Customer Reviews

Engaged in Sin

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Anne Beddington is a fallen woman on the run. Having recently bashed her evil matron over the head with a fire iron, she and the three young girls she was intent on rescuing, seek refuge away from the brothel. Anne takes her fellow courtesan's advice and seeks out a protector. She sets her sights on Devon Audley, the Duke of March. Recently returned from war, March suffered an injury that left him blind and battered both physically and emotionally. Anne whittles her way into his favor through sexual prowess, and before long these two end up becoming closer and closer, attaching in a manner befitting a duke and his mistress.

First thing's first, I was excited for this book because IT'S SHARON PAGE, ya'll! (I said that in my Paula Dean voice BTW). When I think Sharon Page I think "lush raunch." Engaged in Sin is classified a a historical romance, though it toes the line into erotica at times, a common "risk" anytime a courtesan theme is used. I was expecting a bit more push toward story over sex. Did that happen. Ehr...not sure. What story there was had me rolling my eyes.

And that totally broke my heart.

I really wanted to like this book. Really. I did. As the book progressed I couldn't help but think what a horrible whore Anne made - she was just so...ignorant. I mean, yes - there would be a degree of ignorance when you're kidnapped off the street and forced to work as a prostitute. But really...the limits she goes to convince Devon she's pleasing him when in fact she's incredibly detached and awkward was just...blurg. I didn't buy it her ignorant take on it. As for our hero, Devon. *sigh* Let me just get this out - it irritates the snot out of me when heroes nickname their heroines ridiculous names right off the bat. The culprit here? Angel. He calls her angel NONSTOP. From the moment he meets her - stark naked, drunk, and in the fit of a violent nightmare recalling the war. I mean, REALLY? UUUGGGHHH! I wanted to tear my hair out. Page does this in her other books as well, but it seemed to fit those characters more for the tone of the novel, and thus it didn't bother me...as much. *eyelid twitches*

I was hoping for a well written, raunchy historical. What I got was a raunch fest (I approve) with ridiculously bizarre leading characters and a manufactured plot. I was really, well, bummed. I may or may not have pouted when I finished.

I'd recommend checking out Page's previous historical works, like Sin (a particular favorite of mine) or Black Silk.

I've enjoyed other books by this author, but I finished this one feeling unconvinced of any happy-ever-after ending for this couple. Why?

Well, she may have started out as a gently-bred young lady, but after FIVE YEARS of captivity in a brothel, Anne can no longer be considered "angelic" in any way, shape, or form. She has been kidnapped, beaten, raped, and forced to service men, including men of the TON, and there is no way she would ever be accepted into society, where she would be recognized by former johns and not allowed anywhere near their wives or daughters.

That said, I suppose it isn't fair to also blame the duke for hesitating to consider marrying her so long after realizing his feelings for her. Well, yes, his mother made him promise to marry for love, and he promised himself he wouldn't betray his wife, so he really had to decide to marry her or say goodbye to her, and he could not for the LONGEST time. But Anne could see the writing on the wall, and she made the right decision to leave him.

In my opinion, the author wrote herself into a corner on this one, and the way she chose to resolve this issue was just not convincing to me. There is just no way this heroine would ever have been accepted by his family or her great-grandmother, let alone the ton. The way she was treated when recognized in the park by a former client. . . are we really supposed to believe that somehow the duke's reputation will protect her in his absence? Or that people would not notice the fact that the marriage and the birth of the child occurred at the same time?

I WISH something like this could have happened, but there is no way that such a marriage could have done anything but drag down the duke and his entire family. It's not fair, and I hate it, but five years as a prostitute will disqualify any woman from a HEA ending with a duke. Frankly, my impression is that few prostitutes lived past their 20's in those days, what with primitive contraceptive methods and sexually-transmitted diseases, not to mention the harsh treatment.

Maybe Anne could have been only a LITTLE bit ruined (in secret)? Or the duke could have been a commoner who decided to run off to America with her for a new start? Or just decided to avoid society and immerse himself in good works (although this would be hard since he had a mother and sisters to consider)?

As you can see, I really want to believe in this story, but it's just not happening. There is just too much water under the bridge for Anne to be redeemed. And as a duchess? Never!

Ok....let me start by saying the relationship was a little bizarre between the hero (Devon) and heroine (Anne). I never perceived any romance in the story. When Anne first meets Devon, on about the third page she is pressuring Devon to take her as his mistress by trying to put his penis in her mouth. I can't understand why the author kept trying to get the reader to see her as an innocent, when she was a whore and committed acts of a whore through the entire story. Anne seems sort of young and silly because the author always describes her as giggling. The hero Devon seems sort of slow and dumb because he just falls head over heels over a whore that walks in house uninvited and asks to be his mistress. A lot of oral sex throughout the story. Don't get me wrong. I love a hot romance story. But I did see where they had time to fall in love. They were just fu#$!*& from the time they met and throughout the entire book. She fakes orgasm in just about every love scene. Then when he tries to help her, she keeps running from him. It just seemed really unrealistic to me. A duke marries a whore and the ton excepting her in the end.... Not real. I guess I don't care to read romance about prostitute heroines.

Orphan Anne Beddington is a fallen lady who makes her living selling her body at Madame Sin's brothel. However, when she learns that Sin employs young kidnapped girls, she hits the Madame in the head enabling the youngsters to flee. Believing she killed her employer, Anne needs to leave London. When she sees the Duke of March, who was her first attempt at a sale five years ago, Anne offers again as Cherise, claiming to be a present from his friend.

Bitter since losing his sight during the war, the former charming Devon accepts her as his mistress. However, when he rages, she refuses to walk away from his rants. As the courtesan heals her patron and even helps his sister, her sinful past has caught up with her. Wanting to keep her beloved Devon safe, she begins to flee, but he refuses to allow his cherished angel to leave until at least he can prove her innocence.

The unique lead couple makes for a fresh Regency romance as he is blind and bitter and she is a soiled dove. Their coming together against all odds will have fans racing through the pages to learn what next in a sensual suspenseful historical.

Harriet Klausner

This is a contrived story involving (sigh) still another war ravaged hero haunted by nightmares about the battlefield. Neither one of the main characters is particularly interesting or particulalry bellievable, and the chemistry (and the love scenes) between them reflect this. There is a plot, and some secondary characters that could have been interesting, but the failure of the main characters makes the book seem flatter than it should be, and I would recommend that you give this one a pass - at least until the ebook price drops.

Romance fans will be enthralled with the super talented Sharon Page's second Regency historical for Bantam Dell, ENGAGED IN SIN releasing Nov. 1, 2011. In 1820 England, Anne Beddington, has fallen on hard times after being raised as a lady and having lost both her parents, she is forced to earn her living as a prostitute in the brothel of the ruthless Madame Sin. However, when she discovers young kidnapped girls there she helps them escape by hitting the madame over the head. Anne is frantic to flee London for fear of a murder charge. After overhearing a friend's conversation, she decides to visit Devon Audley, the Duke of March at his hunting box in Leicestershire in hopes of becoming his mistress. However, all is not well with the duke, who she finds passed out naked on the floor of his library. When she approaches Devon he nearly attacks her having been scarred, blinded and suffering from "battle madness" in the recent European war. Anne claims she is a gift from the Earl of Ashton to help him recover and it takes all her seduction skills to convince Devon to keep her. Anne proves a most talented mistress not only in bed but also patiently helping Devon adjust to his blindness and assisting his wayward sister in delivering her baby. However time is running out, with the law, Madame Sin's henchman and an evil cousin from her past all trying to find Anne. Sharon Page is at the top of her writing game with this fast-paced, extremely sensual and highly emotional tale of two wonderfully memorable lovers you won't soon forget. ENGAGED IN SIN is a totally engaging Regency romance from first page to last!