Can you recommend a book with a good doggy style scene?
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas: I was surprised I'd forgotten this one! I think what made this hot was that Lillian is so out of it after one orgasm (and one he deliberately withholds) that Westcliff is "arranging" her on her stomach before they do it doggy-style.
Duke of Depravity by Scarlett Scott: The transformation of Crispin from pathetic -> not is complete with this scene; he's very "tell me you're mine", gets a little spanky, a little bite-y, and when Jacinda finally agrees, he goes for it.
Wicked Again by Kathleen Ayers: They're hot. They're older (she's 49, he's 40). A little thing like an ankle injury isn't gonna stop Haddon from going "we're MORE than a dalliance bby!" as he bends Marissa over.
When A Girl Loves An Earl by Elisa Braden: James is muddy and doesn't want to *soil* Viola but Viola can't be stopped, which ends with her on all fours on a couch and Jamie uttering the winning line, "Take yer filthy Scot inside ye now, Viola."
The Chief by Monica McCarty: An emotional doggy-style scene; for background, Tor thought Christina was a prostitute his buddies had sent him (and she was there to get compromised) so he nearly took her from behind. Now when they're married and she asked for it, he's all "are you sure?!?!?" and the funny thing is even after they go at it doggy style he flips her over because he wants to see her face when they orgasm.
I would like to note that I nearly added McCarty's The Saint to this list but when I checked, Magnus only said to Helen "I hope you like it from behind" because he thought she was someone else, but he stopped when he realized it was her and never following through in the entirety of the book so now I'm sad :(
A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh: The tail-end of Dom and Willa's fuck cabin sex marathon; a standout more so because of everything that comes before it and when he does just before it (he eats her ass; a rarity in HR), but it's very hot.
His Countess by S.M. LaViolette: More of a historical erotic romance; you know that when they do it doggy-style after he a) eats her ass, and b) asks if she's been doing her kegels (30 minutes a day! for his pleasure and hers!).
A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman: Post-bear chase! It's adrenaline-fueled and a little rough in a very good way.
Also, if you'd like a list of specifically bending-her-over-the-desk moments, here it is.
I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion
This is the first book in “Her Majesty’s Rebels” series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a marriage of convenience set in Regency era London and in the country estate property of Justin Thornton, duke of Wansford.
Justin is a self made man who got his wealth by doubling the profits of the shipping company he inherited from his father when both of them were living in Canada. He doesn’t want love in his life since he witnessed the deep grief that his mother’s death brought to his father. But as it usually happens in Romance, he is destined to be an English duke after the deaths of several cousins, uncles and his own father. Then he meets a lady at a masquerade, a lady in Scarlet, and he falls in lust with her.
“Scarlet”’s name is actually Tess and she is ironically the dowager duchess of Wansford. When she was only 19 her father forced her to marry the decrepit duke who very kindly died on their wedding night right before consummating their vows. Tess is now an independent woman, she goes to a masquerade and meets a tall dark handsome man named Justin and she decides to have a little adventure. She has a reputation of being a little care free, but the rumors are just that, rumors she spread so nobody would question her.
Justin is now the duke and decides that he needs a wife, at least for a while, so given that Tess is already the duchess and that she is his “Scarlet”, he proposes her to a marriage of convenience on equal terms. Of course Justin falls ridiculously in love with her, despite himself. And by ridiculously I really mean that. I recommend you read this book to know how far he went to show Tess that he loves her. Oh, and there’s groveling too. I loved this book so much
The passion between them is so hot that it could melt the North Pole. But that’s not everything that this book has to offer. The character development, especially Justin’s, is remarkable, the heroine is fantastic and they are always companions, on equal terms. They complement each other in a way that none of them is above the other or below. There are other subplots and here’s the little problem I found; one of these subplots is resolved off the page in a very convenient way. It felt like the explanations given were insufficient, as it all happened by magic.
Overall I had a great time with this book and that’s what matters. It’s a page turner because the writing is so engaging, that’s why I love Kate Bateman so much. For a few hours I had fun and I forgot about my everyday life and struggles, that is priceless.
Here is what I read, posted, won, received, and bought in May.
Let me know if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them.
Books I Read:
Books I Did Not Finish
I did not finish this book (which is rare for me). I had a good reason not to. The author was involved in a scandal that involved review-bombing books that were similar to her and also written by BIPOC and Queer…
A family that's been at odds for centuries, secret caves, and a smugglers' plot! There's all this and more in A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman, so read along for some of my thoughts, feelings, and rambles on...
Meet the Davies and Montgomery families - two households locked in an ancient feud, destined to be on opposing sides forever. Until now...
CAN LIFELONG HATE
Madeline Montgomery grew up despising––and secretly loving––the roguish Gryffud “Gryff” Davies. Their families have been bitter rivals for hundreds of years, but even if her feelings once crossed the line between love and hate, she’s certain Gryff never felt the same. Now, she’s too busy saving her family from ruin to think about Gryff and the other “devilish” Davies siblings. Since he’s off being scandalous in London, it’s not like she’ll ever see him again...
TURN TO TRUE LOVE
As the new Earl of Powys, Gryff Davies planned on spending his post-war life enjoying the pleasures of London. But when an illegal duel forces him to retreat to his family’s Welsh castle, he realizes the only exciting thing in the dull countryside will be seeing the fiery Maddie Montgomery. Thoughts of his nemesis sustained Gryff throughout the war; but the girl he loved to tease has grown into a gorgeous, headstrong woman – who loathes him just as much as she ever did. Will secret tunnels, dangerous smugglers, and meddling from their feuding families be enough to make Maddie and Gryff realize that their animosity is really attraction...and maybe even love.
_________________________________________________
If you're looking for an enemies to lovers in the same vein as Darcy and Elizabeth, you'll probably find that this isn't quite an exact match. There's definitely witty teasing to be found, but despite the fact that Maddie and Gryff's families have been at odds for centuries, they don't exactly hold any real disdain for each other. Think of it more along the lines of the boy that tugged the pigtails of the girl that he liked.
In a way I was relieved by this, because I almost feared it was going to take on a melodramatic Romeo and Juliet sort of feel, but it never delves much past its initial genre: romantic comedy.
Thankfully this isn't a tragedy, and while I knew that there would be a happily ever after waiting for me at the end, I still worried that the melodrama of two feuding families might be a bit too much for me.
No, if anything, this family feud is much more like the Hatfields and McCoys (although certainly not quite as bloody, especially during the regency era where this is all taking place), all the way down to a supposed stolen pig which started the feud all those years ago.
This novel is charming, and takes on a tone reminiscent of Tessa Dare, I would say. There's nothing too serious about it, which is nice when you're not looking for anything that's particularly dramatic or angsty. The characters are fun, and I'm certainly interested to see what other adventures this family takes in the future. I think the second installment in the series is already out, which I'm sure I'll get to in the future.
I think a few of my only complaints would be in, one, the odd chapter lengths. They were incredibly short, usually only ranging five pages long. This in itself isn't a major issue, but it just sort of made the story feel a little disjointed at times when you're expecting a new scene in a new chapter or a different POV. With the chapters being so short, it left me wondering why some of them weren't just combined to make one longer chapter, but that's just a nitpick on my part.
And two... I know I said I didn't want anything super melodramatic, but I do wish our main characters had been fleshed out just a tiny bit more. It felt as if I was missing something about them, though I'm not sure what. I think maybe it as the fact that there was never really a moment where the focus was on any sort of past traumas or insecurities. Gryff reflects a bit about his time in the war, and the guilt he feels about leaving his friends behind when he suddenly became the new earl. Still, the surface was only just scratched there, and there wasn't even too much talk on the grief he felt about losing his father. On Maddie's part, she talks a bit about her near death experience and the literal scars that were left behind, but again, we only get a light scratch here.
Aside from that, this novel gets a few extra points for featuring a sex in one of the more unique places: a cave!
Thanks for reading this far! I've noticed that with Twitter going up in flames, a resurgence seems to be happening here on tumblr. I never left, but I did start to miss how active the romance novel community had once been on here. Let's hope we can bring it back to its heyday! Until then, happy reading!
The Davies and Montgomerys have been feuding for centuries; it's even said that their families were the inspiration for Shakespeare's Capulets and Montagues. It's a history that Madeline Montgomery knows well. Ever since she was a child, Gryffud Davies has been pulling her hair and stealing her shawl. It doesn't surprise her at all to learn that her childhood tormentor has turned into a roguish rake. A rake whose magnetism draws her as surely as the moon draws the tides.
Exiled from London for participating in a duel, the newly-minted Earl of Powys is looking forward to resuming one of his favorite activities -- baiting Madeline Mongomery. But his Maddy has grown into a self-possessed woman in the years he's been gone and he can't help his attraction to her.
When a single misstep leaves them reliant on each other, will two enemies put down their swords and fall into each other's arms?
Kate Bateman is fast becoming one of my go-to authors. This book is utterly charming and fun, and my cheeks hurt from all of the smiling I did while reading it.
This is a wonderful enemies-to-lovers tale with a hint of childhood rivals mixed with the Mummy thrown in. I mean, Gryff would make an excellent Rick and Maddie is a pretty awesome Evie. There's tension and bickering but also mutual respect and gentleness. I absolutely adored that Maddie had been previously struck by lightning and that Gryff was a big ol' softie under his gruff and roguish exterior. There's some really lovely banter and the character voices are so funny and engaging.
The feuding families plot was well done and was very clearly based on the Hatfields and McCoys from the Appalachian region. Even the feud's beginnings are similar. ^_^ The secondary plot about the Montgomerys' diminished fortunes added to the tension and created an undercurrent of desperation in some of what Maddie did while their familys’ ongoing feud meant that she had to keep it hidden so the Davies' couldn't capitalize on her family's misfortunes.
My one quibble is that very late in the book there's a brief scene from someone else's head that I don't feel is necessary for the plot of THIS book. It's cute, but I feel like it should be part of a different book. But it didn't lessen my enjoyment too much.
In all, this is a great start of a series and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Four and Half Stars rounded up to Five Stars
If this is your jam, you can get it here.
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“Unintentionally. You walked in just as I’d finished my morning exercise. I didn’t want to alarm you, so I ducked behind a plant. I had no idea you planned to swim. By the time I realized that was your intent, you’d already stripped off.”
Emma was sure her cheeks were crimson, but she forced herself to hold his intense gaze. “And...did you like what you saw?”
He nodded. “I did. You’re exquisite, Emma Townsend.”
It was now or never. Time to seize the moment.
“Would you like to see me naked again?”
She held her breath, and time to seemed to stop as she waited for his reply.
“I would like that very much.” His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper.
The last child prodigies to gain international renown, Kate and Ellen Bateman were a staple of 19th- century novelty theater. Managed by P.T. Barnum and trained by their parents H.L. and Sidney Bateman (prominent American actors, themselves), the Bateman sisters began their stage careers while still toddlers. Figure 1, an engraving from a daguerreotype, depicts the Batemans in their most celebrated roles, Richard and Richmond from Richard III.
Serious Shakespearean roles such as Macbeth, Shylock, and Richard III were necessary, vital even, for the distinction of 19th-century child prodigies. Richard III was a particularly popular part of the child prodigy repertoire in the mid 1800s after being first attempted by Master William Betty. The Bateman’s most often performed the fifth act of Richard III with Miss Ellen as Richard III and Miss Kate as Richmond. In their first star engagement in the roles at the Boston Museum in 1849 Kate and Ellen Bateman were just six and four years old, respectively.
The Devil to Pay by Kate Bateman is the book you're looking for if you want the Lillian/Westcliff goading dynamic complete with seduction after tripping because he "thought she was an assassin", seduction at knifepoint, seduction after a swordfight, etc. etc.
