Kate Pearce: Simply Carnal

No passion is too decadent and no desire is too exotic at Madame Helene’s Pleasure House–an exclusive brothel in Regency England that offers the ultimate in erotic delights. . .

Powerful Seduction

Christian Delornay has observed so many illicit liaisons at his mother’s house of pleasure he regards sex as merely an enjoyable pastime, certainly not an act of love. So when a young widow arrives in search of work, Christian hires her as his assistant with the intention of instructing her in the ways of sensual seduction. . .

Passionate Surrender

Desperate to escape her past, Elizabeth “Smith” is happy to accept Christian’s offer of work. She is prepared to serve his every need, yet she refuses to reveal her most intimate desires. But in the hands of a master it is impossible to deny her own wanton yearnings, and she soon succumbs to her secret longing for pure carnal pleasure. . .

Number seven in a series by Kate Pearce called House of Pleasure, Simply Carnal features the manager of the pleasure house and a mysterious woman who shows up on the doorstep.

This was my first exposure to Pearce, outside of Twitter, and boy can she write erotica. If you are looking for diverse historical romance that hits one or more fetishes or orientations, the House of Pleasure series probably has something for you.

Most of the action takes place in the Pleasure House, which is not a brothel as much as a bathhouse (without the baths) where the Upper Orders can indulge in kinks and coitus. Generally, I found the historical elements on point and did the work to support compelling storytelling. So while its a different side of Regency life than the typical ballrooms or house parties, there are still many elements historical romance fans will find familiar and fun.

I should state, before getting in to the H/H, that there is content that may be difficult for victims of sexual assault/human trafficking/abuse. Most is handled tastefully with a focus on healing from past abuse, but some readers may find the content nonetheless too challenging.

Elizabeth has found her way to the back door of the Pleasure House desperate and looking for work. Christian immediately senses a backstory, and seeing a woman near death, takes her in to nurture her back to health. Once she has improved, she is given the task of his assistant…and all that carries with it.

Elizabeth does not have the maidenly modesty of other women of her era because of past exploitation and abuse. And although the Pleasure House is not a brothel, her work as assistant requires her to engage in a variety of sexual activities. The challenge is getting her to share her true self, and ask for help.

Christian is a hardened man, managing the Pleasure House for his infamous mother, and finding his own pleasure but untouched by love. Friends fear he is on the path of no return, blackening his soul with the darker sexual side and an almost dangerous devotion to work.

These two seem like an unlikely pair, but Pearce makes their romance seem plausible. Both have full character arcs and growth, and its easy to see how these two need each other on a real fundamental level.

There are villains, subterfuge, and lots of action both in the bedroom and on the streets, in this fast moving book. There are a lot of sex scenes, some with multiple partners or different types of “play” and some of it is explicit…so much more towards erotica than mass market hist-rom. Violence and other adult subject matter is also at play, so this is not a book for a kisses only type of reader.

I am definitely interested in checking out more Pearce. Although I found elements of her writing very different from the stable of RegRom, I did think the elements she plays with add a dimension worth exploration for brave readers.

5 Stars 4 out of 6 Fiery, erotic romance with two unlikely lovers