Review: This is a Wonderful Story and I had a lot of fun reading it!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2014
A Matter of Sin- The Ladies of Pleasure # 1 by Jess Michaels is a 2014 Samhain publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.This is a delightfully wicked and steamy historical romance set in the Regency Period era. There is a new and titillating book circulating entitled “Ladies Book of Pleasures”. Now this book is pretty naughty stuff for regency times and it speaks frankly of what a lady should do to enjoy certain pleasures in life.Lady Isabel Avenbury has decided that once she finds a match for her youngest half- sister, she will finally have the time for her own pleasures and will seek out a lover. When she arrives at a country home as chaperone for her sister she happens upon a copy of the infamous “Ladies Book of Pleasures” in the library. Intrigued ,she decides to borrow it but is caught by Marquis Lyndham- Seth Rowland.Seth isn't really into this tedious search for a bride and all that goes with that. He cringes as the thought of some silly girl becoming his bride when Isabel is so lovely and sensuous. Although by society standards Isabel, a widow, is past her prime, Seth finds he can't keep his mind, his eyes or his hands off of her. The suggestive and provocative book Isabel discovers leads them into a torrid and passionate affair, but Seth has responsibilities. He needs to find a wife and Isabel is not the type of woman he needs to marry.The people who lived in the regency period, men especially, were very opposed to the discussion of sex in social circles, in books, or anywhere for that matter, in front of ladies. Ladies were to pretend to have no knowledge of sex while having a house full of children. So, if a book came along that gave women some much needed information and advice they may have feigned shock and offense, but were most likely very curious. I don't know if a book was ever really published in this era that was comparable to “ Ladies Book of Pleasures” but if there was I can just imagine women sneaking around trying to get look at it. Each chapter of the this book begins with a quote from the Ladies of Pleasures and I thought many of the quotes were funny and were most likely prevalent then, but just as prevalent today in many instances.“At the most unexpected times, our lives can change. Most ladies are encouraged to run from it, but why can't we embrace it?”- Ladies Book of PleasureFor the most part this is a really light and fun read, although there are a few moments of angst, misunderstandings, sadness and heartbreak. There also moments where as a woman I could really relate to Isabel and so will many of you. Duties, responsibilities, family obligations and a thousand other things can have us neglecting our health and well being as well as our personal emotional needs and happiness. So, even though we shouldn't shirk our duties we should also take the time to enjoy life's pleasures and do a little something for ourselves and make the time for romance instead of putting it on a back burner.This is a wonderful story and I had a lot of fun reading it. This one gets 4 stars