Trade of a lifetime
by Rebecca Aubrey

James Robertson is a rough, ready, self made man and is David Chadbourne ,Earl of Anterleigh’s biggest rival with whom James has a business despite. James barges into David Chadbourne’s home meeting Lady Clara who James takes a shine to and wastes no time in propositioning her. Lady Clara is a spinster of independent means and her own home and has a secret life.

A well written book with a few twists for good measure. 3.5/5

A spinster with secrets. A self-made industrialist. Forbidden passion.

Lady Clara Chadbourne quietly devotes herself to covert pursuits an earl’s sister shouldn’t even ponder in 1849. Her London charity opens her eyes and cements heart-warming friendships. She has a penchant for piano but doesn’t apply herself to virtuous pieces, oh no. Clara’s tastes run ardent.

James Robertson has built a commercial empire—and a fortress around his heart. Nobles like David Chadbourne judge his uncouth muscles and humble Scottish origins. Barging into the earl’s townhouse, James meets Lady Clara—opinionated, delectable, off-limits—and is knocked askew.

The chance encounter sparks an awakening, but Clara must refuse the liaison James proposes. Discovery risks her closeness with her brother and social ruination. It’s impossible…irresistible. With promises of secrecy and no sentimental entanglement, they indulge a passion that musses more than the bedsheets. It destroys their defenses, their plans.

Their arrangement will end in devastation...or in the trade of a lifetime.

James Robertson and David Chadbourne, Earl of Anterleigh, are business rivals. Confronting the Earl in his home over a property dispute, he meets the Earl's sister, Lady Clara. James does not waste any time to proposition her. At first she rebuffs him, but her body's response to him changes her mind. They begin a secret affair. As the weeks pass, their love grows but face more obstacles. James is one hot Scotsman. A new author for my TBR.
Very erotic and steamy!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed reading this historical romance by new-to-me author Ms. Aubrey. I believe this is her first historical romance and I found the story to be interesting and entertaining and it kept my attention all the way through. I think she did a nice job of bringing the story and characters to life and letting the emotions and feelings of the characters come through in her writing. You really feel as if you are in those moments with them. Clara and James have a wonderful dynamic and their chemistry is certainly strong. James was a strong and confident man, but had his moments of vulnerability when it came to Clara. Clara was pretty much kept sheltered as a society lady, but she certainly was a strong and independent woman by her own right. The interactions and dialogue between the two were a treat to read and I enjoyed the story overall. I will be looking forward to reading more of this authors' work in the future.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

4.5 stars
I did enjoy this story. James, was a commoner who didn’t follow any rules and didn’t rate the aristocracy. He had worked hard to create his wealth. Lady Clara longs for a less restrictive life, she does what she can to help others less fortunate but thinks if she marries, her husband would put a stop to her charity. James and Clara’s brother are rivals in business and although James and Clara come to an understanding, Clara is afraid of losing her brother’s love, should he find out what she’s been doing. This was an entertaining read, some parts near the beginning lacked paced and I would have liked an epilogue. There are some sad events but it does have a happy ending. I’m hoping to read more about James and Clara in the next book in the series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is exactly the type that I like. I prefer older heroines and heroes. The heroine in this book is the sister of an aristocrat. She is a spinster with her own household and still a maiden. Her brother is working with a merchant who is a tycoon. The tycoon, our hero, comes to the brother's house to see him for business and he meets the heroine. She is dressed in a spring time, butterfly and flower bedecked dress to tease her brother. The hero is smitten. He really wants a relationship with her. A discreet relationship ship. The hero visits the heroine and just asks her outright to become lovers, not realizing that although she is not young, she is still a virgin. And the heroine who wants to explore more, but not sure how much more, is confused by her response. So she kicks him out.
I was so happy with everything. This book hit every note that I liked, but I just couldn't get any interest in it. It did not carry me away like I liked. I think it is because there was too much talking and not enough action. This is one of those books that seems like a none ending conversation be tween the main characters. And this isn't the only book like this. I think I have read 4 books in the past weeks that were similar.
Either way, it is well written, but just too 'talky'. I give this book 3.5 stars and recommend reading with reservation.

In this story Lady Clara Is frustrated. As a woman, she feels the pressure to marry but needs to maintain her independence or risk losing Violet House, a refuge for women. James Robertson is her brothers biggest rival. Rejected by the upper class as he has made his name in trade. He propositions Lady Clara when he be,ieves, mistakenly, that she is a spinster because she takes lovers. Although initially outraged, Lady Clara soon becomes curious about all things sexual and believes James Robertson coukd be the man to scratch that itch! Although things start as a very formal arrangement with the requirement of these liaisons being secret and with no attachments, things soon start to change!

The beginning part of this book is very high in sexual content. There are lots of graphic sexual scenes and description. To be honest, it is well written but isn't going to be for everyone. I enjoyed the second part of the book more where we see more of Victorian England and James and Clara's relationship has developed.

The end of the book is very fast - I'd have preferred an epilogue... but this book is part of a series and other characters meet their matches so I'm hoping we will see more of Clara and James and find out the rest of their story!

Sadly I had to skim through this romance after the rushed and confusing relationship development between Lady Clara Chadbourne and James Robertson, business rival of Clara’s brother.
So much of the storyline seemed to take place without explanation which made the love between Clara and James unbelievable at times.

Trade of a Lifetime is Rebecca Aubrey’s first historical romance and I found her writing entertaining with characters that were easy to like. The story flows well the majority of the time and the initial chapters do grab your attention. Overall I enjoyed the story.

However, I found some areas highly redundant and overly detailed which caused me to lose interest in certain areas. The author crammed this book full of potential secondary stories, including characters that did not really add to the story between James & Clara, but introduced potential future books. Additionally this story includes several aspects of tragedy <spoiler> Clara’s parents dying while abroad, James’s dad dying on a whaling expedition, James being disowned by his adoptive parents because he chose not to become a minister, the warehouses fires, the mining disaster, and Clara & James experiencing a miscarriage </spoiler> and at times the repeated tragedy bogged the flow of the story.

This story focuses heavily on class differences and the scandals created if one marries a person from a “lower” class. During the Victorian era and the beginning of industrial creations a tradesman could do quite well for themselves. However, the nobility frowned on actual work—relegating even the richest of tradesmen as a lesser class— making the intermarriage between nobility & tradesmen taboo. This power struggle and classism is heavily expounded on throughout the entire story almost to the point of overwhelming the romance aspect between the MCs. I feel like it could have still been included in the story but it didn’t need to be beat like a dead horse.

Now the sex in this story is abundant and highly descriptive—if that bothers you then you might want to just skip this story.

Finally my biggest pet peeve <b> No Epilogue </b>, seriously after everything that happens in this book the story just freaking ends! This story is BEGGING for an epilogue!!

Overall rating- 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Lady Clara Chadbourne has a good life. She has her London charity, her female friends and her piano. However, when she meets James Robertson, she realises all that is missing in her life. He is also in awe, when he meets her, after barging into her brother’s house. When James proposes a liaison, Clara initially refuses but soon changes her mind when she realises that her feelings for James cannot be denied.
This is a story that has such intensity between the characters. Their romance threatens all that they hold true, and I at times wondered if there would be a HEA between them. Adult themes are handled with great care and respect for all involved. This was no light romance, but one filled with reality. The characters of Clara and James are revealed with honesty, making for an enjoyable read.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Seldom do I stumble across a story that manages to ensnare my attention as well this one did. At the risk of sounding cliché, I was past the point of no return after the first few pages.

Rebecca Aubrey did a fantastic job setting a clear tone from the get-go and never strayed far from the promise it offered. The way she structured the characters, the dialogue, the interactions and banters was just an absolute treat to indulge.

In any romance novel, I look for that spark. You know, the undefined thing that makes your heart beat a little faster.

It sparked, my heart fluttered.

This story brightened my week and will always have a special place on my shelf when I need another dose of pure happiness.

A spinster with secrets. A self-made industrialist. Forbidden passion.
Lady Clara Chadbourne quietly devotes herself to covert pursuits an earl’s sister shouldn’t even ponder in 1849. Her London charity opens her eyes and cements heart-warming friendships. She has a penchant for piano but doesn’t apply herself to virtuous pieces, oh no. Clara’s tastes run ardent.
James Robertson has built a commercial empire—and a fortress around his heart. Nobles like David Chadbourne judge his uncouth muscles and humble Scottish origins. Barging into the earl’s townhouse, James meets Lady Clara—opinionated, delectable, off-limits—and is knocked askew.
The chance encounter sparks an awakening, but Clara must refuse the liaison James proposes. Discovery risks her closeness with her brother and social ruination. It’s impossible…irresistible. With promises of secrecy and no sentimental entanglement, they indulge a passion that musses more than the bedsheets. It destroys their defenses, their plans.
Their arrangement will end in devastation...or in the trade of a lifetime.
I seem to have read this before. I remember distinctly the plot.
I can't find where I have read this book but it seems familiar.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.