Lady Seductress's Ball by Eliza Knight - Review

Lady Seductress's Ballby Eliza Knight

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: December 19th 2011 by Carina Press

As the wife of the elderly Earl of March, Olivia Covington has never known the intimacies of the bedroom. Though her curiosity is piqued by the shocking whispers of society ladies, she is too wary of causing scandal to indulge in an affair. But Tristan Knightley, Earl of Newcastle, tempts her to throw off propriety.

Tristan wants Olivia for his own, and has sworn off all others until he can rid himself of the obsession. He is sure once he has a taste, he will tire of her, and can return to his rakish existence. Unable to wait to have her in his bed, he invites her for a tryst at Lady Seductress's Ball...


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My Review:



First of all, this book includes explicit sex scenes and so it is not recommended for those under 18 years of age. So, with that out of the way...


The book starts with one of the many lascivous dreams Olivia, the Countess of March, has been having. And the main star is always the gorgeous rakehell Tristan, the Earl of Newcastle.


Olivia is suffering from what she calls 'amatory deficiency'. She yearns for a lover's hot touch and caress. All the things she's been hearing about in the ladies' retiring rooms. She craves and fantasizes for the attention and pleasure her sick, older husband hasn't been able to give her. She also regrets marrying him only to please her parents and to make their dying wish come true.


During her first dinner party, organized to celebrate her husband's recovery from a recent illness, she gets to meet Lord Tristan Newcastle. The tension becomes obvious and the sparks start to fly. After a brief rendezvous in the gardens they realize they cannot deny their desires anymore.


Olivia's husband, Henry, falls ill yet again. As he lays in bed dying, she receives a note from Tristan. It's an invitation for the Lady Seductress's Ball. The perfect place to enjoy any and all libidinous adventures, "where clothing is but a waste"...


Let me tell you something. This book made me crave quite a few things... LOL, including strawberries and honey. ;P


I really enjoyed the writing and how easily it flowed. The scenes were very hot, without being too much, and I liked the way romance blossomed from all that lust. You also get to see the couple's POVs, which is always nice.


What bothered me a bit (but not overly much, mind you), was that, given the time period the story was set in, there were a few words and expressions that didn't quite fit.
If you overlook it, you'll enjoy it immensely. It doesn't get in the way, really, but I've been reading a lot of historical romances lately, so I couldn't help but notice.
Yeah, I'm annoying like that.

Oh, by the way, the summary gives you the idea that the heroine was a virgin (which irks me tremendously. Why do all heroines HAVE to be virgins? Geez... talk about stereotypes! Not only in historicals, but also in contemporary romance! Do women like to think/remember about losing their virginity EVERYTIME they read a book? o.O But I digress.)
Anyway, as it turns out, she was NOT! Okay, maybe she was a virgin to good sex, but not literally a virgin (she WAS married, after all). Thank goodness. LOL


I would like to thank Carina Press and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book in advance.