Aprendiz de seductora

Pleasure Emporium #3

by Michelle Marcos

UN AFFAIRE INOLVIDABLE...
Tras descubrir a su prometido en brazos de una cortesana, Lady Athena McAlister cae en la cuenta de algo espantoso: la mayoría de los hombres prefiere la compañía de sus amantes antes que la de sus esposas. ¿Cómo podría ella, y otras futuras novias, ser a la vez esposa y amante de un hombre? En busca de ese conocimiento, le pide a su abuelo que le permita crear una escuela para muchachas casaderas. Allí, ella y sus amigas invitan discretamente a los sinvergüenzas más famosos de Londres para que les enseñen el arte de seducir a un hombre.

UN DESEO QUE SIEMPRE RECORDARÁN…
La hermana de Marshall Hawkesworth ha aprendido demasiado sobre sexo y sospecha que su nueva escuela tiene la culpa. Marshall se hace pasar por profesor en varias asignaturas, incluyendo la de besos sensuales, y pronto descubre que Lady Athena es una alumna de lo más aplicada. Pero antes de conseguir que cierren su escuela para siempre, está dispuesto a darle unas clases privadas que no olvidará en mucho tiempo…

“Marcos les da a sus lectoras una buena cata de deseo y peligro, así como una aventura y un misterio de lo más tentadores que hará que suspiren por su próximo libro.”— Romantic Times

“Un romance histórico de lo más sabroso, sensual y muy agudo… la historia me ha encantado. ¡Este libro es todo un éxito!” –Romance Junkies

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Regency Romance

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2009

Reviews

[Verity · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars.

WEA is a tale of an uptight spinster who prefers blue-eyed blondes. Athena is a 28 y/o redhead w/ a generous form, who’s often overlooked by men. She’d found her ideal man before… men, to be precise, both happened to be blondes, who unfortunately only had eyes for other luvlier gals. The 3rd time is supposedly a charm, right ? Not really, in her case. Calvin, another blonde, beautiful specimen of humankind, is Athena’s latest object of infatuation. Time is not a luxury that Athena can afford. Due to her grandpa’s limited coffers, his dear BFF, the dour Duchess of Twillingham, has agreed to be Athena’s matchmaker / sponsor. Athena’s not too thrilled to be taken under Her Grace’s decrepit wings, but she relents when she’s made aware of the facts that she’s the last of her family bloodline, her non-descript self (podgy, as the Duchess bluntly says to her face) hasn’t been lucky in the marriage mart & what seals the deal : the Duchess dangles Calvin as her bait. Athena realizes that this may be her 1 & only chance to snag her much-coveted prize. 1st & foremost : an extreme make-over, to improve her abysmal marriage prospects. Part of her lessons is to absorb all the principles from a book written by Countess Cavendish – “Feminine Excellence, or Every Young Woman’s Guide to Ladylike Comportment”, which has become the bible for all unmarried ladies of the season. Athena’s willing to pay the price of vanity, including squeezing herself into a damn tight corset. All that torture seems to be paying off, as Calvin wastes no time in asking her hand in marriage. Imagine that ! Alas, barely an hour after she gets engaged, she finds her fiancé in flagrante delicto w/ a courtesan (who’s just been royally snubbed by the haughty Duchess earlier). After plunging into the pit of depression (cooped up in her room & not taking a bath, sooo unsanitary & unsexy to me), her BFF, Hester hauls her @$$ outta the bed to take a breather in the park, where Athena zooms in on the culprit, the ho who wrecked her happiness, who had the audacity of banging her fiancé right before her eyes. Itching to give the shady lady her comeuppance, Athena follows the slut to her den of iniquity, formerly known as “The Pleasure Emporium”. Athena becomes more disillusioned after her confrontation & ding ding ding ! She comes up w/ the capital idea of purchasing the bordello & turning it into an academy for spinsters. Her grandpa buys her li’l white lies & w/ the financial backing of Hester, Athena - pioneer that she is – appoints herself as the beacon in the v. long dark tunnel known as spinsterhood. W/ the Countess Cavendish’s book as guiding light, Athena’s determined to give a ray of hope to those unfortunate souls w/ dim marriage prospects. The curriculum she designs serves 2 purposes, by day, the students learn womanly arts from a series of brilliant lecturers. By nite’, the art of wicked seduction. This audacious endeavor of hers turns out to be a grand success, thanx to favorable results & word-of-mouth.

Marshall Hawkesworth, a 1st-rate naval Captain, was recently dragged back by his mentor to take a much-needed furlough & take charge of his family affairs, after the death of Marshall’s father. His 1st dilemma to solve, is to figure out why & how his sister, Justine, has managed to make her fiancé break off their betrothal. He’s convinced that the root of Justine’s broken engagement lays in the bad influence from the academy headmistress. Upon meeting her, Marshall’s taken aback ‘cuz he expected an ol’ hag, not a fiery redhead w/ a buxom figure & a tongue that can shred tofu to pieces. Athena mistakes him as an applicant for the nude modeling for 1 of her courses. Marshall is intrigued & decides to go w/ the flow & pretends that he’s indeed there in response to the ad Athena placed. After complying w/ her request to show half of his ah… ehem… assets, he gets the job. Things get more interesting when later on he gets offered another vacant position, as a replacement instructor in the art of sensual kissing, despite Athena’s reluctance. He’s falling for her but he has to smash down her prickly exterior & reverse her opinion that men simply can’t keep it in their pants. In the meantime, Hester, impressed by Marshall’s fountain of knowledge, is having marital problems & solicits Marshall’s advice. Justine – unbeknownst to Marshall & their mother– is embarking on an affair of the heart w/ a most unsuitable man. Can she somehow find the elusive HEA ?

Marshall realizes that the shiny rep of Athena’s academy, his family & all the students, are on the verge of ruin, when a tabloid reporter starts sniffing around, asking questions pertinent to Justine. He tries to stop the bleeding by telling Athena that it’s critical for him to speak to Countess Cavendish. When Athena shuts him down, he does his own sleuthing & finds more than he bargains for, as he discovers the true identity of the reclusive author. He’s infuriated & confronts Athena for lying to him all along ‘bout the author’s patronage. When she waves Calvin’s marriage proposal letter in his face, it is tantamount to waving a red flag in front of a charging bull, he takes matters into his own hands. He demands Athena to shut down her school before the seedy reporter exposes her secret. When she refuses, she leaves him no choice but to reveal the truth to Athena’s grandpa & forces her to accept his marriage proposal. They don’t call it a debacle of epic proportion for nuthin’. It’s a double whammy. Not only Marshall has to subdue Athena’s indomitable will to sabotage the engagement, dealing w/ his disapproving mommie dearest who looks down on Athena is not a walk in the park either. On top of that, they gotta find the snitch w/ the big leaky mouth. Will he succeed in making Athena remove her masks & reveal what lies beneath? Can they unite in uncovering the mysterious informant who’s contributing to the series of damning articles which ruin everyone’s rep ?

The premise of the book piqued my initial interest, but the heroine almost killed it for me, hence the odd final rating. Athena is such a bitter pill. I understood that it’s her defense mechanism, but I thought she’s incredibly rude & lacking in all dept, Marshall & Hester have pointed out her rudeness & non-existent common courtesy, she just grated on my nerves as the book progressed, to the point that I wanted to bitch-slap her & shake her like a ragdoll. She starts out as a naïve, thoughtless & impulsive heroine (wanting to shamelessly approach Calvin to make him notice her until Hester stops her in her tracks), then she becomes worse in her attitude & obtuseness, bordering on TSTL. She keeps pining for the wrong man, the wishy-washy douchebag Calvin, that for some reason I had this mental visual of her plucking the petals of a daisy & chanting : “He loves me… He loves me not… He loves me… He loves me not”. Even after witnessing Calvin w/ his tight pants down, she still harbors hope for him, even rubbing it in Marshall’s face later on that Calvin wants her back. What a twit. She’s incredibly stubborn, inconsiderate & shallow. Her ‘woe be me’ outlook got stale after a while. Boo freakin’ hoo. I really couldn’t see what Marshall saw in her. I couldn’t warm up to her even after she revealed the real reason of her abrasive personalities. She’s like an ill-bred porcupine inside & out. Their luvmaking scenes were 1-dimensional, so I really dunno why he falls head over arse in luv w/ her. The book has its moments, but what really saved it from mediocre was the luvly hero. He impressed me w/ his insights & gradual understanding of the true meaning of luv & marriage, that he’s willing to bypass the status of Justine’s beau. He shows growth & layers that I wish were discernible in the heroine. He not only knows his craft, he’s the epitome of ‘walk the talk’, he DEMONSTRATES what he lectures, he extends himself to learn about Athena & what makes her tick. He’s just too good to be true ‘cuz Athena was an utter bitch to him & Hester. I still haven’t forgiven her for slapping him not just once, but twice. This chick really needs some brutal spanking - I don’t mean the kinky kind - to put her in her place. She needs to awaken her long-dormant senses, that a cool hawt guy like Marshall will only sail once in her lifetime, so she’d better row her dinghy. She shoulda done some groveling, IMHO. As much as I hated to say this, she is beneath him, not just her station, but personality-wise. There’s a line where she says to him : “It’s inconceivable to me how you loved me even when there was so little of me that was lovable.” < Rolls squinty eyes > never has a truer word been spoken =)~ I was secretly hoping that Marshall would end up w/ Hester ‘cuz Calvin & Athena seem to deserve each other. I lurrvved how Marshall puts his foot firmly down whenever his mom expresses her objections. His constant luv, affection, protectiveness & championing of the undeserving & ungrateful Athena, endeared him to me. Since I luv mystery-laden romance, the plot twists & turns @ the last 3rd were a big plus. I look forward to reading the prequels.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Athena McAllister is 28 and still a spinster. She moons after Calvin Bretherton,Lord Stockdale, quite obviously, every time she sees him. He doesn't know she exists, but she knows she loves him. The Duchess of Twillingham inserts herself into Athena's life and promises that if Athena will follow her guidance she will help her get Calvin. Athena agrees to change herself and is overjoyed when Calvin proposes. Her world comes crashing down when she walks into Lovers Lane shortly after with her friend, Hester. Calvin is there having sex with another woman. Athena's world is crushed, she thought he loved her (because it's customary for a man to fall in love when he's spoken to you once, of course), she takes to her bed in depression, etc.

A few days later her friend, Hester, shows up at her house and forces her to stop moping in bed in the dark. While they're out at the park Athena sees the woman Calvin was with, Lady Ponsonby. She decides to follow her and confront her about stealing Calvin from her. Of course it's the other woman's fault Calvin's a dog. It would be stupid to blame the man for not keeping his own pants zipped. Anyway, she gets some advice from Lady Ponsonby about keeping a man and decides to open a school for women like her.

I think Athena is the most unlikeable character I have ever run across. She is extremely immature, even though she's 28. She easily falls into a shallow infatuation with Calvin's looks (even though she calls it love) then believes he loves her after he talks to her for the first time. What planet is this woman on??? Then after being crushed by him sleeping with someone else she blames the woman, not him. She never has any sort of confrontation with him. She just sobs into her pillow about the cruel, cruel world. Very irritating. After this disappointment she decides never to trust again (of course) and proceeds to be as rude as possible to any man she is attracted to.

By that I mean Marshall Hawkesworth, of course. He comes to the school and gets mistaken for an applicant for the position of nude male model. He goes along with it, although I have no idea why. If he was indeed serious about shutting down the school he could have done it easily. He had the schedule he found while there and a few details from his sister too. Oh well, the fact that it makes no sense is the least of my problems with this book. So he poses naked and then becomes a kissing instructor. During this whole time Athena is absolutely hateful to him all the while panting with lust. He won't let her treat him like crap and demands respect, but any "please" has to be dragged out of her. She treated him so like a dog that I was surprised she didn't snap her fingers and point to get him to sit. If her hate wasn't bad enough one day it suddenly switches to love like a light switch (no smooth transition, you know?) and she becomes the type of clingy, emotional woman that any sane man would run from.

After coming upon Marshall and her friend, Hester, in a room Athena turns into the worst friend ever and starts accusing them of sleeping together. Her friend is crushed that she could believe she would cheat on her husband and runs away in tears. Marshall gives Athena a reality check and tells her she's a horrible friend (finally someone said it) but then of course she sobs and he comforts her... typical. The characters follow this pattern for most of the book. It was very tiresome. I do have to admit that Marshall did grow as a person and came to value his sister more. That was really the only nice thing about this book.

Also, this book did not feel like a historical at all. The characters all act modern in their behavior towards sex and women's rights. I felt I was being beaten over the head with how horrible it was for poor women back then. Men were always trying to keep them down! There was even an evil man who wrote a book about etiquette for women (that every woman of the season followed) under the name of a woman just to show those stupid women that they should listen to their menfolk because they know best. Seriously, how many times can you beat your poor readers over their head with this? If it wasn't for the fact that there were balls and conversations of mistresses I wouldn't have been able to tell it was a historical. There were no period details and no real difference in the way they spoke.

Horrible book, I wish I hadn't wasted my time and money one this.

[Nisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

interestingly, the first thing that popped in my head after reading this is that ladies are much more lewd than courtesans. The H/H take their relationships to the next level earlier and more explicitly than all of Michelle Marcos's previous books.

The heroine, Athena is an abnormal spinster heroine. Having experienced heartbreak often, she has harden herself against all men (basically becoming a shrew). To help other spinsters, who like her want to get married, she starts a finishing school to educate young ladies in the art of seduction, in the building that once housed courtesans, the Pleasure Emporium. Along comes Marshall, who has recently taken a break from the Navy to attend to his family affairs, such as getting his sister, Justine, married. But Justine's education at Athena's school has lost her the chosen groom, so Marshall pays a visit to Athena's school.

The nice thing about this book is that there are actually a main love story plus 2 mini love stories, Justine's (to a stable hand) and Hester's (a married woman with her husband). I wish both were detailed further. Another thing I liked was the strong female characters. There were quite a few and despite their gray character, they were spun with a positive light.

I should warn everyone about the heroine, Athena. She is quite a wildcat and angers easily. It is only through Marshall's stubbornness and patience that they manage to fall in love. It is hard to like her at first for her childishness and fiery comments, but they are awfully entertaining and she was easy to relate to. She is typical modern heroine, somewhat aggressive and speaks her mind without thought. Lots of self-esteem issues covered by girl power moments.

There was something minor missing in the mix, though I cannot tell you what exactly. It was a good read, but with something small missing. I feel like its something to do with Athena's and Marshall's chemistry.

[Isalys B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Athena is sick and tired of watching men sleep with whomever they please while she sits on the sidelines waiting to fall in love. Just when she thinks she's finally got the man of her dreams, she finds him with another woman and is left heartbroken. She intends to give this harlot a piece of her mind when she realizes that this other woman offers something she cannot... With the help of her friend, she opens a "finishing school" of sorts where by day, the ladies learn to be proper wives, but by night, they learn how to be vixens!

Everything is going well and many of her spinster students are successfully married until one day, enter Mr. Marshall. In a case of mistaken identity, she offers him a job as a nude model and he's far too amused to resist. Over time, he realizes that Athena is not as tough as she comes across and he tries to teach her that not all men are so callous. In addition to the love story that develops throughout the book, there is a bit of a plot developing that will threaten Athena's future.

[L.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a unique story line. Is the novel really about Athena, Pleasure Emporium, or both? Woman who want schooled in the art of passion for their to be husbands; to keep them home and not have them search for sexual gratification else where. Is the purpose for the Pleasure Emporium successful? The concept of freeing the marriageable woman from the closed ideas of what a woman should be in that time women oppression. In checking with Romantic Times Review the book has 4 and a half stars.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book..it was nice to see some woman's lib in the historical romance genre.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was nicely written. The main characters are what kept me reading.

[Sandy M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read and reviewed all of this authors’ books so far. While I enjoyed the first two, When a Lady Misbehaves and Gentlemen Behaving Badly, (see my reviews here and here) for the most part, there were things about them that didn’t quite make them keepers for me. WEA won’t be a keeper either, but I liked it a lot better than the first two books. I can see definite growth in Ms. Marcos’ writing and her character development, the sign of a really good author in the making.

What I do like in these Pleasure Emporium books is that it’s the heroine who always does something that causes conflict, something that causes scandal that has to be taken care of with the hero’s help. I know some readers don’t care for this, but I like the I’ll do anything to make my life better theme, and this time around Athena McAllister is a heroine who takes no prisoners. She’s an older woman in the eyes of society, on the shelf, a spinster, and her last hope for marrying is finally coming true, much to her relief. She’s admired her handsome lord for a while now and is thrilled when he proposes. But that very same night she finds him in the arms of another woman, a woman with ties to the now defunct Pleasure Emporium.

Athena is brokenhearted but not down and out. She takes her destiny and that of other spinster-type ladies of the ton in her own hands, she buys the Pleasure Emporium building, opens The School of Womanly Arts to teach these women how to attract a man and how to keep him happy in intimate ways so they don’t go traipsing off to the nearest widow or prostitute and the women don’t spend their lives alone. She still teaches the usual embroidery and painting, among other things, that a lady of quality should have in her arsenal, but she also adds kissing and other sensual delights to the school catalog. Things go well until a case of mistaken identity takes on a life of its own.

Captain Marshall Hawkesworth is checking out this women’s school after learning his sister attended and she’s now more outspoken about the fact Marshall will be the one to choose a husband for her, and not necessarily one she loves. But upon arrival at the school, Athena mistakes him for the night’s nude model and a roomful of ladies are waiting with bated breath to get his form down on paper. Though the woman is a prickly as can be, Marshall has to admit she has some good points when it comes to women and marriage; he begins to see his sister’s plight in a different way. And he wants to see more of Athena differently.

Eventually the secret of the school makes the newspaper, Athena learns who Marshall really is, and all hell breaks loose, leaving everyone involved hanging in the wind, reputations in tatters. Deciding to work together, however, they come up with a plan that’s quite risky, but the reward in the end will be worth a little pain. Through all of this Athena finally learns what it is she’s been looking for all along, and she couldn’t have been more wrong about what she thought she wanted. Marshall himself has known from the beginning Athena is the one for him, and he’s going to make sure Athena knows it too, even in the face of his mother’s ire that he would wed someone so beneath their station,.

I really liked all the characters in this book, even the villains, who really weren’t all that bad as far as villains go. Marshall and Athena banter and fight to keep things snappy and moving along. Athena’s partner, Hester, has her own little side story about issues with her husband that are quite pertinent to the story and helps push Athena’s point home concerning women and how society views them. There is an underlying mystery, but it really doesn’t have much to do with the story itself, expect to spur Athena on in her goals.

I’m glad I keep giving Ms. Marcos a chance with each book she writes. It’s rewarding to see an author only better with each successive book.


See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea this was the third book in the series. I'm going to have to see if I can figure out what the first two books are.

I really liked Marshall. Right from the beginning I liked how he was willing to admit his mistakes and look at problems from a different perspective. When Athena shows him that his way of thinking isn't necessarily the best way, he's willing to consider her point of view - and even revise his. It isn't often a man - especially an alpha-hero - is willing to do that.

Athena I'm not as sure about. Unlike Marshall, she wasn't willing to bend. She's convinced her way is the right way and refuses to consider other possibilities. For much of the book her attitude annoyed me. While I understood that she'd been hurt and was mostly acting out as a way to protect herself, but I think she went too far with it. Her only saving grace is that she realized her mistakes.

[Penney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Athena McAllister runs a school for young ladies where she teaches them how to attract a man. Ladies of their caliber need more practice in pleasing a husband, so she hires a fellow off the street for their art class. Marshall Hawkesworth has come to check on the academy where his sister goes. When he’s mistaken for a hired hand, he poses nude for the art class and agrees to teach a class on kissing, thinking to bring down the arrogant headmistress. He doesn’t expect her to respond in a way that arouses him. Things turn serious when a journalist threatens to cause a scandal. Can he convince Lady Athena to close the school’s doors and live a respectable life as his wife? If you like sensual love stories, this one’s for you.

[Al · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't connect with the characters

[Jodotha · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, it should be noted that this book is not, actually, erotica. It certainly sounds like it might be from the back cover summary, but it's really not. This will be disappointing to some and a relief for others.
This is a good, traditional regency romance. Well. "Traditional". The heroine of the story takes it upon herself to skirt the rules of society in favor of learning how to be attractive to males, and not just a home accessory.
Crazy, huh? Well, technically, yes, but since this is written for a modern audience, it isn't so very shocking.
In fact I found myself greatly enjoying the characters, and even the struggle of the women to find that crazy little thing called happiness. (Yes, that's labeled "love", but let's call it what it is.)
The author did a lovely job of reconciling the regency setting with modern feminine sensibilities, and the depth of the characters was just right. Nothing fluffy, and the intelligent dialog was spot on.
Oddly enough, the only thing lacking in this book was... Well... Sex.
Oh, there were a couple of scenes, but they somehow lacked the sizzle that the characters could have had. This will probably put the wrong sort of image in your mind, but quite frankly the author did a lot more -telling- us that they were locked in a passionate whirlwind from which there was no return... But it never quite crossed over into -showing-. And no, I'm not talking about display of body parts. It simply felt a little phoned in. Which is interesting, given the premise of the book.
Regardless, the majority of the book is spent building delicious sexual tension, and pitting intelligence against intelligence.
I'd recommend this book to any avid romance reader.

[Alexia Chantel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marshall Hawekesworth makes this book worth reading. A true hero he sets out to eliminate all threat to his sister, falls for the woman responsible, then fights for her reputation and her hand.

If not for such a well written hero the book would have fallen flat. The story line is amusing, though difficult to picture this innocent Lady Athena capable of going through with her venture. She is written as a smart mouthed fiery woman, but at times you just want to shake her.

The first and last chapters are written in the perspective of the building and it was a cute way to introduce and say farewell, for now that is.

[Jaime West · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was lovely.. a heartbroken woman is sometimes like a prickly pair and this one is no exception.. She hurls everything she's got at him, but really she just wants a hug.. and damn a hug from that guy on the cover.. holy hell..
I can say without a doubt this book has the hottest kissing lesson you could ever imagine..

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it's just me, but I was hoping for something a little more, you know, wicked. I didn't find the sex all that steamy, and the plot itself was a bit all over the place. It's not so bad that I would actively try to keep my friends from reading it, though. It did have some pretty sweet and funny moments, so I don't feel like I totally wasted my time on it.

[Diane Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the writing in this book. I liked how the story worked out. I liked the H. However, there were several other problems. The plot was extremely unlikely and improbable. The h's motivations and logic were so flawed that I had difficult connecting with her. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This heroine was a pain in the butt. She was so mean, selfish and could not get over just about anything and everything a man had done or said to her. This makes her hard to like but the hero sure does. The storyline was fun, quick witted and tense. Had a great pace and a couple of interesting twists. Great 3rd book!

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia está buena... hasta casi el final. Algunos hechos en el final se quedan incoherentes. A la hora de solucionar los problemas ha un lío con las cosas que resulta en contradicciones. Tal vez sea un problema en la traducción.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nunca habia leido nada de esta autora y me ha gustado mucho tanto la historia como los personajes... Es refrescante dar con autoras nuevas que aunque hacen libros de la misma tematica, le dan un punto nuevo. Recomendable 100%.

[Trin Rimes · Rating 2 out of 5]

A different road as historicals go.
The love story was endearing even if
it was tumultuous.

[Teresa Lyons · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated the heroine. Loved Marshall.