I couldn’t resist switching to my April 2017 release, Only A Mistress Will Do, this week because Friday I had the cover reveal for it and just had to show off the cover! Next week I’ll return to Scandal, although I’ll return to Mistress before its release.
This is part of the beginning of Only a Mistress Will Do, so I hope you’ll enjoy meeting Miss Violet Carlton, a woman facing a horrifying decision: become a prostitute in order to live or retain respectability and starve. (Creative punctuation used to conform to the WWW rules.)
“I would like to speak with Madame Vestry, please.” Perhaps she should have waited until later in the morning; such an establishment would obviously keep late hours, but the ache in her belly had forced her here as soon as the sun had risen.
“She’s still sleep. Come back later today.” He started to push the door closed but Violet rammed her boot between it and the jamb. The boy kept shoving, squeezing her foot until she winced in pain, but she gritted her teeth, put her shoulder to the door and pushed back. If she didn’t do this now, she wouldn’t have the courage, or the strength, to come back.
“I need to see her now,” she raised her voice, and threw her weight against the rough boards. Despite her small stature, she was stronger, for he staggered back and she fell into a narrow back foyer with a row of coat hooks and the devastating yeasty smell of baking bread. Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled; she hadn’t eaten for days.
BLURB:
The man of her dreams…belongs to another woman.
Destitute and without friends, Violet Carlton is forced to seek employment at the House of Pleasure in London. She steels herself for her first customer and is shocked when the man rescues her instead of ravishing her. A grateful Violet cannot help but admire the handsome Viscount Trevor. But she must curb her desire for the dashing nobleman she can never have because he is already betrothed to another . . .
Tristan had gone to the House of Pleasure for a last bit of fun before he became a faithful married man. But when he recognizes the woman in his bed, he becomes determined to save her instead. Now, his heart wars with his head as he falls for the vulnerable courtesan. Unable to break his betrothal without a scandal, Tris resolves to find Violet proper employment or a husband of her own. Still, his arms ache for Violet, urging him to abandon propriety and sacrifice everything to be with the woman he loves. . . .
Only A Mistress Will Do is available for pre-order on
Amazon and B & N.
Books in the House of Pleasure series:
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
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Wow, quite the dilemma she’s got there…the book sounds fantastic, can’t wait to read it. I admired your heroine’s strength in the snippet today.
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I gotta respect her determination. Great snippet!
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Great snippet! I hope she gets something to eat!
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Thank you, Elizabeth!
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What a dilemma–one many women in those days experienced. The cover is gorgeous. Your description of her determination is excellent.
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Thank you, Diane. It was a common problem in Georgian England. And a profession many women had to adopt to survive.
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Well, she is definitely determined. The cover is beautiful, and the blurb is SO intriguing. I look forward to ready more snippets before its release. 🙂
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Thank you, Jessica! Yes, Violet is one of my most determined heroines.:)
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That’s quite a harrowing choice she faces!
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Yes, like many women of the time. Prostitution was rampant in Georgian England. There was even a listing of prostitutes, called Harris’s List, that detailed each woman, her specialty, and price.
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I am such a sucker for your stories. I just pre-ordered it. 🙂 Great premise!
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Oh, thank you, Teresa! I hope you enjoy it. I think it’s my favorite next to Scandal. 🙂
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I hope she can get what she needs. Sounds like food is on the list.
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Well, food is a high priority, so she’s come to the brothel as a last resort. As she says later, she’s got nothing left to sell but herself.
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Such desperation conveyed in this scene. And the cover is gorgeous as always!
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Yes, she really is in a pickle, and not of her own making. Thank you, Christina!
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Great opening.
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Thank you, Andrea!
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Fine concept and you write this so well. Thanks for the beginning of a new story, Jenna. Tweeted.
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Thank you so much, Charmaine! 🙂
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Awesome cover, Jenna. And I love the story line. It is going to be an excellent read. Thank you for sharing it
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Thank you so much, Kim! I do hope readers like this book. It was very exciting to write!
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I love how you bring that scene to life! I’m very interested in reading more of this story.
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Thank you, Carrie-Anne. I’m really excited and can’t wait for it to release. 🙂
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