HER ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVAL…

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.

IS TO RUIN THE MAN SHE LOVES…

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible.

Title: UNCLAIMED
Author: Courtney Milan
Series: The Turners, book 2
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, September 27
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested an e-ARC from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
Sir Mark Turner did not look like any virgin that Jessica had ever seen before.
Memorable Scenes:
- the church picnic > wonderful scene
- the shooting party at the Tollivers > the tension and attraction between Mark and Jessica was at its high point here, on the verge of snapping
- Jessica's confession after rejecting Mark's proposal > I cried and my heart broke for both of them
- the duel > AWESOME!!
- Mark at Jessica’s parental residence > I bawled and had to read through my tears

Dire circumstances forced Jessica Farleigh to lead a courtesan’s life. A life filled with hurt and loss. This has made the Jessica a calculated survivor with a big sense of adaptability. So when her survival depends on the seduction of a man who slowly worms his way into her heart, she has some tough choices to make. I don’t know if Jessica is a heroine for everyone but I definitely liked her survivor’s mentality. She did some stupid things but still she tried to sort her way out of them. And the way she owned up to her flaws and bad decisions made her a great heroine for me.

Mark Turner is the author of a practical guide to chastity. What starts as a philosophical work he just wanted to put on paper makes him a famous and much sought after person in London. But it also puts him in the line of fire of petty, envious enemies. Mark is a clever, easy-mannered man of principles. He is gentle yet commanding and he’s tired of people seeing him as some saint who can't be tempted. His ultimate temptation comes in the form a woman out to ruin him. To me Mark was a hero in every sense of the word. He has immediately been added to my list of favorite heroes.

I utterly enjoyed the teasing and battles of will between Mark and Jessica. There were also battles of will in the previous books and I really like that Courtney Milan gives each couple a different type of dynamic, making the romances unique and fresh. I also liked the build-up of the sexual tension towards the explosive first love scene, proving that sexy doesn't have to be explicit or crass. The chemistry between Mark and Jessica is instant and though it offered every opportunity for a quick explosive tumble in the sack, I LOVED how Courtney Milan didn’t take that road.

The secondary cast is supportive in every sense of the word. They are never intrusive, yet play crucial roles in both plot and romance. There are secondary characters you’ll love instantly (Mark’s family), ones you’ll hate on the spot (Weston and the reverend) and those who you just need some time to warm up to (Nigel Parret, James Tolliver and Jessica’s father). I utterly enjoyed having the Turner brothers on the page together. The banter and brotherly dynamic were awesome but the bond between them shone through splendidly as well.

The plot revolves around Jessica trying to seduce Mark into losing his virginity (and virtue) by order of his biggest enemy and rival for a post offered to Mark and Jessica's former protector. But there's so much more going on. There's something that happened in Jessica's past (to do with her former protector) that has made her skittish of men touching her. This is revealed slowly and enticingly with small clues worked into characterization, action and dialogue. I couldn't wait to get to the bottom of it and when I did I was shocked at the cruelty of it and like Mark I wanted vengeance.

There are also Jessica’s and Mark’s back-stories, both slowly unveiled throughout the book and that’s one of the things I love about Courtney Milan’s writing: She doesn’t give you information about the characters and their motivation in one big telling-instead-of-showing info-dump but gradually incorporates the information in dialogues and the characters’ behavior and actions.

I've said it before: Courtney Milan's writing is mesmerizing magic. The pictures she paints through her writing are vivid and almost tangible. In UNCLAIMED she showed and proved this through the beautiful yet succinct descriptions, her spot-on characterizations and the sparkling dialogues. I haven’t read Milan’s first series but after the three stories that I’ve read in the Turners series I know they will be soon devoured as I’m madly in love with her writing.

UNCLAIMED is a historical romance in a league of its own. Its non-beauty makes it beautiful. Its rawness and pureness makes it gripping, its far from perfect characters makes it perfect and Courtney Milan's writing makes it unforgettable and exceptionally emotional.

Favorite Quotes:
"Mrs. Jessica Farleigh, official town disgrace. At your service."
[...]
"Sir Mark Turner," he said. "I speak with the tongues of a thousand angels. Butterflies follow me wherever I go. Birds sing when I take a breath."

In the years that followed, she'd learned that the glittering finery was a trap, that the soiree was not endless. It eroded you, piece by irrevocable piece. It made a mockery of love, and if you did not look after your heart with a ferocious care, you'd find, bit by bit, you'd traded it for silk ribbons and baubles on gold chains.

"We've already discussed my sins, Mrs. Farleigh. I am greedy. I am covetous. I am selfish. And one other thing." He leaned in. "I absolutely do not share." (Mark to Jessica)

"There is no such thing as a fallen woman—you just need to look for the man who pushed her."

Sir Mark wanted her as she was, not as he wanted her to be.

She belonged to herself again, body and soul, pleasure and heartbreak. She was every inch hers again, her body reclaimed from those long years of bitter ownership.

Hope is a fickle friend. Gorging on it was like eating too much pudding. All the sweetness would feel wonderful for a few minutes, but once the first heady rush of energy faded, it left you tired and worn through.

For one lovely second, she could believe the promise in his kiss: that this would not fade, that she would wake up to him for a thousand mornings to come. Ten thousand mornings.

"You've always been your own knight," he said, "riding to your rescue. I'm just the man who came along and saw how brightly your armor shone."

A perpetual wallflower destined for spinsterhood, Lady Elaine Warren is resigned to her position in society. So when Evan Carlton, the powerful, popular Earl of Westfeld, singles her out upon his return to England, she knows what it means. Her former tormenter is up to his old tricks, and she’s his intended victim. This time, though, the earl is going to discover that wallflowers can fight back.

Evan has come to regret his cruel, callow past. At first, he only wants to make up for past wrongs. But when Elaine throws his initial apology in his face, he finds himself wanting more. And this time, what torments him might be love…

Title: UNLOCKED
Author: Courtney Milan
Series: Connected to Turners series, book 1.5
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Year of release: 2011, May 30
Format: eBook
Source: Won it in a Twitter giveaway done by Jane (Dear Author)

First line:
It had been ten years since Evan Carlton, Earl of Westfeld, last entered a ballroom.

Memorable Scenes:
- Evan's public apology to Elaine > moving and beautiful



QuickScore-Verdict:
UNLOCKED can quickly be summarized in: a house party, a remorseful man, a resilient woman with a steel spine, oblivious mother/parents and mean-spirited family members. Especially the last ones really got to me. I did not like Diana (Evan’s cousin) at all in UNVEILED and that didn't change in this book, not even the attempt to redeem at the end her made me like her. This being said not even my dislike of Diana could ruin this story for me. I love, love, love how Courtney Milan creates magic with her characters.

UNLOCKED is an excellently written, character- and emotion-driven, story that shows how bullying and ridiculing people can destroy them unless they find the strength in themselves to overcome it. UNLOCKED is a perfect mix of characterization, emotion and romance and despite being a novella it had the feel of a well-rounded full-length novel. I’m in love with this series!

Favorite Quotes:
Cold gathered in her hands and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to turn on her heel and run. But she’d realized long ago that running was the worst thing she could do. Deer and rabbits ran, and the sight of their hindquarters usually only spurred the dogs to the hunt.

He had always had deceptively compelling eyes—dark and fathomless. She felt as if she might glimpse hidden secrets if only she peered into those depths. He looked as if he were about to reveal some extraordinary truth, one that would explain everything. An illusion, that. He was nothing more than a snake who could hold her spellbound in his gaze.

Elaine knew her laugh was awful: high-pitched and so loud that people turned to stare at her. When she laughed, she snorted in the most indelicate manner. Her laugh had been the cause of their torment all those years ago. And so when Elaine laughed without holding back, she sent them a message.
You cannot break me. You cannot hurt me. You cannot even make me notice you.

She had every reason to think ill of him. Yet, for all that, some errant corner of his mind paid avid attention to the pale pink ribbon threaded through the neckline of her gown. He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he were to pull on it. Would the gown stay up, or…
God. Ten minutes in her company and he was fantasizing about her breasts again.

“I think,” he said to her on this evening, his voice barely audible over the roar of the crowd at the soirée, “that your seamstress needs a new palette.”
A year ago she’d have bristled, hearing an implied insult. Today she smiled at him indulgently. “Why ever is that? Just because I happen to like pink doesn’t mean you must wear it.”
“That wasn’t why.” He grinned. “Although I’ll have you know that I turn out very nicely in pink. And purple. Any man can don white and black. It takes a truly masculine fellow to manage lavender.”

He was talking about friendship, but the way he looked at her… She would crackle like fire if he touched her.

“I’ll be your friend in daylight. I’ll treat you as a comrade in every gas-lit ballroom. But alone, under moonlight, I’ll not pretend that I want you for anything but mine.” (Evan)

Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family—and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance….

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy—the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion….

Title: UNVEILED
Author: Courtney Milan
Series: Turner, book 1
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, January 25
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
So this was how it felt to be a conquering hero.

Memorable Scenes:
- The fighting lesson with Ash as the sparring partner > awesome scene
- The almost kiss at Margaret's father's door > senual sparks were flying off that scene
- the scene in the closet, against the wall > the emotionality and urgent despair of this scene is was what made it memorable, even more than the 'against the wall' part

Ash Turner is bent on revenge on the man who ruined his family and their future. He’s determined and stubborn, sharp and sincere. But he’s also ruthless yet selfless, decisive and loyal.

Anna Margaret Dalrymple is posing as Margaret Lowell, the current Duke's (and her father) nurse, in order to find out what Ash has in store for her family. She’s smart, tempestuous, devoted to her loved ones and resilient.

I was waiting for the other shoe to drop on Margaret's identity the whole time and was also wondering what Ash's reaction was going to be. The way everything panned out was pleasantly surprising, including Ash's reaction although that shouldn't have been a surprise with the depth of his characterization.

Though subtle and slow the romance is intense and sensual. Nothing explicit happens in the first part of the book though the attraction and chemistry between Ash and Margaret jumps off the pages. I was waiting with bated breath for that first real kiss between them. From that first kiss onwards the love scenes were intense and beautifully written. They were sensual, intense and delectable without ever turning crude or very explicit.

Because of the emotional intensity and the intriguing plotline, which were both written so well, I didn't even miss the physical encounters in the first part, which I normally do when reading romance novels where they are missing.

Ms Milan balanced plot, romance and emotions perfectly in UNVEILED. It’s my first encounter with Courtney Milan's writing and it definitely left me wanting to read more. High on intensity yet crisp and clean with a humorous note to it, I found myself almost entranced by this book and Milan's writing.

UNVEILED is an awesomely well written character-driven historical that was so mesmerizing I could not stop reading this book! From beginning to end I was kept enthralled by both romance and plot. This was a delightful and brilliant historical romance that is totally deserving of its place on my keepers shelf.

Favorite Quotes:
Women laid their hearts at the feet of men like him–a man so ruthlessly intense as to take one’s breath away, and cheerful enough to make one laugh while he did it.

Margaret had always thought a man seduced a woman by making her aware of his charms: his body, his wealth, his kisses. How naïve she had been.
Ash Turner seduced her with the promise of her own self. […] that if she simply screwed her eyes tightly shut, she would be important again. And that desire was more alluring than any promise of wealth, more irresistible than any number of heated kisses pressed against her lips.

He was going to kiss her. She could feel it in the greedy hunger of her lips, tilting up to his. She could feel it in the clamorous beat of her heart, yearning for that completion.

Her lips found his and a stab of exquisite desire shot through him. Finally. Endlessly. This was what he had been waiting for, all this time. Not a stolen embrace, to be wrested from her in the dark of night. A gift, freely given. One that he would keep forever in some small part of his soul.

He’d broken her to pieces, and with one smile he’d knit her back together again.

Defiance. He swallowed. It wasn’t enough for him–not anymore. He wanted to be more than her defiance. He wanted to be her strength, her amusement. He wanted to be her lover. He wanted to be her every wicked desire and her safe haven, all at once.