TITLE: All Afternoon with a Scandalous Marquess
AUTHOR: Alexandra Hawkins
PUBLICATION DATE: 7/31/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon
BOOK SYNOPSIS: Simon Jefferes, the Marquess of Sainthill, has done the unthinkable–he’s fallen in love. The so-called “Saint” has spent his life gambling, dallying with women, and satisfying his every whim. And he fully intended to continue his wicked ways, until he met the mysterious, exotic, and irresistible Madame Venna–the one woman he can’t have…and the only one he’s ever wanted for more than an evening. The proprietress of the Golden Pearl, one of London’s most exclusive brothels, Madame Venna takes pride in the lush, decadent club she’s created. With a half-mask to conceal her identity, she’s careful to safeguard something even more valuable–her heart. But Saint is determined to tear down the walls she’s built around herself, and to finally expose the truth–that Madame Venna is a woman very much in love…with him.
REVIEW: I have always heard great things about Alexandra Hawkins’ books and this is the first one that I have read in the Lords of Vice series. Saint is the typical playboy who spends most of his time gambling and bedding different women. His friends are getting married and settling down around him while he believes that he will never find a woman that will capture his heart. Madame Venna is the owner of the Golden Pearl, London’s most famous brothel, and does everything in her power to hide her true identity by wearing a mask until the one night that she decides to take Saint to her bed. One night of passion between the two of them leads to intense feelings that neither one of them are able to ignore.
I loved Madame Venna because she came from a horrible childhood and used that pain to become one of the richest and most powerful women in London. She didn’t need help from anyone and she had decided to live her life by her own rules. She also wouldn’t let anyone close to her heart because she wasn’t going to be hurt again and that included Saint. I was very impressed by her character while at other times in this book that I wanted to hit Saint on the head. There is another storyline in this book where Saint becomes acquainted with Madame Venna on the street while she is living as her alter ego. She wasn’t wearing her normal half-mask and he never realized who she was. I couldn’t believe that he slept with her and then he wasn’t able to recognize in the street without her mask.
I liked this book and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the Lords of Vice series. My only complaint with this book would be there was no resolution with Madame Venna and the adoptive family that had caused her so much pain growing up. They always seemed to be trying to blackmail her and destroy what she had built at the Golden Pearl during the course of this story. Towards the end of the book, she had a meeting with someone who was acquainted with them but there was no resolution to that dilemma. I am hoping that this issue would be solved in a future book and not just an oversight by the author.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4 Hearts
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