Beyond Innocence by Emma Holly

For Angie W's TBR challenge, I selected a historical that had been sitting in my TBR pile for over 2 years. (Yeah ME!!)

Title: Beyond Innocence
Author: Emma Holly
Year published: 2001
Why did you get this book? I had heard great things by this author and, at the time, I had never read her.
Do you like the cover? Not at all.
Did you enjoy the book? Yes, I did enjoy this one very much.
Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? Emma Holly is not a new author to me but this is the first historical I have read of hers. I love her Upyr series.
Are you keeping it or passing it on? I will eventually trade it, but I need to read the sequel Beyond Seduction before I do.

And now with my thoughts on the book:

Edward Burbrooke, Earl of Greystowe, is determined to marry off his younger
brother Freddie after he is caught on his knees in front of a footman. The incident has already started to run around the gossip mills and marriage should stop it in its tracks. Miss Florence Fairleigh recently lost her father, a vicar, and is in need of gambling off her inheritance at a chance to marry well. The allowance she has been given will not last forever and her only chance to avoid having to find employment is to have a season in London and secure a good marriage.

When Edward's solicitor approaches him with the possible match between Florence and Freddie, it seems too good to be true. That is until Edward develops a strong attraction to the girl that would be his sister in law.

I love the way Edward fights his lust so determinedly without much success. The book is strangely erotic starting with the homosexual encounter of the hero's brother, to the scene where the Edward peeps at Florence while at the modiste. The couple doesn't actually engage in sexual intercourse until the very end but the eroticism and the frustrated passion Edward feels carries the story with no need to complete the act. Holly does a fantastic job showing us the frustrations and changes the characters go through. I was a little shocked at the acceptance given to Freddie's homosexual relationship but Holly didn't make light of it, she instead made the acceptance one of love although somewhat awkward. A very excellent read!

Grade:B+