Simply Wicked

I picked this book up out of order from the rest of the "Pleasure House" series. However, it is the mark of a wonderful, talented author that I didn't feel I needed to read the other books in this series to understand the last few books I've missed. The writing is sexy, plot is engaging, and the author really breathes life into her characters. I could barely put it down and will certainly be purchasing the next few books, both those I missed and those in the future.

Lady Marguerite Lockwood, daughter of the infamous owner of Madame Helene's House of Pleasure, has been living in self-imposed isolation. Her brief marriage ended when her husband was killed in a duel against his best friend, and the whispers are that the duel was over her. Marguerite has no intentions of reentering society, until her brother introduces her to the dark and devastatingly handsome Anthony Sokorvsky. Anthony awakens desires in her she never expected to feel so strongly, but she soon finds that a simple affair may not, in fact, be so simple. Anthony Sokorvsky knows all-too-well the darker side of pleasure. But when he wakes up one morning riddled with bruises, he's very aware that he has gotten too deep into the realm of sexual punishment and pain and has done so for the wrong reasons. When Christian Delornay asks Anthony to squire his sister Marguerite around town, Anthony takes the opportunity to step back from his reckless nights. And when he meets Lady Marguerite Lockwood, Anthony finds that there's something about her that calls to him. For the first time in his life, Anthony has met someone he wants to seduce. But when lust turns into something more, a dangerous figure from Anthony's not-too-distant past threatens his newfound happiness. Can Anthony and Marguerite's relationship survive the machinations of someone who threatens to expose their deepest secrets? Just when I think I've decided on an all-time favorite book of Kate Pearce's, she delivers another gem. Simply Wicked is an erotic tour de force about love, acceptance, understanding, and passion. With Anthony and Marguerite, Ms. Pearce has created two wonderful protagonists, and the tenderness between them grabbed my heart while their love scenes burn with intensity - a double dose of bliss to readers like myself who like both heat and heart. Anthony is a man who has grown accustomed to letting himself be sexually used and discarded by other men. He was abused in the past by another and though he thinks he has long since recovered, what was done to him left its mark. At the beginning of the story even Anthony is forced to see he is on a dangerous downslide. I cheered for Anthony when he made the decision to take a stand, to stop allowing others to dictate his sexuality, to explore what he truly desires, and to experience passion and joy rather than using pain and humiliation to bring about sexual release. It takes a strong woman to look Anthony's past square in the face and not let it shake her; good thing Ms. Pearce is a master at creating strong heroines. Marguerite's past contains tragedy of its own, and for a while she lets it get the better of her. She hides herself to avoid the cutting tongues of society, living a half-life of sorts. I was thrilled to see her come out of her shell, to finally start being the woman she truly is inside. When Simply Wicked begins, there is a broken innocence about both characters that only true love and acceptanc

Kate Pearce has amplified the spiciness with SIMPLY WICKED, the fourth novel in her HOUSE OF PLEASURE series. Readers will finally read and understand Anthony's desires and needs as well as those of his soon to be lover, the widowed Lady Marguerite Lockwood. Waking up from a night of total depravity, Anthony Sokorvsky finds himself no longer deriving pleasure from his sexual wants and needs. The depravities he allowed to happen to his body the night before have left him shaken and almost broken. Not to mention the fact that he is late for a meeting with his brother. Deciding to forgo his life of debauchery and repair his reputation as being a sexual slave, Anthony's answer to save his standing in society comes in the request of the DeLornay twins. They want Anthony to escort their widowed sister Marguerite about town. After a bit of thought, Anthony agrees - never knowing what a challenge this independent but shy widow will turn out to be. Marguerite Lockwood misses her husband very much. Since his death, she has been staying at home due to the scandal of her husband's death. Still mourning the loss of her husband, Marguerite stays at home in order to hopefully repair her reputation and keep herself out of the limelight. Now, however, her family is pushing her to get on with her life, and Marguerite is scared. She is scared to feel anything for another man. She is scared of her reputation becoming once again tarnished. But most of all, she is scared that she will be the cause of another man's death. When Anthony Sokorvsky is introduced to her, she can't help but see the man he is trying to hide from the world, and that intrigues her. Anthony and Marguerite vow to be friends. They both have an agenda, and becoming lovers is not on either of them. It's a good thing fate has other ideas because in each other, Anthony and Marguerite are about to find the one person who makes them whole. I love, love, love, this series! Kate Pearce makes me crave to go back in time and walk in the footsteps of her characters. Anthony is truly one of Kate Pearce's most wicked of characters - but in his wickedness there is a youthful and almost innocent yearning in him to find that one person to spend his life with. He knows what is wrong with his life and takes steps to improve it - for that he is braver than most. Lady Marguerite. What can I say about this woman? Because of her husband's death, she has been judged by her peers and their opinion of her is what goads her into action. She never expected to find Anthony desirable, nor did she expect to give in to her forbidden hunger to be the one woman Anthony will not forget. Add in a vengeful and devious ex-lover and my historical romance loving soul was replete. SIMPLY WICKED holds nothing back. The heat is escalated, the sexual escapades are naughty, and the characters are unforgettable. Everything I love in a book and more! Natalie S.

In Simply Wicked, Kate Pearce introduces us to Anthony. His history of abuse has skewed his perception of sexuality and he believes pleasure can only lie in the dark and perverse. Determined to put the violence of his desires behind him, he leaves his lover and the world of bondage and dominance behind him. When he is asked to act as social escort to Marguerite, he sees an opportunity for a much needed distraction from a lifestyle that is destroying him. Marguerite doesn't know what to think about the intriguing and sensual man her family has asked to escort her. He titillates dormant desires she doesn't hesitate to act on them. But Anthony's when his former lover refuses to let him go, Marguerite is pulled into a vicious game of revenge. Ms. Pearce has penned a story of sensual elegance so lush and appealing, I didn't want to put it down. The Anthony and Marguerite battle their private battles, and try to move on with their lives. Their pasts aren't as separate and secret as they thought. They must work together to set things right before they can move on. Anthony's vulnerability drew me in. His desperation to leave behind a lifestyle which left him filled with shame and degradation was filled with turmoil and confusion. This lost quality left him floundering, searching for some elusive sense of happiness. Anthony's attitudes were frustrating, though. At times he seemed to enjoy wallowing in victim mode, but as he learned to make his own decisions he matured. I was never sure what drove Marguerite or why she made some choices. She was, however, surprisingly open to new sexual experiences. Sexually, she was the perfect match for Anthony, firm and demanding, yet still the picture of soft, feminine sensuality. This fourth book in the House of Pleasure series left me wanting more. Ms. Pearce's luxurious writing is a decadent delight and I cannot wait for book five and its unexpected hero. This is an erotic title and the sexuality in it is extreme. I do not recommend this title for those who are not open to rough love play, homosexuality or bondage.

In 1819 London anything sexual is Anthony Sokorvsky's reputation; which he affirms overnight at Madam Helene Delornay's pleasure house making him late for his meeting with his brother Val (see SIMPLY SEXUAL) at Sokorvsky and Howard shipping. He vows to his sibling to change his ways as he loathes that Lord Minshom owns his body and soul as his personal sex slave. The Delornay twins ask Anthony to do them a favor; escort their widowed older sister Marguerite Lockwood around town. He agrees as he sees her as a first step back into society after his recent homosexual relationship; she also accepts his invitation as she must overcome the scandal caused by her late husband's death in a duel; her in-laws blame her. As their attraction turns physical, Anthony's former partner has plans for his former submissive and the submissive woman he has ties to. The key to this Simply Wicked Regency erotic romance is Anthony as he does not suddenly find the holy grail of heterosexual activity with Marguerite, but instead learns he is a bisexual submissive. Marguerite is also a submissive so with no dominant can they find happiness just like they have found love. Fans of the House of Pleasure will enjoy the latest heated historical as this is simply one of the bets sub-genre series leaving fans SIMPLY INSATIABLE for more. Harriet Klausner