Her Ladyship's Companion by Evangeline Collins

In the Scottish countryside of Selkirk, Lady Isabella Stirling resides at Bowhill Park, serving penance for a sin that nearly ruined her family. For five years she has been condemned to a loveless marriage and confined to the estate where she does little more than tend her rose garden. With her husband absent for months at a time and few visitors, Bella lives a lonely existence, denying the passions that burn within her very soul.

Then her cousin comes for a visit and makes an outrageous suggestion: what Bella needs is a lover. A hired lover. Despite her need, Bella says no. But soon Mr. Gideon Rosedale arrives—and he is at her service for two weeks. Indulging in what she intends to be a harmless flirtation, Bella is overcome by Gideon's intoxicating presence. And when she at last permits him to satisfy her desires, she discovers she's done the unthinkable—she's fallen in love.

I spotlighted Her Ladyship's Companion as one of my Tuesday Teases a few weeks ago. I buy all my TTs so decided I should hurry up and read one! Unfortunately, Her Ladyship's Companion was not as good as I hoped it would be.

HLC opens with a young Isabella getting ready to give her virtue away to the stableboy in her brother's stables. Her brother catches her right before she's deflowered but assumes the worst. He had high hopes for his sister as she was to marry a wealthy man to help lift the family out of debt. With his plans in tatters, the Earl marries her off to the first man who will have her.

Five years later, Isabella is in exile in Scotland. Her husband comes to visit for a day a few times a year and she is still cut off from her family, except for a French cousin. Her cousin can see that Isabella is lonely and pleads with her to accept the gift of a hired companion - of the masculine variety. Isabella is tempted, but propriety dictates she refuse the gift. Her cousin sends a man to her anyway, and Isabella throws caution to the wind.

Gideon arrives in Scotland and is immediately awestruck with Isabella. He sets about to slowly seduce her as he can tell she's a bit skittish. Isabella eventually gives in to her passionate nature and samples Gideon's ware. Along the way though, she falls in love with him. And on a second visit, Gideon realizes he's fallen in love with the lonely Isabella as well. But she's married and Gideon cannot escape the fact that he is a prostitute.

So where do I begin? First of all, after the initial seduction scene, the love scenes are kind of glossed over and a bit dull. And Isabella is incredibly responsive! I've never read of a heroine who could climax so easily and often! It was a bit much and it turned me off.

I didn't see how Gideon fell in love with Isabella. He just was all of a sudden and had to be with her.

What pissed me off though was Isabella's brothers. Their callous attitude toward their sister, until they realize the hell she's been through - ugh! So pompous! AND - the big thing with the brothers was getting out of debt. But it's NEVER ONCE mentioned that they could easily marry an heiress. No, they rely on their sister to get them out of debt. Just the fact that the simple solution of the brothers marrying money was overlooked just aggravated me.

Her Ladyship's Companion is Evangeline Collins' debut novel and although it wasn't perfect, I did keep reading to see how these two would get their HEA. It's by no means unpredictable. C