Steamy, sweet, and fun!

To be honest, the "guarding" portion and its requisite mystery wasn't even close to the highlight of this book--that part of the plot was almost over before you realized it, and I for one was more than happy to get on with the main portion of the book--the relationship between Marcus and Everett and how they were going to fit Naomi into their lives. It's definitely a case of instalust at first (where Naomi is concerned, that is--Marcus and Everett have been in one relationship or another for years) but I for one had hopes that these crazy kids were going to make it in the end.

The main attraction of this story is hot, hot, hot times between the three, which Ms Michaels really manages to pack quite a few into in such a small page count. This was the first book I've read in her Scandal Sheet series, but it worked fine as a standalone. You'd better believe I'll be getting my hands on some of the others ASAP, though!

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This was a beautifully written love story. I'm always a fan of MMF romances that are well done and Guarding the Countess is one of them! The relationships between Naomi, Marcus, and Everett, both separate and together, were believable and lovely,

I am a SUCKER for MMF romances. I always love them and Guarding the Countess did not disappoint. Did not realise this was #5 in a series so I want to check out the rest for sure.

I always enjoy Jess Michaels. A good, fun romance with an interesting plot and well developed characters.

I don’t really have much to say about this novella. It was just a really fun, short, and smutty MMF romance that I really enjoyed from start to finish. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a very short historical romance that’s a bit different from most!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Typically, I really enjoy Jess Michaels and was excited to see a menage story from her. However, I just couldn’t get into this story. Everything felt rushed, as if the story itself couldnt wait to get to the erotic scenes. The chemistry usually found among her leads was also blatantly absent. I put the book down frustrated because the leads seemed singularly focused on sex to the point that their arousal took over their personalities. I enjoy erotica, but one of the aspects that has me loving Michaels is her ability to weave a story and connection with the characters as well as steamy scenes.

I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a steamy novel! lots of erotica. Loved it. There was some history thrown in which was what caught my attention but loved the "romance"

Steamy, sweet, and fun!

To be honest, the "guarding" portion and its requisite mystery wasn't even close to the highlight of this book--that part of the plot was almost over before you realized it, and I for one was more than happy to get on with the main portion of the book--the relationship between Marcus and Everett and how they were going to fit Naomi into their lives. It's definitely a case of instalust at first (where Naomi is concerned, that is--Marcus and Everett have been in one relationship or another for years) but I for one had hopes that these crazy kids were going to make it in the end.

The main attraction of this story is hot, hot, hot times between the three, which Ms Michaels really manages to pack quite a few into in such a small page count. This was the first book I've read in her Scandal Sheet series, but it worked fine as a standalone. You'd better believe I'll be getting my hands on some of the others ASAP, though!

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

What a fun historical erotic novel. I haven't read very many but I enjoyed the plot and characters immensely. Steam level is hot. I will definitely pick up more of Jess Michaels' books in the future.

Naomi Barnaby is in trouble, her husband, The Earl of Walridge has died in mysterious circumstances, just like her previous two husbands, and she is being portrayed as a black widow in society. She is desperate to find out who is behind all these frightening events, and hires a couple of handsome investigators to look into these events. Captain Marcus Ridgeway and Everett Bryant, the Marquis of Glenmarrow are intrigued by the case, and also attracted to Naomi.

When Naomi gets attacked on their turf they personally protect and guard her whilst trying to uncover the murderer. They are very drawn to each other, and are soon involved in an affair, but will the unresolved history between Marcus and Everett get in the way of their HEA, and the opinions of society, as well as the murderer destroy their chances for happiness.

This was great, but too short, there was such a lot of material, I think it would have been perfect for a longer length story, as a result, the emotional connection between Naomi and the men happed really fast. Jess Michaels is very accomplished, so she did give me a lot to enjoy in this novella, but I really wished it had been a little longer.

Recommended.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Also posted on Goodreads

As always Jess Michaels wrote an amazing book. This series is really good. This book is MMF book so there are some risque scene if you know what I mean.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/09/21/guarding-the-countess-by-jess-michaels/)

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance and/or erotica ebook collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: One relationship is in progress (H1 and H2); the addition of the third party (h) goes as fast as lightning

Relationship dynamics: The Brooding Titled Gentleman (H1) / The Former Army Private Investigator (H2) / The Adventurous Black Widow (h)

Sexual content: Oodles; both on-screen and explicit, including anal sex (M/F) and double penetration

Triggers: some violence and murder

Grammar/Editing: This ARC was grammatically very clean.

Review: Though a lot of erotica tends to be light on plot, this short work, set in a vaguely 19th century Georgian time frame, packs in a fair amount in a short amount of time. It’s entirely predictable, but there was no wiggle room for too many twists and turns when the story comes in under 80 pages.

The relationship that develops between Naomi, Marcus and Everett is the kind of MMF relationship that every MMF relationship should be: equal love, respect, and attraction between all partners. These characters and their relationship deserve a full-length, non-erotica novel with fully fleshed out back stories, interactions, and emotion. Even in this short piece, the true emotional connection between all parties was so evident that it would only end up as a five star read if there was more of it. The story is only slightly let down by the fact that there are very few supporting characters, and those that do appear are not developed beyond necessary details, which is a common pitfall of short works.

Shakespearian quote version: “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” (Hamlet)



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Naomi Barnaby just lost her husband, the Earl of Walridge under mysterious circumstances. It is hier third husband to have died. Naomi wants to know if the men in her life were murdered. She hires investigators Captian Marcus Ridgeway and Everett Bryant, Marquis of Glenmarrow to discover what has happened.

Naomi is shot as she leaves their house. Marcus and Everett decide Naomi needs their help and will do anything to protect her. As they start to investigate her case, Marcus and Everett become attracted to her and soon begin an intense affair.

There is a shared history between Marcus and Everett. They have been attempting to ignore it, but with Naomi, things become heated. Can Marcus and Everett complete their relationship with Naomi?

This book was hot! I loved every single minute of it. The relationship between Everett, Marcus, and Naomi was amazing. This is just another example of Jess Michael's wonderful writing.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!!

Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of Jess Michaels' steamy historical erotic novels! That said, I unsurprisingly enjoyed this delicious menage a yum!

Most menage historical romances that I have read are M/F/M (meaning the female is at the center and there is no sexual contact between the 2 males); in this case, it was an M/M/F which means that the men were sexually involved with each other as well as with the woman of the trio, which makes it even more taboo for the time period. The romance between Marcus, Everett, and Naomi was HOT. The plot itself was good too (there was a mystery that added to the story), but the focus was definitely on the romance, and that is a-okay with me! Enjoyed it; just wish it was longer!

Absolutely spectacular and steamy book by Jess! It was steamy, it was romantic, it was page-turning! Another winner!

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a good historical romance with a little bit of heat. Good solid writing and splendid characters. ANother winner.

I always loved how Jess Michaels can create a romance in a quick amount of time with amazing tension and chemistry. I love a good ménage story and this was no exception. The tension and emotions were built quickly but thoroughly developed from beginning to end. Marcus and Everett are very different types of people but all three of them fit well together (pun intended).

I was incredibly curious as to who has been killing all of Naomi’s late husbands. I love mystery and romance mixed together.

This novella was fast paced and gave exactly what I had hoped from the description. I also wouldn’t have said no to a longer book as well because I enjoyed seeing this trio work together to bring about their own happiness.

Guarding the Countess is the fifth book in Jess Michaels’ The Scandal Sheet series of Regency-era historical romance novels. I haven’t read any of The Scandal Series books, but I’ve read (and enjoyed) several of the books in Michaels’ 1797 Club series.

Naomi’s most recent husband has recently died, and since she finds the circumstances to be suspicious, she hires Marcus (a captain) and Everett (a marquis) to investigate. They agree to help, but then someone attempts to shoot Naomi in front of their house, they decide that she needs their protection in addition to their sleuthing skills.

And wow, do Marcus and Everett take their “Protecting Naomi” job seriously. The three of them embark on an intense affair, and Naomi finally has an outlet for her sexual drive- which had been disregarded by her previous husbands. But Marcus and Everett have unresolved issues regarding their feelings for each other, and there’s still someone out there trying to kill Naomi.

The mystery was fairly predictable, but given the length of the narrative, it works well. It’s unreasonable to expect a meandering path to resolution in a novella. The important thing is that the denouement was super melodramatic; it was a perfect match for the frenzied attraction between our triad.

I would recommend Guarding the Countess. I don’t read a lot of MMF (or MFM for that matter), but I liked this one quite a bit. It was fun, and although they (quite literally) fell into bed almost immediately, I did like the exploration of the long and complicated friendship that Marcus and Everett shared. Jess Michaels writes such lovely books, and I really need to add more of her back catalog to my TBR queue.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a passionate read involving Naomi, Countess of Walridge and the two investigators, Captain Marcus Ridgeway and Everett, Marquess of Glenmarrow. Naomi’s latest husband has died and she suspects foul play and has asked Marcus and Everett to investigate his death. They discover others in the family who have died but also find that they are deeply attracted to each other. I know Naomi didn’t love her husband but to fall into a relationship with two strangers so quickly seemed unlikely. Still, it made for an entertaining but also very steamy read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A woman who has lost three husbands and thinks they are being murdered. Naomi Barnaby only wants to find out what is happening and she goes to investigators Captain Marcus Ridgeway and Everett Bryant, Marquis of Glenmarrow to look into her suspicions.
Those seem to be valid when she is almost shot outside their house and they come to her aid. The three form a union and an intense affair which challenges all three of their feelings.
A little different than my usual read but well done by Jess Michaels..