Reading Addiction Book Tours Book Review: Illicit Love

Historical Romance

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing

Date Published-  5/2/13

Synopsis: 

Ellen Harding longs to be free of the life she is trapped in - her husband died at the battle of Waterloo 

and her family disowned her and now she lives under the reign of a cruel protector. When her eyes are 

drawn to a beautiful man for no other reason than his looks, she imagines escaping her chains for a 

night by giving her body to him – to a man of her choosing – even if only to infuriate her captor. 

But Edward Marlow is kind and gentle when he touches her and her subconscious whispers that this 

man could save her. Yet how can he help her when she has secrets which prevent her ever being free. 

She has too many battles to fight. 

Edward is restless, lonely and a little angry with his lot in life – it is his only excuse for being drawn to 

another man’s mistress. The woman’s dark hair and pale eyes are striking and he cannot take his gaze 

off of her while she watches him over the top of a fan with an illicit intent in her eyes. But once he’s 

known her he cannot forget her - and once he’s seen how brutal her protector is, how can leave her 

with the man? But she will not run anymore than she will speak of her past, so how can he help her…

Review: This is a unique historical. It isn't often you get the story from the eyes of women who is someone's mistress. However in this cast her protector isn't much of one.

So right from the start this is a book that is different.

Jane has created characters that you really feel for. Ellen has had a rough life to end up where she is right now, and you have to be rooting for her. You want her to have just a little bit of happiness in her life and Edward....ah...Edward. He is truly one of the best heroes I've read about in a long time. Any conflict between Edward and Ellen has more to do with him trying to help her than him being an alpha male. Can I just say, I'm not a huge fan of alpha males.

This is another book that had me on the edge of me seat with nerves because of an abusive man. I didn't realize how many historical romances out there were dealing with an issue like this. I loved Edward for helping Ellen, because the life she was living wasn't one she deserved. Her history made me think of Fantine from Les Miz. I mean, every man in her life, up until Edward let her down...well, except her first husband, but it was her first marriage that started her on the downward spiral, though her first husband was not to blame...well except that he died.

I really couldn't tear myself from this book once I started reading it. I had to find out how everything was resolved and what happened to that nasty (insert expletive here) protector of hers.

Rating: 5 flowers

Jane Lark

Author Bio

Jane is qualified to the equivalent of a Masters Degree in People Management and is fascinated by the things which craft people's personalities, so she has great fun exploring these through characters. She lives in the United Kingdom near the Regency City of Bath and has just bought her 400 year old dream home. History has always tempted her imagination and she loves researching and also exploring ruins and houses to get ideas. She equally loves a love story.

Jane has always aspired to writing a historical novel so when she was thirty she put it on her ‘to do before I am forty’ list. She completed her first novel ten years ago, never sent it anywhere then started the next. She’s not stopped writing since, and escaping into a mental world of fiction is a great painkiller to help fight off her Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Jane is a member of RWA, RNA, and the Historical Novel Society.

Website- http://www.janelark.co.uk/
Twitter- www.twitter.com/janelark
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/jane.lark.3?fref=ts