Welcome to the Surrey Sexual Freedom Society – where unconventional and uninhibited ladies and gentlemen discuss all matters erotic… Estranged from his aristocratic family for choosing art over a third son’s proper path, Mr. Clayton Irving lives in wretched circumstances. His only joys are his friends and an extraordinary talent for sensual portraits, until the perfect opportunity arises: paint … arises: paint ton empress Lady Susanna Fenton. All his financial woes gone…if he can hide his fierce craving for her—and even more forbidden—her husband Lord Joseph Fenton.
In the eyes of the world the Fentons have it all: staggering wealth, position, and a caring union. Yet their smiles hide a marriage broken by secrets and pretense. The wicked portrait is a last effort to save it, and Susanna and Joseph soon discover that sinfully handsome Clayton is key to a passionate and happy new start for them all. But secrets always reveal themselves, and those who break the rules are punished. Can an unconventional ménage truly defy all for love?
Please note this book contains explicit language and sexual content.
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4.5
Book source ~ Purchased
Mr. Clayton Irving is the third son in an aristocratic family. Instead of choosing to go into the ministry he decides to be an artist, painting portraits. But not just any portraits. Naughty ones. Mmmmm…where was I? Oh! Yeah. So, he gets commissioned to paint the highest of the high, Lady Susanna Fenton. He may be a professional but his cock says nom nom nom. Toss in the yummy Lord Joseph Fenton and Clay just might be able to have all his wishes come true.
Ahhhh, historical erotic romance is the best thing ever! There’s just something about it that revs my engines until they red line. Not many authors do it well, but Nicola Davidson has the right balance between heartfelt and naughty. As it should be. We don’t live in a vacuum and romance should be free to explore all the options out there. Like, ménage. Mmmmm…nommy. Relationships come in all sorts of flavors and shapes and sizes. Never limit yourself in life and love.
This is a short story so there’s not a lot of world building. Which is fine. The focus is on the characters and they are awesome. I really feel for them. Stuck in this stifling world and not sure if it’s even possible to get out. This is a wonderful story with lots of sexual intimacy between broken people looking for something more.
Starring Mr. Clayton Irving, Lady Susanna Fenton, and Lord Joseph Fenton.
Clayton is a disowned third son. His father wants him to become a vicar, but he choses the life of an artist instead. Beside, his love of debauching both men and women is not exactly fitting to a life of ministry. His dream is to live in a ménage relationship and his desire are a stone throw away when he meets Lord and Lady Fenton. But they are society’s new darlings and oh so very stuffy and proper… or so it would seem.
Susanna is frustrated with her husband. He treats her like a porcelain doll. She’s tired of living in a cold and distant relationship. She’s determined to shake things up, so she commissions Clayton to paint a very risqué picture of her.
Joseph has done everything he could to claw his way to top… some shocking deeds that in society’s eyes would be considered depraved and illegal. He wishes to put all that behind him and live respectably with his wife, who he loves very much. But seeing Susanna and Clayton together is fighting a battle with himself for being attracted to the both of them.
Who knew that “three thirds make a whole”? Together these 3 are dynamic. Their art/posing sessions are Hot Hot Hot!! I love that they shed their inhibitions and become who they truly are within their ménage… I mean, wowza!! Sit in front of a fan when you read this y’all, coz Clayton, Susanna, and Joseph are a wonderfully steamy trio.
Once again Nicola Davidson wrote a sensual story with a lot of heart. I loved these three characters.
This is book 3 in the Surrey Sexual Freedom Society Series.
My star system:
4 stars: Book was great… loved the characters… will definitely be re-reading this story… but didn’t make me cry.
This was my first Nicola Davidson book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m always looking for a good erotica novella and it’s always so hard to find ones set in historical times. Lady Susanna and Lord Joseph are stuck in an unhappy marriage, even though they love each other. Clayton, the handsome, creative artist, sweeps into their lives, enhancing their communication with each other. Together they realize that their unconventional relationship is exactly what they need to garner their HEA. The scenes are steamy and the characters are likeable. A great read and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Davidson’s books!
Mr. Clayton Irving was certainly no vicar material, notwithstanding what his father thought. Clayton had become instead London’s most celebrated painter – albeit in hushed tones – of scandalous portraits. Clayton had been admiring, and lusting, from afar the lovely Lady Susanna Fenton and her delectable husband. Susanna had heard of Clayton’s artistic talents, she wanted more than her husband Joseph’s lukewarm caresses, so maybe having a provocative portrait painted by Mr. Irving would heat up Joseph’s blood. She couldn’t hope for more, certainly. Because Mr. Irving looked just as fine as her handsome husband …
MY LORD, LADY, AND GENTLEMAN is yet another proof of Ms. Davidson’s extraordinary talent: her prose is utterly splendid, the dialogues are delightful; her use of Regency vernacular is beyond reproach. She also establishes the settings and the characters swiftly and clearly to give us a crisp picture, even in a novella. We know these people, who they are, what makes them tick, and I loved the Pentons’ backstories as well as the details on the paintings. Clayton, Susanna, and Joseph are all superb characters; they have unusual tastes in a society that severely frowns upon them, and the author handles everything as subtly as our main protagonists. The sex scenes are sizzling hot, and so lovely and loving at the same time.
The thing I dislike in historical romance is that they too often feel like contemporary romances in period costumes, and I try to stay away from “steamy historicals” and this is not so with Nicola Davidson, because of the context. I know Ms. Davidson’s books will be very sexy, but she has a magic touch at making everything convincing: it is what I expect; it’s not like getting tons of sex scenes when they are unnecessary. Nicola Davidson writes enticing, and very naughty, characters, in a lushly described environment, while never straying from the sensibilities of the era, and making the whole thing convincing and utterly irresistible. The novellas are always too short, but I think it might be what makes them so sweet: no time wasted on unimportant matters and telling a sexy tale with a solid foundation. Dare we hope for Portia’s story next?
Welcome to the Surrey Sexual Freedom Society – where unconventional and uninhibited ladies and gentlemen discuss all matters erotic.
Estranged from his aristocratic family for choosing art over a third son’s proper path of the church, Mr. Clayton Irving lives in wretched circumstances. His only joys are his friends in the SSF society and an extraordinary talent for sensual portraits. Then he’s commissioned to paint Lady Susanna Fenton. All his financial woes gone if he can hide his fierce craving for her and even more forbidden her husband Lord Joseph Fenton.
It’s like dipping into a box of a your favourite chocolates & eating the lot – a guilty pleasure! A short story that delivers, I’ve been intrigued by Clayton in the earlier books & so pleased he has has his story. Whilst the book is hot it also has the story of three people finding themselves & finding love & contentment.