The Ambitious Barrister and the Maid
by Marianna GreenGENRE: Steamy Historical Romance
Sarah-Ann Jennings is quite happy to satisfy her master’s lust. Forced into domestic service by a penny pinching aunt, she is determined to make enough money to secure her own future and that of her eccentric younger brother. She rather enjoys him, besides.
There is, of course, no question of any emotional entanglement between them. Mr. Alfred Grand is a cold-hearted fortune hunter in search of a wealthy wife, after all.
For all that, when Sarah-Ann comes to suspect that somebody may be trying to poison him for reasons of their own, she is ready to put all her energy and determination into finding out who it is. This steamy romance set in the mid-Victorian UK is definitely for over eighteens.
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I love historical romance stories, and so I was excited to read this story. I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
Sarah is a good maid. She listens to the head maid Mrs. Carr, and she listens to everything that Mr. Grand says. When Mr. Grand takes a liking to her, she doesn’t hesitate to fall for him. It is improper for a maid to fall for her master, especially when he is an eligible bachelor looking for a rich wife to marry. He needs this rich wife to save his estate, but he can’t seem to stop falling for his maid.
I thought that this book would be just an adult historical romance, but then I realized that it was going to be a bit different. For starters, Sarah was 17 at the start of the novel. At first, I thought that it was weird, but then I realized that she was probably old for an unmarried girl at the time. Mr. Grand never forced her into anything, he just knew that he liked her and she reciprocated his advances. The start of the novel was more focused on sex, but then things got even more interesting as the story progressed.
Sarah and Mr. Grand were together, but they started having feelings stronger than lust towards one another. The main conflict of the novel was when they were discovered and they were battling with others and with themselves to figure out what would come next in their lives. This novel may be steamy, but it does have a plot, and that plot can truly draw you in.
The only thing that I have to say is that it took me quite a bit of time to get to know and enjoy the characters. It may have seemed at the start that Mr. Grand was cold, but he fell for Sarah quickly in this short story. Then, the rest of the story seemed to fly by, and I was left wanting more. If only this was a series so that I could learn what happened to the other characters in the household in more depth! The story was short enough for me to read in one afternoon but long enough for me to be sad when it was over.
I would definitely recommend this steamy historical romance novel to anyone looking for a new adult book to read.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 books
Excerpt One
The man’s eye fell on me. I would have liked to think that he was wholly moved by pity at the sight of the tears welling in the eyes of the scrawny creature that I then was. There was indeed a spark of sympathy in his, but also some calculation.
That might seem to be a long word for a housemaid, but I had been educated to be a young lady.
Mr Grand was a man who thought ahead. He saw something in me that interested him. It wouldn’t do for now, for though sixteen, I had much filling out to do. He was ready to wait, just as he was prepared to wait for the right chance to further his career. He was a man who saw potentials closed to those with a less penetrating gaze. In pursuing his goals, he was patient.
“She will do very well, Mrs. Carr,” he gave that cold smile he sometimes used. “That solves your little problem. Now, as to mine –”
The housekeeper was indignant enough to do what servants, even the higher ones, should never do. She cut him off, which was bad enough, and then she contradicted him. “Hardly, Sir. I have no time to train her, and -”
He drew back. She could not have done more to ensure I got the post. He looked down his well-shaped nose at her and cut her off in turn. “I just hired the girl, Mrs. Carr. That makes an end to the matter. See about her box and the rest.”
Later on, I was willing to bet, he would see about my box himself.
Bio:
Marianna Green is lives in the UK, has a geekish fascination with English Literature and History, and an irrepressible sense of humour.
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Giveaway!
Marianna Green will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Thank you so much for such a great review.
Thanks for commenting! This was truly a great book, writing the review was easy.
Sounds like a good book.
Thanks for commenting, I definitely enjoyed this one.
Sounds like a good book!
Definitely a great read!
Which book have you read the most times?
Hm, I think I must have read/listened to the audiobook of the first Kane Chronicles book, The Red Pyramid, the most times.
Thanks for the giveaway; I like the excerpt. 🙂
Thanks for commenting, I hope you get the chance to read the full book soon!
Sounds really great.
Thanks for commenting, it was an amazing book!
Congratulations on a great review! I definitely have to read this story.
Thanks for commenting! You definitely should read it, it isn’t even that long!