I bought this one from Kobo.I really enjoy this series. You do have to buy into the idea that a place like Helene's House of Pleasure could exist. Now... I felt that this was a weaker entry in the series. Lisette was too tempermenal, flighty, and generally made me want to shake her. And Gabe, her lover wasn't drawn well enough for me to understand his insta-lust for Lisette. The love story was sweet and sex hot, as always. I'm really looking forward to the next book which is about Christian, Lisette's twin. 3.5 starsThere's definitely a pattern to Ms. Pearce's House of Pleasure series... a theme, if you will. I can't determine if it's a social stand she's trying to take or simply to fill a particular niche in the erotic-historical-romance genre. But Ms. Pearce seems to put forward the assumption that men are essentially bi-sexual creatures, and that the women they love must be open enough - both sexually and emotionally - to accept and welcome that, or their men won't be whole.There's also the theme of abuse, whether at the hands of family, schoolmates and professors (Eton seems to have been or to be a particularly brutal place for rape as punishment and power), or as prisoners of war. The men in these books have discovered their dual sexual "preference" or perhaps addiction as a result of such treatment. It seems that, in Ms. Pearce's world, once a man has been raped or "had" by another man, he can't seem to get it out of his system.Forgive my cynicism, but I find that all a bit difficult to swallow. Which is why I wonder if Ms. Pearce isn't simply trying to fulfill a niche within her genre - the dark side, the menage-plus without guilt or commitment side... Gabriel and Lisette are interesting characters. I'm sure that Lord Swansfield has been mentioned in at least one of the other books in the series, but I can't be sure; if he was, it was a small mention. But Lord Wesley returns (sans Minchom and his wife, although they're mentioned with twin girls and a continuing menage relationship), as does Capt. David Grey and Robert, briefly. We get the idea that David and Robert are happy together and successfully hiding their relationship from prying eyes as master and valet.Anyway... both Gabriel and Lisette have abandonment issues from their childhoods to overcome. And because both never really dealt with it, their feelings and reactions to their abandonment issues are still locked in them as they were as children; so a lot of this book is devoted to what seems like very childish behavior on both Gabriel's and Lisette's parts. At first, I found that irritating. Then I realized that when you ignore a childhood issue, it's normal that when you start to deal with it finally as an adult, that you would react in childish ways.There is almost constant bickering between the two, as well, which seems to be mostly a communication issue. Lisette is a stereotypical female in the sense that she believes in playing head games in the romance world, and she firmly believes that Gabriel (and men, in general) both understand those games and accept them. Which is so not true! And so much a part of misunderstandings and miscommunications even in modern romance. Gabriel is stoic and doesn't believe in showing or expressing feelings; he's uncomfortable doing so, because he was either punished for it as a child or feels un-manned by it now. Lisette is truly 20-something; despite her knowing a lot about sexual proclivities and preferences from her mother's House of Pleasure, Lisette is mentally and emotionally immature. She's feeling "extra" and unwanted to her family. She wants to be recognized for herself, not for being a twin, and not for the misbehavior she's indulged in trying to gain attention. Lisette resents both her mother and her father for their past misdeeds - her father for allowing her mother to get away and then remarrying, and her mother for not telling her father about her existence (and Christian's) and for leaving them in France to be raised by nuns who smirked and were superior to them.Then there's Gabriel's trying to get over his imprisonment in France as a result of being captured in the Napoleonic wars. Gabriel was on his way with intelligence information when he was captured and tortured, including sexual torture. He was at the mercy of both French men and women, who used him as a sexual servant as part of his imprisonment. While in prison, Gabriel tried to maintain order and decorum amongst the British prisoners, who had become animals, attacking and raping one another over food, clothing, and power. Gabriel managed to lead an escape of the prisoners, eventually. But upon returning to his unit, he was told that he'd given away vital British intelligence and was sent home in disgrace and shame - without even a proper trial. Many of his fellow prisoners, including a good friend, Peter, who fell in love with Gabriel, were willing to go to the War Office and testify on his behalf, but Gabriel only wanted to put it all behind him. Besides, he was deathly injured and ill, and most of his energies were needed to get well.Now, while in his "real life" Gabriel appears calm, cool, in charge and very dominant, in his sexual life, he prefers to be submissive. This preference is a key theme in this book. And his decision to not allow himself to take or be taken by anyone (male and especially not female) is because he doesn't want to chance impregnating a woman, and because he doesn't wish to lose control and be abused completely again.Also playing into the overall dynamic is that Gabriel is the by-blow bastard of a lord and a scullery maid. The then Lord Swansfield simply "took" a young scullery maid of 14, and when the maid became pregnant, the lord secretly married her, but treated her and the boy as servants. Gabriel didn't know he was the heir until his father died; then, the shock to both him and to his uncle and 2 cousins was immense. The eldest cousin, William, also a military man, was raised to be a lord and handle the estates. Gabriel was sent to the meanest of schools and barely educated, fed, and clothed. It's no wonder he ran away to join the army at the first opportunity.Upon his return to England, Gabriel's uncle maliciously and deceitfully had Gabriel turn over the estate management to him. And his uncle has been abusing the estate's funds and properties ever since. He used the estate money to purchase commissions for his sons and to reign in Parliament.When Gabriel and Lisette meet at her father's home, there are almost instant sparks. The chemistry develops when the two of them can't stand one another but can't quite stay away from one another. Gabriel quickly learns that Lisette's mother is the mistress of the House of Pleasure, so he has no issue with kissing her and feeling her up - he's convinced she's no virgin, and she certainly doesn't act like one. When the two discover they have much in common (their abandonment issues), their mutual understanding allows them both to assist the other in overcoming that issue - but at a cost to both their relationship and their respective families.In Gabriel's case, that cost seems high, but is actually healing and restorative. He finally takes control of his estates. He finally learns who is on his side and who is not. He discovers more friends willing to clear his name then he imagined. And he finds love - a love for Lisette that forces him to confront it all and create a proper place for them. Lisette goes a bit further out on the limb, lashing out at her mother and father, but especially at her twin Christian, when she learns he's in on Gabriel's scheme to marry her. But her family is amazingly communicative and open about all issues, especially discussing sex. So when Lisette really does open up to them, she finds them supportive, loving, and accepting. Everyone has apologizing to do. Everyone has to confront his/her own responsibilities and move forward.So ultimately, this book is a book of triumph. And while that can be said for most of the books in this series, I found this story one of the more enchanting and realistic. Until the whole bi-sexual aspect was forced upon us and resolved very late in the game.... I, for one, don't agree with the way that the author chose to resolve the issue. A one-time menage perhaps, to show Gabriel who he is and how he relates to Lisette. But an ongoing menage relationship (as in every other book to this point) was just too much for me. Yes, Peter said that he's on the look-out for "true, reciprocal love", but still... I rolled my eyes and said, "Really?" Because in that way, this book is like every other in the series. Perhaps I'm naive, but I don't believe that having experienced m-m sex creates a "need" for ongoing m-m sex forever - that by not doing so, a man denies an essential part of himself. IMO, Gabriel loved Lisette enough and vice versa that they could happily fulfill each others' sexual needs; and if they chose to do so as a team, they could certainly find an occasional menage at the House of Pleasure without it being an ongoing thing.I have a completion issue, however, so I will continue and read the remaining books in this series. But I'm naively hoping the pattern will change. Or perhaps we'll have a reverse pattern, whereby a woman previously involved in lesbian relationships must include another woman in her sexual needs... but even that would make me roll my eyes. It's obviously mostly about the men in this series.
What do You think about Simply Forbidden (2011)?
Characters were unique and interesting. Liked the plot. Nice addition to the series.
—crissy
A great addition to the Simply series. Can't wait for Christian's book!
—Hayhay
