Jacqueline is the headmistress to a school meant to teach girls with questionable histories how to be ladies' maids in well to do London. She has anonymous donors helping her school, as well as finding the students and saving them from lives on the street. Her newest instructor, Will Danbury, is actually a constable in disguise. He had received word that the school was actually the front for a brothel, and he soon discovers the truth. Jacqueline has her own secrets, and it turns out that the past she had hidden is coming back for her.

Jacqueline is a strong woman that is plagued by nightmares of her traumatic past. Still, she had been able to carve out a new life for herself and prevent others from sharing the fate that she had. The romance is a slow burn, one that allows you to get to know her and Will, and really feel emotionally invested in them both. It really is a drawn out mystery, with plenty of tension as the characters race against the clock to save the girls at the school. It's a romance novel, so we get our hard-earned happily ever after, and it certainly fits all of the characters.

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Jacqueline is tough,cautious, but kind to the pupils sheltered at her exclusive residential qirls’ school in Georgian London. It’s exclusive for a very good reason: her students were born into brothels. Following rescue by a mysterious, wealthy benefactor, their French-born headmistress and dedicated staff work hard to give them new lives, new names, a well-rounded education that will allow them to live as independent wage earners as skilled lady’s maids, housekeepers, or servants. Despite the atmosphere of secrecy, the school draws unwelcome attention and speculation from law enforcement and a deadly, notorious procurer -- a woman distinctly lacking any ethics or feeling of sisterhood. Will, a police constable in disguise, displays the arrogance and presumption one might realistically expect from many men of the time and place. The author conveys Will’s suspicions of Jacqueline so well that the he’s difficult to warm up to during the first few chapters. The heroine, by contrast, is immediately likable because she’s resolute in her mission, desire to help others, and moral stance, even though she’s aware that her guarded behavior results in personal loneliness. Curiously, although Jacqueline’s household staff are presented as loyal, they don’t seem close to her -- there’s a mistress-and-servant dynamic even in her interactions with the housekeeper, one of the secondary characters who takes actions to protect the school girls. Indeed, Jacqueline’s only close female friend seems to be a titled lady whose wealth and social connections permit her to assist the school, although she also guards the secret about the girls’ past. During the past decade or so, it’s become easier to find British historical romance novels about characters who aren’t from the gentry. This is a welcome change. However, the plot and character actions of Once a Courtesan make it clear that it’s still important to have friends in high places.

Both the hero and heroine soon feel like believable, balanced characters. They discover that they share a desire to help their students, as well as similar values. The author gracefully steers us away from the Big Misunderstanding that once powered so many historical romance plots. Instead, suspense (and some violence, not all of it against humans) move the story forward. It’s great to see how Will and Jacqueline slowly begin to understand that they can work together to face both their personal fears and a menacing foe. There are some charming scenes of developing trust, affection, and willingness to take the risk of love.

Unfortunately, some choppy pacing and uncharacteristic action in the final third of the book rather abruptly pushed the novel out of joint. Jaqueline’s almost entirely female staff aren’t shown to have a convincingly close relationship with her, yet they undertake some life-or-death risks as tensions with a vengeful foe quickly gather steam and erupt. Example: Jacqueline barely comforts one loyal employee when that woman’s love interest dies beyond an urging to stay strong -- yet jacqueline asks much, much more of the woman. Emotions aside, it doesn’t make our heroine seem likely to inspire the sort of deep loyalty needed to face down the threat of death. As a reader, I understand that it’s hard to give all of the secondary characters depth but the plot seemed to call for it.

The details of spying, deceit, and preparation for an urban siege of sorts were interesting, but the culminating events (avoiding spoilers here) had a style and pacing that felt too reminiscent of a 21st-century suspense film, particularly the rescue and the nearly indestructible villain -- it no longer felt like a historical novel and felt unsatisfying. This novel had strong enough potential, particularly in its setting, that this didn’t seem necessary. A righteous heroine, tension between heroine and hero driven by moral conviction and assumptions -- all of this gave the world of LaFey’s novel enough complexity and narrative opportunity that a less predictable end sequence could have worked beautifully.

Although it wouldn’t be logical to describe Jacqueline as a feminist heroine, she is aware of social inequalities, engages in self-examination, and (until the last third of the novel) recognizes her own limits. Once a Courtesan is part of a series. LaFey’s descriptions of her character’s feeling and memories are well phrased and often poignant, her sentences agile and sometimes dryly funny. Her talent as a writer wraps you up like the tendrils of a vine. This author’s heroines may all be as engaging as Jacqueline, and her heroes as attractively good-hearted as Will, so I may read others in the series. I would recommend this novel to historical romance fans that also enjoy contemporary romantic suspense and TV in the style of Shonda Rhimes.

Firstly, When I signed up to read this lovely story, I wasn't aware that there was another book before it. Probably because I wasn't paying attention to that fact. Anyway, I have been trying to find book one at my library and they don't carry it!
Anyway, This story was about secretly taking girls in from brothels and giving them a new start at life. Jacqueline, the headmistress of the school, had a goal, a mission, due to her abusive past, to save these girls. Will, the other main character in this story, had the job of being undercover at the school to see if the rumors of what Jacqueline was doing was true.
All in all, this was a good read. The first portion of the book was slow moving for me. I think in part because the author was giving background information to the story but not wanting to inundate the reader with information and context. Although, even though for a while the story was slow moving, I did enjoy this book and the authors writing style. Now, I just need to read book one and hope there is a book three coming!

Going undercover is nothing new to Will, but finding himself attracted to the headmistress of the school he is investigating for nefarious deeds is.
Jacqueline's students aren't the only ones who've changed their names looking to break free from their former lives.
The new math teacher has her wondering if he really is who he says and with danger lurking around the corner threatening her and her girls, her trust can't be misplaced.
 
"I am not worthless," she whispered to the dark.
 
Second in the Once Wicked series, this story focuses on Jacqueline, the headmistress of a school that secretly takes in girls saved from brothels and helps create new lives for them. The hero from book one makes appearances, as he is the benefactor of the school, but you could start the series here. As the purpose of the school deals with sex and child exploitation, along with Jacqueline's abusive past, this story had more of a solemn tone. There are no abusive scenes done in the present time but Jacqueline bears scars and there are one or two flashback scenes to how she got them. The vast majority of the story deals with how the school will give these rescued girls a new life and the danger from a villain, not the actual abuse.
 
I have to say, the beginning of this and first half was very slow going. I would almost categorize this as fiction with some mystery instead of romance. The author calmly and steadily integrated us into Jacqueline's mission of running the school and Will's job of infiltrating the school and investigating it, but separately. Our main couple had met and deemed each other attractive but they didn't really intertwine until almost halfway through. The author chose to focus on happenings that I wasn't interested in having relayed, at least not at the expense of the romance. Jacqueline thinks herself unworthy because of her past abuse and Will has a woman in mind for his fiancée, with these feelings and how wary of each other they were, I needed more conversations and interactions between the two. There are a few scenes where I could see some trust and growth but when Will declares his love for Jacqueline, it felt out of the blue for me.
 
The last 40% of the story picked up and things moved very quickly in regards to the mystery and danger from the villain. Unfortunately, we never get a point of view or see the villain until the very end, we are told who the villain is and given some insights from Jacqueline as she knows who it is, but I never felt they were very flushed out. The villain coming after Jacqueline and a character called "Archangel" and how it was all connected never quite felt seamless, the plot made sense but still felt a bit jumbled together. However, there was an array of secondary characters and I thought the author did a credible job incorporating them all into their places in the story.
 
All in all, I felt the author stretched out and spent too much time on characters' inner musings while not connecting our hero and heroine sooner; a lot of the story was not what I came here for. The writing itself was solid but the effort to be a slow burn romance was missing the burn for me.

A unique and original storyline. I read a lot of fiction similar to this and often it can start to feel very samey. I didn't get that from this book, it felt very original.

Characters were well thought out and very likeable and I enjoyed it immensely. Why not 5 stars? On little thing niggled me to the point of annoyance. The main character says "Mon Dieu" A LOT, to the point that it's noticeable and annoying. We get it, she's French, there is no need for the repetition to that extent.

Saying this I will now be reading the first in the series and look forward to there being a third. I know have a new author to follow :)

Historical Romance crime mystery. It had all the aspects one would want: tension, passion, criminals, manipulative criminal bosses, and love.
Danbury infiltrates an all girls school under a lead that it is really a front for dark London underage desires. Headmistress Trouvere does not want to hire the male teacher- but desperate times call for desperate measures. Then shady business starts to happen- Jacquelines past has followed her.

I really enjoyed this books. It has such a good trumps evil message and I love Will and Jacqueline. Definitely a good read!!!

Publisher's Description:
Constable Will Danbury has infiltrated a school to investigate an alleged crime. What he finds is a deeper, darker mystery—and a potent attraction to the alluring headmistress, Jacqueline Trouvère. But a constable can't get romantically involved with a suspect; even one he thinks is innocent, without committing career suicide.
As headmistress of a school devoted to saving the innocent daughters of London's soiled doves, Jacqueline’s life is complicated. Will tempts her in ways she never thought to experience, but she believes no respectable gentleman could love a former courtesan.

Despite their best efforts to fight it, a romance blossoms. When danger jeopardizes the school, however, his deceptions and her omissions come to light, threatening to destroy their love. They must look beyond the past to save both their future together and the lives of those they’ve sworn to protect.

My Thoughts:

This is the first Liana LeFey book I have read. I will be certain to be on the lookout for more.
Jacqueline is a complicated character. She once lived the life of a courtesan out of desperation. Her parents had died and her only surviving family, her sister refused to help her. She traveled to London in hopes of finding employment but it seemed there was none to be found. Now, years later she has started a school to help girls who may, through no fault of their own, find themselves in similar circumstances.
Will Danbury is a constable who has infiltrated the school because it is suspected that something nefarious is going on. He finds himself very much attracted to the headmistress who is at the time a suspect in the murders he is investigating. When Jacqueline becomes a target herself along with the children of the school it becomes apparent to Will that she has nothing to do with the murders.
Will these two find love under these circumstances?
I loved this book that is full of mystery and an unusual beginning to a love story.
I gave this book 4.75 of 5 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 3.75 of 5 flames.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book whichis my own and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I loved this book and it is one of my favorites in 2017.You know the feeling that you get when you read the blurb and think 'this might be the one'?I had that for this book and I'm super glad it didn't disappoint.
It had the perfect mix of action,mystery,romance and steam in it!the chemistry between Will and Jacqueline was soo good!Jacqueline is completely different from the usual heroines that we see in HR.She has based her life on running a school that saves the daughters of courtesans and other lowly women, trains them in the skills they need for a better future, and improves their lives.
But she has a past that could have made the strongest crumble.And she doesn't want to spoil someone else's chance of a future also, especially someone honorable like Will.
She was strong,feisty,protective and loyal to a fault.Even when she had people fighting for her she remained independent.The way she loved her girls was beautiful!

Will was perfect for her.As an undercover constable he has done a lot, but this is the first time that someone has gotten under his skin.He not only admires and respects Jacqueline's strength, but he is also there for her if she ever needs help.He doesn't force his opinions or help on her.He waits for her to figure things out, but is also there to save the day if things get out of hand.They make a perfect team too!

The suspense along with the brewing romance kept me on the edge of my seat.Though the players were revealed in the second half, I was still turning the pages quickly to find out what would happen next.I was praying for all the characters to remain safe and get a happy ending and let me just say I was very satisfied with it!

If you're looking for something different and want a historical romance-thriller with a gritty story and amazing characters you should definitely get this book!Trust me there's no way you would not love it!

Intriguing book, not your usual regency romance. Involves a school for rescued girls, a prior prostitute and a constable undercover. The relationship develops slowly and cautiously under the watchful eye of fellow teachers and students. Due to her past, all their lives are threatened. The violence of the confrontation was a bit much, but interesting.

Jacqueline Trouvere is the headmistress of a girls school. All of her girls are orphans or abandoned and they have all come from a world that no little girl should know exists. She is determined to help these children recover and make better lives for themselves.
William Woodson is a police officer who is working undercover to find a murderer and someone who is trafficking children for sex. The job as a teacher for the school is his assignment.
This is a very emotional historical romance and deals with an upsetting topic. Nearly all our characters are physically and mentally scared, but that has only made them stronger. When the danger starts they find out just how necessary that is.
This is part of a series but easily read as a stand alone. A very enjoyable and thought provoking story. I loved it.

'Once a Courtesan' by Liana LeFey is book Two in the "Once Wicked"series. This is the story of Jacqueline and Will. I have read the previous book but feel this can be a standalone book. Will is a Constable that is going undercover at Jacqueline school after rumor had broke that something was going on there. But what Will learned was the school was nothing that he thought it was. Will finds Jacqueline to have more to her than just the Head Mistress title. Jacqueline was forced into a physical and mentally abusive relationship that she is now out of but she is trying to save others. She has settled in the knowledge that she will never marry or have children due to her forced past history and the physical scars that show. Will is a honest man that starts to see that Jacqueline will do anything to help others. Jacqueline slowly starts to realize that Will is someone that she can put her life in his hands.
Right from the start this was going to be a different type of romance story with Jacqueline as our leading lady. She wasn't innocent, she was strong, and just wanting to save young girls so they may have a better life. "My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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It's a historical crime thriller. The story touches dark side of London's life in 1700s. I find it quite interesting and enjoyed reading it.
Jacqueline is a headmistress of a girl's charity school but she is hiding a tragic past, not only hers but of every girl in her school. She loves them dearly and would do anything to protect their future, even lie. This is her calling, she is meant to help these girls and make sure that they're well taken care of. Beyond that there is no purpose of her life.
Will is a constable who is sent to investigate Jacqueline's school. Soon he realizes that there is some secret which every single person at the school is protecting. No matter how hard he tries, no one is willing to tell him anything. He must investigate and find out what is going on before it's too late.
When someone threatens Jacqueline, Will is there to protect her and help her. He is learning so much about this woman and the more he learns the more he admires her. She truly is a strong woman, who is ready to take risk in order to protect those she loves.... but will they both be able to protect their loved one or will they end up worse off then before?
It's a thrilling read, with lots of drama, and some romance. I loved both Jacqueline and Will. They are both good at their jobs and know how to fulfill their duties. I think it's a unique historical fiction in a way that it doesn't gloss over the plight of less fortunate people. Author has done justice to her characters and story, I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read historical fiction.

Once a Courtesan by Liana LeFey was a interesting read. It was the first book I've read by this author and entertaining in its mystery. Luckily I wasnt able to determine the bad guy immediately but it's not really the main point of the story. Although historical it kind of read like a contemporary and not in a bad way. I do wish that Will and the Headmistress had more chemistry, that is my only complaint, also maybe wishing the steam had picked up sooner and had more impact. Maybe a series of flashbacks into Raquel's past too. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read the book and Thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

There’s nothing I love more in a story than a strong female heroine. I woman who, despite facing horrendous atrocities, rises above all that she’s been through and uses her experiences to help others. That’s who Jacqueline Trouvère is; brave, fierce, headstrong and compassionate. Despite being horrifically scared physically and emotionally, she never feels sorry for herself. She has dedicated her life to helping others, old and young, get out of terrible lives and start over so that they can have a fulfilling life. I loved her fearless personality and her determination to help others no matter what. She doesn’t wallow in the things she’s been through and this is what makes her such a strong, admirable character. She didn’t succumb to the horrible things done to her when that would have been so easy to do. She understandably has insecurities about her physical scars and her former life as a courtesan (which once you get to the bottom of her past, can she really be considered that?). She has resigned herself to a life without ever getting married and having children yet she doesn’t feel sorry for herself. Instead, she takes pride in who she’s become and what she can do to help others. This is all very apparent in Jacqueline as soon as we meet her but she continues to get better as the story progresses I think a lot of that has to do with our hero, Will Danbury. He’s able to bring out qualities in her that no one else can.

Will is, plain and simple, a good, honorable man. He joins the staff at that charity school with a solitary purpose, to find out what’s really going on at the all girls school. He seems to have his future perfectly mapped out and lives in a world where to him everything is black and white. He doesn’t expect to become to completely enthralled by Jacqueline’s enigmatic character. He quickly comes to realize that she is truly a good person, trying to help others but he also knows that she’s hiding something. I loved Will’s character development through the story. As he gets to know Jacqueline and finds out the truth behind the school, he comes to the realization that not all things are so clearly black and white and that many things fall into gray area. Will and Jacqueline bring about wonderful changes in each other as they begin to fall in love. They both see a future for each other that neither of them ever expected to have.

This isn’t your typical romance; it has depth and substance. The mystery surrounding the threats to Jacqueline and the school is what made this story so intriguing. It added an element that you don’t find in many romance novels. The characters are complex, instantly likable and they continue to grow on you. The theme of abuse is handled beautifully and with care. LeFey is able to convey the horrible things that the characters went through without getting into gory details. I loved that Will and Jacqueline fall for each other before their relationship turns physical. Although they initially hide things from each other (and for good reason), they don’t let the truth come between as things come to light. Their love is formed on a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect. This story has twists and turns, mysterious characters and suspense. It’s beautiful and sad at times but it has a fulfilling happily ever after. You won’t be disappointed if you give this five star romance a chance.

I really enjoyed this story! I always love a good mystery thrown into any romances that I read and LeFey does a wonderful job of including both without one overshadowing the other.

Jacqueline is not your typical heroine as she used to be a courtesan (as the title suggests). But she was forced into the situation and it was only with one man. Will is a constable, sent to investigate what is going on at Jacqueline's school for girls. He quickly ascertains that everything is on the up and up at the school, but learns that there is someone threatening the school and the children attending it.

There is an instant attraction between Will and Jacqueline. Jacqueline is determined to deny the attraction because of her history with men. Will knows that if anyone finds out about Jacquline's history, his career is over. Of course, they find their way around both issues to find their happily ever after.

Definitely one for the must read pile!

Once a Courtesan is the story of Jacqueline Trouvère, headmistress of a school that rescues young girls from brothels and educates them in the skills they need to start life anew. I knew that the story would be a bit different from the average historical romance, but what I ended up with was a daring romance about trauma and learning to trust and love again.

Jacqueline is an unconventional heroine and I adored her. She herself was a former courtesan, forced into a brothel out of desperation and the victim of extreme violence and trauma. Despite her dark past, she holds her head high and has founded a new home where she helps children out of the same situation she was in, forming a new family from the ashes of tragedy. Each girl brought in is given a chance at a new life, a new identity, and become part of a tight-knit sisterhood of fellow survivors. Even some of the staff members are rescue cases, having escaped brothels or abusive families. The students are taught academics, manners, and all the other necessary skills they would need to go back into the world, doing honest work usually as hand maidens or maids. The entire staff save for the school doctor are all female, and the girl’s rehabilitation is handled with delicacy and confidentiality, safe from the outside world. I greatly admired the school, its staff and its students.

With a charitable establishment protecting the most vulnerable in society, you wouldn’t think the place suspect in crime. That’s where Constable Will comes in. After receiving a tip about a notorious crime syndicate of flesh peddlers indicating the mysterious girl’s school as a possible thorough-fare. Will is sent undercover as a teacher to investigate the school, where he meets the alluring headmistress and encounters a wall of silence.

I loved the mystery aspect of the story, the investigation of the crime syndicate and the mysterious Archangel attacking brothels dealing in darker merchandise. There was an extensive cast of characters introduced throughout the book, which made the school and the city feel alive and bustling. Many of the characters had distinct personalities and I found many of them charming. Jacqueline and Will were both diverse main characters and thankfully their romance was not a case of insta-love, as tends to be an issue in many romance novels. In fact, the two of them start the story off highly suspicious of the other, and their romance develops over time in a way I could believe.

As the story carried on, there were certain points where plot points or a character’s actions did not make a lot of sense to me, such as when Will is caught sneaking around – I just expected Jacqueline to react a little more angrily. The development of the love story also takes place at a rather peculiar point in the story. While it unraveled in a satisfying way, it sort of takes place at a point of immense danger, and it just didn’t seem like the proper time to me.

I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will note that there were times that it felt like the story was going in a certain direction, such as a greater amount of betrayal in the school which is suddenly just dropped. In another instance, when Will sets up a ruse and the rest of his special unit are already in place there before he sent out letters seeking help, it all seemed too convenient. Instances like these created some minor plot holes, like there was more there but was either cut out or just never followed up on. Thankfully these minor holes for the most part could be shrugged off, as there was plenty going on in the story as it is now.

This story had much more than I expected: a great romance, a charming school, daring constables, assassins, a shady crime syndicate, spies, a mysterious vigilante – there was no shortage of action and suspense. This book had a lot of heart, and I loved that even despite all the pain and trauma of the past, Jacqueline tried to teach the girls, and perhaps herself, that love is always possible. Despite my criticisms about how the plot unraveled I rather enjoyed this story. I found myself pleasantly surprised and devoured the book quickly.