rita® Award Finalist Michelle Willingham has published over fifty books and novellas. Currently, she lives in Virginia with her family and is working on more historical romance novels. When she's not writing, Michelle enjoys baking, playing the piano, and avoiding exercise at all costs. Visit her website at: www.michellewillingham.com or interact with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans.
This is only my 12th book by Michelle Willingham. I read 4 of her books in 2016, 2 in 2017 and 1 in 2019 but don't remember them and wasn't taking personal notes or leaving reviews then so I have no idea what I thought of them. I can say, I must of liked her because if I don't like a book, I certainly wouldn't have gotten more. I picked up The School for Spinsters series in 2023 and really liked it a lot so thought I'd read more by her. I ran across this series and after my normal research, I saw that Book 1 originally came out in 2009 and was book 2 in the same series with the same name and this book originally came out in 2010. I saw on her website it says that these are a reprint.
I liked Michael and Hannah's story. It had good depth. I liked the storyline. Overall it was a good read.
It's not a bad Regency Romance, it just didn't really catch my attention, and it was a bit convoluted.
Hannah is the daughter of a Marquee and expected to make a very advantageous match. At a ball she is kidnapped by a Baron (presumably so he could take her off and ravish her forcing her into marriage, but that really wasn't explained, although he did admit to wanting to marry "up"). Hannah is saved by Lieutenant Michael Thorpe, an officer in the Royal Army. He is away from war healing from a wound and is soon meant to ship back. He has had his eye on Hannah for awhile, but knows that he is beneath her in status and therefore they can never be. He heroically saves her from the crazy Baron, but then Hannah becomes sick and they end up staying out hours before he can return her to her house. This of course causes her to be compromised even though NOTHING happened (besides a kiss) and her parents try to force her into marrying the Baron so that he won't tell of her "ruination."
WHAT THE HELL PARENTS?! The Baron then tries to molest Hannah AGAIN and she escapes with a little help from Michael. Hannah's dad then decides to send her off to relatives in Germany to wait out the scandal and hopefully find a spouse there. The Baron is, thankfully, no longer in the picture at this point.
Meanwhile there is this whole thing with Michael maybe being the son of the King of a (made up) country near Germany, and Hannah and him coincidently end up on the ship over there together.
Angst ensues. Parentages are figured out. True love prevails.
Story of brothers switched (at age of three) might have been more enjoyable if characters felt more authentic. Heroine in particular was problematic for me, veering wildly from 'priggish and obedient' to 'uninhibited and no slave to convention' (willing to be a mistress, because then hero might eventually want to marry her - gag) and back again, finally settling on resisting all advice, apparently so that she can wear whatever garish clothes she wants. Almost didn't finish, because the fates of these characters was really not all that interesting to me.
If you like over-the-top romances, heavy on the improbable dilemmas and villains who do everything short of twirling their moustaches as they bedevil the romantic leads, this book's for you.
Sadly, I found myself more irked at the wildly uneven characterization and implausible obstacles than truly engaged in Michael's and Hannah's relationship. That said, Michael's an appealing hero with a boatload of angst and a rising tide of mystery on which it will float throughout the book. The book begins in Victorian London with a cardboard villain who's too easily vanquished while Hannah's parents vacillate between horrifically abusive/controlling and completely disengaged. A bit too much is made of Michael's lower-class background (but he went to Eton so don't worry, he only feels he doesn't fit in) before a mysterious foreigner drops in to suggest that maybe Michael is the true prince stolen away from random made-up central European tiny kingdom.
Michael and Hannah fall into each other's arms over and over throughout the book but, as I said, I wasn't greatly engaged by their love story. Neither character is unlikeable but their dilemmas are so ludicrous and their opponents so villainous that I found it difficult to really believe in their problems enough to care about their happily ever after.
While I enjoyed this book, several times I had to be sure that I was on another page. Several pages overlapped by giving the same detail verbatim. Michael Thorpe was a lieutenant and a forbidden temptation to Lady Hannah. Lady Hannah was a Marquis daughter and as such was expected to live by the list of her mother. Her life was so dictated that her mother would measure her waist daily and never allowed her to eat many sweets.
Michael and Hannah met at a ball hosted by her parents. Lady Hannah was put in a compromising position when one of the men from the ball kidnapped her so that he could force her to marry. Michael located Hannah and her captor and ensued a scandal throughout London. Hannah’s parents sent her to Germany to live with her cousins.
Unbeknownst to Hannah and Michael, Michael was kidnapped as a toddler and is actually in line to the Throne. I really liked the changeling Prince part of the story as it created some suspense. However, the characters didn't seem genuine and the story lacked substance. Overall, it was an easy and relaxing read.
This author thinks I'm stupid. She keeps explaining everything very clearly and then repeating those explanations on every other page. Many thoughts and feelings of the characters were obvious from the dialogue (or could have been made clear with better dialogue), but the author still insists on describing them over and over again. By page 10 I knew that the hero didn't think he was worhy of the heroine, but I had to read an analysis of this fact even around page 250. This combined with some hilarious descriptions of the more sensual parts of the story made the book a bit of a painfull read.
Still, I can't say I expected much anyway. This is a harlequin historical, after all. The plot is silly, but I like a little silly in my life sometimes. And to the credit of the author, I never guessed who the villain of the story was.
I really doesn't take much to impress those of us who undeniably love reading Harelquin especially the historical romances.... however, I would think that a better story could be told out of the plot given in this book.... The writing was so repetitive, that I imagined the editor just fell asleep and approved everything.... Beyond all the repeating of.... well... everything, the characters had no depth, no "realness" to them at all. I really think this story had a potential to be a really great regency novel, but it fell short, by a lot.... I give it 2 starts because I actually could force myself to read it to the end and not vomit and... it didn't take long to read.
I really liked this one! It was clear through the whole book that Michael only wanted to do what was best for Hannah no matter what it was that he wanted for himself. He let her make all the important decisions which was especially wonderful given how she'd grown up under everyone else's thumb. The story had fantastic pacing and the romance/love felt genuine. This series has turned out to be really great so far. I believe this is the second book of it, though each book stands on it's own.
I really liked this book. I didn't think I would. It was a light read, but well written, with engaging characters. While the circumstances got a bit absurd, the characters didn't. I would not stop reading this book until I was finished.
First of all the plot makes very little sense. Like 10 minutes into the book the fl and ml were like touching each other. MIND YOU they don’t know each other like that yet. Then she loses her necklace and is kidnapped by this guy and has like a migraine and collapse. If I go through all the points this would probably be as long as this stupid book so im going to talk about all the conflicts of which there are TOO MANY.
1) kidnapped by the baron dude She gets kidnapped then the ml comes to save her and they get caught in a compromising position. Since the ml is a soldier and she is a noble this is rlly bad. The baron says “marry me or ill spread rumors” and her and ml beat him up then nothing ever happens???? Like her parents were forcing her to marry her but after she said what she had been saying this whole time they just decide to leave it? Also she has brothers who could have helped her and she didnt even need to marry the baron in the first place
2) the male lead is the prince This is probably the stupidest plot point of all. So the ml got kidnapped from the palace when he was 3 and moved to london. Idk if the author has never met a 3 year old but they cant talk fluently. This makes absolutely no sense because fl tells him that hes been speaking in the other language fluently in his sleep. MIND YOU his adopted parents were english and noone ever spoke to him in this language for 23 years!! So how does he know how to speak it fluently after two days and only having a 3 years old’s knowledge of the language idk. Another think that doesnt make sense is that they say he looks exactly like the king unlike his half brother the crowned prince and if he got switched when he was 3, how tf did noone notice???? A newborn baby makes sense but a 3 year old has a personality and look. Unless he had a twin it would make literally no sense y they would think he looks the same and say the queen was crazy for thinking different, 3) the romance The romance is so ass in this bro. First it started when they first met each other, she didnt know his name or anything. Then when he got her after the baron kidnapped her and she was passed out, the first thing he thought was how he wanted to fck her not how can i get her to safety? Which is predatory but what ever. They do this very long drawn out thing to say something simple: he is a soldier and cant marry her cause he thinks she isnt good for him and she wants a good future but cant get him out of her head. Also after the first smut scene he put pillows up as a barrier and i was like whats the point???
?) the monarchy/court/kingdom The ambassador to this country was like “micheal looks sm like the prince that must be his son!” Then took him back to the country where they almost died twice with no clue if his hypothesis was true. Then the fl told the crowned prince tht he would make a great advisor to ml which tf you mean he would make a better king because he actually knows how to rule?? Micheal is just some guy omg😭. Then towards the end the king was like “you would be a bad princess you dont know what it is to rule” and im like neither does micheal??????? Wtf and if this was real life they would all die and the country would erupt into chaos because there all stupid!!!!
TLDR: If you like fairytales, instant love, slow paced plot, vaguely historical romance youll probably love this. If you like work that makes sense you probably wont. Main characters are insufferable and there are so many plot holes it could be mistaken for swiss cheese. Read anything else.
I have read a couple of Michelle Willingham's Viking novels but never any of her Victorian ones so I didn't know what to expect when I started this, especially since I've been a bit hit or miss with M&B Historicals in the past.
This book started a little slow but after a couple of chapters it really got going. Hannah seemed to epitomise the true Victorian girl with her morals and innocence and I loved the way she evolved throughout the book. Michael was also a good character - I love a brooding man! Together they had good, if not explosive chemistry, and interesting interactions.
The plot really kept my attention and was far-fetched but not so ridiculous that you couldn't get behind it. I felt it really flowed and once I got into the book I really enjoyed it.
If you're looking for a page-turning historical romance with interesting characters then I don't think you'll be disappointed with this book. 4 stars.
I'm a sucker for intrigue and spicy scenes mixed together in a book. I felt a little lost in the beginning, I actually didn't connect that Hannah is Stephen's (from book 1) sister. I figured it out right away but didn't do the connection from the description. Their chemistry is very exciting, even right in the first chapter. The forbidden love thing is also, of course, very romantic. The journey they go through is exciting and so many puzzle pieces that don't quite go together until almost the end. I did not guess who the bad guy was at all so I think that was done very well.
Michael and Hanna meet for the first time at a ball, only to find themselves drawn to each other even though society says they can't belong together. Adventures await them both, but what happens...Read on to find out. Loved this book and Michelle Willingham has a way with words to keep you gripped in the story. Way to go!!!
Audio. Most all of a writer's weaknesses are readily apparent when you listen to his/her work. In this case, a fairly typical historical romance taking place in one of those hilarious made-up kingdoms. Having said that, it was okay...
Enjoyed this one, I’m between 3 and 4 stars. My biggest issues was the repetitive descriptions. Followed by hero ruining the heroine without offering to marry her. Otherwise the plot was entertaining. I was convinced for a while the hero was merely the “spare” prince.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Not a fan of books where the female self pleasures herself and when there is so much focus on focus on the male seeing her under himself than the story of a relationship. I couldn't finish the book due to the direction this book was headed.
Ich bin bisher sehr verwöhnt worden von der Autorin. Ihre Secrets in Silk Reihe gehört zu meinen absoluten Lieblingen in diesem Genre. Leider konnte mich dieser Roman nicht so begeistern.
Die Handlung war an sich für einen historischen Liebesroman interessant, aber nichts besonderes. Hier spielen historische Einzelheiten weniger eine Rolle als der historische Flair und die Liebesgeschichte an sich. Das finde ich grundsätzlich aber gut bei Liebesromanen. Michaels Vergangenheit ist von Anfang an ein großes Thema. Nach und nach zeigt sich das deutlich mehr hinter seinem Charakter steckt als der einfache Soldat. Michael selbst tappt genauso im Dunkeln wie der Leser. Die Aufdeckung dieser Geheimnisse, macht neben der Liebesgeschichte dann den Hauptteil der Handlung aus. Die Handlung verlief aber sehr linear und vorhersehbar. Das hätte man geschickter und spannender gestalten können. Michael und Hannah treffen sich recht früh in der Handlung, was mir gut gefiel. Ich mag es wenn die Geschichten direkt anfangen und auch die Eröffnungsszene 'Ballsaal' finde ich immer wieder sehr ansprechend. Hier treffen die beiden also zusammen und man merkt gleich die Anziehungskraft zwischen den beiden. Leider wird dann aber im Roman vieles in die Länge gezogen, es wird kaum etwas der Fantasy oder der logischen Schlussfolgerung des Lesers überlassen. Dadurch zog es sich stellenweise und war kaum spannend.
Die Charakter waren bis auf Michael nicht sehr sympathisch. Hannah war zwar nett, aber wirkte doch sehr naiv. Das besserte sich aber im Laufe der Geschichte ein wenig. Die meisten Nebencharaktere waren eher unangenehm. Die Art und Weise wie Hannahs Eltern auf bestimmte Sachen reagierten, fand ich sehr merkwürdig und widersprüchlich. Sobald sich Hannah von ihnen entfernte und ihre eigenen Entscheidungen treffen konnte, wurde auch ihr Verhalten etwas angemessener, aber für meinen Geschmack war sie dann schon wieder zu aufmüpfig und selbstsicher, wo sie vorher doch alles getan hat, was man ihr sagte. Aber ich vermeide es generell die Handlung von hist. Liebesromanen zu sehr zu hinterfragen bzw. auseinander zu nehmen. Vom Gefühl her passte hier aber leider vieles nicht. Michael dagegen war ein sehr angenehmer und interessanter Charakter. Er ist kein Macho, aber auch kein Weichei – genau die richtige Mischung. Er genießt es natürlich Hannah in Sachen Lebens(und Liebes)erfahrung deutlich voraus zu sein und nach und nach an seinem Wissen teilhaben zu lassen. Trotzdem kommt er nie als Wüstling oder herablassend herüber.
Die Liebesgeschichte an sich war aber sehr schön. Hannah hatte 'natürlich' von nichts eine Ahnung und wurde von Michael dann langsam in alles eingeführt. Die erotischen Szenen waren wirklich sehr gut geschrieben im Vergleich zu vielen anderen Romanen dieses Genres. Da erkannte ich dann auch den Schreibstil wieder, den ich in der Secrets in Silk Reihe so geliebt hatte. Das Buch kommt ohne Obszönitäten aus, aber leider nicht ohne schwülstige und überzogene Ausdrücke. In wie weit das der Übersetzung verschuldet ist oder auch im Original so vorhanden ist, kann ich nicht sagen. Das ganze wurde aber durch die wirklichen schönen erotischen Szenen und die Chemie zwischen den beiden Hauptcharakteren wieder gut gemacht.
*Fazit:* 3 von 5 Sternen Alles in allem ist „Lady Chesterfields Versuchung“ ein durchschnittlicher Liebesroman mit einer fast märchenhaften Grundhandlung. Die Handlung war sehr linear und hätte etwas mehr Pepp gebrauchen können. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden Hauptcharakteren stimmte und die erotischen Szenen waren sehr gut geschrieben.
An enjoyable historical romance with well fleshed out characters and not only romance, but intrigue and danger in the story as well. Military officer Michael Thorpe is drawn to Lady Hannah but knows she’s far above his reach. Lady Hannah knows what is expected of her, to make an advantageous match with someone of wealth and rank, neither of which the lowly Lieutenant has, even though she feels an undeniable attraction to him. After the ambassador of a small European country approaches him with outlandish claims that he resembles his king, the ambassador arranges for Michael to be assigned by his military commander to travel with him to his country. On this trip, Lady Hannah is also accompanying the ambassador, since he’s escorting her to visit her cousins in Germany. This sets the stage for romantic encounters, assassination attempts, a flight by horseback, a search for the truth of Michael’s real identity, and a struggle to discover just what both Michael and Hannah truly want most for themselves. The discovery of the villain of the story was a surprise and led to a satisfactory conclusion for everyone – except the villain of course.
In an era when everything was forbidden and a lady should behave as expected, Hannah, Lady Chesterfield, was a young woman ready to rebel. Lists were guiding her life and etiquette dictated her behavior however, Lieutenant Michael Thorpe is her forbidden temptation and deepest desire. Michael Thorpe, an officer of poor upbringing, was temped by Hannah and few times, he allowed himself to taste the forbidden fruit. Their romance starts to grow when Michael's unknown past catches up with him and they both start the adventure of their life that will change them forever. I loved how their love story started and developed and I was disappointed to see that both have had feelings of being inadequate. I reminded myself that I am judging their actions through the eyes of a 21st century person and not 19th century. How many of us though, life life even today because they feel inadequate. I loved the changeling prince idea from a small kingdom.
In the end they both got the happy ending they craved.
I give this book three out five stars for being an entertaining read with appealing protagonists. What I liked about the book: 1) The main characters were well defined and endearing. Hannah was a woman learning how to run her own life, and Michael was a strong-minded officer. They were a lovely match each bringing out the best in the other. 2) I liked the whole Changeling Prince part of the story; it added nice conflict and some fun action and suspenseful moments. 3) My favorite bodice ripper moment was some very un-lady like “activity” when Michael helped Hannah out of a dress she despised.
What I didn’t like about the book: 1) Hannah was confused about whether to wed her Changeling Prince. Her mother failed her obviously because every woman knows when the man you are madly in love with asks you to be his princess the answer is yes. How on earth could she be waffling on that? Big dummy.
The thing that annoyed me in this book was Hannah's behavior. I really don't think she wold have let Michael take her so freely. She was from a very strict family, where rules were very important, and I realize that she felt constricted. BUT, I just don't think she would have let herself be seduced so easily. I think it would of had to take a lot more coaxing, for her to relax enough to actually go through with it. I also don't like how all these romance books seem to be based purely on lust. Their relationships don't talk very much about feelings of the heart, but only of the groin. That is kind of annoying, because then at the end they always say "I love you." But I can't help thinking that that is only lust talking, not love.
I've been in a romance novel mood so I borrowed this one from the library. It was an enjoyable read, despite a sometimes laughable plot.
There was a good idea for a book in here, somewhere, but it was never really executed. That said, I did enjoy the book enough for a three star review because a) The two characters had good chemistry, b) the female lead was pretty awesome in her own right, and c) the sex scenes were pretty well written (better than the rest of the book, at least).
Basically, this book gave me what I wanted: a fun, if implausible, fantasy to escape in for a little bit. It's not a great piece of literature and I've read better romance novels too but it was still entertaining and that's what's most important.
Listen...this author is amazing. This is not one of her better books. It is a little sweet but well written. If you like really romanticized stories with a sweet heroin and a big hunking sexy guy and a little hot sex thrown in, you will like this. It is a light read. Great for a summer day in the swing. I see this book as more for the early 20's kind of girl that is sick of the nastiness of this world. If you want to read something with more depth, read her MacEgan series. She is so inventive with plots and characters. Not all are about young love. Give her a chance...no I am not working for her or related to her.
The Victorian era was very restrictive in how those of the Ton and should comport themselves. Typically, folks did not marry fo love but for greater status, money, and an heir. Marrying outside of your class or beneath your station could ruin a person. Hannah's rebelling against all of the "societal rules " was truly monumental. Michael tried to resist and deny his attraction to Hannah but couldn't, and she tried but failed to keep away from Michael. Their obsession with each other was cute. I appreciate the author giving Hannah a voice and allowing her finally take charge of her own life and happiness.