Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone Published by Spice on May 1, 2010
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency Era
Narrator: Victor Villar-Hausar
Length: 10 Hours and 57 Mins
Pages: 360
Format: Audiobook
ISBN: 0373605439
He must find redemption in the most unlikely bedchamber...
In Victorian England vice of every kind can be purchased, and Matthew, the Earl of Wallingford, makes certain he avails himself of every possible pleasure. Bored and jaded, he is as well-known for his coldness as for his licentious affairs with beautiful women.
While these numerous dalliances fulfill Matthew's every physical need, they secretly leave him numb and emotionally void. Until one night when he finds himself beaten, eyes bandaged and in the care of a nurse with the voice of an angel - and a gentle touch that soothes the darkness in him and makes him yearn for more.
Yet Jane Rankin is a lowly nurse, considered shy and plain by most. There is no place for her amongst the lords and ladies of the aristocracy - despite Matthew's growing craving for the fire that burns behind her earnest facade. And then there is Matthew's secret. A secret so humiliating and scandalous is could destroy everyone he loves. A sin, he fears, not even the love of a good woman can take away...
It has been quite a long time since I have read a book by this author and man I forgot how HOT AND STEAMY she writes, because this book was probably not the best book to listen to while I was working. But oh well….I just worked through it 🙂 But this author is more erotic romance and she does write in historical romance. She only has two series that she has written (that I know of) and her audiobooks are really wonderful. The only other author I know that resembles her style is Anne Stuart’s “House of Rohan” series. So if you like those books, these are definitely going to work for you.
Sinful is the second book in the duo series. and oh boy this book was quite wonderful but different. It’s not going to be a book that will work for everyone especially since there are some unconventional moments that you normally don’t see in a romance especially in how this book ends. But lets first start at the beginning and how our lovers meet. Our hero, is Matthew, the Earl of Wallingford, and he delves into all vices especially the wicked and sensual kind. He is a painter, and he tends to pain sensual naked women and at the beginning of the book we see him auctioning off his painting, which is not respectable at all, in order to supply him with the funds that he needs to set up his art gallery that he knows his father would NEVER fund.
The heroine is a nurse, that works at a hospital. Jane knows the danger of giving into carnal pleasures such as sex. Her father abandoned them when he was “done” with her mother being his mistress. And in order to feed them, her mother became a prostitute and so Jane decided that was NOT the life that she wanted for herself. She wanted more out of her life, and even if its a life that isn’t looked highly upon, its respectable and it keeps her sane. She loves helping people and learning so much as a nurse as she has.
Matthew while going home, has his money stolen from him, and beaten nearly to death, and he arrives at the hospital that Jane works at. In fever, there is only one person he can tolerate touching him and that is Jane. When he is healed Matthew tempts her to spend the night with him, and while at first she is reserved about it, she can’t deny that his touch thrills her and makes her feel in a way she has never imagined. And even though its wicked and daring, she goes in secret to meet him with a veil over her face. Jane has always been plain, but she wants to be hidden from him, hiding her spectacles and her red hair and freckles. So when they first meet in secret, Matthew has no clue what Jane looks like. And then upon their second rendezvous, she comes up to him with no veil and no secrets, and his reaction to her is not a positive one. She finds him callous and rude and unfeeling and she becomes so disappointed and hurt because she is starting to have real feelings for Matthew and the fact that she learns that he is the Duke of Wallingford, who is a known womanizer doesn’t help much at all either.
They don’t see each other for a few weeks, and both of them miss each other. Matthew has no clue that the woman he meets on the streets is his JANE, he is totally clueless but he has a few suspicians which aren’t confirmed unless he see’s Jane at his best friends wedding where she is the maid of honor for the bride. Now its about to be a bit awkward, the feelings between them are strong and both are very stubborn. But the begin to reconcile and be honest with each other. But then Matthew’s sister has fallen ill and asks Jane for help, because he trusts her more than any other doctor. This is where we begin to see Matthew’s soft side and his good heart because of his affection for his younger sister who is seventeen but has the mind of a child. And he just adores her. This is where my heart began to soften toward’s Matthew’s character. Because he is quite a jerk to Jane and so seeing a different side to him beneath the cynisims was quite refreshing. While helping out with Matthew’s sister, their relationship becomes more cemented and the real truth about Matthew and his heart becomes unveiled. And Jane is so patient and understanding and sees who Matthew really is underneath the facade he hides behind and right when they though that they might have a future together…it all changes when his father blackmails him in worst way and he is forced to make a difficult choice. View Spoiler »
She was breathtaking in her beauty and her human spirit, he thought, unable to speak as he gazed upon her. Hers was the sort that would not fade or grow jaded with time and years, but flourish, grow more radiant with life and its experience. Hers was a beauty that no other possessed. A beauty he longed to keep, to hide away, to bask in, himself alone. She had become his. He didn’t know when, whether it had been the moment her fingertips had touched him when he was hurt, or if it had grown, like a seed, slowing spreading until Jane had become the root anchoring the shattered pieces of his heart, pulling them tight together until it resembled the organ it should
The ending of this story is NOT what you expect, because the hero will be forced to do something he doesn’t want to do to protect those he loves the most, but it has a sweet and happy ending and Matthew and Jane do end up living a happy life together just not in the way most historical romances end but it works for them. I found this ending to be very unvonventional and RARELY seen in a romance but I really ended up liking it. Seeing these two find their way back to each other realizing that being together is more important than scandal or what others may look down upon.
This romance just about broke my heart and totally worked ALL The feels, because my goodness, this author really worked me so much in this story through every emotion you can think of…it happens. And my goodness…I truly became to adore Matthew and Jane and really hate his father and his forced upon fiancee. Matthew and Jane’s love story is so vital and speaks to the heart. My heart just broke for them and what they lose in order to find each other again but they do have their happy ending which brought tears to my eyes…a much well deserved ending and the SISTER!! She was so precious and sweet and charming. I loved her personality and it hurt my heart to see how she was treated by her parents that viewed her as damaged and worthless…but Matthew *sigh* the way he is with his sister just made me happy.
“Jane, you are my confidante, my helpmate, my friend. My lover. You are everything the word wife means to me. In my heart, we are wed. In my soul, you are mine.”
This romance was sensual and full of rough emotions that ride you hard but give you the most satisfying ending that leaves you with a smile…..A DYNAMIC ROMANCE TO GIVE YOU FEELS
Side Note: I will say that the narrator was NOT my favorite, not much emotion or inflection in his voice so I didn’t really favor this narrator but eventually I grew to like his voice.
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