This was my first book by Courtney Milan, and while I didn’t love it, I’ll definitely give her another shot. I know she is a popular author, and I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for her books, so I finally read one. I do think many people will love this book, but it was just ok for me.
The hero is Sir Mark Turner, the brother of a duke and the author of A Practical Guide to Male Chastity, which has made him quite a celebrity in Victorian-era England. He has never wished for the adulation the masses seem intent to bestow on him, and has decided to escape the chaos of London for his childhood home in the country.
Enter the heroine, Jessica. She is a courtesan, with a desperate need to become a former courtesan. In pursuit of her goal, she has traveled to Sir Mark’s hometown, posing as a lonely widow, in hopes of seducing him. Jessica’s last protector has promised her a significant amount of money if she will discredit the very publicly chaste Sir Mark by seducing him and providing evidence of his downfall for the papers.
I really liked Jessica. She’s a very intelligent, resourceful woman who turned to life as a courtesan when her father disowned her after a youthful indiscretion at fourteen. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself, just sees her life as it is and is doing her best to survive and improve her lot with the one thing she has at her disposal in Victorian society – her beauty. She takes responsibility for her actions, and is determined to become completely independent, and the victim of no one.
I was much less impressed with Mark. It seems everything he does is the right thing. He’s a nice guy, a virgin – as everyone feels the need to mention multiple times for at least the first half of the book – and quickly becomes infatuated with Jessica. But he’s just too perfect to my mind. He keeps saying that he doesn’t want anyone to put him on a pedestal, that he’s a real man with real flaws, but I don’t need him to tell me that, I want to see it. I suppose the author gave him a bit of a temper in an attempt to give him a personality defect, but he never seems to completely lose his temper, and when he does let go a bit, the results always seem to be positive. It was more of a plot device than a character trait.
Despite my problem with Mark, the first half of the book was good, with Jessica and Mark getting to know each other. Despite Jessica’s ultimate goal of seducing him, she is honest with him about herself and even warns him away from her. Of course he doesn’t listen, and she stops short of telling him exactly why she wants to seduce him, but she doesn’t do or say anything that is an outright lie, so there’s not a whole lot of tension about him finding out what her ulterior motive actually is. At any point it is completely plausible that he could find out, shrug, and say that he understands and forgives her.
But Mark and Jessica’s relationship is not what I really had a problem with in this book. The author packs in a lot of aphorisms and commentary on Victorian society. Yes, of course I think it was a problem that respectable young women could make the smallest of missteps and be condemned by society, but men could virtually get away with anything. Of course I think it’s horrible how reporters follow celebrities and report on all of their comings and goings, and of course I don’t think that a woman always need a man to save her. But I also don’t want a sermon while I’m reading a romance novel. I think all of the points the author wants to make are valid, but they’re so obvious and modern that it really took me out of the story and caused me quite a bit of frustration.
The last nitpick I have is that everyone seems to be a good person, ultimately, with the exception of the “villain”, who ends up getting dealt with in a manner you can see from a mile away. There are quite a few people that do bad things, and yet the all get redeemed in the end, and everyone is forgiven. This may not be a problem for some readers, but I like my romances to be a bit more realistic, and everyone doesn’t have to be a “good” person.
If your a fan of the “grand gesture”, and sweet romance with modern heroes/heroines in a historical setting, then you’ll love this book. If you don’t, prepare yourself for teeth cavities and a lot of eye rolls.
But I also don’t want a sermon while I’m reading a romance novel. I think all of the points the author wants to make are valid, but they’re so obvious and modern that it really took me out of the story and caused me quite a bit of frustration.
CM is always a wee bit anachronistic in that way, but that’s partly why she works so well for me. YMMV. Her Turner series were among the first romances I read (literally, I think they were three out of the first five) and as a newcomer to the genre and full of snobbish skepticism about the existence of “good” romance, I was relieved to see that romance wasn’t all limp women being ravished. Which isn’t to say that less sermony authors are all garbage — I know that now — but as an introduction, she was very declarative in her feminism, so I had proof right away that those sensibilities couldn’t be at odds with a romantic story.
Don’t worry, the first Courtney Milan I read was just okay for me as well. Keep delving deeper though. Suffragette Scandal is in my top ten romances (and will never be budged from there), and a bunch of her novellas are better than most other romance novels. Give her a shot with the Brothers Sinister series. It’s well worth it!
Your comment about novellas made me remember that I have read her before – I read the Governess Affair, and really liked it. I can’t remember why I didn’t read more in the series. I going to read Smite’s story next. I found him interesting and he didn’t seem like he would annoy me so much with his perfection.
The Governess Affair was my first Milan and is probably still my favorite (although Suffragette Scandalis also amazingly good). I am just starting on the Turner series now, and finding it very obviously her early work. :)
Same here! I just did not feel the first Milan I read (Proof By Seduction) – but the love she received here, and particularly from Mrs. J and Malin with whom I share a very similar taste in authors, made me read more. I felt that I must have missed something that others loved her so much. Brothers Sinister is an excellent series. And Suffragette Scandal is the only romance I have ever give an A++++ to. I have the Turner books in my TBR because I feel like I must hoard good authors for days when I can savor them. This is the one I was most excited about, but now I have some trepidation since the last thing I want is to be preached at through my fluffy reading.
You read Milan’s first book as your first Milan book? That’s trippy.
I give all glory to Malin for suggesting Milan AND Dare and man, many more authors.
It sounds pretentious, but I think The Suffragette Scandal is a masterpiece of the genre.
It absolutely is! I think everyone should read that book. My library only had Proof By Seduction at the time, so that’s the one I tried first. Then, when I decided to revisit, Governess Affair was free – so why not! My horrific library took AGES to get more in. But I have purchased them all now anyway. Except the newest. Since everyone’s reviews were middling I figure I’ll wait until more of the series is out.
I love Smite’s story, even though it has its flaws. I really hope you like it. Unveiled was my first Milan novel, and I found Unclaimed the weakest of that trilogy. The Suffragette Scandal is probably my favourite romance novel in the world that isn’t Pride and Prejudice, which is saying a lot. I rated it 6 out of 5 stars, because it’s just that awesome.