Her Secret Lover

Aphrodite's Club #2

by Sara Bennett

Desperate to save her reputation, the beautiful heiress Antoinette Dupre escapes to Wexmoor Manor, a country estate in Devon. But she gets more than she bargained for when she encounters a masked stranger who, with just one touch, awakens in her an irresistible desire. Gabriel Langley is on a mission. Antoinette has a letter he needs to take back his family's ancestral home, and he is willing to go to any lengths to claim it—even seduce her. And though aware he is playing a dangerous game, he cannot resist returning to her bed in the shadow of darkness . . . to become her secret lover. But when Gabriel's true identity is revealed, their passionate midnight interludes are threatened. And they must face a web of scandal and blackmail that could destroy their one chance for love . . .

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance

372 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 16, 2008

About the author

Sara Bennett writes with passion. She has been published by Avon HarperCollins in the USA, and also publishes independently. She recently wrote a series of Regency novellas about Second Chances called Mockingbird Square. The four novellas are Unforgettable, Enraptured, Surrender and Reckless. They're available at all eBook stores.

Currently she is writing a second series of Mockingbird Square. The first three novellas, Fascination, Seduction and Temptation are available, and Obsession is under way.

Sara also writes paranormal romance as Sara Mackenzie, steamy historical romance as Evie North, and Australian Women's Fiction as Kaye Dobbie.

Reviews

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08

Let’s have a show of hands. How many readers absolutely hate the TSTL (too stupid to live) actions by some of the heroines in romance novels? Yeah, me too. Next, how many readers enjoy an entire book built on the issue of a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING? Yep, I’m with y’all on that one too. Now what if the ‘big misunderstanding’ could have been taken care of with just one question or conversation that the author took special pains to make sure DIDN’T happen? Well, that’s enough to make me want to scream out loud. Unfortunately, Sara Bennett’s “Her Secret Lover” did exactly that.

Heiress Antoinette is being held captive by Lord Appleby, an unscrupulous would-be suitor who only wants her for her inheritance. He orchestrated a moment where she was seen in his arms and now that her reputation is tarnished, he’s pressing her to marry him. Just as she receives a letter from her old nanny with information that can ruin Lord Appleby, he sends her off to his country estate until she agrees to marry him. When her carriage is set upon by a highwayman demanding the letter, she’s sure that said highwayman is in league with Appleby. It’s on this ‘mistake’ that the entire plot is built.

Gabriel isn’t really a highwayman. He’s actually the rightful owner of Wexmoor Manor. At least he was, until Appleby used blackmail to force his father to sign it over to him. He’s after the letter his mother wrote to Appleby (thus the blackmail) and he’s sure Appleby’s mistress MUST have it. So he dons a cloak and mask and holds up her carriage enroute to Wexmoor Manor. But as soon as he catches sight of Antoinette, his brown sparrow, he has a hard time remembering the letter. And when he touches her, all he can think of is bedding her.

As you may have guessed, I really didn’t like this book. ONE question or honest conversation at any time could have ended the conflict and resulted in the hero and heroine working together. But no, the author made sure this never happened. She even had the revelations made by a third person, so these two never figured it out. Made my blood boil with their stupidity in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary of their beliefs. And here’s a few more things; Why doesn’t she just say she’s NOT Appleby’s mistress? Well, that would ruin the plot. Why is the ‘big secret’ in the letter never mentioned til late in the book? That would ruin the plot. The hero first touches the heroine in a darkened carriage in the middle of the night and is floored by her. How? He can’t even see! And our heroine…she can’t call out for help at one of the inns on the road? If Appleby wants to marry her, he doesn’t want her injured. DUH! Then she goes to see the local magistrate…and doesn’t tell him about Appleby’s dire plot! Stupid!

I could go on, but I don’t think my blood pressure can handle it. I was so disappointed in Sara Bennett’s latest offering. I have read and enjoyed other books by her, so I know she can produce stories that entertain. I guess I’ll just mark “Her Secret Lover” down as a bad day for the author. Hey, we’re all entitled. Right?

Til next time
JJ

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has 2 things going for it:

1) the hero doesn't magically find out the heroine is a virgin because she is sufficiently aroused and therefore feels no pain during sexytime and
2) casual sapphic rep (it's barely there but my bi ass is willing accept it)

That's about it. There's really no character development to be found. The MCs end the book the same as they started and we as readers really don't learn much about them since they aren't fleshed out as people with personalities. Example: the author mentions at the start how the heroine is fond of fancy undergarments even though no sees them, and it's kind of made into a big deal but then is never mentioned again in the story.

Honestly I just bought this book because I liked the dress on the cover.

[Maria Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Em quem podemos confiar, se até os nossos atos podem ser duvidosos?
Antoinette Dupre é uma jovem herdeira que se tornou prisioneira das circunstâncias.
Seu tio havia falecido e um dos seus amigos se mostrou interessado em ajudar a ela e a sua irmã, a passarem por esse período conturbado.
Lorde Appleby é um homem que criou seu próprio caminho para o topo e ganhou notoriedade com a construção do Palácio de Cristal. Até mesmo o Príncipe Albert o tinha em alta estima. Mas quem vê o empreendedor bom moço, mal sabe de suas falcatruas e índole duvidosa.
Antoinette se tornou um meio para um fim, ele precisava de dinheiro e ela era a herdeira perfeita. Então Appleby bolou um plano para arruiná-la, obrigando-a a se casar com ele, mas por ironia do destino, ao invés de ter a honra restaurada, ela ganhou o título de amante e precisou ser exilada em Devon até a poeira baixar. Buscando fugir de tal destino, Antoinette conseguiu por intermédio de sua governanta, a Srta. Bridewell, um carta que seria seu trunfo para mudar as regras do jogo.
Gabriel Langley é um jovem aventureiro e de bom coração. Não se importava tanto com o baronato de seu pai, pois seu sonho era dar continuidade ao legado de seu avô paterno e viver em Devon onde foi criado.
Mas Lorde Appleby por vingança contra seu pai, Sir Adam, tomou para si as terras de Gabriel e não satisfeito também tomou posse de parte do Clube Aphrodite. Que caos!
Como um mestre dos disfarces, Gabriel entrou na vida de Antoinette buscando a tal carta e pretendendo usá-la para expor Lorde Appleby e recuperar tudo que lhe foi roubado. Mas algo muito forte aflorou quando se conheceram.
A conexão entre eles foi imediata, mesmo ela não sabendo sua verdadeira identidade,  apaixonou-se pelo mascarado bandido de estrada.
É uma história super dinâmica e repleta de reviravoltas. A química do casal é incrível, Gabriel sabe o que quer e luta por isso, já Antoinette tem medo do desconhecido, preferindo a sua rotina e a pacata a vida em Surray. Só que o amor surgiu da forma mais inesperada possível e a fez questionar todas as suas certezas.

[Sharyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read many Sara Bennett's but this is not up to her usual standards. First of all, this is the second in a series, Aphorodite's club, which actually is part of another series. In the first book, the heroine goes to Aprodite's, and in this book, no explanation, it is closed. Seems a middle story is missing.
Anyway, this book is the mother of miscommunication. I can't even describe the set up, just know that if the hero had just asked to see the letter, Antoinette could have shown it to him. I know, there wouldn't have been a story. And, I can't believe I am saying this, but there was too much sex, some of it a little manipulated. Oh well, tomorrow is another book.

[Claudia Novoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que delicia de livro... Uma mocinha totalmente fora dos padrões de beleza dos REs, e um mocinho de múltiplas camadas. Intrigas e segredos permeiam esse romance com maestria.
Adorei.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like it because too much conflict was based on vague communication and inaccurate assumptions.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
Almost all events and conflicts throughout the book are based on misunderstandings due to vague communication – my pet peeve! I believe there are readers out there who are not bothered by this. Maybe they will like it. I did not. The plot, characters and conversations were not interesting for me. In Spoilers below, I give examples of conversations that bothered me, and I give away some of the plot. My purpose is for readers to judge for themselves.

STORY BRIEF:
Lord Appleby needs money. He arranges to be seen hugging Antoinette (a wealthy heiress) so she will be “ruined” and forced to marry him. Then he sends her to Wexmoor Manor, a country estate, waiting for the scandal to die down before he marries her. Antoinette fears Appleby because he threatens to marry her younger sister Cecilia if Antoinette won’t marry him. She believes he will convince Cecilia to marry him because Cecilia is too trusting. Antoinette’s former governess writes a letter to Antoinette stating where to find a person who can give evidence against Appleby. Before she can go to this person, Antoinette is sent to Wexmoor Manor against her wishes.

Gabriel is the heir to Wexmoor Manor. His mother wrote a letter with something about her prior affair with Appleby before she married Adam and had Gabriel. Appleby threatens to embarrass her by making the letter public unless Adam signs over Wexmoor Manor to him. Gabriel wants the letter so he can get back ownership of his home, Wexmoor Manor. Gabriel hears that Antoinette has a letter, and he mistakenly thinks it is the letter written by his mother. Gabriel pretends to be a highwayman to rob the coach she is in, but he can’t find the letter which she has hidden within her clothing.

CAUTION SPOILERS:
The words “she” and “he” below refer to Antoinette and Gabriel. The conflict between them through most of the book is the following. She has a letter to help get evidence to show Appleby as a bad guy. She thinks Gabriel is employed by Appleby to get the letter from her. Gabriel thinks she has the letter from his mother which Appleby used as blackmail. Gabriel thinks Antoinette is Appleby’s mistress and is there to protect the property and will tell Appleby where Gabriel is, so that Appleby can have Gabriel arrested for punching him in the nose (or some other offense that I can’t remember).

Page 136: She asks him who he is, why does he want the letter and where will he take it. He shakes his head and does not answer her.

Page 162: He asks her why she is loyal to Appleby. Instead of answering she says “You sound as if you hate him.” He decides to explain and starts to say “The letter.” She interrupts yelling “I’m tired of the letter. You’re both as bad as each other.” (She didn’t let him explain.) She then answers his question about her relationship with Appleby saying “It’s because of the money.” Gabriel mistakenly believes she is earning money from Appleby as his mistress instead of the truth which is she is wealthy and Appleby wants her money.

Page 195: Gabriel has a dream about his half sister Marietta. He says “Marietta” in his sleep. For the next 127 pages, Antoinette has angry reactions toward Gabriel because she mistakenly believes Marietta is his lover.

Up until page 246, Antoinette and Gabriel each think the other is working for and loyal to Appleby, so they keep secrets from each other. When they learn that Appleby is coming to Wexmoor Manor to get Antoinette, they flee together to avoid Appleby. I thought now they will learn the truth about each other since it’s obvious they both don’t want to be around Appleby. Instead, Antoinette tells Gabriel a new lie, that she has another lover in London to whom she is fleeing. When she is confused as to why Gabriel is fleeing from Appleby, instead of trying to figure it out or ask him, she decides she is too tired to think about it and falls asleep.

Page 267: Gabriel asks her why she needs the letter. She says “I need it. Without it I’ll never get away from Appleby.” Instead of further discussing it, Gabriel mistakenly assumes and says “so you intend to blackmail Appleby.” She says nothing. It’s not true, but she lets him believe it.

Page 268: She asks him why he wants the letter. He says he wants it so Appleby will give Wexmoor Manor to him. Instead of saying that Appleby had stolen Wexmoor Manor using blackmail, he made it sound like Appleby was paying Gabriel with the property in return for helping to get Antoinette back to Appleby.

For readers who like this sort of thing, I did not give it all away. There is “a lot more” of this vague communication that I have not described. I’m tired of writing about it.

DATA:
Story Length: 372 pages. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 7. Total number of sex scene pages: 32. Setting: 1851 Devon and London, England. Copyright: 2008. Genre: historical romance.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel offers a great opportunity reflect on the difference between three concepts: romantic, erotic, and pornographic. In this case, the author fully incorporates the first two into her story. A romantic account describes the attraction that two people feel for each other and follows the development(or lack thereof) of their relationship. It incorporates the emotions, dreams, hopes, and frustrations of these individuals as they navigate perilous waters. A romance may be erotic if the sexual encounters are described in detail. Done properly, they could be labeled as "love scenes." Pornography, on the other hand, has only "sex scenes," as the emotions and relationship between the actors are irrelevant.

After reading a book like this, it is clear why women are more likely to read erotic romance novels than watch pornography. Pornography only captures a fraction of what makes a sexual encounter so intoxicating. For most men, however, it is this sliver that most appeals to them.

A further question is, "Why are men usually so dismissive of romance novels?" If you asked them, and they had any idea of what you were talking about, they would probably respond that these books are "unrealistic" or simply "female fantasy". Well, of course they are-- they are works of fiction. But so are many other genres, including crime and adventure novels, that men often enjoy. What is it about the romance novels that men don't like? Though few would admit it, I would speculate that they don't like how men are depicted in these books. I mean seriously, who would want to read a novel about a frompy, overweight, uninspired man who watches sports and eats at Appleby's?

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite hero and heroine getting it on pretty quickly (Gabriel a.k.a 'the masked highwayman', literally began the foreplay in the first few pages of the novel, in a carriage no less!) I liked it. Plot wasn't too great but it was a nice surprise to find that the letter Antoinette was so desperate to keep from him wasn't even the same letter he was looking for. He was right then, had she just handed it over in that carriage in the beginning he would never had to take almost all of her clothes off and ravish her with his hands lol But then where would they be? Not together that's for sure!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less than 100 pages into it and....holy cow...

[Potteriffic_prof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite, but still a sweet story. It just seemed a tad trite at times,

[Spazfungus · Rating 1 out of 5]

meh