This was a short sexy read. The story is fast pace. It centers around Lady Janet/Lachan/Lady Marjorie. The relationship is explained from their perspectives. There is no big cliffhanger. The sex scenes are Hot. It was difficult for me to see that chemistry between the 3 of them.

Scandalous Passions is a fairly short historical romance by Nicola Davidson. This is a F/F/M menage, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea. Ms. Davidson has delivered a well-written book, populated with an outstanding cast of characters. Janet was the mistress to the king until he married her off. Now she's a widow. Sir Lachlan Ross is known as the king's Highland Beast, he's ferocious but rarely speaks. The king awards guardianship of Lady Marjorie to Janet and sends all three of them off to the lands he's granted to Janet. Their story is packed with drama, humor, melt your e-reader heat, action and suspense. I enjoyed reading Scandalous Passions and look forward to reading more from Nicola Davidson in the future. Scandalous Passions is part of the Highland Menage Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don't think I've ever read a historical menage romance. I really liked it.

Lady Janet is Scotland'smost notorious sinner. As the King's former mistress, who still holds favor with him, his new Queen wants her gone. So she is sent away with the Sir Lachlan Ross as know as the Highland Beast, to protect her and her new ward, Lady Marjorie Hepburn.
Having been raised in a convent Lady Janet sets out to teach her new ward all the secrets of a happy marriage bed. And Lachlan, she wishes to tame him and he might just let her.

I just wish this had been longer. It's over before you know it. Don't get me wrong this book gives you a lot despite how short it is. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. And this author's back catalog.

If you are looking for steamy this book is for you. This book had everything. Being the first time reading a book like this I didn't know what to expect. This book was so hot it nearly melted in my hand. Janet, Lachlan and Marjorie had a great story. The reader will not be disappointed.

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words, for this ARC. If you are looking for a read on sex for sex's sake, you will enjoy this book. I am sorry to say that I didn't. There was no real story in my opinion. I hate to give a review like this because an author gives of themselves to write.

If you've been looking for a medieval Scottish polyamorous romance, you're in luck. Nicola Davidson's brief novel introduces us to Lady Janet, former mistress of King James, forced by his marriage to move to a distant estate; Lord Lachlan, the king's faithful knight, asked to escort Lady Janet and live at the estate with her; and Lady Marjorie, the king's young ward, who has spent most of her life at a convent, and has been given into Lady Janet's custody. There's instant attraction among the three of them, which eventually boils over as they settle into their new home.

This was entertaining and original. Davidson does a good job of building tension between her three characters, and keeps the reader guessing on what will happen.

<b>INTERESTING APPROACH TO HISTORICAL ROMANCE</b>

Maybe it's just me... but I have never before read a historical romance featuring a menage a trois. So that was something completely new to me. Originality always fascinates me as does LGBTQ representation, so, short as it was, I enjoyed this book. Only one thing bothered me slightly - it was pure erotica. There was another plot line, but it was weak and very far from the main focus of the book. But then again, I don't mind a bit of smut.

This is my first poly medieval romance. I have to admit, it exceeded my modest expectations. It was a fluffy feminist treat with minimum angst, and just enough conflict between the trio and the outside world to keep things interesting. The 16th century Scottish setting was vividly drawn, and perfectly balanced between my need for realism (egg yolk shampoo! eating knives!) with modern hygiene (many many baths). The consent rep is excellent, and woven naturally into the the power dynamics between dom Janet, and her two submissive partners.

I know it's an erotic romance, but I wish the storyline was more substantial. I also didn't love the way Marjorie's discomfort with her chubby body and round belly, preferring Janet's tall and "slender" one, it felt anachronistic.

From the opening author dedication that essentially says 'queer HEAs matter and kink isn't new, so don't @ me' (totally paraphrased), this book is classic Nicola Davidson. She believably crafts a menage story where each voice is distinct, compelling, and sympathetic. The conflict absolutely works. The medieval setting is not overwhelming, so even those who aren't a massive fan of the time period will enjoy the read.
Well done!

Too much modern overtones in a historical setting for my taste...did not seem true to the spirit of the time.

Love doesn't always come in a perfect package. In Nicola Davidson's Scandalous Passions love comes in threes.

Lady Janet is banished from the Scottish court. Formerly the king's mistress, the new queen doesn't want her around. She takes Lady Marjorie late of a convent with her and a guard Lachlan. She is a strong woman who starts a passionate affair with Lachlan, but her eyes return to Lady Marjorie.

Different story than I usually read, but the characters' love for each other is sweet. Nicola Davidson writes really awesome books that I love to read.

I have been eagerly following the author's updates on this book and wow, it does not disappoint! This is exactly the medieval romance romp I am looking for!

Lady Janet Fraser is told she must leave the court and travel to her new estate along with the formerly convent bound Lady Marjorie Hepburn, now Janet's ward. To ensure they arrive safely the king assigns his champion Sir Lachlan "the Beast" Ross to guide them hence.

Janet, once the king's lover, and recently-ish widowed, has always had a tender for the Beast, but is also finding the virginal Lady Marjorie quite alluring. What is a domme to do when she also discovers they both are eager to kneel before her feet? Why find a sturdy chaise and engage a delightfully delicious love affair of course.

But the queen is still angry with both Janet and Marjorie, and a plot to wed Marjorie off to a much older man means Lachlan must marry if she is to stay, threatening all of their lives as they defy the king.

So entirely sexy, I ate this one right up. I always appreciate Davidson's care in her characters and the care they take of each other. This becomes truly a match of equals once they navigate some prickly issues, namely Marjorie's willingness to have children and Janet's inability to become pregnant.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Scandalous Passions since I first saw the announcement that Entangled would be publishing two polyam historical romances. The wait was more than worth it. Scandalous Passions is a well written and well-researched novel, which includes a bibliography in the back, something I wish more historical romances included. Actually, this story included a lot of things I wish were included in romance novels, like explicit verbal consent, a sexually dominant female character, a cinnamon roll hero, a variety of body types, and a bisexual and poly positive storyline.

The novel centers around Lady Janet Fraser, once the king’s mistress and now a widow, Sir Lachlan, known as a fierce warrior and called The Highland Beast, but who secretly wishes nothing more than to serve his mistress, and Lady Marjorie, a shy virgin raised in a convent who grows in confidence as the story progresses. I dearly loved all three of these characters, each who have a unique voice and character arc, and who all struggle with aspects of themselves and who ultimately find that they are best together.

The plot itself is well-paced. The romantic arc of the characters is always at the fore and I read the entire story in nearly one sitting, wanting to know how they came together and worked everything out. There is also enough outer conflict, with jealous ex-lovers, terrible men, carriage attacks, and court intrigue to ensure the feeling that these very real characters are also dealing with a very real, large, and sometimes terrible world. I was extremely pleased that the culmination of the plot required all three main characters as part of the solution.

This is a high heat novel, and the sex scenes are varied and creative. They have their own story to tell, which is something I look for in an erotic romance. The scenes move from f/f and f/m to f/f/m as the relationship progresses. Enthusiastic verbal consent is present in all scenes, and open communication is encouraged between the participants. I greatly appreciated Lady Jane taking command of her lovers--a dominant woman is catnip for me—this coupled with Lady Marjorie’s willingness to learn and Lachlan’s desire and love for both women warmed me to the core.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a hot historical read with excellent characterization and a rollicking plot, and I’d gladly read a hundred more novels like this.

**I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley, all opinions in the review are my own**

Consent was a big theme in this title, which made the story feel modern, but not in a anachronistic way. The relationships were supportive and loving, and while the characters were fairly one-dimensional, it felt like a real love story. Good job!

Well. This surely isn't the Harlequin books I read when I was 13. I think my mother would have forbid them if they contained the content this book did. I wasn't expecting the story content and the 'disclaimer' or comment written by the author didn't explain enough. I will try to comment without revealing the story, but it will be hard, since the synopsis would have too many spoilers. The heroine is a former mistress of the king who has been given an estate because the queen wants her to leave court. The heroine was married after her time with the king and he has passed. The hero is assigned to guard her for the queen. He is younger by three years, but has always had a crush on the heroine. He is upset since he has a speech problem and is embarrassed by it. This story contained some historical details, mostly they consisted of name dropping of historical dignitaries. This story is not for the close minded or faint hearted. I enjoyed this authors way of story telling. The characters were somewhat believable, but I was expecting a lovely romance and that is nor what I received. I didn't end this story having that feeling of HEA filling me.
The story was well written, with no spelling or grammatical errors, and the plot lines had a beginning and end. It was the content that I didn't expect and find hard to believe that the servants and staff didn't have a problem. Servants know everything that is going on in the household and they normally have expectations of what their employers are up to. I would give this a 3.5 stars because I didn't feel the story line fit in the setting. I would not recommend this story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this novella in a new series following a M/F/F relationship in a scottish medieval setting. I've read some other novellas by Nicola Davidson and i liked that this one was longer, it provided a bit more story to the book and allowed us to learn more about the characters and really see their feelings grow for each other and the menage relationship to take form.
This is a really sex positive book with a good deal of well written steamy scenes, a dash of kink and some queer representation as well. Would definitely recomment to historical fans but also people who want to try their hand at menage stories.

tags: scottish scarred highlander, sultry confident woman, eager virgin lady, great chemistry, subtle dominant/submissive dynamic with a female dom, steamy scenes with M/F, F/F and M/F/F pairing, really good sex positive talk
content warning: discussion of infertility, mention of a speech affliction

I found the dialogue engaging, the story line interesting, and the romance steamy. Three very different characters are thrown together at the King of Scotland's command.

Lady Marjorie spent her life shut up in a convent without affection. Sir Lachlan, a Highland warrior whose fierce outer shell hides a gentle and loyal lover, carries a torch for the King's former mistress. Lady Janet has built a reputation as a skilled and inventive mistress. Together they discover forbidden lusts and much denied affection. But scheming nobles will try to tear them apart.

Although a little superficial, the story did have decent character development and a believable plot. The conclusion felt a little too tidy, but was sufficient for this genre.

My rating: 4-1/4 stars! I have always had an affinity to historical romance novels set in Scotland and England..... as apposed to anything in America. There is something about the setting that just sets my heart a fluttering! Add a lot of hot, steamy romance .... the union of 1 male and two females, and you have "scandalous passions"! It felt - "different" - having this strong warrior described with massive shoulders, broad chest, arms thick with muscle after many years of expertly wielding a longsword in battle - being a submissive man sexually! Did it turn me off from the book - no, not at all...it just make me a lot more curious about how this would play out! The interaction of Lady Janet, Lady Marjorie and Sir Lachlan - in my humble opinion - complimented each other quite nicely! This story had all the elements needed in a good romance novel …..first, and very importantly, a good story plot - romance ...(oh, there was definitely romance) - humor, - your nasty villain - and a bit of suspense to tie it all together. Would this book appeal to all? Probably not ...but then, you would think - if this is not your cup of tea ....why would you order the book in the first place??!! I read this book during the pandemic and I wanted (and needed) something to take my mind off of reality! This is where the book, and the author succeeded - hence the high rating! I would definitely be looking for more from this author in the future!

I would like to thank Ms Davidson, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review of her novel

Lady Janet is oh so scandalous. Once mistress to the king, she is now leaving court to make way for his young bride. Her escort is The Highland Beast. Lachlan, quiet, but large and menacing in battle. He has watched her from afar for quite some time. Her ward, Majorie, is the daughter of an enemy of the king and possibly a useful pawn in marriage contracts. The three of them travel to Janet's estate shes gifted by the king.

Janet is 33, a red head, very outspoken and definitely in charge attitude. Marjorie is 22 and has been shut up in a convent for 16 years. Allowed no enjoyment of life, desperate for someone's touch she's a very sweet and naive character. Lachlan has a reason he is so quiet and communicates through grunts.

Going to be fairly brief here. This is a novella and erotica. MFM romance with a long term queer happily ever after. If you don't like sex, don't touch this. The language isn't overly vulgar but it does the c**t word quite a bit, as well as f***. It doesn't come to bdsm but there is a bit of 'control' and 'punishment' used, just briefly, verbally.

It does cover a number of other small plot points, including tackling some larger issues. The sex scenes aren't extremely long, there's just quite a few of them. There is a bit of action and dialogue holding it together. I was curious how the ending was going to work out.

Overall I think it was okay. I think for me the things that prevented me from liking it more was that aspect of 'control' that Janet seemed to introduce a lot. I don't like it pointed out the way it was. Janet was definitely the alpha here. And I didn't love that either. I think I wanted the male to be, but this could totally work for others. She just came off almost motherly in some scenes, then changed to the sex goddess doling out favors and it was a little awkward for me by the end I guess? But hey, kudos to her. She was the kings mistress and definitely knows what she wants and how to manage that. :) I wanted to like Lachlan more. He was likable but I guess I wanted more from his perspective maybe? He was very docile.

I really enjoyed this book. I love how the characters found people they can be themselves around and find their own sexuality.

We have Lady Janet who is the mistress to King James. Known as the worst sinner in Scotland. Since the king has married, Lady Janet is sent away with the protector Sir Lachlan, the giant with a speech impediment, who is a good friend of the king and Lady Marjorie, the king’s ward who was raised in a convent. Lady Majorie will one day wed but after a time, she just wants to stay with Lady Janet and Lachlan and they will fight their way to be together.

Each character has their own struggles but I love seeing them fight for each other as well. They can meet each other on common ground. Love each other in whatever way they see fit. Explore their passionate natures without judgement. This book isn’t all about sex either. There is an actual story and one I really enjoyed. It was great to see the resolution.

Overall this is a lovely and refreshing take of three lovers and I can’t wait to read the next one.