Lady Bianca Marlowe has a reputation for being beautiful, bold, and bad. She shocks the delicate matrons of London society at balls and tea parties with her outspoken opinions and turns the head of every red-blooded male in London with her daring fashion choices and flirtatious ways. When she is admitted into the prestigious May Flowers ladies’ political society, it seems as though no one will be … be safe from her audacity. There is only one man who can tame her wild ways.
Jack Craig’s climb up from his birth in a brothel in Seven Dials to become a Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard was a long and arduous one, but after a series of high-profile arrests, his reputation as one of London’s most powerful law enforcement officers is firmly established. His advancement within the Metropolitan Police, and even a knighthood, seem inevitable. Jack has just one weakness—his passion for Lady Bianca.
Their attachment is as unsuitable as it is fiery, and neither are willing to listen to reason and stay away from each other. Especially once Bianca helps Jack uncover a plot to attack the Houses of Parliament that would make Guy Fawkes look like an amateur. But when the inevitable results of their affair turn them both into social outcasts and pit them against each other, they must either discover the true love that has burned beneath their passion or risk an explosion that could put more than their own lives at risk.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Steam level – very spicy!
THE MAY FLOWERS series is a continuation of THE SILVER FOXES OF WESTMINSTER series, involving the younger generation. It consists of:
A LADY’S FIRST SCANDAL
IT’S ONLY A SCANDAL IF YOU’RE CAUGHT
THE SCANDAL OF A PERFECT KISS
THE EARL’S SCANDALOUS BARGAIN
WHEN LADY INNOCENCE MET DR. SCANDALOUS
THE ROAD TO SCANDAL IS PAVED WITH WICKED INTENTIONS
SCANDAL MEETS ITS MATCH
‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE SCANDAL
HOW TO AVOID A SCANDAL (OR NOT)
more
I like ur books thank
I found the sexual content to be very in my face. Didn’t like that. Would prefer it to be more subtle and not forced. Did not finish the book and deleted it from my libray.
I enjoyed this book. The hero is hard working, serious, and doing his best to get ahead. The heroine on the other hand is blustery, hard headed and spoiled.
The plot was great and the characters were so wonderfully written that as each and every page was turned I felt like Bianca and Jack jumped from the pages and pulled me right into their story as it unfolded!
In this historical romance we meet Bianca and Jack, it’s my first time reading this author and although this is book 2 of the series, I was able to easily follow what was happening. Both the main characters are slightly different to what you would expect of that time period. Lady Bianca was outspoken and seemed to rebel against any societal norms whilst Jack was born in a brothel and worked his way up and out of the slums to become a Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard. Together they were explosive, they had so much chemistry. Yet, they were from very different backgrounds and had a lot of societal influence and expectations to overcome.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Bianca and Jack were from total ends in the hierarchy of aristocracy. But their love was endearing and enduring in nature. The journey they were on was over a course of several years, but can the dictates of society and family keep them apart or will they finally get the HEA they deserve? Great addition to this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The second book of The May Flowers a well written story that kept me turning pages, I want to read the next book in this series. Lady Bianca Marlowe and Jack Craig a Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard’s story has suspense, drama, danger, bombs, twists, turns, villains, and romance. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jack is roguish and charming, Bianca is brash and outspoken. Neither are the traditional H/h for this time… Jack illegitimate and from a brothel… Bianca a spoilt but progressive woman for the day. The question is: can Bianca give up her life of comfort and prestige to be with Jack, a regular working Joe. What will Bianca do when faced with the reality of Jack’s history and the truth of life for the less fortunate. I love Merry Farmer and enjoyed this visit to her world.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I liked that Bianca was so feisty, she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid of it. I also thought Jack was a great compliment to Bianca and was such a hard worker. I am glad they were able to be together and get married I was just sad they were pushed into several things they didn’t want because of social rules. I do think in the end they made such an excellent couple they were able to prove everyone wrong. I am interested to see what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jack and Bianca great characters.
Take one independent lady and one inspector and guess what happens you could almost feel the fire through the pages of this book. The author has written a wonderful book that on one hand very intense and on the other a fun romance. You will find this one is hard to put down and the last part of the book moves so fast it was great. I highly recommend this one it was a joy to read. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Loved this story. She is an intelligent, outspoken, beautiful society single lady. She does and says what she thinks. He is a higher up in the law enforcement of the time. Raised up in poverty and not worth bragging about. But he doesn’t let that bring him down. Even though society doesn’t like them together they don’t care. There are a lot of twists and turns with what happens to these two. It will keep you on your toes reading. I highly recommend it. I received a review copy and voluntarily review it.
The book is very well written and grabs your attention from the beginning to the very end. Jack and Bianca’s story is full of excitement that involves love between two vastly different social classes and the fact that it is not condoned by the ton or even her family. There is also a lot of excitement in the book that revolves around the politics of that time regarding the Irish. The investigation into the attempted murder of Lord Fergus continues slowly. This is a great read and I would highly recommend it.
London 1855 “Lady Bianca Marlow had a reputation and she knew it. She was considered too forward for an aristicratic lady, too free and outspoken with her opinions but she was now a May Flower and no one could stop her.” paraphrased but you get the picture! So, right off I knew she was going to be a challenge and could hardly wait to see what would happen!
Combine her with Inspector Jack Craig, who Bianca had know for years and the sparks begin to fly! “But Jack was a police inspector from a humble background and she was the daughter of an Earl. There were rules but Bianca was more than willing to ignore them!” Such was her attraction to him. He hoped to move up his rank so that he would be looked at as more acceptable to be with her on day.
What an adventure that has a lot happening right from the start! Trying to catch a man behind an attack while trying to prevent one, tension and excitement with an explosive romance, took me to the ending and I could only sigh. Another great addition to this series and I cannot wait to read the next one!
I enjoyed reading this. I liked that Bianca tossed her mother’s hypocrisy in her face. Katya had been bolder in earlier stories, now she’s judgmental. However, Bianca’s not even considering the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy showed her true naivety. Considering Jack’s origins it seemed quite out of character for him to totally forget himself, albeit he mentally chastises himself when he learns of the pregnancy.
As Lord Shayle was to the Foxes of Westminster, here Lord Denbigh is the malevolent thread through this series.
I read an advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
Amazing historical romance!
Bianca and Jack are enjoying a simple love – there’s no doubt in either of their minds that they’re soulmates and deeply in love. If only it were really that simple! Unfortunately, Lady Bianca belongs to the nobility, while Chief Inspector Jack has risen far above his hardscrabble childhood in the brothels, yet he’s nowhere near being considered suitable for Bianca.
The writing is brilliant, witty throughout, sizzling with heat and hunger, with non-stop excitement and suspense. The story gives us unique characters that may seem to be at odds with their time, yet they exude such authenticity that they remind us that every time had its pioneers and rabble-rousers. It was a joy to read about two such independent minds in 1885’s London.
This story takes a hard look at class distinctions and prejudices while giving us a strong, rebellious yet highly intelligent heroine and a deliciously swoonworthy if somewhat lovestruck hero. The author clearly has done her homework, giving us deep insights into the political situation in Victorian England and how it affected the people of all classes. There’s a bit of a crime drama element that is threaded throughout the series, but aside from that this is a standalone romance.
This book, this entire series really, is historical romance for those who love both history and romance equally. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more, and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The main characters were introduced to me in the previous book in this series as I have read the book about Bianca’s mother (and I’m not sure I would read it by how she was portrayed her as an ugly self-important awful woman).
And from the beginning I was intrigued by these two very different personalities.
How I do loved Jack, he was raised in a brothel but was not bitter about his upbringing.
While many many stories about men coming from the slums of the society edges show them as angry or ashamed of their birthplace, he is prideful of the women who raised him, and praises their strength.
Never reneging where he is from.
Proud to have elevated himself to where he stands now.
When they tried to belittle him with his new promotion, at first it was like branding him for his origines, then it became his own trademark and power.
Bianca is too outspoken for her own good and she very easily looses her temper. Her youth and her coddled life prevents her from knowing when a battle is lost or not. At the beginning, I do wondered if she was really in love with Jack, or more attracted to the forbidden. She threw caution to the wind, and took inconsiderate course of action without a thought to the consequences.
Her reaction when she finally discovered Jack’s world, what lies on the other side of the fences was one of a pampered girl, horrified to witness the life of the poorest.
I wondered if her love for Jack would pass the challenge of a life deprived of her usual comfort.
Then she surprised me, sure she stayed true to her unpredictable self, easily angered and with fit of temper but she stands for herself and those who came to count for her. She won’t bent to society’s dictates.
She is no super heroine, she makes too many mistakes for that but she is not weak, she find her force in Jack’s love and trust and for him, she will face everything and those who shunned her.
It was a different kind of Victorian romance, I loved this foray in today’s life of the less fortunate without adding misery to their already harsh lives.
A big fat 5 stars.
Who is with me on this, Jack Craig could do no wrong? He is a police inspector, doubly swoon-worthy, takes responsibility and loves with everything he has. A lovely story with great characters who give and love with passion. I really liked that not everything they did was accepted by their family. It made the arguments and subsequent forgiveness believable. Will Denbigh ever be caught? Will Fergus find love? Inquiring minds need to know.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
Oh my, I anxiously awaited Bianca and Jack’s story. She is high born, he is not. Even though Jack is an upstanding Scotland Yard detective Bianca’s family is not accepting of him. But they underestimate Bianca’s will and their love for one another. The trials that follow are unexpected and mixing it with an investigation Jack had been involved with makes this a very exciting story. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.
Lady Bianca Marlowe has already cultivated a reputation for being too bold, especially now that she’s become a member of the ladies’ political society the May Flowers. Though she turns almost every head, she’s only ever really been interested in one man.
Chief Inspector Jack Craig has come a long way from the Seven Dials to Scotland Yard and now firmly established himself as one of their most powerful officers. Despite this success, a match with the only woman he wants, who happens to be the daughter of an earl, is still beyond his reach.
Despite their better judgment, Bianca and Jack can’t stay away from each other and soon their worlds collide irreparably and both must face drastic changes. Their relationship is further challenged when they uncover a plot to attack a particular political faction and must find a way to stop it despite having been cast out of their former roles. The two must work together, not only to save their love, but their lives as well.
After reading several other books with these characters, I must say I was quite disappointed in how characters I’ve loved in previous books were treating Bianca, even though it was realistic. I did find it rather difficult to like Bianca herself at times as well. That said, I loved seeing a couple who openly acknowledged that they belonged together and fought to make it happen.
Despite my frustration with some of the characters, there was high tension in this book that left me unable to put it down and I’m looking forward to the next one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.