In this stunning debut, Essex blends spellbinding passion, intrigue, adventure, and beautifully crafted details of the Georgian era into a historic...
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reviews
Apr 29, 2011
Tahlia
rated it: 
The writing was supurb, the characters gutsy and adorable, the story interesting and full of surprises, so much so that I'm reading it again. Yes, I really loved this book and I will be looking for more from this author. I love the cover too. It says romance, but it's more subtle and creative than the durth of naked torsos that adorm a lot of romance covers.
I got this free from Amazon. I would never have bought it, even though the story sounded interesting, because I don't read straigh More...
I got this free from Amazon. I would never have bought it, even though the story sounded interesting, because I don't read straigh More...
Feb 06, 2011
Laura
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 23, 2011
Helena
rated it:
‘In Pursuit of Pleasure’ by Elizabeth Essex is an aptly titled scorching tale of love, lust, betrayal and intrigue in the faltering British Empire’s struggle against Revolutionary France. Essex captures a sensual exploration by two people from childhood to marriage in this novel about Jameson and Lizzie.
British Captain Jameson (Jamie) Marlowe needs a wife and then to die. And his lifelong friend, Lizzie Paxton is happy to oblige. Contrarian and supremely confident, Lizzie Paxton has wante More...
British Captain Jameson (Jamie) Marlowe needs a wife and then to die. And his lifelong friend, Lizzie Paxton is happy to oblige. Contrarian and supremely confident, Lizzie Paxton has wante More...
Dec 03, 2010
Jane
rated it:
3 ½ stars. I enjoyed the heroine doing unexpected things. Nearby smuggling creates danger.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
It’s different and enjoyable with some freshness. This is not a formulaic romance. Lizzie is strong, independent and intelligent. She does not do what others (including the reader) expect her to do. I liked what she did. I enjoyed her anger and plans for revenge. I liked her conversations with others when they were lying to her and she knew it (and they knew she More...
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
It’s different and enjoyable with some freshness. This is not a formulaic romance. Lizzie is strong, independent and intelligent. She does not do what others (including the reader) expect her to do. I liked what she did. I enjoyed her anger and plans for revenge. I liked her conversations with others when they were lying to her and she knew it (and they knew she More...
9 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Jul 06, 2011
Diana (Random Pabulum)
rated it: 
When I was thirteen, I used to "borrow" my mom's romance novels and read them without her knowing. Elizabeth Essex's The Pursuit of Pleasure would've definitely been one of those novels. It would've spoken to me at the time because it is that poorly written.
The writing was amateurish, choppy, and awkward. Not awkward situations, but awkwardly situated. The premise is that Lizzie Paxton, daughter of Squire Paxton, is keen on gaining her independence. Her views are not c More...
The writing was amateurish, choppy, and awkward. Not awkward situations, but awkwardly situated. The premise is that Lizzie Paxton, daughter of Squire Paxton, is keen on gaining her independence. Her views are not c More...
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 29, 2011
KaysieLynne
rated it:
I haven't read a true romance book in quite sometime, and this book satisfied me. I fell in love with Lizzie; she was smart, spunky, sexy and very independent. Jamie was her perfect match, able to keep up with Lizzie's wit while showing her she actually needed someone to depend on... So long as he was willing ti her be herself.
I really went the gambit of emotions with book. Laughing with Jamie & Lizzie's banter with one another. Crying when they said goodbye. Suspicion of the employees More...
I really went the gambit of emotions with book. Laughing with Jamie & Lizzie's banter with one another. Crying when they said goodbye. Suspicion of the employees More...
Oct 17, 2011
Lori
rated it:
Eh... wish I could say more about this book, because it has real potential. It just got half-baked and over-steamed by an author and publisher determined to crank out smut without any regard to readers or stories. Hey, if we give them enough eye candy and lots of steam and angst, who needs a true plot?
Lizzie and James are childhood friends who get caught playing "doctor" as curious early-teens will do. Except that Lizzie's country squire father doesn't approve of James' no More...
Lizzie and James are childhood friends who get caught playing "doctor" as curious early-teens will do. Except that Lizzie's country squire father doesn't approve of James' no More...
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Feb 18, 2011
Kristen
rated it: 
When I saw that The Pursuit of Pleasure by Elizabeth Essex was free on Amazon for my Kindle, I downloaded it thinking that it would be a guilty pleasure type of romance. What I got was better than I expected.
The story is set in 17th century England and starts out with two people, Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Jamie entering into a marriage of convenience. He wanted to secure his property while he was away on a naval mission and she wants some independence to live the way she chooses. The st More...
The story is set in 17th century England and starts out with two people, Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Jamie entering into a marriage of convenience. He wanted to secure his property while he was away on a naval mission and she wants some independence to live the way she chooses. The st More...
Dec 02, 2010
Joy
rated it:
Easily the best romance I read this week, maybe this month. When Miss Elizabeth Paxton claims to want to be a widow in order to live independently, her childhood friend Captain James Marlowe proposes to her since, he says, he is likely to die on duty in the Royal Navy. It's hard to do this review justice without giving away spoilers, but if you like angsty romance or romance where the hero and heroine are childhood friends, this is the book for you. The heroine is seriously kick-ass, and once sh
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Feb 24, 2011
CoffeeTimeRomance
rated it:
I did not quite know what to expect after reading the blurb regarding this novel. What was presented as a rather typical “old friends concoct a marriage of convenience that is not” plot turned out to be quite unique. The plot is complex and gripping, fun, suspenseful and emotionally charged by turns. Lizzie is a great character, brave and inventive; she is able to overcome pretty much all of the circumstances thrust upon her. Jamie is less likable for all of his ideals and noble mission. He lets
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May 02, 2011
Kimberly
rated it: 
Essex is clearly inspired by the natural world and it seeps into her writing by depicting Lizzies and Jamie as animals, whose pleasure is instinctual. The novel overall would have been more successful if the dialect was kept tighter and more restrained to suit the victorian era in which Essex dances in. The increased pressure of the language would have made Lizzie's rebellion more amazing and also more difficult, a struggle in which can be appreciated more deeply. The romance in the novel was in
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Nov 28, 2010
Elisa
rated it:
A really terrific read! I'm a serious Regency fan, and happened to be reading an ARC of this while also re-reading Sense and Sensibility, and The Pursuit of Pleasure held its own. Essex knows the period down to brass tacks, and has a wonderful, smart, sensual style. If you're a fan of Joanna Bourne, Sherry Thomas, and Meredith Duran, you'll feel at home here.
I loved the central romance--it had terrific physicality (not just the sex, but the way the hero and heroine moved and interac More...
I loved the central romance--it had terrific physicality (not just the sex, but the way the hero and heroine moved and interac More...
Apr 17, 2011
Mara
rated it:
While the sex scenes are sizzling, Marlowe treats Lizzie quite callously, and his patronizing attitude toward her is infuriating, even if it's period-accurate. Their surprise at falling in love is implausible given their lifelong mutual obsession; both author and characters seem to have confused lust and love.
This is a very accurate quote from the product description on Amazon.
Given that this is a classic romance book (not an historical fact-checked novel), Marlowe attitude is More...
Jan 24, 2011
Bird
rated it:
Yep, here I am, being Negative Nelly again. I wanted to like this one. I was excited to start reading it when it arrived. Then I was very annoyed by the first chapter, and while it improved slightly, it was still a disappointing read.
It was a childhood-friends-turned-lovers storyline, which I've discovered I really enjoy. I think it's fun to see a couple that has an actual history already to build on, rather than falling madly in love as soon as they set eyes on each other. The More...
It was a childhood-friends-turned-lovers storyline, which I've discovered I really enjoy. I think it's fun to see a couple that has an actual history already to build on, rather than falling madly in love as soon as they set eyes on each other. The More...
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Jun 12, 2011
Booklover1335
rated it:
There are parts of this story that I really loved (and some even made me cry), and other parts that I just didn't care for(all of the purple prose was way too much). I have mixed emotions about this book. It does have some redeeming qualities, but didn't care for the ending, and there were some loose ends that really bothered me, which is why I didn't end up reading the second book The Sense of Sin even though I had it on my bookshelves. And for a Brava romance, this book this was shockingly
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Jul 16, 2011
Tammy
rated it:
Don't let the synopsis fool you --- this book is MUCH better. :)
I'd never heard of Elizabeth Essex before, but once I saw the cover I lusted after it. I downloaded a Kindle sample and liked it. Then I bought the book and loved it.
What sounded like a couple of tried and true romance tropes -- "marriage-of-convenience" mixed with "childhood friends to lovers" became so much more in the hands of this author. The period setting (1794 during the Frenc More...
I'd never heard of Elizabeth Essex before, but once I saw the cover I lusted after it. I downloaded a Kindle sample and liked it. Then I bought the book and loved it.
What sounded like a couple of tried and true romance tropes -- "marriage-of-convenience" mixed with "childhood friends to lovers" became so much more in the hands of this author. The period setting (1794 during the Frenc More...
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(5 people liked it)
Aug 06, 2011
Alycia
rated it:
I was pleasantly surprised with Elizabeth Essex's debut novel, I really did enjoy it and recommend it to others who like historical romance with a complete story.
Lizzie Paxton wants freedom. Freedom to do what she wants, by herself even though she is a privileged woman. She wants to be a widow. To have the freedom and security without having to deal with a man. Captain James Marlowe (Jamie), a life long friend of Lizzie's over hears this and cannot help but offer her the proposition More...
Lizzie Paxton wants freedom. Freedom to do what she wants, by herself even though she is a privileged woman. She wants to be a widow. To have the freedom and security without having to deal with a man. Captain James Marlowe (Jamie), a life long friend of Lizzie's over hears this and cannot help but offer her the proposition More...
8 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Feb 27, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
Overall, I liked this book. That said, I have to admit that there was a point where I put down the book (not because anything happened exactly, but just because I had other things to do or something) and I had a really, really hard time picking it back up again.
See, there's this thing that happens. Oh, look. I guess that thing I said in the paragraph above about nothing exactly happening was a lie. It is a thing that happens that made me all mopey with the book. Anyway. There's More...
See, there's this thing that happens. Oh, look. I guess that thing I said in the paragraph above about nothing exactly happening was a lie. It is a thing that happens that made me all mopey with the book. Anyway. There's More...
Feb 01, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
3 1/2 stars.
I won this book through Goodreads. I was very excited to receive this book as I love regency romance, but I found after reading it, I am torn on how to rate it. This is the story of Lizzie and Jamie. They were were childhood friends who later became lovers. Lizzie is very outspoken and independent minded. When Jamie offers her a marriage in name only, where she can have the independence that she's always wanted, she accepts. The smuggling storyline is intriguing, but becaus More...
I won this book through Goodreads. I was very excited to receive this book as I love regency romance, but I found after reading it, I am torn on how to rate it. This is the story of Lizzie and Jamie. They were were childhood friends who later became lovers. Lizzie is very outspoken and independent minded. When Jamie offers her a marriage in name only, where she can have the independence that she's always wanted, she accepts. The smuggling storyline is intriguing, but becaus More...
Dec 31, 2010
Lori
rated it:
I foundthere were frequent phrases that were totally overused, such as describing the heroine's brow as "her marmalade brow" so often I wondered seriously about the editing. Then, as quickly as it began, her brow was never mentioned again after about p 50. And the author found a new phrase to repeat.
I found the smuggling storyline to be good but not anything special. The book did improve after the first few chapters, but it still was quite average, IMO.
I found the smuggling storyline to be good but not anything special. The book did improve after the first few chapters, but it still was quite average, IMO.
Apr 14, 2011
Kenna
rated it:
This was a good book. I would like to read more on this author. I would also have liked more background on the couple in this story. They had a history and we hear about it in little snippets. I think that it would have been much better to start at the beginning of their knowing each other and then going fast forward to where the story starts. Otherwise, I will be reading more from this author.
Mar 04, 2011
Noelle
rated it:
I really wanted to like this book. It had everything in it that would usually make a keeper but it just fell short.
Jamie (H) has returned from the Navy though he's still enlisted, and has a secret mission to acomplish.To do this he plans to use Lizzie (h), a childhood sweetheart who's father forced him at the age of 14 into the Navy to get him away from his daughter. He offers Lizzie a marraige of conv., telling her that he's going right back to war and will probably die and he wants More...
Jamie (H) has returned from the Navy though he's still enlisted, and has a secret mission to acomplish.To do this he plans to use Lizzie (h), a childhood sweetheart who's father forced him at the age of 14 into the Navy to get him away from his daughter. He offers Lizzie a marraige of conv., telling her that he's going right back to war and will probably die and he wants More...
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Nov 30, 2011
Hava
rated it:
I'm embarrassed to even admit I read this book, but I did. Sometimes I just get in the mood for a no-brainer romance book, and quite frankly, this was it. Elizabeth Essex still has a lot of work to do on her writing style - I have no clue how long she's been writing, but this reads like a first or second book. It was just so...blah.
Jan 29, 2011
Rebecca (everyday reader)
rated it:
I won this book from a giveaway here on goodreads. This is a good first novel from an up-and-coming author. The writing is full of vivid imagery, which makes it easy to see the world that Essex created. Lizzie and Jamie have loved each other since childhood, though neither really understood their feelings, but circumstances tore them apart for ten years. Finding each other again, deciding to marry, and him 'suppposedly' leaving for war again takes place within a few days. This story is full of i
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Apr 04, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
Although it was free (for my kindle), which helped, there really isn't any plot. It feels like it should either be a harlequin romance or a romance-drive-mystery, but in the end it really isn't either. I was interested enough to read the whole thing, but it really isn't good by any means.
Dec 29, 2011
Jackie
rated it:
This historical romance began well, but dull characterizations, plot that didn't make sense, and sex scenes that seemed tonally at odds with the story made the book go downhill fast.
Dec 18, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
Another free read on the kindle. This historical romance was fun and sexy. The heroin is a strong character who always speaks her mind and is constantly causing trouble.
Apr 10, 2011
Terri
rated it:
This book was a freebie, from Amazon. It was good for a freebie. If you have nothing to read and were really board, I'd recommend downloading this one.
Mar 04, 2011
Allison
rated it:
Lots of skimming done in this book I have to admit. Sure there were some funny parts and a little action and romance but overall just ho hum.
Dec 19, 2011
Monica
rated it:
i really liked the story line of this book. lizzie was quite funny about her expectations about what kind of marriage she thought she would be happy with....little did she know that she really loved jamie.
