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The Harlot (Taskill Witches #1)

by Saskia Walker (Goodreads Author)

3.49 of 5 stars 3.49 · rating details · 193 ratings · 68 reviews

It is a Dark Era, one when a lusty lass will do what she must to survive. Even if it means bartering flesh for a palmful of coins…

Forced to watch her mother burned at the stake and separated from her siblings in the aftermath, Jessie Taskill is similarly gifted, ripe with a powerful magic that must stay hidden. Until one night when she's accused by a rival, and Jessie find...more

Paperback, 329 pages

Published May 24th 2011 by Spice (first published May 18th 2011)

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Aug 02, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Advice to all husbands whose wife's libido has gone down the drain and are experiencing a dry spell: go get this book and give it to your woman NOW.

First off, I should make clear straight away that this is not my usual genre. Or rather it is but slightly less. I do enjoy me some good steamy paranormal romance (I'm thinking Cat and Bones here) but I had some really unfortunate experience with PRN bordering on erotica (I'm thinking Beyond the Highland Mist here). This is mainly erotica with roman...more

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May 15, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I really enjoyed this book and if I seem a little surprised by this, well, I am! This is not your typical Historical Romance, even though it takes place in 18th Century Scotland, I think I would categorize it more a Historical Erotic Romance, lots of hot sex!! :) - They don't call Jessie Taskill 'The Harlot of Dundee' for nothing. She is a wonderful heroine, fiesty, brazen and full of life without being obnoxious, and and btw, she is a witch!! That is how she meets Gregor Ramsy, she is in a bar...more

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May 13, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, historical-romance, really-dirty

Warning: This review is designed for adults 18 years or older. It contains mature subject matter and coarse language.

Jessie has got to be the horniest heroine I have ever encountered. She is working as a whore in 18th century Scotland when Gregor spies her in a fight with another whore over a potential customer. Jessie puts on quite a show, but it comes to an end when the other woman accuses her of witchcraft. Jessie is promptly arrested. But Gregor is taken by her and figures that if he helps h...more Warning: This review is designed for adults 18 years or older. It contains mature subject matter and coarse language.

Jessie has got to be the horniest heroine I have ever encountered. She is working as a whore in 18th century Scotland when Gregor spies her in a fight with another whore over a potential customer. Jessie puts on quite a show, but it comes to an end when the other woman accuses her of witchcraft. Jessie is promptly arrested. But Gregor is taken by her and figures that if he helps her escape, he can use her in his scheme for revenge against the man who drove his father to suicide. He figures she can seduce his enemy and gain information to help take him down.

From the moment Gregor meets her in the jail cell, these two are going at it. Then they're doing it some more as Gregor teaches Jesse how to seduce his enemy with feigned innocence. Throughout the course of the book, we're also treated to Jessie spying on two guys having sex, behind a door that's not entirely closed... which brings us to watching Jessie spend some quality time with herself as she savors the memory. Later, Jessie gets down and dirty with a female maid for Gregor's viewing pleasure. So that when all is said and done, we've spanned the sexual horizon from m/f to m/m to f/f to lusty masturbation.

Yeah, yeah... there's a plot going on in the background. Gregor's trying to get revenge and get his family's land back.. yada, yada. But back to the sex. Jessie really loves sex. And we hear alot about her lady-bits and how they long for attention. Of course, the author's choice word in the matter is "cunny." And it made me cringe every one of the 44 times I read it. Every so often, she supplemented it with "puss." (I guess I'm not going to be able to share this review on Amazon.)

This book reminded me a lot of one of those period-style Showtime After Dark movies from years-ago. Everyone is randy and ribald. There's lots of dirty talk and sex that spans the spectrum. (OK, in all fairness, there was no m/m buttsecks on Showtime back then, but you get the idea.) I honestly am at a loss on how to rate it. If you're looking for a period story that is really lusty and you don't mind the word "cunny," this is 100% for you. And don't get me wrong, there were moments I was quite, er, enthralled in it myself... despite lines like:

"... it made Gregor wonder what it would be like to plow her furrow, to ease his cock into that alluring niche."

And...

"There will be many who are eager to split your virginal crack with their pricks."

I'm just going to assume that anyone who picks this up is looking for something dirty and spicy, not Jane Eyre... not even a Regency Romance (not by a longshot.) I'll have to rate it in the context for which it's intended. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley(less)

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Aug 14, 2011 Doug Bradshaw rated it 1 of 5 stars

YE OLDE CINEMAX boring story!!

Not many years ago, maybe 30, I would have spent a little extra time reading the r rated scenes. I found myself only scanning through some of these scenes, oh brother, yuck, don't want to read it, glad the young people are enjoying their sex lives, but mostly typical naughty book bs. The story was pretty silly too. Magic, but minimal, revenge, but minimal, sex, boring and stupid with heaving this and throbbing that. Brother. And what are these submissive themes all...more

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May 24, 2011 Emily May rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical-fiction, erotica, 2011, arc

Note: Do not bother reading either this review or the novel itself if you are likely to be offended by graphic sexual content, including but not limited to: light bdsm, m/m couplings and f/f couplings. If your tastes are somewhat more vanilla, this book is perhaps not for you.

Now, I'd just like to say I am so glad I've had the opportunity to read this! I have never ever given 5 stars to an erotic novel, I reserve such ratings for books that I deem to have more 'substance'. This usually means tha...more Note: Do not bother reading either this review or the novel itself if you are likely to be offended by graphic sexual content, including but not limited to: light bdsm, m/m couplings and f/f couplings. If your tastes are somewhat more vanilla, this book is perhaps not for you.

Now, I'd just like to say I am so glad I've had the opportunity to read this! I have never ever given 5 stars to an erotic novel, I reserve such ratings for books that I deem to have more 'substance'. This usually means that there are at least two well-developed and interesting characters, that the plot is good and rounded off well (if it is a stand-alone novel), that it exceeds my expectations and gives me something that I never saw coming... well, erotica or not, this is exactly what this book gave me. It must be noted that this is so very much more than just sex (though there's plenty of that), the best comparison I can make is to Pretty Woman - you know, the movie with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere - this is basically a 19th century version of that story in many ways. Which is not even slightly a complaint, I love that film.

The two are very similar, this is the story about a 'harlot' (Jessie - which, incidentally, is one of my favourite songs) who is charged with witchcraft and sentenced to death. She is then rescued by a wealthy man (Gregor) who wishes to use her to seduce his enemy and infiltrate his enemy's estate. Gregor's attempts to tutor Jessie in the art of seducing his enemy become more than just your ordinary lessons; desire quickly flares between the two of them and this leads to more serious emotions arising. The two begin to have a mutual understanding of one another and note the strange similarities to be found between this wealthy man and this prostitute. To mention Pretty Woman once more, that film has the line that best describes how the relationship flourishes and how the two leading characters discover how alike they are: "You and I are such similar creatures, Vivian, we both screw people for money". It's a highly appropriate line for this novel also, she's a prostitute and he admits to being a thief and what some might call a blackguard.

I simply adored both characters too. Gregor is a wealthy man-of-the-world who seeks revenge on the man who tore his family apart. Jessie is a harlot and a witch (yes, it wasn't a false accusation) who is hindered rather than helped by her powers in a world where numerous innocent women were burned at the stake. He's dark and very sexy, I was surprised just how much I liked him after hearing his critical assessment of Jessie upon meeting her and her "delectable arse". And Jessie was a fantastically fiery heroine who knew what she wanted without apologies; the two of them were practically combustible together. This book works as a fantastic love story (from someone who doesn't much care for love stories) as well as an erotic novel. The book transcends so many genres: erotica, romance, historical fiction and fantasy. And each one of those is created well. I loved the historical setting, I seem to be developing an obsession with books set in 18th/19th century Scotland and England thanks to the large amount of historical fiction I've been wading through lately.

This novel is an amazing accomplishment. I read erotica because it's hot and I generally ignore the story as a rule, but the incredible way the author wove the characters' backstories into the central plot had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know the truth about what happened before and where the plot will take us next. So, so very highly recommended!

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May 09, 2013 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Summary:
Gregor wants vengeance against an old rival. He happens across Jessie as she gets arrested for using witchcraft to win a fight with another prostitute. Before she is killed, Gregor helps her escape so that she will spy for him. As she is spying, the two fall in love more or less.

My thoughts:
Honestly, I didn't read this book for the plot line. It is a historical romance, but I wasn't expecting it to be very accurate or the plot to be terribly gripping. For instance, why does Jessie need h...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

My biggest issue with this book is perhaps something I should have anticipated. See, I went into this for the plot, which was sandwiched thinly between many sex scenes. It's an erotic novel, so of course there's going to be an emphasis on the sex. It's pretty much the selling point of the genre. But after a promising setup, the story falls by the wayside so Gregor and Jessie can get their lust on for at least half the book before the plot realizes 'oh yeah, I should get back to work' and pokes i...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic-historical-fantasy-romance

1 ½ stars. I don’t know why I did not like this. I was not interested in the characters, plot, or events.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I felt the need to speed read to get it over with. I’d slow down for conversations and plot development, but the ponderings, internal thoughts and sex scenes just didn’t interest me. There was no interesting relationship development. I suppose one should read this for the sex scenes – very explicit language. But they didn’t do anything for me, probably because there was no...more 1 ½ stars. I don’t know why I did not like this. I was not interested in the characters, plot, or events.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I felt the need to speed read to get it over with. I’d slow down for conversations and plot development, but the ponderings, internal thoughts and sex scenes just didn’t interest me. There was no interesting relationship development. I suppose one should read this for the sex scenes – very explicit language. But they didn’t do anything for me, probably because there was no emotional connection. I would summarize the sex scenes as Jessie being horny through most of the book, wanting sex with Gregor, and pleasuring herself a lot. Gregor gives her less than she wants. There is one scene with Jessie watching two men together, another scene with Gregor watching two women together. There is some spanking and bondage.

STORY BRIEF:
Gregor owns a ship and has some wealth. He returns to Scotland to get revenge on Ivor. Years ago Ivor stole/swindled Gregor’s family’s land and indirectly caused the death of Gregor’s father. Gregor sees two harlots Jessie and Eliza fighting each other. Jessie wins, and then Eliza accuses Jessie of using witchcraft. The locals immediately lock Jessie in a cell, planning to burn her at the stake (or whatever they do to witches). Gregor offers to help Jessie escape if she will do a favor for him. She agrees. He wants her to pretend to be a servant, get a job working in Ivor’s home, and spy for Gregor giving him details about Ivor. Gregor then gives Jessie lessons in how to act like an innocent virgin when Ivor makes sexual advances toward her.

Jessie’s mother was burned at the stake for being a witch. Jessie inherited magic abilities. She can open locks, cause someone to desire something, and other things. She uses magic during the story but keeps it secret from Gregor and others.

DATA:
Story length: 323 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 17. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 51. Setting: 1715 Scotland. Copyright: 2011. Genre: erotic historical fantasy romance.(less)

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Jul 29, 2011 Book Binge Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, historical, harlequin, paranormal

Set in a very turbulent time in Scotland's political history, this romance is an unlikely encounter with a woman known as The Harlot of Dundee and a man bent on revenge stemming from an old anger over the destruction of his family's heritage and the subsequent suicide of his father. The prostitute in question was a charismatic individual who was in great demand and who was saving every penny she earned in order to return to the Highlands, her home territory, in order to find her twin sister and...more Set in a very turbulent time in Scotland's political history, this romance is an unlikely encounter with a woman known as The Harlot of Dundee and a man bent on revenge stemming from an old anger over the destruction of his family's heritage and the subsequent suicide of his father. The prostitute in question was a charismatic individual who was in great demand and who was saving every penny she earned in order to return to the Highlands, her home territory, in order to find her twin sister and her brother, both of whom had been taken in to a kind of foster care when their mother was hanged for being a witch. Now Jessie is being accused of the same crime and has been thrown into jail awaiting a trial before the local magistrate. Gregor sees in her the kind of enthusiasm and intelligence he needs to complete his plan to thwart the ambitions and plans of his enemy, the man who stole his family's land for no other reason than he could.

Gregor now embarks on a program of "training" to make sure that Jessie can appear to be a "good girl" from the local village and who will seduce her master--the man Gregor hates and would ruin. Over the course of a couple of weeks, Gregor not only takes advantage of Jessie's availability as a bed partner but also begins to see below the surface and realizes that this is a woman of deep emotion and is totally committed to finding her family and returning to her home territory where she can establish herself as an ordinary citizen. He does not realize yet that she has "The Gift" which she seldom uses but which, because of their growing emotional involvement, is becoming more powerful in her. By the time Gregor puts his plan into action and Jessie manages to get hired as a serving wench, he is quite attached to her but still believes that it is best that she fulfill her contract with him and then go North.

This novel is, at its core, a deeply emotional tale and the story is driven by Gregor's obsession to retaliate for his father's suicide and to once again restore the land taken from his family, not even planning to live there, but to know that he has restored what was once lost. He has the where-withal to do so as he is now a prosperous ship owner and knows that his enemy is having to sell land to pay his son's gambling debts. Yet he cannot seem to find a way to really keep his eye on his vengence--wavering from time to time as his involvement with Jessie becomes increasingly important.

This story is about the lessons all must learn about the futility of vengence, the emptiness that persists even when one successfully reaches that goal fully, and how the greater gain is knowing the security emotionally that one can love and be loved. Gregor is compelling in his intensity while Jessie's engaging and whimsical personality comes through in the telling. She is aware that Gregor is opening to her, yet when she seems to get too close to the sensitive memories that drive him, he pulls away reminding her she is just a whore. One can almost feel her hurt as a human being, even though she has become emotionally tough when that term is hurled at her. Yet as her attachment to Gregor grows, her vulnerability also grows in direct proportion.

Ms Walker's writing skill is so evident as this story unfolds. She woos the reader into the inner thoughts and feelings of the character without overwhelming with inner dialogue or introspection that goes on for pages and pages. The supporting characters are vivid and well-crafted, and it all comes together in such a way that it just works. The fear and suspicion that is attached to the term "witch" is palpable and while to 21st century readers this may be so foreign, living as we are in the scientifically enlightened age, yet Jessie knew that deep, gut curdling fear for her life and which caused her to fear that Gregor would turn from her in disgust.

This novel is one more delightful addition to Ms Walker's literary portfolio and is one of those books that entertains as it educates. A reader cannot help but be better aware of the culture of those bygone days, yet the timelessness of the power of love to overcome the greatest of prejudices stands tall. I liked this novel a lot and wholeheartedly recommend it for the lovers of historical romance fiction.

I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.(less)

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Jun 21, 2011 Sonya Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-historical-romance, erotic-romance

I thoroughly enjoyed The Harlot. It's incredibly erotic from the start, with all sorts of sexy shenanigans going on. It's also very romantic as Jessie and Gregor slowly forge a bond deeper than lust and fall in love. I also liked that although it's a historical the characters are regular people and not dukes and ladies - that made for a nice change. What I liked most was Jessie herself. She's such an engaging character. She felt no shame about doing the best she could to get by, even though that...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Tammy Walton Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica-romantica, kindle-or-ebook, 2011-june, hr-tudor

This slope to kindle smut is very slippery.....

June 1/11 -- just bought it!!! Yay!

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May 15, 2011 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

A historical that features a heroine who is a Lady of the Night and who is also a possessor of "the craft." The hero is a man who has borne the burden of his father's suicide for 11 years and now is ready to carry out the revenge he has been nurturing for that long period of time. Jenny is a woman who has done lots of things in her life to survive and selling her body is just the latest effort to make sufficient money to return to the Highlands of Scotland to live and to find her twin and brothe...more

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May 11, 2011 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: butt-kickin-spitfire-heroine, highland-medieval-tudor-ancient, bad-boy-badass-s-o-b-rake-hero, historical-romance, steamy-dirty-smut, net_galley

One word... Wow! If you want a lot of steam (I'm thinkin' twenty-minute-sauna-110F-at-least steam here), with a bit of (accurate) historical stuff, and a decent plot thrown in, then this book is for you!

It was my first book by Saskia Walker (received through netgalley), and it certainly won't be my last.

On the face of it, it had loads of things which I wouldn't normally like (m-m and f-f action, moderately-repentent prostitute as heroine), but it was just so well-written, steamy but not cheesy o...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Desert Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

While Jessie Taskill -nicknamed the Harlot of Dundee- was fighting with a fellow whore for the favor of a client she is accused of witchcraft and sent to the tollbooth. This happened in front of Gregor Ramsay who was looking for a whore to help him seduce his enemy to take his revenge on him.
He found the exact thing he needed!! So he aimed on rescuing her on the terms of performing the task he asks of her.

She had a hard life, starting with watching her mo...more I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

While Jessie Taskill -nicknamed the Harlot of Dundee- was fighting with a fellow whore for the favor of a client she is accused of witchcraft and sent to the tollbooth. This happened in front of Gregor Ramsay who was looking for a whore to help him seduce his enemy to take his revenge on him.
He found the exact thing he needed!! So he aimed on rescuing her on the terms of performing the task he asks of her.

She had a hard life, starting with watching her mother get burned at the stake by the villagers after accusations of witchcraft. She was always afraid to let her craft be known so as not to suffer a fate like her mother.

He had a hard life too, orphaned as a child and raised by his father that committed suicide when he was a youth, he vowed to take revenge on the man that caused his father to do so.

With a lot of hot scenes together it seems they are very suitable together.. Their romance flourishes with both of them denying the affection and assuming it's only business.

The tenderness and fierceness of their love is breathtaking. It was a refreshing book to read. Although I was not into the book at the beginning with using some certain words like cu**y and pu** for example which was a bit weird, then I got into the story and found it to be relevant to the timing of the story since it's 1715.

The love scenes are too hot to be believable but it was hot nevertheless. So I enjoyed it and devoured the book so fast.

I will be checking other books for this author and put her on my favorite list. I just love Scotland based novels, although it did not take part in the Highlands!!

So if you don't mind a bit of "old sex words", don't miss out on this great book.. It's romantic erotica at it's best!!

I loved the cover too, it is what attracted me to the book in the first place :)

A quote I enjoyed:

Jessie had grown fond of him, and it was in her nature to reach out to those who were suffering, even though that often brought trouble her way. I will help him with this. I will make it right.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Emma is currently reading it · review of another edition

Shelves: excited-to-read, recieved-by-authors, i-love, historical-fiction

OMG I just had to write this.... The author Saskia Walker is amzing.... literally amazing!! I recieved a copy of her 3rd novel in The Tiskill Witches series "The Jezebel" which I am head over heels in Love with!! Saskia has been super sweet by offering me complimentary books of THE HARLOT and THE LIBERTINE which is the first and second book and I was so excited I screamed!! Much to the embarrasment of my boyfriend as we were in a local supermarket at the time haha.

I absolutely love, love, love S...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: harlequin, ebook, netgalley, historical-romance, erotica, eras-18th-century, scotland, hocus-pocus, 4-stars, wallpaper-historical, harlequin-2010s

Gregor Ramsay is on a mission of revenge against the man who robbed his father - and thus, him - out of his lands. Now that he has a lot of money, he intends on reclaiming the property anonymously before revealing his true identity. Knowing his enemy's weakness for innocent flesh, he hires a woman called "The Harlot of Dundee" to play the role of virgin servant girl to infiltrate the house and bring back information about the bad guy's plans for his land. Needless to say, the lessons in modesty...more Gregor Ramsay is on a mission of revenge against the man who robbed his father - and thus, him - out of his lands. Now that he has a lot of money, he intends on reclaiming the property anonymously before revealing his true identity. Knowing his enemy's weakness for innocent flesh, he hires a woman called "The Harlot of Dundee" to play the role of virgin servant girl to infiltrate the house and bring back information about the bad guy's plans for his land. Needless to say, the lessons in modesty prove to be pretty lusty and both Jessie and Gregor find themselves falling for each other against their will. Simplifying - and at the same time complicating - the whole arrangement is Jessie's dabbles in witchcraft.

This was my first venture into the "erotic historical" genre and I very much enjoyed it - with one major gripe.

First, the good stuff:
The protagonists, Jessie and Gregor, are decent people underneath the tough whore schtick and the single-minded avenger who has sailed the world and had girls in every port. The majority of the book is the seductive pull each one has on the other and the very, very smutty scenes between them.

Jessie is a sensualist with a broad mind, not some demure maid who is the fake prostitute/courtesan that so often appears in romance. She'll masturbate while peeping in on two guys having sex in a nearby room at the inn; she'll make out with the serving maid in front of Gregor to get him more firmly in her power. Anything went in this book, and probably if Jessie and Gregor hadn't been so interesting, I'd have eventually gotten bored by the recurring smut. However, the sex scenes more often than not added to the developing relationship and romance between them. Jessie experiences stability and a desire for monogamy, and Gregor discovers that he has a jealous and possessive streak when it comes to the (right) lady. I really loved the scene where Gregor demonstrates that jealousy for the first time. It reminded me a lot of the old bodice ripper sex dynamic that I prefer over the newer and gentler historical romances.

The one thing that really annoyed me:
The magic. I didn't mind it being deployed for Jessie to sneak around the inn when Gregor thinks he's locked her up or when it was used to initiate Jessie's infiltration of the household of Gregor's enemy, but when she uses spells that are Jedi mind tricks to make people do what she wants or to become invisible, I thought it was lame. I'm not a fan of hocus pocus stuff, and I thought the story would have been just as good, if not better, if it hadn't popped up so conveniently in the revenge plot. I felt that it robbed Jessie of her cleverness, and made the author seem unimaginative. Reliance on the supernatural/"divine" as a plot device is (IMO) a total cop-out.

Still, it is not enough of a burr under my saddle to make me write off this author. I thought the sex was porny-sensual instead of just porny, and there was enough plot and plenty spice and body to her characters to make me eager to pick up another historical by Walker.

Recommended.

Digital copy received on Netgalley.(less)

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Jun 05, 2011 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, erotica, historical

The Harlot is an easy fast paced read that entices readers with eroticism and spellbinding fun.

Gregor Ramsay is seeking revenge on his longtime enemy and has returned to Scotland to execute his plan. When he spots a fiery whore in a bar fight, he knows that she is the one he needs to bring his enemy to distraction. Before he could even get to her, she is arrested and accused of witchcraft. Gregor will go to any length to take his enemy, including breaking a whore out of jail.

Jessie Taskill is ab...more The Harlot is an easy fast paced read that entices readers with eroticism and spellbinding fun.

Gregor Ramsay is seeking revenge on his longtime enemy and has returned to Scotland to execute his plan. When he spots a fiery whore in a bar fight, he knows that she is the one he needs to bring his enemy to distraction. Before he could even get to her, she is arrested and accused of witchcraft. Gregor will go to any length to take his enemy, including breaking a whore out of jail.

Jessie Taskill is about to go stir crazy inside of the prison walls. She is hesitant to use the magic brewing inside of her for fear that she will be burned for practicing witchcraft. Her luck changes when Gregor walks in to her cell disguised as a man of the cloth to help her escape. She is promised money and her freedom if she could seduce his enemy. Though not pleased with her bargain she is determined to fulfill it.

As soon as they escape, Gregor sets out to teach Jessie how to seduce a man of wealth. The two spend a lot of time exploring the art of seduction and Gregor realizes that Jessie is a whole lot more than a whore. Her compassion and pain resonates deep inside him and he finds himself bewitched by her.

I had misgivings about Jessie being a whore. She is passionate and enjoys taking pleasures with men. She doesn’t hide the fact that she wants Gregor and goes to any length to seduce him. Her wanton behavior might turn readers off initially but Walker eventually shows that she is more than a sensual creature.

Ms. Walker fills every chapter with sensuality and passion. The love scenes brim with raunchy and explicit behavior. There is a lot of sex in this book but it is expected since it is erotica. The expectation that there will be no plot is squashed as readers delve further into the book and more of Jessie and Gregor’s background is revealed. The author’s ability to cover more than one sub-genre is remarkable and well executed.

Warning: This book contains explicit sexual contents including f/f and m/m action.

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Oct 29, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, historical-romance

This one was kind of odd. It was readable, but it ultimately it seems to fall a bit short on all fronts. Read as erotic romance, the sex scenes were a little bit too awkward (partly due to the unsexiness of the language) to stand alone, so they really needed a solid plot line to back them up. The plot, however, didn't really rise to the occasion, and then ultimately fell off a cliff entirely. A very (unnecessarily) convoluted set of circumstances, characters, and relationships were set up, and t...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Krystle rated it 2 of 5 stars

It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a romance book. And, woo boy, was it steamy. I think I’ve had enough sex in a book to last me for a month, maybe two! But then again that’s probably what I get because this is an erotica novel.

There are a few things I enjoyed about this book, one of them being the romance and the characters – Jessie, especially. I loved how the romance didn’t revolve around the charismatic, all-knowing, and experienced man awakening the passion in the innocent, virginal gi...more It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a romance book. And, woo boy, was it steamy. I think I’ve had enough sex in a book to last me for a month, maybe two! But then again that’s probably what I get because this is an erotica novel.

There are a few things I enjoyed about this book, one of them being the romance and the characters – Jessie, especially. I loved how the romance didn’t revolve around the charismatic, all-knowing, and experienced man awakening the passion in the innocent, virginal girl. Nope. Jessie knows her sex and thoroughly enjoys it. Awesome! None of this, “Oh my! What is this fire in my loins?” crap. Haha. Gregor, too, agrees with the notion it’s more fun to have sex with a woman who enjoys what she’s doing than the so called corrupting of the innocent. Heh.

Another thing that’s good about this book is that the main plot of this story isn’t really centered on one of the two striving to make the other fall in love with them. Instead, it’s based on Gregor’s need to seek revenge on a man who has wronged him and to do this he’s going to use Jessie. Heh.

You like your sex? Well, you’ve got enough for everything in here. There’s your regular male x female sex, there’s oral, bondage, masturbation, male on male (oh, yes), and female on female (oooh). Everything in the whole spectrum you could ever want or need! And if you’re not a fan of male on male or female on female, then uh, skip the scenes?

There is a lot of sex, though. I think every other chapter or every other other chapter has one. Some of the words used made me giggle because they just sound so funny. Ie: cunny, puss, ballocks, whatever. Since there is so much sex, the descriptions tend to become repetitive. Like, “her cunny clenched” or things like that. I don’t know, gets kinda stale after a while.

It does take a while to get on with the whole revenge scheme and by the time she gets sent into the other man’s house almost 2/3rds of the book has already passed. And the amount of time spent in there is relatively little. Let down? Just a bit. I wanted more of her devious acting and sensuality put on display to charm and ingratiate herself into the enemy’s clutches. But, alas, it did bring about an exciting climax. Happy ending for everyone? (Well, almost everyone) You bet!

Ooh, and also the magic Jessie has is very non-intrusive and brings about a good amount of character backstory and introspectiveness on her. So if you’re not really into the whole spells and magic part, be relieved, it’s not going to bother you at all. Although, that one part at the end did have me snickering.

A decent read and probably a plus for those who love erotica and historical romances set outside of the usual Regency eras.(less)

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Apr 07, 2011 Cleffairy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed at: Over A Cuppa Tea
Date reviewed:8th April 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=5115

The Harlot by Saskia Walker is a story about a whore. But that does not make this book distasteful. No. It was not distasteful. In fact, it was highly entertaining, intriguing and of course, rather explicit and arousing.

The Harlot brings the readers into a sexy adventure where a world of passion and fantasy awaits. There’s story of dark magic vs. white magic, betrayal, revenge, seduction, passion an...more

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May 10, 2011 K rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-boys, erotica-romantica, historical-romance, kink, magic

The Harlot begins with the heroine, Jessie engaged in a catfight with a fellow harlot while a room full of bar patrons looks on or makes wagers. Among the crowd is the hero, Gregor Ramsay; a blackguard seaman who's hellbent on revenge against the man who destroyed his father. Gregor is fascinated by Jessie; not only by her lush curves but also by her brazen, shameless behavior. He believes that Jessie is just the woman he needs to help exact revenge against his enemy but his plans are temporaril...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Saskia Walker, as always, continues to surprise and astound me at her ability to adapt and form a story true to an era, a time, or a character as opposed to writing each of her stories in her own singular voice. I love the old world erotic novel feel of this book, it fits and makes you feel more into the story. I would have loved more information about the witch hunts, I know it's sort of a downer for an erotic novel but I would have loved to learn more about this time in history

I love Jessie in...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: request-netgalley

The Harlot is a spicy Scottish tale of revenge, witchcraft and seduction.

Gregor Ramsay is out for revenge against the main that destroyed his family over a decade ago. When he comes upon Jessie in a whorehouse he decides that he could use her to seduce and take down his enemy. After fighting with another woman over a customer though, she is accused of witchcraft and carted off to jail. Gregor then rescues her, takes her against the wall, and helps her escape but only after she agrees to help him...more The Harlot is a spicy Scottish tale of revenge, witchcraft and seduction.

Gregor Ramsay is out for revenge against the main that destroyed his family over a decade ago. When he comes upon Jessie in a whorehouse he decides that he could use her to seduce and take down his enemy. After fighting with another woman over a customer though, she is accused of witchcraft and carted off to jail. Gregor then rescues her, takes her against the wall, and helps her escape but only after she agrees to help him in his mission. Gregor and Jessie then embark on a sensual journey of magic and mayhem.

The Harlot is about; well…a harlot known as The Harlot of Dundee, so needless to say this novel has a whole lot of sex in it. So insert all the naughty warnings here. ;)

Gregor is supposedly teaching Jessie the finer arts of innocent seduction but really it’s just an excuse to get under the sheets, on top of the table, on the floor, from the back, tied up…yeah, you catch my drift. Oh, he puts up a strong front at first, determined to remain in control and keep it a strictly a business relationship, but he quickly falls into Jessie’s charms and opts for the hands on kind of teaching. Throughout the story he holds firm to his goals of revenge, trying not to succumb to his attraction to the feisty, spirited and passionate Jessie, but as his knowledge of her life and character deepen, so does his feelings. While Jessie is dealing with her own internal struggle of her growing powers and hiding them from Gregor along with her budding feelings for him.
The sex did overshadow the main plot of revenge a lot but being erotica this wasn’t surprising. There is also a subplot of m/m that, in the end, added an important nugget to the main plot. And then just to fully round out the sexual exploits of this novel there was a f/f with the maid for Gregor’s viewing pleasure. Basically, there was sex, a little plot, sex, a little more from the plot, sex, sex, some sub-plot here, sex, sex, sex, The End.

It took me forever, it seemed, to finish The Harlot and I had a real hard time keeping focused on it. I actually read two other books in between this one, which was a first for me; I usually stick to them one at a time. I cannot pin point any specific reason for this except I just didn’t connect strongly with the characters. And the overuse of the word ‘cunny’, I don’t ever want to read that word again now! This wasn’t a bad novel in any way; the story was good, I just don’t think it was for me. If you like historicals and erotica with a little of the supernatural thrown in then I would definitely recommend this one to you, it just wasn’t my glass of wine.

http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub...(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Carla rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: courtesan-escort-prostitute, regency

Summary: Jessie Taskill is a prostitute who is known as “The Harlot of Dundee.” She has gotten this name because she enjoys her work and doesn’t just lie there. Jessie gets into a fight in a bar with another prostitute over a client. When the other woman realizes that Jessie is going to win she accuses Jessie of being a witch. Jessie is then sent to jail.

She really is a witch and is ready to cast a spell to escape her cell when a priest comes to visit with her. Gregor Ramsey has come dressed in...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Tania rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book in the mail yesterday and finished it by this morning. Beautiful, raunchy, erotica!
It was like reading your favorite romance novel, but with all the sex scenes sexier!

This genre is not for the faint of heart. Its in your face sex and I loved it. So if you can't stand it too hot, well you know what they say: "If ya can't stand the heat, get out da kitchen!"

Okay, so now that that's out of the way. I really liked the story line. The main characters were just what you'd imagine the...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica, historical-fiction, not-mine-library

Saskia Walker's The Harlot nearly never made it to my finished book shelf. One of the first scenes featured a man having sex with a prostitute in a jail cell. I'm not sure when this novel takes place (1800's perhaps? There is mention at one point of muskets.) At any rate, it surely takes place in a time before penicillin. Therefore, so much talk of unprotected sex with a prostitute and endless references to her "wet cunny" did nothing for me but send visions of syphilis and crabs and whatnot. So...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, historical, promiscuous-heroine, prostitute, smuttastic, 2011-read, paranormal-romance, historical-experienced-heroine, magick, revenge-plot, same-sex-smexin

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: May 31, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Spice
Author’s Website: http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Steam Level: Scorching

I should first begin this review with a confession -- I don't typically enjoy books where the heroine is a prostitute, and those few books that I did enjoy all had a heroine whose profession was one that she'd been forced into or...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-owned, gr-lt-early-review

I received this book through the GooodReads giveaway

I have to say that I was surprised how much I enjoyed the book. Especially after having read some of the other reviews. While there are some words that will always make me cringe when i see them (if you read romance you probably know what word i mean) overall I thought the book was very enjoyable. I do have to agree with some of the assessments that it seemed as though the author was trying to squeeze as many types of sexual acts as possible in...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Carla rated it 4 of 5 stars

An amazing erotic novel has been found. Ms. Walker delivers a wonderful turn paging storyline, well written characters, and steamy scenes.
Jessie Taskill is the "Harlot of Dundee", a woman with a past and a secret. Gregor Ramsay is a man on a mission of revenge upon the person he blames for his family's demise. The moment they meet sparks are ignited and as he prepares her to seduce Ivor Wallace, Gregor finds himself under her spell. She is being hunted and accused of witchcraft, he is chased by...more

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Jun 02, 2013 The Unnamed rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Saskia Walker

I am the author of several erotic novels including ALONG FOR THE RIDE, INESCAPABLE, RAMPANT, SORCERESS, MONICA'S SECRET and THE HARLOT. I've also had shorter work published in numerous anthologies, and I have several ebook publications.

I write across genres, and all of my work has erotic content, whether it's short erotica, a contemporary romance, or a novel set in a paranormal or historical worl...more I am the author of several erotic novels including ALONG FOR THE RIDE, INESCAPABLE, RAMPANT, SORCERESS, MONICA'S SECRET and THE HARLOT. I've also had shorter work published in numerous anthologies, and I have several ebook publications.

I write across genres, and all of my work has erotic content, whether it's short erotica, a contemporary romance, or a novel set in a paranormal or historical world. I consider myself a storyteller, and what interests me most is how relationships develop and unfold, how and why we get from saying "hello" to sharing our most intimate selves in moments of passion. I also believe that the best kind of erotic fiction makes us turn the pages through a combination of a compelling storyline and explicit content. That's what I want to read, and that's what I try to write for my readers.

I started out as a short story writer and my stories and novellas appear in over fifty international anthologies including BEST WOMEN'S EROTICA, THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST NEW EROTICA, the Red Sage SECRETS series and the Black Lace WICKED WORDS series. My work has also featured in several international magazines including PENTHOUSE, BUST and SCARLET.

After writing shorts for several years I moved into novel-length projects and DOUBLE DARE, my first full-length contemporary erotic romance novel, was published in October 2006 on the Penguin (US) Heat line. DOUBLE DARE won the Passionate Plume Award for best contemporary erotic romance of 2006. Two fantasy romance novels followed on the Juno books line in 2007: THE STRANGELING and UNVEILING THE SORCERESS. In July 2008 my second contemporary erotic romance novel, RECKLESS, was published by Penguin Heat. My next novel, RAMPANT, was signed by Harlequin in a 2 book deal for the Spice line. RAMPANT is due out n 2010. THE HARLOT will follow in 2011. I have lots more in the pipeline, and many more stories to tell.

I live in the north of England, close to the beautiful Yorkshire moors. Before I settled down here I traveled extensively. Visiting exotic countries contributed greatly to my desire to write -- that and an extremely vivid imagination! You can visit my website for more info: http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk.home.html
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The Harlot (Taskill Witches #1)

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