THIS IS BOOK 3 IN THE VICTORIAN DECADENCE SERIES Businessman Gideon Banks is cold, brilliant, rich…and bored. Who knew that a man who excelled at debauchery could become so bored? It’s not until he learns that he is heir to the Taunton Earldom that things start to get interesting. The late earl’s irksome, superior, and entirely too attractive widow is particularly fascinating to him. And the … him. And the fact that she’s now entirely dependent on him? That opens up an astonishing array of thrilling—and erotic—possibilities…
Alys Taunton might be sheltered and lonely, but she’s not stupid. When Gideon proposes a marriage of convenience, she never expects the immoral man to remain faithful. But the sensual delights he promises are impossible to resist, and she soon starts to wonder what would be more painful: refusing him and keeping her distance, or offering him her complete surrender, heart, body and soul.
Amidst a cycle of mind games and struggles for sexual dominance, can Gideon and Alys find their way to happily ever after? Or will their dark desires tear them apart forever?
His Countess is an angsty, dark, standalone historical erotic romance novel featuring consensual BDSM, MF, MMF, FFM, voyeurism, exhibitionism, explicit love scenes, and YES, a happily ever after!
This is NOT erotica. That means this book has a real story and lots of it.
TRIGGER WARNING: marital infidelity & lots of kink.
@109,000 word novel, no cliffhanger, HEA guaranteed!
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Can stories and characters grow on you that you enter into their world and want the best for them? Truly that’s my experience with with the books and writing of S M LaViolette/ Minerva Spencer. She is a master story teller with intricately drawn out narrative, fantastically flawed strong humane characters, events that draw you in and a true page turner.
His Countess draws you into the story of Gideon Banks, the fourth member of the Syndicate, a group of men who grew up in harsh reality, and now some of the wealthiest citizens of Victorian England. The decadence series lives true to its name, they live a fabulous flawed life all along helping many more but have no care for the strictures of the Victorian era. They use their intellect, do not shy away from hard work,enjoy sexual freedom (taboo for the ordinary layman), and a love that is not just romantic but fills the emptiness within, gathering their broken pieces and making them whole.
This story runs parallel to The Valet and if you have not read the books 1 and 2 a definite must read and will shed more light into this story.
Gideon Banks is now an Earl and has an impoverished earldom bestowed on him through a paternal grandfather. Alys is the countess for much noble birth (she is the daughter of a duke) but much maligned by the previous earl. Their lives intersect. That’s the only cliche in the story. The rest of the journey is fantastic fiction, narrative, events, characters as they flow in and out, well defined twists, angst and a finale that leaves the reader content. Every secondary character plays a definite role as the drama unfolds, be it the old, gin drinking lady’s maid, or the strong stable master or the valet, and of course the other other syndicate members join the house party at the estate.
The decadence series started off with a stupendous book 1 in the Harlot. S M LaViolette has managed to keep the series in top order by scintillating narrative, a real story of people, intrigue, a little mystery, a human flaws, the fierce nature to overcome all odds and to live a full life through one’s own rules without harming another.
I am hoping against hope the author will at some point, have a story for one of the favorite characters who plays a very important role in all three books, Mr.Smith ( without a first name never revealed, but Nora Franshawe of B
I’m always making confessions about my reading experiences of Minerva’s books, well my confession this time is that I wasn’t very much intrigued by Gideon’s character… and then, this book happen.
Now I must confess that I totally loved Mr. Banks, more than I would have thought. I know he is flawed, irredimable, rude and of course the most promiscous man in England, and yet, I adore the other side of him, the playful, fun and kind man who actually CAN fall in love.
Aly is charming, so lovely and formal. She is so very different from the previous heroines, she was educated to be the perfect lady and ignore and condemn her most basic urges, so I think the changes and permissions she has to make in order to be in a relationship with Gideon are great and nowhere close to easy for her, so I admire her in that regard, but in the end the reward is greater.
They are a perfect couple, and their union is what they both needed, there are no obstacles or anything that is keeping them apart except that Gideon screw it up…hard, so of course his journey through redemption is very interesintng and gratyfing.
I think this story was a little more lighthearted than the last two, but not less enjoyable, I read it in one day becuase I couldn’t put it down, is just that amazing. Again, Mr. Smith make his appareance, he is such a character, I’m hopeful that there will be a book about him.
S.M. LaViolette’s His Countess is book 3 of the Victorian Decadence series. Who knew that a man who excelled at debauchery could become so bored? Gideon Bonds is an extremely rich, self-absorbed, promiscuous, bored, cocky character whose life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes the heir to the Taunton Earldom that includes his processor’s widow. Alys Taunton might be sheltered and lonely but she is not stupid to turn down Gideon’s proposal of marriage of convenience. Amidst a cycle of mind games and struggles for sexual dominance, can Gideon and Alys find their way to happily ever after? Whew! His Countess is an angsty, dark erotic romance, so beautifully written. S.M LaViolette creates fantastically flawed characters, dry wit, and a world of voyeurism, exhibitionism, and explicit love scenes that left me breathless.
Businessman Gideon Banks is cold, brilliant, rich and bored. It’s not until he learns that he is heir to the Taunton Earldom that things start to get interesting. The late earl’s irksome, superior, and entirely too attractive widow is particularly fascinating to him. Alys Taunton might be sheltered and lonely, but she’s not stupid. When Gideon proposes a marriage of convenience, she never expects the immoral man to remain faithful. But the sensual delights he promises are impossible to resist, and she soon starts to wonder what would be more painful: refusing him and keeping her distance, or offering him her complete surrender, heart, body and soul.
This is the third book in the series & it’s very easily read on its own or read out of sequence. Gideon has appeared in the earlier books but now we really get to know him. This is another very well written erotic romance, if you don’t like hot, steamy & explicit sex then give this a miss however there’s so much more to this than the erotic. The characters ooze depth I loved both Gideon & Alys, Gideon is like a fallen angel but oh his mouth!! One of the joys of this book is the humour & the sarcastic, snarkyness of Gideon, which made me laugh out loud at times. Alys suffered an unhappy marriage & finally comes into her own with Gideon. The road to their HEA isn’t easy & some problems are self inflicted but it made for a riveting read & Gideon kept me up until 3am to finish it
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Lady Alys Taunton is the widow of the fifth Earl. She’s living on an estate literally falling down around her head. Now she relies on the generosity of the new Earl for a place to live.The love story of Gideon and Alys is a real tear jerker. Gideon has a destructive attitude and is not always an appealing character. Yet, he has some depth for redemption. Very erotic from the first page to the last. Explicit sex, BDSM, multiple partners MFF, MMF, MF, voyeuristic episodes, infidelity, etc. Definitely not a clean romance, but no way I could stop reading. A fantastic series!
Gifted a copy of this book by the author.