(Courtesan Trilogy #1)
352 Pages
From Goodreads: Scandal Is Only The Beginning...
Charlotte Fallon let her guarded virtue fall once-and she's paid dearly for it ever since. She swore she'd never succumb to men's desires again. But even a village spinster's life miles from temptation can't save her from a sister with no shame whatsoever. Or a heart that longs for more, whatever the cost...
Sir Michael Bayard found more than he expected in his bed when he finally joined his new mistress. He'd fantasized about her dewy skin and luscious curves, assured her understanding that what passed between them was mere dalliance. But he didn't expect the innocence and heat of her response in his arms. Nor her surprisingly sharp tongue once she was out of them... A few days of abandon cannot undo the hard-learned lessons of a lifetime. Nor can an honest passion burn away the restraints of society's judgments. Unless, of course, one believes in nonsense like true love...
This book starts quickly, Charlotte or Charlie is with her sister Deborah in Bayard's home. Deborah is Bayard's mistress and has decided to run off and get married (while taking everything Bayard bought for her of course). Charlie is to wait for Bayard's return and break the news to him. She has done this before and is weary of the situation so she decides to have a drink and ends up falling asleep in Deborah's bed. She wakes up to find that Bayard has returned and has confused her with her sister.... and he is naked. What a great set up! I thought this was pretty funny, I was smiling like crazy while reading. She tries to tell him but her body has other ideas and she gives in to desire. Afterwards she goes into "spinster mode" again and tells him where Deborah has gone and who she is (I should mention that the two sisters look a lot alike) but Bayard refuses to let her go. Why you may ask? Well it seems that Deborah in her haste to pack up and leave has taken a family heirloom that had once belonged to his recently deceased grandmother (whom he had adored) and the necklace was priceless. No she simply cannot go, she will stay until he gets his necklace back, afterall what if Charlie was in on this heist? I loved the interactions between these two, she is an anti-scandalous spinster who has cats and wears ugly caps on her beautiful hair and he is a bachelor who owns a house on a infamous street where mistresses are kept. Charlie's character irked me at times because it was obvious she enjoyed Bayard's ah *company* but she still refused to stay or admit she liked him. Come on Charlie, you aren't fooling anyone! Bayard's character was a lot more fun to read, he isn't haughty or snobby, he treats his servants well and is respectful to Charlie considering he thinks she helped steal from him. These two fall for eachother gradually, and again Charlie's stubborness made me roll my eyes. He practically lays everything out for her and yet she still hesistates. Maybe I just like reading Romance with the two characters head over heels for each other, it was an interesting change and it added more depth to the story. Bayard has been married once, to a woman who also looks like the two Fallon sisters, she comes back into the picture only to raise hell. What a horrible woman she is, and she does even more horrible things to him. I really cannot say how much I hated her character. I think she got off lightly in the end, she really deserved some harsh punishment. Other than that the ending was sweet and happy and full of love.... the best kind of ending!
I give this book 3.5 owls!
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