Julie Anne Long writes such romantic romance books. I know that sounds silly, but she's truly writing poetry with these simmering, so horny I could simply faint, and so in love with you but I'm so unworthy of you heroes who grovel so prettily for these tempestuous misses.

Big #Kanthony vibes minus the whole love triangle thing (I'm speaking solely of the show as I know not about the book). Hugh Cassidy, son of an actual bastard, Revolutionary War veteran, American self-made man and Lady Lillias are literally panting at each other across the drawing room of the The Grand Palace of the Thames from the moment we meet them. It is a wonder the rest of the guests aren't incinerated between their gazes.

And holy heck the author makes us seethe right along with them as the bear wrestling Cassidy with the scar on his chin and Lillias try their best to get the other to call uncle on their horny horny innuendo laden banter. They really should not be even tempting fate but like magnets they cannot help themselves.

I love how Long balances the power imbalance between the two, as Lillias does long for the life she always thought she wanted while also realizing it might no longer be what she needs. The allusions to the sunsets and the rugged American landscape to Lillias's beauty was so poetic, and while Cassidy could be kind of rogue-ish, I loved him all the more for it.

The moment with the new velvet curtains and the handful of ass will live forever rent free in my mind, along with the debauchery against and tree and the use of Cassidy's boot knife as a mirror to fix hair pins.

Buddy read at the suggestion of my pal WhenFunmiMeetsRomance and others.

I had an earc, but read a finished paperback I checked out from the library.