Leigh's Forever Your Earl (Wicked Quills of London 1)
The Wicked Quills of London, Book 1
Stars: Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (strong women; women writers; hot hero; there’s a gaming hell scene; good friends; star-crossed lovers?)
Heat rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (see the SEX-AND-SPOILERS section)
Okay, so it was a happy day when I found Eva Leigh’s books. You don’t have to read them in order, but I suggest starting with this book if it’s your first foray into Eva Leigh. You WILL want to read them all.
The
first thing you’ll learn from reading her books is that many of her heroines
are awesomely strong women. They are fun characters to read. Her heroes have
flaws, but have great potential for being good men. They learn that being with
a tough woman can complete them. But man, they get to that understanding while
kicking and screaming, lol. Ain’t that always the truth? 😂
Damn that Squirrel! I almost forgot the COVER RATING! This cover gets a straight up A! Yes, I’d have loved for the hero to grace that cover with her, but once you meet our heroine, you’ll see why she can hold her own and doesn’t need to share her cover with a man. The model looks just like Eva Leigh’s description of Eleanor, and I bow before the glorious attitude she’s giving off. Just look at her; she’s all badass.
So our first meeting between our H and h is at Eleanor Hawke’s place of business. Yup, she’s the owner and publisher of, well, a tabloid/scandal sheet. And since Daniel Balfour, the Earl of Ashford, is “a man rich in wealth and scandal” (page 1), no wonder he’s striding purposefully into her offices, requesting to speak to Mr. E. Hawke. Sorry, there’s no Mr. Hawke. Congratulations, it’s a girl! Yeah, Eleanor knows what sells papers, and that’s scandalous behavior by the hottest man in the Ton. Basically, Lord A_____d is featured in every issue because the public eats it up. So, it appears that Daniel is there to force her to stop printing articles about him. Simple, right? Yeah, you don’t know Eva Leigh. Her books are never a straight line from A to HEA—get ready for some twisties. (Yeah, so that’s a term that motorcycle riders use when they are trying to placate their nervous girlfriends who are riding with them; twisty is a euphemism for hairpin turns and roller coaster drops, sheer white knuckle terror. Think The Dragon. Don’t ask me how I know this or about the fact that I. WILL. NOT. BE. FOOLED. AGAIN.) So yeah, The Hawke’s Eye (lol, that was clever) is a three-times-a-week scandal sheet, but oh no, don’t you call it that—“under the pretense of decrying the lack of morals in this fair city, . . . publishing these lurid activities served as object lessons for the young and impressionable” (1). Holy crap, how sneaky slash genius is that??? I really shoulda used this when I was 12 and trying to get my mom to let me go to R-rated movies (“Seriously, Mom, by seeing Purple Rain, I will know not to join a band, ride without a helmet, or purify myself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.” Note: my mother DID take me to see Purple Rain, but I was 13. Lemme tell you how awkward that was, LMFAO. Me, all the way home in the car “I knew a girl named Nikki; I guess you could say she was a sex fiend . . .”)
Okay, so Squirrel would like to speak: Daniel is Zac Efron. Sorry, I don’t make the rules in Squirrelworld. Check out this description (annotated with ZE links, which meant I had to look at all his pics on IMDb and that was a serious hardship, let me tell you—the things I do for you, Constant Reader) and tell me that I’m wrong: “His dark brown hair was fashionably cut and artfully tousled, as if he’d recently risen from a lover’s bed. Given his reputation, that was most likely possible. He had a broad forehead, a coin-clean jawline, thick brows, and eyes that, even with yards between her and him, stunned her with their blue clarity” (3). Okay, I need a minute.
Anyway, you’ve got to love Eva Leigh’s descriptions. For instance, his voice: “a deep voice, rounded by generations of excellent breeding and noblesse oblige” (2). Tell me you didn’t snort-giggle at that and I’ll tell you that you’re a liar. Even better is how she has Eleanor describe this hot AF man, as “rather . . . appalling.” What? Oh, she means that it’s a damned shame that a man who is rich and well-bred should also be so freaking gorgeous. Leave something for the rest of us, would ya?
Daniel goes through several of her recent pieces about him, proclaiming them all as “wrong.” (Which takes me to the first aired episode of the world’s most amazing show—yeah, I’m biased—BBC’s Sherlock, when the cops are doing the press conference, and Sherlock is texting “wrong” to all the journalists. I am serious about Sherlock and I will fight you. You’ve been warned.) They get into it and are both holding their own, which is fun to read and a great precursor to the delightful repartee that characterizes their relationship down the road. The thing is, these words are affecting them, and Eleanor is actually feeling a little ashamed for the salacious gossip she’s printed about him. And she expects him to try to strongarm her into retracting everything, but ohhhhh, time for the first twisty—that’s not his plan. Daniel suggests she hang out with him “day and night” to see exactly what he’s out there doing: “I don’t want you to stop writing about me at all. I want you to get it right” (9).
But remember, I told you that EL’s books are full of twisties—there’s another twisty inside of this first twisty. See, Daniel has a secret that he does NOT want her to find out, so this proposition is to put her off the scent. “A journalist and a woman were the two most inquisitive creatures on earth. Combine them, and only a cat could rival her for curiosity” (10). Thank you, Daniel; I love cats and love being an inquisitive woman, so I take that as a compliment. Oh yes, his secret—his best friend is missing and that could definitely be a scandal. Jonathan Lawson, the heir to a dukedom, is nowhere to be found, and Daniel is doing everything he can to locate his friend. Jonathan was last seen with some sketchy AF folks. So not only is Daniel concerned about his welfare around those people, he’s got to tell him his brother died and he’s next in line to be Duke! Daniel already feels like he’s let his friend down, so he wants to find him with everything he’s got, but without letting it get out that Jonathan is missing and/or slumming and/or in crisis.
So, he presents the offer to her. She doesn’t trust him as far as she can throw him, and isn’t afraid to tell him so. And, astonishingly, Daniel is not only not offended by her candor, but he finds this refreshing—someone who treats him like a person for himself and not for his title. But she accepts the offer because Eleanor may be many things, but stupid is NOT one of them. And, taadaa! To Ride with a Rake is born. (Don’t tell Eleanor, but that legit sounds like a porno flick.) So they’re going to start their quest the next night, but wait, he asks, what about her delicate feminine reputation? “I’m a writer, my lord. I have no reputation” (14).
So yeah, Eleanor is getting intriguing to our guy now. Because she DGAF and he’s never met a woman like her before. “But this strange Miss Hawke seemed to dwell in a fringe realm, unconcerned about what anyone thought about her. As if she were a man. Or, at least, a man’s equal” (14). (However you learn is fine, as long as you do learn, my dude.) Next stop, a gaming hell (regular MAR readers slash acolytes of the Cult of Squirrel will know that the words “gaming hell” excite me beyond belief). One handshake (another thing that leaves Daniel shook, no pun intended—okay, maybe I did intend that) and they’ve got a deal. Oh, and he kinda gets turned on by the handshake, but more on that later.
Wait! This gaming hell doesn’t allow women! Well, whatevs, because Eleanor is friends with folks at the Imperial Theater (important to the series, and soon to be beloved by Eva Leigh readers). So she heads over there the next day and oooh, I love the way Eva Leigh sets the scene in the theater. You feel like you’re there! You smell greasepaint and unwashed bodies, you hear the cacophony of curses, and music and singing (note, the theater doesn’t have a royal patent; they have to perform burlettas, so there’s always singing). And Eleanor feels completely at home (the fact is, I would too, so I love the theater scenes; there’s lots more on the theater in the second book). The resident writer, Maggie Delamere, is not afraid of pushing against boundaries, and has no problem writing about topics that many don’t want discussed. Eleanor and Maggie get along great, because, they “had, from birth, been marked with the same curse. Womanhood. It was nigh impossible for their work to be judged of the same value as their male ‘compatriots’ ” (18). That’s still an issue right now, so just imagine how things were in 1814.
Anyway, Eleanor soon gets Maggie up to speed and yeah, Maggie has heard about Lord A____d, alright. In fact, he’s been the reason for fights between the theater’s actresses (there was biting, heyyyyyy). In fact, she’s seen that gloriousness sitting in the boxes during performances: “He's got one of those faces I call a corset-tightener. You look at him, and suddenly, air becomes a little more scarce” (19). Nah, Eleanor says, not to me. Oh, sure, sure, Maggie says, miss me with that bullshit (I’m paraphrasing, if you didn’t notice). Anyway, yeah, Eleanor needs a disguise and LOL, Maggie (and everyone else) loses their crap. Everyone in the theater is legit delighted to dress Eleanor up as a man. They’re actually fighting over how she should look. Finally, the makeup person and the costumer have Eleanor in their clutches. Oh, you know this is gonna be good. Maggie’s worried he’s going to try to seduce her, but Eleanor, who is no untried maiden, assures her, “I will keep my eyes open and my legs closed” (29). That made me giggle.
While they’re working their magic on our heroine to transform a 32-year old woman into a man in his 20s, we turn back to our hero. He’s hanging out at White’s, looking for brandy and the Eye. Um, yeah, that’s not the sort of thing they have a White’s, my man. It’s like looking for the Weekly World News at the Library of Congress. The butler says, yeah, lemme send a footman out to search for it. (This reminds me of the time I was in college and called—remember, this was before websites and such—Harris Teeter to inquire as to whether they had any Olde English 800 in stock—we were poor college students, remember, so please do not judge my 30-years-ago self. Anyway, the person who answered the phone seemed shocked and dismayed, and replied, “um, try the Food Lion.” Jackpot, it was on sale at Food Lion for $0.89/quart.) EL contrasts the smells of White’s (leather, furniture wax, tobacco, “the scents of his birthright”) with those of the Imperial. Guess which one seems more fun? But, there’s another reason he keeps coming back—Jonathan. They used to hang out there together, so he’s hoping that one day he’ll walk in and see his dearest friend. Oh, and we get another hint about Jonathan—he’s been to war, so it seems like a PTSD issue. Daniel’s buddies see him and tell him about the raucous night they had and . . . it’s just not hitting like it used to. After his delightful interaction with Eleanor, Daniel went home to read while his friends were carousing, and he was fine with it. Anyway, the butler/footman finally hunts down the Eye and since this issue doesn’t involve him, he can actually read the publication and holy smokes, he’s kind of impressed. And, uh oh, the more he knows about E. Hawke, the more he likes her . . .
Btw, the theater people know what they’re doing and she looks like a man now. Of course, this reminds me of all the highlighting makeup videos on TikTok. Yes, my ancient 50-year old self watches TikTok videos. On this, you can judge. Anyway, Eleanor looks damned authentic and she and Maggie are thinking of the things they could do as men. “ ‘I’m a man now. I can do . . . anything.’ The power was intoxicating. No wonder men walked around looking so smug. The world belonged to them” (33).
Oh, quickly, we see Daniel with his valet and we learn that Daniel insists on shaving and dressing himself. That’s not an Earl thing to do. That gives us more insight. He did these things himself because it felt to him as if noblemen became as infants. And he doesn’t want that. We also learn a little more about Jonathan’s parents and sister, Catherine, as well as his late brother Oliver. Basically, his parents are useless. Catherine is probably around 16 or 17, and sometimes goes with Daniel to look for Jonathan. She seems pretty awesome.
So we are about to go off to meet Eleanor, but . . . someone’s at the door. Daniel’s godfather, the Marquess of Allam. Hm, they seem to get along very well. He seems okay for now; he doesn’t want to hunt because it’s unfair to the foxes. Ah, but uh oh, Allam is happily married to his sweet Helena and wants Daniel to be the same. Yeah, so Daniel mentions Allam’s son, Cameron, isn’t married but Allam says, “don’t distract me from the topic.” Lol, he doesn’t play around. He promised Daniel’s father that he would ensure Daniel married and had an heir. Daniel has some residual anger over the fact that he couldn’t join the army with Jonathan (who was, at the time, his family’s younger son). Oh, more about Jonathan—definitely post-traumatic stress, the poor guy: “Jonathan’s invisible wounds; he’d chalked them up to readjusting to civilian life, and soon Jonathan would be back to his old self” (39). Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Back to Allam—yeah, he’s also been reading about his godson in the scandal sheets, and notes that these are attempts by Daniel to distract himself and yeah, Daniel is shook. Because nope, he’s not happy. And his godfather wants him to be happy.
Back to Eleanor and oh my sweet Jesus, she’s thinking about Daniel biting her. (Girl, come on over to the dark side; we have cookies.) But, oh, soon they’re sitting in his fancy carriage together, all alone. That would be scandalous, but she’s not Eleanor tonight. She’s checking him out and . . . he critiques the way she’s sitting. Yeah, she’s sitting like a lady, even though she’s in trousers. No, don’t sit with your legs together, “a man sits like that . . . and he’ll crush his bollocks to a pulp” (45). (Thanks for that mental image, my dude. Really—shudder.) Oh yeah, and her voice too, too female. Oh, and her smile is all wrong—it brings out a dimple in her cheek, which he calls “small and soft and tempting.” Oh yeah, turn the oven off, my man is done! He tries to distract himself, but . . . he likes her. So anyway, tonight, Eleanor is his young cousin from the country and his name is . . . she suggests Maximus Sinclair and he counters with Ned Fribble. I had to hit up the dictionary for why she’s totally against that name, lol. So she’s Ned Sinclair. So what does Ned call his cousin? Daniel says, Ashford, and now she counters with . . . Ashy. That made me snort-laugh. Anyway, they’re off to walk Bond Street so Eleanor, I mean Ned, can practice her, I mean his, strolling, then dinner at The Eagle, Daniel’s favorite chophouse. He’s got it all planned.
Eleanor is a little miffed that he hasn’t complimented her on her disguise (Daniel: “Oh, are you wearing a disguise?”) but he finally commends her on it. He wouldn’t have recognized her except for her butt. What? She says, how did he know what her ass looks like? He’s barely met her! “Never underestimate a man’s capacity for ogling” (49), he replies, and she says that she would embroider that on a sampler (as God is my witness, I will make a sampler with that). And now, damn you, Eva Leigh, for the part that made me inhale my beverage; he looks at the crotch of the suits and says, “They didn’t miss any detail, did they?” he murmured. “Gave you a sausage and potatoes” (50). Thank the sweet Lord I am a vegetarian or I would never be able to look at sausage again! Oh, it gets worse: “She resisted the urge to give her faux genitalia a poke. ‘I have no idea how you men walk around with these ridiculous articles hanging between your legs.’ ” (We have all wondered the same, sister. And what do they do with it when they have to do a #2?)
I really could go line by line through the book, because Eva Leigh is a master with words, but I really do want you to read this book. But you know the MAR will give you enough to whet your appetite, and hopefully have you running to you local bookshop. So let’s continue . . .
So Daniel realizes he likes Eleanor, but he poohpoohs his feelings and continues the charade. Get your popcorn, Constant Reader. He teaches her how to saunter like a man, starting out by having her watch him walk, which is sort of, well, erotic. And he’s wondering if she likes what she sees. But actually, she’s analyzing his walk and the fact that what he does is the opposite of everything she’s been taught as a woman. Women are told to take up no space and attract no attention; men are taught to claim the world as their own. And yeah, his testicles are his passport—“your privilege simply hanging between your legs” (55). Holy shit, I love Eva Leigh. 🔥 Tell me that wasn’t fire? And yeah, it makes him think.
Back to Bond Street, and whoohoo, folks interact with her and don’t think she’s a woman. But, alas, no one seems interested in her. Well, Daniel explains, “you’re not telling them to.” And he teaches Eleanor how to do it (I love it, and I want you to read it on your own, so I’m zipping my lips), and hell yeah . . . it works!
Off to dinner and, whoops! The proprietor lets out a secret—Daniel almost always eats alone. And that brings out the reporter in our girl. But soon, he’s schooling her on being too solicitous and accommodating. Ah, you’re a bit of a know-it-all, my dude. 🙄
Okay, let’s move on to the gaming hell. They run into his friend, his godfather’s son, Cameron Chalton, the Viscount Marwood (who will show up in the next book, so keep an eye on him). Marwood is a legit hell raiser and he makes me tired just reading about him. (Spoiler: well not really, I fell in love with him in the next book.) So yeah, Marwood tries to set “Ned” up with a hooker. That might have been a fun scene, but Daniel puts the kibosh on that. Marwood also tries to hang with them, but Daniel sends him away, telling Eleanor “He’s one of my closest friends, and even I think he’s poisonous” (88). Oh, that’s my favorite kind of character, which is why I loved the second book. OMG, Squirrel, quit, we still have ¾ of this book to review. CONTINUE . . .
Oh snap, she’s not stupid and she knows his history so she brings up . . . Jonathan, and our man does NOT like that. And I thought he was a good gambler, but apparently not because he just shows his hand by his emotional response to her mentioning Jonathan. That piqued her interest. But yeah, that changes once she sees how he can lay down £1000 at the tables without flinching (that’s about £84,850 in today’s currency). In fact, he give her £100, which would be £8,485 today, to play vingt-et-un. Blink. Her response? “You aristos are mad as circus elephants” (93). #Facts So he mansplains the game to her and . . . realizes she knows WTF she’s doing. Not only that, she’s winning hand over fist. He soon discovers that she knows pretty much ALL the games at the hell. He tells her to lose from time to time, and she knows that is sage advice (after she’s made her point, of course). And they have a freaking BLAST until 6:30 a.m. Seriously, these folks knew how to PARTAY! Even in my 20s, I was ready to leave the club by 1:00 a.m. That being said, early 90s clubs were not all that and I regret it to the bottom of my JNCO jeans and Zima. Truth be told, I never wore those and I definitely maybe had one Zima in my whole life. But the 90s were wild, yo. The music was killer (“Oh . . . my . . . God, Becky”). 📻
You guys really need to reel me in. And damn, I need a squirrel emoji in Blogger.
So they’re headed back to their respective abodes at dawn and . . . WTF, he leans forward in the carriage and peels off her mustache and starts to rub her upper lip. And we are all on the edge of our seats, but sanity ensues and they don’t move onto a kiss for the ages (damn). And like that, Ned’s night is over, and he’s never seen again. Goodbye, Ned!
But oh, Daniel is under her skin. She thought he was going to kiss her and damned if she isn’t disappointed that he didn’t. (Same, girl, same.) And why hasn’t she heard from him? Though she hates that she cares. Oh, but yay, here comes a letter! Yep, it’s for an assignation in a few days. She’s to meet him at the stables and dress like a lightskirt. And damn her, but she’s excited to see him again. (Same, girl, same.) And yeah, they’re flirting, because they bandy back several messages (19th century texting).
So she writes up the first article about him. Well, about “Lord Rakewell,” which is his pseudonym. But here’s the thing—she was honest in her assessment of him and, damn, it kinda hurt. She tells him about himself and he has to admit, it definitely hits home. Everyone is reading the articles, and laughing about this notorious rake, when his friend Marwood, who is far smarter than he lets on, notes that Daniel is Rakewell and there is no Cousin Ned. Hm. This could be interesting.
But something important is happening—he’s meeting with Jonathan’s sister, Catherine, who is 17 (damn, I’m good). The first thing she asks is if Daniel has any leads in his search for Jonathan. No? Well, she says, guess he’s been too busy with the journalist (damn, does he have a big name tag that says, HELLO, I AM RAKEWELL?) She seems miffed, but he tells her why he’s doing it, and she’s grateful. You can see how much pain she’s in, worrying about her only surviving brother. Jonathan was clearly deeply affected by his time in combat, but nobody paid any real attention—granted, there was basically NOTHING about PTSD back then. But nobody tried to help him except Catherine, who was just a kid. And then, he was gone . . . disappeared. When Daniel started hunting for him, being a rake helped because he could hang out with the dregs of humanity and search for his missing friend. Catherine is appreciative, but she’s also concerned about his relationship with Eleanor, whose very job is to blow the lid off secrets. (She has a point, you know.)
So, two days later, she’s wearing a black wig and a skintight red dress and they’re hopping into his phaeton for adventures unknown. I looked up this type of vehicle, and holy shit, that’s a death trap. He won’t tell her where they’re going, so she’s throwing out ideas, such as an orgy. LMAO, my man is like, hell no . . . unless you want to go to one. (Clearly, he’s been to a few.) She’s no virgin (which she busts right out and tells him). Okay, let me stop here and say, whoohoo. It’s so refreshing to read a historical romance without the usual virgin heroine. Eleanor is 32 and has had 4 lovers and it’s been fun, pleasant, she says. But oh, now he’s telling her that claim that her lovemaking was pleasant isn’t good enough—it should be life-altering. Yassssss, boo. So yeah, they’re not going to an orgy, but a phaeton race. Not only that, once he gets there, he gets roped into racing—with her by his side (I’ll leave the specifics to you to read, but he really has to win this race). But, like I said, you’re taking your life into your hands with this foolishness and, when they don’t die and actually win (that wasn’t a spoiler—c’mon, y’all knew that had to happen), she hugs him and he returns the favor by kissing her IN. FRONT. OF. EVERYONE. So, what do you think our heroine’s response is? Does she slap him and run. Naw, her response is all of us: “Ashford was kissing her. And like hell would she waste this opportunity” (143). But, even though they both admit it was the best kiss either of them has ever had, they know it cannot happen again.
But they both want it to. 💕
He takes her back to the theater and though it’s the middle of the night, he cannot sleep—a certain lady is on his mind—so he decides to do some light reading (a scandalous erotica novel by “A Lady of Dubious Quality”). But yeah, I’m thinking erotica is NOT what he needs right now.
Soon, it’s back to seedy taverns in his hunt for his friend. And Catherine is right there by his side. She wants her brother back. She’s holding her own and they’re showing his picture. Looking for him is sapping the life out of them both, but Eleanor’s presence in his life is definitely making things better. And he’s on her mind, too, which works out well, because when she gets to her office, guess whose carriage is sitting out front? Oh, and whose fine ass is seated in her chair? You have one guess! Oh, and his hair is damp. (Don’t lie, you thought BAYWATCH.) And they’re both sexually frustrated as all get out, so they’re peevish. But whatever, he’s got a present, but there’s a price . . . of course. He wants a tour of the paper. She’s suspicious, and so am I. But she does it (she’s proud, and rightfully so; this is her masterpiece). Daniel wants to know everything about her. Hmmmm. The thing is, he really does want to know what makes her tick, and he doesn’t even know why (we know why, my dude, but continue being clueless). And the tale of her working her way up from nothing impresses him, though he totally mangles the expression of this, ending up insulting and trivializing her achievements, and that just pisses her (all of us) off, so she kicks him out. But she hasn’t opened the box yet. My my my, what do we have here? A gorgeous blue dress and a mask (which is why that front cover is perfection). And holy crap, this causes some major battles in Eleanor’s head. She cannot accept this dress, as much as she wants to. So she sends it back. Oh right, does she really think that will work? As she sits there, mourning his eyes and mouth and the way he talked to her:
“A footman in a familiar livery entered the writers’ room and made the long walk to her office. Beneath his arm was the box.
That son of a bitch.
‘I won’t read it,’ she said when the footman approached and held out an envelope.
‘I’m told not to leave until you do,’ the servant answered.
‘Then you won’t be returning to your place of employment, because I’m not going to read that letter.’ ” (187)
And the poor footman stands there ALL day. And we know that she’s going to feel sorry for him, especially when the footman tells her he has to stay all night or he’d get sacked. Daniel knows how to work it.
So she reads the letter. It’s a loan, he says, for their next assignation in three days. You know she’s going to make that date.
He pulls up to the theater three days later and . . . Maggie comes out and blesses him out to high heavens. She’s awesome and you will love her book, which you better read next, as you should do. She threatens the Earl and she DGAF. And you know she means it. But it’s forgotten when Eleanor walks out and he can’t even breathe, he wants to touch her so badly. And off they go to the masquerade! But, oh no, it’s not a fun carriage ride, because she’s mad AF. And the thing is, he wants to fix it. And Eva Leigh is freaking hilarious:
“The silence that reigned in the carriage was amongst the most uncomfortable Daniel had ever endured, and that included the silence that had fallen when, after a night of indulging in physical pleasure with Lady Jane Reynolds, he’d called her Joan. He’d taken a slap to the face for that—rightly so—and Lady Jane had treated him to a long period of purposeful muteness whenever they’d crossed paths.” (196)
This time, it’s not just awkward. He’s frantic to mend fences with this woman who has consumed his thoughts and dreams. Eleanor, he says, and she’s quick to point out that she didn’t give him leave to call her by her first name. Well, he says, since we’ve already played tongue hockey, it’s kinda late to close the barn door now. Well, she says, afford me the same privilege. But wait, nobody calls him Daniel. Fine, she says, I’ll be the one and only.
And he likes that idea. He actually likes it.
Who is this man? I dunno, but I like him.
But wait, there’s more. The absolute UNTHINKABLE happens, and he . . . apologizes. But if he thinks she’s going to let him off easy, he’s nuts. He insulted and trivialized her life’s work. One apology isn’t going to fix that. And he admits something major: he envies her and her work, he respects her and what she’s created and maintained from nothing, and he’s ashamed of himself for being a rake and not using the privilege that he’s been given as a man and a peer. My guy lays himself out before her and she recognizes that this is 100% genuine. And she forgives him.
So, a masquerade is a big deal. Masks afford anonymity and anonymity means folks can be someone other than who life forces them to be. And she’s already attracted to him, particularly after he was so honest with her in the carriage. Oh and he hasn’t shaved so he’s hotter than fire. And there’s some theme to this masquerade, as folks are quaffing champagne and swallowing oysters—that theme appears to be nookie. Yup, PDA in full effect. And Marwood is leading some sort of, well, for the times, frankly erotic dance.
Yeah, it’s not quite an orgy, but
it’s a frolicking good time. Our two end up waltzing, and Daniel is an
amazing dancer. And, through the waltz, he seduces her—she knows this and all
she can think about is how he might touch her. His eyes could start a blaze,
and he admits he’s imagining her unclothed. And it's overwhelming, and she
breaks away. She needs a moment. He follows her—oh no, it’s not him. It’s some
other man who thinks that she’s available and willing. She fights him off, but
Daniel shows up and knocks he assailant out with one punch. 🥊 Then, holy crap, he
ties the guy up and puts a sign on him: I attack helpless women. I.
LOVE. HIM.
Daniel is still pretty upset; he wanted to kill the guy (apparently he’s fought some duels before, so it ain’t his first rodeo). They move to the terrace, and comes behind her to protect her from the cool night air, and they both know it’s all over. He sets her adrift and she anchors him (219), and it’s pretty terrifying. But they know what they need, and she’s telling him to fetch the carriage, and he says to her, “You’re the only person to order me around like a servant” (220). He says he’ll obey until it’s his turn to give orders. Swoon. Soon, they’re in the carriage and he’s put distance between them; if he doesn’t, they’re going to do it right then and there. And he wants to do it right. No sneaking around the back for them; he takes her to the front door and they adjourn to the study for wine. The house is huge and she’s overwhelmed; this big house underscores how different they are, and it’s scary. But it’s not just fear, it’s desire. So what does he do? He shows her his library. Now, let me tell you, that would get me outta my clothes pretty quickly. There’s nothing better than books and nothing sexier than a man who likes to read. But he has some tricks up his sleeve. They are basically playing strip poker, but instead of poker, they’re composing naughty limericks.
Now you see why I love Eva Leigh’s books. This concept is unique, creative, and I ended up laughing out loud at some of the limericks. Plus, we all know this is delicious foreplay. Anyway, Constant Reader, you know the drill. Head down to the S&S, if you want more.
And, the next morning, Daniel is ecstatic. For the first time in his life, he’s excited about waking up, because he will be with her. Talking, laughing, goading each other. But she’s gone. All is left is an impersonal note, thanking him for the use of the gown. Oh, my dude, that’s so cold; I’m so sorry. He thought this was something special. But wait, what does he hear? She’s not gone yet! He races down the stairs in just a robe, and catches her leaving. He’s angry and hurt. Why is she sneaking away? But before she can respond, the third player enters the game—Catherine. There he is, in dishabille, but he’s afraid to let Eleanor loose long enough to dress. So they all head to the Yellow Dining Room. (I’m totally going to start referring to the rooms in my house like this. Though it’s a 2-bedroom cottage. But how badass would it be to say, “I’m repairing to the Green Bedroom”?)
See, something is up. Catherine wouldn’t be there unless it had to do with Jonathan. So it’s time that Eleanor knows. Catherine encourages him to tell all. So he purges himself of the entire story, and by the end, Catherine is white is a sheet. But Eleanor comforts her by praising her for her fidelity and strength throughout. But there’s still a big question—what the hell is Eleanor going to do with this information? And the thing is, she doesn’t even know herself. She slips away, leaving Catherine and Daniel alone, and Catherine, who is far more aware than anyone gives her credit, says “Love is terrible, isn’t it?” (250). Of course he denies it, but it’s pretty obvious.
So now we are all waiting for Eleanor’s article. It’s written and soon to be printed. She’s torn as to whether she did the right thing. She knew that he had an ulterior motive for taking her on. But she’s not even mad. Because that cupid’s arrow has struck her as well. But we know Eleanor. She’s a realist. There’s no way an Earl and a commoner—a working woman—could be together.
He’s terrified to open up the paper. Even though Catherine urged him to tell Eleanor the truth, he still knows that Jonathan’s secret could devastate them all. Finally, he grows a pair and opens the paper and . . . nothing about Jonathan or about their night of passion (well, I should hope she wouldn’t report on that, but I realize my dude is fragile right now). She DID describe what happened when the man assaulted her, which makes Daniel want to find him and kick his ass. But nothing about Jonathan, and Daniel is ashamed that he doubted her. And most of all, he realizes he loves her. And he’s terrified she doesn’t love him, but all that matters is that he finds her so he can tell her. He orders his fastest horse saddled and races to the newspaper, but she’s not there. Next stop, the theater, where he runs into our little spitfire, Maggie D. And Maggie has something to say—she’s had experience with lords using women like them, and she won’t let Daniel throw Eleanor away once he tires of her. Ah, but see, gloves are off. Daniel’s real feelings are showing through. “Who says I’ll tire of her?” (262), he says, and Maggie sees that he has genuine feelings of love for her friend. Still, she cannot believe his intentions could be honorable. “ ‘Whoever, wronged you in the past,’ he said, ‘mark this—I am not him. And I have no intention of hurting Eleanor. Not now. Not in the future’ ” (263). Maggie doesn’t want to believe him, but he admits that he is nothing without Eleanor. So Maggie eventually tells Daniel that Eleanor has gone to St. Giles. WHAT? Why? Ohhhhh, damn, she’s looking for Jonathan on her own.
He finds here there and he is livid. He’s terrified of how she could have been harmed, and he berates her, why did she do it? For him, she admits. And that guts him. And man, does he want her. As always, he pauses for her consent before he touches her, and then admits that everything about her undoes him. Same with her, but she has to say out loud that she knows it will never work—but they’ll continue as long as they can. And they kiss, and it’s beautiful and I’m already creeping to the S&S but . . . no, Eleanor wants to talk. She really wants to help find Jonathan. Well, there might be a way . . . see, Daniel’s discovered that Jonathan started smoking the same tobacco blend as his father—Eleanor believes this means he’s looking for comfort and familiarity. Daniel’s tobacconist will contact him if anyone orders that specific blend. Smart! But Daniel is still so bereft—you see, he feels he failed Jonathan. Because it was clear to him that something was terribly wrong once Jonathan returned from the war, but he didn’t try to help him. He feels so guilty.
These two are on fire and, to Eleanor, it brings to mind the Great Fire of 1666. It’s so hot and so consuming, she knows that it will burn her to ash but she can’t stop, she won’t stop. Well, Constant Reader, you know the deal ↓
Something major happens. This is love. And not only that, partnership. They’re looking for Jonathan together now. They’re also experiencing feelings neither has had in the past. There are places she cannot accompany him (think bawdy houses) and she experiences jealousy. And for the first time, that’s not something that frightens him—he actually likes it. So, for a week, they have a life of domestic bliss—she works at the paper and heads to his house for a lovely meal and bath while she waits for him to return from his recon and research activities. Then they spend the night in pure bliss. And they’re so happy. But can it last?
Maggie and Eleanor go to Vauxhall for an evening, and Maggie confronts her. It’s clear something is going on with E and D, but she’s not hiding anything. The relationship is impossible, Maggie reminds her. Sadly, Eleanor knows this. She’s a commoner. He’s an earl. Oh, speaking of lords—Lord Marwood is there and he has eyes for nobody but Maggie. Apparently he’s always at the theater. Interesting.
OMG, someone tried to buy the tobacco. A kid came with money, but the tobacconist lies and says it will take a day to get the blend together. The tobacconist doesn’t have much info, but he does have an address. Damnit, Jonathan was there, but they just missed him. So these two come up with a plan. Jonathan loved phaeton racing, so they’ll put something in her paper about an upcoming race to tempt him to attend. Genius. Everything is going perfectly, right. Nope. Because the godfather shows up at Daniel’s house when only Eleanor is there. Allam knows what’s going on and he wants it to stop. Daniel cannot waste his time (and reputation) on a woman like Eleanor. She’s got to let him go. And she does. I’m not crying; you’re crying.
Anyway, you know that I am not going to provide a detailed spoiler of the ending. This is something you have to experience for yourself. There are many things that need to be addressed—their relationship, will they be together, Jonathan, etc. I know that I stopped abruptly (you can blame Squirrel), but this is a book that you want to read and reread. So get to it. And remember what I said about the motorcycle—one of the best parts of the ride is going new places, so I’m handing you the keys (well, Eva Leigh is).
🖅 I would love to hear what you have to say about this book, or my review, or the MIGHTY SQUIRREL!! You can leave a comment here on the blog or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook!
Now, it’s time for the SEX-AND-SPOILERS section.
Reminder, don’t continue if you don’t want to hear about sex and/or you don’t want to hear things that may spoil the ending. Second reminder: these are primarily HEAs, which means H (Hero) and h (heroine) are getting together before the last page. So you know it’s coming. Yeah, that was on purpose.
Sex
.
.
.
.
So there are two on-screen sex scenes. Eva Leigh’s writing is stellar and you will enjoy yourself. The first, the strip limerick game is perfection. The limericks are suitably naughty, and they’re getting naked. I’ve you’ve never read Eva Leigh before, you’re in for one helluva treat. Oh, she automatically gets props when Daniel carries Eleanor to his room. As you will see in my most recent review, the scene in Moonstruck when Ronny carries Loretta to the bed engrained itself in my 15-year old brain and is the pinnacle of romantic in my world. And once he gets into his bedroom, and starts stripping down, she sees he has a body that won’t quit. How does he maintain that physique? A lot of things, including fencing (MAR acolytes, you know what happens when fencing is mentioned! Everybody drink! Okay, wait, that’s not a rule? Well it is now! And note, you can drink anything you want; it definitely doesn’t have to be alcoholic. Celebratory lattes for all!)
Damn, y’all let me go off on another tangent, didn’t you?
So he’s naked and “lean and hard and carnal” and he’s prowling up the bed “like a wolf stalking his prey” (235) and we all wanna be that wildebeest (wait, I’m probably thinking cheetahs). She’s a little disconcerted at how quickly he got her undergarments off (also clearly not his first rodeo).
MAR readers want to know how good the sex scenes are (we’re honest, right?) and this one is marvelous. Detailed, exciting, just the right timing. Eva Leigh crafts the perfect scenes, and her writing captures you and places you in the scene. But it’s not just the magnificent joining that makes this perfection. We follow these two as they fall in love (or, more likely, admit to themselves that they’re already in love).
“They took a moment to simply feel one another. Him deep inside her. Her surrounding him. Them, together.
A surprise. An inevitability.
They were meant for this. Not merely sex, but this joining. So completed. So absolute.” (241)
Apparently, they keep going through the night, but, oh pooh, we don’t hear more detail about what happened the next TWO times. Damn, Daniel, you da man.
The second scene, OMG! They’re in his study. On. The. Desk. And he’s totally unleashed. Seriously, prepare that cold shower in advance, because you will need it. He licks his fingers, which elicited an audible response from me (hoo, boy, yes; go on with your bad self). Gimme a sec. I gotta reread that. But don’t tarry too long, because he’s soon on his knees, making a meal of her. And he doesn’t want to stop. No worries, this is just the beginning. And I’ll call you a liar here and now if you tell me you read the scene only once.
Spoilers?
Nah, I’m not telling you anything more, LOL. I want you to read this book.
The next books
The next book is as good, or possibly better, than this one, if you can believe it. And yes, Eleanor and Daniel are part of that one as well.
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