From USA Today, RITA-nominated author Anthea Lawson comes this full-length Victorian romantic adventure full of wit, adventure, and plenty of passion!Miss Lily Strathmore has made a desperate bargain. One last adventure abroad with her botanist uncle and his family, and then she will do as her parents bid and wed the proper (and boring) viscount her mother has selected as Lily’s ideal husband.… husband.
James Huntington is on a mission. Retrieve his grandfather’s lost journals from the wilds of Tunisia, and win the estate and fortune he so desperately needs. This quest will be the making of him—or his ruin.
Thrown together on a botanical expedition, James and Lily’s attraction is immediate, and impossible. Despite every reason to keep their distance, the two find themselves inexorably drawn together as they race to reach a hidden valley before their enemies can bring all their dreams crashing down.
“A lush, exotic tale of romance and adventure.” – Sally MacKenzie, USA Today bestselling author
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This too was a very interesting plot. I love how she tries to remain a wallflower
But everything turns completely around on her.
I enjoyed the book very much, an am thankful to the author for releasing it free. I plan to purchase and read other books by this author.
Freedom loving Lily wants to take one last trip abroad with her botanist uncle to Tunisia. James is seeking his grandfather’s lost journals to credit him with the discovery of a rare flower. Villainy pops up in the form of Reggie whose effort are to subvert their plans in order to gain the claims the flower represents for him to inherit family holdings. Are the women on this excursion slowing things down? Why did the uncle fall ill? Discover who can really be trusted.
This historical romance was sweet with a great cast of characters. It leaves the reader satisfied with its story about the main characters but eager to read more about the varied supporting cast. Fun to read.
I enjoyed the characters and stories of travels and strong women.
Very enjoyable!
Good read!
I liked that the book went a little further at the end than these types of books usually do.
Loved, loved.
Quite a journey!
The story line didn’t make sense to me.
I absolutely loved the two main super couples in this novel. Both James & Lily as well as his sister’s Caroline & Alex love story. Romance, intrigue, suspense, intimacy’s, gentleness.
Thank you for showing what a true man is when cherishing their woman. It was beautiful.
Yes, many of the innocent touches, glances, eye contact were just as sexy as the actual act.
Once they admitted to their love for their partners.
I thoroughly enjoyed James & Lily’s relationship, the suspense & struggles they had to go thru within their relationship. A man who just wants to prove his self worth & earn the Lady he has fallen in love with.
Lily who wants nothing more to have a independent life & have a man love her for herself.
Not just to gain an inheritance from her family.
The intimacy’s they shared were beautiful. My kind of love scenes, romantic, cherished & hot.
I highly recommend this book.
I also enjoyed the short stories with the characters of Sarah & Isabella blooming relationships. I would have liked one romantic scene from each female character’s realization they loved their gentleman. Not just declarations of their love. Though it was nice to see Isabella ask Gavin to marry her at the end.
I very much enjoyed the novel of Caroline & Alex love story. I could feel the agony that Alex was going thru. I would have liked to have known of the history of this trauma a bit sooner. However, the was it was introduced during Alex ‘s attempt to protect the love of his life males sense. While both characters are vulnerable. That they can handle any circumstance as long as they are facing it together. I could feel the love, strength, loyalty & undying support that these two characters shared throughout the novel. Let’s not forget their gentle, amazing love scenes that this author has created for both supercouples. WOW
A good plot makes a good book, not sex and foul language.
This book was an excellent read. The characters were well developed with motives that were credible. Beverly Oakley is a very accomplished storyteller and was at her best here. The action did not stop throughout the book.
I really enjoyed this book, especially the love story woven around period travel to Tunisia!
The first story (Passport to Romance) in this book was a little too erotic. I enjoyed the storylines. (but I admit I skipped the parts which were too graphic for me about 1/4 of the first story and a bit of another). Most of the other stories in this book were sweet romances which I highly enjoyed.
WARNING SPOILERS: This book was ultimately unsatisfying for me for two reasons. First, Isabelle never admits that she continued to be duped by Reggie to her family, never admits to them that it was her fault he found them, that he was responsible for breaking the camp, the fire, and sir Edward’s injuries. She never gets any real consequence other than guilt, and doesn’t learn a lesson. The synopsis of her book notes she’s ‘sworn off love’ or whatever, but that’s just further suggesting that she didn’t learn any valuable lesson about not being a naive idiot. She should have realized she should have listened to her family and trusted they had information she did not; instead, she blames love. Which is stupid. She needed to be called out by the family and feel their dismay/anger/disappointment. Second, in part because Isabelle keeps quiet, Reggie receives no real consequence either. Even more frustrating is that despite his despicable character, everyone just gives in to him. James just wrings his hands and clutches his pearls over Reggie’s threats, instead of telling his uncle what’s happening, or standing up to him. Further, there is little indication in the book that though James suspects/realizes Reggie orchestrated the attack on the camp and was responsible for sir Edward’s injuries, that he tells his uncle about it either. Which again, leaves Reggie with no real consequence other than frustration for not getting the estate. Maybe it’s to keep him available to be the antagonist in Caroline’s book, but with how shallow and one-note he is as a character, why even bother? Both of those things, for me, nearly ruined what might have otherwise been a very good book.
Wonderful, Entertaining, Adventurous & Romantic
Lily knowing James was heading up this Tour/Escapade she needed to be Near Him. I Loved reading this book, I had a hard time putting it down. This Story was well written with Wonderful characters, detailed adventure while traveling through Tunisia (North Africa). With danger at times & dispicible people who could care less who the hurt. I truly enjoyed this Book.
I had to stop. How they managed so many sex scenes when they were (theoretically) in a tight group …. Also, another one of those annoying books where the plot is driven by people being stupid, and not clearing up obvious misunderstandings. Ugh.
Enjoyed this book.