Title: Improper Relations
Author: Juliana Ross
Genre: Erotica/Historical Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Number of Pages: E Book
Source: Netgalley
Dorset, 1858
When Hannah's caught watching her late husband's cousin debauch the maid in the library, she's mortified -- but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends? (goodreads)
When Hannah's caught watching her late husband's cousin debauch the maid in the library, she's mortified -- but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends? (goodreads)
This is one of those books that I have mixed feelings about. For a novella, the story flowed really nicely and never missed a beat. I liked how it was told in first person from the heroine, Hannah's point of view. It's rare to find a historical romance not in third person. I am a sucker for the poor relation falling for the titled lord in romances, and this one was perfect. It had a lot of hotness and enough of a storyline to keep me wanting more.
Even though I liked Hannah a lot and felt her connection to Leo, I almost stopped reading this book after the first chapter. Why? It had all of the things that annoy me about historical romances in it:
The heroine not knowing anything about sex & the hero instructing her on it, he "Oh, are you in pain? How can I help you" line and the I'm so plain and now I feel beautiful because of what happened.
Once it got past all of that though I really started liking Leo and Hannah much better. It had one of my favorite story lines in it (which I can't say what it is without spoiling the story) and I loved the ending. Even though Improper Relations was just 8 chapters long, it was perfect fit for me on a day where I wanted something hot and steamy to read but didn't want to take all week to read. I have a feeling that Juliana Ross is an author to watch.
Curran Crush Meter: Medium
Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Medium
Barrons Hero Hotness Meter: Medium
Martini Sigh Meter: Low
Sizzle Meter: High
