The Heroine
Abigail Wynfred is an almost-thirty spinster who is passed around between her brother and sisters in her unmarried, lonely state. A few weeks before she turns thirty, she decides to take a quiet vacation by herself to the seaside to spend one last time with her erotic book collection. She has decided that she will give up her dreams of a passionate marriage, be rid of her book collection and marry whomever her siblings choose for her.

The Hero
Colonel Robert Coally is recovering from a war injury. Having been born in the poor parts of London, he choose to become a soldier at a very young age to avoid the fate of hard labor on the streets only to find a hard life as a soldier. He has killed many man and seen many horrors and desperately wants to live out his fantasies with a woman before he is certain death will find him on the battlefield soon.

The Plot
Robert happens to stumble into Abigail's seaside cottage after bring thrown from his horse in the midst of a raging storm. Having caught her reading her scandalous books, she proposes a deal where they live out their fantasies with each other as long as the storm rages outside the little cabin. What ensues is not only passion but a deep, deep love and understanding that develops between them as they not only share their bodies, they share their lives, their fears, and their dreams.

This was a quick read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sometimes when books focus on the bedroom passion, they miss the mark on the emotion between the characters. And while some of the scenes did read a little robotic, I DEFINITELY felt Robert and Abigail falling for each other as they spent their two days together. And I had such angst with the misunderstanding (I hate that as a trope), but I was so pleased that Robert was able to use common sense and realize what Abigail might have been thinking to make her react the way she did. I won't say too much about the circumstances, but just know, it was the best ending!

Tropes
Historical Romance, Victorian Era, Seaside, Gamma Hero, Dark Hero, Disabled/Wounded Hero, Scared Hero, Soldier/War Hero, War Hero, Aggressive Heroine, Bookworm Heroine, Independent Heroine, Spinster Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Outdoor Steam, Dirty Talk, Class Difference, Fling to Love, Forced Proximity ( )

Recommended by Lady Rhyleigh for ARe Cafe.

Abigail wanted one last time to spend alone with her dreams and erotic novels. The spinster was going to enjoy her vacation until she had to return to London and the realities that awaited her. Now 30 and still a virgin, she would offer herself to the stranger her family had picked to be her husband.

Colonel Robert Coally should never have stepped out into the storm. His leg was killing him and the throw from the horse was no help either. His desire to find female company to find solace in had been stoked by his want to, if just for one night, forget the war–the killing, the pain and his part in it all. Stumbling into the small cottage, he is drawn to the woman hiding away, and the pleasure he finds in her arms is more than he ever imagined when he had set out on the dreary day.

Abigail could not allow herself to pass up the chance at living her fantasy, but in the cold light of day she sees not only the man beside her for what he is, but herself for what she truly is, as well, an almost 30-year old spinster reading “The Pearl” instead of some devotional that would be expected of a virgin. No wonder he took it upon himself to take her to bed, thinking her a whore. Investigating each other’s bodies, they live out their fantasies before reality pulls them back to both the mundane life awaiting and the future filled with even more death and loneliness.

I found myself wrapped up in the emotion of this book. This rerelease was a first time read for me and I was very much delighted with this erotic romance. A little spicy, sinful and naughty, Abigail’s desire to experience the sexual delights like those in her books portrays her as a very real and sexually imaginative woman. A woman who is tired of living between the pages and wants to find out for herself what it feels like to love and be loved. Robert was a broken man but being with the beauty heals him in a way he never imagined possible. Together they proved that they were not only able to heal the broken parts of their souls, but find a love they had long searched for. ( )

Erotica at its best! Read it in one sitting. Could not put it down!!! ( )