Carole's Monday: Unclaimed

Author: Courtney Milan

Narrator: Polly Lee

Title: Unclaimed

(Turner #2)

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: Audiobook

Published: September 20th 2011

Where I got It: Audible 

Summary: 

Her only hope for survival...

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.

Is to ruin the man she loves...

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse--seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs and the love she knows is impossible.

Review:

I adore the author, liked book 1, AND this fits a reading challenge....so of course, I had to download it. 

I would recommend reading book 1 first. There are a lot of backstory for the brothers there. 

Here we follow Jessica and Mark. Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in London. He is known far and wide for his irreproachable character and for the book about how men should stay virtuous. He comes across Jessica and he can't stop thinking about her. He has been waiting for her all his life. However, Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Marks believes she is. She is desperate to be free of that life and live in peace, however, she has to seduce Mark and tarnish his good name before she gets the money that will give her what she wants. Love, of course, makes her job that much harder. 

Mark is a good egg and deserves the best. Jessica also deserves all the love and happiness. Poor thing was tossed on the streets and has been just surviving for so long. And the big reveal about what her last "protector" did to her???? Ooo I was seeing red! She is a darling and didn't deserve the life she was forced into. I was mad at her a couple of times, but I understood where she was coming from. 

That ending was good. I'm glad Jessica got to do what she got to do (no spoilers from me). I think it was perfect and it was therapeutic and the only real way she can move forward into her new life with Mark and society. 

The only issue I had was that one of the resolutions with Jessica's family...seemed too easy. The dad really needed to be punished or something. SMH. 

I had no idea how everything was going to be fixed. This relationship seemed impossible, but Mark and his family are clever so I knew it would be fixed. 

The narrator was great. Perfect voices. I didn't recognize the voice, but I hope she narrates book 3!

In the end, this was a lot of fun. I really adored this couple. They deserved the best life has to offer them. They had some rough childhoods. I think I liked this better than book 1. The romance was pretty impossible, but the family was able to make it work. I do think how they resolved one issue was resolved TOO easily. Other than that....I adored this story. Great characters, great narrator, and a romance I kept rooting for. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Challenge(s):
- #20 for Audiobook challenge

- #14 for Romance Reading Challenge - Yellow dress