Rating: 
Summary: Emma Holly will keep you wanting more.
Review: Miss Florence Fairleigh gets more than she bargains for when she agrees to a scheme that will bring her into a marriage of convenience with a mmember of the aristocracy. After the death of her father, she is induced by impending poverty to either; seek an eligible marriage partner, or, find employment suitable for a well brought up woman and her hapless maid. Her search for the former brings her to London and the office of her father's solicitor, Mr. Alastair Mowbry. In the solemnity of of his office she throws her plan of action before him and he willingly offers his aid. Despite her unbecoming dress, Mr. Mowbry notices her many charms and secretly schemes to match up Miss Fairleigh, once she is suitably attired, with another client who has a particular need. Dropping her off at the shop of a French dressmaker,he proceeds to the home of this client. Edward Burbrooke is in need of a suitable wife. Not for himself, but for his brother Freddie. A recent scandal, in which Freddie was involved, requires that he be hastily married off to prevent further conjecture about his sexual preference. Edward's love for his younger brother, and their closeness since their mother's early death, has made him a very protective older brother. Upon seeing Florence Fairleigh in secret at the dressmaker's chambers, Edward is so taken with her he agrees immediately to the scheme. He arranges with Mowbry for Florence to be introduced into society through his aunt Hypatia, the dowager duchess of Carlisle. The intention of course is Florence's relatively speedy marriage to Freddie. Things begin well enough but nature cannot be dictated to, and Edward's passion for Florence at the first moment he sees her becomes increasingly more difficult to hide, literally. And, while Freddie is almost everything a woman could want in a future husband, the deep attraction Florence feels is only for his brother, Edward. Emma Holly certainly turns up the heat in this Victorian Romance and she does it well and often. The beauty of this story is that the attraction each of the main characters feel for the other brings them over time, and through many trying situations, into acknowledging their feelings of love, not just passion alone. Although there is passion aplenty, the love they feel is not the workings of a few days, but develops over time and is not dealt with tritely. The characters are intelligent, complicated and unpredictable. The story tugs at your heart because the characters are sympathetic to the reader as realistically flawed human beings. We can all recognize a bit of ourselves or someone we know. The plot is intertwined with several intriguing subplots that move the story along swiftly and never slows the pace. In short, I couldn't put it down. There is nothing gratuitous about the eroticism of BEYOND INNOCENCE. Even the subject of Freddie's homosexuality is handled with compassion for the predicament in which it places not only him, but the entire family in 1870's England. I thoroughly enjoyed Emma Holly's aptly titled BEYOND INNOCENCE, and highly recomend it for the satisfaction it brings on every level.
Rating: 
Summary: Beyond Innocence - a steamy and sensual read
Review: Emma Holly joins the bandwagon of erotic romance writers like Robin Schone and Susan Johnson with her new Victorian novel Beyond Innocence. While most erotic romance involves gothic and sinister elements as in Thea Devine's novel, Ms. Holly pens it straight with a typical moral quandry with Florence Fairleigh seeking a marriage through a solicitor Mowbry, pressed by her poverty. Lord of Greystewe, Edward Burbooke in an attempt to save his brother Freddie from a scandal of being caught with a footman in an uncompromising situation, sought Florence as his sister-in-law only to realize his attraction to her graduates to an abiding love. Emma Holly as an erotica writer, creates deftly sexual tension that stokes on the forbidden primal urges of Edward. It builds up with Florence getting caught with him in sizzling situations, like Edward acting as a voyeur when she dresses and him coaching her in intensifying sexual acts like bondage. The preliminary seduction is deliciously intriguing and explodes to a climax when Edward learns that love surpasses his lust for Florence. Ms. Holly brings in homosexuality with Freddie falling for Nigel but falls short on insight. Edward learns that giving Freddie the happiness is the acceptance of what he is and not striving to mold him as a paragon of society's elite. I think I expect more from Ms. Holly with her background as an erotica writer - she is undoubtedly a master at crafting rousing sexual prose, but the plot and scenario is definitely obsolete and falls short of imagination and becomes predictable. Beyond Innocence is nonetheless a must read for fanatics of erotic romance; her racy and steamy narration makes even the most innocent reader blush and panting for more.
Rating:
Summary: Another keeper from Emma
Review: I've read all of Emma's books to date, and this one rates right up there at the top. Too many supposedly erotic books don't supply us with enough plot or characterization so that we can care about the main characters. And if I don't care about the main characters, it's hard for me to care whether or not they get it on 8-) But Emma made me like them all, and I wanted them to get together, and she kept me waiting... and she kept me waiting.... and she kept me waiting.... And it was really GOOD when they got together.
Rating:
Summary: A hot romance with a lot of Heart!
Review: Now I admit, I had high expectations for this book. Sometimes that's bad because then the book disappoints. That was not the case with this book! I loved it! Edward is just perfect hero material. I loved Edward and what I loved most about him was the love that he had for his brother. Their scenes together brought tears to my eyes. Now Florence is not a spitfire, she's shy yet she's stronger than she realises. The attraction they feel for each other is instant but she realises that his brother Freddie is safe and Edward thinks that Florence is Freddie's salvation. Thus the conflict. The sexual tension is sizzling. Try as he might, Edward loves Florence and Emma does a great job of letting us know what Edward is going through. I really really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Emma made us care about all of the characters including Freddie who is struggling over who he is and who his brother wants him to be. This book is about Love in all of it's many facets.
Rating:
Summary: For erotic romance fans
Review: In 1873, Lord Edward Burbrooke worries about his younger brother Freddie who has been caught in an indiscretion with a footman. At about the same time impoverished Florence Fairleigh arrives in London to see her deceased father's solicitor Mowbry to ask if he can obtain a chaperone to sponsor her as she seeks a husband on the marriage mart. Mowbry agrees to help, but serendipitously through a peephole shows her body to a desperate Edward. Though he hardens at the sight of her, Edward decides the country innocent will be the perfect wife for Freddie.
After a short courtship, Freddie proposes and Florence accepts. To insure no trouble occurs on the sexual front, Edward arranges for Freddie and Florence to rusticate. Edward begins to fall in love with his future sister in law who is attracted to him too. They even share some passion though she remains a virgin, but all hell breaks loose when Florence catches Freddie in bed with the male steward. She flees and Edwar!d now knows he loves her.
BEYOND INNOCENCE is a superb erotic Victorian romance. The exciting story line allows the three key cast players to fully develop before sex scenes are introduced, which is refreshingly later in the tale then usual. More important the scenes fit into the plot, a rather novel occurrence. Fans of the sub-genre will praise Emma Holly for handling Freddie's homosexual relationships with class as well as deftly looking at the question of sexual preference.
Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Best Erotic Romance of the Year
Review: I have finished BEYOND INNOCENCE by Emma Holly and I just love it. Now I confess that I am a big fan of Emma's, proven by my possession of everything she's published. But I believe that this is the best book she's ever written. It's certainly going to be one of the 10 best books I've read all year. Florence is a delight: spunky, loving and creative. Edward is a wonderful Alpha male who grows in imagination and compassion throughout the book. I adored Freddie, who somehow managed to be a real person instead of Too Good To Be True. The triangle between these three was intense and quite real to me. I even sniffled at a few points, something I almost never do. The plot turns on a Big Misunderstanding that's one of the very, very few misunderstandings that I can't see anyone wanting to talk about and thereby solve. I loved the fact that Freddie was the one who broke the barrier of silence and started the resolution. As a wannabe author, I am in total awe of the craftsmanship shown in this book. Characterisation, plotting, and the prose used - ah, the marvelous prose! Just truly beautiful. And my favorite Emma Holly verb appeared. I always grin when I read about the hero "chuffing". If you like erotic romance, you're going to love this book
Rating: 
Summary: Beyond Boring
Review: I just don't get it--there was no romance, no conflict and no passion. He was angry and she was dull. The sex was just thrown in here and there to allow for the erotica labeling. The brother was adorable and should have been the hero of the story rather than the randy little homosexual black sheep of the family.
There truly was no storyline to follow. Every page was her coming out in English society and being stalked by the hero. Until the end, of course....happily ever after my friends...happily ever after.
Rating:
Summary: well written erotic romance
Review: I thought this book was great. I know that Emma Holly's work gets mixed reviews, but I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Resplendently Erotic
Review: I loved this book. Extremely erotic with several plot turns and situations that were unexpected. I couldn't put it down. I had to know what they were going to do next. Emma Holly captures the emotions complicated situations and gives a modern feel to a story from another century and a society that didn't value women much. Yet her female characters were strong and sometimes flawed as were her male characters. And lets not forget the erotic love scenes. Too Hot to mention on the net. You must read the book
Rating: 
Summary: A fun blend of sex and Regency tradition
Review: Awkward and unconvincing here and there, but not bad. As a fan of the old Heyer-style regency romances I enjoyed the blend of the old types and situations (the setting is a little more modern, but not much) with more modern-style sex scenes. Made me wonder what would happen if the more traditional writers were to juice up their old works.
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