Untouched

by Anna Campbell

Beautiful Grace Paget has no reason not to believe these words. After all, she was kidnapped, spirited away to a remote country manor, and told she is to grant this man his every desire . . . or lose her life. But Grace is no common trollop. So she risks everything to save her virtue by planning a daring escape, even though she finds herself tempted by this handsome man. There is something in his eyes that makes her wonder if he is as dangerous as he would have her believe. Sheene knew nothing of the plan to bring him this woman. Locked up as a prisoner, called "mad" by all of the world, he will do anything to reclaim his life, and Grace's sensuous beauty has distracted him from his goals. And although he finds her irresistible, he is horrified to hold her against her will. Now, together, they must both revolt against the strange set of circumstances that have forced them together—for only then will Grace truly surrender to him . . . forever.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Regency Romance

373 pages, Paperback

First published November 27, 2007

About the author

I've written 51 bestselling historical romances: 11 multi-award winning books for Hachette Grand Central Publishing and Avon HarperCollins, and 40 as an independently published author, These include my popular series The Sons of Sin (6 books), The Dashing Widows (7 books), The Lairds Most Likely (10 books), A Scandal in Mayfair (4 books), and Scoundrels of Mayfair (4 books). Watch out for a new series, Cinderellas of Mayfair, in 2025, which launched with a Christmas prequel Miss Barton's Mysterious Husband at the end of 2024.

When I'm not touring the world seeking inspiration for my passionate stories, I live on the beautiful east coast of Australia.

I've always been a voracious reader and I delve into many different genres, as you'll see if you check out my books list. Favorite authors include Dorothy Dunnett, Elly Griffiths, Michael Lewis, and Loretta Chase.

My website is http://www.annacampbell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annacampbell...

Twitter: AnnaCampbellOz

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Campbell/...

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-...

I love to hear from readers and you can contact me on AnnaCampbellOz@hotmail.com

Reviews

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for writing this book, Ms. Campbell. I loved it, from beginning to end. I am an unashamed lover of virgin heroes, and Matthew is going near the top of my list. Matthew truly was a hero to die for. His passion, his integrity, his intelligence, his innocence, his anguish. Oh, my goodness. I am so in love with this man. And reading his story, and how he meets Grace, was such a wonderful experience for me. Why we love books is so unique to each reader. There is no formula for a perfect book. But, in the right hands, and with the right elements, a story can earn a place on a reader's keeper shelf, and in her heart. This is what happened with this book.

Ms. Campbell proved to me that a virgin hero is a fantastic lead for a story. I have never felt that experience made a better lover. The best lover is the one who cares for your needs and wants to please and take care of you. That sees you as an individual and wants to make each moment with you special. That you are the only person in the world that he wants to be with. Matthew showed this so well. I liked that their first time together was realistic. I would expect no less. But after that, and before that, he makes up for it. I knew that he wanted nothing more than to please Grace and to show her how much he loved her in every way possible.

Matthew was so tortured, but he never came off as weak to me. He had the strong will and the strong nature of a survivor. His keen mind is continually used and enhanced, to become a formidable weapon that he uses to protect Grace, although he is at a physical disadvantage. In my mind, brute strength will fail the user. But a strong mind, a strong spirit, will always prevail. That was the case with Matthew. It's fairly obvious, but I loved this man!!!

Although I gush and sigh over heroes, and a great hero is a huge draw for me as a reader, a well-written heroine is equally crucial for this reader. I want to believe in the love that the couple finds together, and it requires strength of character in a heroine for me to do so. I found this in Grace. Grace is a woman who embodies the elements of womanhood that I find so powerful. She has suffered much in her life. She made mistakes, but she moved forward and accepted the consequences of her choices in life. She realized that she was spoiled and expected the world to bow to her, in her youth. But as she matured, she realized that she had to make lemonade out of lemons. Although she has a very passionate heart, she values herself not to give herself away lightly or to sell herself cheaply. She was well named, because I did see a lot of grace in her.

Grace was put in a truly harrowing position in this novel. She was threatened with death and brutal rape. But instead of curling up into a ball of misery, she kept searching for a solution to her problems. I loved that she saw the beauty in Matthew. She fell in love with him, and wasn't going to let him give up on a chance of freedom. She was willing to make some tough choices for him. And despite the fact that she raised to believe it was wrong to give herself to him sexually as his mistress, her love inspired her to make the choice of her heart. Despite her love for him, she was willing to let him go, to live his life and discover what life outside of the prison he had lived in for most of his adulthood, had to offer. In a nutshell, Grace was a wonderful heroine.

Anna Campbell knows how to write romance, in my book. She can write a love story that will break your heart, but also blister the pages with passion. And the depths of the storytelling are such that you feel so enriched by reading her books. I found this book so delightfully sensual and thrilling. Each scene between Grace and Matthew was full of the delightful anticipation of when their passion for each other would culminate. Ms. Campbell did a fantastic job of building the attraction between Grace and Matthew. It would be easy to say that Matthew would have felt a burning, relentless passion for just about any woman, as a healthy young man who had been sexually unawakened before Grace. Maybe I could say that for another book that was not as well-written as this book. But, in Untouched, there was no question that what Matthew felt for Grace was unique and special. The love scenes were fantastically written, and I still replay those interactions, and all the moments between Matthew and Grace in my head. I know this is a book I will pull off my shelf for rereads many times.

I thought that the transformation of Grace's feelings for Matthew was so well-done. She starts out in fear of him, trying her best to keep her distance. But gradually, his beauty, his appeal breaks down her defences. I got the impression that his soul was calling out to hers. Call me sappy, I care not. Yes, there is the great peril that she is in, should he not take her as his mistress. But the way Ms. Campbell wrote this, showed that her decision to become his lover evolved out of her passion for Matthew, not out of desperate calculation.

I thought that the romance so delectable in this story. It was full of strong, earthy passion, but there was also a purity to it. I felt as though Matthew and Grace were soulmates. They were alone and had suffered so much, until the evil machinations of Matthew's uncle led to their meeting and getting to know each other. The menace and the peril that Matthew and Grace dealt with was so apparent, that I held my breath in expectation of how things would end. I hoped that Grace and Matthew would find their happy ending they both deserved, and I was well-rewarded.

I can only speak for myself, but I was blown away by this book. It was such an enriching experience to read this story. This is my third book to read by this author, and I am convinced that historical romance is blessed by her presence. For the third time, I was captivated, and the world fell away. I didn't want to do anything but read the book. Even if that meant I was missing out on a meal or sleep, in the meantime. Simply put, Anna Campbell writes the kind of stories that take me away, and make me believe in the intense promise of love. And that is why I read romance. This book definitely goes on my keeper shelf.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

***This review contains spoilers***

After reading Claiming the Courtesan, I rushed out and bought all of Anna Campbell’s books and I’m glad I did! Untouched is another unique story told only the way Ms. Campbell can tell them.

Matthew, Lord Sheene is a wonderful man who has been held captive under the guise of insanity by his greedy uncle John since he was 14 years old. Claiming that due to a serious illness Matthew is no longer able to care for himself and is prone to ‘fits’, his uncle was able to take and maintain control of Matthew’s fortune, using it for his own gain. Keeping Matt locked up was the only way for John to ensure that he could continue to spend the money any way he wanted. The problem is how to get Matthew, who is no longer a boy easily manipulated, to cooperate.

Enter Grace Paget, a young widow who has known more heartache than any one person ever should. Having been disowned by her father and mistreated by her husband – both in bed and out – she now finds herself also being held captive by Matthew’s uncle so that Matthew would have someone to share his bed with. Uncle John thinks that having a woman at his beckon call will make Matthew more manageable and less likely to continue his attempts at escaping, but his mistake is underestimating Matt’s desire for freedom and Grace’s independent nature – she is not some shrinking violet who takes kindly to being forced to do anything against her will, nor is she the whore that uncle John believed her to be when he had her kidnapped.

Matt believes that Grace is a willing and well paid participant in his uncle’s desire to keep him prisoner, and Grace thinks that Matt is lying about being held against his will, so as would be expected under these horrible conditions, they neither like nor trust each other. As individual characters, Matthew and Grace are great, each having their own strengths and weaknesses but as would be expected given the circumstances, instead of working together to gain freedom, they are constantly butting heads, thinking only of themselves and their own desire to be free from the estate they are being held on and free from each other as well. It’s not until they start to see one another as equal pawns in John’s scheme that they begin trusting each other enough to work together and soon, what were once feelings of loathing and suspicion become feelings of hope, faith, belief in one another and, eventually, love. They didn’t realize it at the time, but it is that love that would be their greatest strength of all.

What makes this story special for me is that even though Matthew had been held prisoner for most of his youth and had very little interaction with anyone who had any moral values at all, he maintained his own integrity, never faltering in his knowledge of right and wrong. Whores had been brought for his use and he had no problem resisting them, but when Grace is delivered to him, he sees something different in her, something pure but it’s those years of his uncle’s abuse, tricks and manipulations that convince him that Grace is just another tool, another attempt to break him. Though he is still a virgin he has to fight his desire for Grace, refusing to yield to it because that would be giving more control to his uncle and giving up one of the few things he had left – freedom to choose what went on within the walls of his elegant prison.

Matthew and Grace were more alike than they realized in the beginning because while Grace was not technically a virgin, having been married for several years, she didn’t know what it was like to be loved because while her body had been used, it had never been touched by a man who loved her, heart and soul.

I enjoyed watching Matt and Grace as they learned to trust and love each other and it was so touching to see them as they willingly gave their innocence to one another, learning to love with not only their hearts and souls, but with their bodies as well. The emotions, actions and reactions were real and in keeping with what I would have expected. I appreciated this emotional and physical honesty in the story.

Eventually, they devised a plan in which Grace could escape, although this plan was far from foolproof because it would leave Matthew behind to face whatever punishment his uncle would see fit to bestow upon him – and Matt knew from previous experience that his uncle loved handing out punishment; he had the physical scars to prove it. Grace swore that she would come back for him, that she would contact whoever she had to contact, tell them of Matthew’s circumstances, and return for him, which she did. YAY! They would, at last, have their happily ever after.

SCREECH!!!!!!!!! Wait, what’s that you say, Grace? You can’t be with him??? After having professed your eternal love for Matthew over and over, you can’t be together? Look at him, Grace, he’s on his hands and knees begging you!!! Have you lost your mind, woman!?!?!? How can you deny him?? Oh, ok. I see, it’s only for a year more that he must suffer. Ahhh, well, that’s alright then.

Geez! Is the story not angst ridden enough that we had to toss in that little bit of heartache, too?

But, in Anna Campbell’s, and Grace’s defense, I can understand why Grace did what she did. She was well aware that Matt had never had the chance to experience life, and never had the chance to love. She wanted to give him that opportunity to make sure she was the person he really loved, that she was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, not because he knew of nothing else, but because he truly did love her. So I forgive you, Grace, for those few added pages of misery, and I want you to know that I’m glad Matt lost his virginity to you, that he found in you the woman who freed him, not only from his uncle’s prison, but from the prison he had built around his own heart. For this – for Matt – I forgive you, Grace. I forgive you.

4.5/5

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 5 out of 5]

April 2023 reread: Been in a bit of a romance reading slump. Nothing new grabbing my attention so I've been going back to the historical romances that I fell in love with, some authors like Elisa Braden and Anna Campbell. While Elisa Braden still gives me the deep angst and steam factor, was surprised that this time rereading Anna Campbell's Untouched didn't hit me as deep. I have reread it a few times since 2019, and while this time I still couldn't stop reading it, I didn't feel the pining, the yearning, the craving from Grace and Matthew.

You know those romances that you reread and it feels like the first time? Oof Untouched didn't give me the first time feels, but still I love this story.

I remember admiring how Campbell dealt with class and unusual circumstances, and this still stands true. Sometimes, rich people are put into unusual circumstances and it's not believable. I loved the characterization of Matthew and Grace, their circumstances, and how they view each other. I also admire how Campbell puts Matthew in a position where his power is questioned. Many times, his keepers and his uncle taunt him and insult him. Although romances often debase or humiliate their heroine, the hero is often always seen as perfect, aside from a grovel at the end.

I like that Matthew is shown as human and full of goodness and grace. I feel that perhaps authors don't want to put heroes in a less than perfect light because it may make them less attractive, but Matthew is one of my favourite historical romance heroes.

His power isn't tarnished because someone else puts him down or he is put in a position where his freedom is constrained. I still find it so powerful and speaks volumes of Campbell's skills as a writer.

2019 Review:

My brain after finishing Untouched:



A tearjerker with BD thrills, Untouched is a keeper. The premise of the plot is similar to Campbell’s My Reckless Surrender. The hero and heroine meet under star-crossed circumstances, forced into a plot put in motion by an over-the-top but totally convincing villain that’s closely related to the hero. Yes, it is outlandish. No, you’re not going to care.

Matthew is the mad marquess, placed under terminal house arrest by his greedy guardian uncle. After an escape attempt by Matthew the year before the story’s events, Uncle John decides to find him a woman to entertain him so he doesn’t think about, you know, his stolen youth, freedom, and rightful place in society. Enter Grace Paget, a widow mistaken for a doxy and abducted by Uncle John’s henchmen for this very purpose.

There were similarities between Matthew and Tarquin from Mr Reckless Surrender. Some similarities were superficial such as, remarking on the prettiness of the heroine’s appearance upon first meeting. They are both so selfless in their love - it is enchanting. They sense or know that the heroine waltzing into their lives probably isn’t all she says she is, but upon figuring out the truth they do not judge or vilify the heroine.

The drama isn’t about betrayal but survival - and that is so much more interesting to me. The drama could have been around a Big Misunderstanding, but because the villain actually poses a threat they have to take seriously, there is no time for Othello-like shenanigans.

A tad underweight, Matthew is put in debasing and powerless situations, taunted by henchmen and his uncle, but he is one of the strongest heroes I have read in a genre littered with reductive alphas and so-called betas. He is an incredibly compelling character, and I loved that he was a virgin .

Strength does not make a man more manly anymore than gentleness makes a woman more womanly. Campbell understands this and writes her hero and heroines so well because there is that fluidity of opposing energies that make them come alive. While it's game on for the heroine, the hero is rarely seen in truly humiliating situations. Matthew, similar to Tarquin, is at a disadvantage but it makes his bravery and grace a lot more real. Grace is strong too. She has her damsel moments, but she has to be strong, to have lived the life she has. The pay-off is good when you find out her whole story. I was pleasantly surprised by the revelations around her past and her lineage. Grace and Matthew are so good together! They are strong but also inspire tenderness in how equally untouched they both are ... ok I’ll stop.

Untouched is my third read by Anna Campbell, and the second keeper on the proverbial bookshelf.

[Eastofoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this one and a bit disappointing compared to Campbell’s previous stellar novel Claiming the Courtesan.

The dark feel of the Regency Noir is certainly there, there’s some harsh, graphic violence (leaving you wondering if this is a romance novel at all) as well as the stock creepy characters but the main thing that was missing was the emotional connection between the h/h –I for one didn’t really feel it. I also have to say that I don’t like this kind of hero at all so I may not be the best judge of the story. His “alphaness” was missing I thought. The last three pages were what gave it the extra half star. It’s too bad Matthew couldn’t have been more like this earlier on –that would’ve made for a great story. Given however the kind of hero that he was (can’t say otherwise it’d be a big spoiler) I can understand why he was this way. The book in a way reminded me of the old Brooke Shields movie “Blue Lagoon”.

The steam is a bit staid and at times some of the situations felt like a YA novel. It was hard to believe that they loved each other so much but again the way the h/h were I guess it could be plausible which is why the YA novel comes to mind. Campbell does an amazing job though with the regional accents of some of the bad guys adding to the dark/evil atmosphere of the novel. The crudeness gets under your skin making you shudder with an ew or an eesh more than once. Something interesting that I’ve never seen in a romance novel was how the heroine was left, um, euh, “unfulfilled” by the hero’s attempt at “sexual prowess”. Usually the heroine has seen all the gods in the heavens and then some so this was an interesting take on the initial steam scenes. The reader is really left with a “what the ?!*$%*?!” feel after the deed is all said and done.

I didn’t like how the heroine left the hero at one point. Her reason for keeping her distance was very magnanimous but very stupid too. She barely wanted to let him kiss her after a long separation which I found annoying.

So the writing is generally good, though there could have been some more dialog and fewer extremes one right after another (when everything is too intense all the time nothing seems special in the end), you can really picture the surroundings and the foreboding atmosphere, but the essential romance part is somewhat on the weak side.

[When Funmi Met Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Untouched by Anna Campbell: A Glittering 5 star read that will stick with me for a long long time. Poignant and Beautiful


Overall thoughts How do I accurately portray via Review how much beauty this book encompasses. With its intriguing cover and novel description, I decided to give this book a try. I haven't read any romance books in a while, much less Historical, and I needed something good. I had never read anything by this, splendid, author and so I was unsure. Truth is, I didn't have much hope for this book. I have a slew of unfinished and DNF books and I was fully prepared to delegate this too that pile too. However, boy was I wrong. This book is everything that I could ever want and Nothing that I ever expected!

4 Reasons this book is One of my favorites

1. Anna Campbell- Her writing is amazing. Romance readers know that often reading a book came be painful with the amount of mundane purple prose that is crammed into a book. It has a way of making a small task last a whole page...which leads to skimming. Campbell allows her innovative plot to speak for itself The situation and the plot never left my mind as I read the development. Her simple but effective and beautiful writing was a perfect blend of what was needed in this novel. I felt like I understood everything. She had me hanging after her very last word. I tuned out all outside distractions. I didn't think ahead and try to spoil the ending or predict the reunion. I simply lived with the characters. Campbell has the amazing ability to create a voyeuristic situation in which I almost felt like I was spying upon an addictive tragedy. Lovely.

2. The plot- This plot is very very original, and THAT, is saying something. That being said there is the possibility that I just havent encountered this plot and it is common. However, skimming a couple other reviews a common consensus was the uniqueness of the plot, so I will stick to my claim. Its so very interesting. If i had to describe it, it would be, A Tale of Two Cities, meets a study on Stockholm syndrome, meets Romeo and Juliet, plus a happy ending. I was enthralled and obsessed with the couple.

3. Hero:Matthew- Dear lord, where do I start? I really cannot explain to you how much I deeply care, love, adore, and am currently obsessed with this fictional character. I have never really had the pleasure of exploring the amazingness that is the "Beta Hero" However, I find Beta heroes better. Alpha's have everything handed to them, they are rich, and powerful, and often quite selfish....queue the swoon... However, Beta Heroes have a quiet strength that is consuming and an inner intelligence that burns bright. Matthew suffered abhorrent torture both mentally and physically for over eleven years post his parents death at the hand of his sick uncle and his cronies. He is literally a captive , a prisoner in the sickest sense. However, he is amazingly intelligent and caring. Gosh is he caring, he loves Grace with a fierceness and a passion that transcends the walls of his confinement. He is simply a good man down to the core. His love isn't oppressive, there is no mingled fear in his ways, he isn't manipulative, or "wicked, he is just a good man. That is the sexiest thing ever for me in a hero.

4.The Poignancy- This book is a lot deeper than it looks. It has this ability to take you to a place that is dark and a dreary. this book is a really intricate piece of woven cloth. Over all, it is a romance book and your happy ending is very much so guaranteed and yet you cannot deny the other complex fibers that compose this novel such as strands of despair, hopelessness, human fallibleness, cruelty, etc. This book makes me proud to read romance books. I find myself constantly defending their credibility to my peers in my advanced literature class. I want to wave this book around in their face and say "HEY, this is Romance. Its depth, despair, hope, happiness, love, good writing, history....its a wild ride that can take you so far" This poignant work enthralled me.


Well I have gushed enough. I highly recommend this book and give it the highest of accolades. Its not a fun read, you wont laugh, you more than likely will cry, and at the end you will be happy and satisfied and in love with this couple and their ability to fight off the sickness that can fester in humans.


P.s. This book really reminds me of Rihanna's "We found love in a Hopeless Place"


Character Look a Likes
Hero:Matthew
[image error]

Heroine:Grace

-Tai

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Marquess of Sheene has been locked away in his country estate by his uncle for 11 years (since the age of 14). His uncle wanted to control his money and the power of the marquisette, and the only way to do that was to control Matthew Lansdowne. To that end, Matthew's uncle captures a loose woman and locks her away with him for his "pleasure". The only problem with that is that the loose woman that they capture isn't that at all, she's recently widowed Grace Paget.

As I was reading this book, I kept trying to put my finger on what I didn't like about it. The writing was excellent, the storyline was good, and I like books with virgin heroes. So what's the problem? I finally realize that the thing that bothered me is that I don't like to think of my hero as a victim. Throughout much of the book, Matthew was a helpless victim of his uncle and the men who worked for him. At one point Grace is attacked by one of the men, and while Matthew was able to save her for the moment, he couldn't guarantee her safety because he was also at the mercy of these men. And while Matthew and Grace do prevail in the end, this victimization of the hero was such a large part of the book that it turned me off in a big way.

I did like the parts of the book in which Matthew and Grace mutually discover their sexuality and eventually fall in love, but since the victimization was the overriding factor for me, I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. I'll definitely read more of Anna Campbell's books because the only thing wrong (if you can even call it that) was that one of the themes of this book wasn't for me.

[Ronyell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading historical romance novels for many years now and “Untouched” is certainly the first romance novel I have read from Anna Campbell. “Untouched” is certainly one romance novel that is way different from all other romance novels I have read and it has enough drama, hot sizzling romance and forbidden love to keep any romance fan entertained!

The book starts off with a beautiful woman named Grace Paget who is suddenly kidnapped by two terrible men and was brought to Lord John’s estate to “entertain” his nephew Matthew Sheene. However, Grace soon realizes that Matthew is also a prisoner in his cruel uncle’s estate and while they slowly fall in love with each other, they must try to escape the horrible estate they are both trapped in so that they could save their own lives!

Wow! I must admit that this book took me on a wild ride because I have never read a romance novel quite like this one! Anna Campbell has certainly done a great job at writing this story about forbidden love and desperation. What made this novel stood out from all the rest of the romance novels is that both the hero and heroine are tortured as they are trapped in a terrible place that tortures them physically and mentally and they spend most of the book trying to figure out ways to make their escape. I loved the way that Anna Campbell wrote the characters in this book, especially with Matthew Sheene and Grace Paget. I honestly love Matthew Sheene to death as he is truly one remarkable hero who has been tortured all of his life by his cruel uncle and was declared “mad” to the world. What made Matthew Sheene shine throughout this book is that even though he was tortured by his uncle, he is truly courageous and honest and I loved the way that he tried to protect Grace from his cruel uncle at all costs, even if it means the cost of his own life. Grace Paget is a truly inspiring heroine as she may seem a bit shy at certain points, but she is always speaking her mind and I love how devoted she was to saving Matthew from his uncle’s clutches also as it proved how much she truly cares for him. But, the best part in this entire book was the love-making between Matthew and Grace as it was hot and sizzling and I literally was fanning myself whenever I read these little scenes between Matthew and Grace!

The reason why I gave this book a four star rating is because there were times where the plot tends to slow down a bit and I always find myself trying to skim over those parts extremely quickly just to get to the exciting parts of the story. Also, sometimes I got so irritated with Grace Paget throughout this book because every time Matthew Sheene tries to profess his love towards her, Grace always remain distant from him and I just wanted Grace to just tell Matthew how much she cares for him and stop evading him every time he confesses his love for her. Also, there are a couple scenes in this book that might make some readers uncomfortable such as the explicit sex scenes and one scene where a character is nearly raped. So, if you are uncomfortable with the sex scenes and the near rape scene, you might want to skim over those scenes since they are vivid in detail.

Overall, “Untouched” is a truly engaging story about forbidden love that romance fans will definitely enjoy for many years! Now that I have first read one of Anna Campbell’s works, I am interested in reading some more works from her!


Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 bleak stars

I didn't expect the bleakness from this book. I thought it would be a little bit lighter. Nope. The book started with heroine almost getting raped by the two evil guards. And the assaults didn't end there. Nor the torture inflicted on the hero.

It was too dark and depressing, at least for me who prefers to find misery in happy books compared to misery in miserable ones.

However, it was still a great story. I might be sad throughout reading it but hey, at least I didn't weep.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This love story has an old fashioned theme where the lovers are ready to out do each other in sacrificing for love’s sake.

This is a story about a Marquess H, who perhaps suffers from epilepsy, and who has been kept hidden and captive since he was 14 by an avaricious uncle who covets his wealth, and the formerly noblewoman h, a destitute widow of a farmer now, who gets abducted by his uncle’s goons to serve as a sex slave/amusement for the H.
The book to begin with has despair, bitterness, dread and gloom in plenty and when the h/H ‘find’ each other we get distrust, hesitation and then discovery, hope, passion and …. yes, love.

For all the great premise and wonderful writing, I was a bit put off to begin with, as it had all the makings of a soft porn as almost the whole first half is a build up to their having sex. In fact I was pretty certain that this book could be accounted for in two words- Restraint and then Release – physical, emotional and sexual!
The h too annoys several times, like when she whines mentally for at least a page or two as the virgin H is unable to satisfy her during their first time in bed. For god's sake, woman give him some leeway. And it's not as if you know what satisfaction is!
And in response he’s incredibly self-assured and relaxed for a virgin in his own ability to do better in the encore session. Some self-doubt would have been more natural.

But hereon the story lifts and their connection is believable and up lifting.
The author builds up an uncommon bond of love between the two in a short time and unlikely environment. We read a lot of ‘love stories’ but rarely do lovers get challenged by such extreme circumstances, that as readers we get reminded about the true meaning of love....Sacrifice.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but to be honest I expected more than that. I liked the author's writing style, the dark atmosphere and the tortured hero. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the heroine. She actualy pouted and finally lashed out like a harpy to the hero, for not satisfying her sexually(!) after their first time together. Her actions and attitude towards the end didn't help with the negative impression I already formed for her.

Besides these facts, the story was original, the plot intriguing, the hero lovable and the dark, opressing atmosphere artfully presented. I was moved enough after reading this, to buy Campbell's first book, Claiming the courtesan, even though I'm not a fan of courtesan heroines.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

At 14 years of age, Matthew, Lord Sheene, was locked away as a lunatic by his uncle. After suffering 11 years of isolation, torture and humiliation, Matthew is losing the will to go on. However, in order to retain control of the vast family fortune, his uncle, must ensure Matthew remains alive.

He orders his men to obtain a whore for Matthew in an attempt to reinstate his will to live. Grace Paget, shabbily dressed and wandering alone near the docks at night, is an easy target for the uncle’s men. She is drugged and abducted, waking to find herself strapped to a table in the presence of a self confessed madman.

Believing her to be in league with his uncle, Matthew does not believe Grace’s protestations that she is a respectable lady, recently widowed. Besides, it matters not. There is no escape from this prison. Matthew should know, he has tried often enough.

Having been locked away in his youth, Matthew has no experience with women, although he is immediately and powerfully attracted to Grace. Despite this, Matthew has no intention of giving his uncle the satisfaction of bedding any whore provided by him. His dignity and pride are all he has left.

For her part, Grace has never seen a man as handsome as Matthew. But she is a respectable lady of good family, widowed these 5 weeks past. Even though her marriage to a much older man was an unmitigated disaster, Grace cannot give in to these feelings she has never before experienced.

Trapped together in this nightmare, Matthew and Grace learn the truth about each other, and lust turns to love. But Matthew’s uncle remains a danger to them both, and Matthew will do all he can to see her safe and free, even though that will mean the end – for them and for him.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed Untouched. Anna Campbell is one of my favourite authors, and I really enjoy her regency noir style, however this one took a little longer to grab me than the wonderful Claiming the Courtesan and Tempt the Devil.

I didn’t feel connected to the characters initially, and their reluctance to admit and consummate their desire didn’t make sense to me given the circumstances. Because much was made of their reticence and it didn’t make enough sense, it felt a little contrived to create the sexual tension (which I might add, was very well done). There was also something about the writing initially that didn’t quite touch me the way Claiming the Courtesan and Tempt the Devil did.

Then, about halfway through, KAPOW! Brilliance. This is the Anna Campbell I know and love, who has me on the edge of my seat and fully immersed into the story. I loved every page from this point, even when I wanted to grab Grace and shake her. She did something toward the end that I felt cheapened the love between her and Matthew, though I could understand her reasons. But it did set up the last chapter, so how could I possibly stay mad?

I enjoyed reading about a virgin hero for a change, and really appreciated that the author made his first time realistic. I also appreciated that he was a fast learner! Matthew was pretty wonderful in every way.

Untouched was another winner for me. Even though it took a little while to hit its stride, it was more than worth the wait.

Just one thing, though. What happened to Wolfram?????????

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Untouched is a standalone by Anna Campbell. This was one of my romanceopoly picks and this has also been a book on my TBR that has been so long and I finally got to this story and it was completely bonkers but simply delightful. I just had so much fun with this book and it was so different from what I was expecting. But so fascinated to see where the author went with this one. I think those that enjoy darker or edgier elements in historical romance will really enjoy this one. So if you are fans of Kerrigan Byrne, then this is one that you need to read.

What impressed me the most about this one was seeing how this couples comes together early on in the story and fight against their enemy. The blurb I know sounds CRAZY and it kinda is, but its the kinda crazy that you can get behind. So basically the set up is the hero was sick as a child, and his uncle claimed him "mad" so that he could get a hold of his fortune. He is one of the wealthiest lords in the Ton but for some reason he hasn't been able to find anyone that believes him over his uncle and is a prisoner. His uncle kidnaps a widow to be his "mistress" to keep him under control. So the hero and heroine decide to work together to bring down his uncle.

Untouched was such a pivoting read and I was all into this book. It was super atmospheric and had a gothic feel to the story and I really enjoyed the vibe of the story. It was so unique and different than what I have read in historical's lately, so it just had such a refreshing feel to the story. The hero is more alpha in some aspects but is also so attentive to the heroine. I love how he is with her, and the way that these two become such a team. The heroine was wonderful in this one, in what she is willing to sacrifice for him. The stakes are high in this one, and the plot was so well fleshed out in this one.

I do think fans of edgier romance need to give this one a try! Its a super superb read that just had me fully invested!

[Celestine · Rating 5 out of 5]

With so many reviews of this book available, I will just list some of my random thoughts of this well-done Regency-period novel.

* Nearly all the action takes place on a small, walled-off estate, but it didn't suffer from the narrowness of the locale one bit.
* There is a beauty of language not often seen. Some of my favorites:

"He stared wordlessly down at the source of his anguish and his delight."

"She stared at him, lost, dazzled, silent. Masculine triumph surged through him. She looked like the world started and ended with this moment."

"All he had were instincts and an almighty need to share the wild rapture he'd found in her arms."

* In many ways, this book is both tormented and lovely. Matthew finds his purpose in Grace, and those are beautiful moments in the story.

* Late in the book there is still a formidable level of suspense. I know when I can't read fast enough that the author is spectacular at crafting a climax.

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. These stars are only for Matthew who is a beautiful character.

What destroys a book for me is an unlikeable h. Grace started out likeable, but when she ruined her first love making encounter with Matthew by getting angry at him for lack of satisfying her ended my like for her for the rest of the story. He was a virgin, she loved him (although she wouldn't admit it to herself) and he loved her, yet her selfish treatment of his first experience was terrible. He felt so bad that he tried again right after and concentrated solely on her pleasure... then she was ok with it. Poor Matthew then says ILY and she doesn't return it, but thinks to herself how she does love him but wont say it.

On top of this the entire book is all filled with we can't, yes we can, no we can't.. or we shouldn't, yes we should.. blah blah blah I understand the authors intent of creating tension, but in this case (as throughout the entire book) it becomes entirely too drawn out, irritating, annoying and instead becomes useless page filling banter. This left me skimming the last half of the book, just reading what was important.

Now that I loathe the h, I no longer care about any love scenes.. in fact I can't believe Matthew loves this selfish, prude twit. Early on she acts like a cock tease, finding it funny how she turns him on, just to deny him. She really likes how much she can torment him... and cause him pain throughout the rest of the book. Bitch.

Needless to say I truly cared less about her reunion with her father and mother, skimming through those pages as well. Like I said I didn't like Grace, so I hardly cared about her family life.

Outside of despising Grace, there were massive holes in the story which made me feel the whole imprisonment thing implausible. For instance, why was is so important for Matthews uncle to bring him a woman? Surely not to cure him, not for pity's sake. So that Matthew would kill himself so his uncle would no longer control his money? Pfft.. The uncle had him imprisoned in the estate, paid doctors to lie about his sanity, why wouldn't he just lie about his existence? The whole Grace escaping thing should have been done earlier on, why did they wait? First Matthew says it's impossible to escape, yet he had done so before, numerous times! Amazingly, when Grace decides to sneak out, it is accomplished with little issue.

Please.....

I also had a real difficult time with the whole, wait a year and come back if you still want to marry me thing. Grace's reason was he was new to the outside world, he wouldn't want her after he tasted life. Anyone could see that was BS. A more plausible reason would have been her barrenness, and a need for an heir (Matthew was an only child).

Loose ends peeve me as well. Albeit a small one Matthew doesn't see his dog in the end. WTF? And what of Mrs. Finley? She plays a small role but had a purpose, yet her story was left unresolved.

In the end (which couldn't be fast enough) there was HEA and ILY but at this point I didn't care.<./spoiler>

Sadly this book had promise, it could have been so much more interesting, but it wasn't. Not impressed.

[kris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grace Paget is mistaken for a prostitute (or choose your own favorite derogatory word for female sex workers!) and taken to the prison-manor of Matthew Lansdowne, Marquess of Sheene, who alleges he is quite mad. NONE OF THIS IS TRUE (other than the prison-manor part), SO THEY FALL IN LOVE AND ESCAPE BONDAGE AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER I GUESS.

1. I was...disturbed by this book.

2. For starters: the handling of Matthew's 'madness' felt very gross. In the first few chapters, he eagerly announces his madness at every opportunity, clearly using it as a tool to distance himself from Grace. There are references to his 'fits', in which he 'starts to shake and drool and lose control of his bowels'. Later, he's afraid of triggering another event of madness, before announcing that he is not mad and had had a 'temporary physical relapse that has now passed'.

It's all very...convenient for the plot. Matthew's plight does shed light on some absolutely abhorrent practices surrounding the very idea of 'madness' and it's """treatment""" in the 19th century, but it also flaunts those practices in order to achieve the ends it wants to achieve: a """broken""" hero who is in need of rescuing, and who isn't really """mad"""!

3. Grace is the type of heroine that everyone everywhere wants to have sex with, and it's hugely problematic. [trigger warning: rape; sexual assault]First because using 'rape' as a shorthand for 'sexually attractive' is VILE, and using it to signal her importance and her worth IS EVEN MORE VILE. Her intelligence, ingenuity, bravery, etc. mean nothing because she has—as described by one of the sidekick villains—'tasty tits'. The book literally opens with a drugging, kidnapping and sexual assault, before moving on to NUMEROUS mentions of rape. Like, scads of mentions. MULTITUDES OF MENTIONS.

A character literally ends his life with this line: "My one regret is that I didn't fuck the bitch and then kill her when I had the chance." I MEAN. THIS IS NOT HEALTHY? THIS IS REALLY GROSS??

4. I have seen a few reviews downgrade this book because of Matthew's lack of "power" or because he's not in control of his world. Personally, I think the world needs more heroes who are not Masters of the Universe so my low score has NOTHING to do with this element of the plot—and is entirely to do with the fact that Matthew still embodies so many elements of gross masculinity. He ~loses control when he's with Grace because his lust is just SOOOOO out of control; he makes decisions for Grace about her life and her future; he refuses to acknowledge Grace's very real concerns about the breadth of his life experience when he confesses his love to her after knowing her for approximately 2 weeks IMMEDIATELY following sex, etc.

I don't like this type of hero when he's NOT the victim of super gross, shitty, ableist people, so...

5. Overall: this is a strangely twisted book and I don't think I'll be actively seeking out anything further by this particular author.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++++++++++++++!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's official! I love the HR author Anna Campbell! This is the second title I have read by AC and I loved it!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew Lansdowne (I'm predisposed to love an H named Matthew!) Marquess of Sheene is not the typical alpha-type H that is common in HR. Instead he has been certified as a lunatic and has been locked away for 11 years since the age of 14 by his evil uncle and guardian Lord John. There is a reason why uncle evil can't simply kill Matt. As a matter of fact, uncle had better keep Matt alive and make that he does not kill himself!

Mrs. Grace Paget, an indigent, shabbily dressed and a recent widow is kidnapped, drugged by uncle evil's henchmen and sent as a whore to the obscure estate/prison where Matt is locked away for the purpose of shagging our H who hasn't set eyes on a woman at least since he was a lad of 14.

Although Matt did not want to cooperate with uncle evil's schemes by shagging this "whore." He and Grace wind up doing the deed and falling in love. Grace, who spent the last nine years in a disastrous marriage of her own making, realizes that her love for gorgeous Matt will endure for the rest of her days. She is also pragmatic and realizes that a man who has been locked away from the world and from women since he was a lad, should not be held to any declarations or promises of love.

Reasons why I love this book (in no particular order!):

1) I like the dark overtone and different take on the HR.

2) unlike most HR I read where the H/h first experience together as lovers is suspiciously always "awesome," Grace's first experience with doing the deed with Matt the untouched lily is realistically lousy. However, Grace's marital relations with her husband were lousy too.

3) Author AC has created a unique take on the HR hero--as a victim instead of the typical in control alpha.

4) Marvelous Matt is worthy of my "I love this dude shelf."

5) The H quickly embraces/admits his love for Grace, she is reluctant. Typically in HR the H runs away from love.

6) The plot and story were both unique and compelling. I couldn't put this book down.

7) this is the 2nd title I've read by this author. I really like how she writes and tells a story.

8) like the last book that I read by AC, the h had black hair. This was a novel change from the steady stream of blonds and red heads as h's in HR.

9) although the period detail (which I love) is nonexistent, AC refrains from including glaring anachronistic attitudes, behavior and concepts in her books (anachronisms in HR both infuriate and drive me crazy!!!!)

[Izzah ꒰野望は夏眠 ಇ Duchess of Cabria꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't want to dislike this book



The plot of this book is simple:

MMC has been kept captive since he was 14 by his greedy uncle. They kidnap the FMC and bring her to the MMC in hopes to use her to keep him controlled.

The MCs don't trust each other at first but eventually fall in love.

The "problem" is how claustrophobic this book made me feel. I had to repeatedly stop it because I felt as if I was on the verge of a panic attack. Which would technically make this book's writing quite impressive. If you can make an introvert like me -an introvert that only leaves the house if strictly necessary- feel as if the walls around me are closing in and the air is thinning, then you're nothing if not a fantastic writer.



But I can't say those are feelings I aim to find when I read. For a few moments, sure, but for 75% of the book? Nope. Too much.

[Readdiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting romance featuring an emotionally and physically tortured hero trapped in his own home by his uncle's insatiable greed. Also a victim of the uncle's terrible scheme is the undeniably brave and beautiful heroine who is kidnapped to fulfill the hero's every desire when she is mistaken for a prostitute.
The love story is beautifully written and the interactions between the h/h sizzles! What was so endearing was the fact that not only was the hero a virgin (and remained faithful during a year long separation) but he was always so sure of his feelings. Its such a relief and so satisfying to finally read a novel where the hero isn't running away from his feelings or justifying them as just lust. He is the ultimate hero.
One of my favorite reads this year.

[Nabilah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's readable, but gosh.. too much sex and not enough romance. I just felt disappointed. I expected an angsty and an emotional read. If this book is an indication of the author's other books, I'd steer clear of this author in the future. However, the writing is good though. The phrases are very clear. It's just that I read romance for the emotions, not the sex

[Debby *BabyDee* · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read although it was a bit slow at times. Would love to listen to this on audiobook if ever becomes available.

[Slavena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I created a thread in the HR forums about a book similar to Flowers from the storm because I really liked it. My thread was hijacked by someone requesting a tortured hero suggestion, two people suggested this book, so I said well may be I will give it a try it may be as good as Flowers from the storm………not likely, not even close. Untouched is indeed about torture but it isn’t the hero it is the reader. I was so disappointed, I am not sure why people even rated it high, the first 15 chapters were repetition of the same exact things “You lie to me”, “No, I don’t”, “Ok now I believe you”, “Well now I don’t” , “I want you but I know you don’t want me (from both chars)”. Come on I was agitated I had to skip some, If you read chapter 1-3 you can skip to 16 at that point comes the struggle “I will sleep with you”, “Oh no I won’t” at the end the deed is done and repeated for a few chapters and then there is nothing to write about so we need to somehow come to a big melodrama and eventually send off the heroine out of the “prison”, which was somehow impossible to escape from before but now it isnt?!?!? Some blah blah 4 months pass and she is back to rescue him. She loves him but she is refusing that love because it isn’t right, if I had a paperback in my hands I will probably have shredded it at this point or threw it somewhere however I do value my iphone and will not possibly do such a vile deed to it, all I did was squeeze it a bit, couldn’t help that much. At the end after 5 pages of “wait”. “no you can’t do this” he asks her to wait 1year for him to prove that all he wants is her. I started thinking we all know this is a HEA book, is there a minimum of pages you need to scribble to publish it, because the book could have ended without this last part, although at the end the book did feel unfinished to me. I have so much to say about the story and how unbelievable it all is but I am exhausted from simply reading it.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to reading the story of Matthew and Grace and I wasn't disappointed. The relationship between Matthew and and Grace is one of captive and captive, Grace kidapped as whore for Matthew and Matthew as part of a nefarious plot by a relative. At first Matthew refuses to beleive that Grace is nothing more than what he has been told...despite her protestations. Here things could have become very exasperating but Matthew is quick to realize the truth, however, he is quite aware that his uncle has definate plans for Grace, hence the reason for her being "given" to him and our couple find themselves in a situation that will emotionally break both of them. Their love for one another grows and then the unthinkable happens and Grace is forced to leave Matthew. Fortunatley Grace is able to seek assistance and Matthew finds his captivity comes to an end..but at a price.
I really enjoyed the pace of this story and the romance beween Mattew and Grace is fairly hot. A great read for those who like tortured Heros and a *Victorian Gothic* type romance with a great HEA.

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Lansdowne lost both his parents and was under his Uncle's care when he was afflicted with a fever that caused him to go mad. Power and money hungry Uncle, Lord John, took the opportunity to declare Matthew insane and keep him prisoner. For reasons unexplained, the Uncle has his henchmen kidnapped a supposed prostitute and bring her to Matthew to deflower. Grace is not a prostitute but in order to save her life she has to sleep with Matthew.

I just want to thank my friend, Heather C., for bringing this book to my attention. I really enjoyed it and I agree with her that it has a Jamie and Claire from Outlander feel.

Matthew is a wonderful character...so broken but so strong. He has endured so much but he is determined to rise above it. His scientific way of going about things with Grace was really delightful and he is such a quick learner!

Grace was very endearing. I love how she reacted to Matthew, although the first time had me a bit worried. She also worried me a few times towards the end but I'm glad things worked out. The rose was especially romantic.

There are some pretty harsh sexual scenes in the book that some people might not care for...not rape but close. Lord John's henchmen are quite disgusting and I'm glad how things worked in the end.

I really liked Wolfram! But I'm really upset about what didn't happen at the end....wth?? But other than that, I thought it was a great book and even though it is historical romance, there's not a lot of focus on the historical parts...just a lot of sweet romance. I also really enjoyed hearing from both Matthew's and Grace's POV's.

Favorite quote:

♥ “You love me,” he said slowly, wonderingly. Then with greater certainty, “By God, you love me.” His astonished laugh ended on a choked note as he snatched her hand.

“So much,” she said huskily. Her fingers curled hard around his. “So very, very much.”

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not my usual read, it was far darker than what I classically choose but the blurb caught my eyes.
It took me a while after to decide to read it but as I will meet the author in a few days, I could no longer delay it.
What a rollercoaster of a ride, Grace and Mathew’s story has me on edge during the whole tale.
So much I devoured it in an afternoon.
Grace and Mathew are survivors, they both faced so much and they were so young when their life was shattered and disrupted.
Sure Grace had made an enormous mistake and in these times, society was unforgivable to fallen women, but she was only sixteen, no more a girl but not yet a woman, plus she married the culprit, and for these she paid a high price.
The true culprit was her husband, he was fifty for god sake!
He lured her as he was like a forbidden fruit to a girl who just awakened to her womanhood.
I cried for Mathew, he was stripped from everything, beaten and abused, lured by lies, it is a wonder he was still sane. His coldness and defiance toward Grace upon their first meeting was very understandable and could have last longer after everything he went through.
He is a marvel of a man, when he commits it is for life.
Mrs Anna Campbell crafted a beautiful story, giving them time to get to know the other, with tender but passionate scenes where they learned about another, Mathew might be a virgin but he is willing to not be the only one to enjoy sexual congress, while he explores his sexuality, it is like a partnership with Grace who previously endured it like a chore.
Impossible to sum up this story but both will stop at anything to protect the other, facing more abuse or be torn apart, whatever, they will cope with what life throws on their path.
The ending was superb.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars AGAIN!

I think this author's style is either a hit or miss for her readers. I'm a HIT girl so far on every one!!!!

I love these stories!

Untouched is a story about a young man (Matthew) determined mentally insane by doctors being paid off through his uncle. Why? His Uncle is gaurdian and has controll over all the money as long as Matthew stays "unwell".

Matthew is locked up in a cottage on the estate when he is fourteen years old. Guarded and fed by two men and one woman.

He has tried escape but is thwarted every time. Each time he is beaen and on his last attempt he found relatives to help him, but his uncle found him and had the relatives shipped off to India. His uncle eventually builds a wall around the cottage and its gardens that is so smooth he can't climb it.

After years of unsuccessful attempts at escape Matthew has decided to give up and basically starts planning a way to kill himself so that his uncle will lose all the money. Once Matthew dies his uncle is no longer guardian and the money goes to a nephew.

His uncle becomes desperate to make Matthew happy so he decides to have a wench kidnapped and brought to him for his use.

Turns out the woman wasn't a wench but a lady whose husband just recently died. She had been cut off by her family years before, and her husband left her destitute.

There love story was fantastic and AMAZING!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear. I hate to even write this review, because I know at least one of you reading this loved this book! I made it about 65% of the way through before giving up and skimming the rest. It just wasn't my cup of tea. Among my problems with it:

- the ludicrous, lurid premise straight out of a Gothic novel
- the mustache-twirling villain
- the villain's disgusting, one-note, rapey henchmen
- the hero and heroine's instantaneous lust for each other, which played out in many, many repeated moments of them fighting back the burning, whirling, churning, screaming, writhing desire in their loins and other places. Every time they glancingly touched each other, they almost burst into flames.
- all the times I had to read about how he smelled lemony, and like his own manly essence
- all the times I had to read about how she smelled of jasmine, womanliness, and sunshine (?)
- it all felt really repetitive, and took a long time to go anywhere

Overall, I just couldn't handle the level of melodrama and what to me seemed like overwrought, romance-novelish language. It made me laugh out loud a lot, when I know that wasn't the author's intention. :-\

[Linds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this book. What a great hero, it kept me engaged from the first chapter. Read this! Intense and dark and romantic.

The hero Matthew is a marquis that has been unjustly diagnosed by bribed doctors as a lunatic. He has been in an isolated small manor as a prisoner since he was 14. He's now 25 and it is after a near successful escape attempt. If he escapes his uncle will lose control of the finances so his uncle comes up with a plan: He hopes by putting a woman in with Matthew he will be more complacent with his lot in life and he won't try so desperately to escape.

Enter Grace who is kidnapped and added to the prison. She mistrusts Matthew out of fear and Matthew mistrusts her because he thinks he is cahoots with his uncle. Of course they fall in love and Matthew now is desperate to find a way to get Grace out of the situation safely.

I was into this book from the get go and it kept me hooked throughout.

[Alaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little bit different from the usual historical romance novel. It had an unusual plot and the main characters where not 'typical'. The author really built up the sexual tension between the main characters to fever pitch and their first encounter was more believable than many I've read. I enjoyed the plot, with the main character being locked up and held prisoner for being mad. The setting of the book is Somerset England in 1822. A time period I haven't read much about. The 'hook' came from the beginning of the book which was great and all the interesting facts about the characters where revealed in a timely matter throughout the book. I loved the ending, again not your 'typical' historical romance ending.
I will definitely read more books from this author and thoroughly enjoyed this one.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 - Wow. I can't believe I let this book sit in the TBR pile for months. I'm not a big historical reader, though I really enjoy Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn's humor, but this book made me forget what genre it was, in the best way possible. The story completely takes over and has it all.

Lots of angst - check.
A tortured hero - check.
The horrible, evil, villain I wanted to punch in the face - check.
An incredibly sweet, touching love story - TRIPLE check.

I simply couldn't put the book down, and that's one of the best feelings in the world. In my little book world, anyway :)

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up wanting to read this one because I've been looking for books where the guy is completely clueless when it comes to a female, since I've been bombarding myself with so many alpha male books. It's fun to break out of the normal mold to try something different.

The first half felt sort of slow to me, but the ending was quite adorable and made me sort of have one of those awwww moments.