I just loved this story! This story moved along at a good pace and had two engaging main characters in Ana and Drake. I enjoyed how Ana embraced her mother’s culture as much as she was able to, given the era and her circumstances. I really loved the connection between Ana and Drake. Drake was an honourable man, who cared about the people in his care. However, there are a number of secrets that Ana has, that could make quite a difference to how they see each other. I would love for a book about Drake’s friend, the Duke of Warwick, he was an intriguing character. This was a fascinating read with a happy ending for a number of people. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ana Gardner is determined to lose her virginity before her thirtieth birthday. She’s no stranger to fake identities, having posed as a chaperone since the scandal that destroyed her titled family. So she dons a mask, changes into a low-cut red gown, and attends the city’s most elite brothel, the Silver Chalice. This a lone made me decide that I needed to read this story. This is the first book that I have read by this author and i enjoyed it

This was a good book, but there were many details that didn't get resolved at the end.
The heroine is the daughter of a baron who, when his wife died, drank and gambled until he had nothing left, then ended his life. The heroine has to enter the work force. She had hidden her mother's jewels in the garden, but she had to sell them to put her 5 year old brother in school. As a job, she become a companion to the daughter of a Marquess. As it approaces her 30th birthday, she decides she wants to experience passion. So she makes arrangements with a brothel madam to let her pick her partner from one of her customers. The hero, an earl, sees her and it attracted right off. They had a night of passion and she returns to her job. The earl was guided by his grandmother to court a young lady who turns out to be the heroine's charge. And when she hears his name, she realizes he is the son of the man who caused her father to lose everything and kill himself.
This story had many inconsistencies. At one time she is referred to as a 'lady' by her previous servants and at the end a 'miss'. Her mother was of Lebanon descent and her father was an English baron. Also, at one time she sees a necklace of her mother's that she had to sell in a jewelry store, but it was never given back to her. Also, the estate that the earl's father won ended up being given to strangers, but the gardens her parents designed and the horse breeding business that her father created and the servants qho still cooked middle eastern food from her mother's recipes should have gone back to her brother! Not thw heroine's charge and her non-titled husband. Also, the brothel madam did different things to help the heroine, but in reality, a brothel owner would only be out for themselves and not 'help' out of the goodness if her heart. I was very disappointed with how the topics and story line went. It was well written, but the content should have been dealt with differently. I give it 3 stars, but I do not recommend reading it. I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. I expected happy ever afters with wrongs righted and family possessions returned properly.

I loved this book so so much and I could really feel that the author has a lot of knowledge about the middle-eastern culture, especially the Lebanese culture, since Tina Gabrielle is partly Lebanese.

The book is about Anahit Woodbridge who has lost everything since her father the baron Woodbridge gambled away his livelihood and killed himself. The only family member she has left is her brother who is only 15 years old and still at school so she has found a job as a companion and chaperone to a young debutante to pay for his schooling and to give him a roof over his head.
She keeps it a secret that she is the daughter of a baron because of the scandal he caused so she changes her name to Ana Gardner and became the invisible chaperone to Penelope Malvern.
Ana meets Oliver at the Silver Chalice and he helps her loose her virginity before she turns 30. He is very enthralled by her and he tries to find her after this evening which turns out to be very difficult. But when he is pushed into courting the young debutante Penelope Malvern by his mother he finds her chaperone very intriguing and she reminds him of Lady Scarlett aka Ana.
They start spending time together in the shadows and start to fall in love. But can they ever find a way to be together and what happens when Ana finds out that Oliver is the son of the Earl who broke her father? Will Penelope and her family forgive Ana for being with Oliver and will Oliver’s family acknowledge Ana after everything that happened to her family and her being half Lebanese? Can they ever be happy together?

Ana is such a strong character who has been through so much but still keeps her head held high and does what she has to to keep her brother safe and happy. She also knows where her life is going so she takes control of the little she can control and takes some chances that others wouldn’t because she wants to feel some happiness for once. I also love that she is proud of her middle eastern heritage and she visits her mother’s friend from Lebanon every time she has a day of. Even though it is tough to be mixed race in the ton she doesn’t shy away from her heritage and are proud of it.
Oliver is a great romantic interest for her and he will do anything for her. He is charming, funny and a little pushy which she needs.
They are totally made for each other.

I can’t wait to see what Tina Gabrielle comes up with next but I will wait in suspense for her next book.
I can definitely recommend this book.

4.5 stars
Anahit Woodridge had a lovely life until her mother died & then her father went off the rails & lost everything, when he lost their estate in a card game he took his life. So Anahit reinvented herself as Ana Gardner a Companion to Lady Penelope. However Ana is determined to lose her virginity before her thirtieth birthday. So she dons a mask, changes into a low-cut red gown, and attends the city’s most elite brothel, the Silver Chalice as the Scarlet Lady. Oliver Bedford, the imposing Earl of Drake, is only at the Silver Chalice to appease his late brother’s debauched friends—until he spots Lady Scarlet. She’s refreshing...and a complete mystery. Certain she’s a lady in disguise, Oliver is determined to learn her identity, but she eludes him at every turn. The night with Oliver was unforgettable. But when he arrives at her employer’s home, she’s horrified to discover her lover is the Earl of Drake, the son of the man responsible for her father’s death and subsequent family ruin. And that he’s there to court Lady Penelope. Oliver never had any interest in the debutante, but he is drawn to her chaperone, a woman he soon realizes is his Lady Scarlet.
The start of a new series & what a lovely read it was. I loved both Oliver & Ana, their attraction sizzled but they also came to like each other & lust turned into love. A fast paced book with strong characters, I loved most characters but disliked Lady Malvern, she was manipulative & a total snob, I was intrigued by the Duke of Warwick & hope he finds his HEA & there was also an endearing Grandmother who only wanted the best for Oliver. I was drawn in from the start & engrossed until the lovely ending. There were secrets & lies, which were bound to cause problems when revealed. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Ana Gardner will soon be thirty and is still a virgin. Resolved to a life of service, she wants one night of passion. Enlisting help from the owner of the most exclusive brothel in London, she just needs to select the gentleman. Oliver, the Earl of Drake, only came to the Silver Chalice because of his late brother's friends. He did not expect a beautiful woman to seduce him.
One night of passion is not enough. For a Duke and a lady's companion to marry is not possible, even if Ana tells Oliver her secret, there is no guarantee that he will still want her. Secrets are really important to the book. Not just Ana's. Olivier is an exceptional man, generous to a fault, very kind and a dominant male who knows what he wants.
I really had a hard time walking away from this book to do something else.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This one starts out with some steam right away with Ana determined to lose her virginity by her 30th. Oliver just happens to come out with his brother's friends and the chemistry is sparking from the start. This is full of secrets, lies, and new identities- that make the plot and story just flow perfectly that you want them together and to trust one another in the end. We also get a mixed-race heroine which I love to see in Historical Romance! The hero is wonderful from the start even though she hated her father and brother - he tries to make up for it and gets into the perfect Earl you love to see in HR! Fast pace- steam throughout- sexy and spicy- fun plot!


I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to see more of this series and more from this author!


4 stars
4 steam

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for a copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an e-ARC of this book!

I loved this one so much. I'm a fan of historical romance and this one certainly deserved to be hyped up. Ana and Oliver were great main characters and I enjoy that their connection took off instantly. Oliver was kind and softer than most historical fiction heroes and I think this was really nice change of pace. Ana's relationship with Penelope was also great to see and we stan female friendship and empowerment. It was also refreshing to see Ana be so headstrong. She hid herself away because she had to, but ultimately gave into what she truly wanted and didn't try and stop her true feelings. It was also enjoyably steamy and I definitely felt the passion off the page. I'm so excited that this is going to be a series and I can't wait to read more of Tina Gabrielle's books. It was overall a fun reading time and I highly recommend adding this one to your list.

An anonymous tryst, a wounded companion, an Earl who wants to make things right and some sexy times. You on board? I definitely was and this book brings all of the magic. Oliver is relentless in his pursuit of wooing Ana. He does not want to force her so he lets her go at her own pace. Sexy? Hell yes. These two are just so cute together. I absolutely loved both characters and wish the story could go on. This book again shows why Tina is a favorite. Every book I read of hers is so fantastic and the time flies.

I do have a question. Will the Lieutenant and Penelope make it? I sure hope they do. Penelope is one of those characters who would have been horrible to her companion but she is not. She is kind and even pushes Ana to follow her heart.

A companion with a secret past..,
A newly inherited earl with a cruel family history….
A chance encounter followed by a fateful reuniting!
So many obstacles for love to overcome. This couple has to battle it all to win their happily ever after.
Plenty of heat, intrigue and romance of course. You can’t help but fall in love with Ana, a simple heroin who does what she must to survive and provide for her family.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book for the most part but there wasn't any real tension or compelling issue in the book.
Ana has been working as a companion since her father lost their estate gambling.
Oliver has unexpectedly inherited the earldom after the death of his father and older brother.
Ana decides to lose her virginity since there is no chance of marrying and encounters Oliver.
I liked the relationship between Ana and Oliver but I feel like the story dragged on since there was no real issue.

4.5 stars

After her mother died, Anahit Woodbridge’s father, Baron Woodbridge went into a decline and not only lost the family home but killed himself, leaving Ana to care for her young brother amidst the scandal. Determined to do right by her brother, she reinvents herself as Ana Gardner and takes a job as a chaperone/companion to Lady Penelope, the daughter of the Marquess of Malvern. She knows that she will never marry and have children, but with her thirtieth birthday looming, she decides to lose her virginity and enjoy a single night of passion, so she makes a deal with the madame of London’s most elite brother, The Silver Chalice. When the night arrives, she enters the brothel masked and dressed to seduce, she is immediately drawn to a man, who comes to her rescue when another patron accosts her.

Oliver Bedford, the new Earl of Drake had not planned to be at the Silver Chalice and certainly didn’t intend to spend the night with the masked lady in red, nor did he expect the lady to be a virgin! They spent a glorious night together and part ways, but Oliver knows that one night with his mystery lady will never be enough. The next day he returns and tries to learn her identity without success, much to his disappointment. Later he makes a call on Lady Penelope at his grandmother’s request and doesn’t immediately notice Ana, but she certainly notices him and is appalled to learn that Oliver is the son of the man who ruined her life!

Later when Oliver makes the connection between Ana and the Scarlet Lady, he can’t understand why she is so cold to him and vows to find a way to thaw her. For her part, Ana does begin to thaw when she realizes Oliver is not the same man his father and brother were. They begin a secret affair, but Ana keeps her secrets, knowing the truth will change nothing, and vows to not let herself fall in love. But things get complicated and when the truth is exposed, Ana may lose much more than just her heart.

This was a well-written, fast-paced book with an interesting and engaging story. The book has a bit of everything, steamy love scenes, secrets, lies, intriguing secondary characters, a mixed-race heroine who had endured some racial prejudice in the past, a hero who is just about perfect, a bit of heartache, and finally a very lovely HEA. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book in the series!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

When I read the first line of the synopsis for this book I knew immediately that I had to read it. And I am so glad I did! I absolutely fell in love with this story, the heroine and the hero, from the first page and I was swept away with their beautiful romance. Tina Gabrielle's writing has such a welcoming ease and accessibility that I was immediately engaged throughout the entire novel. The story is very well paced and clips along really nicely, the world is peopled by characters that I cared about and wanted to see succeed in their stories and I am so excited to see how Tina Gabrielle continues to expand this world.

Ana is almost 30 years old, she works as a companion and she sends any money she makes to support her younger brother at school, before her birthday she wants to experience the passion that happens between partners so she enters into an arrangement with a brothel owner. Oliver, Lord Drake, happens to be at the brothel when Ana is there and they spend a passionate night in each other's arms. Oliver is the second son of an Earl who has inherited the title after his older brother died. After their night together, both Oliver and Ana are having a hard time forgetting the other, and Oliver tries to discover her true identity. With some meddling from his grandmother, Oliver is encourage to pursue a young lady, this young lady happens to be Ana's charge.

This novel was truly an absolute delight. I found this love story to be sweet, full of longing and a really compelling story of two people and their attraction to the other. I loved watching Ana try to fight her attraction to Oliver. I loved watching Oliver pursue his attraction for Ana and try to make sure she felt comfortable and in charge of any pursuit of a physical relationship. Watching their attraction grow into love was really gratifying. We are able to watch them have lots of stollen moments with each other in which they are able to better understand and learn more about each other. I was also delighted with Ana's charge, Penelope, and how she spent a good amount of time encouraging and supporting the attraction between Ana and Oliver. This novel has a really lovely balance of sensuality in their physical and intellectual relationship. I also really felt like these two truly respected each other throughout getting to know each other as well as through their misunderstanding/conflict.

I would highly encourage you to pick up this novel if you love a strong heroine who is a hard worker and will do anything to protect her family, as well as taking her destiny in her own hands. I would definitely recommend if you love a hero who is sweet, kind, always working to improve the lives of the people who work for him and worships the woman he is destined to fall for. I am highly looking forward to exploring Tina Gabrielle's backlist and I can not wait for the next installment in this series!

Will keeping her identity secret protect her from heartbreak…

My first read by the author was two years ago, and I loved it so even if I knew it was crazy to add one more book to my insane reading schedule, I wanted to read it. So here we are.
I much liked this story, for its foray in a different culture and its demonstration how differences have always been seen as difficult to accept out of ignorance and ill founded prejudices.
Ana had to rebuilt herself when her life took an altering turn and she had not other mean to provide for herself and her much younger brother. So she is now reaching her thirstiest birthday, and as a life of drudgery is her only future, she wants to have a taste of passion even if it is just once. She just never expected to see again the man who introduced her to sensuality, nor him being the son of the man who ruined her family.
Worse, he is likable and as she gets to know him, he is not the uncaring cold cruel men his father and elder brother were. So she is torn between her attraction and her need to keep going by hiding who she is.
Oliver is a far cry from his sire and late brother, he never followed in their steps of profligacy. Preferring quiet and work to keep the family estates running. He even tried to undo some of their wrongs, but has been unable to located the victims of his father’s deeds.
And while he knows his duty to his title, he can’t forget the woman he unexpectedly encountered when dragged to a party he did not want to attend. She left such a mark, he began to look for her until he sees her again the least likely place he thought he would meet her.

Their romance is marred by unsaid, hidden identity, past wounds and lasting scars plus the usual meddling side characters. Yet as their relationship shifts, will it last the fire of passion and the exposure of the truth.
I loved them together, as they slowly drop their defenses and Ana get to know the man behind the title.
I am just curious to know how she transitioned from a lady to her new identity with a much young brother to care about.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen detailed lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Entangled, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

A beautiful story. Ana is living under an assumed name after her family has been shattered. She sees only a bleak future for herself and sets out to get one night of pleasure. Oliver is the new Earl and it is not a job he wanted. He takes the task seriously and tries to avoid the destructive elements of his father and brother. Fate brings these two together when their paths should not have crossed. The story has wonderful characters who are well developed. The conversations are witty and full-bodied. Ana and Oliver have some intimate and steamy scenes that help them get to their happy ending.

After her noble family falls into disgrace, Ana is forced to work as a lady's companion. With marriage out of the question, she decides that before her thirtieth birthday, she wants to experience one night with a handsome stranger. But when that stranger—Oliver, Earl of Drake—recognizes her as the companion of the girl his grandmother wants him to court, can Ana keep her secret? And will one night turn into something more?

First, I adored these characters. You get a strong sense of who they are from the very beginning. While Ana pretends to be proper, Oliver really is. He struggles between his feelings for Ana and the expectations that he make a brilliant match by society standards. I like that Ana's mother was Lebanese—it adds interest without being a huge issue. The steam level is about a 3 out of 5—the physical attraction between the characters is obviously important, but it doesn't drive the relationship arc.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is my first book from this author and I'm becoming a fan. This is a keeper. The Love story between Ana and Oliver was sizzling on the pages. It's really fast pace and there is no villain. An excellent read.
I voluntarily reviewed this ARC on my own voluption. Thanks the publisher and netgalley.

I love it when the main characters get together at the beginning of the book, putting the steam right upfront takes it to a whole new level. When Oliver takes "Lady Scarletts" virginity at a brothel, he becomes obsessed with figuring out her identity. When he finds out she's the chaperone to the young debutante he is courting, he quickly uses that connection to pursue Ana Gardner.

Ana Gardner falls for Oliver pretty quickly until she realizes his family is the one that destroyed hers. She's torn between following her heart or keeping him at a distance.

Despite their initial meeting, this story was pretty substantial. Oliver and Ana had a lot to overcome to be together and Ana's young charge was a conduit to their union. I tore through this book and enjoyed all of the characters. Ana's story is pretty tragic so it was nice to see that Oliver was the man she needed to overcome her trauma.

I must admit that historical romances such as this are probably my biggest guilty pleasure when it comes to reading. There simply is something so comforting and familiar about these stories and they always make for a quick read.

So I was happy to discover that I got mostly exactly what I had hoped for from this book, but with a few very exciting and interesting twists.

I adored the main character Ana, her fierce personality and her unique back story. I found her to be a character that was easy to relate to and I especially liked that she didn’t change for the earl. I do so wish that we had got to know more about her heritage and her personal struggles with racism and/or discrimination throughout the story. It is easily understandable that her mother shielded her from prejudice throughout her childhood, but there’s no reason why she should be so sheltered after her mother’s death and especially after assuming another name and position. I wish Queenie had played a bigger role as Ana’s confidante in the story as well, and I wish Ana had shared more of her feelings with her.

That was done much better for Oliver, although I don’t know how to feel about the duke and couldn’t really gather from their interactions exactly why they are friends other than for the reason that they’re different to the other men that are introduced.

I liked the changing perspectives and how Oliver never pressured Ana and despite his dominant character didn’t overshadow her. He was a likeable love interest throughout most of the story (though in parts a bit of a saint compared to all the other men), so his behaviour close to the ending confused me. Looking at the rest of his relationship with Ana, and most importantly the scene where Ana tells him to ask for Minerva’s opinion in the conflict, it seems uncharacteristic for him to blow things out of proportion and listen to an accusation that Penelope’s mother voices out of spite because she thinks her daughter’s chances ruined.

And I completely understood why Ana wanted to hide her true identity in the beginning, then tried to distance herself from the earl, and when they finally came to an agreement, things happened so fast that I can see why she found it difficult to raise the topic.

So I just feel like the ending was overly dramatic and didn’t really fit the plot all too well, but thankfully the conflict was resolved rather quickly. And it was so kind of Ana to be so generous as to give up such a large part of her childhood for the sake of Penelope’s happiness.

Anyway, the book was a super quick and quite steamy read but nonetheless focused a lot on the establishment of an emotional and intellectual connection between Ana and Oliver. I enjoyed it a lot and am looking forward to the other books in the series.

4/5 stars.

This was kind of a rip off of Diana Quincys Her Night With the Duke: heroine has an Arab mother and a titled British father, she has a one night stand with a man who turns out to be courting her daughter figure, he’s obsessed with having a second encounter, she is less sure, they can’t be together but can’t stay away from each other. Even the secondary romance btn the daughter figure and a very inappropriate partner is similar. Didn’t hold up to Quincys original