Scan barcode
malin12ccf's review against another edition
4.0
Thomas Powell has just become the Duke of Northfield and has to set aside his previously rakish ways to protect his father's legacy and ensure a good future for his younger sister. She's very much in love with the son of one of their father's most trusted allies in Parliament, who clearly expects Thomas to continue supporting him, whether Thomas actually agrees with his views or not. Torn between duty and his own conscience, Thomas is struggling. The one place he feels at ease, the Orchid Club, is a deeply inappropriate hang-out for a duke.
Lucia Marini has had to make her own way in the world. The illegitimate daughter of a wealthy Englishman and a poor Italian woman, she came to England when her mother died, only to find her grandparents refusing to take her in. Now she is known to all that visit the exclusive Orchid Club as "Amina", the beautiful and elusive proprietress. The Orchid Club takes visitors from all levels of society, and charges what the visitors feel they can afford. Everyone has to appear masked, and all the sexual acts are entirely consensual. The club was successful even before Lucia took over its management with some of her found family, but now they have received news that the club's noble patron has passed away, Lucia and the rest who work there are worried that they may find themselves homeless and without a way to make a living.
While Tom has been drawn to the beautiful Amina since he first visited the Orchid Club, he has never propositioned her in any way, quite happy for their friendship to be platonic (while they flirt shamelessly). Now that he knows he has to become all that is dutiful and responsible, and he comes to the club to say goodbye, he requests one night with her, before he and Amina go their separate ways forever.
I don't think I'm spoiling it for anyone who's ever read anything ever when I say that of course it turns out that the wealthy patron who died was in fact Tom's seemingly faultless father, and that now that Tom is his heir, he finds himself the unexpected owner of the sex club he's been visiting for the past year. His super conservative, family values father also had a pretty big secret, and Tom is rather shocked when he discovers it. Of course, it also means that he is Lucia's employer, which is very fraught for a number of reasons. They were only supposed to spend one night of passion together, but of course, as in all romance, that night was utterly transformative for both of them, and they're completely ga-ga for one another.
Even really rather disreputable dukes are unlikely to settle down and marry former sex workers, and the former Duke of Northfield was known as a pillar of propriety and Tom therefore has all sorts of expectations to live up to in society. He really does take his position seriously, and is extremely protective of his younger sister. He's quite willing to be utterly miserable, giving up any chance of his own happiness, if it means she gets to marry her sweetheart, even though said sweetheart's father is clearly an odious bully, whose political views are pretty much diametrically opposite to the progressive views Tom himself holds.
Family is an important theme throughout the book. Tom deeply loves his mother and sister, and comes to discover his father was a very different man than he believed. Lucia was rejected by first her father and her father's family and had to sell herself to survive, but has managed to find friends and confidantes who love her and care for her as much (or more) than an actual family would. They run the Orchid Club together, determined to make it a safe haven for people of all creeds and classes, and the main reason Lucia has for running the club is to make enough money to open a girls' school for poor and underprivileged girls, like she herself once was, vowing to give them lives better than she had when she arrived in England.
Does the storyline presented in this book require quite some suspension of disbelief? Yes, but no more so than in the majority of Tessa Dare's historical romances. Is it an entertaining read? Yes. Do Tom and Lucia work as a couple? Absolutely, they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses beautifully. Is pretty much all the supporting cast also fun to read about? Yes, I especially liked Tom's sister and the lesbian couple who Lucia run the club alongside. Does Tom's mother seem to accept her son's choice of bride, despite her 'colourful' past, unexpectedly quickly? Yup, but I didn't care.
[a:Eva Leigh|8886093|Eva Leigh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1439934306p2/8886093.jpg] continues to write very entertaining historicals, and I'm excited to see what she's going to come up with next.
Judging a book by its cover: Not sure whether Eva Leigh has made some sort of unholy covenant, but the covers for her historical novels are pretty much always, without exception, gorgeous. The cover models portraying the heroines actually look like pretty much like the women inside the cover are actually described, and the dresses they wear are absolutely sumptuous. The utterly stunning blue dress on this cover takes my breath away.
Lucia Marini has had to make her own way in the world. The illegitimate daughter of a wealthy Englishman and a poor Italian woman, she came to England when her mother died, only to find her grandparents refusing to take her in. Now she is known to all that visit the exclusive Orchid Club as "Amina", the beautiful and elusive proprietress. The Orchid Club takes visitors from all levels of society, and charges what the visitors feel they can afford. Everyone has to appear masked, and all the sexual acts are entirely consensual. The club was successful even before Lucia took over its management with some of her found family, but now they have received news that the club's noble patron has passed away, Lucia and the rest who work there are worried that they may find themselves homeless and without a way to make a living.
While Tom has been drawn to the beautiful Amina since he first visited the Orchid Club, he has never propositioned her in any way, quite happy for their friendship to be platonic (while they flirt shamelessly). Now that he knows he has to become all that is dutiful and responsible, and he comes to the club to say goodbye, he requests one night with her, before he and Amina go their separate ways forever.
I don't think I'm spoiling it for anyone who's ever read anything ever when I say that of course it turns out that the wealthy patron who died was in fact Tom's seemingly faultless father, and that now that Tom is his heir, he finds himself the unexpected owner of the sex club he's been visiting for the past year. His super conservative, family values father also had a pretty big secret, and Tom is rather shocked when he discovers it. Of course, it also means that he is Lucia's employer, which is very fraught for a number of reasons. They were only supposed to spend one night of passion together, but of course, as in all romance, that night was utterly transformative for both of them, and they're completely ga-ga for one another.
Even really rather disreputable dukes are unlikely to settle down and marry former sex workers, and the former Duke of Northfield was known as a pillar of propriety and Tom therefore has all sorts of expectations to live up to in society. He really does take his position seriously, and is extremely protective of his younger sister. He's quite willing to be utterly miserable, giving up any chance of his own happiness, if it means she gets to marry her sweetheart, even though said sweetheart's father is clearly an odious bully, whose political views are pretty much diametrically opposite to the progressive views Tom himself holds.
Family is an important theme throughout the book. Tom deeply loves his mother and sister, and comes to discover his father was a very different man than he believed. Lucia was rejected by first her father and her father's family and had to sell herself to survive, but has managed to find friends and confidantes who love her and care for her as much (or more) than an actual family would. They run the Orchid Club together, determined to make it a safe haven for people of all creeds and classes, and the main reason Lucia has for running the club is to make enough money to open a girls' school for poor and underprivileged girls, like she herself once was, vowing to give them lives better than she had when she arrived in England.
Does the storyline presented in this book require quite some suspension of disbelief? Yes, but no more so than in the majority of Tessa Dare's historical romances. Is it an entertaining read? Yes. Do Tom and Lucia work as a couple? Absolutely, they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses beautifully. Is pretty much all the supporting cast also fun to read about? Yes, I especially liked Tom's sister and the lesbian couple who Lucia run the club alongside. Does Tom's mother seem to accept her son's choice of bride, despite her 'colourful' past, unexpectedly quickly? Yup, but I didn't care.
[a:Eva Leigh|8886093|Eva Leigh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1439934306p2/8886093.jpg] continues to write very entertaining historicals, and I'm excited to see what she's going to come up with next.
Judging a book by its cover: Not sure whether Eva Leigh has made some sort of unholy covenant, but the covers for her historical novels are pretty much always, without exception, gorgeous. The cover models portraying the heroines actually look like pretty much like the women inside the cover are actually described, and the dresses they wear are absolutely sumptuous. The utterly stunning blue dress on this cover takes my breath away.
melissacutler's review against another edition
5.0
Bravo! Lucia was exactly the kind of historical heroine I've been longing for. Bold, independent-minded, and owns her sexuality and sexual desires without shame or fear. The Duke was lucky to earn the love of such a magnificent woman.
erinljungdahl's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this book! Lucia was amazing, she set a new bar for historical romance heroines. It took me a while to come around to Tom but if you like romance heroes who grow as people (a la Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice), you will swoon.
This book is part of a series but I didn’t read the previous books. I was still able to enjoy the story but got the feeling that I was missing some of the dynamics between Tom and his friends. Someone who read the books in order can clue me in.
TLDR: if you liked Hulu’s show Harlots, you need to read this fabulous book.
5/5 stars: would recommend heartily. I’m off to proselytize this book to friends.
This book is part of a series but I didn’t read the previous books. I was still able to enjoy the story but got the feeling that I was missing some of the dynamics between Tom and his friends. Someone who read the books in order can clue me in.
TLDR: if you liked Hulu’s show Harlots, you need to read this fabulous book.
5/5 stars: would recommend heartily. I’m off to proselytize this book to friends.
tween2teenbookreviews's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely ADORED this book! Lucia and Tom were excellent together! One aspect I really loved was that there wasn't a 'big fight'. There were setbacks and hardships, but there was always a distinctive sense of fighting for each other and to do the right thing. A great romance, and a great place to end my Eva Leigh marathon! I can't wait for her new book in November!
olive2read's review against another edition
2.0
I was enjoying this until the conflict broke. There were some minor inconsistencies up to that point (especially around manner of dress 🙄) but I’d looked past them until the so-called crisis ... I don’t get it at all. She demands that he take a certain action, damn the consequences, then dumps him when there are consequences...? Where is the integrity? She beats herself up for trusting him and yet, he never betrayed her trust - she betrayed his. Sure, she realises this *just* before the end so they can make up but the magic was dead for me.
(Not to mention that I don’t believe for a second that the consequences would’ve played out the way they’re written here.)
#isTHISromance?
(Not to mention that I don’t believe for a second that the consequences would’ve played out the way they’re written here.)
#isTHISromance?
savvyliterate's review against another edition
5.0
There are books that you like, those that you love, and those you would be trapped on a desert island with. This, dear potential reader, is a desert island book.
The heir to a dukedom has been playing the field and is looking for a challenge when he is drawn to the manager of the Orchid Club, a sex club where anything goes as long as it's consensual. However, when his father dies, Tom realizes he needs to grow up for the sake of the people he is now in charge of and for his sister, Maeve. Putting the pressure further on him is the father of Maeve's beau, who is basically forbidding any union between Maeve and his son unless Tom toes the conservative line that his father walked. So Tom engages in one very hot night with the Orchid Club's manager, Lucia, then goes off to start adulting. Then everything promptly goes to hell.
There is a lot of amazing catnip for me in this book. At the tip top are the family units established in the series. Tom's father was strict but clearly loved his son. Tom's relationship with Maeve is amazing, and it reminds me a lot of my own relationship with my oldest brother. Tom and Lucia both have non-English parents (he is part-Irish and she is part-Napoli), and their respective heritages are lovingly woven throughout the story. I especially love how Lucia explains the role of religion in her life without any of it turning preachy or it being shoved down anyone's throat. Lucia's found family with Kitty and Elspeth is even more adorable. There is also a same sex relationship that is beautifully written. It is completely organic and natural, just the way it should be in real life.
I love Tom's struggle between toeing the line in the House of Lords and standing by his own progressive needs. He is aware that his actions are going to wind up hurting someone, be it Maeve, Lucia, or innocent people. In one very beautiful scene where he is wrestling with this, he tells Lucia that he just wants to be a good man. The book illustrates very well that no matter what the steps you take to be a good person, you're going to fail somewhere. But as long as you can overall make a net positive in the world, then you are doing OK. Lucia's journey throughout the story to avoid her mother's pitfalls while holding her memory close is just amazing, and I love in the beginning the prayer she sends to her mother in the afterlife. These are both extremely good people, and Tom doesn't hold Lucia's past over her head, which is refreshingly adult.
I also loved the easter eggs to previous books that Leigh has written, and the sex is very, VERY hot and amazingly written. If you don't care for explicit intimate scenes, this story is not for you. I also loved the ending immensely.
This was my favorite book in the "London Underground" series, and it makes me want to revisit the entire series to slot missing pieces into place.
The heir to a dukedom has been playing the field and is looking for a challenge when he is drawn to the manager of the Orchid Club, a sex club where anything goes as long as it's consensual. However, when his father dies, Tom realizes he needs to grow up for the sake of the people he is now in charge of and for his sister, Maeve. Putting the pressure further on him is the father of Maeve's beau, who is basically forbidding any union between Maeve and his son unless Tom toes the conservative line that his father walked. So Tom engages in one very hot night with the Orchid Club's manager, Lucia, then goes off to start adulting. Then everything promptly goes to hell.
There is a lot of amazing catnip for me in this book. At the tip top are the family units established in the series. Tom's father was strict but clearly loved his son. Tom's relationship with Maeve is amazing, and it reminds me a lot of my own relationship with my oldest brother. Tom and Lucia both have non-English parents (he is part-Irish and she is part-Napoli), and their respective heritages are lovingly woven throughout the story. I especially love how Lucia explains the role of religion in her life without any of it turning preachy or it being shoved down anyone's throat. Lucia's found family with Kitty and Elspeth is even more adorable. There is also a same sex relationship that is beautifully written. It is completely organic and natural, just the way it should be in real life.
I love Tom's struggle between toeing the line in the House of Lords and standing by his own progressive needs. He is aware that his actions are going to wind up hurting someone, be it Maeve, Lucia, or innocent people. In one very beautiful scene where he is wrestling with this, he tells Lucia that he just wants to be a good man. The book illustrates very well that no matter what the steps you take to be a good person, you're going to fail somewhere. But as long as you can overall make a net positive in the world, then you are doing OK. Lucia's journey throughout the story to avoid her mother's pitfalls while holding her memory close is just amazing, and I love in the beginning the prayer she sends to her mother in the afterlife. These are both extremely good people, and Tom doesn't hold Lucia's past over her head, which is refreshingly adult.
I also loved the easter eggs to previous books that Leigh has written, and the sex is very, VERY hot and amazingly written. If you don't care for explicit intimate scenes, this story is not for you. I also loved the ending immensely.
This was my favorite book in the "London Underground" series, and it makes me want to revisit the entire series to slot missing pieces into place.
darlenemarshall's review against another edition
4.0
One of the things I love about our romance genre is when a talented author takes a premise that seems unworkable...and succeeds spectacularly in making the reader keep turning the pages.
Eva Leigh is one such author. This third London Underground tale is the best yet, following an unapologetic prostitute who's risen to management levels. Just as in one of my favorite novels of all time, [b:Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure|195144|Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure|John Cleland|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356455533s/195144.jpg|1041503], Lucia is a survivor who deserves her own HEA.
I also liked that the hero, Thomas, was basically a nice guy suddenly elevated to a position of power and great responsibility, and he walks a fine line of taking care of business and his family while giving up hope for his own HEA, until he meets Lucia.
I recommend all of Leigh's books, and one can read this one as a stand-alone book.
Eva Leigh is one such author. This third London Underground tale is the best yet, following an unapologetic prostitute who's risen to management levels. Just as in one of my favorite novels of all time, [b:Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure|195144|Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure|John Cleland|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1356455533s/195144.jpg|1041503], Lucia is a survivor who deserves her own HEA.
I also liked that the hero, Thomas, was basically a nice guy suddenly elevated to a position of power and great responsibility, and he walks a fine line of taking care of business and his family while giving up hope for his own HEA, until he meets Lucia.
I recommend all of Leigh's books, and one can read this one as a stand-alone book.
bandherbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Now that's how you do it! What a fantastically sensual and angsty in the best way romance, with one of the swooniest HEAs I've read this year. I'll write a better review when I'm not on my phone but all the yes.
Thomas Powell is now the Duke of Northfield. No longer can he carouse the town or enjoy his Thursday nights at the Orchid Club discussing everything and anything with its seductive and enigmatic proprietress, a masked woman he knows as Amina. Thomas shares one hot night of passion with the woman he's been enchanted with for years before taken on his ducal responsibilities.
One of those responsibilities turns out to be a huge secret. Thomas's father, a strict conservative, was actually the owner of the Orchid Club. Now Thomas must decide if he can keep this partnership with Amina, otherwise known as Lucia, or throw it all away. Not to mention he can't keep away from the woman who has stolen his heart.
Complications of society, propriety, and doing what is right, if not popular, lead to one of the most emotionally satisfying HEAs I've ever read. Lucia is a fantastic leading lady and I adored that she was a sex worker who got her HEA. Everyone deserves one.
Thomas Powell is now the Duke of Northfield. No longer can he carouse the town or enjoy his Thursday nights at the Orchid Club discussing everything and anything with its seductive and enigmatic proprietress, a masked woman he knows as Amina. Thomas shares one hot night of passion with the woman he's been enchanted with for years before taken on his ducal responsibilities.
One of those responsibilities turns out to be a huge secret. Thomas's father, a strict conservative, was actually the owner of the Orchid Club. Now Thomas must decide if he can keep this partnership with Amina, otherwise known as Lucia, or throw it all away. Not to mention he can't keep away from the woman who has stolen his heart.
Complications of society, propriety, and doing what is right, if not popular, lead to one of the most emotionally satisfying HEAs I've ever read. Lucia is a fantastic leading lady and I adored that she was a sex worker who got her HEA. Everyone deserves one.
More...