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The Trouble with Virtue An Anthology Hqn Stephanie Laurens Alison DeLaine Books

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The Trouble with Virtue An Anthology Hqn Stephanie Laurens Alison DeLaine Books

...it apparently robs you of your ability to think logically and to reason. I had a hard time connecting with either of the heroines, or at the very least, sympathizing, but I think it had more to do with the fact that these were novellas. In both cases, I think these stories would have been better served as full length novels because I didn't really find either romance credible. Both stories also seemed to end rather abruptly. Neither story was bad and both authors can definitely write; I've read and enjoyed Stephanie Laurens' books before, but Alison DeLaine is a new author for me and I'll likely be looking up some of her other books.

:::Possible Spoilers Alert:::
A Comfortable Wife suffers from two issues that I cannot stand (for others, it may not be a problem): the dreaded Big Misunderstanding and the change in personality. Antonia sees another woman plastering herself against Lord Ruthven and instantly jumps to the wrong conclusion. She then does not give him a chance to explain until the very end of the story. They kiss and make up and BOOM, story is pretty much over. She also goes from being fairly level-headed young woman of 24 to acting like a 16 year-old twit. By the end, I was actually hoping that Ruthven would pick someone else.

A Lady by Day was actually pretty good but didn't quite make the mark as a novella. The sexual attraction was definitely there but the romance seemed a bit rushed. There were also a lot of really good and interesting elements like Josephine acting as her uncle's man of business or her back story that I think deserved more.


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The Trouble with Virtue An Anthology Hqn Stephanie Laurens Alison DeLaine Books Reviews

I lost count of the number of times that either the hero or heroine said "Indeed." Very little plot. Also, I did not understand it was two stories by two different authors. I thought the second author listed had collaborated with Laurens on her story. The plot in the second story was garbled and hard to follow. I gave up on it after 5 pages.
This was a pretty good two-fer. I tend to read just about anything new by Stephanie Laurens, and while I hadn't been interested in the Lester Trilogy by her (I got into her when I discovered the Cynsters and haven't really felt tempted by the Lesters), the description for this book and the sample convinced me to get it. And I'm so glad I did!

There's no need to read the Lester trilogy in order to understand this story, although some of the characters are referenced and it did make me a bit curious. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Philip and Antonia; it was refreshing to read about a strong female character who doesn't have the training to just swan through the ton and who realizes it. I also liked that she was prepping herself to be a certain kind of wife, only to realize that love can't be controlled; seeing her observations about how couples within the ton acted towards each other was also fascinating. And I totally fell head over heels for Phillip who was a thoroughly alpha hero, although not quite as tyrannical as the Cynster set.

The best part about this book was that it was immediately followed by another! Alison DeLaine was a new author for me but this was a great introduction to her work. Sir Noah Rutledge is absolutely delicious, Josephine is both strong and interesting with her hidden sense of adventure and her checkered past... I love that her main flaw is that she's not as flawed as she thinks she is. Does that make sense? She's doing so much to cover up her past that she's not really living in the present until Noah comes along and breaks into her senses. Watching her try to do the right thing for her nieces, especially Pauline who is so like her, was both warming and frustrating because the reader just KNOWS that she's giving Pauline the wrong advice, trying to steer her away from repeating Josephine's mistakes... but they weren't really mistakes! Not in life, although they would certainly be considered so among the ton.

At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books, I thought it was a great two-for-one deal and I can definitely recommend for Laurens fans who enjoy the seduction / chase without any danger, and for anyone who likes a strong heroine and an alpha male hero.
A Comfortable Wife Along the typical vein of "The Lesters" of Stephanie Laurens, this story kept plodding along. It took me longer to read it than some of her other works, but I have to admit, I've read some of her other works like "Devil's Bride" more than half a dozen times, so that may account for it. It was a very fulfilling story, but it took sooooo long to get there, then, suddenly, the book was over! Not even an Epilog. I gave it only 3 stars because the romance was almost nonexistant. What was there was mostly at the end of the book & was very, very soft indeed! If you want more erotic romance, don't miss Laurens' Cynster Series or her Bastion Club Series. Those are stories that will linger in your mind for a while & you will definitely re-read some of them if you have a "keeper shelf" or a . I'm not one to want to know about every bath or meal or what was served for dinner when I'm engrossed in a story & this one met my expectations. So, I think "A Comfortable Wife" is worth the $$$$.
My first read by DeLaine story........This story is rates about the same. Abbreviated & rushed at the end. I would have enjoyed a little longer story. But, it was OK. Again, worth the $$$ for 2 stories. Soft erotic. Interaction between the two main characters, but romance between them nonexistant.
...it apparently robs you of your ability to think logically and to reason. I had a hard time connecting with either of the heroines, or at the very least, sympathizing, but I think it had more to do with the fact that these were novellas. In both cases, I think these stories would have been better served as full length novels because I didn't really find either romance credible. Both stories also seemed to end rather abruptly. Neither story was bad and both authors can definitely write; I've read and enjoyed Stephanie Laurens' books before, but Alison DeLaine is a new author for me and I'll likely be looking up some of her other books.

Possible Spoilers Alert
A Comfortable Wife suffers from two issues that I cannot stand (for others, it may not be a problem) the dreaded Big Misunderstanding and the change in personality. Antonia sees another woman plastering herself against Lord Ruthven and instantly jumps to the wrong conclusion. She then does not give him a chance to explain until the very end of the story. They kiss and make up and BOOM, story is pretty much over. She also goes from being fairly level-headed young woman of 24 to acting like a 16 year-old twit. By the end, I was actually hoping that Ruthven would pick someone else.

A Lady by Day was actually pretty good but didn't quite make the mark as a novella. The sexual attraction was definitely there but the romance seemed a bit rushed. There were also a lot of really good and interesting elements like Josephine acting as her uncle's man of business or her back story that I think deserved more.