The Viscount’s Bluestocking Vixen

To save herself from heartache, Lady Katherine Moncrieffe, a thirty-three-year-old widow, has done her best to portray herself as a bluestocking following the loss of her husband, and then her fiancé. She buries herself in books, trying to create the best collection possible for her father. When she learns there is one copy left of a book of poetry that shows her mother in a light that would ruin her reputation, Katherine sets out to get it—from none other than the Rogue, Viscount Satterfield. Nathaniel Harkness has buried his grief over the loss of his first and second wives in playing the rogue to the fullest extent. When Katherine enters his life searching for a book in his possession, something sparks to life in both of them.

Both Katherine and Nathaniel are delightful characters in their own rights, both hiding themselves behind masks to keep themselves from being hurt by love and loss again. The banter between them will bring a smile to readers’ faces throughout the tale. However, the sexcapades the pair indulge in stretches believability to the breaking point for the time period in which the story’s set (1819). Their sexual encounters, of which there are many, seem far more fitting for a modern-day tale than a period piece, and the fact Katherine is unchaperoned at the Viscount’s house is also unlikely for the time period. Nevertheless, the underlying tale of lost loves, loneliness, and longing for more in their lives is sweet, and one will feel for both protagonists. If one is looking for a fun, not historically-accurate, steamy tale, this one is definitely a top choice.

Piper Valentine