Eloisa James concludes her romance series about orphaned sisters in Regency England with the most wild-hearted of the lot, Josephine Essex.
Only a month into her season debut, and Josie’s already a social pariah—thanks to the nasty gossip of a neighbor. With her chances of making a match growing slimmer by the minute, help comes in the form of a family friend eager to teach Josie the art of flirtation. But Garret Langham, the infamous Earl of Mayne, may not be the most suitable teacher….
First off, to convince Josie of her allure, Garret delivers a simple kiss that turns decidedly passionate. His lesson works all too well, and soon Josie is swamped with admirers—which is too bad since Garret has decided that no man will ever have her heart…but him. Explicit sex.
The final chapter in the Essex sister story is a grand one. It has a little bit of everything you would expect to see in it. And I have to say that few books ever make me laugh out loud, and yet this book at several points made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to cry.
The beginning starts out a bit sad, poor Josie the youngest of the sisters hates her body, and has been dubbed the Scottish sausage which is a horrible nickname. And of course there for the Ton all avoid her, no young men her age will ask her to dance and only the older men her sisters or chaperone can rustle up will dance with her. The biggest crime is that she sees herself as fat. And Josie is anything but. She’s not fat; she is beautiful like a real woman.
It’s a horrid corset she wears that makes her appear stuffed. Well, enter Garrett the Earl of Mayne. I loved him in the other books when he popped up. He is a rakehell who isn’t feeling like much of a rakehell anymore. He is engaged but none the less he kisses Josie, and shows her what its like to be a real woman. She taking his teaching well gets rid of the corset and indeed becomes a woman who leaves young men slavering after her. She has the body of a Madonna, and she has just a fun personality.
Follow this story is a true romp of fun, and finding love where you would least expect it. Mayne has had a little dabble in with all of the Essex’s sisters in one form or another. Who would have guessed that he would have one with Josie as well? There is a particularly funny scene in which Mayne believing Josie has been ravished picks her up while she is asleep. Josie wakes and proceeds to slug him, giving him a black eye. What a fine way to say hello to a gentleman.
But Mayne can have a good laugh too as Josie’s expense including a time in which he dumps a glass of water over his head and startles Josie into thinking he is a ghost. The romance is there as well, and there is love to be found for everyone. Even Griselda whom who have followed as a widow through it all does indeed find her own happy ending. If you have enjoyed the other books in this series, you must read this one. And if you haven’t read the others, I recommend you do so you can read this one as well. You will not be sorry in the least. You will laugh, cry and enjoy it.
