Unwrapping: Review of FOR DESIRE ALONE by Jess Michaels

A few weeks ago, I was asked by author Jess Michaels if I would like to read and review her upcoming release, FOR DESIRE ALONE, book 2 in her Mistress Matchmaker series. Boy, am I glad I said yes! Of course, now I have to go back and read book 1 of this wickedly sexy historical romance series but I won't mind.

***eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for FOR DESIRE ALONE:

Behind their passion lurks a dark truth that could destroy their love.A mistress should never be foolish enough to fall in love with her protector, nor trust him with her financial future. Mariah Desmond did both, and now her dearly departed protector has left her with nothing.

Forced to seek another protector, she’s determined that this time, she’ll lead with her survival instinct—not her heart. But when she attends one of Vivien Manning’s infamous parties, the familiar face of her late lover’s best friend throws her for a loop.

A painful past taught John Rycroft that he’s not fit to be anyone’s knight in shining armor. His soft spot—make that a hard spot—for Mariah is precisely why he’s kept his distance. Yet the sight of her flirting with a bevy of men vying to become her next lover makes something inside him snap.

As John hauls her bodily away from her suitors, Mariah’s indignation melts away in the heat of the sizzling sexual chemistry. She quickly finds it isn’t easy to navigate John’s stormy emotional waters. Especially when his abusive father’s quest to get his son back under his thumb puts her life in danger.

***Product Warnings
Contains intensely sexy scenes of two people falling into bed (a lot) and in love.

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Mariah Desmond finds herself in quite a precarious predicament. Her protector has died in a tragic fire and even with all of his promises to always make sure that Mariah would be provided for, she is now facing destitution if she does not find another suitable protector before her monies run out in six months. When her former protector's best friend, John Rycroft, lends a shoulder and more on the first night out of her search, Mariah hopes that John will come through and make her an offer that would satisfy her both financially and sexually.

John Rycroft has been attracted to Mariah Desmond from the first moment he met her on the arm of his best friend, Lord Heathcote. Not wishing to offend his friend, John never made his desire for his friend's mistress known to either of them. Upon hearing of his friend's sudden demise and having knowledge of the financial state of which Owen had left Mariah, he had not been surprised to find her, once more, in search of a new protector. He, however, was not such a man who would take a mistress. He regarded himself as a man who had no ability to care for or protect any other person as he was not even sure of being responsible for himself. Wealth was not an issue but more the inability to be of use to anyone, especially a woman, for more than a single night of entertainment.

John quickly realizes that his attraction to Mariah is mutual on her part and that as a pair, their sexual escapades were worth more than one lone night's enjoyment. Unwilling to give her what she wants as a protector even as she is more than willing to be his mistress, John offers her the option to be in an affair with him until she finds a suitable protector and quite possibly after, as well. Both become more and more amenable to their sexual pursuits. So much so that Mariah begins to judge every other man against John, just as John finds himself becoming jealous of those that Mariah may consider to take her into their charge and their beds.

While John and Mariah battle their hearts, a threat from John's past rears its ugly head putting Mariah in danger. John must make a decision, either expel Mariah completely from his life for her own protection or take her as his wife in order to secure her absolute safety. Mariah accepts his proposal reluctantly for even as she has come to realize her love for him, she fears the emotion only flows one way.

This is the first work by Jess Michaels that I have read and I must say that I have now found a must have author to add to my reading list. FOR DESIRE ALONE by Jess Michaels is a very sexy, wickedly naughty, character driven, mystery bound historical romance that kept me reading long after I should have stopped. This is one that will suck you in and keep you reading past bus stops, train stops, and light's out. A full-length historical romance featuring a peek into the life of a courtesan and the world in which the men of the ton and their mistresses play. This is not your average love story but an indulgence into the world of women pleasuring men, voyeurism, and adult play. Read at your own risk but be prepared to be titillated.

I highly recommend FOR DESIRE ALONE by Jess Michaels if you are a fan of historical romance featuring an adult story about a nontraditional lifestyle that still provides a satisfactory, and leave you smiling, happily-ever-after.

Happy Reading Everyone!

FOR DESIRE ALONE, a Matchmaker Mistress novel by Jess Michaels, Samhain Publishing, release date - November 6, 2012, in ebook formats.