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Rushmore Brothers #2
At His Countess' Pleasure
This book is a sequel to Color Me Bad.
Anne Pym and Simon Rushmore are still reeling from the scandalous marriage of Anne’s cousin Hecuba to Simon’s brother John. But Simon’s position as Earl of Underwood has shielded him from the harshest criticisms. In a bid to repair Anne’s shattered family reputation, Simon proposes a most practical solution—he will make her his countess and they will set about the business of producing an heir.
But marriage is a beginning rather than an ending and scandal has a long life. Old hurts and new family crises threaten their burgeoning passion, even as Simon finds himself more and more eager to submit to his strong-willed wife’s every carnal command. When Anne’s bitterest secret emerges, destroying their hopes for the future, Simon must learn whether he is enough to bring Anne a lifetime of happiness—and just how completely he is willing to submit.
Inside This book contains scenes of dominance and anal play.
A Romantica® historical erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2014
26 people are currently reading
374 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Waite
19 books1,249 followersOlivia Waite writes queer historical romance, science fiction, and fantasy. She is the romance fiction columnist for the New York Times Book Review.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 16, 2018
I first heard about this book via Twitter. The premise sounded OK. What caught my eye, though, was the mention of femdom and pegging within a historical setting. Since this was a new-to-me author, I chose to borrow it from my local library over buying it.
FTR, the book wasn't as bad as I feared it was going to be. OTOH, it wasn't as good as I'd hoped either.
What I liked
+ Anne
She had a v. practical view of life. Her first impulse was to help ppl with the problems in a way that wasn't pushy or outlandish. The level of determination she had aaaaalmost bordered on stubborn. She wasn't obnoxious, though. It was fairly easy to find her a sympathetic character.
+ Anne and Simon
I liked how their relationship developed from something that was v. business-like into a passionate love. The transition from one kind of relationship to another felt v. natural. Part of this couple's charm was that Anne and Simon were Beta Characters. In that they weren't flashy or meek. They worked together to achieve actual!common goals. Not once did I doubted that they cared for each other or that their relationship was in danger.
+ Anne's friendships with other women
In a way, the C-plot was about Anne's interacting with other women. Like, the book did have many scenes of Anne's closeness with her sister and her cousin; the tentative friendships she cultivates with some of the other society women.
One v. specific friendship -- that I don't want to spoil at all-- was incredibly refreshing. I wished there had been more about Anne and [Character]'s scenes in the novel.
What I didn't like
- The ending
It was about Anne getting something completely different from what she wanted and what she needed. Which was creative. OTOH, certain bits within that ending were ridiculous convenient. I deffo rolled my eyes at those.
Also, it felt abrupt. Mainly because the B-plot had throw in a hard curve into the plot.
Ideally, there would have been one or two more chapters in between the next-to-last and the last chapters to give the book a smoother landing. Alas.
My second issue with this novel is a
- The so-called Femdom
NGL, this was my no.1 annoyance.
As I said at the beginning of this review, this book had been recced as one that contained femdom and pegging. Sadly, this turned out to be untrue.
The "femdom" scenes are Anne ordering Simon in bed in an extremely mellow way. There's no humiliation either (which isn't a necessary component for femdom but it's an often welcomed addition.) What made the "femdom" even more irritating is that, since they were told from Anne's POV, the reader is aware that Anne isn't 100% into it. She enjoys learning about her sexuality and seeing how her husband reacts to her advances. HOWEVUH, being dominant in bed isn't something she yearns for.
The pegging scene happened around the 84% and it wasn't pegging at all. :|
TL;DR: A historical romance whose likable protags weren't enough to make up for the lack of actual!femdom and pegging. I recommend borrowing it over buying it.
FTR, the book wasn't as bad as I feared it was going to be. OTOH, it wasn't as good as I'd hoped either.
What I liked
+ Anne
She had a v. practical view of life. Her first impulse was to help ppl with the problems in a way that wasn't pushy or outlandish. The level of determination she had aaaaalmost bordered on stubborn. She wasn't obnoxious, though. It was fairly easy to find her a sympathetic character.
+ Anne and Simon
I liked how their relationship developed from something that was v. business-like into a passionate love. The transition from one kind of relationship to another felt v. natural. Part of this couple's charm was that Anne and Simon were Beta Characters. In that they weren't flashy or meek. They worked together to achieve actual!common goals. Not once did I doubted that they cared for each other or that their relationship was in danger.
+ Anne's friendships with other women
In a way, the C-plot was about Anne's interacting with other women. Like, the book did have many scenes of Anne's closeness with her sister and her cousin; the tentative friendships she cultivates with some of the other society women.
One v. specific friendship -- that I don't want to spoil at all-- was incredibly refreshing. I wished there had been more about Anne and [Character]'s scenes in the novel.
What I didn't like
- The ending
It was about Anne getting something completely different from what she wanted and what she needed. Which was creative. OTOH, certain bits within that ending were ridiculous convenient. I deffo rolled my eyes at those.
Also, it felt abrupt. Mainly because the B-plot had throw in a hard curve into the plot.
Ideally, there would have been one or two more chapters in between the next-to-last and the last chapters to give the book a smoother landing. Alas.
My second issue with this novel is a
- The so-called Femdom
NGL, this was my no.1 annoyance.
As I said at the beginning of this review, this book had been recced as one that contained femdom and pegging. Sadly, this turned out to be untrue.
The "femdom" scenes are Anne ordering Simon in bed in an extremely mellow way. There's no humiliation either (which isn't a necessary component for femdom but it's an often welcomed addition.) What made the "femdom" even more irritating is that, since they were told from Anne's POV, the reader is aware that Anne isn't 100% into it. She enjoys learning about her sexuality and seeing how her husband reacts to her advances. HOWEVUH, being dominant in bed isn't something she yearns for.
The pegging scene happened around the 84% and it wasn't pegging at all. :|
TL;DR: A historical romance whose likable protags weren't enough to make up for the lack of actual!femdom and pegging. I recommend borrowing it over buying it.
January 15, 2021
2.5 stars rounded down.
Meh. The main relationship just didn’t do it for me. I just didn’t buy any kind of connection or chemistry or love between them, and honestly, it felt like they didn’t even interact that much. It says a lot that the hero didn’t even feature in the epilogue — it focused, like most of the rest of the book, on the heroine’s relationship with social standing and childbearing. Not on their romance.
The pegging scene was hot as hell though. Would have liked some more bits like that.
Meh. The main relationship just didn’t do it for me. I just didn’t buy any kind of connection or chemistry or love between them, and honestly, it felt like they didn’t even interact that much. It says a lot that the hero didn’t even feature in the epilogue — it focused, like most of the rest of the book, on the heroine’s relationship with social standing and childbearing. Not on their romance.
The pegging scene was hot as hell though. Would have liked some more bits like that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2019
Amusing historical romance featuring a soft dominant heroine, marriage of convenience, and some vague scandal. At His Countess' Pleasure isn't as well-written as Olivia Waite's The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, though I feel like her unconventional approach to resolving plots without resorting to lack of communication is present in this work as well. Countess' Pleasure is more erotic romance, and the characterization was rather thin. An amusing short novel nonetheless.
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Trigger warnings:
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Trigger warnings:
March 18, 2020
Romance novels have been a delightful diversion for me in the current state of the world, and this one, a sequel to "A Theif in the Nude" which I also loved, was great. This book definitely had more emotional heft than its predecessor, and similarities between myself and the main character hit me hard. Seeing her get her happiness in the end was comforting.
February 28, 2019
Looking for restitution for Lord Rushmore's defamation of her family, Anne finds herself in a marriage of convenience to him. The story got a bit dry in the middle, but had a great non-traditional ending.
May 5, 2020
3.5, I liked it, but it dragged in the middle and the plot was all over.
August 17, 2019
I enjoyed this book, the characters are relatable, Anne is an awesome heroine. The steam is just so darn hot.
July 1, 2023
Thoughts I don’t want to organize:
- The tone of this novel is so odd and unique
- Kind of removed and distant especially early on
- Much less spoken dialogue than constant Anne internal dialogue
- The evolution of their relationship from practical to passionate was nice, but felt so minimal?
- I’m barely remembering the romance aspect of this story, def not one of those grand love stories that I’ll always remember
- This felt like a spin off from John and Hecuba’s book, got the impression this was a side story I couldn’t fully enjoy bc I hadn’t read some other book
- The moment she realizes he is lonely and she decides to “give him everything” was really sweet that felt like a rare thing
- Period comfort and then period sex 😈 amazing no notes
- Not actually fully convinced she was dominant though, but I don’t think it matters
- Historical pegging so that was fun (and a nice break from how dark the mood had gotten)
- They’re so mature omg ! It’s been a while where I’ve read a book where the main characters aren’t kinda big babies
- They handled mrs. walker and Nicholas so well and compassionately and maturely
- Loneliness is a big theme handled so honestly and reflected so well in the writing style
- Talks about miscarriage and infertility too and motherhood in a real and not fakey irritatingly magic perfect way
- These themes and loneliness are the real main arc of this book (which I actually liked a lot)
- That one scene where she’s like punishing herself w sex was insane but so good bc it ended exactly how it should have, with lots of crying and comforting and talking about their feelings
- Anne and Fiona becoming friends!! It’s perfect!!
- This is one of those impossible situation books that is so impressive when it works
- Very serious overall and def not one of those light and frothy books at all
- I feel like I read this book looking down from like 10 feet above the action like somehow the writing or my state of mind made me feel very removed, which wasn’t fun
- truly the romance is not the point here, it’s the infertility and how they deal with it as a couple (which was very well done)
- the orphanage/school thing never does it for me though with couples who can’t have children, that’s just a personal preference though. Seen too much abt horrible things going on in places like that to have such a trusting view of them
- also that these orphanage-schools fall into some of my categories for bad reasons to have kids, including “personal fulfillment/children are my little project”
- Jen on fated mates said “the promise of romance is that for these people, we’re gonna see enough of them changing to really truly believe that they are gonna keep on this path”
- this is a fantastic guide marker for me to see how I feel about a book, and a guideline to consider when I feel disconnected from a romance book, and I think this book really rushed their relationship development in a way that doesn’t fulfill the “promise of romance” as she puts it
- The tone of this novel is so odd and unique
- Kind of removed and distant especially early on
- Much less spoken dialogue than constant Anne internal dialogue
- The evolution of their relationship from practical to passionate was nice, but felt so minimal?
- I’m barely remembering the romance aspect of this story, def not one of those grand love stories that I’ll always remember
- This felt like a spin off from John and Hecuba’s book, got the impression this was a side story I couldn’t fully enjoy bc I hadn’t read some other book
- The moment she realizes he is lonely and she decides to “give him everything” was really sweet that felt like a rare thing
- Period comfort and then period sex 😈 amazing no notes
- Not actually fully convinced she was dominant though, but I don’t think it matters
- Historical pegging so that was fun (and a nice break from how dark the mood had gotten)
- They’re so mature omg ! It’s been a while where I’ve read a book where the main characters aren’t kinda big babies
- They handled mrs. walker and Nicholas so well and compassionately and maturely
- Loneliness is a big theme handled so honestly and reflected so well in the writing style
- Talks about miscarriage and infertility too and motherhood in a real and not fakey irritatingly magic perfect way
- These themes and loneliness are the real main arc of this book (which I actually liked a lot)
- That one scene where she’s like punishing herself w sex was insane but so good bc it ended exactly how it should have, with lots of crying and comforting and talking about their feelings
- Anne and Fiona becoming friends!! It’s perfect!!
- This is one of those impossible situation books that is so impressive when it works
- Very serious overall and def not one of those light and frothy books at all
- I feel like I read this book looking down from like 10 feet above the action like somehow the writing or my state of mind made me feel very removed, which wasn’t fun
- truly the romance is not the point here, it’s the infertility and how they deal with it as a couple (which was very well done)
- the orphanage/school thing never does it for me though with couples who can’t have children, that’s just a personal preference though. Seen too much abt horrible things going on in places like that to have such a trusting view of them
- also that these orphanage-schools fall into some of my categories for bad reasons to have kids, including “personal fulfillment/children are my little project”
- Jen on fated mates said “the promise of romance is that for these people, we’re gonna see enough of them changing to really truly believe that they are gonna keep on this path”
- this is a fantastic guide marker for me to see how I feel about a book, and a guideline to consider when I feel disconnected from a romance book, and I think this book really rushed their relationship development in a way that doesn’t fulfill the “promise of romance” as she puts it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2021
Not as good as its predecessor, mostly because it felt unbalanced as a story. The beginning started off with a not-love-match marriage gradually turning passionate, which was great, I was hooked. But then partway through the subject matter turned extraordinarily heavy as the heroine dealt with infertility issues. (Which, to be fair, their was a content warning about for those who wish to avoid it.) I have no problems reading about it, but I was disappointed by how that's the only thing the story became about, and everything else bent to make infertility the main plot line--which sacrificed the more dynamic and lighthearted "married first, falling in love second" story that it seemed we were promised in the beginning.
I think there would have been room for both of these plot if this had been a full novella rather than a novella, and if the second half of the story had given the hero more to do than show up for a sex scene but be almost entirely absent otherwise.
And the epilogue...honestly, it felt trite, because this is by no means the first story where the infertile heroine contrives some way to fill her life with "replacement" children, and this result for this story felt like it hadn't been foreshadowed properly--again, a lack of space in such a short narrative, I'm assuming.
I think there would have been room for both of these plot if this had been a full novella rather than a novella, and if the second half of the story had given the hero more to do than show up for a sex scene but be almost entirely absent otherwise.
And the epilogue...honestly, it felt trite, because this is by no means the first story where the infertile heroine contrives some way to fill her life with "replacement" children, and this result for this story felt like it hadn't been foreshadowed properly--again, a lack of space in such a short narrative, I'm assuming.
March 12, 2021
It's hard for me to read books involving infertility, having experienced it myself, because so often the happily ever after is that the couple gets pregnant. The message is that couples with infertility can't experience happiness unless they get pregnant, and since I have never been able to get pregnant, that's not a message that sits right with me. I have been happily married for 13 years, and as much as we grieved, we have still found a happy and fulfilling life together without children. Our love didn't magically heal my ovaries, as so often happens in romance novels, and yet here we are, living our HEA.
This book was a very rare example of infertility treated in a way that I could personally relate to and made me feel all the very best feels. It was sad and heartbreaking at moments, but then the hero told the heroine that he didn't need for her to ever be okay with her infertility and he would burn the world down with her to help her find happiness in another way. And then I cried and cried. It was so beautiful. I loved this couple, and the love they had for each other, and the family they created. So beautifully written.
This book was a very rare example of infertility treated in a way that I could personally relate to and made me feel all the very best feels. It was sad and heartbreaking at moments, but then the hero told the heroine that he didn't need for her to ever be okay with her infertility and he would burn the world down with her to help her find happiness in another way. And then I cried and cried. It was so beautiful. I loved this couple, and the love they had for each other, and the family they created. So beautifully written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2022
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this short novella! Considering the fact that I picked it up because I was looking for a book with a female dom and a male sub, this definitely scratched that itch.
I would say that my one major complaint about this novella would be the pacing. I thought the beginning was dry, abrupt, and lacked tension between the protagonist and the love interest. Precisely because the beginning was so thin, it also meant that once an actual plot started developing in this novella, it felt a little out of place. It didn't feel like it flowed naturally.
However, ultimately I did find myself enjoying this story. I thought the plot was engaging. I found the characters funny and entertaining. Furthermore, the smut (especially in the beginning of the novella) was absolutely delightful. It has made me want to find more stories with a similar dynamic because the vibes were just impeccable.
Ultimately, I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this considering I have read a more recent Olivia Waite release and found it lackluster. Do I think this novella is perfect? No. But I certainly found it engaging, and that's all I really ask from books in this genre.
I really enjoyed this short novella! Considering the fact that I picked it up because I was looking for a book with a female dom and a male sub, this definitely scratched that itch.
I would say that my one major complaint about this novella would be the pacing. I thought the beginning was dry, abrupt, and lacked tension between the protagonist and the love interest. Precisely because the beginning was so thin, it also meant that once an actual plot started developing in this novella, it felt a little out of place. It didn't feel like it flowed naturally.
However, ultimately I did find myself enjoying this story. I thought the plot was engaging. I found the characters funny and entertaining. Furthermore, the smut (especially in the beginning of the novella) was absolutely delightful. It has made me want to find more stories with a similar dynamic because the vibes were just impeccable.
Ultimately, I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this considering I have read a more recent Olivia Waite release and found it lackluster. Do I think this novella is perfect? No. But I certainly found it engaging, and that's all I really ask from books in this genre.
February 18, 2021
I loved this book. There is a decided lack of female domination in fiction, especially written by women. I was hoping for a tad more domination and a bit more roughness to the primary couple's sex, but I still got the air that Anne was both in control and considerate of her husband.
I appreciated that unlike most erotic fiction of the same genre written by men, Anne was a fully fleshed out character and not simply a cruel stand-in for a hapless male submissive with no real personality or motivations of her own.
The addition of Anne's PCOS as well as her actually NOT having children by some miracle was appreciated. These kinds of novels often present this issue, but it resolves itself if only with one pregnancy or the character becomes incurably bitter. It was nice to have a woman who wanted to be a mother actually not have biological children and rather formulate a found family and adopt. As someone with PCOS as well as other issues where I cannot have children, the representation is long overdue and much appreciated.
I appreciated that unlike most erotic fiction of the same genre written by men, Anne was a fully fleshed out character and not simply a cruel stand-in for a hapless male submissive with no real personality or motivations of her own.
The addition of Anne's PCOS as well as her actually NOT having children by some miracle was appreciated. These kinds of novels often present this issue, but it resolves itself if only with one pregnancy or the character becomes incurably bitter. It was nice to have a woman who wanted to be a mother actually not have biological children and rather formulate a found family and adopt. As someone with PCOS as well as other issues where I cannot have children, the representation is long overdue and much appreciated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2021
Pretty sure I picked this one up solely bc I knew there was pegging (plus it's by Olivia Waite who is one of like, 3 historical romance authors I will trust implicitly at this point). And it did not disappoint! I admit I did not love the twist of infertility for Anne, as a personal preference I just don't like infertility as a storyline in general and in a novella it is hard to satisfyingly cover that full arc. BUT I did love Simon supporting her, giving her space to work through that pain, and when in doubt providing her with a tool to work around that pain. Get you a man who buys a dildo you can fuck him with when you get bad news. Helluva therapy strategy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2024
olivia waite's writing makes me absolutely feral. this woman writes like a god & i would like to tattoo her prose on every inch of my body.
as you can see i am feeling very normal about this book.
i have no idea what the others reviews are going on and on about. this novella is stunning. marvellous. bitting. so well written and conveys so much in such a short amount of pages. it handles the matters of infertility and sex and love and womanhood and societal expectations flawlessly and in such an elegant matter. i wanted to scream and cry alongside Anne. i almost highlighted the entire thing.
a whooping 5 stars and probably a favourite of this year.
as you can see i am feeling very normal about this book.
i have no idea what the others reviews are going on and on about. this novella is stunning. marvellous. bitting. so well written and conveys so much in such a short amount of pages. it handles the matters of infertility and sex and love and womanhood and societal expectations flawlessly and in such an elegant matter. i wanted to scream and cry alongside Anne. i almost highlighted the entire thing.
a whooping 5 stars and probably a favourite of this year.
October 23, 2025
Entertaining, but the historical accuracy is lacking...
A noblewoman inviting her husbands former mistress and mother of his secret child to be her personal secretary? In Victorian Era London? Possible but not very probable.
I also did not care for the pacing. I felt like much of the story was lost in these huge time jumps every few chapters.
Aside from that though the book was well written. The author definitely has a gift with prose and writing intimate scenes..
A noblewoman inviting her husbands former mistress and mother of his secret child to be her personal secretary? In Victorian Era London? Possible but not very probable.
I also did not care for the pacing. I felt like much of the story was lost in these huge time jumps every few chapters.
Aside from that though the book was well written. The author definitely has a gift with prose and writing intimate scenes..
January 4, 2020
A pleasant enough story with a marriage of convenience turned passionate, with an odd note of a dominant wife. I generally like a story that includes dominance however the introduction of it in this text felt a little off. It was a pleasant quick read that certain won’t keep me from reading other books from this author; I just didn’t love this one.
September 2, 2025
Okay, there's maybe a tiny bit of incredulity at how easily a lifetime of cultural training gets overcome by both the main characters so they can get all sexy-times with each other, but I got over it. This was a sweet story and also had some real sorrow in the infertility plot, which I thought was beautifully expressed.
October 5, 2018
Delightful--and sinfully sexy--historical romance! I do love a practical heroine, and I found the twists and turns of the larger family drama very intriguing and satisfying. I don't want to give away too much, but this book deals with very real and personal issues in an authentic touching way.
May 23, 2022
About romance WITHIN a marriage that both have agreed to for practical reasons.
And that romance includes pleasurable sex.
Plot points include infertility, the dangers of pregnancy, and society rules and the impact of following or not following.
And that romance includes pleasurable sex.
Plot points include infertility, the dangers of pregnancy, and society rules and the impact of following or not following.
August 13, 2024
I'll read anything Olivia Waite writes, apparently. The pairing in this sequel was more up my alley than its predecessor - a practical, direct, no nonsense woman and a man who can't get enough of her who submits? Sign me up.
November 5, 2018
Rounded up from 3.8ish. Light on plot but achieved what it wanted to (which was femdom).
October 19, 2019
Not exactly delivers what it promised regarding bdsm but still good writing amd interesting plot.
April 7, 2020
Beautifully painful but heartfelt.
Read
August 31, 2021They pegging out here…
December 21, 2021
Characters fell kind of flat, narrative spent little time with their dynamic, more time on heroine's role in society.
August 2, 2023
Compassionate exploration of fertility (or lack of it) in a historical romance.
November 26, 2014
Anne Pym’s family name was shattered the day her cousin married Simon Rushmore’s brother. Anne will do anything to save her families name, and decides to approach Simon Rushmore with the idea that he marry her and make her his Countess. This should save her family’s shattered reputation. Anne knows that Simon is well liked, has money and has a good name. Anne also knows that she can give him a heir to continue the Rushmore name.
Anne is a strong willed women, she is independent and has a very strong sexual appetite. She likes to be in control. The only problem is that she is finding it hard to submit to her husband. Her husband sees that and immediately starts to let Anne take control in the bedroom. Before he knows it, his sexy Countess becomes quite the mistress. Anne loves being able to control Simon with her sexual appeal and seduction. Simon too also decides to heat things up by bringing a sex toy into the bedroom and lets his commanding countess decide what she would like to do with the toy.
Anne and Simon may have made an arrangement to marry in hopes of saving her families reputation, but what they did was save each other. Anne will learn a lot from herself, like how to be a strong willed women in upper society and not care what others think. Anne will also learn that pleasuring her husband and being in control is a very powerful thing for her.
Secrets, Scandal and Sexual Desires are just a bit of what you will read in “At His Countess Pleasure” by Olivia Waite. This book has very steamy sex scenes and wonderful romance story to go along with it.
September 4, 2020
Not quite as good as the first one but still love a practical heroine.
July 6, 2022
Anne's cousin Hecuba just experienced a major scandal before a rushed marriage to John Rushmore and she is about to approach the Earl Simon Rushmore to seek retribution for the damage his actions had on her marriage prospects. She proposes they enter a marriage of convenience and the Earl immediately accepts. Simon is enamoured by his new bride and has a desire to submit to her every want and need but Anne has a secret that may impact their hopes for a future.
This was a satisfying interpretation of BDSM in a historical context and was a compelling romance for two characters who are not well liked after the first book. Both are offered a satisfying conclusion to consequences of their actions in the previous book.
This was a satisfying interpretation of BDSM in a historical context and was a compelling romance for two characters who are not well liked after the first book. Both are offered a satisfying conclusion to consequences of their actions in the previous book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews