Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by rjordan19
The Countess's Awakening by Lavinia Glen
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both 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: Almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book format
Why I chose this book: I like Glen’s novels and was excited for her latest
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
“Not a sack of potatoes. At most, a very pretty, very light, feather pillow. I’d gladly carry you whenever you require it.”
Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary, but if you want some background, give The Earl’s Tempting Proposal a read – there’s character cross over.
Basic plot:
Wang assists Esther in strengthening her body long after she’s given up hope for recovering
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian – 1864
- London and America setting
- English heroine / Chinese hero
- class difference – working class hero, dowager Countess heroine
- widow heroine
- widower hero
- martial arts master / medically minded hero
- heroine has a daughter but it’s not a large part of the story
- disabled heroine – she’s in a wheelchair
- best friend’s stepmother
- heroine nurses hero back to health
- hero nurses heroine back to health
- hot air balloon ride
- former pugilist hero
- he feeds her dumplings and cooks for her
- one ship cabin
- massages
- higher steam – 4 scenes in a shorter novel
Ages:
- heroine is 42, hero is almost 50
First line:
Esther was no stranger to grief, but she was discovering there were many ways a heart could break.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this novel. I loved both mains – and I’ve been curious about Wang ever since I read Glen’s debut and he was the hero’s friend in The Earl’s Tempting Proposal. So I was very excited to get his story, especially when I realized the pairing was that hero’s mother.
This novella had such heart and really had me falling in love with both mains. Esther has been wheelchair bound since her accident and has been frustrated with life passing her by. Wang is a perfect match for her with his gentle medical mind and she is soothing for his hurt past.
This was a touch too easy for me the first part of the book, very low angst which isn’t my thing, but it did amp up in the latter half and really adored the way their story played out.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 6
Average rating: 4.67 stars
Favorite book: Oooo, I loved this one but maybe The Marquess and His Muse just a touch more...a bit more angst in that one I think.
Endearments
Hero calls her ‘my little deer’ and ‘Xiao Lu’, and ‘my love’
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- death of a spouse
- remembrance of a carriage accident that disabled the heroine
- racism against the hero
- ableism against the heroine
- opium addiction
- some violence/attacks on page
- talk of possible infertility after accident
Author content warnings? Didn’t see any
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex: Hero pulls out
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? Heroine has a daughter but she doesn’t have much page time (she’s older)
34% - kisses
39% - 🔥 self pleasuring for her while he kisses and plays with her nipples in the bath, oral for her, missionary
”Touch your pussy,” he commanded. When she didn’t immediately obey, too lost in the sensations to discern his meaning, he bit the rim of her ear. “Now.”
48% - 🔥 blow job (incomplete), fingering for her, sex from behind while laying down
61% - 🔥 blow job (complete)
74% - 🔥 kisses, fingering for her, oral for her, missionary
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: third person from both 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: Almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book format
Why I chose this book: I like Glen’s novels and was excited for her latest
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
“Not a sack of potatoes. At most, a very pretty, very light, feather pillow. I’d gladly carry you whenever you require it.”
Should I read in order?
It’s not totally necessary, but if you want some background, give The Earl’s Tempting Proposal a read – there’s character cross over.
Basic plot:
Wang assists Esther in strengthening her body long after she’s given up hope for recovering
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian – 1864
- London and America setting
- English heroine / Chinese hero
- class difference – working class hero, dowager Countess heroine
- widow heroine
- widower hero
- martial arts master / medically minded hero
- heroine has a daughter but it’s not a large part of the story
- disabled heroine – she’s in a wheelchair
- best friend’s stepmother
- heroine nurses hero back to health
- hero nurses heroine back to health
- hot air balloon ride
- former pugilist hero
- he feeds her dumplings and cooks for her
- one ship cabin
- massages
- higher steam – 4 scenes in a shorter novel
Ages:
- heroine is 42, hero is almost 50
First line:
Esther was no stranger to grief, but she was discovering there were many ways a heart could break.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this novel. I loved both mains – and I’ve been curious about Wang ever since I read Glen’s debut and he was the hero’s friend in The Earl’s Tempting Proposal. So I was very excited to get his story, especially when I realized the pairing was that hero’s mother.
This novella had such heart and really had me falling in love with both mains. Esther has been wheelchair bound since her accident and has been frustrated with life passing her by. Wang is a perfect match for her with his gentle medical mind and she is soothing for his hurt past.
This was a touch too easy for me the first part of the book, very low angst which isn’t my thing, but it did amp up in the latter half and really adored the way their story played out.
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 6
Average rating: 4.67 stars
Favorite book: Oooo, I loved this one but maybe The Marquess and His Muse just a touch more...a bit more angst in that one I think.
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- death of a spouse
- remembrance of a carriage accident that disabled the heroine
- racism against the hero
- ableism against the heroine
- opium addiction
- some violence/attacks on page
- talk of possible infertility after accident
Author content warnings? Didn’t see any
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Safe sex:
How’s the consent?
Pregnancy/children in story?
34% - kisses
39% - 🔥 self pleasuring for her while he kisses and plays with her nipples in the bath, oral for her, missionary
”Touch your pussy,” he commanded. When she didn’t immediately obey, too lost in the sensations to discern his meaning, he bit the rim of her ear. “Now.”
48% - 🔥 blow job (incomplete), fingering for her, sex from behind while laying down
61% - 🔥 blow job (complete)
74% - 🔥 kisses, fingering for her, oral for her, missionary