Lily has been widowed but her previous husband was a vicar who called her a heathen for having questions and urges about their love life. She has decided she is better off without a man and plans to open a dressmakers shop to secure her future. Her main concern is the fact she has lost her diary where she has been recording her most intimate thoughts and desires. Oliver Carlyle, Marquess of Ambrose is shocked to find it and is desperate to find the author. Exciting and intriguing story. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While this book was a bit steamier than I usually read, it was still very fun. The characters clearly loved each other, even if they didn't yet realize it themselves. I loved how it started with him finding her diary and developed into them have deep feelings for each other. I also liked how it dealt with the expectation of children in historical (and to an extent modern) times.

I loved Lily and Oliver's story!!

Lily has been in 2 marriages that have suppressed her longings in the marriage bed and taught her that they are wrong. She writes about them in a diary in hopes of some how getting them out of her system. But one day she loses the dairy...

Oliver finds a diary with all kids of fantasy, including some with him. He longs to meet the woman that seems such a perfect match for him. He ends up finding the woman and has a secret tryst, but he still doesn't know the identity of the woman. Could this mysterious woman be the love of his life?

I loved watching these two come together. Lily who was afraid to express her desires and Oliver who thought he could never find a wife that would fill his every desire. Filled with lots of sensuality, it is not for the faint of heart!! Definitely another must read from Reid!

If you found a diary with no name, would you be tempted to read it? Oliver, Lord Ambrose did and realized that the writer is a woman with desires as deep and dark as his own. Lily is a widow, who is a companion for Lady Ambrose, Oliver's mother. During a house party where Oliver is looking for a wife, he meets Lily. She is attractive but the catch of the season is looking for his equal, not an employee in his house. Lily is caught in a secret passageway watching two people make love when a man meets her. He knows she is the author of the diary but they can neither see who the other is and don't share names, only tantalizing things both want. Will he find out who she is and love her anyway? She is his match as no one else has ever been. He wants one woman, not a wife and a mistress. Loved this book. It is eroticism at it's best, a story as good as the sex scenes. I received this book from Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for a honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Holy smokes, Batman! *fans self* talk about smokin’ hot...like off-the-charts hot.

Twice married and never once sexually satisfied by her husbands, Lily takes advantage of an opportunity to live out her wildest desires; unbeknownst to her it’s with the man of her latest fantasies. What happens when the mystery is solved and the parties involved find out who they’ve been trysting with? Read on to find out...highly recommended.

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

Beneath Lily Layton’s sweet and charming exterior beats the heart of a vixen one with shocking and scandalous secrets and desires. But as a genteel lady, she confines her forbidden fantasies.When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Stacy Reid is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

I found this book while poking around on NetGalley. The luscious red cover initially caught my eye, as did the clench pose and the intriguing title. The blurb made this book sound too titillating for words (get it? It's about a diary!), so I was delighted to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review. And, honestly, I liked it.

So, why a 2-star rating? I'm glad you asked. The blurb for this book hinted at the diary, the class distinctions, family loyalties, and the major conflicts that would keep Oliver and Lily apart. What it didn't mention - and what I would personally like a trigger warning for - is that it also deals with infertility. QUITE A LOT.

I'm so sorry, but I read to escape my reality - including infertility - so I really, REALLY don't want to read about it in my romance. Especially in Erotica. Focus more on the naughty diary, exploring their fantasies, or building a believable emotional connection to get them to their HEA. For heaven sake, don't give them that HEA and then spend the last quarter of the book focused on the will they, won't they, of pregnancy. And, if you ARE going to go down that plot hole, please don't give us that epilogue that makes it seem like time and lots of sex really was the key to pregnancy (TWINS, no less) the whole time. Because you know what didn't work for me? TIME AND LOTS OF SEX.

Honestly, I would've 100000000% preferred if the book had stopped after the "I love you for you, not because you can give me children" conversation. Give us an epilogue where they lived a happy, full, CHILD FREE life together and died holding each other in their sleep. I would've been perfectly fine with that.

*head to desk*

So, yeah. No. As much as I liked the first 3/4 of the book, I just can't go any higher in my rating. If you're going through infertility or have struggled with pregnancy in the past, do yourself a favor and skip this book.

Enjoyed this Erotic Love affair that lifted a widow to upper society. Reid tells a while not unusual tale but one that has interesting characters and a HEA. "Copy of this book was provided by Entangled via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my hones opinion." Other characters who would benefit from a story also.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This is erotica with the skeleton of a romance novella built around it. It’s a nobleman having pretty raw nasty relations with a member of the staff, but SPOILER ALERT he marries her. The plot doesn’t matter

Twice widowed Lily Layton has a sweet exterior hiding shocking desires, which she has been told are sinful, so she only releases these forbidden desires to the pages of her diary. She is devastated when she loses the diary and fears her secrets could be revealed, especially her desires specifically for the Marquess of Ambrose. Since she serves as lady's companion to his mother and though educated, she has no wealth or status of her own, she would be doubly ruined if her scandalous secrets were revealed.

Oliver Carlyle, Marquess of Ambrose, is looking to settle down and find a wife, but he wants love, friendship, loyalty, commitment, and someone who can keep up with and reciprocate his rather carnal appetites. He doesn't want to take mistresses and shame a wife as his father did to his mother. He despairs of ever finding a lady who fits the bill until he discovers a diary filled with scandalous fantasies and realizes its author could be the perfect woman for him. He just has to find out who she is.

His search leads to late night trysts with a stranger who he knows must be the authoress and leaves him determined to uncover her identity. But what if it is impossible for these two to every truly be together?

Whoa this book was steamy! Apart from having hot sex scenes, it also had a plot, which is rather rare for this sort of book. I loved that Oliver truly wanted to settle down and be monogamous with a wife and Lily's longing for freedom and refusal to settle for what society thinks is best for her. Oliver develops a friendship with and an attraction for Lily but refuses to act on it given that she is technically in his employ. I really appreciated this nobility in his character.

This was my first read from this author, though I have several of her books in my TBR pole and they will now be moving up the list. This was a very well-written book. It was scorching hot, but well done in its sensuality and the development of an actual plot and I really enjoyed it.

I received an ARC via NetGalley. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely hot. I enjoyed the story and the characters. The end felt a little abrupt but overall it was good.

4 1/2 fogged-up-my-kindle stars!

First of all, it is worth noting that Stacey Reid is one of my favorite HR authors because she always delivers an interesting plot line with some serious smut (my two requirements for optimal enjoyment of romance novels). I have read all of her books, and I was thrilled to have been approved to read this one in advance of its release! I DEVOURED it in a single sitting because I couldn't tear myself away!

Mrs. Lily Layton is a twice widowed 25 year old woman who was born and raised in a nearby village under the humble roof of her commoner family that she adores, and she has been serving as the companion for the Marchioness of Ambrose in the manor after her most recent husband's passing. Lily has been pretty unlucky in love --- her first husband was a childhood friend who went off to war soon after they wed and never came back; her second husband was the town preacher who believed sex to be a sin and often accused her of being a deviant and temptress, so he rarely consummated the union and required her to stifle her "unnatural urges." Her bad luck continues when she leaves her very detailed and explicit diary on a bench after her morning walk to be found by none other than the Marquess of Ambrose (and son of the woman she is a paid companion for) who begins to read the steamy confessions of an unknown woman and is intrigued. In reading the confessions of what this mystery woman wants in the bedroom (and sometimes out of it), Oliver sees his own name mentioned as the object of her passionate self-love sessions, and he becomes very interested in learning this woman's identity. The only clues he has are that she is a widow, and she is relatively familiar with the manor, so she must have been there before at least a few times. Oliver has decided to "settle down," so his mother has invited a number of eligible ladies, of which a handful are widows; he believes he will be able to narrow it down and sets off to investigate. One of his first steps is to haunt the secret passages in his home that the diary's author mentions as where she has spied some very passionate rendezvous via the peep holes... and he "bumps" into her right away. Sparks fly (all over the place), but she refuses to reveal her identity (she doesn't wish to know his either). Meanwhile, Lily longs to be the object of Oliver's affections but knows it can never be. At the same time, during his waking hours, Oliver finds himself drawn more and more to his mother's companion, which he is well aware would not be a suitable Marchioness. His dreams are haunted by both his mystery woman and Mrs. Lily Layton.... what's a Marquess to do?

What I liked:
--- The main characters were lots of fun and had a significant amount of chemistry (not just sexual chemistry --- they were a good match in other aspects as well)
--- Oh the smutty goodness! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot! Erotica galore!
--- The plot was one that totally held my interest throughout

What I didn't like as much:
--- Reality bites, and while I love a beautiful HEA, it was pretty improbable (but I rolled with it bc oh the hotness!)

Plot --- 4.5/5
Main Characters --- 4.5/5
Supporting Characters --- 4/5
Steam Level --- 5/5
Language --- some
Violence --- nothing stands out
POV --- 3rd

Holy hell was this book hot! This is not the most historically accurate book out there but I’m not a stickler for historical accuracy in my romance novels (except with forms of address). I enjoy the escape and being drawn into a story you can’t put down. This book delivered big time. I loved Lily and Oliver’s story and stayed up to finish it even though I had work in the morning. This book was scorching hot!!! I find the the smuttier novels have things I hate (like sex scenes with other women or cheating), so to find an HR novel with a faithful hero who seems to respect women is amazing to me! I will definitely be reading more by this author.