I have to start by saying I love historical romances. My love of romance books was sealed when I was a pre-teen and would sneak my mom’s H[image]
Ang:
I have to start by saying I love historical romances. My love of romance books was sealed when I was a pre-teen and would sneak my mom’s Harlequin historicals. I thought I knew all about the historical genre, but I was blown away by this novella. Honey, this ain’t your momma’s historical romance. Sure there may be petticoats, cloaks, bonnets, and breeches along with harsh societal codes about a woman’s wanton behavior and social standing if she lacks a husband at a certain age (oh wait, are we talking about 1879 or 2015? I digress), but this? This is something completely different.
In this story our heroine isn’t a delicate flower waiting for the handsome rich man to find her. Oh no. She is independent despite her situation. She is forward. And she may be blushing, but that does not stop her curiosity or her desire. Ivy Leavold is a 19-year-old young woman, practically a spinster with no marriage opportunities and is left destitute with one last hope. That hope lies in her deceased cousin’s husband, the mysterious widower Julian Markham. Before I go any further, please know that Julian was inspired by Michael Fassbender in Jane Eyre. I probably don’t need to say anything else about Julian other than -Michael Fassbender- but I will.
Julian is deliciously sexy and dangerous. It seems like he’s trying to be honorable, but I don’t want him to be. I want him to throw her down and ravish her all over that gloomy estate. There is something underneath the surface about Julian. It’s there, brewing behind his honorable façade. We need to know his secrets.
The chemistry between Ivy and Julian is spectacular from that very first scene. What follows is a lovely little game of back-and-forth and will-they-or-won’t-they and please god, make them DO it. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed to god for fictional characters to get it on. I wanted it to happen so badly, almost as much as our wildcat, Ivy. There was something so carnal about this book, and I’m not even talking about the orgy. The foreplay and intimate scenes between Ivy and Julian were highly erotic and truly left-hand inspiring. The dirty talk is on fire.
Aside from all the left-hand fun, there’s a bonus in that there’s a bit of a mystery when trying to determine how Ivy’s late cousin died. Was there foul play? Is Julian responsible? Was it someone else? Does that horrible Mrs. Brightmore remind you of that goddamn O’Brien from Downton Abbey?
Along with all the hot sex and delicious characters, this author gives us a very fresh take on a historical theme. Ms. Simone is a talented writer. She gets right down to the details I want, and it’s fresh and clean while the story is dirty and hot. You should definitely one-click this one. You’ll love it, and you’ll be very inspired. Trust.
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Tarah:
So often books don’t live up to the hype. It’s not unusual that I don’t follow the crowd on opinions with novels. This book? Not the case. “It’s great,” they said. “Scorching hot,” they said. “So well written,” I was told.
Holy. Fucking. Shit. Guise. Ok. Let’s get down to it… Yes, this is a historical romance. But! Don’t let that frighten you. Historical not your thing? Throw your expectations out the window. This doesn’t read like any other historical romance I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The bits that remind you this is set in the 1800’s aren’t fillers. They aren’t there just to make you sure you know it’s historical, often confusing readers. They add to the plot, to the characters. The historic details make it better. Just trust me.
The Awakening of Ivy Leavold reminds me of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier meets The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by Anne Rice. The poised writing, the mystery, the sensuality, the domineering attitude of Julian, the strong-willed mind of Ivy… it’s perfection.
There’s tension, there’s passion.. you’re trying to figure out the secrets behind the mystery all the while squirming. Sierra Simone has mastered the art of making your heart beat faster while you read. Her brilliant characters not only make the hero and heroine unforgettable, but even the supporting ones. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Let Sierra take you on a trip back to 1879. You’ll want to make your own visit to Markham Hall. Read this.
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Paula:
I’ve had a severe case of book ADD lately, unable to focus long enough to get past the first few chapters of a book. Sometimes when things aren’t working out you have to try something different. So, I went completely to a different genre–Historical Erotica. I haven’t read a historical romance in a very long time; turns out this was just what I needed! As I was reading I suddenly remembered all my fantasies of… Well that’s for another time. If you’re thinking “Historical?”…Don’t. Good stories and writing are timeless, and if you’re nervous about that, this reads almost like a contemporary.
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“Cock. Cunt. Fuck.” <–See! They were scandalous in the 1800’s! I want to live there with Julian–the clothes, the language, the filthy sex, the beautiful imagery Sierra Simone painted; as long as I wasn’t a servant I would totally do it.
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What’s it about? Well, Ivy Leavold is a young virginal woman who, through circumstance, is forced to take residence with a man she’s never met. Julian Markham. That’s the way things worked in the 1800’s; women didn’t have much say in their own lives. Luckily for Ivy, Julian is smokin hot. He also likes to play games that had me thinking of converting my living room into a parlor. Ivy is entranced by him and I can’t say as I blame her; she is ready and willing to give it up, but he has to be difficult. He’s domineering, sensual, and has that special quality that draws me in–a dirty mouth. Julian is twice widowed and that’s where the mystery came in. I love doubting characters and Sierra Simone did a great job of giving all the side characters just enough suspicion to make me suspect EVERYONE. I have no clue who did it! This is a novella but packed just as much punch as a full length novel. The writing was excellent and moved quickly; I practically finished it in one sitting. It was that good. I’m so happy I picked this up and can’t wait to see where book two takes me. (Pleeeease take me back to the parlor!)
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Candi:
I first have to give a HUGE thank you to the very lovely and brilliant author, Laurelin Paige, for sending me this book late one night. I received this book a little after midnight and forced myself to turn my phone off at 2am. I was instantly sucked in before the first chapter ended. Laurelin told me it was a historical romance. I was a little skeptical at first. I’ve never read anything in this genre. Ever!! Those historical type books always intimidated me. With their big fancy words. But, Laurelin promised it was smoking hot and I would love!! I will never ever doubt you again, Lady!!!
This story takes place in 1879 in Yorkshire, England. Ivy Leavold is a young woman who has lost her parents. And most recently, her older brother. She’s orphaned. And has no way of taking care of herself. Her home was just auctioned off due to her brothers gambling debts. So she is forced to move in with her late cousins husband. Who is recently widowed. She’s under the presumption that Mr. Julian Markham is old. The estate that is now her new home is dark, gloomy, creepy. Like all the life has been sucked out of it. Merely only showing life by the servants keeping it alive, barely. She meets these interesting characters first. The ever lovely Mrs. Brightmore (that was total sarcasm), who is just a miserable bitch..ahem..I mean housekeeper. And the sweet handsome Gareth who is Mr. Markham’s valet driver and that has other duties. Some make her feel welcomed. Some don’t. But that doesn’t bother Ivy. She’s a strong willed lady. She does what she wants and says what she wants. And I absolutely loved her!! As she’s wandering the house late at night on her own, is when she first meets the mysterious Mr. Markham. And boy is she surprised to find that he is very much young. And gorgeous and sexy and all those yummy sinful things. From the moment they meet, the sexual attraction is there. He tries to fight it. To keep the young and virginal Miss Leavold in tact. But….yeah. Not happening. So they start to get to know each other. Innocently at first. But Ivy…not so innocent. Her thoughts at least. Until, Mr. Markham decides to have friends visit and stay a few days. And this is when things get REALLY INTERESTING. Whenever I hear the word parlor, for the rest of my life, I will think of this one particular scene. Holy fucking hotness!!! Mr. Markham’s friends are very…playful, per se. And Ivy decides she wants to play too!! Are you wondering what games they play?!?! Well, you will just have to read to find out!! No spoilers here!! I wish I could just talk about the sexiness in this book for the whole review, but, there is also a mystery surrounding the death of Mr. Markham’s 2 deceased wives. Yes people. TWO DEAD WIVES!! Of course everyone suspects the husband. Even Ivy is starting to wonder. I have my own suspicions. But I will keep that to myself. And pray that I’m right!! So, in the end, Ivy is dealing with falling in love, worrying about if she fell in love with a murderer, if Mr. Markham feels the same about her…AND THEN THE ENDING!! I might of yelled at my phone, but I promise, it was a perfect cliffy!
This was my first Sierra Simone book. It will definitely not be my last. I absolutely loved her writing. She made a historical romance read like a very modern book. But, you never lost the feel of the time frame. I loved how she created all these supporting characters that all had stories of their own. Leaving you wanting to know more about them also. The sexy hotness, well…OFF THE CHARTS!! Raw, controlling, animalistic, tabbooish. Leaves you breathless. And sometimes with a book this hot, that’s basically all you get. Which is fine. But it’s also nice when you get a great storyline filled with suspense and mystery. And always leaves you trying to figure things out. This book was filled with all the great things. Not to mention, amazing writing. Miss Simone, you have a new fan and I can’t wait to dive into all your things!!! If guys haven’t 1-clicked this by now, you need to go now!! It’s a novella. The Education of Ivy Leavold will be out on February 9th!
The synopsis to The Phoenix Candidate caught my eye. I’m a sucker for a good political drama. I love me some Scandal. #TeamJake Anywho… the tricTarah:
The synopsis to The Phoenix Candidate caught my eye. I’m a sucker for a good political drama. I love me some Scandal. #TeamJake Anywho… the tricky bit with these political romances is that the bar is already set quite high. The Phoenix Candidate wasn’t able to knock off the top spot on my list of political hot couples, but it was close.
Grace is a firecracker and she gives hell to Jared. Both caught in the world of politics and ethics, things never seem to simmer. There is always a line drawn and deciding when to cross it can be a struggle. Jared seems to be made for Grace because he not only knows how to take her, but he has mastered how to give it back.
The Phoenix Candidate holds a great level of maturity. Both with its characters and storyline. Heidi wrote this very well and the information wasn’t dumbed down for readers. It’s always refreshing to read about a heroine who can hold her own, but allows her partner to support her all the same. Grace and Jared fight their way to not only win in the world of politicians, but in the world of love. This book is sexually and intellectually delicious. Give it a read.
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