His male beauty moved her. His vulnerability touched her. His past horrified her.
Longing for adventure, Anne Sommer, a spinster firmly on the shelf, does the unthinkable. She hires a man from the Blind Cupid brothel for several nights of scandalous pleasure. Anne wants the sensual memories to keep her company in the solitary years ahead. However, she did not expect the young man to move her … not expect the young man to move her in ways she never imagined.
Desmond Glover gives sexual gratification—for a price. An orphan whose childhood was mired in scandal and poverty; Desmond has learned to close off his emotions, especially with regard to his occupation. He did not count on a lonely woman to awaken his hidden passion. And touch his heart.
Not only do the years separate them, but so do their social standings. Can Anne and Desmond cross such a chasm and find mutual desire—or love?
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No Pasts, Only a Future
I rarely give five stars to erotic books, but The Spinster and Mr. Glover is so well written with such a simple but engrossing story, I could not help but love it. The author, Karyn Gerrard, has crafted a interesting glimpse into a seedy world that not many willingly select as a life.
Anne is a respectable spinster who owns a bookstore. Des is a male prostitute who makes house calls. Together they are endearing characters whose personalities are developed and dimensional. Their tale may seem straight forward, but beneath the surface it is both complex and emotional. They not only find safe harbor within each others arms, they also discover an unexpected love worth fighting for against all societal rules.
Lastly, an epilogue with a satisfying ending is a must in a “love it” read. The ending and epilogue in this love story is everything I want and more. It is tender and sweet, with a promise of all that is hopeful.
Content 411: This is an adult read. In addition to explicit sexual acts and sex language, the glimpse into nineteenth century street life is not suitable for all readers
I truly enjoyed reading this book. It did have a bit of erotica, but even that was presented tastefully. You understood by the conversations between Des and Anna what they were truly feeling and dealing with. You were aware of the different worlds they existed in before they met. They both took a chance on going for something they really wanted to experience. Anna wanted to a lover. Des was paid to give her that. When they met Anna treated him as a person. That never happened before. She needed something from him he had no idea how to give. Sex he knew truth, conversation and acceptance he did not. They only had 3 days together to make a major changes in their lives. It was a novella and naturally short. The author filled in as much feeling and interest into the pages. There were situations I would have loved to have more depth however. Love at first sight is not something I believe in but the way the author wrote the evolution of their relationship it seemed believable. What you saw was joy and the absolute willingness to take a chance and trust an absolute stranger with giving you happiness for the rest of your life. I only gave it 4 starts because at the end, Anna was “giving suggestions” to Des, who was younger than her. For me it lessened the lover aspect to mothering–but overall I rooted for them
to have a happy life.
This story not what I expected. A spinster wants memories of a sexual encounter to dream about for the rest of her life. She receives a referral and proceeds on an unexpected journey.
Interesting twist to the usual historical romance.
Unexpected!
I loved the characters and the ending was very sweet. Female lead was probably an original “cougar”.
I enjoy steamy romance novels, but this was basically a book with a lot of sex but no real depth of story or character development. It was like the old “Penthouse Letters” in a book. It also contained no real historical detail, which I enjoy in historical romance novels. Some may like it, but it was not for me.
A story of circumstances and societal standards told in an unforgettable style. Vividly detailed and absorbing. Anne and Desmond reveal so much emotion and loss of heart and soul one could cry. Very atmospheric with warmth and sincerity. Really erotic with reason and effectiveness. Courage rules the day and makes for a bright future. Just a sinful delight too read.
My first time reading this authors works.
A short sexy story of two lost souls that I truly enjoyed.
This was a different genre for me and I’m very glad I ventured out into another world and time period.
An extremely emotional journey for both Mr. Glover and Anne.
HIs occupation as a male prostitute and she being a spinster was a captivating story for me that was filled with a lot of intimate love scenes. Many heartfelt moments. They were well written enough that I could feel the emotions that were growing between each character.
The story kept my attention and the ending was thrilling.
I will definitely read another of this authors stories.
I loved the characters and the heat level was high.
Mature reader:
Descriptive intimacy level 4 out of 5.
I received this book free for my honest review.
Good story. Enjoyed the tension between the characters, and the conflicting emotions of the hero. I received an ARC of this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OVERALL RATING –3.5-4 stars
RECOMMENDED FOR: those that like a bit of twisty angst before the Happily Ever After
First my usual points:
– I do not do spoilers unless warned.
– Read the summary above; it will tell you what the book is about. I will not reiterate.
– This is the first in a series
– No errors that I caught as far as editing.
– The author was new to me
BOOK:
– Historical romance novella
– 3rd person POV
Other characters from the series: Not having read the following two books but recognizing the names in the first, minimal appearances by other characters in the series
Star Ratings – 1 (poor) – 5(READ THIS BOOK)
· Writing Quality: 5 stars – the quality of writing was well done; the author has some understanding of historical society and way of life
· Story ingredient: 4 stars – the fact that the heroine was older than the Hero made the story interesting along with the fact that that Hero was in the ‘companion’ business made for an interesting starting point
· Ease of reading/Pace: 5 stars – very easy to read
· Plot strength: 3 stars – this is an insta-love story. Not my favorite. I believe the story could have very well been longer based on the complexity of the Hero
· Steam Level: 4 stars – open door scenes but not explicitly graphic
Notes/Opinion (personal):
I did enjoy this novella overall. I did feel that the insta-love aspect took away from what could have been a very well done love story had we been given a bit more insight to our Hero. I felt we knew our heroine pretty well but then lacked from knowing the Hero deeper than, which took something away. Perhaps if we had more detail into some of the events of his past and how they affected him, rather than just skimming the surface of those events. I enjoyed the older woman/younger man aspect as it’s not something we see often in this genre. I would consider the other books in the series sometimes.
The first book in the Blind Cupid series a well written story that held my interest until the end. Spinster Anne Sommer hired Desmond Glover from the Blind Cupid brothel, there is twelve years difference between them with her being older. Desmond is an orphan who came to the brothel as a worker and he does not believe in love. I enjoyed seeing these two get the happy ending they deserved. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Never Underestimate Love . . .
Desmond Glover is a male prostitute working at Blind Cupid brothel. Anne Sommer is a spinster who wants to have a memorable night of pleasure to remember in her lonely future. But meeting Des was much more than the physical. He was a vulnerable, sweet character who learned to shut down his emotions. But as they share their stories, both of them open up to so much more. Passion comes from the heart and encompasses more than the physical, as these two discover. They are not on the same social level, but they are perfectly attuned to each other. Is there a possibility that they can get beyond the social rules and find love with each other?
This was a short but good story of two people who really needed each other. Will they get a HEA? Grab your copy and see where their encounter leads them.
This was okay but kinda boring as the characters were not that interesting which was a shame because the plot was a little interesting but I think it was due to it doing too short for anything meaningful to develop in their relationship.
Desmond worked for the Blind Cupid brothel, bringing pleasure for a price. Anne hired him so that she would have memories to keep her warm on cold winter nights. Neither of them expected to become entangled with the other. As you can imagine, this book has multiple sexual scenes which are actually well done…although, it wasn’t a good idea for me to be reading this on my lunch break. What is quite wonderful about this story is Anne and Desmond’s vulnerability. The horrors that Desmond suffered made my gut clench, but his willingness to discuss them with Anne and her tenderness towards him showed just how special they were together. The author did a nice job of making the characters feel real, and drawing the reader into the story. I look forward to books two and three in the trilogy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ms. Gerrard weaves a compelling tale in this novella – Desmond and Anne are an excellent couple. The story is paced well and easy to read.
Their vulnerabilities and passion are excellently portrayed and I will be using reading more from this excellent author.
Romance Level: 4/5
Steam Level: Open lovemaking scenes
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Spinster and Mr. Glover by Karyn Gerrard offers’ a rather intriguing premise, which drew my interest immediately. A woman of the 1800’s hiring a brothel male… ummm!
35 year old spinster Anne Sommer has decided she is in need of an adventure of a carnal kind.
With her best friend Carolyn’s endorsement and recommendation she decides to indulge, and contacts the Blind Cupid Discreet and Private Services.
Ultimately we have a Victorian era romance of two lonely souls finding each other and love in the most unlikely of circumstances. I adored lead character Desmond Glover as he was a male shaped by his tragic childhood and only needed that one person, Anne Sommer to lead him out of that darkness and into the light, tearing down the walls built around his heart.
Delightfully risqué and deliciously written I found this narrative a most pleasant and engaging novella. HEA
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Anne Sommer, a spinster firmly on the shelf, does the unthinkable after talking with her friend, she hires a man from the Blind Cupid brothel for a night of scandalous pleasure. Anne wants the sensual memories to keep her company in the lonely years ahead.
Desmond Glover gives sexual gratification—for a price. An orphan whose childhood was mired in scandal and poverty, Desmond has learned to close off his emotions with regard to his occupation. A well paced short story, which is hot. The attraction between Des & Anne almost combusts my kindle, things have to move fast in a short story. I would have preferred the story to have been longer in order for more character development but I must say the characters were well portrayed. An enjoyable read & I can’t wait to read the rest of the series