Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+ (I think there’s 7 full scenes but my note taking was sloppy AF)
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: I didn’t note this, but I want to say it took a little bit, maybe 10% or so? Around chapter 6.
Cliffhanger: no, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: yes, two years later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form (thank you!) that I am very, very late on..

Should I read in order?
This is part of Glen’s Forged Alliances series. While there is some minor character mention from book 1, I found this one very readable completely alone!

Basic plot:
Hannah is presented with a very taboo bargain from her husband...

Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian romance – 1863
- mix of English countryside and London settings
- taboo / forbidden romance – the heroine is married and the hero is her husband’s bastard
- breeding – heroine makes a bargain with her husband about letting another man impregnate her
- former soldier hero
- overcoming a villain
- masquerade
- higher steam – 7 full scenes with kink elements like breeding, edging, lactation, bondage

Ages:
- both mains are around 33, hero might be 34

First line:
The Earl was home.

My thoughts:
I LOVED the premise of this one. I thought it was fun and different, and had lots of forbidden things we don’t usually see in historical romance.

I was very into the beginning of this story. I liked both mains, I liked the tension building...I had a few issues with how the whole ‘secret meetings’ were carried out but I liked the steam so overall didn’t care that much 😆

I liked the first half of the novel more than the second half but that’s not surprising considering the shift in plot points and my preferences.

I think Glen just keeps getting better with her novels. I have liked her books more and more as she publishes. Higher steam, some dirty talk, angst and emotions all wrapped up...love.

Quotes Any typos/mistakes are my own

“Maybe I want it complicated. Maybe I want to inconvenience myself, as you so eloquently put it. Maybe I want to touch you and take my time stroking your desire. And trust me, darling. When I’m done with you, your oil won’t be necessary. You will be dripping wet for me.”
---
“You are toying with me,” she accused.
His twisted half smile was sinful. “I haven’t even started toying with you. When I’m through, you will beg me for more.”
Oh, he was wicked.
---
He reached the door and planted a hand on it before she could escape. His large body caged her. Not touching, but she could feel the warmth emanating from him all along her back. She should have felt alarm. Yet all she felt was cherished, protected.
---
“I understand. And I approve. Just…be careful with her heart, will you?”
Gabriel stilled for a few heartbeats. “Have you considered, sir, that my heart may be in as much danger as hers?”
 

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 5
Average rating: 4.6 stars
Favorite book: Probably The Marquess and His Muse

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- attempted assault/rape of the heroine by evil side character (interrupted by hero)
- remembrance of child abuse from hero by his father including beating and whipping
- mention of animal abuse – hero’s father used riding crops with metal ends and pointed spurs
- heroine was 18 when she married her husband (not the hero) at 58, but their marriage grew into a friendship and was not an abusive marriage
- baby in danger (only a few pages)

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

Safe sex: 

  No 

Hows the consent? 

  It’s good 

Pregnancy/children in story?  (Please note this is the best to my memory/note taking. If you see something I missed please feel free to message!) 

  Yes, pregnancy is a major plot point here and the heroine does fall pregnant and give birth within the story. 

14% - kiss
17% - touches
28% - kisses
35% - kisses
43% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her

“Shhh. Be quiet if you dno’t want people coming over to watch.”
Oh, goodness gracious. How was she supposed to keep quiet when he did that?

47% - 🔥 him standing, her on the bed

Gabriel reached out and lifted Hannah, maneuvering her to lie on her back, on the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry Hannah. I wanted to go slower for our first time. But I underestimated the effect you have on me.”

49% - 🔥 hero asks the heroine to self pleasure for him and edges her, sex

“Stop,” he commanded and her eyes opened, fixing their unfocused gae on him. As if she couldn’t comprehend his words. Her fingers did not obey, so he reached out and removed her hand. The frustrated whimper she emitted had him chuckling.

53% - kiss
56% - 🔥 her on top

“Straddle me,” he said in a hushed tone, already maneuvering her skirts into position.
Her eyes widened even as a thrill ran down her spine. “Here?” she whispered.
His eyes held hers full of lambent desire and wicked promise. “Here. Now.”

61% - 🔥 blow job (complete), followed by sex

Fuuuuck, Hannah. I can’t resist you. That feels so damned good. That’s it, darling, take a bit more.

83% - lactation scene
85% - 🔥 her on top

Reaching between their bodies, she grabbed the waistband of his trousers and started undoing his buttons.
He lay passive beneath her. Not helping, but not stopping her, either. When at least she had freed his member, she closed her hand around it, tearing a strained grown from his chest.
“Take me,” he whispered, flexing in her hand.

99% - 🔥 hero ties up the heroine (epilogue sex), oral for her, lots of edging, light spanking, sex

“Tut, tut, don’t struggle, you’ll only make the knots tighter. You are at my mercy now, and I’m about to have my wicked way with you. Maybe if you are a very good girl, I’ll let you come.”