Review: A sultry Regency read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 29, 2014
The Private Affairs of Lady Jane Fielding by Viveka PortmanNovella #3: Regency DiariesSource: NetgalleyRating: 5/5 starsLady Jane Fielding and her beloved husband Jacob, Baron of Fielding House have a very, very serious problem.  Following a horrible accident, Jacob is no longer able to have children and he and Jane do not yet have a male heir.  To make matters far, far worse, Jacob’s horrifyingly awful and lecherous brother, Arthur wants the title, the land, the money and, will stop at nothing to get what he wants.  For Jane and Jacob, the loss of Fielding House and their legacy is absolutely unthinkable and so, a plan is hatched.Matthew, a distant and poor cousin to Jacob has been called to Fielding House and upon his arrival he is enlightened.  The plan to save Fielding House will require Jacob to step aside and allow his younger cousin to sleep with his wife in the hopes of conceiving a male heir.  To be sure, all involved are uncomfortable with this plan: Jacob is having a terribly difficult time overcoming his jealousy, Matthew is quite concerned over losing the dearly held friendship with his cousin and, Jane is beside herself at the thought of taking another man into her bed.  Or, is she?  Matthew is a very sweet and handsome young man and Jane is certainly interested in the possibility of experiencing him.  As if the situation weren’t guilt-ridden and awkward enough, it has also become urgent as Arthur is pressuring Jacob to name him heir to Fielding House.  With urgency, curiosity and more than a little bit of guilt at the forefront, Jane and Matthew consummate their relationship.  As matters at Fielding House go from bad to worse, Jane, Matthew and Jacob have to come to some sort of understanding where their carnal arrangement is concerned.  Arthur is an ass of epic proportions and causing all kinds of trouble, Jane likes being with Matthew and her husband and, between the three of them they must find a way to preserve Fielding House.The Bottom Line: Regency England is once again lit up with naughty in Viveka Portman’s third installment of the Regency Diaries.  Jane and Jacob Fielding have a true love match and when all they have worked for is threatened, they work together to solve the problem no matter how uncomfortable it may be.  I very much like the encounters between Jane and Jacob as there is true respect and affection between them which results in both being able to be brutally honest about their situation.  Matthew is just a sweet, sweet wonder and his joining the family is so awkward that it is endearing and I liked him immediately.  The naughty bits are delightful and the way the three solve the awkwardness of the situation is as exciting as it is naughty for its time and place.  Once again, I was totally pulled into Portman’s world and glad to be there.  My only complaint, the Regency Diaries are just too short 