Name: The Illicit Love of a Courtesan (The Marlow Family Secrets, Book 1)
ISBN: 9780007553990

Jane Lark

‘Pure, unadulterated romance’ Best Chick Lit.com

The Illicit Love of a Courtesan (The Marlow Family Secrets, Book 1)

Jess Bickerton

I was really looking forward to reading The Illicit Love of a Courtesan as I love romance novels, and I have always been intrigued by history. I love getting insight into what life was like through different periods of time. 

For this reason I really enjoyed The Illicit Love of a Courtesan as Jane’s writing beautifully recreated history within this story. It really seems that Jane did a huge amount of work in researching Regency England in order to ensure this story was authentic and real for the reader. Jane’s imagery is so beautiful, she really draws the reader into the story and makes you feel as though you’re really there. 

The characters Jane has written into her novel are brilliant. The heroine, Ellen, finds herself caught up in a life she despises, and has a great longing to escape. As the mistress of Lord Gainsborough, she wants for nothing, but it is at the cost of her pride, freedom and dignity. I really felt for Ellen being trapped in this dark, horrible world, and found myself glued to the pages to find out what fate lay ahead of her. Lord Gainsborough is a horrific man; he is abusive, manipulative and full of lies. Nobody deserves to be treated the way Lord Gainsborough treats Ellen. And then there is Edward! He is always there trying to help Ellen get out of this terrible life she is living. I really admired his commitment to being there for her. I was sometimes frustrated by Ellen having her own secrets from Edward, as it sometimes felt that all his effort was in vain because she never appears to truly let him in. Jane keeps you turning the page, as you can’t wait to find out how the story turns out, whether Ellen escapes this horrible life, and whether Edward and her find happiness together. 

I really became engrossed in this story from start to finish, learning about a new historical period as well as becoming entangled in the love story between Ellen and Edward. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance; it is truly captivating. I was also pleased to find that the erotic love scenes were very tastefully written.