@lynnebarron06 //

This is the third installment in the Idyllwild series and if I thought the first two were great this one is just mind-blowing extraordinary! 

Georgie Buchanan is intent on finding a secret when she meets Henry, Earl of Hastings. She is most definitely not his type (or so he thinks) but she is so elusive and sensual in her own way that he falls head over heals for her. She does her best to stop herself from developing feelings for the charming earl but nothing she does seems to help and she ends up falling for him as well.   

For all the outstanding lover and demimonde man Henry boasted to be, he was just a sweet, ingenuous boy that had lots to learn and Georgie was more than willing to be the teacher that procured the lessons. She indulged him when it served her purposes and loved him as far as her mind allowed her. But her true goal was not to secure a husband or even fall in love, oh no! Her true goal was to uncover a secret that had affected her since the day she was born and once she had exposed it for all the world to see, she thought she would liberate herself from a burden she’d been carrying all her life.

The story in itself was raw and honest. There were plenty of moments of pure, intense, and palpable human emotions just jumping out of the page. I wanted to scream and cry at the though of what Georgie (and countless other women) had to go through to be accepted and recognized in a society full of hypocrites. Henry was a caring man that wanted nothing more than have Georgie with him yet he was unable to see her as her own person with her own needs. On the other hand, there were moments I wanted to scream at Georgie for being so cruel with Henry, for breaking such a devoted, warm-hearted man; although in all honesty cruel might not be the right term because Georgie was just being Georgie and she was not being cruel, she was just opening his eyes to the reality of a world he had never set a foot in, either by choice or by lack of necessity.

The whole story was just perfect. It was a roller coaster of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. By the end of the book I had called Henry a sweet man, a rake, a cad, and I think I finally settled on sweet man again. Georgie was just spectacular; I don’t think I’ve ever read a more complex heroine with that many moral flaws (given the times) with such a peculiar way of seeing life. In my mind, it’s like each ruined the other by opening their hearts to something new and unexpected and I didn’t understand it until I got to turn the last page. They ruined each other in the most perfect of ways; they ruined each other by falling in love.

~ 5 glowing stars.

** I was gifted a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review **

This is the second installment in the Idyllwild series but as far as I could tell it could definitely be read as a standalone.

Olivia is a woman that although sheltered and outwardly quiet, has always had a buried salacious nature. She was raised to be proper lady, a proper daughter, then later in life, a proper wife, so she never had a chance to set her true nature free. But as she stumbles upon Jack, the man that once inspired feelings she didn’t know existed, she makes the decision to become the woman she always wanted to be: free and wicked.  

“…I’m not a woman you want to trifle with today.”

“No,”… “You are a woman to be reckoned with.”

Ah! Olivia and Jack exploded with blazing, molten passion! I’ve read other steamy historical stories but this book went beyond that. I wouldn’t even call it erotic (although by definition that’s what it is) because the way their relationship was handled was too personal and deep. She started off as a woman with a curious mind and he of course was only too happy to oblige.

I liked that as the relationship grew, she still sounded a bit naïve yet strong enough to go for what she wanted. When they fought the way they reconciled their differences made the fight worth it. And the things they BOTH said and/or did had me laughing, gasping, or wanting to slap them both upside the head for their idiotic or naughty behavior. At any rate, it was a pleasure to see how their relationship evolved and reached their HEA.

Now, about the plot excluding the romance. There wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with it but there were times it felt a bit unbelievable given the times it was set. And I don’t mean the sex scenes, because as I’ve said, I didn’t mind those at all but for example, the conversations some of the ladies were having with male company present had me questioning the historical accuracy. Then again the story is not your typical clean romance so I guess their conversations could be expected to be more risqué?

Some SPOILERS AHEAD:

Also, there were other arcs that I thought were incomplete. Olivia’s older child was called “precocious” but I never understood what the point was of her being that way. Olivia’s mother makes an appearance again (she’s first introduced in the first book) and offers a side of her that I can only refer to as unhinged. Olivia does worry about her but after that we don’t know more of her or her health. I can only hope we find out more about them in the next book. SPOILERS over.

All in all, it was a great read and it has reaffirmed Lynn Barron as an autobuy author for me. 4 stars.

** I was gifted a copy of this story by the author in exchange for an honest review ** 

This is my first story by the author and I’m oh, so happy I got the chance to read it. It was passionate, sweet, raw, and steamy, all beautifully combined into a seamlessly concoction of a satisfying love tale.

Our heroine had a flair for honesty and forwardness that was deemed as brazen by the ton but in my eyes she simply sounded fresh and candid. I’ve read other heroines that had to be portrayed as heedless and bossy in order to sound strong but that was not the case here. Beatrice was strong-minded, resolute, and a bit ahead of her time but never sounded annoying. That’s always a plus in my book.

Simon, was also a strong character and the chemistry between the two was off the charts. At the beginning he’s skeptical of Beatrice’s motives to have approached his family and well into the story he goes as far as believing what they say about her but once he uncovers the truth, her past, and her true motives, he realizes how much he loves her and does everything within his power to make her stay with him. 

The heart of the story is of course the romance and the connection between the main characters but there is also a mystery to be unraveled that had me connecting the dots and guessing until the end.

The author Lynne Barron is now an auto-buy and I will definitely continue reading the other books in the series.

** I was gifted a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an hones review **