About THE VIRGIN
AND THE VISCOUNT
In the next
sparkling romance in debut author Charis Michael’s Bachelor Lords
of London series, a proper viscount meets his match in a beguiling
virgin who can't help but break all the rules.
The Virgin
Lady Elisabeth Hamilton-Baythes has a painful secret. At the innocent age of fifteen, she was abducted by highwaymen and sold to a brothel. After two days, a young lord discovers her and enacts a brave rescue to get her out. Now she's a grown woman, working to save other girls from the horror she saw that night and never forgetting the young man who rescued her.
The Viscount
Bryson Courtland, Viscount Rainsleigh has overcome an abusive boyhood, neglectful parents, and a bankrupt title to be one of the wealthiest noblemen in Britain. He works tirelessly to be upright and forthright and proper to a fault. Now he requires only one thing: A proper, forthright, proper wife.
The Unraveling
When a charity eventputs Lord Bryson and Lady Elisabeth face-to-face, Bryson has no
memory of the wounded girl of long ago. All he can see is a perfect
candidate to be his future wife. Elisabeth has never forgotten him,
but she worries that the brave boy who saved her so long ago has
become a rich man with an unfulfilled life.
As a whirlwind courtship reveals the truth, Bryson must accept that Elisabeth is actually a shadow from his dark past, while Elisabeth must show that love is the noblest virtue of all.
Lady Elisabeth Hamilton-Baythes has a painful secret. At the innocent age of fifteen, she was abducted by highwaymen and sold to a brothel. After two days, a young lord discovers her and enacts a brave rescue to get her out. Now she's a grown woman, working to save other girls from the horror she saw that night and never forgetting the young man who rescued her.
The Viscount
Bryson Courtland, Viscount Rainsleigh has overcome an abusive boyhood, neglectful parents, and a bankrupt title to be one of the wealthiest noblemen in Britain. He works tirelessly to be upright and forthright and proper to a fault. Now he requires only one thing: A proper, forthright, proper wife.
The Unraveling
When a charity event
As a whirlwind courtship reveals the truth, Bryson must accept that Elisabeth is actually a shadow from his dark past, while Elisabeth must show that love is the noblest virtue of all.
Prologue
On
April 12, 1809, Franklin “Frankie” Courtland, 6th
Viscount Rainsleigh, tripped on a root in the bottom of a riverbed
and drowned. He was drunk at the time, picnicking with friends on
the banks of the River Wylye. According an account later given to
the magistrate, his lordship simply fell over, bumped into a fallen
log, and sank.
It
was there he remained—“enjoying the cool,” or so his friends
believed—until he became too heavy, too slippery, and, alas, too
dead to revive. But they did dislodge him; and after that, they
claimed he floated to the surface, bobbed several times, and then
gently glided downstream. He was later found just before sunset,
face down and bloated (in life, as also in death), beached on a
pebble shoal near Codford.
At
the time the elder Courtland was sinking to the bottom of the river,
his son and heir, Bryson was hunched over a desk in the offices of
his fledgling shipping company, waiting for the very moment his
father would die. It had been an exceedingly long, progressively
humiliating wait. Years long—nay, decades.
Luckily
for Bryson, for his ships and his future, he was capable of doing
more things at once than wait, and while his father drank and
debauched his way through all respectability and life, Bryson worked.
It
was an unthinkable thing for a young heir and nobleman —to
“work”—but Bryson was given little choice, considering the
impoverished state of the Rainsleigh crest. He was scarcely eleven
years of age when he made first foray into labor, and not so many
years after, into private enterprise. His life in work had not
ceased since. On the rare occasion that he didn’t work, he
studied.
With
his meager earnings (he began by punting boats on the very river in
which his father later drowned), he made meager investments. These
investments reaped small gains—first in shares in the punting
station; later in property along the water; later still, in other
industry up and down the river.
Bryon
lived modestly, worked ceaselessly, and spared only enough to pay his
way through Cambridge, bring up his brother, and see him educated
him, as well. Every guinea earned was reinvested . He repeated the
process again and again, a little less meagerly each time ‘round.
By
the time the elder viscount’s self-destructive lifestyle wrought
his river- and drink-soaked end, Bryson had managed to accrue a small
fortune, launch a company that built and sailed ships, and construct
an elaborate plan for what he would do when his father finally cocked
up his toes and died.
When
at last that day came, Bryson had but one complaint: it took
fifty-two hours for the constable to find him. He was a viscount for
two days before anyone, including himself, even knew it.
But
two days was a trifle compared to a lifetime of waiting. And on the
day he learned of his inheritance—nay, the very hour—he launched
his long awaited plan.
By
three o’clock on the fourth day, he’d razed the rotting, reeking
east wing of the family estate in Wiltshire to the ground.
Within
the week, he’d extracted his mother from the west wing and shipped
her and a contingent of discreet caregivers to a villa in Spain.
Within the month,
he’d sold every stick of furniture, every remaining fork and dish,
every sweat-soaked toga and opium-tinged gown. He burned the drapes,
burned the rugs, burned the tapestries. He delivered the
half-starved horses and the fighting dogs to an agricultural college
and pensioned off the remaining staff.
By the six-week
mark, he’d unloaded the London townhome —sold at auction to the
highest bidder—and with it, the broken-down carriage, his father’s
dusty arsenal, what was left of the wine stores, and all the lurid
art.
It was a whirlwind
evacuation, a gutting, really, and no one among polite society had
ever witnessed a son or heir take such absolute control and haul away
so much family or property quite so fast.
But
no one among polite society was acquainted with Bryson Anders
Courtland, the new Viscount Rainsleigh.
And
no one understood that it was not so much an ending as it was an
entirely fresh start. Once the tearing down ceased, the rebuilding
could begin. New viscountsy , new money, new respect, new life.
It
was an enterprise into which Bryson threw himself like no other.
Unlike all others, however, he could only do so much, one man, alone.
For this, he would require another. A partner. Someone with whom
he could work together towards a common goal. A collaborator who
emulated his precise, immaculate manner. A matriarch, discreet and
pure. A paragon of propriety. A viscountess. A proper, perfect
wife.
MY REVIEW:
The Virgin and the Viscount by Charis MichaelsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Virgin and the Viscount by (The Bachelor Lords #2) by Charis Michaels is a 2016 Avon Impulse publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
With a title like ‘The Virgin and the Viscount’ one might presume they are about to consume the typical, cookie cutter, light and airy regency style romp…
Except this story starts off in a brothel, after a young lady finds she has been kidnapped, branded, with no memory of what happened to her, and about to be forced into prostitution. But, instead, she is rescued by her ‘client’, who makes sure she gets to her aunt’s home, and then vanishes into the night never to seen or heard from again.
Now, fifteen years later, Elisabeth, finds herself face to face with the man who saved her all those years ago… Bryson Courtland, Viscount Rainsleigh. Thankfully, he doesn’t recognize her, but her relief is short lived as he soon becomes her ardent admirer, seeking to make her his wife. But, what will he think when he learns the truth?
Bryson had a horrible childhood, with both parents behaving shamelessly, reveling in debauchery, which has left Bryson determined to avoid giving in to his baser desires and
I thought this set up was rather unique and as a person suffering from regency burnout, this was a nice change of pace.
Elisabeth has used her horrifying experience to help young women escape prostitution, making sure Qqthey receive medical help and given honorable jobs. Her entire life is wrapped up in her work, but when her well meaning aunt interferes by inviting the new Viscount for dinner and insisting Elisabeth join them, her life takes on a new direction, one she never could have imagined.
The first half of the book is centered around Bryson’s courtship of Elisabeth, the feelings that develop between them, which includes some delightful banter and with Bryson forced to literally pursue Elisabeth, something that would ordinarily be outside his comfort zone. I really thought it was sweet, and I know many will roll their eyes, and it may seem a little old fashioned, but I liked her resistance of him, which wasn’t a ploy, because it only made him want her that much more.
The second half of the book was much more serious, emotional and very sad, and more than a little frustrating. If I had been able to climb through the pages of the book, I would have kicked Bryson in the seat of the pants because Elisabeth deserved better than what she was getting.
Also, thrown into the mix was a secondary love story involving Elisabeth’s aunt, which was delightfully scandalous was a nice addition to the story.
For me personally, I found it easier to understand Elisabeth and her need to work up the courage to explain her past to Bryson, and I felt her pain more acutely because I believed she was being treated unfairly and of course prejudged.
Bryson had me warming up to him there for a while in the beginning, but before all was said and done, his intimacy issues and subsequent ill treatment of Elisabeth, cooled things off to the point of frigidity. His issues nearly tired me out and limped along much longer than necessary. So, Bryson was going to have to work really hard to melt my heart, but he almost waited too long and it came really close to being too little, too late.
First of all, let me commend and thank the author, because I greatly appreciated, more than I can say, how the historical authenticity was not compromised by adding modern terms, or by tossing out the protocols, rules, language, and dress of the period. This story is a great example of how a historical romance, especially one centered around polite society, should read.
Although, I felt like I was on a
Thankfully, Elisabeth found someone who loved her no matter what, as did Bryson, which is all that counted in the first place.
Overall, this one gets a 3.5 rounded to 4
Q&A WITH CHARIS MICHAELS:
1.
Tell us about yourself.
Well,
I’m a 43-year-old wife and mother who has dreamt of writing romance
novels since I read ALMOST HEAVEN by Judith McNaught when I was 16.
For better or for worse, I live the dream. I wear puffy
dresses that are borderline costumes. I love a good garden
party. Castles and cottages are the homes of my dreams. I’m
a sucker for any television show, book, or movie with a well-done
romance and HEA.
I
lived in England for a time but I’m a native Texan and Texan at
heart. I love the beach but will never turn down a trip to
Disney (in the off season).
2. What three things about you might surprise your readers?
I
worked at RWA (Romance Writers of America, the trade group for
romance authors) right out of college and promoted authors and
romance novels for eight years. Dream job.
I
wear small shoulder pads with every single outfit (rounded shoulders,
what are you gonna do?).
My
fantasy guy is a thug with a heart of gold (think Vin Diesel or
Channing Tatum), but I would not be able to stand this person IRL.
I’m married to the love of my life, a bald lawyer with three
fancy degrees who enjoys napping. Heart of gold? Yes.
Thug? Not so much.
3.
Is there a genre(s) that you think “I might
like to write one of those.”?
You
know, I am all-romance/all-the-time. Although if “sub-genres”
count, I definitely would eventually like to write contemporary
romantic suspense/adventure (remember those thugs with a heart of
gold?). I have a completed romantic adventure just sitting
there, waiting for its moment in the sun.
4. Tell us about THE VIRGIN AND THE VISCOUNT
This
is the story of an incredibly powerful, serious, straight-laced,
controlled hero (the viscount) who thinks he wants one thing—a very
proper wife—but who falls in love with someone entirely different
(the virgin). Slowly, she unravels this man and teaches him the
true meaning of nobility and honor. I love a serious hero who
loses control, and this one totally loses control.
5. Where did the idea for the storyline come from?
As
originally written, the hero discovers a scar on the heroine’s body
when they are in bed on their wedding night—and he realizes that
she is not who he thinks she is. He’s crushed and angry and
just… awful to her. This was originally written more than ten
years ago, and I’ve had to revise his reaction and when and where
it happens so it’s not so… well , so awful. But the new
scene, and how they come back from that horrible place, is so much
fun to read. That’s a long way of saying, the idea came from
the notion of the hero thinking his new bride is/was a virgin, and
then discovering that she might not be. I built the story around that
emotional journey.
6. What do you think readers will like/love about Bryson and Elisabeth?
If
you like a buttoned-up hero that totally loses control, then you will
love Bryson. He’s powerful, in command, dominating, kind of
old-school. And then he loses all of that authority because of
this woman. You’ve gotta love a man who loses all authority because
of a woman! (Or I do.)
The
heroine is super capable, plain-spoken, and no-nonsense. But
she’s also generous of spirit, kind, and forgiving. I think
the typical “unravel-er ” of buttoned-up men is portrayed as like
a free spirit or a bohemian. Elisaeth is not necessarily this
archetype (if free spirit can be considered an archetype). She
is not beholden to the social climbing of the haute ton, nor is she
interested in doing anything for the sake of appearances. But
other than that, she is traditional and confident and hopeful.
She falls in love easily. She is curious about sex. She
is me or you on our best day.
7.
What was your favorite scene from the book?
8. Who are some of your book boyfriends? What draws you to them?
Is
it wrong that I don’t even have to look these up? Lord Dain
from “Lord of the Scoundrels.” Any of the Macleod brothers
from Shannon McKenna’s Macleod brothers series of romantic
suspense, but especially Conner Macleod and Miles Davenport. Captain
Asher Flint from “I Kissed an Earl.”
Why?
Two words: Tortured and alpha. In that order.
9. If you had to pick a favorite cocktail of choice, what would it be? (It can be non-alcoholic too)
Oh,
I’m a margarita girl, all the way. Salt on the rim, if you
please. Frozen or on the rocks. Any iteration, from
classic to pomegranate. Thank you very much!
10. What’s next for you?
I’m
furiously trying to finish the third book in the Bachelor Lords
trilogy: One for the Rogue, out December 6th. When you read the
Virgin and the Viscount you’ll be able to identify the hero of this
book right away. He’s a handful but a lot of fun.
Thank
you for the interview! Great questions!
GUEST POST BY CHARIS MICHAELS:
Why I Always Have a Romance
Novel in My To-Be-Read Queue
Like
many people, I am reading at least three books at any given time.
I’ve
got an audio book to help me make it through mindless chores or when
I’m driving. This is usually a work of literature, which means at
least one character is either coming of age, enduring some manner of
plight, or dying of Cholera (or all three), but in beautifully
rendered prose.
I always do a 19th -century
research book before bedtime. This adds texture, flavor, and
authenticity to my own writing. For this, I read an actual bound
book and annotate as I go.
But the third
book I’m reading,
the one that gets me through the day, the one that makes me pine for
a doctor’s-office waiting room or the line at customer service, is
a romance novel.
I download this book on the
Kindle app of my phone so it is always with me, and this
is my main book. It’s the one that captures my imagination, and
the one I want to discuss with my friends, whether they’ve read it
or not. This is the one that, since I was 16 years old, has made me
want to be a romance writer.
Why? Well, I could name the
usual suspects, all of them true: romances are hopeful; romances
offer a guaranteed happy ending in a world with no such guarantees;
romances are plot-driven, fast reads, big on entertainment and short
on death-by-Cholera.
But I think the real reason that
I’m always reading a romance novel is that, to me, there is no
greater suspense, no bigger cliff hanger, no more complicated
how-will-the-author-pull-this-off than the story of an unlikely hero
and a heroine who fall in love. If the author has done it right—and
my favorites always do
it right—the setup spells absolute doom for this couple. How can
you not
turn the pages to see how the the magic unfolds. And don’t talk to
me about unrealistic, because we all know this magic can be just as
elusive in real life.
A common refrain from
non-romance readers is , “but they all end the same way.” To this
I say, “Yes! And thank goodness. But it’s not about the ending.”
It’s the journey. It’s watching unexpected unity take root,
struggle, and then thrive. For me, getting
there is all
the fun. And
honestly, I cannot do without it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Charis Michaels is
thrilled to be making her debut with Avon Impulse. Prior to writing
romance, she studied Journalism at Texas A&M and managed PR for a
trade association. She has also worked as a tour guide at Disney
World, harvested peaches on her family’s farm, and entertained
children as the “Story Godmother” at birthday parties. She has
lived in Texas, Florida, and London, England. She now makes her home
in the Washington, D. C. -metro area.
I really enjoyed reading this blog. Charis, THE VIRGIN AND THE VISCOUNT sounds great.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, Thank you so much for the kind words and for stopping by The Book Review!! Have a great weekend!!
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