I enjoyed this story with all the characters that were within this book. The main characters were Maria and Frederick.

Maria and Frederick have just got married. They have returned to get their luggage and something to eat. Because their train doesn't arrive for a bit. So they have time on their hands. What to do while waiting?

This was a fun short story to read. It had action and drama throughout. It had a few giggles within. There was a bit of steamy throughout.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

So very sexy! It was great. I'm happy I picked this up.

This was Fredrick & Maria’s story. After a quiet service in the village chapel, Maria is his wife. The boundaries have shifted. And after a two-year courtship and an agonising one-year engagement, Maria and Frederick can barely keep their hands from one another once they enter the front door. Perhaps a brief respite before departing for their honeymoon might make the long train ride bearable?
Interruptions abound, and to keep themselves distracted until they can have some privacy, Maria proposes they play parlour games. But during a game of Hide and Seek, Maria finds more than she was expecting. This was an intriguing slow-burn. Loved it. And a new author, for me. And am voluntarily leaving my review.

I was expecting a novella-length tale, but this is definitely a short story. In this brief historical romance, the bride and groom are newly wed and desperate to consummate their marriage, but they keep getting interrupted. The house is being cleaned, the housekeeper is anxious to prove her worth and keeps bringing them food. They've got a train to catch. To pass the time, they play some slightly naughty versions of children's games.

Short and sweet. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Maria has remarried, and unlike her unreformed first husband, her dear second husband, Frederick, is sweet, kind and incredibly proper. Now properly married, they. can't keep their hands to themselves, but interruptions pop up at every turn. Maria proposes they play parlour games. But during a game of Hide and Seek, Maria finds more than she was expecting.

A super quick, steamy, "historical" book. I was able to read the book in under 45 minutes. I don't generally read short pages (goodreads says it was 32 pages), so I found it hard to rate this book. It's not long enough to build character development, but within these short pages, you did get a feel for Maria and Frederick. It's definitely a great book for a quick read and if you like a steamy scene.

I rate this book as 3.5 🌟!

I'd like to say a huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, let me tell you that I have nothing against this book. This is exactly what some people need, it's exactly what some people want. I am not 'some people'.
The principle of this 30 minute read is pure regency smut. There's no way around saying this. That's just what it is.
I felt that the characters and the storyline weren't deep enough for me to be able to connect with them, however, I do understand that this was only a book that you could read in half an hour and I really can't expect serious character arcs from that.
Overall, I did like it, it just wasn't my thing. It's as simple as that.
If you're into quick romances and just pure light smut, this is a book for you, guaranteed. As for trigger warnings: obviously sex scenes, cheating, mention of death.
Thank you so much regardless for the DRC to NetGalley and Alivia Fleur of course! <3

These two have chemistry and steam that will not quit. The two main characters that light up the pages. The twists and turns add to the whole book. This is the whole package wrapped up in a nice entertaining, interesting and at times unexpected story.

This is a light, fun romp about a newlywed couple in the unfortunate position of having a looooong wait until they can celebrate their long-awaited marriage. Their efforts to find private time are amusingly thwarted as they grow increasingly desperate. This is a sweet, spicy pick-me-up perfect for lunch break or a a rainy afternoon.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Two newly weds, passion and a little secret…
Such a sweet and steamy short story! The author is very talented and I enjoyed this novella quite a lot. Pity she hasn’t written full length novels yet! I would buy them immediately. The two characters are well defined even in the few pages of the story and their chemistry showed! Definitely worth reading.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It is hard to give a detailed review about a book that is one chapter long, but the story was very nice and different.
It read more like an "ordinary people" ad opposed to aristocrats or spies or philanthropists. And the reader received a full life story told in the time of one day, the characters's wedding day.
The buildup to the event was very good, but I got a little lost or floundered when the heroine found the letter and just ran off in a rainstorm. I mean, was it not obvious her husband had no experience? Even I picked up on his fumbling. Even though it was iffy when the bride panicked and ran away, I felt it was a well rounded, if very short, tale. The author portrayed the bride's angst sublimely, I really felt her pain. But, running away solves nothing. I firmly believe a person should stand their ground. So, I gave this 4 stars and recommend giving 10 minutes to read it.

The author calls this a quickie. It is, but a lot happens when newlyweds try to consummate their marriage and keep getting interrupted by the staff. A game of hide and seek reveals a secret. Heat level 2.

Trope; virgin Hero, second chance at love

I have never read a book before where the hero is a virgin. This is quite the opposite of most historical romance and I loved it. The events leading up to the love scene was intense, and finally they're both dying to make love with no interruptions.

The only thing I didn't like was that it ended. I hope to read more from this author.

This was a short story - two chapters - so you do not get to know much about the main characters sadly but I did like them and felt they could have their own full-length novel! Maria has been courted by Frederick, someone very different than her last husband ( cheater, lots of mistresses ) yet she longs for Frederick's kisses as he has been so proper! Not wanting to disappoint Maria, whom he loves dearly, Frederick finds a way to prove himself a good lover however misunderstandings come about, and a rainstorm where passion is raging... maybe he isn't so proper at all :)

Maria is desperate to be alone with her new husband Frederick Fitzherbert but it seems that they will have to be creative if they are to be alone. Yet when she decides to play a game of Hide and Seek, she begins to wonder if her husband is not the honourable man she thought. Despite being a very short novella, this book manages to convey all the emotions needed for an engaging romance. A lovely read.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Just a touch
Perspective: Third person, I want to say it was all from the heroine’s perspective?


Basic plot:
Maria and Frederick are finally married after a long 2 year courtship and 1 year engagement. Ready to attend their honeymoon, they find ways to spend time waiting for the train – but secrets that hurt also come to light.

Give this a try if you want:
- A short read! Goodreads logs it as 32 pages
- Steamy feel for the page count – 1 partial and 1 full
- Widow heroine
- Focus on the couple (no mystery, dangers, etc) with some light emotional angst

Ages
- Heroine is 29, couldn’t find age for hero (would guess similar age though)

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this story! Frederick is so damn sweet as a hero, I just adored him. Especially as the ending is all revealed and I just melted...Maria I loved too. She is recovering from a husband that used her and hurt her and I’m so glad she has Frederick to heal all her wounds.

Another thing I liked about this one, was the heroine married down. The hero is a ‘mere’ mister and the heroine is a former Marchioness and daughter of a Baron. Society turns her back on her once the engagement was announced.

Once in awhile I come across an author that their prose just catches me. It makes me stop and reread passages because I love them so much. Makes me fall into the story so thoroughly I can’t be pulled out – and if I am I cannot wait to return. This is fairly rare for me, but I found it here. And in a short story no less, so I am utterly impressed with Alivia Fleur. I adored her writing style and I am left wanting more only because I am so sad it’s over.

I think shorts are hard to really establish that tension, some character depth, make the sex hot but still emotional, and wrap the story up in a complete way. I found that here but with such fabulous writing I was absolutely wanting more. All I have to say is I will be stalking Miss Fleur hard for further releases and definitely gobbling up her other shorts that are released. I was emotionally engaged with this characters and ending up loving them – I know in a full length novel she will absolutely decimate my heart in the best way.

Alivia Fleur's body of work gives you that quick shot of romance when don't have time to read a novella or a novel.

I was impressed with how quickly Fleur had me invested in this couple. I did not see the twist coming and it provided a twinge of angst followed by a nice surprise.

Alicia Fleur is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more of her stories!

I voluntarily read and reviewed aa advanced copy of this eARC thanks to the author via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#HideandSeek #NetGalley

Short but steamy read. It’s a little funny that they kept getting interrupted but at the end they managed to do what needed to be done.

I received an ARC of this short story and leaving my review voluntarily.

A fun, sweet historical romp between two newlyweds as they try to find their footing and find time alone together. This was only some 40 odd pages, so it’s a quick read. Honestly, I’d love a longer version of this too! The hero is shy, sweet, and unsure of himself which is a fresh change from the aristocratic alpha males we see so often! The heroine gave up her titles to marry her sweet country solicitor and wants nothing more than to consummate their marriage. This had great tension, a bit of angst running through, and great, fleshed out MC’s!

At 29, Maria, the widowed Marchioness of Walsham, never thought she would marry again, but now six years after the death of the Marquess, she is married once more. But this time, she is sure things will be very different because while the Marquess was a scoundrel and a rake, a country solicitor, Mr. Fredrick Fitzherbert is nothing like him!

And after 3 years mourning the Marquess, 2 years courting, and a year-long engagement, she is finally happily married and ready to move beyond the sweet kisses that she has shared with Fredrick, but one thing after another prevents our newlyweds from getting to know each other better, until a game of hide and seek leads Maria to a heartwrenching discovery and may end her marriage before it even begins.

This short story was a fun, quick read with very likable characters, a believable plot, and some very warm love scenes. The book isn’t perfect, there are numerous title errors and the heroine did overreact, but Fredrick is a sweetheart and together he and Maria are adorable. In the end, I loved this short story and would love to read more short stories about their road to HEA.

*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.*

Maria and Frederick have just married and they've come home to "relax" before leaving on the train, but his housemaid has people cleaning and painting in the upstairs bedrooms so they must wait in the parlor where the maid keeps interrupting them, so they play games to pass the time and keep from being naughty, but it doesn't exactly stop them.
This was sweet, sexy and fun.