Always the courtesan and never the bride – it’s a life she never chose and cannot escape… world offering her anything of kindness. Until he walks through her door.
Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester, is exhausted with politics and games, deceit and lies – it’s time for simplicity, and there’s nothing simpler than the clear cut exchange of coin for pleasure. And yet there’s something different about this girl. She knows how to please a man, certainly, but there’s more to her. Something refined.
He’s determined to find out the truth. She’s terrified of destroying her family name. Tensions mount as wills clash and there can only be one victor.
Can Josiah ever prove himself as trustworthy, or will he fall back to old habits? Can Honora ever return to society after her fall from grace – or is his bed far more inviting?
This full-length novel is a steamy Regency romance with a happily ever after, no cliffhangers, and is part of a series that can be read in any order.
Never the Bride Series
Always the Bridesmaid
Always the Chaperone
Always the Courtesan
Always the Best Friend
Always the Wallflower
Always the Bluestocking
more
A Lady of Quality is missing for over 3 years and although her brothers have searched for her, they didn’t find her. Until someone of Quality found her. A very moving love story. From the tragic beginning to the happy ending, I certainly was hooked. It will be great to read more in this series.Emily E K Murdock is a wonderful story teller!
A young lady with a secret.
Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester is tired of the endless chatter and manipulating mama’s looking for a husband. The endless social engagements have no appeal. He’s looking for something simplistic, so he ends up at a brothel and meets a beautiful young lady, a courtesan. Lady Honora Lennox was kidnapped at sixteen and taken to a brothel. Three years have passed and she’s given up hope of being rescued, until a young gentleman steals her heart. Would society accept a courtesan as the wife of an Earl? A complex love story of two souls finding each other. Connecting characters from the previous books make an interesting series. I still consider these standalone books since I’ve read them out of order.
I have read three books in this series, Always the Bridesmaid, Always the Courtesan and Always the Chaperone. All the books are a quick and easy read, with good characters that you can understand.,
These are steamy, entertaining if some what madding stories. For the most part I enjoyed reading them. I read a lot of historical and regency romance and these do not follow the time period. Some of the things the H & H do would just not happen. When you have Dukes, and Earls involved they can get things done others can not. They do not let incidents or crimes against those they love to go unnoticed. They do not bargain with the evil doers of the lower class.
You will have to read the series your self to see how you feel about the stories.
They are good for a quick read but I need my stories closer to the truth of the time period.
I love to read a book and be totally surprised by the direction of the story by the author. Emily E.K. Murdoch definitely did not write your standard romantic plot with this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series, but Emily out did herself with this one. Strong characters that get their HEA, but with a unique journey all their own.
Josiah Stanhope is fed up with society women. Unable to find someone he can talk to with some substance he decides that he will live a simpler life. Finding a mistress to satisfy needs is his first stop. When he picks “Hannah” for the night he finds all he wants to do is talk to someone who will talk back and be honest, no deceit no lies. Hannah is really Lady Honora Lennox who was kidnapped and forced to become a courtesan. Unable to return home and ruin her family Honora has resigned herself to her current life. Josiah is a wonderful and sweet man who wants a companion in his life that he can talk to and Honora fits that person. Definitely a different romance than the norm, something you will definitely want to read! You will fall in love with Josiah and Honora.
To say the least, the hero Josiah, the Earl of Chester was very outspoken about not wanting to marry. He was at his friend William’s wedding and he could only think about he wanted simplicity. Like having a mistress. He did not endear himself to me at all and maybe that was the point. To see how he might change.
Honora had been taken when she was young and made to work in a brothel. She felt there was no way to escape and her family would not want her now anyway. Then Josiah walked in and there she was. He felt something instantly for Honora.
It was a sweet courting with Josiah falling in love with “Hannah” and he giving her some hope.
I was anxious to see how their journey would evolve and how their happy ending would come about..
Enjoyable and yes, a little different, but that is always a surprise.. Another great addition to this series!
Always the Courtesan by Emily EK Murdoch is the third in her Never the Bride series. Always the Courtesan was an enjoyable read despite the fact that its premise was ludicrous. Honora Lennox had been kidnapped and forced into a life of prostitution. How forced, you ask? Constant vigilance on the part of her keeper and a life filled with debt that honor declared must be repaid. It was a trap. Her brothers had been searching for her for three long years, but of course they didn’t patronize such an establishment. Josiah, Earl of Chester, by chance discovers her when he has given up running for damsels who are part of the ton and decided to keep it simple, by paying for it.
This is a really cute series, and Murdoch writes compelling characters. This is an entertaining book except for the fact that it would not have been possible to live as a whore for three years and then regain one’s position in society, let alone marry an earl. Honora knew her place in the world, what it had become, and did her best with what she had. Josiah was so determined that love wasn’t real, and he wasn’t going to fall for it, that he fell for the most unlikely and inappropriate woman. I guess we, as readers of romance, suspend reality all the time. This is no different. The other books in the series make more sense. There is, however a certain continuity that must be maintained. For that reason, I recommend Always the Courtesan.
I received a free ARC of Always the Courtesan from Dragonblade, through Netgalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #alwaysthecourtesan
Josiah Stanhope, the Earl of Chester is frustrated by the lies and deceit he sees from the marriage minded women of society. Why can’t female company be easy and honest.
“Hannah”, Lady Honora Lennox was abducted three years ago and has been forced to work in a brothel ever since. She’s given up all hope. Even if her family still loved her she would bring too much shame to them.
Our hero is a genuinely good man who has a family to think of. He can’t think of a way to solve his problems.
Our down to earth heroine knows how to face facts and put dreams behind her.
A very unusual historical romance that looks impossible to have a happy ending. It’s part of a series of books that can all be read alone. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed each one.
Great fun.
Kidnapped and sold to a brothel as a courtesan, Honora feels less than worthless and dreads her family ever finding out what had happened to her. Unbeknown to her, her brother’s friend arrives at the brothel and chooses her for companionship. Josiah is smitten with Honora and the tiny peeks she gives him of her past intrigue him, making him long to know more about her. Unfortunately, with his place in society, marriage to Honora is out of the question, but that does not stop the sense of urgency he has to know her. This novel is very different from others that I have read by this author and I felt somewhat uncomfortable with it. Nevertheless it is well written and highlights the reality of the plight of women in the Regency era, as well as the stigma attached to loss of reputation. I received a copy of this standalone novel from NetGalley as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Always the Courtesan by Emily E.K. Murdock
Josiah Stanhope, Earl of Chester, felt there were too many lies and deceit going around between the fairer sex and men. He watched as his friend, Duke of Mercia, William Lennox married Lady Charlotte St. Maur, even though she was a spinster of thirty-five.
Lady Honora Lennox was standing in a lineup in a brothel. But she still tried to maintain her dignity and sense of shame. Three years ago she had been kidnapped off the street and forced to become a courtesan. She was kept locked up at the brothel with a huge man keeping guard if she or any of the other girls made a run for it they would be beaten or killed.
The story was funny and sad. She was nineteen when they took her, innocent, and unknowing. Josiah was a bit awkward and exasperating. Sometimes he was a little strange but he was always gentle. He would come and they would sit and talk. It had become a usual occurrence. He didn’t know what to make of her. He thought she was beautiful and she also was gentle. I very highly recommend this lovely read.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
The most stupid hero. Did he not really realize the life she was leading. He should have immediately rescued her.