Member Reviews

A spicy historical menage. Merritt and Elliot were an arranged marriage who conveniently fell in love. But Elliot knows that Merritt had a first love before they married, and that her parents had considered him unsuitable and separated them. So for an anniversary treat, he takes Merritt away for a few days in the country and arranges for Peter to...join them. Now a successful playwright, Peter is surprised to find that his patron is actually Merritt's husband. He's shocked but not disinterested in Elliot's proposal.

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

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Loved the characters and premise! Very steamy and kept you interested through the very end. Looking forward to the other books in this series!

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I didn't love how the husband tricked both Merritt and Peter, and then it went from shock to immediately into bed, nor how the husband knew about her previous relationship, kept his knowledge a secret, and also became the patron to aspiring playwright Peter without telling his wife. I dunno, that mix of secrecy and jealousy wasn't sitting right with me so DNF.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
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Jess Michaels is one of my favorite authors. This book is a great introduction to her erotic novels. If you think two lovers are good, why not introduced three. Definite. Must read if you are a Jess Michaels fan and a fan of ménage à trois.

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I dragged my feet writing this review because I usually enjoy Jess Michaels' books. Unfortunately, this felt more like erotica than erotic romance to me, with a real fast tumble into bed for the marchioness and her new lover (orchestrated by her husband) and no emotional buildup prior. Then there's more sex and eventually we get to some romance, but since it's a novella, there wasn't enough for me to want an HEA. I'm happy that they're happy, but I wanted some more depth/expansion on their intellectual connection and not just the physical. Some of the sex feels almost mechanical because of it, which isn't how things usually go in Michaels' books. That said, I haven't read any of her novellas and novellas are tricky to balance.

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WOW. This book is very steamy and I loved it. It's not every day a spouse gives the other a hall pass for a week of passion.There is a lot of steaminess going on but not much of a story.

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This series balances beteen steam and some relationship and character building and real connection which works for me

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The marquess and marchioness have been married for over 10 years and have three beautiful children. They have a wonderful marriage and a very strong relationship in the bedroom. But before she married her husband in a marriage of convenience, she was desperately in love with her childhood sweetheart, Peter. The marquess figured out their history and has been supporting Peter in his playwriting for years, which has turned into an awkward attraction between the two men. the Marquess makes a bold move and invites him to a secluded cottage for Merritt’s birthday, wanting to fulfill her longtime fantasy of a threesome. But it will also hopefully lead to the exploration of the growing attraction between the two men as well. While it is difficult to share his wife with her long lost love, they work through the difficult emotions to all find love for each other.

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This book is different than what I usually read. Merritt and Elliot are married but something is off in the marriage. Merritt feels Elliot is hold back which put a slight strain on marriage. Elliot decides to spice things up by giving Merritt a gift of her first love, Peter. The three of them start an affair to explore what they want and need but like all relationships emotions get tangled. This book is a steamy romance. Not spoilers....The characters are interesting. It can be a stand-alone book or read in the series. I would recommend this book and the author. I look forward to reading the next book.

**I received this book from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The first book in the Theirs series, and after reading this book I want to read the rest of the series. Elliot and Merritt the Marquess and Marchioness of Egerton have been in a very good marriage for the last ten years, but he knows she still thinks of her first love Peter Reid. He is going to surprise her for her birthday. I enjoyed seeing this well written story get a happy ending.

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Great start to a new series! Elliot decides to take his wife away for her 30th birthday and her present is her former love, Peter. The twist is Elliot is attracted to him as well. The three explore whether they can make a relationship work or is their time together limited to this getaway.

As always, the chemistry and story are wonderful! I look forward to more in this ménage series.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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The Marquess and Marchioness of Edgerton have a very solid relationship after ten years of marriage, bound by a deep physical connection. Yet, Elliott is very much aware of how their marriage tore his wife, Merritt, away from her first love, Peter Reid, when they were younger. Her father forced her into an arranged marriage with Elliott instead, and Elliott, ever seeking to make her happy, has arranged a special birthday retreat for her complete with a highly unorthodox gift.

Merritt is thoroughly shocked when Peter arrives at the cottage where she and her husband are meant to share a private week. She is even more gobsmacked when Elliott shares his idea to let her have every fantasy she’s ever imagined, with both him and Peter. Merritt can’t refuse such an appealing suggestion but isn’t quite prepared for the powerful emotions that come along with the pleasure.

Peter has come a long way from the poor boy he was when he and Merritt were first in love. He’s now a successful playwright, partly thanks to Elliott’s patronage, and he knows who he is and what he wants. He wants both Merritt and Elliott, but making anything work beyond their stolen, shared week together may be a tall order.

I was very surprised by how emotional this book turned out to be. It was, of course, also very steamy, but those scenes featured a progression that was very much based on the foundation of the characters’ feelings for one another. As those feelings grew and deepened, their intimate encounters also grew longer and more involved. I also loved that this was a short book with no time for any misunderstandings or added angst. All drama was simply derived from the tension between Elliott, Merritt, and Peter as they tried to come to terms with their individual feelings and what they meant for them as a unit. They each worked to communicate openly and understand one another’s needs, even when they didn’t understand what their own needs were, and I found that to be very endearing. If you like a solid, character driven plot with your high steam read, this one is worth checking out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Elliot, the Marquess of Egerton has a birthday present for his wife Merritt that he hopes she will love. Elliott has been with Merritt for 10 years, so he thinks that she deserves something really special. Elliott takes her to seaside fully furnished isolated cottage where her birthday present remains inside. Merritt is excited to see what it is and discovers that it is her first love, Peter Reid. Merritt is surprised especially when Elliott grants her; her greatest wish to be intimate with Peter no holds barred while he also participates. Merritt not only shows how much she loves Elliott but also craves Peter. Peter brings out so much in both of them showing his desires for not only Merritt but also Elliott as well. As the week winds down with each erotic encounters between all three, secrets will be uncovered, and their feelings will all be tested that could shake the very foundation of Merritt and Elliott’s relationship.
This is definitely a raunchy bit of erotica that if you wanted to walk on the wild side of historical romance and aren’t a stickler for correct Regency protocol then it’s fine. Sure, it’s definitely porno with plot but it still isn’t a fun wicked read. There also isn’t a lot of character development and the story has some major gaps yet isn’t hard to follow. Luckily, the book is told in a three-person point of view so it’s pretty easy to get into everyone’s head. In truth, Elliott appears to be getting the short end of the stick even though he still fulfills Merritt physically their relationship always feels like it isn’t strong enough to survive. Peter’s story also isn’t finished especially since he joins later. Merritt seems to get everything though. So, this isn’t a book for readers that want a true historical and just want to enjoy the darker side of them. Will I keep the book and reread it? Well, I already brought it and yes, I have read it a few times. Also, I just like Ms. Jess Michaels stories so there is that.

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This was just ok and I’m not sure I would recommend it to other readers. I can usually read a novella of this length in one sitting but it took me almost a week to get through this. The set-up of the story is interesting - husband offers up his wife’s first love as a birthday gift - but the story did not deliver. I get that this is the type of story where sex is driving the plot rather than the other way around, but I still need an emotional hook to pull me through the story. Also I found the sex scenes to be boring and mostly clinical descriptions of what was happening, with cringy dialogue that I think was supposed to make things steamy but did not work for me at all. The characters were underdeveloped, in particular the female main character, Merritt. She’s really only defined in the context of her feelings for the two male main characters, I don’t think I am know her at all even by the end of the book. I thought the relationship and attraction between Elliot and Peter was much more interesting because we know something beyond just what drives them sexually. I do think the author sold me on these three being in love and making sense as a throuple. But I was bored and not really invested in getting to the resolution. In sum, there’s a kernel of a good story here but it’s missing that emotional undercurrent that pulls in the reader.

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3.5 Stars - This story was a little different than what I'm used to, but in saying that Elliot, Merritt, & Peter make the story work. Jess Michaels has excellent writing skills. I am sure readers who enjoy this type of story will be thrilled.

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There were two particular things I liked about Jess Michaels' THEIR MARCHIONESS, which was overall a fun, sexy menage romance. The first was thinking about the internalized effects of societal homophobia in a historical sense; even after years of chasing a life of pleasure with his wife (including some very public engagement at a sex club), Elliot struggles to think of himself as someone who is allowed to desire men, even in the privacy of his vacation house, even after arranging for his wife's first love to join them for a week of debauchery. The second was the discussion of jealousy not as a fear of having to share the person you love, but as the fear of exclusion; Michaels casts the emotion not necessarily as covetous or possessive, but rather as the fear that someone else will take your place. There's a lot in not a lot of space, here! There's emotional development and also three people going on a sex vacation. This is a tight, clever, fun little novella.

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Their Marchioness is a passionate, heartfelt romance that is full of emotional awakening and growth between three people. Jess Michaels' writing has a beauty and ease that make it very accessible to the reader. Michaels' builds a sensual world of discovery while taking care in the exploration of a couple who is happily married who opens their understanding of their relationship and desires up to another partner. While this novel is full of steam, Michaels' perfectly balances it with the inner growth of each of her characters. This novella really focuses down on the relationship of a husband and wife who have learned to be the perfect partner for the other even though their marriage was one that is arranged. It is a story of a husband trying to give his wife the thing he believes she has lost and regrets not having. It is a story of an awaking for the husband in not only what he feels for his wife but what he feels for another man. This deeply sexy story uses the physical relationship between these three people to create a deeper understanding of what love is, what desire is, and what happiness looks like for them. Michaels creates a well rounded story within this novella and it is the perfect treat for a cozy evening read. I highly recommend this novella and I am looking forward to the continuation in this series. If you have not had the opportunity to pick up a Michaels novel yet, this is a perfect starting place!

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Well that was way hotter than I expected!

Jess Michaels' writing balances hot and heavy scenes with emotion, tells characters' story through sex and how people find themselves through it. This is an emotionally driven book, lower on plot, and HEAVY on the steam.

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Holy Hotness Batman!

How my Kindle did not go up in flames is a mystery to me! Jess Michaels, you have outdone yourself. This book is an incredibly sensual romance read but is also a beautiful love story! I enjoyed every minute of Elliot, Merritt and Peter’s story!

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 is an unputdownable, read in one sitting romance . I’m giving it the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

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This was a fast little novella featuring my current favorite trope of "why choose" with a little bit of "marriage of convenience" meets "childhood love." Without too many spoilers, this is MMF with, as they say "sword crossing." The story is exactly what is on the tin, and you wont be disappointed.

The obvious HEA allows the reader to enjoy the fun stuff without any angst. The shorter format gets the story going quickly, but Michaels puts a surprising amount of character development into a short work. The plot works for the characters as we know them and is reasonable/realistic. The historical aspect is fun, though like many romances, everyone being wealthy, accomplished and preternaturally hot smooths out a lot of the details.

A fun and steamy read that has me very excited for more in the series.

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