Review: The Pursuit of Pleasure by Elizabeth Essex

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Lizzie Paxton's dream in life is to be a widow-if only she could skip the wedding and the husband. When her childhood friend Captain James Marlowe proposes a marriage in name only, she accepts, knowing she'll have the independence she craves once he sets sail. Though James is the only man Lizzie trusts, she doesn't trust the scintillating desire he evokes in her.

James knows he shouldn't get involved with anyone, especially with his uncertain future. But he just can't help himself when he overhears Lizzie's declaration. Though he's promised her a marriage of convenience, he wastes no time in seducing her and taking her over the precipice of desire. Yet not even his beautiful wife can deter him from his cause.

But when Lizzie discovers her husband has deceived her, James must choose between devotion to duty and loyalty to the woman he cannot live without...

My Thoughts: Overall, I liked this book.  That said, I have to admit that there was a point where I put down the book (not because anything happened exactly, but just because I had other things to do or something) and I had a really, really hard time picking it back up again.

See, there's this thing that happens.  Oh, look.  I guess that thing I said in the paragraph above about nothing exactly happening was a lie.  It is a thing that happens that made me all mopey with the book.  Anyway.  There's a lot of buildup to this thing so you know it's coming and it's not a surprise in ANY WAY and yet when it came I was like, "Oh, cinnamon sticks!  Why did he do that?  Is he really that clueless that his actions won't have consequences?"

So I put the book down to do things like take my dogs for a walk or take a shower or make dinner and I kinda got disheartened and I kept picking up other books instead of finishing this one because I was a little disappointed in Jamie's lack of foresight with his epic plan and everything.  BUT... but then I decided that I wasn't going to let some fictional character scare me away from a book that I was enjoying and I picked it up and finished it.

Because I'm mentally strong like that.

And the book was really good.  Jamie even has a moment where he was like, "What did I do?  Why was I so clueless that my actions wouldn't have consequences?"  And I was like, *fist pump* "I am vindicated!"  And then I finished the book.

So.  Jamie and Lizzie are pretty damn good together.  They're sexy and sassy and they have this whole misunderstanding thing going on.  Only it's more than a misunderstanding.  It's that thing that I lamented up above and it's pretty much the pivotal plot point for the entire book.  But it worked.  It worked and I ended up liking it.

So after all the trials and tribulations, this is a good book.

More books by Elizabeth Essex

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