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Claimed by a King #3
Untouched Queen By Royal Command
He must choose a queen…
But will his desire outweigh his duty?
King Augustus is shocked when his country delivers him a courtesan. The only way to set her free is to marry someone else! But Sera’s surprising innocence and undisguised yearning for him is temptation itself, pushing Augustus’s legendary self-control to the limits. Because Augustus knows that if he dares give in to his attraction he won’t rest until Sera becomes his queen!
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2019
About the author
Kelly Hunter
301 books425 followersAustralian born Kelly Hunter is a three time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist, a USA Today Bestselling author and loves writing to the demands of the short category romance form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 21, 2019
4.5 STARS.
The cute doggy agrees with me !
This book was so amazing that I had to amend my book review of The Spaniard's Stolen Bride and edit it slightly, because it's no longer my favourite from this month's newest HP releases. I'd honestly never expected that this novel by Kelly Hunter would trump The Spaniard's Stolen Bride but it actually did ! This novel drew me in from the first page of the prologue, which showed the adolescent H touring the abandoned chambers that housed the courtesans who'd served his ancestors many centuries ago. It's an innocent foreshadowing of things to come, because the young hero, Prince Augustus, is filled with awe when he wanders into these forbidden chambers.
My personal musical score for this novel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZCLL...
SHE WAS A gift from her people to the King of Arun. An unwanted gift if the King’s expression spoke true, but one he couldn’t refuse. Not without breaking the laws of his country and severing seven centuries of tradition between his people and hers.
Modern romance, reminiscent of a fairytale escapist fantasy story, complete with sexy, flimsy concubine clothing, chains, manacles, rings, whips…
Once upon a time, about 700 years ago, in the kingdom of Arun, there lived a group of people in the north, in a place called The High Reaches. And within The High Reaches, there was a special group of women who belonged to The Order of The Kite; women who were trained to be the concubines and courtesans of kings. Seven centuries ago it was ruled and written in the law of the kingdom, that an unmarried king who reaches the age of 30, will receive the gift of a beautiful virgin courtesan to serve him and provide counsel:
‘A concubine of noble birth, charged with attending the King’s needs and demands until such time as he acquires a wife and produces an heir…
I’ve read a few HP’s by Kelly Hunter ( pre Goodreads ) and didn’t like them too much, so I didn’t hold out much hope for this one. In fact, I'd already concluded that The Spaniard's Stolen Bride was my fav book for this month. LOL. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, to find myself enthralled by this tale from the prologue all the way to the end ! I liked both MC’s a lot in this novel, but the star of the story, for me, was the heroine Lady Sera. She’s a bit of an anomaly because she’s a courtesan who’s been educated formally at Oxford, is trained in diplomacy, the sensual arts, martial arts and is so socially adept that she might be eligible for a “Best Pupil” prize at a Swiss young ladies’ finishing school.
This is the heroine, Sera:
Chosen for the beauty she possessed and the quickness of her mind. Taught to serve, to soothe, and how to dance, fight and dress. One for every King of Arun and only one. A possession to be treasured.
She was lean and lithe in all the right places, and generously voluptuous in others. It was a body designed to bring a man to his knees and keep him there for eternity.
And this is the H, Augustus:
He was a handsome man if a tall, lean frame, firm lips, a stern jaw and wayward dark hair appealed—which it did.
Augustus was a sexy, debonair and conservative, non manwhore H. I assume the author was working with the theory that opposites attract and that this story might not have succeeded had the H been one of those playboys who grace the halls of HPlandia with their concupiscent hotness. I liked Augustus. He’s not as sexy as Diego, from The Spaniard's Stolen Bride, but he’s a man with a lot more responsibility, so he can’t afford to be a reckless ne'er do well, bad boy billionaire.
In fact, Augustus was filled with bemusement, anger and shock when Lady Leanthe, the elder stateswoman of The High Reaches brought Sera to him. The primitive manly part of him was intrigued by the idea of having a beautiful woman to serve all his needs, but his intellectual and modern mind felt that it was wrong for such an archaic tradition to be upheld in the 21st century. His castle’s old concubine quarters, complete with domed glass roof and other accoutrements that catered to the sybarite needs of his ancestral kings’ ladies of pleasure, had been abandoned and closed for more than a century.
This is the interior of Sera's courtesan's chamber:
What I loved most about this book was the heroine: it was awesome to see a heroine of such spectacular beauty, grace and other accomplishments throw a H’s ordered life into chaos and unwelcome lust. In most HP novels, except for the vintage books by Margaret Way, it’s rare for an author to craft a heroine whose physical beauty is a perfect complement to the H’s hot, handsome and hunky sexiness. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this H lose his cool and become a bit discombobulated, even if he never showed it to her, whenever they were in the same room.
I’m a very visual person and I love pretty things so it’s awesome to read a book with MC’s who are both so beautiful. Sera is a very confident and self assured heroine. She is a virgin courtesan but she’s not the blushing, wilting, stammering type of Mary Sue virgin who melts like butter or loses her composure when her H flexes his well defined muscles or twitches his sensuous sculpted lips. She might feel inner pangs of lustful desire, but she never allows him to see any outward manifestations of her libido's response as long as he keeps her at arms length.
Sera's childhood backstory is quite tragic. Her mother Yuna, had been a courtesan who'd fallen in love with her protector and then broken the biggest rule of them all: she'd chosen to run away, give birth to her daughter and live a life of impoverished obscurity. The heroine was seven years old when her mother's former mentor, Lady Lianthe, had located the mother and daughter duo and brought them back to live with the other members of the Order of The Kite.
The sexual chemistry between these MC's simmers from the time they meet and the H is the one who has to fight his desires, because our sensual heroine is very willing to see to his needs. And he really tries so hard, at first, to fight his unwanted feelings for her. That's what makes this novel so different because it's usually the heroine who has to fight the needs of her treacherous, weak body. Augustus is taken to a new world that simultaneously confuses him and fills him with rampant lust. Early in the novel, there's a very sexy scene where the MC's engage in witty banter about a priceless floor tapestry covered with semi pornographic drawings. The H is stunned when Sera calmly informs him of the purpose of the tapestry:
‘It’s a communication device. Each scene depicts an action: a need or desire, if you will. In older times a visitor to this place—or even another courtesan—would approach this area and in choosing where to sit would telegraph their needs. Those needs would be seen to.’
‘Just like that?’
‘So they say.’
‘And is that the way it’s going to work for me?’
‘Why don’t you sit somewhere and see?’
‘Maybe I will.’ Maybe he wouldn’t. Better all round if he didn’t engage, no matter how fascinating the history she brought with her. ‘I’ve been trying to get rid of you.’
‘I know that, Your Majesty.’
What's a noble, non manwhoring king to do when he cannot circumvent the archaic law and send the sexy courtesan on her way ?
Should he be a gentleman, send her away with her virginity intact ?
Or, should he give in to his lustful need- a need that's stronger than any physical desire he's ever felt for a woman in his life ?
He took the tea and let his fingers brush hers. She stilled, and so did he. He didn’t believe in instant attraction. He’d never been a slave to his body’s baser demands. But if one tiny touch could send this much heat and awareness coursing through him, imagine what she could do with full body contact?
Augustus tried hard to stifle his desires for the heroine, because he knows it's his kingly duty to find himself a proper wife rather than to engage in lustful gambolling with a sensuous courtesan. He's also wary of the power that she can come to wield over him:
‘What wife could ever compete if I had this at my disposal?Where else would I go but here, where every whim would be served up to me on a gilded plate? By the time I’d satisfied every corrupt thought lying dormant in my soul it would be too late for either of us to escape. I’d own you, in ways you’ve never dreamed of. And you’d own me.’
And it's not just sexual power he's talking about; it's the power wielded by a confident, sensuous woman who knows full well that she's got the potential to bring a strong man to his knees if she handles him just right. That's another thing I enjoyed about his novel. There's an inherent paradox, in here somewhere, about a courtesan being the one who has the potential to be a power broker in the relationship. But, that's nothing new, after all, because the corridors of history are littered with numerous infamous courtesans who've been powerful women; women who were ladies of pleasure, but who also used their social and political skills to conquer the men who were, in the nominal sense, their "protectors".
I'm not a fan of courtesans, but this book intrigued me because this courtesan doesn't share her body with any other man except the H. Augustus started out by using Sera for her diplomatic training, intellectual accomplishments, social and organizational skills. He'd needed a social secretary who wouldn't sell palace secrets to the press and she was over qualified for the job. Eventually, though, his rational aims are overcome by his basic masculine urges. But this doesn't happen immediately. Theirs is a slow burn romance that simmers heatedly, before erupting into hot scorching passion. And Sera is determined not to be a courtesan for any other man, after she's paid her late mother's debt to The Order of The Kite:
‘I only need to do this once,’ she replied quietly. ‘I serve you until you release me, at which point my debt will have been repaid. Then I’m free to choose my own way.’
There is so much latent sexiness and romantic angst in this book, especially as the storyline progresses and Augustus torments himself with the fact that he will have to give her up when he chooses a bride. Augustus prides himself on being a cerebral man but he soon turns into a Mine ! Mine ! Mine ! possessive alpha caveman after the heroine reveals that she's a virgin courtesan:
‘Get up.’
He didn’t want this. He didn’t dare take it. ‘Come here.’
He waited until she stood before him, her eyes betraying uncertainty as he leaned down until their lips almost touched.
‘Lord knows I didn’t ask for you, but you’ve come here labelled as my courtesan and I will cut the hand off anyone who touches you. No kissing. No sex. No flirting with any of my employees. Are we clear?’
‘Clear. Very clear,’ she whispered with a tell-tale tremor in her voice.
He tells her to find him a bride so he can set her free, her debt fulfilled, so that she can move on with her life. But love makes it impossible for them to keep to the rules of their agreement. Sera did try to do what he had asked: to find candidates for the post of his queen consort. But things became a muddled mess when the H was not interested in any of those candidates. He wanted only the heroine, but she, who had never been free wished for a life of her own after her mother's debt had been paid. Augustus made a selfless decision to set her free, by making a formal proposal of marriage to one of the candidates - Katerina DeWitt.
Our lovers are heartbroken during their time apart, because they're filled with longing for each other but are each is afraid that their love is not meant to be. I won't provide any more spoiler details, except to add that they're finally reconciled after a near tragedy leads the heroine to rush to the H's bedside. She realizes, finally, that the freedom she's been longing for all her life, will in fact be an unhappy prison filled with self denial and torment, if she cannot live her life with the man she loves. That's when she finally gives in and accepts his proposal of marriage.
This was an amazing, romantic tale of a man brought to his knees ( figuratively ) by the power of his love for a woman; a woman who is his other half, his perfect partner and his one true love. The prose is beautiful, well written and I enjoyed the romantic, escapist and other worldly elements that were such a vital part of this tale. In the epilogue, the MC's participate in a beautiful wedding ritual where they share vows that are so profound and dreamy:
Four witnesses, a sacred mountain, a cup full of water and a vivid blue sky. And then Sera spoke.
‘My heart is pure and true and yours,’ she told him. ‘I offer it from a position of knowledge, power and freedom.’
It was all he’d ever hoped for.
‘I accept this priceless gift and I will never let you down,’ he promised and drank from the goblet. And then it was his turn to say the words. ‘My heart is steadfast and often guarded because it carries with it the weight of a nation but to you I offer it freely and without reservation. It’s yours.’
‘I accept this priceless gift,’ she said, and drained her goblet. ‘And, let all here bear witness, I will never let you down.’
Safety: No cheating, no OW, no OM and both MC's are celibate during their short separation.
The cute doggy agrees with me !
This book was so amazing that I had to amend my book review of The Spaniard's Stolen Bride and edit it slightly, because it's no longer my favourite from this month's newest HP releases. I'd honestly never expected that this novel by Kelly Hunter would trump The Spaniard's Stolen Bride but it actually did ! This novel drew me in from the first page of the prologue, which showed the adolescent H touring the abandoned chambers that housed the courtesans who'd served his ancestors many centuries ago. It's an innocent foreshadowing of things to come, because the young hero, Prince Augustus, is filled with awe when he wanders into these forbidden chambers.
My personal musical score for this novel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZCLL...
SHE WAS A gift from her people to the King of Arun. An unwanted gift if the King’s expression spoke true, but one he couldn’t refuse. Not without breaking the laws of his country and severing seven centuries of tradition between his people and hers.
Modern romance, reminiscent of a fairytale escapist fantasy story, complete with sexy, flimsy concubine clothing, chains, manacles, rings, whips…
Once upon a time, about 700 years ago, in the kingdom of Arun, there lived a group of people in the north, in a place called The High Reaches. And within The High Reaches, there was a special group of women who belonged to The Order of The Kite; women who were trained to be the concubines and courtesans of kings. Seven centuries ago it was ruled and written in the law of the kingdom, that an unmarried king who reaches the age of 30, will receive the gift of a beautiful virgin courtesan to serve him and provide counsel:
‘A concubine of noble birth, charged with attending the King’s needs and demands until such time as he acquires a wife and produces an heir…
I’ve read a few HP’s by Kelly Hunter ( pre Goodreads ) and didn’t like them too much, so I didn’t hold out much hope for this one. In fact, I'd already concluded that The Spaniard's Stolen Bride was my fav book for this month. LOL. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, to find myself enthralled by this tale from the prologue all the way to the end ! I liked both MC’s a lot in this novel, but the star of the story, for me, was the heroine Lady Sera. She’s a bit of an anomaly because she’s a courtesan who’s been educated formally at Oxford, is trained in diplomacy, the sensual arts, martial arts and is so socially adept that she might be eligible for a “Best Pupil” prize at a Swiss young ladies’ finishing school.
This is the heroine, Sera:
Chosen for the beauty she possessed and the quickness of her mind. Taught to serve, to soothe, and how to dance, fight and dress. One for every King of Arun and only one. A possession to be treasured.
She was lean and lithe in all the right places, and generously voluptuous in others. It was a body designed to bring a man to his knees and keep him there for eternity.
And this is the H, Augustus:
He was a handsome man if a tall, lean frame, firm lips, a stern jaw and wayward dark hair appealed—which it did.
Augustus was a sexy, debonair and conservative, non manwhore H. I assume the author was working with the theory that opposites attract and that this story might not have succeeded had the H been one of those playboys who grace the halls of HPlandia with their concupiscent hotness. I liked Augustus. He’s not as sexy as Diego, from The Spaniard's Stolen Bride, but he’s a man with a lot more responsibility, so he can’t afford to be a reckless ne'er do well, bad boy billionaire.
In fact, Augustus was filled with bemusement, anger and shock when Lady Leanthe, the elder stateswoman of The High Reaches brought Sera to him. The primitive manly part of him was intrigued by the idea of having a beautiful woman to serve all his needs, but his intellectual and modern mind felt that it was wrong for such an archaic tradition to be upheld in the 21st century. His castle’s old concubine quarters, complete with domed glass roof and other accoutrements that catered to the sybarite needs of his ancestral kings’ ladies of pleasure, had been abandoned and closed for more than a century.
This is the interior of Sera's courtesan's chamber:
What I loved most about this book was the heroine: it was awesome to see a heroine of such spectacular beauty, grace and other accomplishments throw a H’s ordered life into chaos and unwelcome lust. In most HP novels, except for the vintage books by Margaret Way, it’s rare for an author to craft a heroine whose physical beauty is a perfect complement to the H’s hot, handsome and hunky sexiness. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this H lose his cool and become a bit discombobulated, even if he never showed it to her, whenever they were in the same room.
I’m a very visual person and I love pretty things so it’s awesome to read a book with MC’s who are both so beautiful. Sera is a very confident and self assured heroine. She is a virgin courtesan but she’s not the blushing, wilting, stammering type of Mary Sue virgin who melts like butter or loses her composure when her H flexes his well defined muscles or twitches his sensuous sculpted lips. She might feel inner pangs of lustful desire, but she never allows him to see any outward manifestations of her libido's response as long as he keeps her at arms length.
Sera's childhood backstory is quite tragic. Her mother Yuna, had been a courtesan who'd fallen in love with her protector and then broken the biggest rule of them all: she'd chosen to run away, give birth to her daughter and live a life of impoverished obscurity. The heroine was seven years old when her mother's former mentor, Lady Lianthe, had located the mother and daughter duo and brought them back to live with the other members of the Order of The Kite.
The sexual chemistry between these MC's simmers from the time they meet and the H is the one who has to fight his desires, because our sensual heroine is very willing to see to his needs. And he really tries so hard, at first, to fight his unwanted feelings for her. That's what makes this novel so different because it's usually the heroine who has to fight the needs of her treacherous, weak body. Augustus is taken to a new world that simultaneously confuses him and fills him with rampant lust. Early in the novel, there's a very sexy scene where the MC's engage in witty banter about a priceless floor tapestry covered with semi pornographic drawings. The H is stunned when Sera calmly informs him of the purpose of the tapestry:
‘It’s a communication device. Each scene depicts an action: a need or desire, if you will. In older times a visitor to this place—or even another courtesan—would approach this area and in choosing where to sit would telegraph their needs. Those needs would be seen to.’
‘Just like that?’
‘So they say.’
‘And is that the way it’s going to work for me?’
‘Why don’t you sit somewhere and see?’
‘Maybe I will.’ Maybe he wouldn’t. Better all round if he didn’t engage, no matter how fascinating the history she brought with her. ‘I’ve been trying to get rid of you.’
‘I know that, Your Majesty.’
What's a noble, non manwhoring king to do when he cannot circumvent the archaic law and send the sexy courtesan on her way ?
Should he be a gentleman, send her away with her virginity intact ?
Or, should he give in to his lustful need- a need that's stronger than any physical desire he's ever felt for a woman in his life ?
He took the tea and let his fingers brush hers. She stilled, and so did he. He didn’t believe in instant attraction. He’d never been a slave to his body’s baser demands. But if one tiny touch could send this much heat and awareness coursing through him, imagine what she could do with full body contact?
Augustus tried hard to stifle his desires for the heroine, because he knows it's his kingly duty to find himself a proper wife rather than to engage in lustful gambolling with a sensuous courtesan. He's also wary of the power that she can come to wield over him:
‘What wife could ever compete if I had this at my disposal?Where else would I go but here, where every whim would be served up to me on a gilded plate? By the time I’d satisfied every corrupt thought lying dormant in my soul it would be too late for either of us to escape. I’d own you, in ways you’ve never dreamed of. And you’d own me.’
And it's not just sexual power he's talking about; it's the power wielded by a confident, sensuous woman who knows full well that she's got the potential to bring a strong man to his knees if she handles him just right. That's another thing I enjoyed about his novel. There's an inherent paradox, in here somewhere, about a courtesan being the one who has the potential to be a power broker in the relationship. But, that's nothing new, after all, because the corridors of history are littered with numerous infamous courtesans who've been powerful women; women who were ladies of pleasure, but who also used their social and political skills to conquer the men who were, in the nominal sense, their "protectors".
I'm not a fan of courtesans, but this book intrigued me because this courtesan doesn't share her body with any other man except the H. Augustus started out by using Sera for her diplomatic training, intellectual accomplishments, social and organizational skills. He'd needed a social secretary who wouldn't sell palace secrets to the press and she was over qualified for the job. Eventually, though, his rational aims are overcome by his basic masculine urges. But this doesn't happen immediately. Theirs is a slow burn romance that simmers heatedly, before erupting into hot scorching passion. And Sera is determined not to be a courtesan for any other man, after she's paid her late mother's debt to The Order of The Kite:
‘I only need to do this once,’ she replied quietly. ‘I serve you until you release me, at which point my debt will have been repaid. Then I’m free to choose my own way.’
There is so much latent sexiness and romantic angst in this book, especially as the storyline progresses and Augustus torments himself with the fact that he will have to give her up when he chooses a bride. Augustus prides himself on being a cerebral man but he soon turns into a Mine ! Mine ! Mine ! possessive alpha caveman after the heroine reveals that she's a virgin courtesan:
‘Get up.’
He didn’t want this. He didn’t dare take it. ‘Come here.’
He waited until she stood before him, her eyes betraying uncertainty as he leaned down until their lips almost touched.
‘Lord knows I didn’t ask for you, but you’ve come here labelled as my courtesan and I will cut the hand off anyone who touches you. No kissing. No sex. No flirting with any of my employees. Are we clear?’
‘Clear. Very clear,’ she whispered with a tell-tale tremor in her voice.
He tells her to find him a bride so he can set her free, her debt fulfilled, so that she can move on with her life. But love makes it impossible for them to keep to the rules of their agreement. Sera did try to do what he had asked: to find candidates for the post of his queen consort. But things became a muddled mess when the H was not interested in any of those candidates. He wanted only the heroine, but she, who had never been free wished for a life of her own after her mother's debt had been paid. Augustus made a selfless decision to set her free, by making a formal proposal of marriage to one of the candidates - Katerina DeWitt.
Our lovers are heartbroken during their time apart, because they're filled with longing for each other but are each is afraid that their love is not meant to be. I won't provide any more spoiler details, except to add that they're finally reconciled after a near tragedy leads the heroine to rush to the H's bedside. She realizes, finally, that the freedom she's been longing for all her life, will in fact be an unhappy prison filled with self denial and torment, if she cannot live her life with the man she loves. That's when she finally gives in and accepts his proposal of marriage.
This was an amazing, romantic tale of a man brought to his knees ( figuratively ) by the power of his love for a woman; a woman who is his other half, his perfect partner and his one true love. The prose is beautiful, well written and I enjoyed the romantic, escapist and other worldly elements that were such a vital part of this tale. In the epilogue, the MC's participate in a beautiful wedding ritual where they share vows that are so profound and dreamy:
Four witnesses, a sacred mountain, a cup full of water and a vivid blue sky. And then Sera spoke.
‘My heart is pure and true and yours,’ she told him. ‘I offer it from a position of knowledge, power and freedom.’
It was all he’d ever hoped for.
‘I accept this priceless gift and I will never let you down,’ he promised and drank from the goblet. And then it was his turn to say the words. ‘My heart is steadfast and often guarded because it carries with it the weight of a nation but to you I offer it freely and without reservation. It’s yours.’
‘I accept this priceless gift,’ she said, and drained her goblet. ‘And, let all here bear witness, I will never let you down.’
Safety: No cheating, no OW, no OM and both MC's are celibate during their short separation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2019
As we all probably know by now, sex sells. Particularly exotic sex set in a mystical semi surreal setting that completely invokes the sense of an odalisque in a magic harem mystique. Lots and lots of erotica has been done with exactly that theme.
For the most part, KH has managed to push classic tropes of HPlandia to the extremes here.
I do think book is extremely well written. I found myself laughing at various parts of the character's banter, I also found the world building, overall setting and the sense of mystique was done very convincingly.
In Old Skool Vintage HPlandia the h is almost always compared to the Evil OW and one of the defining traits of the h is that the H will definitely call her a Tart and spend a lot of page count berating her for it.
Usually because the h is forced to bargain giving the H the rights to use her body to save her father/family business/some random person her sister knows, but in reality the h is really sacrificing herself in a good cause to save something - so it isn't really trafficking or prostitution, the h is showing her pure virtue by becoming a martyr.
The Evil OW is only in for money, so she gets banished to the mists of HPlandia and an elderly pet food billionaire-never to know the glorious rewards of Forever True Love.
(Besides in the Old Skool style, such rights to possession usually come with a wedding license, and as we know from our HP history, a wedding license makes everything okay.)
KH manages to get around the massive amounts of Tart Shaming that have to be used in the set up of this trope, which is basically coercive rape in real world terms, by having the h just flat out BE a Tart.
Which turns the tart shaming the h trope into an unusual type of office romance, because the h is basically working for the H, the job just involves dealing with bodily fluids.
And to be honest, if KH had left it at that, I would have been okay with this book. I have no problem advocating for sex workers and HPlandia has done that by now too - as have several other books in the HQN lines - some of them even back in my HQN heyday of thirty years ago.
If you are an adult and want to get your groove on with some specialized training and a contract, I say I hope you have a lot of fun with that, and I am not being snarky about it - you do you and find your groove.
But where this goes rapidly down hill for me is that this h was pressured into the Tart role as a child.
To me, no matter if you tell the girl that she will get years of education and training in all manner of various skills to go out and make a successful living in the world, when you put that choice to A CHILD and make the alternatives undesirable or play on her sense of emotional guilt, you are promoting child trafficking and that is not something I want to read in a romance.
Particularly not in a mainstream category romance. To be clear, the h never has sex with another person as a child or anyone but the H, but there is the training and there is the standard HP trope of 'pimping out the h by the secondary characters' - which is LITERAL in this case, the h's 'rescuer/mentor/procuress' expects a very high price to release the h from service.
The h's 'rescuer' is the one who emotionally coerces and blackmails the h, from the time she was seven years old, to sell her body and her skillz in a pricey form of prostitution so that the h can repay the 'debt' that her dying mother supposedly owed.
That is just disgusting in my world view and I don't want to read it. I know that this happens in real life, but I don't want to make a romance out it and the power imbalance that this produces in the H and h's relationship is NEVER equalized - the H winds up sending the h's procuress her body weight in gold to buy her freedom so she can choose her own path in life.
So let's say the h weighs 110 lbs - roughly 50 kgs- given the market value of gold right now, this H spent $2,093,263.00 US dollars to emancipate the h. But is the h really emancipated?
Because as we have already seen, she can be coerced by guilt and the notion of the h owing another person for an intangible debt that needs to be repaid by her affection and her body is ingrained into her from a very young age.
The h finds her sexual and mental slavery acceptable because she was literally raised that way. That isn't nurturing a young child to take their place in modern society, that is abuse. And it is abuse in the most insidious and horrifying way - make the abused think that they want this treatment and that it is okay.
That is way too much disgusting tragic reality in what is supposed to be a fun and fluffy romance with an HEA.
I am also rather disgusted that KH doesn't resolve this by having the rulers of these various kingdoms, who allegedly have Absolute Power over their people, make any kind of trafficking or slavery contracts illegal. You might be able to argue history, but the world moves on, these people need to move on with it.
It is very much one thing if a grown adult chooses to take up a profession that involves the buying and selling of sex- that is the adult's business and I make no judgement on that.
It is quite another when a child is coerced into the sex trade via emotional manipulation and it is even worse when the only means of escaping that life is based on engendering yet another 'debt' that the victim will then feel obligated to repay.
KH doesn't think through the implications of what she wrote here really, but as a long time HP reader I do and I wasn't impressed by it. So while I did find the h and H's declaration of love mostly believable, I wasn't buying the happy resolution to this romance.
The H had to pay for her to have the freedom to choose and the h was quite clear she did not really like the royal lifestyle and lack of freedom for the long term. But in the end she does go back to the H and agrees to marry him.
So I can't help but wonder how much of that willingness to live a lifestyle she absolutely did not like was based on the inner guilt that the H had to actually buy her freedom and spent a very significant amount of money relative to what she could probably earn to do it.
This kind of trope perversion, while done well and interesting to read, does not really hit my HPlandia True Romance happy place.
I don't want to think about a trafficked child voluntarily choosing an equally restrictive lifestyle as an adult basically because she has been conditioned to do so. Therefore I can't totally buy the Love or the HEA in this situation, so for me this was not a successful HP outing and it wasn't worth the time I spent reading it.
For the most part, KH has managed to push classic tropes of HPlandia to the extremes here.
I do think book is extremely well written. I found myself laughing at various parts of the character's banter, I also found the world building, overall setting and the sense of mystique was done very convincingly.
In Old Skool Vintage HPlandia the h is almost always compared to the Evil OW and one of the defining traits of the h is that the H will definitely call her a Tart and spend a lot of page count berating her for it.
Usually because the h is forced to bargain giving the H the rights to use her body to save her father/family business/some random person her sister knows, but in reality the h is really sacrificing herself in a good cause to save something - so it isn't really trafficking or prostitution, the h is showing her pure virtue by becoming a martyr.
The Evil OW is only in for money, so she gets banished to the mists of HPlandia and an elderly pet food billionaire-never to know the glorious rewards of Forever True Love.
(Besides in the Old Skool style, such rights to possession usually come with a wedding license, and as we know from our HP history, a wedding license makes everything okay.)
KH manages to get around the massive amounts of Tart Shaming that have to be used in the set up of this trope, which is basically coercive rape in real world terms, by having the h just flat out BE a Tart.
Which turns the tart shaming the h trope into an unusual type of office romance, because the h is basically working for the H, the job just involves dealing with bodily fluids.
And to be honest, if KH had left it at that, I would have been okay with this book. I have no problem advocating for sex workers and HPlandia has done that by now too - as have several other books in the HQN lines - some of them even back in my HQN heyday of thirty years ago.
If you are an adult and want to get your groove on with some specialized training and a contract, I say I hope you have a lot of fun with that, and I am not being snarky about it - you do you and find your groove.
But where this goes rapidly down hill for me is that this h was pressured into the Tart role as a child.
To me, no matter if you tell the girl that she will get years of education and training in all manner of various skills to go out and make a successful living in the world, when you put that choice to A CHILD and make the alternatives undesirable or play on her sense of emotional guilt, you are promoting child trafficking and that is not something I want to read in a romance.
Particularly not in a mainstream category romance. To be clear, the h never has sex with another person as a child or anyone but the H, but there is the training and there is the standard HP trope of 'pimping out the h by the secondary characters' - which is LITERAL in this case, the h's 'rescuer/mentor/procuress' expects a very high price to release the h from service.
The h's 'rescuer' is the one who emotionally coerces and blackmails the h, from the time she was seven years old, to sell her body and her skillz in a pricey form of prostitution so that the h can repay the 'debt' that her dying mother supposedly owed.
That is just disgusting in my world view and I don't want to read it. I know that this happens in real life, but I don't want to make a romance out it and the power imbalance that this produces in the H and h's relationship is NEVER equalized - the H winds up sending the h's procuress her body weight in gold to buy her freedom so she can choose her own path in life.
So let's say the h weighs 110 lbs - roughly 50 kgs- given the market value of gold right now, this H spent $2,093,263.00 US dollars to emancipate the h. But is the h really emancipated?
Because as we have already seen, she can be coerced by guilt and the notion of the h owing another person for an intangible debt that needs to be repaid by her affection and her body is ingrained into her from a very young age.
The h finds her sexual and mental slavery acceptable because she was literally raised that way. That isn't nurturing a young child to take their place in modern society, that is abuse. And it is abuse in the most insidious and horrifying way - make the abused think that they want this treatment and that it is okay.
That is way too much disgusting tragic reality in what is supposed to be a fun and fluffy romance with an HEA.
I am also rather disgusted that KH doesn't resolve this by having the rulers of these various kingdoms, who allegedly have Absolute Power over their people, make any kind of trafficking or slavery contracts illegal. You might be able to argue history, but the world moves on, these people need to move on with it.
It is very much one thing if a grown adult chooses to take up a profession that involves the buying and selling of sex- that is the adult's business and I make no judgement on that.
It is quite another when a child is coerced into the sex trade via emotional manipulation and it is even worse when the only means of escaping that life is based on engendering yet another 'debt' that the victim will then feel obligated to repay.
KH doesn't think through the implications of what she wrote here really, but as a long time HP reader I do and I wasn't impressed by it. So while I did find the h and H's declaration of love mostly believable, I wasn't buying the happy resolution to this romance.
The H had to pay for her to have the freedom to choose and the h was quite clear she did not really like the royal lifestyle and lack of freedom for the long term. But in the end she does go back to the H and agrees to marry him.
So I can't help but wonder how much of that willingness to live a lifestyle she absolutely did not like was based on the inner guilt that the H had to actually buy her freedom and spent a very significant amount of money relative to what she could probably earn to do it.
This kind of trope perversion, while done well and interesting to read, does not really hit my HPlandia True Romance happy place.
I don't want to think about a trafficked child voluntarily choosing an equally restrictive lifestyle as an adult basically because she has been conditioned to do so. Therefore I can't totally buy the Love or the HEA in this situation, so for me this was not a successful HP outing and it wasn't worth the time I spent reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2019
The heroine is part of a secret, powerful organization of courtesans who wield influence from behind the throne of many countries. She is supposed to be a benevolent presence in the hero’s life until he takes a wife. Hero is ruler of a made-up country that was also featured in the book before this one, which was about his sister.
There are some elements I really loved in the story and some that really bothered me, so I’m doing reviewer math and giving this three stars.
What I liked:
*The worldbuilding. The courtesan’s wing of the palace was practically a character in and of itself. It is featured in the prologue where the hero and his sister find it as children. And then the heroine and her retinue from the secret organization restore it to its former glory. The three features that stand out are the glass dome roof, the round bath/pool, the round carpet that depicts all possible comforts the courtesan can provide the king. There are pictures of sex acts, conversation, dining, sleeping, strategizing.
* This is the heroine’s world and invokes her character. She is as rare as the room. She has an Oxford education, has trained in the martial arts, has experience running a large charitable organization. She is beautiful, a virgin, and is completely committed to her role as a courtesan until her debt to the organization is repaid and she is set free.
*The sex scenes between the H/h are hot.
*The hero is a good guy.
*The secondary characters are all sympathetic to the H/h – even the OW who is supposed to be in the running for wife.
What I didn’t like:
*Prostitution
I had the same problem with this story as I did with the movie, Pretty Woman. I just have a hard time with a guy using a prostitute or courtesan or whatever title they go by.
The power imbalance was there the whole time and it made me uncomfortable. This heroine was a courtesan for the ¾ of the story – so all the sex scenes were between a man in power and woman who was submitting to his will.
Yes, the heroine gives enthusiastic consent. Yes, she’s been practicing oral sex with a dildo and really wants to see if she can take the hero’s penis down her throat. But that whole scene made me feel icky. It made the hero feel icky too because she was kneeling, pleasuring him without any regard for her pleasure.
Heroine was fine with it. Hero felt better after he gave her oral sex. So it’s all good.
But according to the world-building, heroine could not say no – ever – in all the encounters she had with the hero.
The sexual training also gave me pause. Yes, sex slave training is a trope in erotica – but how can this heroine be trained to be both a sadist and a masochist? How does that work? How does that respect what is truly her kink?
So much of sex play is about negotiating consent and understanding what is comfortable. This courtesan never had that option.
The author seems to acknowledge the problematic nature of being a courtesan. Heroine’s mother’s life of prostitution was not a happy one. That’s the prologue. However, the heroine knows her mother’s life was not happy, yet she is willing to follow in her footsteps for noble reasons. Being rescued is the “debt” the heroine is paying off to the order by being the hero’s courtesan. So yay heroine? On the other hand, why perpetuate an order that rescues children and then makes them pay by turning them into prostitutes?
I also had a problem with the heroine being thrust upon the hero. He didn’t consent to this crazy arrangement either.
*Wasted Talents
Heroine was a Swiss army knife of skills, but she never used her martial arts skills or her diplomatic skills or any skills that mattered to the welfare of the country. She arranged some parties, gave great oral sex, and was willing to make hero a grilled cheese sandwich.
*The Four Winds binding ceremony
This made me uncomfortable because this type of ritual and symbolism is lifted from Indigenous Shamanism – right down to the meaning of each direction. There’s no trademark on ancient ritual, I doubt many practitioners of shamanism are reading HPs, but . . . I wasn’t thrilled to find it used in service of an order that prostitutes its women for the greater good.
This is a fascinating story, with really interesting characters. I certainly won’t forget it anytime soon. But I'm not sure I can recommend it whole-heartedly.
There are some elements I really loved in the story and some that really bothered me, so I’m doing reviewer math and giving this three stars.
What I liked:
*The worldbuilding. The courtesan’s wing of the palace was practically a character in and of itself. It is featured in the prologue where the hero and his sister find it as children. And then the heroine and her retinue from the secret organization restore it to its former glory. The three features that stand out are the glass dome roof, the round bath/pool, the round carpet that depicts all possible comforts the courtesan can provide the king. There are pictures of sex acts, conversation, dining, sleeping, strategizing.
* This is the heroine’s world and invokes her character. She is as rare as the room. She has an Oxford education, has trained in the martial arts, has experience running a large charitable organization. She is beautiful, a virgin, and is completely committed to her role as a courtesan until her debt to the organization is repaid and she is set free.
*The sex scenes between the H/h are hot.
*The hero is a good guy.
*The secondary characters are all sympathetic to the H/h – even the OW who is supposed to be in the running for wife.
What I didn’t like:
*Prostitution
I had the same problem with this story as I did with the movie, Pretty Woman. I just have a hard time with a guy using a prostitute or courtesan or whatever title they go by.
The power imbalance was there the whole time and it made me uncomfortable. This heroine was a courtesan for the ¾ of the story – so all the sex scenes were between a man in power and woman who was submitting to his will.
Yes, the heroine gives enthusiastic consent. Yes, she’s been practicing oral sex with a dildo and really wants to see if she can take the hero’s penis down her throat. But that whole scene made me feel icky. It made the hero feel icky too because she was kneeling, pleasuring him without any regard for her pleasure.
Heroine was fine with it. Hero felt better after he gave her oral sex. So it’s all good.
But according to the world-building, heroine could not say no – ever – in all the encounters she had with the hero.
The sexual training also gave me pause. Yes, sex slave training is a trope in erotica – but how can this heroine be trained to be both a sadist and a masochist? How does that work? How does that respect what is truly her kink?
So much of sex play is about negotiating consent and understanding what is comfortable. This courtesan never had that option.
The author seems to acknowledge the problematic nature of being a courtesan. Heroine’s mother’s life of prostitution was not a happy one. That’s the prologue. However, the heroine knows her mother’s life was not happy, yet she is willing to follow in her footsteps for noble reasons. Being rescued is the “debt” the heroine is paying off to the order by being the hero’s courtesan. So yay heroine? On the other hand, why perpetuate an order that rescues children and then makes them pay by turning them into prostitutes?
I also had a problem with the heroine being thrust upon the hero. He didn’t consent to this crazy arrangement either.
*Wasted Talents
Heroine was a Swiss army knife of skills, but she never used her martial arts skills or her diplomatic skills or any skills that mattered to the welfare of the country. She arranged some parties, gave great oral sex, and was willing to make hero a grilled cheese sandwich.
*The Four Winds binding ceremony
This made me uncomfortable because this type of ritual and symbolism is lifted from Indigenous Shamanism – right down to the meaning of each direction. There’s no trademark on ancient ritual, I doubt many practitioners of shamanism are reading HPs, but . . . I wasn’t thrilled to find it used in service of an order that prostitutes its women for the greater good.
This is a fascinating story, with really interesting characters. I certainly won’t forget it anytime soon. But I'm not sure I can recommend it whole-heartedly.
January 21, 2019
She was my dream heroine; incredibly beautiful, smart, intelligent, well-educated, has compassion and martial arts expert. She was not queen till the ene but untouched as the title indicated. He was not cruel but morally strict.
Because it’s HQ, Kelly Hunter has to curb her impulse to write an erotica. I would like to read an erotica with this plot. That doesn't mean it was not hot. Some people may find it too hot actually.
Anyway, I loved the book. 4,5 stars.
Because it’s HQ, Kelly Hunter has to curb her impulse to write an erotica. I would like to read an erotica with this plot. That doesn't mean it was not hot. Some people may find it too hot actually.
Anyway, I loved the book. 4,5 stars.
April 17, 2023
I liked it didn't love it.
It was somewhat of a let down after reading
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... .
That one was excellent.
I just think the courtesan storyline wasn't my favorite.
It was somewhat of a let down after reading
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... .
That one was excellent.
I just think the courtesan storyline wasn't my favorite.
February 28, 2025
Maybe 2.5, but still meh. It was better than my previous Kelly Hunter, so at least that’s something—but whereas that fail-horn was an interminable Outback slog drowning in excessively dull realism, this was an OTT facepalm drowning in excessive unreality. I have a tough enough time with HP’s royalty romances; it takes a very deft hand to get me believing in any of those dippy Princess Diary tiny fake countries. But this one…it was just too much. There was NO WAY to pass it off as modern Europe, & watching the author try was painful. 🙈 If anything it’s a romantasy novella, & if Hunter had placed it in a steampunk pseudo-Europe instead of contemporary fake principalities I could’ve let things slide…but nope. The setup was too much. The four kingdoms were too much. The endless series cameos were too much. The courtesan “order” with its kung fu & swordfighting (🙄) was too much. This wasn’t an HP—instead it felt like the author had just finished binging six straight Kushiel novels, what with the heroine’s joyful submission, her curtsey/kneeling fetish, & an unrealistic virginal fascination with BJs.
April 28, 2021
Kelly Hunter never disappoints me with one of her stories, they are sensual, filled with passion and they are witty and I am loving this series and yes I know I am behind but I know the next one is coming very soon and made sure I was caught up for it, I loved seeing modern day King Augustus cope with his gift of a courtesan and how this works out it just sexy, sensual and fabulous and a must read for lovers of romance.
King Augustus has been bought up for duty he is honest and hard working at reaching the age of thirty he still hasn’t found himself a bride so his country has reverted to an old custom of delivering him a courtesan and he is not happy at all, but when Sera arrives she is temptation in herself, will he be able to send her away or lose his total self- control.
Sera has been trained to serve in many ways, she is beautiful and very clever she comes from an old order and arrives at the Araniun Palace to help King Augustus find a wife she cannot be free until that happens. Sera moves into the old part of the palace and redecorates but can she keep a wall around her heart when she wants so much to give herself to Augustus.
What a fabulous story this one is I loved seeing Sera and Augustus lose their hearts to love in such a sensual journey, this was the last thing either of them wanted but it was the best for both of them Sera was meant to be a Queen, Augustus’s Queen. This is a story that I would highly recommend, I loved it there were lots of smiles and sighs from me, and I do hope that you will pick this one up.
King Augustus has been bought up for duty he is honest and hard working at reaching the age of thirty he still hasn’t found himself a bride so his country has reverted to an old custom of delivering him a courtesan and he is not happy at all, but when Sera arrives she is temptation in herself, will he be able to send her away or lose his total self- control.
Sera has been trained to serve in many ways, she is beautiful and very clever she comes from an old order and arrives at the Araniun Palace to help King Augustus find a wife she cannot be free until that happens. Sera moves into the old part of the palace and redecorates but can she keep a wall around her heart when she wants so much to give herself to Augustus.
What a fabulous story this one is I loved seeing Sera and Augustus lose their hearts to love in such a sensual journey, this was the last thing either of them wanted but it was the best for both of them Sera was meant to be a Queen, Augustus’s Queen. This is a story that I would highly recommend, I loved it there were lots of smiles and sighs from me, and I do hope that you will pick this one up.
June 8, 2022
This book has a very fairytale like feel to it, and is filled with love and lore! And, it is as far away from a typical HP that one can get...
This series has been exceptional so far, and the only tiniest drawback, is that these wonderful stories falls out of the usual purview of this line. Did that detract from my enjoyment? Nope. Five amazingly well deserved stars!
This series has been exceptional so far, and the only tiniest drawback, is that these wonderful stories falls out of the usual purview of this line. Did that detract from my enjoyment? Nope. Five amazingly well deserved stars!
January 4, 2019
He must choose a queen…
But will his desire outweigh his duty?
King Augustus is shocked when his country delivers him a courtesan. The only way to set her free is to marry someone else! But Sera’s surprising innocence and undisguised yearning for him is temptation itself, pushing Augustus’s legendary self-control to the limits. Because Augustus knows that if he dares give in to his attraction, he won’t rest until Sera becomes his queen!
Feel the heat in this tale of innocence and desire! (less)
But will his desire outweigh his duty?
King Augustus is shocked when his country delivers him a courtesan. The only way to set her free is to marry someone else! But Sera’s surprising innocence and undisguised yearning for him is temptation itself, pushing Augustus’s legendary self-control to the limits. Because Augustus knows that if he dares give in to his attraction, he won’t rest until Sera becomes his queen!
Feel the heat in this tale of innocence and desire! (less)
January 17, 2019
This book has a prologue AND an epilogue!! That alone brought me untold joy. I love the peek into the story at the start and the happily ever after bit at the end. Harlequin’s rarely have prologue and epilogues anymore. That alone earned this book winning marks.
Then the prologue grabbed me by the ... um ... bits and pulled me willingly into the the story. It was fabulous. A great start to the book and it just improves from there.
I LOVED Sera. She’s trained to be a courtesan and so much more. She’s extremely well educated, very sophisticated, is trained I. Several forms of fighting styles, can fit into any social event and can plan one better than most event planners, was the CFO of a major worldwide charity organization but was taught to be subservient to the man she was gifted to.
Yup! The shipped her off to the H, King Augustus as a pressie. He was horrified at the thought of receiving a human woman as a gift. A courtesan who’s only goal was to please him in anyway he wanted her to. He was so horrified that he was pretty unpleasant at the start.
He eventually loosened up and learned about the person and realized that in her presence he could be a man, not a king. But it was fun to watch his struggles.
Ok, with that out of the way, I can move on to Sera’s round rug! You have to read the book to learn about the round rug, but it would have been a perfect addition to Christian Grey’s decor! That rug was interesting. Quite creative.
By now you’ve guessed that I loved this book. It was very different. I enjoyed the duality if both the characters and the journey they took to bring them to the place that made them realize their truth.
Well done and a serious must read.
Then the prologue grabbed me by the ... um ... bits and pulled me willingly into the the story. It was fabulous. A great start to the book and it just improves from there.
I LOVED Sera. She’s trained to be a courtesan and so much more. She’s extremely well educated, very sophisticated, is trained I. Several forms of fighting styles, can fit into any social event and can plan one better than most event planners, was the CFO of a major worldwide charity organization but was taught to be subservient to the man she was gifted to.
Yup! The shipped her off to the H, King Augustus as a pressie. He was horrified at the thought of receiving a human woman as a gift. A courtesan who’s only goal was to please him in anyway he wanted her to. He was so horrified that he was pretty unpleasant at the start.
He eventually loosened up and learned about the person and realized that in her presence he could be a man, not a king. But it was fun to watch his struggles.
Ok, with that out of the way, I can move on to Sera’s round rug! You have to read the book to learn about the round rug, but it would have been a perfect addition to Christian Grey’s decor! That rug was interesting. Quite creative.
By now you’ve guessed that I loved this book. It was very different. I enjoyed the duality if both the characters and the journey they took to bring them to the place that made them realize their truth.
Well done and a serious must read.
February 2, 2019
This has an utterly ridiculous premise (secret society of courtesans has an accord with a kingdom and presents an unmarried King with a courtesan of his own since he's an adult and not married in accordance with the accords and then they fall in love), but you know what, I dug it. The fighting against desire was hot and the hero tried so hard to be respectful of the power he had over her and it was kind of great.
The id wants what the id wants and mine wants Kelly Hunter writing HP novels.
The id wants what the id wants and mine wants Kelly Hunter writing HP novels.
February 14, 2019
Didn't like it 😕 don't know why !
August 14, 2021
As designed, I suppose, but the build of emotions just wasn't there. Kind of hits your ridic fantasy buttons nonetheless, but don't go in expecting a deep emotional ride.
2.8
2.8
November 1, 2019
I feel utterly schizophrenic after reading this one as I really enjoyed it and yet also found myself disapproving of aspects of it.
‘Ivy H’. does her usual, brilliant job in her review, so I am not going to attempt to compete. I suggest you read Ivy H’s review for its wonderful descriptions, analysis and illustrations, (including the fabulous music recommendations).
I simply offer my comments about why I loved and hated it.
KH does a magnificent job of creating an alternative world in both the backstory to the world in which Lady Ianthe has brought up the courtesan Lady Sera, but also in creating the reality of the courtesan in the secret setting in the palace. It was incredibly atmospheric and evocative. KH can really write descriptive prose and zinging dialogue. I loved Sera and Adolphus and the way their relationship developed. I loved the resolution and the ending.
I got the courtesan stuff. Women have held enormous power through their role as a courtesan throughout history - so taking it a step further to some imaginary world where courtesans were trained to wield power where needed, and gifted to a king if he reached 30 without marrying, was an ingenious idea and incredibly well executed.
What made me feel really uncomfortable, was the idea that a 7 year old child had been brainwashed into accepting that this was her role and also that she had been trained to be everything her ‘master’ wanted, regardless of what she might have felt about it. It goes against everything I believe in terms of autonomy and freedom and seems like child exploitation even if she still had her virginity.
I felt uncomfortable that the first sexual act between our h/H puts him in the driving seat (literally) and her on her knees doing for real what she has practiced on with toys and dildos. Her calm acceptance that this was okay simply jarred with me. Did she think that because it was a reasoned, intellectual decision or because she had been ‘guilted’ into it by her training since the age of 7. Whatever, it grates on me. I mean it was really romantic - not!!
But on balance, I have put my qualms to one side because at the end of the day, this is a Mills and Boon fantasy and as such, apart from that first sex scene, I thought it was well written and enormously entertaining. And it certainly made me think!
‘Ivy H’. does her usual, brilliant job in her review, so I am not going to attempt to compete. I suggest you read Ivy H’s review for its wonderful descriptions, analysis and illustrations, (including the fabulous music recommendations).
I simply offer my comments about why I loved and hated it.
KH does a magnificent job of creating an alternative world in both the backstory to the world in which Lady Ianthe has brought up the courtesan Lady Sera, but also in creating the reality of the courtesan in the secret setting in the palace. It was incredibly atmospheric and evocative. KH can really write descriptive prose and zinging dialogue. I loved Sera and Adolphus and the way their relationship developed. I loved the resolution and the ending.
I got the courtesan stuff. Women have held enormous power through their role as a courtesan throughout history - so taking it a step further to some imaginary world where courtesans were trained to wield power where needed, and gifted to a king if he reached 30 without marrying, was an ingenious idea and incredibly well executed.
What made me feel really uncomfortable, was the idea that a 7 year old child had been brainwashed into accepting that this was her role and also that she had been trained to be everything her ‘master’ wanted, regardless of what she might have felt about it. It goes against everything I believe in terms of autonomy and freedom and seems like child exploitation even if she still had her virginity.
I felt uncomfortable that the first sexual act between our h/H puts him in the driving seat (literally) and her on her knees doing for real what she has practiced on with toys and dildos. Her calm acceptance that this was okay simply jarred with me. Did she think that because it was a reasoned, intellectual decision or because she had been ‘guilted’ into it by her training since the age of 7. Whatever, it grates on me. I mean it was really romantic - not!!
But on balance, I have put my qualms to one side because at the end of the day, this is a Mills and Boon fantasy and as such, apart from that first sex scene, I thought it was well written and enormously entertaining. And it certainly made me think!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2019
A very strong powerful heroine from the get go who gives the reluctant hero the chance to grow at his own pace and knows just what buttons to push. A wonderful read.
June 22, 2020
Oh my stars, thus one was such an original twist! Loved it!
October 14, 2023
Akhirnya... HQ pertama yang saya baca di tahun ini. Lagi butuh bacaan ringan yang ga bikin mikir, dan baca sinopsisnya lumayan menarik.
Sera dibesarkan oleh sebuah sekte yang melatihnya menjadi seorang selir. Sejak berusia 7 tahun, Sera mendapatkan pelatihan, pendidikan, dan semua ilmu yang dibutuhkan untuk menjadi selir terbaik. Orde Kite yang membesarkannya mempersiapkan Sera untuk menjadi selir bagi Augustus, Raja Arun, apabila di usia 30 tahun Augustus belum menikah. Tugas Sera selain melayani raja, adalah mencarikan istri bagi raja. Jika raja sudah menikah, maka Sera akan dibebaskan dari posisinya sebagai selir.
Augustus sendiri tidak menginginkan selir. Di masa modern saat ini, tidak ada lagi tempat untuk selir di kerajaannya. Dia berusaha mencari cara agar Sera dibebaskan secepatnya. Namun yang Augustus tidak bisa sangkali adalah keberadaan dan kehadiran Sera sudah memikat hatinya sejak pertama melihat gadis itu.
Kisah tentang Sera ini menarik. Entah kisah ini terinspirasi dari hal nyata atau hanya sekadar fiksi belaka, namun Sera sebagai sosok wanita tangguh dengan bekal keilmuannya yang sangat baik kontradiktif dengan perannya sebagai selir. Sementara di sisi lain, Augustus justru ingin membebaskannya dari kondisi itu. Interaksi intens antara Sera dan Augustus juga seru, terutama saat mereka berada di dalam rumah kubah.
Sera dibesarkan oleh sebuah sekte yang melatihnya menjadi seorang selir. Sejak berusia 7 tahun, Sera mendapatkan pelatihan, pendidikan, dan semua ilmu yang dibutuhkan untuk menjadi selir terbaik. Orde Kite yang membesarkannya mempersiapkan Sera untuk menjadi selir bagi Augustus, Raja Arun, apabila di usia 30 tahun Augustus belum menikah. Tugas Sera selain melayani raja, adalah mencarikan istri bagi raja. Jika raja sudah menikah, maka Sera akan dibebaskan dari posisinya sebagai selir.
Augustus sendiri tidak menginginkan selir. Di masa modern saat ini, tidak ada lagi tempat untuk selir di kerajaannya. Dia berusaha mencari cara agar Sera dibebaskan secepatnya. Namun yang Augustus tidak bisa sangkali adalah keberadaan dan kehadiran Sera sudah memikat hatinya sejak pertama melihat gadis itu.
Kisah tentang Sera ini menarik. Entah kisah ini terinspirasi dari hal nyata atau hanya sekadar fiksi belaka, namun Sera sebagai sosok wanita tangguh dengan bekal keilmuannya yang sangat baik kontradiktif dengan perannya sebagai selir. Sementara di sisi lain, Augustus justru ingin membebaskannya dari kondisi itu. Interaksi intens antara Sera dan Augustus juga seru, terutama saat mereka berada di dalam rumah kubah.
May 14, 2019
He must choose a queen…But will his desire outweigh his duty? King Augustus is shocked when his elder stateswoman of the High Reaches delivers him a courtesan. The only way to set her free is to marry someone else! But Sera’s beauty, intelligence, surprising innocence and undisguised yearning for him is temptation itself, pushing Augustus’s legendary self-control to the limits. Because Augustus knows that if he dares give in to his attraction, he won’t rest until Sera becomes his queen! She’s served her entire life training to be his courtesan and she wants freedom when her quest in complete, so when he asks for her hand, she rather chooses freedom. He pays her Order of the Kite twice what’s asked for, twice her weight in gold and releases her as he decides to propose to another. Feel the heat in this tale of innocence and desire!
December 24, 2023
Waktu membaca novel ini aku sampai mengecek, ini settingnya di zaman kodern kan? Krn ide ttg selir utk Raja d masa modern ni sdh terasa asing. Perkembangan karakter Augustus dan Sera tidak terlalu menonjol. Sikap dingin Augustus yg tdk ingin dikhianati lagi mulai meleleh setelah berinteraksi dengan Sera, wanita yg dipersiapkan utk menjadi selirnya. Namun ketika hubungan keduanya semakin merapat, tawaran Augustus yg disertai terbongkarnya asal usul Sera, membuat Sang Wanita meragukan dirinya dan ketulusan Sang Pria. Sedikit konflik menjelang akhir ceritayg tentu saja seperti biasa karena mmg ini novel seri Harlequin, bisa dipastikan jalinan ceritanya cepat dan berakhir bahagia.
3/5*
3/5*
August 24, 2019
Wow!
The harlequin presents brand format is beyond familiar to me, treasured, and loved because it speaks consistently to the human need in me for connection and love. This book achieved that while still blowing my mind and touching my heart deeply. It confirmed to the “Presents” series brand while expanding beyond it. The storytelling and writing was nuanced and achingly profound. Again, Wow.
The harlequin presents brand format is beyond familiar to me, treasured, and loved because it speaks consistently to the human need in me for connection and love. This book achieved that while still blowing my mind and touching my heart deeply. It confirmed to the “Presents” series brand while expanding beyond it. The storytelling and writing was nuanced and achingly profound. Again, Wow.
December 27, 2019
This was a very interesting book and I have repurchased the two books in the series prior to this. Sera has been gifted to King Augustus as a courtesan. I wasn’t too sure of the beginning as it kind of went against my principles, but it was a good book as you watched the King fight against his desires. Worth reading.
April 21, 2024
Not bad, the lore was interesting. The couple push and pull but don’t fall in love as they need to make the story work. Anyone kinda like the chemistry between the heroine and the sister?! I was like…ladies…get together!!! I say read it, it’s pretty original.
January 25, 2019
Good book
January 31, 2019
I enjoyed this book it was a great read
February 13, 2019
Where 👏 is 👏Claudia's 👏book??
August 25, 2019
I’m not a fan of this genre usually but Kelly Hunter always impresses. Loved finding out what happened to the third king in this series. A fabulous read .
October 25, 2019
Very unique Harlequin book. It was ok and while I like the main female character never fell for the hero.
March 13, 2020
I loved this book. Trust Kelly Hunter to come up with a funny twist. The king is a modern king and he doesn't want a courtesan who is trained to please him. Love it. Hunter is the best.
July 13, 2020
Nice read .. enjoyed it
June 30, 2021
**Actually a 3.5-rating**
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