Helpful Score: 5
Orphaned, Kelsey Langston and her young sister go to live with their aunt and uncle. One night, Kelsey finds her drunken uncle contemplating suicide. He his lost all of the family's money. He convinces Kelsey to sacrifice herself by becoming a rich man's mistress. For the love of her aunt and sister, Kelsey does. Derek Mallory notices an auction going on in one of the gentlemen's clubs he is visiting. A pretty, blushing girl is being auctioned off and the high bidder is Ashton, a known sadist. Unable to let the girl go to such a violent man, he bids on her and wins a mistress. But there is something about this young woman. Her speech and mannerisms are too fine. Surely she isn't a Lady. Derek soon realizes that he enjoys his mistress' company, but trouble is afoot. Ashton doesn't like losing to Derek. He intends to have Kelsey for himself. And he intends on punishing her for not belonging to him.
Helpful Score: 3
Romance write Lindsey stays true to form?and formula?as she continues to chronicle the romantic entanglements of the Malory clan. Set in Regency England, sometime between 1811 and 1820, the latest Malory novel (after Love Me Forever) includes the three stock romantic figures: a Virgin, a Villain and a Rogue. The Virgin is Kelsey Langton, who willingly agrees to be auctioned off in a London whorehouse to pay her uncle's debts and ensure her younger sister a marriageable future. The Rogue is handsome Lord Derek Malory, who plunks down a fortune to make Kelsey his mistress rather than see her bought by the Villain, Lord David Ashford, an insane sadist who takes his sex with a healthy splash of blood. The implausible set-up quickly becomes ludicrous as Malory falls in love with Kelsey, but her unwillingness to reveal her true background prevents a wedding. Malory's ardor for Kelsey is inflamed when Ashford kidnaps her, necessitating a heroic rescue in a grisly dungeon where Kelsey is on the verge of being whipped and mutilated for Ashford's pleasure
Jill P. (booksaregrand) -
Helpful Score: 3
So this is book 5 in the Malory series and I liked it. The villain was a little heinous, but it didn't bother me. Be forewarned though it may bother some people. I liked Derek's story. Kelsey wasn't my favorite heroine, but was still liked. I enjoyed reading more about Derek's father and seeing more of James. However I have to admit that this is the book I look at to mark the point I think the Malory novels started going downhill. I just don't enjoy 6, 7, 8 as much as books 1-5. The first 4 were amazing. All charcters wonderful and perfect in every way. There is just so much lacking in the later novels. I wonder if Lindsey is even writing some of her own books sometimes. I'm reading number 9 now and I am liking it so far and I have high hopes for book 10. All in all I recommend reading all the Malory novels as they are such a wonderful family and series, but after this book the books do start to go downhill.
Helpful Score: 1
I have all her books in hard back but 2, There is nothing better on a rainy night than a warm cosy fire and a Johanna Lidsey Book. They are must reads all of them over and over again.
