Anna, a widow battling alcohol addiction, is convinced she is worthless unless she bears a child. Devlyn, sterile after an accident, has returned to England from an assignment for the Foreign Office. Anna and Devlyn join forces to protect an innocent child from a blackmailer. Can they come to terms not only with their feelings for each other but whether they will allow society to dictate the true … true significance of life?
*** A very steamy romance. ***
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After her husband’s death, Anna still carries around the emotional scars she endured while he was alive. To cope, she drowns her pain through alcohol consumption. But when she meets Devlyn, for the first time in her life, she doesn’t need wine to numb the pain. She and Devlyn join forces to help stop a blackmailer from corrupting an innocent child. Society dictates her self-worth by bearing a child but can she be complete without a child? They’ve fallen in love with each other but will societal expectations keep them apart or will realize love is what defines them as man and wife?
A Lady’s Addiction is a brilliant Regency romance with immense depth. We get a realistic view of what life was like in Regency England. Angelina Jameson tackles some tough issues like alcohol addiction, childbearing, infidelity, death, blackmail, and societal pressure. Many of these same issues are present in today’s society but they aren’t taboo conversational topics like they were in Regency England. The attraction between Anna and Devlyn is immediate yet the romance blossoms over time. Both hero and heroine are flawed characters that added such depth to the story. I connected with Anna right away and there were times when I wanted to give her a gentle shake to knock some sense into her. The plot moves at a quick pace, peppered with a full cast of characters and plenty of intrigue. If you love historically accurate Regency romance, A Lady’s Addiction is a must-read. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
My Rating: 5+ stars
This is not your average Regency romance, it is a compelling story of addiction, betrayal, blackmail, secrets and deep emotion.
Devlyn Maitlin and Anna, Lady Stafford first meeting is one that Devlyn will never forget. In an attempt to prove that she is not the cold, passionless woman her late husband said she was, Anna has set up a tryst. But Devlyn is not the man she is supposed to meet and while incredibly tempted, his honor will not let him engage with an intoxicated Anna.
Anna is a complexed, flawed heroine, after a very unhappy marriage, she found solace and comfort in wine, but now she has acknowledged her addiction and decides to quit. She also wants to remarry and have children – believing this will make her happy.
Devlyn is trying to find his way, guilt and physical reminders of deeds he longs to forget had made it hard, but he never forgot Anna and as luck would have it he is able to connect with her again thanks to his mother. His mother tasked him with investigating the questionable actions of his sister-in-law and is surprised, yet delighted, that that leads him back to Anna.
This was a well-written, steamy-ish tale of two flawed people, finding love, acceptance and forgiveness. It touches on some trigger issues (addiction & barrenness) and I think the author did an outstanding job with these issues. The book pulled me in and held me until the very end. I am happy to recommend this book and will definitely checking out her backlist!!
*I am voluntarily leaving review for an eBook that was provided to me.*
A wonderful story of two people thrown together by chance. A widow drowning her sorrows in wine while dreaming of having a family, and a man plagued by guilt and injury.
The story begins with Anna, the heroine, meeting with a man in an obscure inn. She is a bit foxed and clearly uncomfortable with what is about to transpire.
We learn she is a widow whose deceased husband claimed was a “lady of ice”, a person incapable of sexual desire or fulfillment. In spite of a bad first marriage, she wanted to marry again in order to finally have children and a family to call her own. To be able to do that, she needed to prove to herself that she was not a frigid unfeeling woman.
Things got tangled when Anna mistook the nobleman who knocked on her door for the cicisbeo she had hired.
Devlin was astonished and enchanted at the same time, and in spite of doing the honorable thing, could not take Anna from his mind. He finds out that the man Anna had hired, but luckily had not really got involved with, is blackmailing his sister-in-law and other women of the ton.
The story is full of layers. Anna, although behaving so boldly at the start, is actually a very honorable and sensible person who is fighting an alcohol addiction and who is in search of a meaning for her life. Devlin, on the other hand, has regrets for past deeds and the consequences of a physical injury to deal with.
The side characters are interesting and complex: Devlin’s matchmaking mother, his crippled brother, his devious sister-in-law, his mysterious valet Wiggins, Anna’s selfish friend Cecily, her sweet son Andrew, and the villain Franco.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mrs. Jameson, whose previous books I have read were very sweet and clean, can also write a more robust and sensual story. The passion scenes are well-written and the overall writing very elegant.
I can’t wait to read the story of Devlin’s brother Cameron and I hope Wiggins ends up getting a story as well.
Disclosure: I have received a reviewer’s copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
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Heat –
A Lady’s Addition by Angelina Jameson is probably one of the most unique historical romance novels I read this year. The story is about Anna, a widow who is battling an alcohol addiction. She thinks her former husband was right, she is a cold fish and worthless if she can’t bear children. So she decides to engage the services of a gigolo to help her get over her cold fish attitude in bed. But the man that comes to her room at the in isn’t who she expected.
Anna’s struggles through her addition and feelings of depression were some of the most honest and gut-wrenching plot points I’ve read in a historical romance. I’ve never experienced the struggles Anna did, but I can only imagine how much that would affect a woman. Her dependence on alcohol at the start of the story made a lot of sense. Devlyn, an agent for the foreign office arrives back in England and when Anna mistakes him for her nighttime companion he goes with it since he’s lonely too. But at the last second, he realizes she’s inebriated and pulls back. Devlyn realizes that Anna is caught up in a blackmail scheme he’s been looking in to. So he teams up with her to help ferret out the truth. I loved watching these two work together to figure out the mystery as they fell in love.
What didn’t work for me was that this story included scenes and chapters from the POV of side characters. For me, these felt like needless distractions from the overall romance and mystery plot. I don’t need to see from the POV of the bad guy to know he’s bad. The truth of the scheme is uncovered for me through Devlyn and Anna. Also, this book ends with the kind of epilogue that’s all too common in romance. I wanted better for these two.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and if the near-spoiler above is not a deal-breaker for you I’d recommend it for anyone looking for unique historical characters. While the ending was a let down for me, my enjoyment of this couple’s chemistry makes up for it in the end.