Member Reviews
The start to the book is rather interesting. I will write full review as soon as I am done reading the book. I like the author’s previous books and I hope this one will be a winner too.
I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for and honest review.
Miller has definitely become a good to author for me so when I saw this book I had to request the ARC.
Olivia made a promise to her dying friend that she would get vengeance and in order for her to seek the information she needs she works as a companion. When an unfortunate accident sees her fired she needs Anthony to reveal the truth.
Anthony has a terrible secret, he can't do math. Everytime he tries the numbers move around. When Olivia comes for his help he makes her his assistant.
I loved the relationship the two. Anthony and Olivia fit together great and as stand alone characters.
Can't wait for the next book.
Olivia Michaels is on a mission. A mission of vengeance, of justice. As a thief preying on the most despicable of the Ton, she spends her day as a companion to an elderly dowager soaking up gossip on the look out for the next mark on her list. But when she's suddenly sacked for an incident that was not her fault, she decides to take her case to the man who got her into her current predicament: the raffish and rakish Lord Anthony Trent.
Anthony Trent has a secret. A hidden struggle. As a scion of one of Britain's manufacturing barons, he's expected to be able to conduct business with the best. Except numbers elude him. The swim about on the page becoming mixed up and flipped. A huge liability. One he's taken care to hide under a veneer of insouciance.
When Miss Michaels turns up on Anthony's doorstep, he's intrigued. Intrigued by her gumption but even more intrigued by her ability to add up sums in her head. Hiring her to spend her days with his dragon of a grandmother and her afternoons with him as his assistant, he quickly discovers that there is more to Miss Michaels than meets the eye.
Will love bloom with so many secrets and class differences standing in the way?
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This is my first book by this author, and I hadn't realized until over halfway through that this was part of a larger series. Which is good. It means the book can stand on its own, something that I feel is important in a series like this.
I enjoyed this tale of a lady thief born on the wrong side of the blanket and a second son suffering from dyscalculia. Olivia is a fun heroine. Determined, intelligent, kind. She's got common sense but is impetuous enough to be interesting. She's a good egg. I especially liked Anthony. His secret struggle appealed to me and his frustrations with his own limitations felt real. As someone who suffers from both dyslexia and dyscalculia seeing it being portrayed on the page in a respectful and meaningful way matters.
The romance was believable and developed well over the course of the book. I also seriously appreciated the way the employer/employee situation was handled. While Anthony has the power, he deliberately puts the direction of the relationship in Olivia's hands. There's several check ins throughout the book where Anthony makes sure that what's happening is okay. He lets Olivia take the lead and decide what she's comfortable with. It was lovely to read.
The one thing that keeps this from being a five star from me is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed. And the class difference between them wasn't addressed enough for my liking. That said, I'm definitely sold on this series. The characters I did see, I liked. This is a solid book and a new author for my shelf.
Four stars.
A mildly entertaining romance, the characters didn’t have much on page chemistry and the story was rather flat and uninteresting.
I received "Never Mix Sin With Pleasure" from Netgalley and voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Olivia Michaels is caught in a compromising position with Lord Anthony and is dismissed immediately when her employer witnesses this. Olivia then approaches Lord Anthony to ask him to clear the misunderstanding with her ex-employer who then in turns hires her as his grandmother's companion. From the start, the author had me hooked with the banter between the characters and the varying personalities in the story. A wonderful historical romance!
Never Mix Sin with Pleasure is the fifth book in the Infamous Lords series, that follows a group of lords known for their roguish ways. This book tells the story of Olivia, an orphan, who after a mishap on the street with Lord Anthony, which causes the loss of her job, is hired by him to be both a companion for his grandmothers swell as his clerk. However, Olivia is not all she seems, and is only using her position to learn information about other members of society so she can steal what she feels the orphans she grew up with (the illegitimate children of said members of society) deserve.
I would rate this 3 stars overall. My biggest complaint is that the entire conflict of the story is wrapped up in one page. It makes said conflict seem very ridiculous and like it wasn’t worth writing an entire book about. I liked Olivia very much, but Lord Anthony did not have much real character growth, just an acceptance that he isn’t perfect but could be good at other things. The relationship arc was at a good pace, but again, that part of the story conflict was almost brushed aside at the end to create the HEA. I have read all the other books in this series, and this is an issue that happens in almost all of them.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book got me from the first page. Olivia, is not what she seems and Lord Anthony. is a second son, desperate to live up to his families expectations and in fear that his learning disability-which is currently known as Dyscalculia, will be found out. I did not know when I picked up this book that the hero had dyscalculia, which is something I suffer from myself. I can honestly say that everything he goes through with mixing up numbers and difficulty doing even simple mathematics is spot on, and I truly felt his frustration and anguish as it was something I've dealt with myself. Anthony found the perfect person in Olivia, who has no problem handling his ledgers, and believes in his intelligence, even when he doubts it himself. She has her own secrets though, which threaten to destroy the fragile love blooming between them. I loved how well developed all the characters in this book were, and the gradual growth of love and respect between the hero and heroine was truly beautiful. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I promise it won't be the last!
This was an absolutely charming and delightful novel. I was immediately swept up into the story and was fully engaged through out this quick paced historical romance. Renee Ann Miller's writing style is very accessible and easy to get into, she does a wonderful job of balancing the romantic relationship with the Robin Hood-esqe plot intrigue. I think Miller creates lovely main character who are supported by side characters who all feel like three-dimensional people.
This novel interweaves some lovely layers and tropes of employee/employer relationship, social status differences, orphaned heroine, hero with a learning disorder, fun animal side kick, and stealing from the rich (the one's who have done wrongs to others) to give to the poor. The Heroine-Olivia is smart and has a gift for numbers, she has a quiet strength about her and the will to survive and help others. Olivia is such a lovely heroine, I really enjoyed watching her independence and how she never let her situation in life defeat her, she was willing to stand up for herself and take care of herself.
The Hero-Andrew is such a genuine man. Yes, he starts the novel with a mistress but he never comes across as an alpha rake, which I really enjoyed. Andrew was aware of his learning limitations but he was not constantly dragging himself down in his own mind. I love that when Andrew realizes that Olivia has a gift for numbers he is able to better employ her to help him and giving her a sense of value in his life.
I really loved watching the relationship between Andrew and Olivia bloom. It was so wonderful to watch their respect and trust for each other slowly grow as they worked together. It was refreshing that their relationship was not fully fueled by lust, they both instead learn to recognize a strength they each have, they respect that strength and they are able to see the true inner value of the other. Theirs is a sweet and gentle love that embraces them and they slowly learn to trust each other with their bodies and then slowly learn to trust each other with their inner authenticity.
This is such a lovely, light hearted romance, with a bit of intrigue and some sweet sensual moments between the hero and heroine. I would highly recommend this novel, I enjoyed every moment spent with these characters and watching them slowly fall in love.
This book is very enjoyable. It is about Anthony and Olivia. Anthony is the 2nd son, a rake, who has problems with numbers. He is covering the business for his brother while his brother and family are away for a month. Olivia grew up in an orphanage. She is a lady’s companion and a thief. They meet when Olivia gets into the wrong carriage. They had chemistry from the moment they first met. I enjoyed everything about this book. The intrigue of will Olivia get caught, what will happen. I enjoy this author’s writing style and cannot wait to read more books by her. I even like Anthony’s grandmother.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest opinion.
This is book five of the Infamous Lords series, however I did not read the other books first. This books does extremely well as a standalone. This is the story of orphan Olivia Michaels and Lord Anthony Trent, who is a confirmed bachelor and whose reputation precedes him. These were two characters that you couldn't help but root for.
Through a mishap involving Olivia tumbling into Lord Anthony's carriage, Olivia becomes the companion of Anthony's grandmother, the dowager countess, Lady Huntington. Lady Huntington's commentary and antics had me laughing out loud and she is a great character. Olivia isn't just a ladies companion and orphan, she is also a thief nicknamed the Phantom who only strikes certain victims in Mayfair. She is out for revenge and does it as only a true Robin Hood can. This is a slow to burn romance, but I have to say that I loved that they had a courtship and their interactions weren't just relegated to illicit bedroom sessions. The mystery plot of Olivia being the Phantom isn't the main plot of the book, their relationship is, which is exactly what I love in a romance novel.
Oh, I really enjoyed this book! The heroine is an orphan that is bent on revenge. She was a teacher at the orphanage where was she left as an infant and her best friend had died. The heroine and her were snooping the office they were supposed to be cleaning, when they found a book the head mistress kept about the children she accepted. The majority of the children were from an aristocrat that had gotten a maid pregnant. The hero is a second son who is taking over the family business while his brother is away in the country. He hates doing the financial books because the numbers jump around. He is luck because in addition to revenge, the heroine is a math wiz who can add sums in her head. So she is his grandmother's companion during the day and his assistant in the afternoons and evenings. But late at night, she is taking out her revenge, and she is almost finished.
This story had elements of suspense, danger and romance. The love story was lovely. It was steamy, but just page over if you don't like those scenes; I did. The story is very well written and just flows along, i didn't realize it was the end until it happened. I like the continuity and the way it just smoothly read. I give this book 5 stars and recommend reading.
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I really adored this story. The characters really touched me, and I think that in their flaws there was real beauty. Anthony uses his rakish charm to distract people from the fact that he has issues with his numbers getting jumbled, and Olivia is a criminal with a purpose that is near and dear to her heart in service of those she loves and cares about.
Anthony is a sweet, sweet hero. He takes the heroine on adventures and helps her experience all the things life has to offer. Olivia is strong, but she lets Anthony in and vice versa. They become stronger together with her strength in numbers to balance his weakness. He shows her how to really live in the moment and not fear it.
I even enjoyed all the supporting characters, and will be going back to read all the previous books. It was such fun watching them fall in love, and I definitely recommend it.
An orphan woman who made a promise to a dying friend. A man who is a rake to hide his trouble with numbers. A bargain is struck to help both of them, for Olivia needs a place to stay to finish her promise and Anthony needs someone to help him with his numbers. An uneasy truce is formed, which develops into something more. Both are keeping secrets from each other, but cannot deny the attraction they feel towards each other. Still, a lord does not marry beneath his station, and Anthony has no interest in marriage. As they spend more time together, business and pleasure lines blur together. But Olivia's secret is a dangerous one, one which could cost her everything.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Never Mix Sin with Pleasure (The Infamous Lords Book 5) by Renee Ann Miller was both romantic and suspenseful. The plight of orphans in England during this period was heart wrenching. Olivia’s description of life in the orphanage had me in tears. The book also highlights the challenges of people living with disabilities when no one had interventions for the differently abled. After losing her original position, Olivia is hired by Lord Anthony as a companion for his grandmother since his brother and sister-in-law are traveling. While companion is Olivia’s official job, she spends just as much time helping Lord Anthony with his duties. Lord Anthony has a problem with numbers that sounds like a type of dyslexia. For him, numbers flip and rotate and he needs more time than a typical person in order to complete computations. Olivia, on the other hand, is able to add large numbers without the need to write them down. Working so closely together, the pair are drawn closer and closer and embark on an affair. However, Olivia is keeping secrets.....she is the Phantom robbing many members of polite society as a way to provide funds for the bastard children of villainous noblemen. The tension I felt as I waited for Olivia to be caught was visceral. Anthony was blindsided as he realized what she had been up to. For a brief spell, the lovers are separated ; however, they soon have a happily ever after. I loved all the characters in this book. Anthony and Olivia made an excellent couple. I was curious about his grandmother; even though she was pushing Anthony to get married to a suitable girl she seemed to have a soft spot for Olivia. I would have loved to hear a word or two from her in the epilogue.
Very entertaining, with a wounded hero who’s an incorrigible flirt while hiding a painful, secret condition. “Never Mix Sin with Pleasure”, by Renee Ann Miller (Kensington Books/Zebra), has interesting, well developed, alluring characters and a suspense plot that keeps the reading interesting.
Anthony and Olivia are complex, well drawn and very relatable characters, both dealing with problematic issues. They’re both kind, sympathetic and decent people.
I loved how their relationship began by a sense of kinship, fondness and mutual respect. They spend time together, communicate and take their time getting to know each other.
Anthony is a great hero, a charmer hiding a world of hurt and vulnerabilities. The reasons he decided to deprive himself of a family are heartbreaking. The honesty with Olivia about his feelings is admirable. Despite a few dark moments and all his defenses, there’s a gentleness about “the black sheep of the family” that makes him very attractive.
I loved how the author wrote the hero’s condition and how it plays a fundamental role in the story. The feelings of shame and unworthiness, the avoidance and fears are palpable and real.
Olivia is such a strong, wounded soul, with a singular sense of justice and a deep need for belonging.
This is a generally enjoyable romance between an "unsuitable" woman from a lower class (she was an orphan!) and a notoriously feckless wastrel younger son (he has reasons!). Olivia is a kind, competent young woman who has a head for figures... and who is stealing from rich, lecherous men to get even for their past crimes. Anthony has been tasked by his older brother with overseeing the family's business concerns while the marquess takes a much-needed family vacation. Anthony suffers from dyscalculia, which not only affects his ability to run the business but has also affected his confidence ever since he was young. Keeping it hidden has been his main priority, which is why he has developed his wastrel demeaner.
Since Olivia can help him with his issue with numbers, and Anthony can put her in a position to gather information about the men she wants to rob, their partnership is mutually beneficial. Of course, they're already attracted to each other, and then their close proximity causes them to catch feelings... While the book is not profound, it is entertaining and fun. Check it out if you like smart women and the rakes who reform for them.
Olivia is such a sweet girl. An orphan, her heart has been broken by the abuse from the ton. Anthony is a rogue, suddenly running his brother's affair. They both have secrets! These characters are so well written. I laughed woth them, and felt their pain as they shared it. Totally enjoyed this story.
Renee Ann Miller is an author I discovered late one Friday night and read the whole series in a weekend. Her books are delightful and this book doesn't disappoint. Her characters are just really well written, including minor characters. In this book, there's a naughty parrot and an irascible grandmother to provide comic relief.
Olivia Michaels, former orphan and companion to the elderly ton, is on a mission to make the noblemen of the ton pay for their sins against female servants. She dons a black outfit and becomes the Phantom, robbing them at night while they party amongst the ton. When she loses her day job because of a public interaction with known rake Lord Anthony (brother of James from book 3), and his opera singer mistress, Lord Anthony hires her as a companion to his grandmother and to help him with his business ledgers. Though it's never diagnosed, Anthony has a learning disability that he's hiding from his family. Olivia, never having a family of her own, falls in love with Anthony and helps him come to terms with his secrets.
I loved that they had a courtship and their interactions weren't just relegated to illicit bedroom sessions. Their romance and connection are really sweet and as the reader, you get to watch it play out in real-time. It's also not like other romance novels in that Miller's books take a lot of twists and turns. I really loved this book and thought Anthony was pretty funny in previous books, so it was nice to see him get a redemption story and to come into his own. Also, the Phantom storyline isn't the main plot of the book, their relationship is, which I LOVED. Sometimes, I hate it when there's a mystery because it's clear the author just wanted to write a mystery novel. Whereas here, it's a minor plotline that has to do with Olivia's backstory and her character as a person.
Well done, I am really excited for the next book in this series. Renee Ann Miller is on my list of authors to watch. I can't recommend this series enough. #2 is my favorite but these can all be read standalone.
Olivia makes a promise to her childhood friend on her deathbed, that she will avenge all of the other orphans born from terrible noblemen. Shr finds a position as a dowager's companion to help her keep that promise, but when an Accidental run in with Lord Anthony loses her that position, he offers her a new position. A companion to his grandmother and helping him with the family business, to help him hide his discalculia.
Loved it! It's really not hard to please me when it comes to historical romance, but this one did an excellent job. The characters were lovable, I genuinely cared about whether or not they worked out.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC
I enjoyed this story about a woman determined to grant her dying friend’s wish. Olivia needs access to the ton goings on to get information about specific people. She gets this by being a companion to an elderly lady. Anthony needs help managing the estate books his brother left him with when he went away. Both of them have secrets which they have to trust each other with to accomplish their goals. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.