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Novel of Sensual Destiny #3
Dreams of Desire
Cheryl Holt delivers the third novel in her breathtaking new trilogy in which an innocent lady's companion -- after drinking a magical potion -- is swept into a dangerous relationship of decadent desire...
Every instinct is telling Lily Lambert to run from Penworth Hall as fast as she can, but there is something about handsome, daunting John Middleton, Earl of Penworth, that keeps her in his employ. It certainly isn't his twin wards, evil little vixens who will do anything in their power to have Lily fired as their chaperone.
And the love potion isn't helping.
Lily bought it in desperation, hoping to marry so she could escape her lot in life as governess and companion to the spoiled offspring of the nobility. On a voyage to John's Scottish estate, Lily sips the potion while gazing at the ship's captain, only to come face-to-face with John, who seems to be instantly smitten. Now, in the locked rooms and dark alcoves of his Scottish castle, John traps Lily in moments of impropriety, bringing a flush to her fair cheeks and igniting an indecent longing in her body. Only time will tell if the potion's impossible promise will ruin Lily -- or set her free...
Every instinct is telling Lily Lambert to run from Penworth Hall as fast as she can, but there is something about handsome, daunting John Middleton, Earl of Penworth, that keeps her in his employ. It certainly isn't his twin wards, evil little vixens who will do anything in their power to have Lily fired as their chaperone.
And the love potion isn't helping.
Lily bought it in desperation, hoping to marry so she could escape her lot in life as governess and companion to the spoiled offspring of the nobility. On a voyage to John's Scottish estate, Lily sips the potion while gazing at the ship's captain, only to come face-to-face with John, who seems to be instantly smitten. Now, in the locked rooms and dark alcoves of his Scottish castle, John traps Lily in moments of impropriety, bringing a flush to her fair cheeks and igniting an indecent longing in her body. Only time will tell if the potion's impossible promise will ruin Lily -- or set her free...
346 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 7, 2010
7 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl Holt
92 books396 followersCHERYL HOLT is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author who has published seventy novels.
She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre. For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance”, and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.
She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age forty, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance where she was stunned to discover that she has a knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.
Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre. For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance”, and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.
She lives and writes in Hollywood, California, and she loves to hear from fans. Visit her website at www.cherylholt.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 22, 2022
Read:7/22/22
2 stars!
I like silly but can't believe that CH wrote such a BAD silly book. None of the characters were likeable. The villians were numerous and the H was too stupid to see it. This could have been a fun read 😢
DON'T let this be your first CH book or you'll miss a good writer!
2 stars!
I like silly but can't believe that CH wrote such a BAD silly book. None of the characters were likeable. The villians were numerous and the H was too stupid to see it. This could have been a fun read 😢
DON'T let this be your first CH book or you'll miss a good writer!
August 1, 2021
Lol!
The plot was somewhat silly with the love potion and all, but Cheryl Holt knows how to write a silly romance :P
So Lily was tired of being a servant, all those noble dudes lusting after her since she is so pretty -_-
She decided to become a wife to a nice husband, and escape her new stuffy boss, John aka the earl of P.
But when she drinks the love potion John gets in the way, TWICE, so of course she can't get rid of him with the poor guy being so smitten. I don't know if the potion really worked because he was attracted to her before she drank it, but lol the way he became OBSESSED was funny and kinda hot :P
There is a lot of secondary characters in that book, and I hate most of them, especially those evil and creepy twins! I was satisfied when the evil secondaries were all sent away, good!
The story was funny, sweet and sexy... I love that Lily wasn't another idiotic dormat servant. I was especially pleased when she made John grovel at the end before saying yes. I get their different stations and his initial reticence, but he behaved really badly and treated her like crap more than once.
Still, the story was enjoyable and not boring at all!
The plot was somewhat silly with the love potion and all, but Cheryl Holt knows how to write a silly romance :P
So Lily was tired of being a servant, all those noble dudes lusting after her since she is so pretty -_-
She decided to become a wife to a nice husband, and escape her new stuffy boss, John aka the earl of P.
But when she drinks the love potion John gets in the way, TWICE, so of course she can't get rid of him with the poor guy being so smitten. I don't know if the potion really worked because he was attracted to her before she drank it, but lol the way he became OBSESSED was funny and kinda hot :P
There is a lot of secondary characters in that book, and I hate most of them, especially those evil and creepy twins! I was satisfied when the evil secondaries were all sent away, good!
The story was funny, sweet and sexy... I love that Lily wasn't another idiotic dormat servant. I was especially pleased when she made John grovel at the end before saying yes. I get their different stations and his initial reticence, but he behaved really badly and treated her like crap more than once.
Still, the story was enjoyable and not boring at all!
January 11, 2021
Standard and uninspiring romance
3 stars
Lily has had a succession of jobs as a chaperone but her job with the John Middleton, Earl of Penworth is set to be her most daunting yet. So daunting, in fact, that she'll do anything to escape the imposing earl and his evil twin wards, including drinking a love potion to catch herself a husband who will steal her away.
But when she ends up drinking the potion while staring at John, she sets off a chain of events that can only end in ruin or happiness that will last a lifetime.
This is the final book in the Spinster's Cure trilogy (now embarassingly called the Novels of Sensual Destiny!) after Promise of Pleasure and Taste of Temptation but each stands completely alone so there's no need to read them in order.
Lily, like most of Holt's heroines, is described as an independent, spirited female and I was delighted to find she actually was written as such. She had spirit and wasn't afraid to stand up to John - and not just as a token gesture. Sure he was authoritative and demanding and she sometimes was led by him but on the whole she was feistier than most. John was Holt's usual alpha male and arrogant to boot but I liked his interactions with Lily and liked their story.
Unfortunately, Lily and John's story took up so little of the actual page count that it was hard to really get behind them or into their story. Other stories included step-mother Esther and half brother Edward and their desire to lay claim to the Earldom. There was John's fiancé, Violet and her secret love for Edward. Then there was John's mother, Barbara's return from the continent and her subsequent affair with Philip. And finally there were the pointless evil twins and first, their desire to get rid of Lily and second, their dominatrix and twisted sexual desires. I cared little for any of the supporting characters and felt they wasted time away from the main story.
There were, as always, the usual Americanisms, modern slang and talk and general research errors which not only galled but pull you away from the story.
I think I'm going to have to give Cheryl Holt a miss for a wee while from now on. This book was an improvement on the last of hers I read however I feel that they're all getting a bit similar and I'm now looking for something a little bit more special when I spend my money on a romance novel. This book wasn't terrible but if I'm honest, I feel that I can't recommend it. 3 stars.
October 4, 2011
I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website.
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
I'm perplexed as to where to start with my review of DREAMS OF DESIRE. I was stunned that I liked it. There was no `history' in this historical; what I did feel was chemistry between all the players. Secondary players and sexual tension abound in this tale of passion and love, sprinkled with a dose of magic. I laughed, I yelled, and the ending brought me to tears.
Our heroine is Lily Lambert, an orphaned spinster that has dreams and expectations like any other woman of her time. She wants a steady home, someone to love, and children to rear. But Lily is also a very astute and realistic female of her time. She comes to accept the fact that Prince Charming is just not in the cards for her. Working for a living is something she is meant to do for the rest of her life, so she takes a position of companion to eighteen-year-old twins, who are the wards of John Middleton, the Earl of Penworth.
Our hero is John Middleton, the Earl of Penworth, a man who was abandoned by his mother at the age of two and brought up by his stepmother. He is always cool, calm, and collected, and by most the word `boor' would describe him best. His father brought him up to respect his position in life and to adhere to its principles and protocols. There was no room for play or laughter in his life, let alone love. Attending to his duties is all he knows about, and one of those is to make sure he chooses a suitable bride. Lady Violet Howard, a Duke's daughter of eighteen years of age, is the best candidate John picked himself, thinking she'd suite him best.
Then we have Phillip Dubois, or Phillip Dudley, our Gypsy extraordinaire, who apparently is the glue to all three books. He's a restless young man that's been traveling all his life with his sister throughout rural England, selling his remedies and potions, and that's something our heroine, smart as she is, practical as she is, ends up buying--hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, it might work and bring her love.
As much as our hero was arrogant and selfish at times, I came to like his charm and wit. I enjoyed his interaction with everyone, especially with Lily, who was strong, clever, and quick with her retorts. Her common sense and wit come in handy when she has to deal with not just her employee, but also with his crazy stepmother and her spoiled son Edward, the twins from Hell, Melanie and Miranda, and his 'meek' and suitable fiancée. The only sane person in this menagerie was his real mother, Barbara, who `infiltrates' the group and makes the `bedlamites' squirm.
In order for you to like this story, you need to accept it for what it is and not for what you expected it to be. This is a lighthearted, fast-paced, silly romantic comedy, and I, for one, was ready for it. It was kind of refreshing to read something like it after so many romances that pulled at my heartstrings.
So, if you want your funny bone tickled and your passions stirred, head to the nearest bookstore and get yourself all three `Spinster's Curse Regency' novels. TASTE OF TEMPTATION and PROMISE OF PLEASURE just joined my TBR shelf.
Melanie
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
I'm perplexed as to where to start with my review of DREAMS OF DESIRE. I was stunned that I liked it. There was no `history' in this historical; what I did feel was chemistry between all the players. Secondary players and sexual tension abound in this tale of passion and love, sprinkled with a dose of magic. I laughed, I yelled, and the ending brought me to tears.
Our heroine is Lily Lambert, an orphaned spinster that has dreams and expectations like any other woman of her time. She wants a steady home, someone to love, and children to rear. But Lily is also a very astute and realistic female of her time. She comes to accept the fact that Prince Charming is just not in the cards for her. Working for a living is something she is meant to do for the rest of her life, so she takes a position of companion to eighteen-year-old twins, who are the wards of John Middleton, the Earl of Penworth.
Our hero is John Middleton, the Earl of Penworth, a man who was abandoned by his mother at the age of two and brought up by his stepmother. He is always cool, calm, and collected, and by most the word `boor' would describe him best. His father brought him up to respect his position in life and to adhere to its principles and protocols. There was no room for play or laughter in his life, let alone love. Attending to his duties is all he knows about, and one of those is to make sure he chooses a suitable bride. Lady Violet Howard, a Duke's daughter of eighteen years of age, is the best candidate John picked himself, thinking she'd suite him best.
Then we have Phillip Dubois, or Phillip Dudley, our Gypsy extraordinaire, who apparently is the glue to all three books. He's a restless young man that's been traveling all his life with his sister throughout rural England, selling his remedies and potions, and that's something our heroine, smart as she is, practical as she is, ends up buying--hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, it might work and bring her love.
As much as our hero was arrogant and selfish at times, I came to like his charm and wit. I enjoyed his interaction with everyone, especially with Lily, who was strong, clever, and quick with her retorts. Her common sense and wit come in handy when she has to deal with not just her employee, but also with his crazy stepmother and her spoiled son Edward, the twins from Hell, Melanie and Miranda, and his 'meek' and suitable fiancée. The only sane person in this menagerie was his real mother, Barbara, who `infiltrates' the group and makes the `bedlamites' squirm.
In order for you to like this story, you need to accept it for what it is and not for what you expected it to be. This is a lighthearted, fast-paced, silly romantic comedy, and I, for one, was ready for it. It was kind of refreshing to read something like it after so many romances that pulled at my heartstrings.
So, if you want your funny bone tickled and your passions stirred, head to the nearest bookstore and get yourself all three `Spinster's Curse Regency' novels. TASTE OF TEMPTATION and PROMISE OF PLEASURE just joined my TBR shelf.
Melanie
Read
August 14, 2012stupid book
December 20, 2010
Dreams of Desire by Cheryl Holt
Historical Romance – Dec. 7th, 2010
3 stars
Lily Lambert is hired as the governess of the Earl of Penworth’s twin wards. Beautiful Lily has never held on to a job for long as she’s constantly harassed by her employer, but the Earl of Penworth is different. Though handsome, he’s dour, strict, and very prim-and-proper. When she drinks down a love potion hoping to catch a handsome sea captain, she catches the attention of the Earl instead. And thus begins their tumultuous relationship as both of them fight the growing attraction between them. Worse, Lily’s already difficult life is made worse by the Earl’s evil twin wards who will do anything to get Lily fired. The poor Earl isn’t faring much better as he has to juggle his relationships with: his odious stepmother, his groveling and conniving stepbrother, and his scandalous mother who returns after exile in Europe. With so many obstacles, can these two get together at all?
Dreams of Desire has a large cast, 90% of which are made up of horrible, evil people. You can’t help but feel sorry for the Earl. The more you read about his family, the more you understand why Lily is breath of fresh air and why he craves her. Unfortunately, the chemistry and the development between the Earl and Lily is rather weak and felt much too rushed. I think due to the large cast and the constant dramas, the author doesn’t have much time to unfold the main love story in anything but a hasty pace. Before I knew it, Lily and the Earl share a kiss and in the next encounter. All of Lily’s moral convictions and sensibility goes out of the window, which is totally out of her character. She seems like such a strong person who doesn’t give in to her passions easily, so when she gives in to the Earl’s seductions so quickly, it does not make any sense. Not only that, I really, really hate the twins whom Lily chaperone so badly that I want them gone, permanently. When they don’t get what they really deserved in the end, I was really upset.
In short, Holt’s book is a fun read in the beginning, but by the end, I feel like the conflicts were not resolved in a satisfactory way. If you are looking for a story that focuses more on the guy and girl’s romance, this book might not satisfy you due to the large number of family dramas.
Reviewed by Pauline from Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Historical Romance – Dec. 7th, 2010
3 stars
Lily Lambert is hired as the governess of the Earl of Penworth’s twin wards. Beautiful Lily has never held on to a job for long as she’s constantly harassed by her employer, but the Earl of Penworth is different. Though handsome, he’s dour, strict, and very prim-and-proper. When she drinks down a love potion hoping to catch a handsome sea captain, she catches the attention of the Earl instead. And thus begins their tumultuous relationship as both of them fight the growing attraction between them. Worse, Lily’s already difficult life is made worse by the Earl’s evil twin wards who will do anything to get Lily fired. The poor Earl isn’t faring much better as he has to juggle his relationships with: his odious stepmother, his groveling and conniving stepbrother, and his scandalous mother who returns after exile in Europe. With so many obstacles, can these two get together at all?
Dreams of Desire has a large cast, 90% of which are made up of horrible, evil people. You can’t help but feel sorry for the Earl. The more you read about his family, the more you understand why Lily is breath of fresh air and why he craves her. Unfortunately, the chemistry and the development between the Earl and Lily is rather weak and felt much too rushed. I think due to the large cast and the constant dramas, the author doesn’t have much time to unfold the main love story in anything but a hasty pace. Before I knew it, Lily and the Earl share a kiss and in the next encounter. All of Lily’s moral convictions and sensibility goes out of the window, which is totally out of her character. She seems like such a strong person who doesn’t give in to her passions easily, so when she gives in to the Earl’s seductions so quickly, it does not make any sense. Not only that, I really, really hate the twins whom Lily chaperone so badly that I want them gone, permanently. When they don’t get what they really deserved in the end, I was really upset.
In short, Holt’s book is a fun read in the beginning, but by the end, I feel like the conflicts were not resolved in a satisfactory way. If you are looking for a story that focuses more on the guy and girl’s romance, this book might not satisfy you due to the large number of family dramas.
Reviewed by Pauline from Bookaholics Romance Book Club
February 24, 2011
Irritating heroine (for a fantastically wild change), although the hero was okay. The twins were kind of interesting and creepy, and most of the characters were... not well developed, but bearable to read about.
The involvement of the potion was another iffy point because it felt like that was what pulled the main characters together (and not twu wuv!). I guess I should have anticipated this, seeing as this is a 'Novel of Sensual Destiny.'
(Please.)
In essence, the book was totally humdrum and Miss Lily Lambert was a total fool who did not at all come across as a woman who'd had to work as a governess/companion for a living. She seemed like a cross, spoiled child. Of course, Holt did her best to make the character very sad and lonely and poor, but... it didn't work. I felt no sympathy for her whatsoever. Boring.
The involvement of the potion was another iffy point because it felt like that was what pulled the main characters together (and not twu wuv!). I guess I should have anticipated this, seeing as this is a 'Novel of Sensual Destiny.'
(Please.)
In essence, the book was totally humdrum and Miss Lily Lambert was a total fool who did not at all come across as a woman who'd had to work as a governess/companion for a living. She seemed like a cross, spoiled child. Of course, Holt did her best to make the character very sad and lonely and poor, but... it didn't work. I felt no sympathy for her whatsoever. Boring.
May 28, 2012
Although the plot was predictable, the characters made this story sing. Some I loved and some were so bad they were good. It was fun to find out how the villains turned out (and with whom). I was hoping for a better ending for Phillip, the handsome potions peddler, and his lovely sister, Clarinda. And even though the writing was rather stilted in some parts, overall it was a very entertaining read. 3.3 stars.
October 28, 2010
Just started it but at this point all I can say is I'm sorry this is just a trilogy because the first two were some of my best reads this year.
***** a few days later ******
I'm still hoping for more books in this series! I want Phillip and Clarinda to have a happy ending!
This story wasn't as tight as A Taste of Temptation and the reminder of the three decades got a bit overdone.
***** a few days later ******
I'm still hoping for more books in this series! I want Phillip and Clarinda to have a happy ending!
This story wasn't as tight as A Taste of Temptation and the reminder of the three decades got a bit overdone.
August 16, 2011
Hot H-O-T read. If you like YA 'leave it to your imagination' reads then you should avoid this too hot to handle romance novel. My favorite romance plot is the nice guy meets the nice girl and falls in love. It is reassuring when two good people get what they deserve, especially when the bad lazy good for nothing people also get what they deserve!
March 6, 2011
Typical Cheryl Holt. She's always hard to rate for me b/c she's consistently a high 3/low 4 star rating (as far as a quality of story) She's a guilty pleasure of mine. I know what I'm getting when I pick up one of her books and she usually delivers.
July 24, 2013
Third in the sensual destiny series, Dreams of Desire is the story of the Earl of Penworth and the ladies companion, Lily, that he hires. Once again the spinster drinks the love potion from Dubois and looks at the wrong man. I have enjoyed all three books in this series, they are fun, quick reads.
December 19, 2014
This book was charming and funny. Lily is a woman with very few equals as far as I am concerned. What a great personality.
There are a few characters that I would like to reach in and strangle mind you. However, they are all dealt with well and with grace.
There are a few characters that I would like to reach in and strangle mind you. However, they are all dealt with well and with grace.
September 1, 2011
Rated 3.5 Blue Ribbons. My review courtesy of Romance Junkies: http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artm...
January 4, 2013
Did not finish. I was really into this book until as before something historically inaccurate occured.
December 16, 2013
I have read this book for the second time. Its breathtakingly sensual.
November 1, 2014
Very disappointing. Funny at times but the heroine was pathetic she had no backbone no family no friends no money no home and she was treated badly by everyone.
August 7, 2011
Finally Cheryl Holt is almost back to her old self again-in terms with her writing.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews