While I haven't read anything else in this series I didn't feel that I needed too.

Aaron's lover died over a decade ago and in that decade he hasn't had another relationship, until he see's Griffin. Griffin has seen Aaron from afar at certain clubs, but has never approached him, even though he can admit he is attracted to Aaron. Secrets from the past have a way of taking over and inserting themselves in the present.

This was a nice quick read, both Aaron and Griffin had some scars from the past that they were trying to hide, once those came out in the open, things became a bit tense but they were able to over look them pretty quickly.

Post goes live 11 MAY

This was a difficult book to review. First off, let me state that I enjoyed it for its historical reference and for the fast pace. However, this is a M/M Romance and that’s where it failed for me.

Griffin’s actions and emotions come across as those of a woman. And I’m not talking in an effeminate way. An M/M romance is different than an M/F one. The book feels like an M/F romance where the heroine’s name and sex was changed. It was a really good attempt, but it utterly failed in my mind due to the nature of it and the fact there was a speech by one of the female characters about homosexuality that was very 21st century — but would NEVER have meshed back in the 1800s. It felt like the author spoke and not the character.

That said, I do intend to read some more of Jess Michaels books – perhaps the others in this series – as I do think she has the M/F dynamic wonderfully written. But as far as a M/M romance? It just did not reach the mark for me.

It's been over a decade since Aaron Condit's lover, Viscount Noah Seagate died. While he has had temporary diversions, he hasn't had a real relationship since. But now he's been invited to the home of his best friend, Leticia Blackwood and he'll be faced with deep temptation in the form of her brother, Griffin Merrick.

Griffin has seen Aaron at certain clubs for a long time and he cannot deny that he wants the handsome solicitor. But secrets from far in the past and a desire not to hurt someone they both love stand between them. Time spent alone leads to a passionate affair, but only time will tell if they can overcome all that keeps them apart. And if they're willing to risk losing everything in order to find love.

Loved this timeless tale of brooding love, kept at bay for the love the of another.

A great set of characters, in this well plotted and written historical romance.

I look forward to reading more of this authors m/m historical romances in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Published by The Passionate Pen and downloaded via NetGalley.

This was my first LQBTQIA romance novel....and it was like any other well-written romance novel. The author does a great job with character development and the story is compelling.

I decided to read this because the author is new to me and I do like historical mm romances. I thought this was ok for a novella but for me the story lacked depth, although I do recognise I might have felt differently had I read this as part of the series.

If you are not a regular mm romance reader then you might find this book interesting but people who read mostly mm will probably find this kind of basic. If I am truly honest I found it a bit boring. I think there is enough within the book to understand the back story but not enough to make the overall story gripping.

I can't honestly say I really liked this. I thought the book was long on sex but short on substance.

Lovely cover but definitely not a great read for me.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews left on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and V's Reads: https://vsreads.com/2017/02/27/getting-wicked-in-fascinated-a-review/

I haven't read any of the five preceding M/F novels in this series, and that was just fine because this M/M novella can handle being a standalone. Many of the characters are in the fifth book, so it might be enjoyable to start there, but it wasn't necessary.

It's the 1820s in western England and Letty Blackwood's house party is about to get hot. Letty's fond of her younger brother Griffin Merrick. She's also great friends with, wait for it, her late husband's former lover, Aaron Condit. That's why she invites both of them to the country estate at Woodley for a large houseparty that's set to span two weeks. Griffin and Letty's mother can't wait to see Griffin settled, and continues to push him to meet the women who come to the house for balls and tea, but Griffin's desired Aaron for several years now--ever since he'd seen Aaron at risque clubs for men of their ilk--those who find other men attractive.

Aaron's more than attracted to Griffin, but he'd hurt Letty once--her willingness to forgive both her late husband Noah and himself for their covert love affair is one thing. Falling for her only brother? Unthinkable. He won't hurt her again. Still Griffin's determined to spend as much time together as possible, and Aaron hasn't had a stead lover since Noah died. Griffin's sure that Aaron's the man for him, and he's got a plan to keep him close in a way that gentlemen of their station can--if only Aaron will give over his apprehensions about Letty's sensibilities. Learning of Aaron and Noah's love, and hearing how open his sister was to their relationship gives Griffin pause...and ideas.

This is a short and sweet love story that has a good bit of tension and a satisfying ending. I honestly could have spent a whole novel with these two! Letty is great, and her little machinations to put Aaron and Griffin together were heartfelt and charming. I'm used to reading English historical fiction written by British English speakers, so I kind of missed the more staid and quaint grammar and syntax, but that's a small quibble.

I love the historical romance genre and seeing the often forgotten romance between men is fascinating. This novella between Griffin and Aaron was so sweet. The pull of attraction was a fun story to read. You just had to root for HE A for them. Can't wait for more books in this series so that we could perhaps see a bit of their relationship in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

As always Jess Michaels hit this out of the park. It is her first M/M romance and I couldn't put it down. I love all Jess Michaels historicals and this one was no exception. I highly recommend this book.

Great historical read! This M/M is part of The Wicked Woodleys Series. This is a fast paced read with great characters and a wonderful story, I loved it from beginning to end. Griffin and Aaron are two amazing people wanting love yet not wanting to hurt others because of their relationship. Loved it!

FINAL DECISION: Michaels first m/m romance has sweet characters and enough drama to keep interest. I liked this wrap up book for the series especially because these characters are finally getting their redemption after somewhat negative histories in the series.

THE STORY: Griffin Merrick (the brother of Letty from SEDUCED) is attracted to men but keeping that information from his family. He is especially attracted to Aaron Condit, a solicitor and man of business. Aaron is one of Letty's dearest friends despite their complicated past. Aaron was the lover of Letty's deceased husband. He doesn't want to do anything to hurt Letty again but he is really attracted to Griffin but is determined to keep his distance. When the two attend Letty's house party, Griffin decides to take a chance and tell Aaron his feelings.

OPINION: This was a fine conclusion to the Wicked Woodleys series. These were characters that I liked tremendously, had great sympathy and interest in their journey and for whom I was glad to root for their happy ending. My one complaint is that the story was very short and therefore some of the complexities were too quickly resolved...but that is always a risk with novellas.

Griffin has grown and matured since the events of SEDUCED. We meet him as he knows who he is but hasn't come out to his family. (Of course, revealing that one was gay at the time risked criminal charges). He has met Aaron while visiting places which cater to their particular interest in men. The two have a lingering attraction to one another but haven't taken any steps to move forward. A house party with family and friends gives Griffin the opportunity to make a move on Aaron.

Aaron is still suffering from his actions in being the lover of Letty's husband. Even though he is attracted to Griffin, he is not willing to hurt Letty again. Because of this, he resists his fascination to Griffin -- for a while. I really liked these two and I worried throughout the book for their safety. The book gives a dark and pretty grim (and realistic) depiction of the challenges the two face. The fact that the two of them can manage to love one another in the face of all the threats against them demonstrated their strength and commitment to one another.

There is a nice twist at the end of the story (which I began to suspect) and which I really loved. Fans of the Wicked Woodleys series, especially SEDUCED get a nice update on the characters as well.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a m/m romance and a short novella.

CONNECTED BOOKS: FASCINATED is the sixth book in the Wicked Woodleys series. This book can be read as a standalone although reading SEDUCED will give the background of both of the main characters (but that background is summarized here).

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

What’s it About? Temporary flings have filled Aaron Condit’s life since his lover, Viscount Noah Seagate died ten years before but when he’s invited to his best friend Leticia Blackwood’s home for a gathering Aaron is forced to confront his growing attraction to Letty’s brother Griffin Merrick. The two men have seen each other at certain clubs throughout the years and there’s an undeniable chemistry between them but Aaron and Griffin aren’t free to be with each other and they don’t want to hurt Letty any more than she’s already been hurt.



How convincing were the main characters as a couple? It took a while for me to see that there was more than just lust between Aaron and Griffin and that was a little bit of a problem because Fascinated is a novella and there wasn’t a lot of time to convince me that they were the real deal but Jess Michaels built on an already existing connection between the two men in a convincing way that had me believing in them.


Is there a “Scooby Gang” worth mentioning? All the Woodleys and Blackwoods are presumably present since it is a family gathering but it’s really only Jack, Letty, War, and Claire who stand out as supporting characters. There are no new characters introduced since 1.) It’s a novella and needs to focus on Aaron and Griffin and 2.) A new character would present risks and unnecessary conflict to said couple’s growing relationship. I enjoyed the small cast though because it left more time for Aaron and Griffin.




How “Lost” did you get in the story? Fascinated was a really quick read for me. Jess Michaels’ style of writing flows easily to me and before I knew it I was done with this novella. I did get caught up in Aaron and Griffin’s story and while it ends on a happy note I couldn’t help feeling a bit sad for these two characters that lived in a time where it meant certain death for them. There would be no grand public declaration for these two; no one would know aside from Letty how much Aaron and Griffin loved each other. I guess all that mattered was that they knew that they loved each other but still, the ending was a little bittersweet.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Especially if you’ve been reading Michaels’ Woodley series and want to see Aaron and Griffin get their own happy ending.

This was very sweet story and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad that the Author gave these characters their own story. You occasionally see m/m romance in the background of historical romances but they rarely get an independent story. I just wish this had been longer.

I was deeply entertained by this bit of erotica (gay regency erotica should be more of a thing), and also appreciated the attention to historical detail. I can't wait to read more naughty regency stories from Jess Michaels.

This was a very well written Historical M/M romance, very engaging and provoking storyline and Sexy Hotness to!!

A passionate romance between two men whose social ties keep throwing each other together. Glad to see these two finally find a HEA.

This book's premise gave ma an idea I'll enjoy it. I like, after all, nicely written m/m romance in para-historical setting...
And it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great either. Perhaps I am a bit bored with overused motifs and imperatives? Usually, when those are at play, at least characters are fully rounded, nicely written and logical. Here? Not so much. Both Griffin and Aaron were bunch of adjectives, with no real depth. Matchmaker sister, playing by the ear - nice, but really, what if she'd be wrong? What if her brother would not share Aaron orientation? She'd just out her friend and hope he'd not be killed for it.
...because, you know - para-historical setting was in play. Or should've been. Because, generally speaking? Author just took modern man, put them into nicely costume and that was it. I didn't seek historical accuracy, but at very least I sought more than paper thin decoration. And that was what I got.
Sex scenes were passable - I've read better, and I've read worse as well.

Overall - not sure if I recommend it. It wasn't waste of time, but you could spend those two-three hours better.

4* This was a lovely short read that ended with, I suppose, the best possible future the leads could have had at the time.

I don't tend to read MM historicals very much, because some stuff can't really be spontaneous and stuff sometimes isn't as hot and sexy as with modern MM romance. This, and an upcoming book by KA Merikan, has put paid to that school of thought, and I will be checking out more of the same.

I liked that this book, though a novella, had enough of a storyline to introduce the leads (it reads fine as a standalone - I'm not a fan of MF and haven't read the rest of the series), enough opportunity for them to have time together to realise that what they might have just might be worth the risk of discovery. I loved how someone close to them both colluded to enable them to spend time together and that both had had issues in their pasts that had made them wary, but that neither had given up hope of one day being able to find happiness, remote as the chances seemed. They weren't open in their words or thoughts, but once together, they were able to discuss the things that drew them together, and apart and to come to the conclusion that a future together that would hinge on lies and deception, even to their nearest and dearest, was better than two separate, lone futures.

On the negative side, I used to read a lot of Regency novels and the author has the time period right, details right, but at times, some of the vocabulary used is a little too contemp, but this didn't detract too much from the read.

There was enough sex in this to give the leads a bond and to make their romance work. It wasn't all hot, sexy and erotic like contemp MM can be, but what sex there was suited the tale, the leads and the era.

ARC courtesy of The Passionate Pen and the author, for my reading pleasure.

This is a novella so I won't complain that it is short, but you will be wishing it was a full novel when you are done. Aaron finally gets a happy ending with Letty's brother. This takes place around 10 years after Jack and Letty's story so you get a nice update on them.

Griffin and Aaron have great chemistry and there is a lot of story and romance packed into this novella!! Recommend for all Wicked Woodley fans and anyone looking for a short, sweet, and hot historical romance.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via Netgalley.

This was a beautiful read, on a subject not usually touched upon as a main story. These gentlemen have to keep their attraction secret, not just for personal reasons, but the real possibility of legal persecution

The story and attraction between the characters to true and honest, you feel with them, and they come alive their anguish and joy. In the end, the workaround they need to find their HEA is heartbreaking, as much as it is happy. My first read of an historical M/M , and it was so well done, it won't be my last

This novella is a part of The Wicked Woodleys series, and I'll be honest that I dived in the middle of an ongoing series without reading the previous books. That saying, I believe this story could be read as a standalone, though having knowledge of secondary characters from previous books would be a plus.

As a first timer to Jess Michaels's works, I wasn't familiar with her style and totally had no idea what to expect. The blurb tempted me though, thus the aforementioned dive. Unfortunately, the story didn't really work for me.

While it present appropriate situation on that era when relation between same sex had been punishable, the picturing of both characters just didn't sit well with me. Aaron came over as flimsy and meek to me. His grief and guilt over the unhappiness he had caused Griffin's sister were good excuse for some of that disposition; but I really couldn't find any favorable factors in Aaron's character.

At the same time, I thought Griffin was too bull-headed and crass to my liking. His persistence in going after Aaron was admirable, yet sometimes the way he dragoon Aaron into consent was too much.

Overall this was just an okay read for me. It's rather difficult to enjoy a story when you just don't like (or love to hate) the characters enough to be swept into their story.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.