PLEASURE ME by Monica Burns

PUBLISHER: Berkley, 3/2011
GENRE: Historical romance
MY GRADE: C

SYNOPSIS: Youth and beauty are a courtesan’s greatest assets. At forty-one, Lady Ruth Attwood appears to have lost both, as her latest lover just abandoned her for a younger mistress. Struggling with the knowledge that she’s no longer considered desirable, she’s uncertain whether to be offended or flattered when a younger man makes her an unusual offer. In need of funds, she agrees. But then she does the unthinkable. She falls in love.

Despite his reputation as a man’s man, Baron Garrick Stratfield has never been with a woman. His physical impairment is such that he knows not even a whore will touch him, and he needs a mistress who’s willing to be kept without sharing his bed. But passion is just a delicious kiss away because his new mistress is wreaking havoc with his senses. Worse yet, someone is not only out to ruin his reputation, but frame him for murder.

MY THOUGHTS: The hero is twenty-nine years old. He’s hiding, what he believes, is a terrible personal defect. Only a couple of people know about it and he’s determined to not let any woman find out what it is. Garrick is a bit emotionally crippled by it. His uncle is partly to blame for Garrick’s insecurities. They have a terrible relationship with each other, always have.

Ruth, the heroine, is really hung up on the fact that she’s forty-one and is about to ‘retire’ from being a courtesan when she meets Garrick. They become friends before they’re lovers. They have running an orphanage in common and the orphanage plays a big roll in the story.

I was very disappointed in this novel. It wasn’t really about anything except Ruth thinking she’s too old for Garrick, who is twelve years younger than her. She made such a big deal about it, as did others. Garrick’s secret is a bit unique for a romance book but took over the whole storyline, along with Ruth’s age.

There are a couple spicy sex scenes that don’t disappoint but it wasn’t enough to make up for the lack of a plotline.

I received this from the publisher in 2011 in exchange for an honest review.