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Regency London�??s elegant ballrooms mask a daring world of erotic adventure. In this second novel in Gaelen Foley�??s Spicy Trilogy, a mysterious beauty with a devastating secret discovers, in the arms of a bold and fearless cavalry officer, passion that breaks all boundaries. Some say the aristocratic Balfour clan is cursed, a once-great family now in slow decline. Graceful Lily Balfour is her family�??s last hope, and she has come to London with one goal�??to marry a rich man. Her well-laid plans are balked, however, by the irresistible Major Derek Knight, a handsome highborn soldier and adventurer newly returned from India. Hardened by battles on India�??s lawless frontiers, Derek is not just a fighter but a skilled and insatiable lover�??a master of the Eastern arts of pleasure. Though Derek finds no shortage of willing women in London, it is the untouchable, aloof Lily who haunts him. After one stolen moment, he hungers for nights of sensual abandon to fulfill her fantasies and free her from her self-imposed prison. But he has come to England on a vital mission, and when Lily is pledged to a wealthy man suspected of corruption, Derek must thwart the treachery that ensnares them both�??for only then will ecstasy and the sweet promise of her h… (more)
User reviews
It's a fun read, the two characters are fun and witty and interesting and I enjoyed the story about them. Occasionally the story shows strains around the edges but overall it's a good read. Recommended.
Oh, Gaelen Foley. I loved your books so much when I was young. Where has the spark gone, I ask? It must be true that The Spice Trilogy, of which this is the second book, is not up to your usual standards, because while I enjoyed this book, it was lacking the magic. The magic that makes me fall in love with your characters and want to read your books again and again.
I’m not sure where this went wrong. I certainly felt the sparks between the main characters and I did think they comported themselves well in their budding relationship. I loved that Lily’s cousin Pamela wrote novels and that her mother disapproved; I loved the idea of the collapsing Tudor mansion. I think my problem with this novel was the two main characters. Even though Lily is poor, she is still a fairly typical romance novel heroine. Gorgeous, submissive, the usual. She has a secret, but it’s not original or interesting, and doesn’t matter at all when she confesses it to the hero. Derek is big, manly, obsessed with war, the usual. He’s the reformed rake and while I love reformed rake stories, this one wasn’t working for me, possibly because despite the gorgeous women on his arm and in his bed, he never changes much. Their love story didn’t sweep me away.
As I said, this one’s lacking the magic. I loved Gaelen Foley because her romances always seemed a little darker than normal. One of the earlier ones had a rape scene, one featured a female bandit, and so on. This one is just a little ordinary. I think its only redeeming feature is the fact that Lily’s betrothed isn’t actually a bad man, just a desperate one. He was fairly interesting, but not enough to save this one from the “average” shelf. I enjoyed it, but it’s not converting anyone to the genre.
For a truly charming story of poor girl needs to marry rich man, go with How to Marry a Marquis by Julia Quinn.
Lily Balfour is a different kind of heroine. She isn't the virginal miss that so many stories are written about. She has been betrayed and ruined by an unscrupulous man, a married man at that. She was still just a child and I would love to take her mother out and read her the riot act for the way she treated Lily over the incident. In fact Lily’s mother is one of the women that is miserable with her lot in life and is determined to make everyone else miserable as well. I didn't like Lily’s mother in the least. Back to Lily though, it was enjoyable watching the change Lily goes through with Derek. She becomes and confident and loving young woman as they grow closer and closer. She takes chances she probably never contemplated before. Her breaking into Edward’s, her suitor at the beginning of the story, house trying to find proof of what Derek has told her is quite brave, a little stupid but brave none the less. She also shows her ingenuity when she escapes her prison in Edward’s house, fools the guard dog set to watch and then saves Derek from a burning stable. I had to cheer when she finally stood up to her mother and told her off. I like Lily a great deal.
This is a wonderful story of two people wanting to find love and thinking that they never will. Neither is prepared for the attraction they have for each other and the stumble along trying to find their footing. There are funny parts of this story and there are sad parts. Both of these people have been through a great deal. They are both emotionally wounded. It was nice seeing Derek being so patient with Lily when she gets upset. It was great to see Lily understand Derek enough to be able to read his emotions and needs instead of flying off the handle when he bumbles along at times. This is a great read and a great example of the historical romance genre.