A scorching Regency menage by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Madelynne Ellis.
Viola Marsh has been forced to live an austere life, locked away under the watchful eye of her spinster aunt. Only on Christmas Eve is she allowed her freedom, to take part in the tradition of wassailing. Cousins, Percy Gilling and Lord William Ricborough share a close and special relationship, and … relationship, and they require a very particular woman to satisfy their needs. What they’re not expecting is to find her poised beneath the mistletoe on a wintery hilltop.
A Regency menage about a wronged young woman and the men set upon claiming her.
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This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it. Viola had her dreams, and when she met Percy and Will, they came true. I loved the dynamic between Percy and Will, such opposites but great together. And Viola made it even better. She was quite willing to take a chance at happiness despite what others might think.
I received a copy of this story as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.
The Kissing Bough (Forbidden Loves)
By Madelynne Ellis
This was a really quick read but it gave us a lot. We find out that Viola has been wrongly accused of a scandal but the town and her family won’t listen to her side of the story. She is kept at home except once a year at Christmas she is allowed to be escorted out by her brother, who I might add does not actually do any sort of escorting, he just treats her badly. Every year she holds out hope that a man will show up that wants to marry her. I don’t normally read books that are set in this Era but I found myself completely intrigued by this story. I enjoyed Will and Percy’s banter and they also have a unique situation and are looking for a specific woman for their situation. This book definitely has hot and steamy moments. This is an adult only read. I recommend this book.
5/5 Stars
The Kissing Bough (Forbidden Loves) by Madelynne Ellis
This is the first book I’ve read by the author and it’s a great short read. It does have MMF so if you don’t like that sort of thing this isn’t for you.
Viola has left a mark on her family name. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can do that to a person. The quote I chose for Viola is: “You both… You both wish to kiss me?”
Percy wants someone who will love both him and his cousin. He wants someone to accept both of them. He doesn’t care about anyone else. The quote I chose for Percy is: “I’m not much for singing.”
Will the Lord and the one who has to find a wife. He wants a wife that will accept him and Percy. He doesn’t want a normal wife. The quote I chose for Will is: “All sorts of tongues will be wagging if you don’t stop staring at her.”
Highly recommended for Erotica Historical Romance lovers.
This story is a historical fairytale in this modern-day tale. It is a short sweet story that is fast-paced and engaging. The characters are fully developed and keep the story moving. The story has heated moments. Viola is the special woman that has Christmas Eve free because her aunt has her as a kept woman. There are two cousins who need a special woman to have for their sexual desires. Viola happens to be this woman this special night. Will the two cousins have their desires met or will Viola be a handful? You will have read this book to find out what happens.
The Kissing Bough (Forbidden Loves) by Madelynne Ellis. This book was very good even though it was short. It was just long enough to get your blood boiling. Its the story of Viola Marsh who is a young lady in early 1800’s who is in her Aunt’s care. She is only allowed to go out on this one night which is Christmas Eve and she is going with her brothers. Now Lord Ricborough and his cousin Percy Gilling are looking for a different kind of woman, a woman they can share. This kind of woman is hard to find but they think they have found her when they see Viola standing there so beautiful and if the rumors they have heard are correct she is just their kind of woman. All VIola wants is a man to want her for her and not some stupid rumor that isn’t even true. Will Viola give up on finding a husband and settle for 2 men who will do anything for her? Read The Kissing Bough to find out!
It is the year 1816 in Rutland at Knasebrook Hall where Viola Marsh is a young lady with little freedom and even less prospects to change that, she is kept inside her nursery after an incident and can only leave on christmas eve to go wassailing and then to the ball later that evening, but only with her brothers escorting her. Lord Ricborough and his cousin Percy Gilling are two men looking for a specific woman to cement their very specific bond.
Viola is looking out of the window at the snow falling to the ground on Christmas Eve as her aunt helps her get ready to go out into it, it is the one night she is allowed out and she is not going to miss out, whether it is in a blizzard or otherwise, it might be the one night where people might not look at her like they usually do and she may be able to experience the normality of the festivities. She intends to sing, dance, be merry, stand beneath the mistletoe on the boughs of the old oak tree and then go to the family’s annual Christmas Ball with the rest of the invited, dance with her brothers and show off her new dress, it will be a change from eating with her aunt in the nursery, that is for sure.
As she leaves with her brother to go to the village, he is having to be courteous to her due to the weather, even though he does not want to, he assumes her intention is to go to the kissing bough as usual, although he feels there is no need as nobody would come up and will want to kiss her after the scandal and she responds that it is not likely that it would happen any other way either, so she will do it again this year as it is a tradition now and that the incident was not what it looked like or here fault in the first place.
Later on, after Viola’s brother has joined his friends, two of whom are Lord Ricborough and Percy Gilling, he sees her standing under the tree and is immediately taken in by her beauty, she is perfect and just what they are looking for, but finding the kind of woman they needed was something both thought impossible until Viola. As they separate from the others, they go and approach Viola under the bough and she is surprised to be kissed on the cheek by both of them at the same time and further by their proposition to her.
Will their proposition be accepted and will this trio be the pairing they all hope for, or will the innocence of one of them be the end of something which hasn’t even begun? The only way to find out is to read along and follow the path with the three of them.
I really enjoyed this short story. It was well written and the characters worked well. I really liked the taboo subject of two men and a woman. In the era that the book was written in that was unheard of and very taboo.
Viola was the daughter of a wealthy man. She was set to be find her husband, however a turn of events meant she ended up being seen as a disgrace and no man wanted her. Every Christmas eve she waits under the kissing bough in the hopes her husband will find her. He never does.
Until Lord Ricborough and his cousin Percy come along. Lord Ricborough needs a wife but the wife needs to understand the special relationship between him and Percy.
Could Viola be that woman? Will she be able to understand and accept their relationship? Is it possible to love two people?
This is a historical romance where Viola Marsh is shamed by all. Four years ago she was found in a closet with two men and since then everyone has shamed her. Her family doesn’t treat her well and neither does anyone in the village. Her Aunt Clara is just about the only Person believes her honesty but is that enough?
One cold night she goes to the Kissing Bough even though everyone thinks it is pointless. Viola dresses warm and heads out with her brother Tom who is so mean to her. She doesn’t care though, the thought of a prospect, she heads out the door and stands under the kissing bough for hours nearly freezing to death.
Not only one man but who men approach her. It seems to good to be true. Maybe it is. Everyone thinks she has been with two men at once before so she is considered damaged goods. Percy Gilling and Lord Ricborough have a proposition for Viola. Will she accept their proposition or will she decide tell them the truth and decide it is to much for her. I thought the book was well written and had good characters even though, every member of Viola’s family is mean and rude aside from sweet Aunt Clara.
4 Stars
The Kissing Bough is the first book in the Forbidden Loves series by Madelynne Ellis. This is an erotic historical romance- a menage with MMF which is set at Christmas time- this story has enough sizzle to scorch the pages as you read.
This is a novella length story- making for a very quick and easy read. And while there were a few issues right off the bat- with the use of wrong words such as using ‘imminent’ instead of ‘eminent’, missing words, using singular words instead of plurals, and the use of muslin as the fabric of choice (which is normally a summer fabric) in the middle of an incredibly cold winter, that had me unsure of whether I would enjoy the story- but surprisingly it drew me in, and I ended up enjoying it much more than I initially thought I would.
I do wish the story had been longer, because the characters and the story drew me in, and I wanted to know more- but in a good way.
Madelynne Ellis is a new-to-me author, but after reading this book I will definitely look at exploring more of her work in the future.
Thank you, Madelynne Ellis!
The Kissing Bough (Forbidden Loves #1) by Madelynne Ellis was a good 4 star read.
Viola was caught in a compromising position that has put her in a predicament in regards to finding a husband. She still had hope that someone would come and kiss her under the kissing bough, so she continued to go each Christmas Eve.
Percy and Lord William heard about Viola and were hoping she was the one for them. They have a unique relationship and with the rumors about Viola she would be perfect for them. Will they be able to convince her to be with them? Will she finally get the husband she desires?
Overall this was a good quick read. We get some steaminess and all the characters were great. Although, I would have liked to see the story be a little longer and include the compromising incident so that we could better understand why it happened. The author does a great job with her writing and I look forward to reading more from her. 1-click and get started today.
A short Christmas Romance. Wonderful historical story that brings the characters to life in a way I didn’t expect. Viola has been shamed ever since she ended up hiding in a closet where two men happened to be intimate. It brought shame to her family and she has been cloistered in the “nursery” with her aunt except on Christmas Eve. Viola hopes that one day she may meet the one by standing under the mistletoe. I really loved where the story went from here. It’s definitely a sexy story!
The Kissing Bough (Forbidden Loves) by Madelynne Ellis was a steamy and cute quick read. I loved Viola, she was so young and innocent of what she had been accused of. Percy and William were well developed and you could easily tell who was who. The steam did not disappoint. A great set of characters that I would love to follow into the rest of their lives.
The Kissing Bough by Madelynne Ellis was a great read! Not only was it super steamy, but it had a great storyline as well. I was instantly enthralled from the first page and didn’t want to put it down. I loved the characters in this novel, even the super rude and judgemental characters. It was a great period erotica story in my opinion, I felt like I was actually in that time period. This is the first novel I’ve read from this author before and I can’t wait to read more in the future!
The Kissing Bough takes place at Christmas in 1816. This is a historical romance novel. Percy and William are searching for the perfect one as they share something between themselves. Viola had a dramatic fall from grace that, even her own family considers it her fault. I really enjoyed this novel and the characters in it. However, the imagination of the author makes this novel not for someone under the age of 18. While it has a happy ever after, the ending is a cliffhanger. It’s almost like the novel is a novella instead of a whole story. While it makes for a wonderful back story for characters and the plot it leaves a reader wondering what happens in the future. Over all this novel is a four star read, but I wish it had a little bit more to it.
The Kissing Bough by Madelynne Ellis
Four Stars
The Kissing Bough is a short historical romance by Madelynne Ellis. Madelynne Ellis is a new author to me, but I’m glad I found her. I really enjoyed this story. It is fast paced and steamy. The story flows and the characters are detailed and so likable.the three main characters have some sizzling hot chemistry. If you are looking for a little naughty and a little nice short, I highly recommend this book. I look forward to reading more book from Ms. Ellis.
I’m used to loving this regent time period. This was a quick read. From beginning to the end, it was everything you could imagine and more. This was sensual and sexy story that what for the time period is made the more delicious to read about. This book will not disappoint in any way.
This was a great short read. I didn’t realise it was a historical romance until i started reading it, not normally the genre i go for but i actually really enjoyed it. It has major fairy tale vibes that get a bit steamy you will not be left disappointed.
The Kissing Bough is a regency menage novella by Madelynne Ellis and is the first book in the Forbidden Loves series. At only 90 pages it is a quick read but the author still manages to pack a great story into those 90 pages. This was my first read of this author’s work so I was unsure what to expect. What I got was a great, well written story with great characters, some of whom I loved and others I didn’t like very much (Viola’s horrible brother).
I’m sure that those who lived in Regency times would have been totally scandalised by the very thought that menage relationships even existed. To be honest I’m sure many here in the 21st Century would be just as scandalised. I however, loved Viola’s story with Percy and William.
Due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Viola has a reputation that she dies not deserve. So when she stands at the Kissing Bough in the hope to be kissed by a prospective suitor she is sought out by cousins William and Percy who want her to enter into an agreement with them.
This is a great Christmas read which I devoured in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed. I was hooked to the story from the very beginning and the author kept me engaged throughout right up to the very end. Definitely recommend.
The Kissing Bough (Forbidden Loves) is an historical steamy read by Madelynne Ellis. It was short. It was sinful. It was wickedly decadent. And I absolutely loved it. The author put a hot little twist to the story, which had me glued to the story. Sometimes short stories are all smut and no substance. This story was full bodied and lacked nothing but a few more chapters. This is my first time reading this author’s work, and I am now hooked. The Kissing Bough was exciting, arousing and made me wish I could visit that era in time. Naughty is my favourite story. 5 stars.
The Kissing Bough (Forbidden Loves) by Madelynne Ellis is a great historical romance that takes a walk on a slightly more wild side than most within this genre. It is and interesting story and one I got into really easily. I loved the dynamic between the main characters, it felt natural and full of chemistry.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and it was an overall enjoyable story. There were a few times I wanted it to have a bit more depth to it however I became invested in the characters and wanted to see how things would end up. This was a fairly easy read and one I got through pretty quickly which made it perfect for the holidays. I would definitely say anyone interested in this genre should read this book.