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Merriam Everett has been shy all of her life. She had dutifully followed the constraints of Society, her father and even her late husband all of her life, but now she has decided that for one night only, she will take a risk for herself. For one night only, she has her heart set on seduction. Overhearing the handsome Julian Clay denounce her as “whey-faced” had sent her over the edge, and she’s determined that she will show him that, sometimes, even shy and docile widows can be enchanting and leave a man wanting more.
However, on the night of the masked ball, things go farther than Merriam had ever imagined they would. And worse still, Merriam soon finds that she had seduced the wrong man! Julian Clay, the man she had so badly wanted to teach a lesson to, had not been the incredible stranger she’d been with at the masked ball. Her worst fears are soon realized when the mystery man discovers her identity.
Drake Sotherton had only recently returned to England from an eight-year self-imposed exile. And he is back for only one reason, to exact vengeance upon a murderer. He has become quite certain that Julian Clay was the man who had murdered his wife. Now, he’s prepared to bring Julian down by any means necessary – even if those means include the mysterious seductress who so unexpectedly entered his life at a certain masked ball.
Author Renee Bernard has crafted a conundrum in A LADY’S PLEASURE. More erotica than romance, A LADY’S PLEASURE is not what is expected from the historical romance genre. Every element of the book, from characters to plot, has been written quite masterfully, however the ‘romantic’ scenes are incredibly graphic, sometimes crossing the line from sensuous to sadistic. The premise is certainly unique – a heroine who mistakenly seduces the wrong man – but the novel deals more in gratification than romance. Unless readers are specifically looking for erotica, I would advise them to stay away from A LADY’S PLEASURE. However, if an erotica novel is what readers are after, A LADY’S PLEASURE will surely meet and exceed their expectations!
Reviewed by Janean Nusz
for The Road to Romance
December 2, 2006
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