Michaels' Wicked Woodleys Series (Forbidden: Book 1)

The Wicked Woodleys (Book One: Forbidden)

Jess Michaels

Stars:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (mystery; devoted family; feisty heroine; hot hero; we get out of London; HEAT!)

Heat rating:   🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+ (see the SEX-AND-SPOILERS section.)

It actually took me a while to start reading Jess Michaels. I do not know what took me so long, because her books are legit magic. As I’ve said, I knew almost NOTHING about romance novels before the end of last year, but I recognized JM’s name. I was many months into my new obsession before I tried one of her books, then kicked myself for waiting so long.😫

Forbidden begins The Wicked Woodleys series and it’s a romance with some mystery elements. The last work in The Notorious Flynns series, A Marquis for Mary, is the prequel to this series, introducing Edward, Lord Woodley. You actually meet this book’s H and h there as well, Jude and Audrey (Edward’s sister). You don’t have to read that one before you start this one (I didn’t, but I did go back and read the Flynns later). I read this one first because it was on Kindle Unlimited, but went back to purchase it to keep. That’s code for, “it’s good.”

Okay, you almost let me forget my COVER RATING: this one gets an A. They’re both hot, the purple background is cool, the way he’s got her dress undone and his hand drifting into naughty territory . . . perfection.💕

Jude Samson is Edward’s man of affairs, but he’s as close as a brother to the family. Well, his feelings for Audrey (and hers for him) aren’t that of siblings. And that’s the problem. Also, Jude has got some major secrets he’s hiding.

So here we go! Warning: get some cold water ready because JM’s sex scenes are HOT. JM does her own thing and we love her for it. I have seen Amazon reviews that say there’s too much sex, but that's not my opinion: (Seriously, what? Who are you and why are you reading romance books, then? In the immortal words of Luther Vandross: “never too much, never too much, never too much . . . ”).

Forbidden begins in 1816 with the wedding of Audrey’s brother Edward, the Marquis, to Mary. Edward’s been estranged from the family, but has come back with a wonderful woman. Mary is sister to Gemma from The Notorious Flynns: The Widow Wager, and she’s featured heavily in that book. As I said, above, Mary and Edward have their own novella as well. But you can do what I did and start with this book and then backtrack.

That wasn’t REALLY a squirrel encounter, because I stayed on the topic (sort of). Now I have to scroll up and figure out exactly where I stopped . . .

Wedding. Right. Audrey slips away and is hiding in the loft above the stables, but someone has been sent to find her: Jude. Jude is part of the family, a brother to her brothers. But Audrey feels something that’s not filial. She can’t stop watching him, and Jude has no idea . . . or does he? ❓❓❓

He comes to sit by her in the loft, and they discuss the Woodley sister, Claire, who has run away to marry a bad man. Claire has a one-way correspondence with her twin, Gabriel, but makes sure not to give any hint of where she actually is. The family is frantic looking for her, and apparently it’s actually partially Jude’s responsibility to find Claire and bring her home. They return to the party and brother Edward, who is the one who sent Jude to find her in the first place, asks him how his sister is actually doing. Although Jude can tell she’s not happy and is just pretending to be, Jude says she’s fine—he doesn’t want to betray the friendship he has with Audrey. Oh, and he also has secret thoughts and desires regarding Audrey that he does NOT want Edward to know about. The plot thickens. Plus, Edward is so happy on his wedding day, Jude doesn’t want to spoil it; Edward was previously married to a woman named Alice who made his life hell, but who has since died—if you haven’t read the prequel, I won’t spoil it for you, but the entire story is in that book. Alice was 💩.

By page 6, you know Jude has some secrets that he’s keeping from everyone. He’s away a lot, and everything thinks it has to do with his widowed mother, who is stricken with arthritis. But he can’t tell anyone what is going on: “Edward and his brothers Evan and Gabriel were truly the best friends he had ever had. And a few years ago, he might have confided in Edward. Except his secret had so much to do with the Woodley family. So much to do with betrayal and regret.” Apparently, Jude has been keeping a secret for a while, and it’s sounds like it must be a biggie. Hmmmm.

Okay, so Audrey thinks she’s hiding things well, but everyone knows something is up. A lot of it has to do with Claire, whose disappearance is affecting the entire family. Her mother suggests they go to one of their estates, Briarlake Cross, since she will probably end up living there as her dower residence (Constant Reader, y’all know how excited I get over dower houses, so I was screaming for Audrey to agree). Heck yeah, says Audrey. She loves that place and it will give her a respite from the horrendous Season (she’s 24, she is not interested in any of the men who want her, and she can also get a break from Jude). Oh wait, Edward says Jude needs to go with them. Uh oh. Collision imminent. Though Audrey has no idea—she thinks he’d laugh at her if she confessed her feelings. These two are beyond clueless. 🙄 New sis-in-law Mary sees it, and offers to be a sympathetic ear, but Audrey declines.

So we are back to Jude and the Woodley boys hanging out. Apparently, Jude is the grandson of a viscount, but when his father died, the family shunned him and his mother, and they would have been in bad shape had it not been for Edward. So when Edward says he needs to escort Lady Woodley and Audrey to Briarlake Cross, there’s nothing Jude can do but agree. He rides outside the carriage and avoids them at the coaching inn. As soon as he can dash away from Audrey, he does, and goes to his cottage to hide. But he can’t stop thinking about her and imagining what wicked tings he could do to her. And this, Constant Reader, is why Jess Michaels books are an auto-buy for me. No 60% rule in her universe. On page 22, Jude has taken himself in hand to try to alleviate the longing he has for Audrey. (Y’all know the deal; look in the sex-and-spoilers section for the nitty gritty details, which are worth it). “Those fantasies would tide him over, at least for a little while. But he knew they would be back. And even sooner if he saw Audrey. Which he would often do in the next three weeks.” See, the problem is, he’s having trouble ignoring those fantasies. It’s gotten to the point where he has to do deep breathing exercises and put on a show to even be around her at breakfast. Jude has got it bad.

I really do like this book, but the fact that neither of them has a clue about how the other one feels is driving me nuts. That being said, I have actually been in relationships like this, so I know it’s actually possible, which is probably why it’s making me crazy. Le sigh. 

So he’s prepared for breakfast with Audrey and her mother, but . . . Lady Woodley isn’t feeling well, so it’s just them. Audrey’s actually been alone since they got there the night before, because the way he rolled out immediately made her think she did something to upset him. Audrey launches into a discussion of what needs to be done around the house, and he’s freaking out because it’s going to be just him and Audrey. And just like a man, he cannot suppress his discomfort and, of course, Audrey thinks it’s because he can’t stand her or something. He reassures her that it’s nothing of the sort, and she prepares to tackle renovating the house. “He followed, but when she wasn’t looking his face fell again. He was playing with fire. And he feared they would both get burned” (27).

Poor Jude—next stop, shopping. As someone who hates shopping (thank you, online shopping!), I feel for my man. Audrey wants to know where he has been disappearing to recently, thinking he’s been visiting a woman. He tells her he’s been visiting his mother, which is partially true. His mom has severe arthritis. Audrey remembers her from back in the day, and says she’ll write to her, which makes Jude happy. Sadly, his mom’s arthritis is so severe, she cannot even write letters herself. On the way there, once Audrey admits that they’re in for a long day of looking at fabric, and sees the horror on his face, she says she’ll get him biscuits. “ ‘Bribery with food will not work,’ he says, and she teases back, ‘Then what could I offer to tempt you?’ ” And he doesn’t laugh like she expected. He looks at her in a seductive way that she just cannot understand—she has always had deep feelings for him, but this may be the first time she’s seen the same reflected in his expression. Interesting.

So they’re in the fabric shop, and the shop keeper has the mistaken impression that they’re married. She explains they’re not married and Jude notes he’s the marquis’ man of affairs. The shopkeeper apologizes and then adds, “How foolish of me. I would never have implied that the daughter of a marquis would be wed to a servant” (31). WTAF, dude? Audrey sticks up for Jude, noting that he’s the grandson of a viscount and a good friend. Jude decides he’s not in the mood for biscuits anyway. Well, Audrey wants to walk the mile back to the house. On the way, he says she didn’t need to take up for him, and recounts the story of his dickish paternal relatives, who dropped him and his mother completely when his father died. See, his dad married for love, not for status, as his family had hoped. And Jude and Audrey have a moment, well nearly a moment. His fingers brush her cheek and he sees something in her eyes that he recognizes, but cannot fathom—desire. And boom, the gates go back up again.

These two are so damned clueless.

Anyway, Lady Woodley is feeling pretty lousy, so Audrey and Jude are stuck doing the renovations alone. He starts the day with the horses, and we meet Warrick Blackwood, who will figure into the fourth book. (I actually had to come back and edit this, because as I was rereading the 4th book, it hit me that War looks like Joe Manganiello in my head; also here.) Audrey drags Jude back to the house (you know he was hiding from her) and sets to painting her favorite room. She gets paint on her cheek and he reaches toward her and they finally have A MOMENT. She’s waiting for him to kiss her and then . . . she jumps away like he’s a venomous reptile. It’s awkward. She asks if he was going to kiss her and he cannot lie, so he admits he was. So she tells him she’s wanted that kiss basically her whole life, and she wants him, but she’s afraid of passion.

It sounds corny until you think about it. Claire is gone because of passion for a bad man. Edward was passionate about his first wife Alice, and that was a cluster f***. So it makes sense for Audrey to be afraid of passion. He tries to explain to her that is not a worthy fear, and that desire is natural. She doesn’t believe him so he does what he has to do, and finally kisses her. And what a kiss. I should do a rating of authors who can describe a kiss and Jess Michaels would probably win every time. She really has a talent in her descriptions. She makes you remember any amazing kiss you’ve ever had that rivals the one you’re reading about. But just when she’s got you joining in and licking your lips, Jude tears himself from her, and scarpers. He is beating himself up about even coming to Briarlake, “but he knew why. He hadn’t stayed away because deep in his heart he had wanted this to happen. Worse, he had known it would” (49). He is literally almost running from her, but he’s clearly forgotten that Audrey is hella persistent. She goes after him. And he’s too far gone to lie to her—he admits that he’s wanted Audrey for as long as he can remember, but it won’t work and she should forget him. Yeah, right. Man, he’s going off the deep end, telling her she should report him to her brother so he will be fired and she’s done listening to this claptrap, and grabs him and kisses him. He’s done. They’re out in the open, and he could not care less, because soon he’s got her pressed up against a tree with his hands beneath her skirt. Constant Reader, you know the deal ▼▼▼

Anyway, because he’s Jude, he is immediately mortified and regretful: “ ‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured, both meaning it and not meaning it.” And races off like a rabbit.

My man, pleasuring a virginal woman, apologizing, and running away is not going to do wonders for her self esteem (sarcasm font). I am sure she thinks she’s some sort of monster who sickened you. Sigh.

Oh, but I gotta give Audrey credit for being a badass. She’s not turned off. She wants MORE. She was afraid of passion, but one effective feeling up outside and she’s transformed. For Audrey, the heavens parted and the angels sang and she’s about to strut up the walkway and dance into the house like George Michael’s Freedom! ‘90 video. (I love George Michael. You’ll be hearing more from him.) Alas, her mom is up and looking for her, so she has to put on the regular old Audrey act. But her mind is whirring; she looks out the window of her mother’s room and sees the tree where she and Jude just got their freak on, and she formulates a plan. Now, mind you, she tries to convince herself that she’s doing it for science, and not just the fact that she wants Jude (as always) but has finally understood that HE. WANTS. HER. TOO. (YOLO, my lady.)

Later, while he’s sitting in front of his cottage, beating himself all to hell, while remembering how her face looked when she came, he sees a lantern and he KNOWS it’s her. Oh, he tries to be brusque and basically turn her off with rudeness, actually telling her they should pretend it didn’t happen, but Audrey is one of the most honest people he’s ever known, and she is going to say her piece and, in the process, shake him to the core:

“ ‘No, no, I don’t think that will be possible for me [to pretend as if it never happened]. I feel like I was sleeping and you . . . you woke me up. Now I can’t just go back to sleep like a child.’ ” (61)

Not only is she telling him her real and authentic feelings, but she’s also making note that she is no longer a child. She’s old enough to know what she wants. He thought he was shook, but wait, there’s more . . . She wants to embark on an affair with him, hoping that if she can learn to embrace her passion with him, a man she trusts (she nearly slips up and admits her love for him), she might be able to consider trying to live the life her family wants (marriage, kids, etc.). Okay, so I know she thinks this sounds like a good deal, but he rightfully asks her if she’s considered him in this—“ ‘Don’t you understand, Audrey? I want to claim you. I want to take you. I want to introduce you to everything wicked and wanton. What we would do would change you at your core.’ ” Hell, forget Audrey, I want to meet this man. Well, I gotta give our virginal heroine props; she does not shy away, though I don’t love the way she downplays it to him (she’s gonna give my dude a complex), that it’s just a way to purge her desires. Yeah, he says, but what if he can’t purge her, since he’s felt this way about her for 7 years.

Audrey REALLY has no clue how he’s felt about her for 7-freaking-years. And Jude is getting hella fed up:

“ ‘Are you really so obtuse, Audrey? So blind to the fact that I have wanted you from the first moment I saw you? That I have spent the intervening years trying to pound it out by staying away from you? By tupping other women while I pictured your face? That with every moment I shared with you as your friend that I burned?’ He pivoted back and rushed up on her like a bull, but stopped short of touching her. ‘I burn for you, Audrey. Every fucking moment of every damned day.’ ” (64)

Jude is legit hot. How can you resist that? Oh, no worries, Constant Reader, she doesn’t (head down to the sex section, if you dare).

I love when she tries to leave early the next morning, and realizes that he’s got to button up her dress. Out he prances, totally bareassed, and she’s considering getting undressed again, but they really need to keep this affair quiet, so she needs to get back to the house. And if you thought she was transformed previously, you ain’t seen nothing yet: “In reality, she had done nothing more than break a thin membrane in her body. But she felt utterly new, totally changed.” Now, to get back into the house without getting caught, avoiding the lighted passage and taking the dark stairway—a metaphor for what she’s decided to do. She makes up a flimsy lie for her maid, Ursula, about how she fell asleep in her dinner gown. Safe! 👊

Jude gets a summons from Lady Woodley and you know he’s preparing to hear shrieks about how he took advantage of her virginal daughter, but no, Audrey’s mother is still clueless. Audrey realizes Jude and her mom are alone and races in like a bear is chasing her. She escorts her mom out of the room and before he can even turn, Audrey is back, leaning up against the door, asking him if he said anything to tip her mother off—girl, please; nobody is that stupid. The next passage is JM gold; Audrey admits she doesn’t want her mother to know, yet she can’t resist him. He wants to know if she means couldn’t. Oh no:

“She swallowed hard. ‘Can’t. God, all I thought about all morning was you. Your hands on me, your mouth on me, your body inside of mine. I was certain that every person I saw, my mother included, could see how you branded me with your touch. How you changed me irrevocably.’ Her breath hitched. ‘And I thought about how I couldn’t wait to do it again.’

He clenched his jaw. ‘I know the feeling.’ ” (80)

And they’re off! Against the door. Damn the consequences, though they know that it will be terrible if her mother or, gasp, Edward, should find out. But they don’t care, and they don’t really see being able to stop it. Well, they can’t stop it while they’re in the country, but they know that it cannot continue in London. But they’ve got weeks till they get to London, right?

Jude is having some issues, though. Because he is kinda hurt at how she can laugh and pretend like they don’t have this very serious relationship going on. Plus, there’s more about his parents—we know his parents fell in love and his father’s family did not approve, but it seems as though the stress of that affected his father’s relationship with his wife and child—he started to resent them. This is Jude’s fear of what might happen with Audrey.

Oh, and he still has a major secret he hasn’t told her.

She gets to the cottage around midnight so they can be together again. She loves the power she has over him, evidenced when she gets on her knees and tells him that she wants to pleasure him. This scene has everything, in detail, and sends the 🔥 rating off the chart. It is graphic, yet not obscene, but you must be prepared. I’ll explain more, in the nookie section, but be warned.

Jude admitted that he had lovers in the past (but always imagined Audrey’s face during the act, which is sweet slash creepy), but this situation is so different.

“But never, in all that time, had he done such wicked things to a genteel lover. And yet Audrey woke his animal side. Audrey made him rough and wicked and woke all his darkest desires. Being unleashed like this could not be good.

He had made love to Audrey three times now, drawn her pleasure out, but he felt no more purged of desire for her than he had before he touched her. If anything, he wanted her more. And he wanted more from her. He wanted to possess her in ways he knew were impossible.” (102)

Seriously, this purging plan is not going to work, folks. Granted, something similar did work for me with Cool Ranch Doritos and Southern Comfort (not at the same time), when I had so much of both that I never want to even think about either again. But that doesn’t work with the person you’ve been in love with for years. I mean, he carries around a miniature of her that he stole from her family home. He imagines her face on his lovers. This isn’t going to end quickly and easily, and I hope they both understand that.

But he’s not going to be thinking about that for a bit, because Audrey has asked him if she can help him search for Claire. Um, hell no. The dude she’s with is a criminal PLUS Claire has told Gabriel that she doesn’t want to be found. Jude goes into legit CLUELESS GUY MODE, bemoaning how mad Edward would be if he knew that Jude endangered Audrey by allowing her to help search for Claire, but Audrey claps. TF. back. Wouldn’t he be angry to find out they’re screwing like rabbits? And she walks away.

She knows she’s probably gone too far and she wanders through the garden crying. Oh Lord, he sees he’s made her cry and dashes after her (you better had) and he apologizes. There’s more to what’s going on with Claire—her husband, Jonathon Aston, may be hurting her and forcing her to commit crimes with him. And I blinked and now they’re lying in the grass, getting their freak on. Four times and we’re just at the 50% mark. If you don’t like sex, don’t come here.

Audrey is really shook by what she’s felt with Jude, and possibly speaks a little too freely with her maid, Ursula, and now Ursula is suspicious. In fact, Ursula tries to counsel her, noting that Jude is, in fact, a servant, which is not what Audrey believes/wants to think, because Audrey loves him. Audrey asks Ursula not to say anything to her mother. And she heads to the cottage to be with him. She also wants to find out more about Claire—yeah, Audrey who never lies, lied to the man she loves. But it’s for her sister, so . . . Anyway, she’s digging through his personal stuff and finds the stolen miniature. He catches her, but before they can discuss it, a maid comes to the door to tell him that Lady Woodley is very sick. (The maid legit tries to get on with him, not knowing that Audrey is hiding in the bedroom. 🤦) He rushes to get a doctor and she hauls tail to the house to see her sick mother—Lady W has a dangerously high fever; it’s time to call the siblings. There’s no time to worry about their relationship right now, but he warns her, “It isn’t over” to which she provides a whispered response: “I hope not.”

Audrey keeps a vigil at her mother’s bedside, and is finally relieved three days later when her brothers and Mary get there. They make her go to her room to eat, and Jude’s waiting for her. She’s exhausted, she hasn’t eaten, she’s terrified. She thinks she wants sex (giving us one of the best interactions in the book: “ ‘Because right now you need comfort, not fucking.’ She peeked over her shoulder at him ‘Can’t they be one and the same?’ ”), but he gives her a massage instead. She asks if he will turn her away from the cottage and he says he won’t, so she goes to sleep.

Ah, but Ursula has other plans. She confronts him and tells him she knows what’s going on. In fact, she caught him kissing Audrey. He’s the gentleman, so it’s up to him to do the right thing. He thinks she’s trying to blackmail them and she’s affronted. “ ‘I don’t know your intentions, Mr. Samson, but if you care for this family as you say you do, you must see that an affair before marriage, especially with what many would consider a servant, could damage Lady Audrey’ ” (155). OUCH. The thing is, he gets it, though. And he knows that even though they’re not back to London yet, he’s got to stop.

And clearly he’s sticking to that plan immediately, because he’s avoiding her during dinner. Ugh, men. One important thing of note, they’re considering bringing in a village healer, Miss Gray, to tend to their mother. When Edward tries to bring Jude into the convo, Jude says it’s a family matter. Edward, who is his closest friend since childhood calls him family, but Jude says “you know I am not,” throws out a “my lords, my lady” and rolls out, leaving them all totally confused. Yeah, Audrey isn’t going to let that go, and corners him in Edward’s office where he is feeling sorry for himself. She notes that he’s being uber formal all of a sudden, playing servant and master. So she orders him to the garden with her, and when they get to the gazebo, she lets loose: WTF, dude? He tells her that Ursula knows, which floors her. But she will not be deterred. She wants to know about the miniature, and he admits that he took it because he knew that one day she would be married and he wouldn’t be able to see her, so carries it everywhere. Even at that very moment. She professes confusion and he finally just tells her he is in love with her. He acts as if it’s the worst thing in the world, but she curses and says she loves him as well. Oh, he wishes she hadn’t admitted that, because it can’t be. Audrey is tough, and she stalks him across the gazebo to reason with him, reaching up to touch his cheek and . . . Edward is standing there, watching them. Oh crap. 👀 The good news is that whatever the healer did has worked. Audrey runs off to be with her mother and here comes one helluva awkward scene between Edward and Jude. Edward commands him to see him tomorrow morning to discuss what he just saw.

While we are waiting for that, we learn more about Miss Gray, whose father was a childhood friend of Lady Woodley’s. Lady Woodley is VERY interested in hearing about him, as he was the son of her father’s foreman and they saw each other a lot as children. Lady Woodley seems hella interested and I am here for it. He’s a widower, her husband is dead, and if you think about it, she can’t be more than 55 at the most. So I’m looking forward to sparks flying. Mary and Audrey both noticed that Lady Woodley seems interested. Good for her.

Finally, to the meeting with Edward. It starts out good and Jude thinks he’s off the hook. But no, Edward saw that convo in the gazebo and he’s not stupid:

“Edward arched a brow before he continued, ‘But I saw more than two friends in a heated conversation. There was an intimacy to the way you two stood, a look reflected in both your eyes that spoke of a connection beyond your years of friendship. That is something I cannot ignore, Jude.’ ” (176)

The thing is, Edward legit doesn’t care about status or titles when it comes to Audrey’s happiness. Plus, he notes that Jude has a fine pedigree. He would welcome Jude as his brother-in-law. Damn, Edward is good people. Maybe it will work. But Jude’s got a secret he’s GOT to share, and he heads to find Audrey. But it’s too late—Audrey has been at the cottage and has gone through his stuff. She’s learned that not only did Jude introduce Claire to Aston, but he’s been in touch with Claire, and actually saw her recently. This is the big betrayal and it has possibly ruined all their relationships.

He comes clean but it’s too late. Audrey cannot even look at him. Everything is his fault.

And, oh Lord, Audrey is gonna Audrey, and now that she’s started lying, she isn’t going to stop. She’s told Edward she wants to go to London to get away, and Edward tries to talk about Jude with her, but she says there’s too much keeping them apart, even though she loves him, but she wants to go back to London to clear her head.

And it is time for the brothers’ confrontation. Jude thinks he is going to have breakfast with the brothers, Audrey and Mary, but when he gets there, it’s just the boys and tension you can cut with a knife. They want to talk about Audrey, so Jude starts pouring scotch for breakfast. They’re going to need it. See, Edward has told them that Jude is in love with Audrey. Oh, and she’s left, which catches Jude off guard. Jude knows she didn’t go to London, and he comes clean with his friends—he’s been having an affair with Audrey and she’s going looking for Claire. Man, this has got to be tough. And the boys are shook: “ ‘So let me understand this,’ Edward said softly . . . ‘You not only helped Jonathon Aston gain access to Claire, but you entered into a sexual affair with Audrey.’ ” Well, damn, if you put it like that . . . Needless to say, Gabriel, the hothead brother, punches him. Jude knows he deserved it, but he counters with the fact that he loves her and has loved her for so long; what he did was wrong but he couldn’t resist. But right now, they have to find her. She’s one of two places; at Jude’s mother’s house trying to get info, or Windport, where Jude recently met Claire. Evan and Edward decide to go to Jude’s mom’s, but Gabriel wants to stick to Jude like glue, since he doesn’t trust him after what he’s done with both sisters. So they are headed to Windport.

Yeah, he’s right, because she’s at Mrs. Samson’s right now, and clearly Jude’s mom knows how he feels about her. And coughs up Windport, where she immediately runs to, asking everyone possible if they’ve seen Claire.

Ah, Constant Reader, you know what time it is. We are verging into spoilers now. It’s now up to you to get the book and learn what happened! But it’s good, and sets you up for the other books in the series. DO IT.

 

-----------------------------

Now, let’s head to the SEX-AND-SPOILERS section. Don’t read if you’re easily offended. Don’t read if you don’t want it spoiled. I warned you.

 

---

 

Reminder, don’t continue if you don’t want to hear about sex and/or you don’t want to hear about the ending. Second reminder: these are primarily HEAs, which means H (Hero) and h (heroine) are getting together before the last page, so do not come at me. Okay, so here it comes . . .

Sex

I’m telling you straight out—Jess Michaels’ books are always 5-flame books. The sex is hot, detailed, sometimes unconventional.

What 60% rule? (Which I have discovered is utter BS anyway.) We are at 9% and Jude has his c*ck in his hand, imagining his tongue on Audrey, himself inside her, groaning her name as he comes onto his lonely bed. Their first sexual encounter together, however, is outside, after they admit their feelings to each other. Here’s a summary of what happened, and if you’re smart, Constant Reader, you’ve already hit “purchase”:

“ ‘I want to touch you,’ he growled against her lips . . .

‘Touch me . . . oh God . . .’

He spread her outer lips with expert fingers and stroked across her entrance. He was going to make her come. Right here in the yard, pressed against a tree that likely her great-grandfather had planted without ever thinking it would be used for this wicked purpose. He didn’t give a damn about anything else, even though he should.” (52)

Not only was that straight fire, but I could even SEE THE TREE in my mind. That’s effective writing!

The first full sex scene comes at 27%, when he bares his soul to her to basically force her to change her mind about the scheme she’s come up with, but all that does is get her more horny. They’re alone in his cottage with nobody to stop them, and she’s soon very naked. And he keeps asking her if she wants to leave or for him to stop and she keeps saying no and it’s getting annoying, my man, lol. But he makes  up for it, because he’s a man who likes to go down, which we will now learn in detail. After he makes the angels sing, he has the nerve to say to her, “tell me to stop.” Yeah, right. There’s a funny interlude when she finds out that some men name their penises. But he finally asks her one last time if she wants to change her mind: “. . . I will put it inside of you, Audrey. Nothing will be the same for you after that” (68). Well, that’s a bit cocky (no pun intended), isn’t it?

Jude is so conflicted, you kind of feel sorry for him. He’s saying things like “I shouldn’t do this” while he’s sliding home. But he finally gives in, and they achieve perfection.

The second scene is the very next day, in the newly painted Yellow Room. Up against the door. It’s fast and furious and honestly, she’s got to be sore AF because she just lost her virginity like 12 hours previously 💥. I am also impressed that he can use one hand to hold her arms above her head while balancing her against the door. Oh, and somehow he’s able to pull out and come into a handkerchief. Dude must have hella skills. Or four arms.

The third scene is the most detailed, and it’s time to proudly fly the freak flag. They are back at the cottage and we have a lot going on here: oral, backyard shenanigans, in detail. He brings up going down on him to her, and she’s raring to go. She recognizes the power of the act, and she enjoys it. He tries to warn her that he’s close, but she won’t let him leave her: “He would never be able to spend inside her sheath in order to prevent a pregnancy that would ruin them both. But she wanted him inside her when he found release, and this was the best alternative” (95). 🤯 Her response when he’s done: “I think I like that.” Now it’s her turn, and while he’s pleasuring her:

“But when he went lower and his fingertips brushed her backside, she stiffened.

‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured, pulling his hand away.

She stared at him. When he had touched her in that forbidden way, the pleasure had been just as powerful as when he gave attention to her sex.

‘Don’t apologize,’ she whispered. ‘It felt . . . good.’

His eyes went wide. ‘I see.’

She couldn’t read his expression, so she ducked her head. ‘I’m sorry. There is no way that you meant to touch me like that. It’s not something anyone would like to—’

‘Oh no,’ he interrupted. ‘It is most definitely a place any man would like to explore.’ ”

He knows she is not ready for the real deal, but he does use his fingers there, and she likes it. If this is your thing, JM’s books are the ones to read. I’ve read a lot of historical romance over the last 367 days, and only Jess Michaels and Kate Pearce regularly go there. Even if it’s not necessarily your thing, JM presents it in a way that isn’t going to turn you off.

Anyway, by the time this is done, he’s hard again, ready to take her again with a groan of “mine.”

Of course, after this, he apologizes and she has to explain to him that she liked everything they did. Sigh.

The FOURTH time (Jesus, I am tired and I’m just READING, not taking part) is outside after a fight. Ah . . . make up sex is always hot sex. Like I said, Jude likes to use his mouth and so we get things like this: “ ‘Come for me,’ he demanded against her flesh. ‘I want to taste it.’ ” Hm, orgasms on demand are pretty tough to come by, but his words make you want to accept that challenge, lol. But that’s not all . . .

The fifth time isn’t presented in as much detail, but it seems sweeter because you know that there’s a chance they might be discovered, and because she knows how she loves him.

Oh, and there’s some carriage nookie, and for the first time, he doesn’t take precautions, which means they’ve moved to a new level.

Some spoiler-y things

When they get to Windport and Jude finds Audrey, he believes that the guy in the Aston gang who told her to get a hotel and wait for Claire was setting her up for sexual assault, but Claire scales the side of the building, busts in, and says that she knows the guy, and Jude is more his type. That was funny.

Audrey actually proposes to him, which is adorable, though he had planned to do it.

The next book

The next book, Deceived, is about Evan and a woman we haven’t encountered yet, Jocelyn.

Related

This series is connected to the previous series, The Notorious Flynns, and you’ll see familiar names and locations pop up in other books.