I read and reviewed Lydia Lloyd’s When The Viscount Wanted Me as an advanced reader copy from Netgalley. The review is my honest review.

When The Viscount Wanted Me is the second book in the series by Lydia Lloyd. The story follows Henrietta and Tremberley as they embark on a steamy affair and marriage. Henrietta finds herself in a sticky situation with a lover. Trem rescues Henrietta, his best friend’s younger sister, from ruin.

First I'll start with what I loved and respected about this book. The best friend’s brother trope always pulls me in. I also enjoy a good age-gap story. Henrietta chose to explore sexuality as a debutante, even though there is a risk to her reputation if it were to be discovered. But her curiosity did not deter her, and she felt little shame about it. This was a departure from most historical romances, where the heroine feels remorse at the loss of her virtue. I liked that about Henrietta. Her affair with Trem is off-the-charts steamy. Loved Trem’s dirty talk. Absolutely perfection!

There were a few aspects of the story and writing that failed to captivate me. There were too many side plots that made the story cumbersome. For example, the side story regarding Henrietta vying for the editorship. Also her entire parentage. In addition, I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two characters. Yes, they had plenty of sex, but I never understood the love connection outside of the sexual attraction. I didn’t see what they say in one another (besides the attraction) as though they didn’t really know one another’s character or personality. It felt their relationship was based on lust and not love.

The book also suffers from too much internal dialogue from the characters. I skipped several pages feeling the dialogue was unnecessary. It would definitely be improved by additional editing.

Overall I would definitely give Lydia Lloyd another try in the future. The story was steamy and there were good elements. Yet the cumbersome writing and side plots outweighed the good aspects of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for my ARC copy. #netgalley #lydialloyd

This is the first book I’ve read by Lydia Lloyd and it reminded me of old school HistRoms in its plot, but brought up to today’s standards in its details. Consent! Not every character is white! There is more to life than ballrooms!

From virtually start to finish the MCs are horny for each other and don’t deny themselves. Lloyd takes the brother’s best-friend/childhood crush tropes and gives us the best story in Henrietta and Trem, two MCs who are DTF and otherwise just perfect for each other.

I enjoyed their story and their shenanigans! If you enjoy HistRoms where the MCs can not keep their hands off each other this book is for you!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is book 2 of the Rake Chronicles, and follows the sister and best friend of the MMC from book 1; we first met Hugh, the Viscount of Tremblay, as the best friend of John Breminster, the Duke of Edington, and the owner of the estate where John meets and falls for Catherine Forster, as adults. Henrietta Breminster is the younger sister of John, and the saving of her dowry, because of the will of their father, the late Duke, was the quest John and Catherine embarked on in book 1, and in that first book, the family secrets of the Breminster family are exposed.

This book occurs several years later, after John and Catherine have been married and started a young family of their own, with a toddler son. Henrietta lives with them, and has been out in Society for several years. She is a popular young woman, wealthy, beautiful, charming, and sought after, but has not yet found someone she wants to wed. She has nurtured an infatuation for her brother's best friend since childhood, but always figured he was unattainable. But being a witness to the love matches of her brother and friends, she wanted a taste of passion herself, and thought to achieve that by dallying with her own friend, Justin, the young Earl of Hartley. What she did not realize was that he did not see it as a friends with benefits situation, but as a claim to her, having likely a hidden infatuation for her himself. He has taken their tryst uncomfortably far beyond what she intended, importuning her to marry him at every chance, despite her constant refusals.


Hugh overhears a drunken Hartley proclaiming his desires for Henrietta publicly at his club one night and is incensed by the public rending of Henrietta's reputation, but not being aware of how far things went. He takes it in his head to right the situation in lieu of his best friend, by dragging the drunken lord to the Duke's home for a reckoning. Luckily only Henrietta was home to witness the situation. She and Hugh end up alone to have a heated discussion of the situation, and Hugh is forced to acknowledge that Henrietta is no longer the sweet little sister he saw her as, and the situation becomes heated in a different way as he realizes that she is now a grown woman - and one that he has become increasingly attracted to.

This is a friends to lovers, forbidden fruit (best friend's sisters being off limits) romance, with Hugh and Henrietta rapidly progressing to having frequent, hidden trysts, and Hugh rapidly going from realizing that Henrietta is not a little girl anymore to giving up his rakish ways and reforming to a man who only wants her for his wife. Henrietta seemed initially reluctant to accept Hugh's proposal that she expected him to make out of guilt and honour because of his relationship to her brother, but rapidly changed her mind. Then the both of them have to weather the mine field of the secrets of their relationship and how much to expose to her intemperate brother.

But let's not forget, Henrietta has a deep, personal secret that she fears will cause Hugh to not accept her as his bride... and also causes her to question her own identity. Enough that she decides suddenly that she must confront her past before she weds Hugh, which initiates a scandalous runaway bride situation, which causes an angry rift between Hugh and John.

Also, still in the background, continuing to cause difficulties is the lovelorn, and angry Justin, Earl of Hartley, who feels that Hugh stole Henrietta from him, and is determined to take her back, no matter what.

Despite knowing each other and being friends since Henrietta was 14, Hugh did not see her as a woman and lover for many years after her debut. But once he did, he and Henrietta ramped up to lovers pretty rapidly - the steamy sex scenes started early and pretty rapidly. However, I do object to the quite frequent use of "pelvic muscles" in the initial interludes. It seemed to me to be too clinical for a romantic sensual scene and used frequently enough that I found it rather annoying, but luckily it was not peppered too much for the rest of the book.

Hugh and Henrietta were characterized as quite wild and impulsive characters - rather chaotically so and this was acknowledged in the story - while it explains much about the rapid build up of their relationship, and their choices, I have to admit, if they were real people in my life, their drama would be emotionally exhausting. But in a book, as a reader, it was fun and adventuresome. I enjoyed the connections and continuation of some of the story from book 1 as well.

Fun, rapidly paced story, with some emotional angst (and some of it more friendship related, than romance, between John and Hugh).

3.75 stars out of 5

3.75 stars rounded up. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I love historical romance and it is so great to see new authors to the subgenre. I definitely will continue to read from Lydia Lloyd and enjoy her presence on Instagram rounding up scenes, tropes and history in historical romance.

This is a very high steam level book with intimate acts that really push the envelope. If you like a slow burn or lower steam, this won't be your cup of tea, but there is a lot of character and relationship development with Henrietta and Trem, even though this could look like insta-lust. Not to spoil anything but this couple doesn't have sex in a bed until like the 4th time.... it really is steamy and puts the pedal to the metal.

Brother's best friend is also usually a hard sell for me but this handles it well. There are multiple conflicts throughout the story but they are all resolved. Some of them are internal character work for the hero and heroine, some do have to do with their relationship with Henrietta's brother and sister-in-law and one is external with a silly villain. That subplot I could have done without, although I understand its purpose considering what sets this story in motion.

I will definitely continue to read from Lloyd due to her smart, liberal characters and her diversity. There's a real heart to this romance as well as it being very steamy.

Well, Lydia Lloyd has made a fan out of me. This is the first book by her I've read, but the second in a series. I loved that at no point did the men in Henrietta's life--her brother and her brother's best friend--ever try to blame or shame her for sleeping with a man out of desire. It's historical romance, afterall, so she's expected to marry the man she "loses her virtue" too, but Henrietta is a smart and capable heroine who knows that she should not marry a man she does not love, and sex is not love.

The man she DOES love is her brother's best friend. Another aspect of this novel that I enjoyed is Henrietta's relationship with Trem, the man she's loved since she was fourteen. The two do have a passionate relationship (so much sex in this book), but they also have lots of long talks, and get to know about each other's families. They support one another. As a reader, you want them to end up together, and there is no doubt that they belong together.

I really can't wait to read what Lydia Lloyd has in store next.


Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Opening a book with the MMC POV being all melancholy because his best friend is happily married and a new father, he now isn’t feeling being a rake and is starting to feel like he is missing something. Best friend’s little sister my new favorite trope. Not even 50% and there were so many good storylines happening. So much spice but does not take over the plot.

The second book in the Rake Chronicles, Lord Hugh Aldershot, the Viscount of Tremberley is best friends with Lady Henrietta Breminster's older brother. She has had feels for Hugh for a long time. Their story is engaging with very good characters. I enjoyed seeing them get a happy ending with the twists and turns they went through. I want to read the next book. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

What a fun historical romance! The chemistry between the two main characters, Trem and Henrietta, is palpable. I love that there is mutual pining, but we don't have to wait too long for the tension between them to completely explode. The spicy scenes were creative and fun and I LOVED that the main character wasn't a simpering innocent (though that trope has a time and place.). The inclusion in this book is phenomenal and goes to a level that so few modern historicals get close to. My only critique is that I wanted to get to the wedding quicker, but the character development that happened between their engagement and wedding was well written, so I can't complain too much!

BOOK: WHEN THE VISCOUNT WANTED ME
AUTHOR: LYDIA LLOYD
PUB DATE: JANUARY 2024
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
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I requested this book because I read and liked the first book in the series and this was just as good as this. I liked that Henrietta and Trem got their story and I loved seeing John and Catherine again.
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This book was unlike any historical romance I've read. It was very spicy, lots of opened door scene during the short courtship, and I've never seen an ex as annoying at Hartley, he was so frustrating! The fast paced-ness was a bit jarring, but I came to like it since they both had an extensive history.
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I loved how both of them found each other and helped each other. They fit each other perfectly and it was amazing to read this book. The author did a very good job. You should definitely read this book
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4.5 ⭐️/5
3.0 🌶️/5

Are you into a forbidden romance? Let’s say between older brother’s best friend/best friend’s lil sis? Do you like a FMC in a historical romance who takes what she wants? 😉 Then you’ll like When the Viscount Wanted me from Lydia Lloyd.

What we get:
🔥Forbidden romance (best friend’s sister/older brother’s bestie)
🔥Age gap (22ish to 32ish)
🔥Regency period
🔥Sneaky stolen spicy moments 🥵
🔥Dual POV
🔥Found family
🔥Non-virgin FMC

I LOVE how not only horny Henrietta and Tremberley are for each other but also how supportive they are of one another. They’ve known each other for years and years, but something happens that makes them both see each other in a new light. A new sexy light. 🔥

These two are both impulsive but caring free spirits, and each have had to deal with the loss of their parents. They find a true sense of family with each other, and I absolutely love that.

One of my favorite things about this book is that that Henrietta is not a virgin, which is really rare in all of the historical romances I have read. I'm a bit tired about reading of the clueless female virgin, so when a FMC comes in and takes what she wants, I am rooting for her all of the way.

Thank you so much to blah and Lydia for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

This one is SPICY!!!!!!!! I was unprepared for it, but it was a nice surprise. The spiciness was sometimes a bit too much, but overall, it was a fun read. I'm curious about this series as this was my first book from Lydia Lloyd. I'm debating if I want to read book one or not.

Lydia Lloyd returns with another addition to her rake, chronicles series, this time featuring a spicy brothers, best friend romance!

When the Viscount Wanted Me picks up a few years after the first book, focusing on Henrietta, the little sister of John from book one and what does no right away that she’s not just someone’s little sister anymore! She’s been out for a few seasons and has decided to see what love and passion is all about after her unacquainted love for her brother’s best friend Trem has gone unfulfilled. Why not intimacy is all about with her best friend? What she learned is that it’s a whole Lotta trouble and bother when it’s with the wrong person! Lucky for Henrietta, Trem here is all about her exploits and attempts to come to her rescue… And ends up, providing some intimacy lessons himself!

This book was an absolute delight! I love how the chemistry, attraction, admiration and interest in each happens, almost as an Insta love, when Trem finally looks at Henrietta and stop seeing John‘s little sister, and starts seeing her as the love of his life.

As I have come to expect with Lydia Lloyd’s work, she brings out all the best classic historical romance tropes (Brothers, best friend, for engagement, love triangle, roadtrip) in her characteristically fun and fresh way. Her love and knowledge of history (spicy history!!!) and historical romance is obvious as she creates these love letters to the genre.

When the Viscount Wanted Me was a wild ride, and I’m excited to see where The Rake Chronicles series takes us next, as the other rakes find their own HEA’s!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for my e-book review copy. Opinions are my own.

Lady Henrietta Breminster thought that experimenting with her friend the Earl of Hartley was just two friends with no commitment, but Hartley has decided that it means she's going to marry him. Lord Hugh Aldershot, the Viscount of Tremberley, overhears a drunken Hartley spreading what he thinks are rumors about his best friend's little sister and decides it's his duty to quiet them. Only Hartley isn't lying and now Trem is seeing Henrietta in a light he never thought possible. Thus begins an affair that quickly leads to an engagement and the need to get Hartley to accept that he's not marrying Henrietta.
I'm amazed smoke didn't come out of my e-reader with this one. It is an extra level of spicy I was not expecting from a historical. I'm not complaining, I just feel like it's something that deserves its own shout-out. To say that Trem and Henrietta have chemistry is a major understatement.
Also of note is that Lloyd wrote a very character-driven story that gives everyone ample motivation and growth. Every action even by side characters leads to something and helps move the story without ever feeling like it was just dropped there to move the story, if that makes sense. It was great to see the main couple interact with tons of different people and seeing how that affected their relationship and the steps they took moving forward.
It's a romantic, emotional, and, can't forget, spicy story that got me instantly caring about the characters and their situation. A very entertaining read that hit all the right spots.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the spicy romantic read!

When the Viscount Wanted Me is the second book in the Rake Chronicles series. This is a continuation of the plot from the previous book but this time it revolves around John's sister Henrietta and his best friend Lord Hugh Aldershot, the Viscount of Tremberley, AKA Trem.

Henrietta found out that the late duchess was not her mother, and that she was the result of the romantic liaison of her father and Mary Forster. John and Henrietta are determined to keep the secret within the family.

Henrietta has always had a little bit in love with Trem since she was young and he felt the same way, but he would never think of trying to court his best friend's sister. Everything changes when he brings a drunken man, claiming to be in love with Henrietta who is claiming loudly for all to hear that he has compromised Henrietta, to see John. When she answers the door in a robe he is stunned at her beauty and womanly attributes which are hinted at beneath her clothing his feelings change to desire and more. They become involved is a physical relationship that burns deeply that they take risks to be together.

While looking for wedding dresses with her best friend and mother, Henrietta sees the loving relationship between them, she longs for contact with her own mother and runs off to get to know her. This will create tension between John and Trem as he accuses him of despicable acts, they fight and argue. Trem is determined to find Henrietta so they can be married. But the gossips rags write lies which only makes John sure that Trem has ruined his sister which makes things worse. The drunken lovesick man has plans of his own and is determined that he will marry Henrietta which puts them all in danger.

This was a wonderful continuation of the first book. The main characters are great fun and very entertaining. In the previous book John was much calmer. In this one he was overprotective of Henrietta, almost out of character from what we had read before, but still entertaining. I enjoy reading stories where we get to learn more about the characters even if they are not the primary ones of the story.

An entertaining book, well written, with gorgeous steamy scenes (maybe even too many of them). But very few things happened in the story and the characters basically just recognized that they had been in love with each other for a long time. I think that a novella-length book would have been enough and I would have trimmed this a lot, cutting off some of the characters’ musings. I found myself skimming some parts to see if something more happened. And it didn’t… So I would have definitely recommended a little editing. But I still look forward to the following book of the series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was steamy, kept me reading and I didn't want to put i down. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book! The second in the Rake Chronicles, this follows Duke John Breminster’s sister Henrietta. I would highly suggest reading When the Duke Loved me first as many characters are connected and some relationships are crucial to understanding the plot. When Trem (Viscount of Tremberley) overhears a conversation from Justin, Earl of Hartley impugning the virtue of Henrietta, he finds himself stepping in and defending her honor. But it doesn’t take much for Trem to quickly start seeing Henrietta as more than his best-friend’s little sister, and want her virtue for himself.
This book is so hot. There are multiple intimate scenes—too many to count—and Trem and Henrietta find any excuse to get together. Their relationship seemed so natural to me, as if it’s always been there, just waiting to surface until the right time. Even though neither of them is a novice, there’s still so much learning and playfulness with one another and I was completely there for it! Lydia Lloyd knows how to write a sex scene and some of my favorite moments were when Trem would practically demand that he find a moment alone with Henrietta. His frustration was palpable! I’m also a sucker for a romance where the hero doesn’t care about the heroine’s past, her exploits, her status, or her wealth and just wants her for her. Trem makes no bones about wanting Henrietta and it’s her young girl’s dream come to fruition.

Mother-daughter relationships are explored in this book and I found Henrietta’s longing to know her mother so heartwarming, especially before her biggest day—her wedding. A secondary mother-daughter relationship is present with Henrietta’s friend Cassandra Seymour and motherhood is also used for comic relief with Catherine’s child.

Tropes abound, but I found them to be well utilized and fitting to the story. Read this if you enjoy only one room at the inn, brother’s best friend, and carriage travel. The villain in this story is so good (how he’s both humorous and dimwitted at the same time is “chef’s kiss”). And if you enjoy a romance without a third act breakup, this one delivers. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I received this advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
4.5 stars

3.5 Stars
When Lord Hugh Aldershot, the Viscount of Tremberley, overhears the drunken Earl of Hartley claiming to have bedded Lady Henrietta Breminster, his best friend’s little sister, he is livid. He drags the passed-out earl to Breminster House to face punishment, only to find himself face-to-face with Lady Henrietta in a sexy night dress and little else. When Lady Henrietta Breminster sees the Viscount of Tremberley dragging the unconscious Earl of Hartley to her doorstep, she panics. Now she must ask Tremberley to help her keep her biggest mistake from the gossips of the ton.
This is the second book in the series & also the author’s second book. A well written book which I enjoyed. The pace is good the characters were well portrayed & had some depth but I felt that they were in lust rather than love, yes the physical chemistry was there but the emotional not so much. However it was a fun, entertaining steamy read & I did prefer it to the first book
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Complicated progeny...

Trem, 32, is a bored rake who overhears that his best friend (a duke) that his little sister has been tupped by a whining earl. Henrietta did indeed do the deed with Justin. They both share rumors about their parentage but after the tuppingl, Justin wanted marriage to Henrietta, as she was the best he ever had. Trem, always thought of Henrietta as almost like a little sister, as she is ten years younger than he. But his interest is sparked because Justin wants her and he sees her in her racy nightdress.

Trem and Henrietta get very busy, a lot. But Justin is determined and a bit deranged, so drama.
I liked that everyone was hooking up.

I was so excited to read another book by Lydia Lloyd and this one didn’t disappoint!

I really loved how hard Trem fell for Henrietta. She may have fallen first but he definitely fell harder and I am all about it! I also really enjoyed that once they were in and admitted their feelings, they were all in. Most of the conflict was external and they handled it together rather than happening between the couple.

This historical was heavy on the spice, especially early in the story which was great! But I also appreciated the relationship and emotional growth happening later in the book.

Can’t wait for whatever Lydia Lloyd does next!