Review + Giveaway - Ripe For Pleasure by Isobel Carr

TITLE:    Ripe for Pleasure
AUTHOR:    Isobel Carr
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 298 pages
PUBLISHED:   Forever, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Blog Tour

FROM GOODREADS:    Second in line, first in love



A secret society of younger sons, sworn to aid and abet each other, no matter the scandal or cost.... Their fathers and brothers may rule the world, but they run it . . . and when it comes to passion, they refuse to accept second best.

Searching for hidden treasure, finding forbidden fantasy.


London's most sensual former courtesan, Viola Whedon, is incapable of being seduced-she does the seducing. Until she meets Leonidas Vaughn. Her salacious memoirs have made her the target of half the lords in England, and Vaughn is the only man she can turn to. When he promises to protect her-and to make her beg for his touch-the alluring beauty finds both offers impossible to refuse.

Leonidas Vaughn secretly believes Viola possesses a fortune given to his family by the King of France. So the strong and sexy Vaughn charms his way into Viola's life . . . and her bed. But when their arrangement is consummated, he'll experience pleasure far beyond his wildest fantasies-and realize his heart may need the most protection of all.
MY TAKE:    Isobell Carr has a hit on her hands with this first book in her new series:  The League of Second Sons.  I enjoyed the book immensely from start to finish.

I like stories where strong personalities enter a situation with set-in-stone ideas and strict goals in mind.  A truly talented author like Ms. Carr can really wreak havoc on these people and create a great story full of twists and turns.  She takes Viola and Leo both out of their comfort zones and puts them into one dangerous situation after another.  Their journey is a fun ride for the reader as they play cat and mouse games with the cream of society as well as the dregs of humanity.

Characters are what make this story rock.  You can't help but love Leo and Viola.  They both have emotional baggage because of family issues and you find yourself rooting for them to get their acts together.  Their supporting cast is a lot of fun with Leo's sister Beau ~ short for Boudicea and his good friend Sandison becoming my early favorites.  The two of them provide a lot of support, as well as laughable moments in the story.  (I'm thrilled that the next installment in The League of Second Sons will be Ripe for Scandal - starring Lady Boudicea Vaughn and Gareth Sandison!)

There is a lot of steam and sexy situations in this hot new story.  I think anyone who enjoys a fun historical romp will enjoy spending an afternoon with Leo and Viola.
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

A bit about the Author:

ISOBEL CARR is single, child-free, and a committed "dog person" (the bigger the dog the better). She has taught creative writing, horseback riding, and seminars on historical costuming. She can start a fire without matches and hitch a team of horses to a wagon. She can also spend nine hours in a Victorian corset without a problem but can't wear heels for more than four hours. She laughed all the way through every episode of Colonial House, and if she could only watch one movie for the rest of her life, it would be Impromptu. 

Five Fun Facts

1.The treasure Leo and Viola are looking for is real. The King of France really did send a fortune to support Bonnie Price Charlie in his bid for the English throne, but the rebellion collapsed before the money reached him, and no one knows what happened to it.


2.There’s a lot of Joan from Mad Men in Viola.

3.The idea to give all the kids in Leo’s family historical names was inspired by real men from the era named Hannibal, Achilles, Hercules, and Perseus.

4.The heroine’s dog was inspired by Isobel’s very own dog, Clancy, a Bullmastiff/Neapolitan Mastiff cross and two of his littermates, who are owned by her best friend and her little sister. And yes, that means there’s a minimum of 500 lbs of dog at every dinner party and holiday.

5.The idea of a man marrying his mistress in the Georgian era wasn’t all that far-fetched. Charles James Fox, the famous Whig politician, did it (and they lived quite happily at Strawberry Fields; yes, that Strawberry Fields) as did the 5th Duke of Devonshire, the 1st Baron Carteret, the 1st Earl of Orford, the 3rd Viscount Palmerston, and Sir Robert Wilmot.

  

To learn more about Isobel Carr and The League of Second Sons, check out:

Isobel's Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Isobelle Carr and Hachette Books are giving three of you lucky readers a chance to win your own copy of Ripe for Pleasure.  As usual, easy entry:

• Must be age 13 or older
• US or Canada residents
• NO PO Boxes
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Drawing ends 5/23
• Winners will have 72 hours to respond to winning email
• One prize of this title per household

Good luck and

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.