Jen's Reading O: Bound by Bliss (Bound and Determined #2) by Lavinia Kent

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Bound By Bliss
Bound and Determined #2

By: Lavinia Kent

Releasing February 24^th, 2015

Loveswept

In Lavinia Kent’s luscious, erotic historical romance, a free spirit learns her true desires from a master of the heart, of the body—and of the sweetest discipline.

Lady Bliss Danser, daughter of the Duke of Mirth, is a scandal waiting to erupt. Which is why her highly conventional brother wants to saddle her with Stephan Perth, Earl of Duldon, the only man he thinks will marry her. Worse, Stephan keeps threatening to punish her, to teach her just how a woman should behave. His words may cause Bliss to tingle in the strangest places, but that doesn’t mean she likes the man himself.

Stephan has secretly desired Bliss for years, but he knows how close he is to losing his beloved. Careful not to rile her impetuous heart, he promises only to aid Bliss in her search for another fiancé. And if she’s determined to understand the male body first, he’s happy to comply in that regard as well. However, she must follow his rules or face the consequences. Slowly he takes Bliss to the darker, steamier side of his world . . . where she realizes that Stephan is everything she’s ever wanted.

Bound by Bliss is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

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Ruby would never have referred to Duldon as a boy. The man was well over six foot and could out-glare the best of them. “I really cannot speak of such things.” And that was true. What a patron did was always held in the highest of confidences. And she certainly could not imagine discussing Duldon’s preferences with Lady Perse.

Lady Perse’s lips grew thin. “I think that is all the answer I need. You do not deny that you have ever met the man or know who he is?”

Ruby said nothing. It was too late to pretend ignorance, not that it would have been believable if she had.

“I was afraid that was the case. The rumors I’ve heard must be true. The boy is over thirty and needs a wife. This makes the business most difficult. My expertise is not great in such matters.”

“Even if Lord Duldon were . . . to be a man of certain tastes, these matters usually do not influence marriage. I believe that most men, most lords, know how to separate entertainment from duty.”

“Duldon does not seem to. It’s far past the time he should have taken care of an heir. He’s the last of the line and—”

“I am sure that—”

“Well, I am not,” Lady Perse cut her off. “And besides I do want the boy to be happy. I don’t want him to have to separate his life into pieces. If he likes certain things surely he would be happier if his wife could provide them. I do not like to think of men straying after their vows are said.”

Now that was an unusual view. “You mean men like my father.” Ruby raised her eyes and stared straight at Lady Perse.

Lady Perse met the stare and did not blink. “Yes, my brother would have been far better off had he married for something other than land and lineage. Duldon has spoken of marrying some chit—Bliss Danser, if rumor is correct—for land as well. I will not have it. I will do all I can to prevent such a match. The girl may be perfectly acceptable, but I want something more for him, someone who stirs his passions, not some sweet innocent.”

Ruby tried hard to concentrate on the continuing words, distracted by the fact that Lady Perse had subtly agreed that Ruby’s father and Lady Perse’s brother were one and the same. She shook her head, feeling her heavy red wig shift upon her scalp, forcing herself to the matter at hand. “So what do you want me to do? If he wishes to marry her he must find her pleasing,” she said, trying to remember all she had heard of Lady Bliss. Hadn’t she even seen the girl once? She’d been involved in the adventures of Swanston and Lady Brookingston. She was Swanston’s sister, but hadn’t she been in the company of the Countess Ormande? If that was true then . . . The Countess had been a woman of very particular and not particularly nice tastes herself. Ruby had needed to bar her from the house when she’d begun to play with unwilling partners—and that was before Swanston had forced her to exile in Scotland with her dour husband. If Lady Bliss had been often in the Countess’s company it was unlikely she was as innocent as Lady Perse believed. Ruby could look into that, find out what the truth about the girl was.

Lady Perse lifted her head and locked glances with Ruby. “I want you to help me find Duldon a wife. I want you to decide which young lady will suit his tastes—and needs. I want him to have a wife who will suit his every need, whatever those needs may be.”

Great addition to the series! Bliss and Stephan's chemistry is off the charts and their scenes are sensual and erotic. I'll admit to squirming in my seat as I read them. I love that Stephan was clear about what he wanted from the start, and refused to let Bliss give up on them. Highly recommended for lovers for erotic historical romance. I'm really looking forward to Ruby's story.

Five Things You Wouldn’t know about my Heroine from Reading Bound by Bliss.

As an author it is sometimes hard to remember which aspects of our characters are actually on the page and which are only in our minds. Sometimes these facets appear on pages that are later cut and sometimes they exist only in our imaginations.

So here are five things that I know about Lady Bliss:

1. Lady Bliss hates fish. She can eat the occasional lobster patty with a pasted-on smile, but put a plate of kippers in front of her and she’ll turn a pale shade of green. I wanted to write a cute humorous scene about this, but the time was never right.

2. Lady Bliss loves to read. I don’t think this ever makes it onto the page, but part of her hidden serious nature involves a desire to read anything and everything. She loves to sneak off and hide in her father’s library and just read and read and read. She doesn’t care if it’s fishing manuals or Shakespeare. She doesn’t have faith that anybody would believe this about her, and so she never shares her love of books. I always imagine that someday she’ll share this love with Duldon, and that in later years they’ll lie side-by-side in bed, reading by candlelight – after doing all those things demanded of any good romance couple in bed.

3. She gets warm inside and her toes curl when Lord Duldon calls her “Kitten.” She wants to protest and tell him that she’s a lioness, but his words actually make her feel safe and secure. Plus, she’s much more a cat person than a dog person, and likes the idea that he sees her as cute and snuggly, while still having claws.

4. I want to say something really hot and steamy here, but I can’t think of what I haven’t already shared in the book. Bliss has fantasized about Duldon for years, despite her best intentions to put him out of her mind. And she really loves that when she lets him take control, she doesn’t have to work at being scandalous. When Duldon is dominant, Bliss can simply relax and be herself.

5. (Spoiler – just in case you don’t realize that Duldon and Bliss will end up together in the end.) Bliss is going to have six children – all boys. The boundless energy that has always filled her is finally going to have an outlet as she keeps her wild sons firmly under control. And even I can’t fully comprehend just how many pets are going to be roaming about the manor.

I can only hope that Lady Bliss Danser comes as alive on the page as she has in my mind, and that you’ll have as wonderful a time reading about her and her extremely hot and steamy courtship with Stephan Perth, the Earl of Duldon.

Lavinia Kent is a former two-term president of the Washington Romance Writers and a four-time Romance Writers of America Golden Heart nominee. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her family and an ever-changing menagerie of pets.