A review by rjordan19
The Lover by Robin Schone

dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I will say her scenes were a bit on the mechanical side to me – maybe just the verbage and my preference – I can prefer some flowery, emotional language haha
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Not much, this has some darker factors at play
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? plot
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: This ends with a happy for now
Epilogue: No
Format: read on kindle unlimited
Why I chose this book: fellow facebook member of Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (DESDAMONA) convinced me to do a buddy read!

Should I read in order?
This is book 1 in Schone’s The Lover series.

Basic plot:
Anne is free from being her parents caretaker, and she has the funds to request the time and pleasure of famous prostitute Michel des Anges...

Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian
- violet eyed HERO
- height difference – hero is 7 inches taller than hero
- older mains – 40 and 36
- some unrequited longing – the heroine has wanted the hero since she saw him 18 years earlier
- murder mystery elements
- higher steam – at least 5 full scenes

Ages:
- hero is 40, heroine is 36

First lines:
Death.
Desire.
Michael did not know which of the two had brought him back to London.


My thoughts:
So Schone has been on my list to try forever and ever and I finally did it!

This book maybe isn’t one I would usually go for? There’s definitely some instalust at play and they jump into some beginning scenes almost immediately. But...there was something about this book. Something that just pulled at me. The beginning scenes were still so good with tension to me even though usually the tension is broken for me a bit when they fully give in to each other. Maybe it was because they were still learning about each other, and slowly opening to each other emotionally. I just felt it!

And I am also not usually into murder mystery kind of things. But this book was just done so differently – I really found Schone’s writing unique – that I was so intrigued. I was so gripped by this story in some parts. Kind of horrified??? But I just HAD to know what happened and how it was going to work out. This book just really clenched my heart as the mystery unfolded.

I will definitely try more from Schone!

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first!
Average rating: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one

Quotes


“One month. Of pleasure.” Michael pushed his glass across the table. It connected with the base of the heavy silver candle holder with a crystal ring of finality. “I will do anything you wish. However many times you wish it.”
---
“How deeply will you penetrate me, monsieur?”
“Nine and one half inches, mademoiselle.”
---
“Don’t say you’re sorry.” Shadow engulfed his face. “Don’t ever say you’re sorry. Not to me. Not ever. I want you to scream. And moan. And groan. I want you to lose yourself in what I do to you. I want you to want me.”
 


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

- brief mention of parental death
- death on page
- arson
- drugging of heroine by villains including being paralyzed and buried alive with worms
- remembrance of child abuse
- murder on page
Author content warnings? Didn’t see any given


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
 
Safe sex: 
  Both have and discuss condoms and the heroine goes to a physician for a diaphram 
 
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!) 
  I can't recall children discussed??? Maybe but no children or pregnancies within the story 
 
10% - 🔥 kisses, fingering/breast play orgasm, oral for her, missionary
20% - 🔥 sex with anal play?
28% - oral for her (fades)
46% - 🔥 bj
64% - 🔥 her on top (? I think? While sitting?)
86% - 🔥 food play with chocolate and a banana, oral for her, missionary