Desired

Desired is the latest release in The Scandalous Women of the Ton series by Nicola Cornick. From the back cover.~

Her wicked ways were the talk of the ton

Teresa, Dowager Marchioness of Darent, is rumored to have exhausted her four deceased husbands with her insatiable needs. So it's no surprise that every rake in the ton wants to bed her. If they only knew…through clever marriages to men who would ask nothing of her physical self, Tessa has remained rather innocent in the ways of the bedroom. But now she's on the verge of losing everything and wants to take care of the stepson she's grown to adore.

Enter Captain Owen Purchase. The handsome American adventurer has come into the title of Viscount Rothbury. And the rumors surrounding his injuries at sea suggest that he could fit Tessa's requirements. But little does Tessa realize that the gossipmongers are wrong. She just might lose her heart, and her desires, to the most unlikely of men…

Desired is the first book I’ve read by Nicola Cornick, but won’t be my last. I was lucky enough to get an early copy from NetGalley. I usually don’t read books in a series out of order, but when I read about Desired, I knew I had to break my own rule. Personally, I think it stands alone pretty well, but I do see myself reading the other books in the series in the future, so I can learn more about each of the couples.

I liked the characters in Desired very much, especially Tess and Owen, and I loved Owen called Tess by Teresa rather than her nickname. Tess had never loved any of her other husbands, and after her second husband’s abuse, she never had an intimate relationship with another husband. In fact, when she marries, she searches for men incapable of an intimate relationship. In fact, Tess picks Owen because she needs to make sure he can’t give evidence about her connections to the Jupiter club, and she’s heard he can’t have marital relations. Owen also is aware that Teresa needs his protections about the Jupiter club, but really hopes she will come clean with him about her involvement. However, her intel is a little bit off when it comes to Owen, who she discovers on their wedding night he is not only willing, but able to have an intimate relationship.

Owen thought Teresa might have had a bad experience with a man in her past, but it is only after they spend more time together and she starts to trust Owen does he find out the whole truth. Teresa has been attracted to Owen from almost their first meeting. Owen decides they will take things slow, until Teresa finally admits she wants him. Owen is so tender with her and it was just as sexy to see the tenderness as their later more intense moments. It is obvious to everyone that Owen and Teresa have fallen in love with one another. There are still some trust issues between them, but each soon has no trouble admitting their real feeling for one another.

Desired was released on December 1 and can be found at your favorite bookstore or online retailer. The 6^th book in the series, Forbidden, is set for release in 2012.