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Ravish me with Rubies by Jane Feather

An average historical. A woman who feels scorned by Baron Granville when she had what amounted to young girls crush at 14 with her older brother’s friend who was 24 and completely unaware of this. Their paths cross again now Petra is an attractive intelligent woman very involved in the suffrage movement.

An ok read but a bit disappointing I had high hopes for this but it was a bit flat. Had potential to be an excellent but just didn’t gel together. Disappointed overall 2.5/5

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Jane Feather makes me wish I lived in that time while reading her books. She does an amazing job detailing everything so you can picture yourself as the main character.

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Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (for full scenes, there were a number of very short scenes in the second half of the book)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (I’ll admit I struggle with telling scene length on audio...some of these might be on the short side? But definitely some open door and explicit enough scenes. After about halfway, all the sex becomes very short and vague or fade to black.)
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine

Should I read in order?
I picked this one up alone and it was totally fine. There are a few brief scenes and mentions of her friends that are now married and living their HEAs. If you want the full character arc experience, it may be best to read the whole series. The three books center around 3 friends who meet at an English boarding school.

Basic plot:
Petra’s brother has political ambitions and he pulls her along to some social dinners and gatherings to help sway Guy Granville’s political opinion. He isn’t away that they have a history that began 10 years ago.

Give this a try if you want:
- A bit of an age gap – heroine is 24 and hero is 34 but he did share kisses with her 10 years prior when she was only 14 years old, and he was 24
- Baron hero/suffragist heroine (across the aisle romance feel)
- Medium steam – there’s a mix of open door scenes and vague/fade to black scenes (first half the book is much steamier than second half)
- Enemies to lovers feel – there’s definitely some bantering and bickering between them due to Petra being upset at her treatment 10 years prior


Ages:
- heroine is 24, hero 34 (Note: Hero did kiss the heroine when she was 14 and he was 24)

My thoughts:
Oof. This book. It had a lot I didn’t like. But I still liked some of it.

I liked Petra’s character. She was independent and sassy and I loved her suffragist beliefs – I wish that had been more focused on but it kind of faded to the background once she is with the hero except for the big deal at the end of the story. There was some humor here that I liked. I liked their sweetness of starting their relationship in the beginning of the story. I liked the food details – there were a lot of scenes with food haha.

But, I also struggled with a number of things.

I think the age gap is pretty problematic, considering she was only 14 and he was 24 and he was kissing her. She believe he was fostering a relationship but it seems he was just taking advantage of a child. I can let this go though (I read plenty of old school romance where there are age gaps like this and I just kind of forget it’s there...definitely want to mention it for others though that will not be able to put this aspect aside.)

This book was just kind of boring. I wanted more romance. Their romance was a lot of bickering. The hero, Guy, well he just wasn’t that likable to me. He didn’t care about women’s rights. What kind of hero is that? And even if he turns around in the end, it just wasn’t super believable to me. It was like he had no idea why women would want rights but then he was like okay they do. It was just a letdown to me.

Another thing that made this book not a favorite for me was the other woman aspect. The hero’s mistress is in the book a decent amount and I am just SO TIRED of other woman/ other man drama that it had me frustrated

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This book has a lot of problems. First off why did the author make Guy 24 and Petra 14 when they first met? This is a major problem that cannot be overlooked. A 24 year old man should not be interested in a 14 year old girl. Also did they or didn't they? She said she was a virgin when they had sex as adults but his dialogue in the book suggests that they did it 10 years prior when she was just 14. "She'd interested him ten years ago, as a girl on the cusp of of womanhood, with an eagerness to experience whatever came her way. He remembered how she responded to his careful lovemaking, with an openness and enthusiasm he found quite delightful." This book left me very unhappy.

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This book was a little disturbing for me. The hero and heroine met at 14 and 24. The hero definitely needs work.

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There is an age difference between the Hero and Heroine. The Hero and Heroine meet when he was 24 and she was 14. He dallied either when she was 14 and she was of course moon struck for him. He basically forgot about her.

When they meet 10 years later he all sudden realized she was perfect for some bed sport. He did not have much respect for her and her ideals. He was very egotistical and high handed. I felt like she just rolled over for him and totally forgot how how they met, what he did to her, and forget her revenge with a snap of his finger.

I was not much of a fan of this book.

I received a free copy for a honest review.

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I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The characters were complex and well-developed. The story was well written. Very entertaining and satisfying read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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The finale to Jane Feather’s newest series brings closure for a woman who had her heart crushed by a careless youth years earlier and now finds herself back in his orbit. I have enjoyed much of Ms. Feather’s writing for decades and with each new series we get a different look into the world as she sees it, but this series has had some interesting political and societal topics for the time setting that were different than many authors. Our finale story revolves around the third in a set of long-time female friends, Petra who is a strong support of women’s suffrage in England and it sometimes gets her into trouble seeing as her brother is a member of parliament. But when she is faced with her first girl-hood crush, all grown up and sexy as ever, Petra devises and slightly ridiculous plan to enact revenge for him breaking her heart when he disappeared from her life without a word. Guy is enamored of Petra as much as he doesn’t understand her. She is at turns sweet and combative, but he cannot resist her and the more time her spend with her, the more he comes to care for the spitfire. But their political beliefs and ambitions are definitely not on the same side and in order to be together one or the other of them will have to bend, but are either of them willing to do so in order to have a life together? Petra was the kind of character that had moments where I liked her, and others where she annoyed the heck out of me, but I respected her for her willingness to stand up for what she believed was right and defend those she felt needed her help. She is obviously one of the few women of her station that understand that she has it very good compared to most women and to use that power to help all women of her time. She was sassy and once she opened her heart to Guy was also sweet to him, but other times she refused to understand that if she truly loved him she had to take into account how her action would affect him and his job. In the end I did like her overall, but there were certainly things that made me crazy about her along the way. Guy was an interesting character as well, with his own flaws and foibles, as he navigated his new relationship with Petra and learned how to be part of a couple. He never realized how much he hurt her when they were youths, so he doesn’t really understand the anger she always excludes in his presence, but once he gets her past the majority of that, he sees the sweet and sensual woman she hides from most of society behind her brain and sassy mouth. His strength, bravery, and intelligence made him likeable and turned my mind from him being a one-dimensional character into one I could truly get to know and enjoy reading about. The passion between them, whether it be anger or otherwise, was something that sparked and burned those around them if they got to close until they finally succumbed to their feelings and quenched the fire. I enjoyed this story, though there were moments of screaming at the characters for sure. I am looking forward to whatever new series Jane sends our way next.

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Jane Feather is a great author. Historical romance is my favorite genre and this one was no exception. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Its been a while since I've read this author but used to really enjoy her books so was thrilled to be able to read this one.

She's certainly has not lost her touch
Really enjoyed this
Great characters and story

Was engrossed from the beginning
.

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Another favorite by a great author. The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read.

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I'm a sucker for a good suffragette romance, so I really wanted to love this book. But it was just ok. A second chance romance, Petra Rutherford tries to enact "revenge" on Guy Granville for loving her and leaving her in the past, after running into him while he's at lunch with her brother Joth. The problem is - the first time she was swept up by him, she was 14 and he was 24. It was a little hard for me to get past that age difference. Either he was gross for engaging in a flirtation with a child, or she was ridiculous for thinking it was anything more than a schoolgirl crush, even years later.

Obviously, despite her best efforts, Petra's not able to resist his charms. Guy is pretty high-handed, but their sparing is amusing and they have good chemistry. All in all, 3 stars for me.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review .

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This third book in The London Jewels Trilogy is about Petra Rutherford, who is feeling a bit like an outsider with her two best friends since they were schoolgirls, since Fenella and Diana are now married. AS their parents were never really engaged with their children, she is very close with her brother Jonathan (Joth). Joth, now a young member of Parliament, is very earnest about representing his constituents and asks Petra to join him for tea to charm Guy Granville, Lord Ashton, whom he seeks to aid him to support his bill. Little does Joth know, that Petra and Guy have history, when she was an innocent 14 and Granville a bit of a lecherous 24. She had a crush on him and he broke her heart, not that he was aware of it. Now he is enchanted with the grown up Petra and she seeks maybe a bit of revenge.

The author uses the movement of the Suffragists to add interest to the characters. All three women are supporters. Guy never gave it much thought. There is a villainess, Granville's on again off again mistress. And Petra seems to totally eschew the idea of having a maid along to keep her reputation, even falling into Guy's bed, without any promises. This part just doesn't fit the time period. So I have mixed feelings about the story, but the writing is excellent.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

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I enjoyed this read. The characters are well sketched and the friendship between the women rings true.

I liked but didn’t love, the hero or heroine together. I guess the main reason is I didn’t believe their chemistry. The hero did all the right things, but I guess I never felt like he actually loved the heroine. It felt like lust and duty.

The heroine is strong and knows her own mind, characteristics I love in a heroine. Yet, she didn’t sing for me. Committed to her suffrage cause, definitely. Willing to nearly drown to save a catty woman, that too, and yet something felt missing.

My slight dissatisfaction likely has to do with my high expectations of this author. I love her books and expect her to wow me on every page. That’s probably a little unfair. I recommend you try a free sample. If you like that, you’ll love the book.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Right off the bat, I was more than a little weirded out by this novel. Or more specifically the fact that when these two first met Petra was 14 to Guy's 24. Even if it was nothing more than a flirtation, this is still a grown man flirting with a child. The fact that he admits she responded well to his "gentle lovemaking" is even more concerning.

To make matters worse, while Petra seems to have grown somewhat in the intervening 10 years, it would appear that Guy is still the same overbearing arse he always was. He never takes into consideration how his words and actions may be perceived by others around him (case in point when Petra's sister invites her and her friends to join him and Guy for lunch and then Guy dominates everything about the outing, including paying for everything).

Time and again, we watch as Guy takes liberties with Petra being told how she's "unable to resist" him even though she is the one who sets out to "use" him. Even though he makes no promises to her, nor does he declare any deep feelings for her, he still lures her into his bed over and over (and can we talk about the fact that somehow even though she ends up in his bed in the middle of the afternoon not one servant ever sees her, nor one nosy neighbor ever notice a single woman of marriageable age visiting a single man daily without a chaperone?

One thing that should have been a huge element to this story was Petra's involvement in the women's suffrage movement, but even that is pushed to the side and used really no more as a conflict (seeing as how Guy could never support her in the one thing she claims to be most passionate about). I also wish that the author would have gone forward with Petra's plan of "revenge" against Guy. I think it would have been more interesting to watch them fall for each other whilst she was engaging in said plot than to have her just fall into his arms again.

All things considered, this is an author I would read more from down the road as they do have a strong writing style even when I'm not enamored with the way they go about telling their stories.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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I enjoyed the overall plot of this book. I loved the scenes with Petra, her friends, and her brother set in various places throughout London. There are interesting glimpses of politics and Guy was a typical charming rogue of the era.

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Ravish Me with Rubies is a light heartfelt read. Petra and Guy both know what they want, and that can cause even the best of people to lock horns! I really enjoyed that this book didn't end at marriage, that's when most of the important things really come to light in a real relationship. It was a pleasure to see their relationship evolve.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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The third in the trio of books about boarding school best friends grown up, "Ravish Me” is Petra’s story as she re-encounters the love of her youth. Will he disappoint her again now that they are both grown, and set in their own ways?

Although Petra and Guy enter their marriage believing they can change each other enough to reconcile their differences, it soon becomes apparent that they are both hard-headed and sure of the justice of their own opinions. It's fun to watch how they adapt and learn to respect each other . Since their passion for each other is hot and wild, they are highly motivated to figure out their relationship!

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The writing quality and storytelling in this book are excellent. I'm just not a good fit for Jane Feather's books. I've started all three books in this series and haven't been able to finish them. I despise the paternalistic "heroes." It's as if the books make a point of appearing feminist while endorsing an unrelenting undercurrent of casual misogyny. Not for me.

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