Review: A Countess by Chance by Kate McKinley
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2014
Another couple finds love at the same house party featured in A Duchess in the Dark, the first novella in the erotic historical series, By Invitation Only, by Kate McKinley. Events from the first book happen here, although peripherally, with different protagonists.Adam and Olivia were once sweethearts before she jilted him. Unbeknownst to him, her family has been in need of funds due to her mother’s poor health. At the time, Adam was the younger son of an earl with few prospects but now he’s the Earl of Huntington when they meet again two years later, at Olivia’s cousin’s country house party. He still loves her as she loves him, but pride stands in the way of a happy future.The erotic elements come in the form of some spanking, but nothing too dramatic and it is tastefully portrayed. “She smiled to herself, remembering the sting of his crop against her naked flesh.” (p22)The humor is very enjoyable, especially at the beginning when Olivia’s gentle horse, Chocolate, refuses to do her bidding, to her great mortification, in front of Adam.And there are poignant moments, too, when Adam regrets his lurid wager to Olivia when he realizes he has hurt her and also when he publicly shames her. “That confused, slightly wounded look on her face had done something to him—affected him on a level he couldn’t quite identify. His desire for revenge, his resentment, had melted away the moment she’d turn those wide green eyes in his direction.” (p18)Though only a novella, there is a nice development of secondary characters. James, the host of the house party, and Adam’s close friend—who also appeared in the first book—and scheming beauty, Annabelle Wood, and her harmless brother.Memorable moments:“‘I’m married, Huntington. I know the look of a tormented man. The scowl, the rigid posture, the distinct air of defeat.’ He nodded. ‘A woman’s work, most certainly.’” (p18)“He was captivating—his carriage perfection, his countenance unequaled, his character sparkling—everything that recommended a man. But beneath that impeccable visage was a soul drenched in vice and depravity.” (p22)“He would taste her then. Every smooth, creamy inch of her, every peak and valley, every dip and curve. With his tongue, he’d torment her, bring her to the brink of oblivion, and then back again, until she was writhing, begging for more.” (p27)“He expected her to lash back at him, call him out for his cruelty. She didn’t. She was as silent as the tomb—which was far worse.” (p35)The covers for this series are lovely to look at. They are both beautiful as well as provocative, perfect for an erotic historical.Some readers may be surprised that I enjoy erotic historical romance, being a Jane Austen student, however, sexual intrigue is very often apparent in several of Austen’s works, albeit offstage. Recall the seduction of Eliza by Willoughby in Sense and Sensibiilty, the sexual wiles of Susan Vernon in Lady Susan, the adulterous affair between Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park, and the affair between the engaged Isabella Thorpe and Captain Tilney in Northanger Abbey.The erotic historical Regency works by Kate McKinley are both beautifully written and a joy to read.