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Sins for All Seasons #4
The Duchess in His Bed
For a duchess with practical desires, falling in love is an inconceivable part of her plan... As owner of the Elysium Club which caters to women s fantasies, Aiden Trewlove is accustomed to introducing adventurous ladies to sin and vice. But he is uncharacteristically intrigued by the mysterious beauty who visits his club one night, yearning to indulge in the forbidden with him. Drawn to her indomitable spirit, he breaks his rule of never becoming personally involved with his clientele and is determined to fully awaken her desires. A recent widow, Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing, has never known passion, not until Aiden s slow, sensual seduction leads her on a journey of discovery and incredible pleasure. But her reasons for visiting the notorious club are not all that they seem. As Selena s motives become complicated by love, she finds herself with a most unexpected forge ahead with a secret plan that could secure her future or follow her heart which could prove ruinous.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2019
448 people are currently reading
1939 people want to read
About the author
Lorraine Heath
90 books4,378 followersAlso writes Young Adult under Rachel Hawthorne, Jade Parker, and with her son as J.A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
Lorraine Heath has always had a soft spot for emotional love stories. No doubt because growing up, watching movies with her mom, she was taught that the best movies "won't half make you cry."
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero, (the Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” She began her career writing training manuals and computer code for the IRS, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since.
Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA®. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the New York Times.
The author of more than 60 novels, she writes historical and contemporary romance for adults and historical romance for teen readers.
Under the names Rachel Hawthorne and Jade Parker, she writes popular contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance for teens readers. She also writes young adult novels with her son under the name J. A. London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 401 reviews
August 20, 2019
SPOILERS AHEAD
TITLE: THE DUCHESS IN HIS BED
AUTHOR: Lorraine Heath
SERIES: Sins for All Season #4
RELEASE DATE: August 20 2019
GENRE: Historical Romane
RATING: 4 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
Lorraine Heath is certainly one of the authors who writes with romantic and poetic flourish. She just has this way that will make you swoon just for the prose alone. I was looking forward to THE DUCHESS IN HIS BED because I've had a soft spot for Aiden since Finn's book THE SCOUNDREL IN HER BED.
Did this installment live up to expectations? In one way it did - I fell even deeper in love with Aiden Trewlove who had such an inate goodness, a sweet decency that just pulled at my heartstrings. At the same time he was sexy and very physical which provided some really hot scenes throughout this story. I loved his protective sense and the love he had for his family was heart-warming.
The story fell a little short for me because of Selena, who I didn't care about for two thirds of the book, which was rooted in her selfish behavior. And that was, put mildly, problematic at best. Look, I know this is Historical Romance but consent goes both ways and this is where Selena really threw me off. If this were the other way around and the heroine said "No, get off me" and the hero didn't follow through we would call it rape (regardless that he'd stop after a bit). So in a way that's actually what Selena did with Aiden.
I also didn't feel that she was selfless towards her family - keeping her position in the ton as the widow of a duke didn't only benefit her sisters but her as well and for more than half of the book that was all she really cared about. She never really understood the depth of the consequences for Aiden if he gave in to what she was asking of him or what it would cost him.
She also came across a little cool and distant, but there was a point at which I saw her change. Selena became softer, more aware of Aiden's needs and dreams and finally, FINALLY I fell in love with her too.
The little twist with Aiden's mother in the end absolutely made my day - this is how you punish your jerk of a husband who is everything that is evil int his world.
The plot was absolutely fine, it was the execution that didn't completely work and if it hadn't been for the above mentioned consent issue I had this would have been my favorite in this series. However, let's be real, this is Lorraine Heath and she managed to turn around the whole thing in the last quarter of the story. Next up is Fancy and I'm salivating for Beast's story! Can't wait!
TITLE: THE DUCHESS IN HIS BED
AUTHOR: Lorraine Heath
SERIES: Sins for All Season #4
RELEASE DATE: August 20 2019
GENRE: Historical Romane
RATING: 4 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
Lorraine Heath is certainly one of the authors who writes with romantic and poetic flourish. She just has this way that will make you swoon just for the prose alone. I was looking forward to THE DUCHESS IN HIS BED because I've had a soft spot for Aiden since Finn's book THE SCOUNDREL IN HER BED.
Did this installment live up to expectations? In one way it did - I fell even deeper in love with Aiden Trewlove who had such an inate goodness, a sweet decency that just pulled at my heartstrings. At the same time he was sexy and very physical which provided some really hot scenes throughout this story. I loved his protective sense and the love he had for his family was heart-warming.
He slammed his eyes closed as those five words—fall in love with you—words no other woman had ever bestowed on him washed over him, through him, around him. How powerful they were. How humbling. How breathtaking.
The story fell a little short for me because of Selena, who I didn't care about for two thirds of the book, which was rooted in her selfish behavior. And that was, put mildly, problematic at best. Look, I know this is Historical Romance but consent goes both ways and this is where Selena really threw me off. If this were the other way around and the heroine said "No, get off me" and the hero didn't follow through we would call it rape (regardless that he'd stop after a bit). So in a way that's actually what Selena did with Aiden.
I also didn't feel that she was selfless towards her family - keeping her position in the ton as the widow of a duke didn't only benefit her sisters but her as well and for more than half of the book that was all she really cared about. She never really understood the depth of the consequences for Aiden if he gave in to what she was asking of him or what it would cost him.
She wanted none of this for herself. She needed it in order to ensure those she loved had the best that life had to offer. He was not one of the people she loved or she wouldn’t ask of him what she had.
She also came across a little cool and distant, but there was a point at which I saw her change. Selena became softer, more aware of Aiden's needs and dreams and finally, FINALLY I fell in love with her too.
The little twist with Aiden's mother in the end absolutely made my day - this is how you punish your jerk of a husband who is everything that is evil int his world.
The plot was absolutely fine, it was the execution that didn't completely work and if it hadn't been for the above mentioned consent issue I had this would have been my favorite in this series. However, let's be real, this is Lorraine Heath and she managed to turn around the whole thing in the last quarter of the story. Next up is Fancy and I'm salivating for Beast's story! Can't wait!
He’d always feared he’d be like his sire. But unlike the earl, for Aiden, only one woman would ever hold his heart, and he was the luckiest of men because he held hers as well.
September 29, 2019
Loved the hero, loved the glimpses into the lives of the previous couples but I hated the heroine Selena. Hated her. She was unlikeable and selfish, her motivations were selfish and she was using Aiden for her selfish purposes. Her redeeming quality was supposed to be that she was doing it for her sisters, to assure their position in society but she was mostly doing it for herself. I hated the way she made Aiden feel less than by insisting they could be together as long as they were never seen. She treated him like her dirty little secret. She knew she was hurting him but she didn't care because the end justified the means. I'm okay with problematic, prickly heroines as long as they are redeemed at some point. Selena didn't get a clue that what she was doing was going to destroy this poor man until page 376. The book was only 387 pages long so by that time I was hoping Aiden would have realized his worth and dumped her snobby selfish hoity toity behind to the curb. Also, there was a very disturbing scene that had shades of JQ's The Duke and I and I almost DNF'd this book right there but thankfully she didn't go through with it. After that I lost all respect for her. Consent goes both ways and no means no. That being said I'm really looking forward to Fancy's story.
January 30, 2022
The premise of this one just wasn't my favorite. And it all ended just a bit to abruptly for me.
4 stars
2.5 on the spice scale
4 stars
2.5 on the spice scale
August 14, 2022
Aiden is great as a side character, unfortunately, his story is my least favorite out of all the siblings and the heroine wasn't all that great either.
August 11, 2019
Series: Sins For All Seasons #4
Publication Date: 8/20/19
Number of Pages: 320
I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the Sins for All Seasons series. Of the six Trewlove children, I was most interested in reading Aiden’s story and Beast’s story. Aiden has intrigued me from the beginning, so I was happy to see his story. Next up is Fancy’s and maybe finally I’ll get to read Beast’s story.
Aiden is everything I thought he’d be – hard on the outside and soft in the center. He protects what is his and assures that there is no way he ever produces a bastard like himself. He’d never cause any child to have that sort of fate. I had a harder time warming up to Selena ‘Lena’ Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing. The reason I’m giving a 4-star review rather than a 5-star review is because of my problems with the duchess. Yes, I understood her dilemma, but rather than telling her brother to man up and telling her sisters the true status of their finances, she chose to ask a man like Aiden to do the unthinkable. She wanted it even after she learned his story and his strong objections. She even intended to trick him, and just the fact that she fully intended to do that said a lot about her whether she carried through or not.
Selena’s father wasn’t a very good manager of his earldom nor of his funds. So, when both of her parents were killed and her brother Winslow inherited the earldom, their financial circumstances were dire. For the good of her brother and her three sisters, she married the Duke of Lushing. She loved him but wasn’t in love with him. Their marriage was a passionless one and his only reason for the marriage was to produce an heir since he was the last of his line anywhere and his titles and estates would forfeit to the crown when he died. After seven years and no children, the duke died. Without him, there would be no dowry for her sisters and no way to financially help her brother. So, Winslow came up with a solution – Selena would quickly get pregnant and pass the child off as the dukes. ** Just as an additional comment -- I REALLY disliked Winslow. **
Aiden Trewlove is one of six bastard children raised by Hettie Trewlove. Hettie was a remarkable woman who raised six remarkable children – five of whom weren’t even hers. She taught them respect, love, caring for others and how to be successful. Aiden owns two very successful clubs – The Cerberus Club, a gaming hell for men and the Elysium Club, recently given to him by his brother Finn, which caters to women. I saw one reviewer refer to it as a brothel for women, but I didn’t get that. Yes, there were a few of the men who worked there who would provide that service if the women wanted it, but the focus of the club was more pampering and caring for the women, giving them a place where they can feel beautiful, respected, and cared about.
Aiden was immediately drawn to the woman who entered his Elysium club. He couldn’t even see her face, but he felt the invisible thread pulling him in. After showing her around the club, she told him she wanted to be bedded and he told here that the servers with the red dots on their uniforms would accommodate her. Then, she told him that she wanted him only.
I absolutely LOVED that the villain got his just desserts! It was the absolute perfect punishment for him. I also loved the Countess of Elverton – although you see little of her until toward the end of the book. I think she might be one of my favorite people in the entire series just for her one small role.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Publication Date: 8/20/19
Number of Pages: 320
I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the Sins for All Seasons series. Of the six Trewlove children, I was most interested in reading Aiden’s story and Beast’s story. Aiden has intrigued me from the beginning, so I was happy to see his story. Next up is Fancy’s and maybe finally I’ll get to read Beast’s story.
Aiden is everything I thought he’d be – hard on the outside and soft in the center. He protects what is his and assures that there is no way he ever produces a bastard like himself. He’d never cause any child to have that sort of fate. I had a harder time warming up to Selena ‘Lena’ Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing. The reason I’m giving a 4-star review rather than a 5-star review is because of my problems with the duchess. Yes, I understood her dilemma, but rather than telling her brother to man up and telling her sisters the true status of their finances, she chose to ask a man like Aiden to do the unthinkable. She wanted it even after she learned his story and his strong objections. She even intended to trick him, and just the fact that she fully intended to do that said a lot about her whether she carried through or not.
Selena’s father wasn’t a very good manager of his earldom nor of his funds. So, when both of her parents were killed and her brother Winslow inherited the earldom, their financial circumstances were dire. For the good of her brother and her three sisters, she married the Duke of Lushing. She loved him but wasn’t in love with him. Their marriage was a passionless one and his only reason for the marriage was to produce an heir since he was the last of his line anywhere and his titles and estates would forfeit to the crown when he died. After seven years and no children, the duke died. Without him, there would be no dowry for her sisters and no way to financially help her brother. So, Winslow came up with a solution – Selena would quickly get pregnant and pass the child off as the dukes. ** Just as an additional comment -- I REALLY disliked Winslow. **
Aiden Trewlove is one of six bastard children raised by Hettie Trewlove. Hettie was a remarkable woman who raised six remarkable children – five of whom weren’t even hers. She taught them respect, love, caring for others and how to be successful. Aiden owns two very successful clubs – The Cerberus Club, a gaming hell for men and the Elysium Club, recently given to him by his brother Finn, which caters to women. I saw one reviewer refer to it as a brothel for women, but I didn’t get that. Yes, there were a few of the men who worked there who would provide that service if the women wanted it, but the focus of the club was more pampering and caring for the women, giving them a place where they can feel beautiful, respected, and cared about.
Aiden was immediately drawn to the woman who entered his Elysium club. He couldn’t even see her face, but he felt the invisible thread pulling him in. After showing her around the club, she told him she wanted to be bedded and he told here that the servers with the red dots on their uniforms would accommodate her. Then, she told him that she wanted him only.
All it required of him was a few nights of being lost in mad, passionate lovemaking – not a hardship at all – And then walking away, never, ever, to look back.
I absolutely LOVED that the villain got his just desserts! It was the absolute perfect punishment for him. I also loved the Countess of Elverton – although you see little of her until toward the end of the book. I think she might be one of my favorite people in the entire series just for her one small role.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 2, 2025
I'm drawing a blank for the title...
When the square "A book that’s been sitting on tbr shelf a long time" was proposed, this is the book that first came to mind.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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When the square "A book that’s been sitting on tbr shelf a long time" was proposed, this is the book that first came to mind.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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May 25, 2021
It felt a bit long in the middle but i overall enjoyed this a lot better than the rest of the books in the series.
July 9, 2022
Lorraine Health’s writing is engaging and the Trewlove Family is fun to visit but nothing made me love the MCs. Nothing about them made me excited, they were nice but that seemed to be the extent of their personalities.
December 31, 2020
O poveste incitantă, plină de emoții, ce are la bază înșelăciunea.
Selena Sheffield, tânăra ducesă de Lushing, este hotărâtă să facă orice pentru a păstra proprietățile tânărului ei soț decedat în posesia ei. Chiar și să rămână însărcinată cu un bărbat și să declare că este al soțului decedat... De ce ar face o femeie așa ceva? E simplu: din dorința de a le asigura surorilor ei viitorul.
Astfel ajunge în clubul pentru doamne al lui Aiden Trewlove, un tânăr bastard al cărui nume era bine-cunoscut înaltei societăți londoneze după căsătoria fraților săi cu membrii ai aristocrației. Un tânăr a cărui reputație era destul de pătată, dar care se dovedește a fi mai domn decât mulți dintre membrii societății acelor vremuri.
Atras irezistibil de tânăra captivantă care îi cere cu dezinvoltură să fie satisfăcută, nu ia în calcul sentimentele ce iau naștere între ei. Așa cum, nici Selena nu ar fi crezut că este posibil ca Aiden să devină centrul existenței ei.
Cu toate acestea, Selena m-a dezamăgit din simplul motiv că era dispusă să renunțe la dragoste pentru confortul celor dragi ei. Nu zic că nu este un sacrificiu nobil, dar mi s-a părut nehotărâtă până când a constatat că ceea ce își dorește și ceea ce vrea să facă, nu sunt unul și același lucru cu glasul inimii.
O lectură intensă, plină de atracție și pasiune, alertă și cu o mulțime de sentimente ce țin cititorul captiv între pagini. O poveste de dragoste frumoasă.
Selena Sheffield, tânăra ducesă de Lushing, este hotărâtă să facă orice pentru a păstra proprietățile tânărului ei soț decedat în posesia ei. Chiar și să rămână însărcinată cu un bărbat și să declare că este al soțului decedat... De ce ar face o femeie așa ceva? E simplu: din dorința de a le asigura surorilor ei viitorul.
Astfel ajunge în clubul pentru doamne al lui Aiden Trewlove, un tânăr bastard al cărui nume era bine-cunoscut înaltei societăți londoneze după căsătoria fraților săi cu membrii ai aristocrației. Un tânăr a cărui reputație era destul de pătată, dar care se dovedește a fi mai domn decât mulți dintre membrii societății acelor vremuri.
Atras irezistibil de tânăra captivantă care îi cere cu dezinvoltură să fie satisfăcută, nu ia în calcul sentimentele ce iau naștere între ei. Așa cum, nici Selena nu ar fi crezut că este posibil ca Aiden să devină centrul existenței ei.
Cu toate acestea, Selena m-a dezamăgit din simplul motiv că era dispusă să renunțe la dragoste pentru confortul celor dragi ei. Nu zic că nu este un sacrificiu nobil, dar mi s-a părut nehotărâtă până când a constatat că ceea ce își dorește și ceea ce vrea să facă, nu sunt unul și același lucru cu glasul inimii.
O lectură intensă, plină de atracție și pasiune, alertă și cu o mulțime de sentimente ce țin cititorul captiv între pagini. O poveste de dragoste frumoasă.
June 1, 2024
Review from 2019
I've given this an A for narration and a C+ for content at AudioGals - the narration grade bumps the overall grade up to 4-and-a-bit stars.
I’ve said before that I’m a fan of Lorraine Heath’s and it’s no secret that Kate Reading is one of my all-time favourite narrators. But The Duchess in His Bed, book four in the Sins for All Seasons series was a real slog and I had difficulty getting through it. The plot is fairly simple, albeit one that presented certain ethical dilemmas, but there was so much padding that I zoned out for periods of time, and found that so little had happened during those periods that I didn’t need to rewind to catch up with what was going on.
Her Grace, Selena, Duchess of Lushing, has been recently widowed. Hers was an arranged marriage, but her husband was a good man and while she wasn’t in love with him, she did love him and is genuinely grieving for him. Or she would be, if she had the time to grieve, but she doesn’t, due to another pressing concern. She and Lushing have no children and he came from a family that was not only short-lived, but also not prolific when it came to procreation. Thus, there are no male heirs to his title or the wealth that goes with it and everything will pass to the crown, leaving Selena with a comfortable income, but not one comfortable enough to enable her to ensure her sisters make good matches. Her brother, the Earl of Camberley, spends most of his time and money gaming and living the high life, despite the parlous state of the family finances, so there will be no help for her sisters coming from that quarter. But Camberley comes up with an incredibly risky plan. If Selena can bear a child within ten months of her husband’s death, he or she will be recognised as Lushing’s legitimate heir. If the baby is a boy, he’ll become the next duke, it it’s a girl, the title will pass into escheat, but the entailment is constructed in such a way as to allow a female to inherit the wealth and lands of the dukedom and will thus retain an elevated position in society.
Desperate to find a way to secure her sisters’ futures, Selena decides the idea is worth a try, and has set her sights on Aiden Trewlove, the handsome and charming owner of the slightly risqué, ladies-only Elysium Club. She’s seen him a few times, just briefly, at the weddings of her friends, Lady Aslyn Hastings, the Duke of Thornley and Lady Lavinia Kent (who have all married Trewloves), but is in no doubt that he’s the man she needs.
Aiden’s interest is sparked the moment the masked, self-possessed young woman in dark blue enters his club. Although he generally avoids taking a marked interest in any of the club’s patrons – it would be bad for business – he can’t resist flirting with the mysterious woman, who fairly quickly expresses her desire to go to bed with him. Flattered, but also wondering just what could have brought a beautiful young woman to his club with the intention of having sex with a stranger, Aiden decides there and then that whoever she is and whatever her reasons for being there, she deserves a proper seduction, a man who can make her feel ardent desire as well as desired. Over the next few nights, Selena continues to visit the club and Aiden, who, while he certainly introduces her to some of the many pleasures to be had in the arms of a good lover, frustratingly refuses to bed her. Selena knows time is running out and that she should find someone else to do the deed, but she just can’t walk away from Aiden, whom she is coming to know and genuinely like and respect.
Around the first half of the book is devoted to Aiden and Selena getting to know each other and getting it on in various places within the club. During their conversations, Selena gets to know more about Aiden’s background, that he’s the illegitimate son of an earl who didn’t give a damn about any of the bastards he sired and handed him over to a baby farmer shortly after his birth; that he’s one of five by-blows brought up by Ettie Trewlove, and most importantly, Aiden’s feelings about his illegitimacy and how he has taken great care not to produce any bastards himself. But even knowing that, Selena continues with her plan, clearly not understanding – or not concerned about – what it would mean to Aiden if he were to give her the child she wants. When they do finally make love, Aiden uses a sheath, something Selena has, of course, never seen or heard of, and in desperation she resorts to a course of action that I found deplorable – I’m sure I was supposed to. Fortunately, she comes to her senses in time and can’t go through with it, but the incident left something of a sour taste behind. I hadn’t warmed to Selena by that point because she comes across as rather cold and distant, and even though she does start to become more sympathetic in the second half of the book, I never really took to her as a character. I also found it hard to credit that she’d decide that her brother’s suggestion that she get herself knocked up by some random bloke was a good one rather than telling said brother to man up, stop frittering money away and do something for their sisters himself. (She does do that eventually, but not until near the end.)
I liked Aiden, who is an attractive hero, although his immediate feelings of possessiveness towards Selena don’t have much foundation – there’s a fair bit of insta-lust/love going on here. But he’s a decent and honourable man, which made Selena’s determination to use him for stud services even less palatable, especially when she realised what it would cost him.
The biggest problem I had with the book, however, was that it felt like a novella-length plot had been stretched to fill a full-length book. There’s a lot of padding around the middle, and some of the love scenes – the first one especially – were so drawn out that I got bored and just wanted them to be over. I also didn’t feel there was a great deal of chemistry between the leads; actually, I found the background story of the unspoken love between the dead Duke and his best friend to be more affecting than the romance between Aiden and Selena. I did enjoy the plotline that emerges in the second half about Aiden’s biological parents and was pleased to see the villain of the piece get his just desserts, but otherwise I have to say I found the story rather dull overall.
Kate Reading is a truly gifted performer and a big favourite of all of us here at AG. Her narration is easily the best thing about this audiobook; her pacing and character differentiation are excellent, her vocal characterisations of everyone, from the nasty, blustery Earl of Elverton (boo!) to useless Camberley, motherly Ettie Trewlove and sexy Aiden are superb, and her portrayal of Selena went a long way towards helping me to like her a little more as the story progressed and she started to see the extent to which her planned deception would hurt the man she loved. But even a performance in which the Great Kate (!) doesn’t put a foot wrong wasn’t enough to keep me glued to The Duchess in His Bed. The fact that it took me a week to listen to it is telling – I usually listen to two or three audiobooks a week, but even Ms. Reading’s flawless performance couldn’t elevate what was basically a fairly dull – if well-written – story.
I've given this an A for narration and a C+ for content at AudioGals - the narration grade bumps the overall grade up to 4-and-a-bit stars.
I’ve said before that I’m a fan of Lorraine Heath’s and it’s no secret that Kate Reading is one of my all-time favourite narrators. But The Duchess in His Bed, book four in the Sins for All Seasons series was a real slog and I had difficulty getting through it. The plot is fairly simple, albeit one that presented certain ethical dilemmas, but there was so much padding that I zoned out for periods of time, and found that so little had happened during those periods that I didn’t need to rewind to catch up with what was going on.
Her Grace, Selena, Duchess of Lushing, has been recently widowed. Hers was an arranged marriage, but her husband was a good man and while she wasn’t in love with him, she did love him and is genuinely grieving for him. Or she would be, if she had the time to grieve, but she doesn’t, due to another pressing concern. She and Lushing have no children and he came from a family that was not only short-lived, but also not prolific when it came to procreation. Thus, there are no male heirs to his title or the wealth that goes with it and everything will pass to the crown, leaving Selena with a comfortable income, but not one comfortable enough to enable her to ensure her sisters make good matches. Her brother, the Earl of Camberley, spends most of his time and money gaming and living the high life, despite the parlous state of the family finances, so there will be no help for her sisters coming from that quarter. But Camberley comes up with an incredibly risky plan. If Selena can bear a child within ten months of her husband’s death, he or she will be recognised as Lushing’s legitimate heir. If the baby is a boy, he’ll become the next duke, it it’s a girl, the title will pass into escheat, but the entailment is constructed in such a way as to allow a female to inherit the wealth and lands of the dukedom and will thus retain an elevated position in society.
Desperate to find a way to secure her sisters’ futures, Selena decides the idea is worth a try, and has set her sights on Aiden Trewlove, the handsome and charming owner of the slightly risqué, ladies-only Elysium Club. She’s seen him a few times, just briefly, at the weddings of her friends, Lady Aslyn Hastings, the Duke of Thornley and Lady Lavinia Kent (who have all married Trewloves), but is in no doubt that he’s the man she needs.
Aiden’s interest is sparked the moment the masked, self-possessed young woman in dark blue enters his club. Although he generally avoids taking a marked interest in any of the club’s patrons – it would be bad for business – he can’t resist flirting with the mysterious woman, who fairly quickly expresses her desire to go to bed with him. Flattered, but also wondering just what could have brought a beautiful young woman to his club with the intention of having sex with a stranger, Aiden decides there and then that whoever she is and whatever her reasons for being there, she deserves a proper seduction, a man who can make her feel ardent desire as well as desired. Over the next few nights, Selena continues to visit the club and Aiden, who, while he certainly introduces her to some of the many pleasures to be had in the arms of a good lover, frustratingly refuses to bed her. Selena knows time is running out and that she should find someone else to do the deed, but she just can’t walk away from Aiden, whom she is coming to know and genuinely like and respect.
Around the first half of the book is devoted to Aiden and Selena getting to know each other and getting it on in various places within the club. During their conversations, Selena gets to know more about Aiden’s background, that he’s the illegitimate son of an earl who didn’t give a damn about any of the bastards he sired and handed him over to a baby farmer shortly after his birth; that he’s one of five by-blows brought up by Ettie Trewlove, and most importantly, Aiden’s feelings about his illegitimacy and how he has taken great care not to produce any bastards himself. But even knowing that, Selena continues with her plan, clearly not understanding – or not concerned about – what it would mean to Aiden if he were to give her the child she wants. When they do finally make love, Aiden uses a sheath, something Selena has, of course, never seen or heard of, and in desperation she resorts to a course of action that I found deplorable – I’m sure I was supposed to. Fortunately, she comes to her senses in time and can’t go through with it, but the incident left something of a sour taste behind. I hadn’t warmed to Selena by that point because she comes across as rather cold and distant, and even though she does start to become more sympathetic in the second half of the book, I never really took to her as a character. I also found it hard to credit that she’d decide that her brother’s suggestion that she get herself knocked up by some random bloke was a good one rather than telling said brother to man up, stop frittering money away and do something for their sisters himself. (She does do that eventually, but not until near the end.)
I liked Aiden, who is an attractive hero, although his immediate feelings of possessiveness towards Selena don’t have much foundation – there’s a fair bit of insta-lust/love going on here. But he’s a decent and honourable man, which made Selena’s determination to use him for stud services even less palatable, especially when she realised what it would cost him.
The biggest problem I had with the book, however, was that it felt like a novella-length plot had been stretched to fill a full-length book. There’s a lot of padding around the middle, and some of the love scenes – the first one especially – were so drawn out that I got bored and just wanted them to be over. I also didn’t feel there was a great deal of chemistry between the leads; actually, I found the background story of the unspoken love between the dead Duke and his best friend to be more affecting than the romance between Aiden and Selena. I did enjoy the plotline that emerges in the second half about Aiden’s biological parents and was pleased to see the villain of the piece get his just desserts, but otherwise I have to say I found the story rather dull overall.
Kate Reading is a truly gifted performer and a big favourite of all of us here at AG. Her narration is easily the best thing about this audiobook; her pacing and character differentiation are excellent, her vocal characterisations of everyone, from the nasty, blustery Earl of Elverton (boo!) to useless Camberley, motherly Ettie Trewlove and sexy Aiden are superb, and her portrayal of Selena went a long way towards helping me to like her a little more as the story progressed and she started to see the extent to which her planned deception would hurt the man she loved. But even a performance in which the Great Kate (!) doesn’t put a foot wrong wasn’t enough to keep me glued to The Duchess in His Bed. The fact that it took me a week to listen to it is telling – I usually listen to two or three audiobooks a week, but even Ms. Reading’s flawless performance couldn’t elevate what was basically a fairly dull – if well-written – story.
November 12, 2019
This one started out with too much inner-monologing. I skimmed and skimmed.
Ultimately, I did like the leads. Lorraine Heath is very good at creating characters I care about and want to see get their HEA. I just felt there was a lot of repetitive thought process going on when they could have been interacting with one another.
Aiden Trewlove owns a club that caters to women. It gives them the opportunity to partake in gambling, drinking, relaxation with massages and pampering, and waltzes. However many waltzes they want. It's a new club, but it's becoming very popular.
Selena Sheffield, the Duchess of Lushing is looking for a bedding. She's beautiful, very recently widowed, and has taken on an unfair amount of responsibility ever since her parents died when she was only 17-years-old.
There's a bit of inexplicable insta that happens in at the beginning, but Heath does show that there is plenty for both of them to find attractive in each other.
There are complications and moral dilemmas. And a satisfying conclusion complete with a lovely epilogue.
Heath knows her way around a historical romance and does this one justice. I'd simply like a lot more interaction over so much introspection. But maybe that's just my preference.
Ultimately, I did like the leads. Lorraine Heath is very good at creating characters I care about and want to see get their HEA. I just felt there was a lot of repetitive thought process going on when they could have been interacting with one another.
Aiden Trewlove owns a club that caters to women. It gives them the opportunity to partake in gambling, drinking, relaxation with massages and pampering, and waltzes. However many waltzes they want. It's a new club, but it's becoming very popular.
Selena Sheffield, the Duchess of Lushing is looking for a bedding. She's beautiful, very recently widowed, and has taken on an unfair amount of responsibility ever since her parents died when she was only 17-years-old.
There's a bit of inexplicable insta that happens in at the beginning, but Heath does show that there is plenty for both of them to find attractive in each other.
There are complications and moral dilemmas. And a satisfying conclusion complete with a lovely epilogue.
Heath knows her way around a historical romance and does this one justice. I'd simply like a lot more interaction over so much introspection. But maybe that's just my preference.
September 18, 2022
✨The Rude Ass Lady in His Bed✨
Nah man the ending was better than the rest of the book and of course we all saw Kit coming so now I’m just sad for him like bully for you here’s a grave 😭 obviously he wanted that but sad all around.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶/5
Nah man the ending was better than the rest of the book and of course we all saw Kit coming so now I’m just sad for him like bully for you here’s a grave 😭 obviously he wanted that but sad all around.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶🌶🌶/5
October 21, 2019
This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This author is utterly delightful and I felt so blessed to be able to watch this story unfold and the way that she has dealt with this series has been so inspiring and beautiful to watch. I am in love with this family here in the “Sins For All Seasons” series. In this book we get Aiden’s book and I was really excited for it, and even though at times these books haven’t quite lived up to my expectations, they are solid romances that I have had a blast reading.
In “The Duchess In His Bed” we have a forbidden romance that forms between Aiden and Selena. Selena is the Duchess of Lushing, her husband has just passed away. And without a heir she will lose everything including providing for her sisters who still need to come out in society. So her brother convinces her she needs to get pregnant. So when she hears of a “ladies” club she realizes its the perfect place to find a man to aid her in getting pregnant and she comes across Aiden Trewlove who is the owner of the club. There is a strong connection between them from the beginning, and she knows she wants him but as they explore their sexual desires with each other, But as they explore, there is also something more building between them, an emotional intimacy that neither of them expected. But when the truth comes out about Selena’s true plans, Aiden has a difficult choice to make. Because a match between them would be impossible and he would have to take a backseat in his child’s life. But will Selena allow herself to make the decision to protect and see to her family’s best interests…..or do the right thing for herself and Aiden?
This book was truly such a heartbreaking read at times, and I will admit I definitely was on Aiden’s side more in this book. I really struggled at times with this heroine, her “plot” I just couldn’t be okay with in any stretch of the imagination. I did understand the reasons behind her decision of course, and maybe I would have done the same thing if I lived back then and I was responsible for my family but at the same time I felt like there were other options for her. But this is the way the author wanted it written, and I could see why. But I really felt for Aiden in this story and the way he is being used in this story just broke me at times. The heroine is honestly the main reason the rating is as low as it is. I just couldn’t ever be fully on board with her and her decisions.
But what we do is how she changes, and how she wrestles with her decision throughout the whole book and did appreciate seeing more of the Trewlove family and the complex issues with Aiden’s father and he finally got what he deserved in the end. (If you are curious about his birth father, read previous books and you can understand much more) but we see him meet with his real birth mother and it was so heart wrenching seeing them connect. But we also see a character get added in and I wouldn’t mind if Lorraine Heath added his story into the series because I really liked the half brother he discovers and it also centers some of the story around Aiden and his past and finding some healing with it. We also get lucky in seeing glimpses of what the next book will be and I am really excited for that
Overall I found The Duchess In His Bed to be a emotionally packed installment that delivers in the ways you expect from this author, its a tale of difficult choices, emotional inner turmoil, character refining moments and true delights.
This author is utterly delightful and I felt so blessed to be able to watch this story unfold and the way that she has dealt with this series has been so inspiring and beautiful to watch. I am in love with this family here in the “Sins For All Seasons” series. In this book we get Aiden’s book and I was really excited for it, and even though at times these books haven’t quite lived up to my expectations, they are solid romances that I have had a blast reading.
In “The Duchess In His Bed” we have a forbidden romance that forms between Aiden and Selena. Selena is the Duchess of Lushing, her husband has just passed away. And without a heir she will lose everything including providing for her sisters who still need to come out in society. So her brother convinces her she needs to get pregnant. So when she hears of a “ladies” club she realizes its the perfect place to find a man to aid her in getting pregnant and she comes across Aiden Trewlove who is the owner of the club. There is a strong connection between them from the beginning, and she knows she wants him but as they explore their sexual desires with each other, But as they explore, there is also something more building between them, an emotional intimacy that neither of them expected. But when the truth comes out about Selena’s true plans, Aiden has a difficult choice to make. Because a match between them would be impossible and he would have to take a backseat in his child’s life. But will Selena allow herself to make the decision to protect and see to her family’s best interests…..or do the right thing for herself and Aiden?
All it required of him was a few nights of being lost in mad, passionate lovemaking – not a hardship at all – And then walking away, never, ever, to look back.
This book was truly such a heartbreaking read at times, and I will admit I definitely was on Aiden’s side more in this book. I really struggled at times with this heroine, her “plot” I just couldn’t be okay with in any stretch of the imagination. I did understand the reasons behind her decision of course, and maybe I would have done the same thing if I lived back then and I was responsible for my family but at the same time I felt like there were other options for her. But this is the way the author wanted it written, and I could see why. But I really felt for Aiden in this story and the way he is being used in this story just broke me at times. The heroine is honestly the main reason the rating is as low as it is. I just couldn’t ever be fully on board with her and her decisions.
But what we do is how she changes, and how she wrestles with her decision throughout the whole book and did appreciate seeing more of the Trewlove family and the complex issues with Aiden’s father and he finally got what he deserved in the end. (If you are curious about his birth father, read previous books and you can understand much more) but we see him meet with his real birth mother and it was so heart wrenching seeing them connect. But we also see a character get added in and I wouldn’t mind if Lorraine Heath added his story into the series because I really liked the half brother he discovers and it also centers some of the story around Aiden and his past and finding some healing with it. We also get lucky in seeing glimpses of what the next book will be and I am really excited for that
Overall I found The Duchess In His Bed to be a emotionally packed installment that delivers in the ways you expect from this author, its a tale of difficult choices, emotional inner turmoil, character refining moments and true delights.
March 2, 2023
So far, this has been my favorite if the series! This is a perfect example of LH putting her characters in difficult, morally grey situations. She writes her characters so well that you empathize with them and feel how hard it is for them to get out of their situations.
This book Selena is a recent window and comes to Aiden Trewlove's notorious club. She's masked and on a questionable mission. They are drawn to each other, and Aiden is more than willing to break his own rules and satisfy her deilsires. They find themselves trying to make a deal with each other and don't realize they can't keep their hearts out of it...
Wow! If I have not already made it clear that I am a MEGA Lorraine Heath super fan, here we go again! LH writes the best angst, stories, tension, and characters. This was a perfect example of her lovable characters getting themselves into a hard situation, and you want nothing more than them to get away with everything! I am loving this series so much. I'm reading it out of order, and I think any lover of historical romances should pick it up as well!
This book Selena is a recent window and comes to Aiden Trewlove's notorious club. She's masked and on a questionable mission. They are drawn to each other, and Aiden is more than willing to break his own rules and satisfy her deilsires. They find themselves trying to make a deal with each other and don't realize they can't keep their hearts out of it...
Wow! If I have not already made it clear that I am a MEGA Lorraine Heath super fan, here we go again! LH writes the best angst, stories, tension, and characters. This was a perfect example of her lovable characters getting themselves into a hard situation, and you want nothing more than them to get away with everything! I am loving this series so much. I'm reading it out of order, and I think any lover of historical romances should pick it up as well!
May 26, 2019
I did a live review of this book while I was reading it. You can check it out here: https://theswoonies.com/live-review-o... (please note, my site is under construction).
Here is a "quick" review:
I love Lorraine Heath but I had a really difficult time getting through this book. It took me 2 weeks to struggle through 300 pages and then I put it down and never picked it back up again. It wasn't exactly a conscious decision to stop reading it at that point, I just wasn't compelled to finish it.
I felt like the insta-lust was laid on a little thick. There was an air of possessiveness about the hero that seemed rather preposterous since it was happening in the first few minutes of their first meeting. He’s having thoughts like “the tug he felt to protect this lady was far greater than anything he’d ever experienced before”. I generally like insta-lust and they get all hot and bothered for each other. But possessiveness, in my opinion, should come later with some level of developed feelings. So it seemed a bit out of place.
The biggest issue I had with this book is that the feelings Aiden had towards Lena simply made no sense. He just “feels different” with her than any other women before for no particular reason except “it’s different”. He’s possessive...for no reason. He wants more...for no reason. He’s dreaming about her...for no reason. They’ve not had enough happen between them for him to feel that way and I don’t think simply saying “well, this is different” is enough to get my heart involved with a book.
If there’d been more build up in the beginning I’d probably be buying into it big time. As it is, it read a bit like a novella. That rushed feeling. But it’s a full length novel, so I’m not sure why it’s rushed. I felt like I accidentally missed a few chapters where they got to know each other better. Like they were lopped off in the beginning for some reason and now a bunch of context is missing.
I found the parts of the book very boring. The relationship picked up a bit around page 200 and that was better but everything else I was still pretty bored.
Even though I don’t think I will recommend this book to anyone, I am glad I kept reading as far as I did, because I think I might have been scared off of Lorraine Heath otherwise. At least for a while. It’s improved enough to remind me of the great butterflies I got from When the Duke Was Wicked, so I’m sure I’ll read her again.
Here is a "quick" review:
I love Lorraine Heath but I had a really difficult time getting through this book. It took me 2 weeks to struggle through 300 pages and then I put it down and never picked it back up again. It wasn't exactly a conscious decision to stop reading it at that point, I just wasn't compelled to finish it.
I felt like the insta-lust was laid on a little thick. There was an air of possessiveness about the hero that seemed rather preposterous since it was happening in the first few minutes of their first meeting. He’s having thoughts like “the tug he felt to protect this lady was far greater than anything he’d ever experienced before”. I generally like insta-lust and they get all hot and bothered for each other. But possessiveness, in my opinion, should come later with some level of developed feelings. So it seemed a bit out of place.
The biggest issue I had with this book is that the feelings Aiden had towards Lena simply made no sense. He just “feels different” with her than any other women before for no particular reason except “it’s different”. He’s possessive...for no reason. He wants more...for no reason. He’s dreaming about her...for no reason. They’ve not had enough happen between them for him to feel that way and I don’t think simply saying “well, this is different” is enough to get my heart involved with a book.
If there’d been more build up in the beginning I’d probably be buying into it big time. As it is, it read a bit like a novella. That rushed feeling. But it’s a full length novel, so I’m not sure why it’s rushed. I felt like I accidentally missed a few chapters where they got to know each other better. Like they were lopped off in the beginning for some reason and now a bunch of context is missing.
I found the parts of the book very boring. The relationship picked up a bit around page 200 and that was better but everything else I was still pretty bored.
Even though I don’t think I will recommend this book to anyone, I am glad I kept reading as far as I did, because I think I might have been scared off of Lorraine Heath otherwise. At least for a while. It’s improved enough to remind me of the great butterflies I got from When the Duke Was Wicked, so I’m sure I’ll read her again.
August 21, 2019
This was written by amazing author extraordinaire Lorraine Heath. That should tell you right there how scrumptious and delightful this story will be before turning the first page!! Seriously she is and has been one of my very favorite authors and her witty humor, strong emotiions and engaging characters always make for a memorable read!
The Prologue alone made me want to strangle a despicable Earl, but then the story picks up 32 years later with our heroine, Widow, Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing (love it!), visiting the Elysium Club, a place for women to find pleasure and vice. She was masked and totally focused on the owner, Aiden Trewlove, the one she sought.
All I have to say is he was so charming, but had his background as the bastard son of an Earl, along with many more in the same situation, half brothers and sisters. A very intersting family. As he saw Selena, he was intrigued with her hanging in the shadows masked and he engaged her to come out and explore. His rule though was not to personally get involved with the customers, but as he showed her around, it seemed he noticed everything about her and wanted to know who she was and why she was really at his club. He definitely was not acting like himself.
But why was Selena there and would she be able to capture his interest? Why did she want to?
A scrumptious, engaging story, filled with suspense, sensual emotions, secrets and two engaging characters, each with their pasts the hold sway over them. Once you pick this up, trust me, you will not be able to put it down. This author has mastered the gift of prose and creating a world that pulls you in and keeps you there until the end!
The Prologue alone made me want to strangle a despicable Earl, but then the story picks up 32 years later with our heroine, Widow, Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing (love it!), visiting the Elysium Club, a place for women to find pleasure and vice. She was masked and totally focused on the owner, Aiden Trewlove, the one she sought.
All I have to say is he was so charming, but had his background as the bastard son of an Earl, along with many more in the same situation, half brothers and sisters. A very intersting family. As he saw Selena, he was intrigued with her hanging in the shadows masked and he engaged her to come out and explore. His rule though was not to personally get involved with the customers, but as he showed her around, it seemed he noticed everything about her and wanted to know who she was and why she was really at his club. He definitely was not acting like himself.
But why was Selena there and would she be able to capture his interest? Why did she want to?
A scrumptious, engaging story, filled with suspense, sensual emotions, secrets and two engaging characters, each with their pasts the hold sway over them. Once you pick this up, trust me, you will not be able to put it down. This author has mastered the gift of prose and creating a world that pulls you in and keeps you there until the end!
September 9, 2019
For once I was not sure how this would end, I mean it is romance so I knew they would end up together but how?
Aiden is the bastard son of a nobleman who sold him to a babyfarm. Lucky for him a wonderful woman raised him and his other siblings. He now owns a gambling den, and one that caters to women. Women need to relax too and have some fun. And you know what, I liked all about Aiden, he was rather wonderful.
Selena is a widow and in dire straits. Her family is poor and she wants to give her siblings the freedom she did not have. But for that she would need to be raising a ducal heir, and she is not. Selena was played with this cool, calm voice and it fit her so well. She was the quintessential Duchess. I also liked that she had actually not had a bad marriage, no her husband had been kind, but they had been friends only. That is why her choices had me wondering, and I did not know what route I wanted her to take.
Sparks fly, they really want each other.
We meet the other Trelowe bastards, an interesting bunch to be sure!
But she is a Duchess, he is a commoner. She needs money to back her siblings in society. So that is the drama.
I enjoyed it.
Narrator
I did have to up the speed to 2x, but that is only a good thing in my book. I liked her calm Selena voice like I mentioned before, she was marvelous. She also had nice voices for the rest too. A good reading
Aiden is the bastard son of a nobleman who sold him to a babyfarm. Lucky for him a wonderful woman raised him and his other siblings. He now owns a gambling den, and one that caters to women. Women need to relax too and have some fun. And you know what, I liked all about Aiden, he was rather wonderful.
Selena is a widow and in dire straits. Her family is poor and she wants to give her siblings the freedom she did not have. But for that she would need to be raising a ducal heir, and she is not. Selena was played with this cool, calm voice and it fit her so well. She was the quintessential Duchess. I also liked that she had actually not had a bad marriage, no her husband had been kind, but they had been friends only. That is why her choices had me wondering, and I did not know what route I wanted her to take.
Sparks fly, they really want each other.
We meet the other Trelowe bastards, an interesting bunch to be sure!
But she is a Duchess, he is a commoner. She needs money to back her siblings in society. So that is the drama.
I enjoyed it.
Narrator
I did have to up the speed to 2x, but that is only a good thing in my book. I liked her calm Selena voice like I mentioned before, she was marvelous. She also had nice voices for the rest too. A good reading
November 14, 2023
HOLY COW! Another 5 star book in this series. Aiden and Selena were absolutely amazing. There was a perfect amount of angst due to their circumstances but Aiden was so loving and possessive. Watching both of them struggle with what they were doing and falling in love with each other tore me up. I cried. I can see rereading this in the future.
June 20, 2021
Mmmh! Non mi ha convinto del tutto
May 28, 2021
Disclaimer: The only reason I read this book is that I wanted to finish the series "Sins for All Seasons", which should have been more aptly titled "The Trewloves". (Also, I'm glad I'm done with the Trewloves because they got annoying after a while, especially the mom, Ettie Trewlove (what kind of name is that)).
It took a while for Selena, widowed Duchess of Lushing's, purpose in coming to the Elysium Club to be revealed so I'll just "spoil" it here. (It's barely a spoiler.) Selena's husband just died and to secure the lands, the manor house, the money to provide for her siblings, she needs to have his son. However, in all the years she's been married to him, they never produced any offspring. She knows she still hasn't conceived his child when he dies, so she needs to find a man to provide her with that son she can pass off as the late duke's. She chooses Aiden Trewlove. To be honest, it would have been easier for her to have chosen someone else, someone a little less principled, probably someone who wasn't a bastard himself.
This book was slow and not too much seemed to happen. I just wanted Aiden to stop being principled and insist on using a sheath (so many people never used protection back then)(he did because he didn't want to bring in another bastard in the world) &&& for them to get on with the baby-making!!! And when they did finally have sex (like seriously get a move on it, the time you'll be able to pass off the baby as the duke's is ticking!), it was just a little disappointing.
I was thinking of giving this book 2.5 or 2.8 stars, but I liked how it got more exciting at the end, so I just decided to round up.
It took a while for Selena, widowed Duchess of Lushing's, purpose in coming to the Elysium Club to be revealed so I'll just "spoil" it here. (It's barely a spoiler.) Selena's husband just died and to secure the lands, the manor house, the money to provide for her siblings, she needs to have his son. However, in all the years she's been married to him, they never produced any offspring. She knows she still hasn't conceived his child when he dies, so she needs to find a man to provide her with that son she can pass off as the late duke's. She chooses Aiden Trewlove. To be honest, it would have been easier for her to have chosen someone else, someone a little less principled, probably someone who wasn't a bastard himself.
This book was slow and not too much seemed to happen. I just wanted Aiden to stop being principled and insist on using a sheath (so many people never used protection back then)(he did because he didn't want to bring in another bastard in the world) &&& for them to get on with the baby-making!!! And when they did finally have sex (like seriously get a move on it, the time you'll be able to pass off the baby as the duke's is ticking!), it was just a little disappointing.
I was thinking of giving this book 2.5 or 2.8 stars, but I liked how it got more exciting at the end, so I just decided to round up.
March 19, 2024
The power imbalance never righted itself. Aiden is manipulated and used until 95% of the way through when it *finally* occurs to Selena what an awful thing she’s putting him up to. I will admit to being very invested with how in the world they could find a resolution to their self inflicted complete mess of a predicament that these two dummies got themselves into - and bringing a baby into this! But I was pretty disappointed by the solution which just seemed to be, “Oh well! We’re doing this anyway! Good opinion of fancy society, dowries for my sisters, funds to repair my ancestral family estate, mourning period for my barely dead husband be damned!” None of the kinks were worked out. Selena just had to be “brave” enough and nothing else mattered. Riiiiight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2019
This book was so good! I loved Aiden just as much as I knew I would and Lorraine Heath delivered another fantastic historical romance from beginning to end. When I first met Selena, I didn't think I'd like her that much because she was a bit of a snob and her whole plan didn't endear her all that much, considering it was Aiden that she chose for her plan. Still, she does a lot of growing over the course of this book and I ended up liking her for Aiden. Lorraine Heath is the bomb, one of my favorites!
August 29, 2019
Selena's redemption at the end was not enough. I said in my updates that she was just cruel, and that didn't change despite her acceptance of Aiden and their life together. She knew what she was doing the whole time, she knew how it was hurting him and while it did seem as if she had the best intentions she just kept pushing. I didn't like her at all and still believe Aiden deserves better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2024
Rating: 3.5 stars
So, I'm not really sure how I feel about this one in all honestly. I really liked both the characters, but I especially like the MMC. My problem was that the FMC was a widow...for only three days... Yes, she was a widow for three whole days before her and the MMC were getting together. This entire book felt like it was way too fast for the time frame. Like I understand it, but at the same time, I didn't love that fact. I wanted to see more and maybe it be a little more with them. Now back to the whole widow fact. Even ignoring that it's only been three days, it really felt like she cared and loved (in her own way) her dead husband. Now I'm not saying she was in love with him, but they were married for seven years and were fond of each other. Then at the end when we find something out, it just felt like it was thrown in there to make it acceptable. But it still wasn't for me. So yeah. Didn't love this one, but I did like the MMC and he deserved better.
So, I'm not really sure how I feel about this one in all honestly. I really liked both the characters, but I especially like the MMC. My problem was that the FMC was a widow...for only three days... Yes, she was a widow for three whole days before her and the MMC were getting together. This entire book felt like it was way too fast for the time frame. Like I understand it, but at the same time, I didn't love that fact. I wanted to see more and maybe it be a little more with them. Now back to the whole widow fact. Even ignoring that it's only been three days, it really felt like she cared and loved (in her own way) her dead husband. Now I'm not saying she was in love with him, but they were married for seven years and were fond of each other. Then at the end when we find something out, it just felt like it was thrown in there to make it acceptable. But it still wasn't for me. So yeah. Didn't love this one, but I did like the MMC and he deserved better.
May 14, 2020
Tra i 3.5 e 4 stelle
Rispetto agli altri è quello che ho preferito, ha catturato la mia attenzione dall'inizio alla fine, senza annoiarmi...
Rispetto agli altri è quello che ho preferito, ha catturato la mia attenzione dall'inizio alla fine, senza annoiarmi...
June 29, 2020
Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve read such an engrossing romance. I was a little hesitant, because some reviews made me think I wouldn’t like the heroine, but I found her completely empathetic and real. Selena was responsible and loving and so very strong, and I admired her greatly, both for her motivations at the start and her ultimate choices.
Aiden made my heart ache in the best way. So many of Lorraine Heath’s novels give me this bittersweet feeling, because she really does put her characters through desolation and despair before the HEA. This one was no different, and Aiden’s mental anguish—not to mention his devotion to Selena—just made me want to hug him and make everything better. And somehow his suffering made him all the more compelling.
The plot, though it boded no real danger, somehow still felt like it had high stakes. It’s not so easy to make one care so much for people who want to keep their standing in society, but like I said, Selena’s character was completely understandable. I had no idea how exactly things would work out until the very last chapter in the book—a feat only Lorraine Heath can accomplish, I’ve found. The epilogue felt a bit summary-like, which is probably the only flaw in this novel, but overall every line was wonderfully written.
Aiden made my heart ache in the best way. So many of Lorraine Heath’s novels give me this bittersweet feeling, because she really does put her characters through desolation and despair before the HEA. This one was no different, and Aiden’s mental anguish—not to mention his devotion to Selena—just made me want to hug him and make everything better. And somehow his suffering made him all the more compelling.
The plot, though it boded no real danger, somehow still felt like it had high stakes. It’s not so easy to make one care so much for people who want to keep their standing in society, but like I said, Selena’s character was completely understandable. I had no idea how exactly things would work out until the very last chapter in the book—a feat only Lorraine Heath can accomplish, I’ve found. The epilogue felt a bit summary-like, which is probably the only flaw in this novel, but overall every line was wonderfully written.
November 2, 2020
I'm pushing through this series and I'm in it pretty deep.
This story was a lot sweeter and less heartbreaking than book 3. This whole series have twisty plots that make you read them fast to find out what happens and this had me finishing it quickly. This was actually a really sweet story of love blossoming at the most unexpected place and time. Sweet ending too!
This story was a lot sweeter and less heartbreaking than book 3. This whole series have twisty plots that make you read them fast to find out what happens and this had me finishing it quickly. This was actually a really sweet story of love blossoming at the most unexpected place and time. Sweet ending too!
August 20, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up
Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing is in a bind, her husband of seven years has passed away with no heir, leaving his title and entailed properties in danger of reverting back to the crown. With her family depending on her to support them, her brother Winslow, the Earl of Camberley devises a plan, Selena will get pregnant and place the child off as Lushing’s, if the child is a boy, he will be the duke, if the child is a girl, she will inherit the entailed properties – either way, it ensures their place in society and keeps them financial solvent. Selena only agrees because she has three younger sisters and worries about their futures if the crown takes Lushing’s assets. Set on this course, a masked Selena visits the Elysium Club hoping to catch the notice of the owner, Aiden Trewlove, a man she saw at her friend’s wedding and who captured her attention like no man ever has.
Aiden spots Selena almost immediately and is drawn to her, but Aiden doesn’t fall into bed with her as she hoped, he does spend time with her and invites her back the next night. Selena knows she doesn’t have much time and should pick another man, but she can’t seem to walk away from Aiden. And for his part, he doesn’t trust the nobility, but there is something about her that stirs something primal in him and even knowing he should not encourage her, he just can’t seem to let her go.
When they finally make love, Selena has a crisis of conscience and leaves Aiden in an awkward situation without explanation. But he tracks her down and demands answers, when he learns the truth, he has a big decision to make and one that may break the heart he has tried so hard to keep to himself.
I thought this was a well written story, but the story seemed to drag for the first half and the plot felt used to death. The second half was definitely more interesting and incorporated some new story lines involving his biological parents and siblings, but I was disappointed that Selena waited so long to do the right thing and I thought her brother Winslow was a complete jerk who needed to “man up” and yet never did. I did like the book and enjoyed the cameos with the other Trewlove siblings, but after reading the first three books in this series and being completely blown away, this book felt like a bit of letdown.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected e-arc that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*
Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing is in a bind, her husband of seven years has passed away with no heir, leaving his title and entailed properties in danger of reverting back to the crown. With her family depending on her to support them, her brother Winslow, the Earl of Camberley devises a plan, Selena will get pregnant and place the child off as Lushing’s, if the child is a boy, he will be the duke, if the child is a girl, she will inherit the entailed properties – either way, it ensures their place in society and keeps them financial solvent. Selena only agrees because she has three younger sisters and worries about their futures if the crown takes Lushing’s assets. Set on this course, a masked Selena visits the Elysium Club hoping to catch the notice of the owner, Aiden Trewlove, a man she saw at her friend’s wedding and who captured her attention like no man ever has.
Aiden spots Selena almost immediately and is drawn to her, but Aiden doesn’t fall into bed with her as she hoped, he does spend time with her and invites her back the next night. Selena knows she doesn’t have much time and should pick another man, but she can’t seem to walk away from Aiden. And for his part, he doesn’t trust the nobility, but there is something about her that stirs something primal in him and even knowing he should not encourage her, he just can’t seem to let her go.
When they finally make love, Selena has a crisis of conscience and leaves Aiden in an awkward situation without explanation. But he tracks her down and demands answers, when he learns the truth, he has a big decision to make and one that may break the heart he has tried so hard to keep to himself.
I thought this was a well written story, but the story seemed to drag for the first half and the plot felt used to death. The second half was definitely more interesting and incorporated some new story lines involving his biological parents and siblings, but I was disappointed that Selena waited so long to do the right thing and I thought her brother Winslow was a complete jerk who needed to “man up” and yet never did. I did like the book and enjoyed the cameos with the other Trewlove siblings, but after reading the first three books in this series and being completely blown away, this book felt like a bit of letdown.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected e-arc that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*
September 12, 2019
The moment she entered his club, Aiden Trewlove noticed her. He watched her watching him, curious about her reason for being there and to see the face behind the mask she wear. Owner of the Elysium Club who caters to women, Aiden will charm and he might flirt, but he never mix business with pleasure. And after seeing how dangerous love can be, he swore to never allow any woman to capture his heart.
Love is not the reason why the recently widowed Duchess of Lushing came to Aiden's club. She can't reveal her plan, just that she need him and she chose him. But can he go against his principles to give her what she wants once he'll learn the truth?
It would be easy to judge and be bothered by the heroine's deception. But it's just as easy to understand that Selena is torn between her own desires and the responsibility she feels towards her family. I liked the hero protective nature and his easy charm. I think the story stalled a bit when he learn Selena's true intention but other than that, I enjoyed their unusual courtship. One of the great thing about this series is that despite their poor upbringing and the anger they feels toward it, the Trewlove siblings have so much love for each other and they know it's their greatest treasure.
Love is not the reason why the recently widowed Duchess of Lushing came to Aiden's club. She can't reveal her plan, just that she need him and she chose him. But can he go against his principles to give her what she wants once he'll learn the truth?
It would be easy to judge and be bothered by the heroine's deception. But it's just as easy to understand that Selena is torn between her own desires and the responsibility she feels towards her family. I liked the hero protective nature and his easy charm. I think the story stalled a bit when he learn Selena's true intention but other than that, I enjoyed their unusual courtship. One of the great thing about this series is that despite their poor upbringing and the anger they feels toward it, the Trewlove siblings have so much love for each other and they know it's their greatest treasure.
January 18, 2020
I enjoyed this fourth installment in Lorainne Heath's Sins for All Seasons series, though I will admit I was not a huge fan of the heroine.
This is Aiden Trewlove’s story. Fans of the series will remember he is the brother who runs Elysium— the highly improper getaway for ladies. It is there Selena approaches him with a very indecent proposal.
He doesn’t know it at the time, but she is very recently widowed and is looking to get pregnant so she can pass the baby off as her late husband‘s child. If she does not provide an heir to the Dukedom, she will lose everything, including an opportunity to provide for her younger sisters. So you can say she has an unselfish reason for the things she does, but the bottom line is she is trying to take something from Aiden he definitely does not want to give, the possibility of a bastard. And she’s willing to lie to do it. It was hard to be totally in her corner when she was being dishonest.
Aiden was a pretty good hero. He fell for Salena without a really clear cut reason, but I was able to put that aside. Not quite insta-love, but insta-lust at least. He was honorable in his own way and cared deeply about his found family. It was interesting to see the circumstances of his birth unravel and I was happy with how all of that turned out. The romance was OK. Overall, I liked the book.
Fancy's story is next. I look forward to reading how her adopted brothers handle seeing her as an adult.
*ARC provided by Avon
This is Aiden Trewlove’s story. Fans of the series will remember he is the brother who runs Elysium— the highly improper getaway for ladies. It is there Selena approaches him with a very indecent proposal.
He doesn’t know it at the time, but she is very recently widowed and is looking to get pregnant so she can pass the baby off as her late husband‘s child. If she does not provide an heir to the Dukedom, she will lose everything, including an opportunity to provide for her younger sisters. So you can say she has an unselfish reason for the things she does, but the bottom line is she is trying to take something from Aiden he definitely does not want to give, the possibility of a bastard. And she’s willing to lie to do it. It was hard to be totally in her corner when she was being dishonest.
Aiden was a pretty good hero. He fell for Salena without a really clear cut reason, but I was able to put that aside. Not quite insta-love, but insta-lust at least. He was honorable in his own way and cared deeply about his found family. It was interesting to see the circumstances of his birth unravel and I was happy with how all of that turned out. The romance was OK. Overall, I liked the book.
Fancy's story is next. I look forward to reading how her adopted brothers handle seeing her as an adult.
*ARC provided by Avon
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