Dreams of Desire by Cheryl Holt

Standard and uninspiring romance
3 stars

Lily has had a succession of jobs as a chaperone but her job with the John Middleton, Earl of Penworth is set to be her most daunting yet. So daunting, in fact, that she’ll do anything to escape the imposing earl and his evil twin wards, including drinking a love potion to catch herself a husband who will steal her away.

But when she ends up drinking the potion while staring at John, she sets of a chain of events that can only end in ruin or happiness that will last a lifetime.


This is the final book in the Spinster’s Cure trilogy after Promise of Pleasure and Taste of Temptation but each stands completely alone so there’s no need to read them in order.

Lily, like most of Holt’s heroines, is described as an independent, spirited female and I was delighted to find she actually was written as such. She had spirit and wasn’t afraid to stand up to John – and not just as a token gesture. Sure he was authoritative and demanding and she sometimes was led by him but on the whole she was feistier than most. John was Holt’s usual alpha male and arrogant to boot but I liked his interactions with Lily and liked their story.

Unfortunately, Lily and John’s story took up so little of the actual page count that it was hard to really get behind them or into their story. Other stories included step-mother Esther and half brother Edward and their desire to lay claim to the Earldom. There was John’s fiancé, Violet and her secret love for Edward. Then there was John’s mother, Barbara’s return from the continent and her subsequent affair with Philip. And finally there were the pointless evil twins and first their desire to get rid of Lily and second their dominatrix and twisted sexual desires. I cared little for any of the supporting characters and felt they wasted time away from the main story.

There were, as always, the usual Americanisms, modern slang and talk and general research errors which not only galled but pull you away from the story.

I think I’m going to have to give Cheryl Holt a miss for a wee while from now on. This book was an improvement on the last of hers I read however I feel that they’re all getting a bit similar and I’m now looking for something a little bit more special when I spend my money on a romance novel. This book wasn’t terrible but if I’m honest, I feel that I can’t recommend it. 3 stars.

Promise of Pleasure by Cheryl Holt

Entertaining and satisfying Regency romance

4 Stars

Mary Barnes has had enough of being unwanted and unloved by her cruel stepmother and half sisters. All she wants to do is escape her life and find love and happiness. So when a mysterious peddler offers her a magic elixir to make the man of her dreams fall in love with her, she jumps at the chance.

Jordan Winthrop, the heir to the Earl of Sunderland, is debauched, bankrupt and handsome to boot. When he comes to Barnes Manor to marry Mary’s half sister, he finds himself instead lusting after Mary. But is it real or is it the potion? And what will Jordan do when he realises he must make a choice between money and the woman he’s beginning to think he might never want to let go?

You can always count on Cheryl Holt to deliver a satisfying read. This novel sticks to her tried and true theme of impoverished/put upon lady who gets tangled up with a cynical, jaded lord leading to love but not before seemingly insurmountable obstacles are dealt with.

I felt that this novel had more emotion and angst than is usual for Holt but that’s not a bad thing at all. Jordan was your typical dissolute, cynical scoundrel but his panic and confusion at finding himself falling in love were a delight to read. Mary was also a well-drawn out character although I would have liked to see more of her feelings rather than just let us believe she had all of a sudden fallen in love. The other characters were horrible and lovely as required yet none of them felt stereotypical, each adding something to the story.

As this is billed as an erotic love story there’s a fair amount of steamy sex but even then, I didn’t find it as hot as Holt’s previous books.

We also have a secondary love story which I liked very much and, as another reviewer stated, didn’t overshadow the main story at all.

There are a fair amount of Americanisms in the text and at times the characters speak in too modern a manner to be truly indicative of the Regency times. But if you’re looking for some escapism and want a fun, entertaining read then I would definitely recommend this book to you. 4 stars.

(This book is the first in the Spinster’s Cure trilogy that includes Taste of Temptation and Dreams of Desire.)