She vows to protect her heart...until love burns away her resistance.
Regine Laflamme rules as the Queen of Fire, the Paris demimonde's most notorious and accomplished courtesan. Wealthy men shower her with riches and vie to become her next conquest. Respectable women shun her. Other courtesans envy her.
No one knows she was once an innocent young governess, ruined and turned out by a cruel lord. And now, years later, she spies her seducer's son-a man who never answered her frantic pleas for help.
Darius, Earl of Clarridge, has never stopped searching for the woman who haunts him. He doesn't expect her to believe that her letters never reached him. No, he will regain her trust in a way she understands-by promising to give her more pleasure than she's ever known.
In spite of her misgivings, Regine is intrigued and takes Darius up on his boast. To her surprise, he conquers not only her body, but captures her very heart.
Yet beyond the haven of her boudoir, two men scheme to possess her for their own. When one of them kidnaps and enslaves her, she clings desperately to a new hope-that this time Darius will find her before it's too late.
Recommended: Yes, you need to check it out!
About The Courtesan's Bed
Available as: NEW Paperback $11.70 from Amazon.com, E-book $4.56 from Amazon.com Kindle's Edition
Recommended Ages: 17 and Up
E-book: 284 pgs
Published: September 28th 2010 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd(first published September 13th 2010)
Published: September 28th 2010 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Regine was an innocent governess who didn't know the first things about sex. Until she catches the eye of his employer Penbry Granger, Marquess of Blackwall who's family she works for. Regine in love even knowing he's married and has a daughter and a son begins an affair. Foolishly she believed when his wife , discovered the affair he'd protect her. He doesn't and she is kicked out of her job without a recommendation so that she ends up with no chance at supporting herself in anyway. She becomes penniless and without much turns to a life of a courtesan which is really-- a high class prostitute.
“My father took advantage of you, true. He admitted as much to me when I demanded to know why you had been dismissed. But there were other paths you could’ve taken, Régine. You didn’t need to resort to prostituting yourself to survive.”
She burst out laughing. “Oh my poor, privileged little lordling…how astonishingly naïve you are for such a sophisticated man.” She walked back to the settee, sat down and insolently draped her arms across its back, displaying herself to mock him. “Well, have a seat, monsieur, because I’m going to give you an education I’m sure you never got at Oxford.”
He sat down. And while he listened, Régine told him about her parents’ untimely deaths while mountain climbing in the Alps, and her own need to support herself, since none of her few remaining relatives possessed enough charity to offer her a home. So she embarked upon the only avenue open to an impoverished, genteel young lady of good family. She became a governess. She related how the head of the employment agency had warned her about lustful aristocrats and their sons.
When she first came to Blackwall Manor, everything was fine. As long as Kate and Emma excelled at their lessons, she was safe.
And then the master of the house noticed her, and she was no longer safe at all.
Just as Regine has transformed her image to that of The Queen of Fire who's now an empowered woman. Yet, the the son of the man who turned her away Darius Granger, Earl of Clarridge, turns up and makes it quite clear he wants her. Regine doesn't at first know what he could want and just wishes he doesn't want to destroy her life like his father did.
What she hardly knows is Darius (Earl of Clarridge) has come to amaze her since he's always loved her even when she was only a governess.
With The Courtesan's Bed couldn't help notice had everything in a romance novel including some small action/adventure moments. About the romance well its a thing of intrigue we see the lust Darius carries for Regine isn't just that but he really cares about having her by his side and as a reader you slowly see them enjoy each other's company to eventually see them realize they might love each other. It's not only about romance and the intrigue there's a intricate story here with intricacy. And you also see actual hilarious moments where there is Anatole Beaucaire with the Parisian society who's outgoing and friends with Regine. It's a novel that sure has romance, humor, action, and danger including differing point of views of courtesans of France where during that time courtesans were all the rage.
The Courtesan's Bed would come to recommend for fans of Historical Romance books. You'll like this since it has depth.
Overall: Amazing read!
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
About the Author
Sandrine O’Shea is the pen name of an author of fifteen historical romances published by traditional print publishers, and she’s eagerly looking forward to the release of her first e-book. When she’s not writing or reading romances and mysteries, she enjoys beading, wandering through art galleries and craft fairs, going to dog shows, and occasionally baking something fattening and delicious. She and her husband share their New England home with their cat, Mrs. Grumbles, who can’t understand her parents’ affections for dogs.
Write to her at sandrineoshea@aol.com and visit her website www.sandrineoshea.com.
