Honestly, this is a top-tier historical romance.

Admittedly, the premise is a bit hard to swallow: after a horrific accident on the railway he once loved, our MMC—Viscount Oliver Langdon—is traumatized and choses to live alone on an island off the Cornwall coast. During a particularly angry storm (and at a particularly low moment in his own journey), he discovers the FMC, Marlowe (a spitfire and misunderstood courtesan) clinging to life on his shores after a hot air balloon crash.

To be honest, I didn’t know how this was going to go. But I think Heath executes this PERFECTLY in that this all happens in Chapter 1. So, once you get past and accept the outlandishness of the initial set-up, this is a really special story. This kind of plot—FMC and MMC trapped together in a small space— is a difficult one to write because there aren’t side characters or Ton drama to carry the story. Instead, the two main characters are the actually that: the main event. And, let me tell you, Marlowe and Langdon are two of my favorites.

Here's what you can expect:

- Brooding FMC who’s pined for her for months
- He loves reading and hoarding books – hello!
- High-spirited, misunderstood FMC who doesn’t realize she deserves better
- Forced proximity/only one bed
- Character-driven romance
- Slow burn

Overall, A Tempest of Desire stands out among the many Historical Romances I’ve read recently. Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an ARC this read in exchange for an honest review.

The first book in my Top 25 of 2025 list, this has all the elements I love in a historical romance novel — the signature Lorraine Heath angst and deft interwoven research; her awesome character-driven storytelling; the delicious slow burn of passion and love; the high stakes of the class difference between Marlowe, an infamous mistress, and Oliver, a viscount; and the defiant power of romance’s happily ever after.

Well spent hours of joyous reading.

This book is perfect Lorraine Heath: a bonkers set up that somehow makes sense in the context of the story, lots of pining, a seemingly insurmountable reason why the two main characters can't be together. Yet this book is surprisingly gentle, with a relative minimum of angst.

While I loved both Marlow and Langdon, I fear this didn’t vibe with me as much as I’d hoped.

Marlow literally washed up on shore of the island that Langdon is hiding out on. He’s hiding because he was in a railroad accident last year and he’s having some issues with his recovery. Issues that are quite a secret. Marlow is the most famous courtesan in london. They have a mutual pining situation going on because they do know one another. As she recovers from her balloon wreck the two grow closer. Then he has to return her to london. But she’s done with Hollie, her benefactor, and he now wants her as his mistress.

I don’t love “be my mistress” type of stories. She’s with another man for about half the book (nothing happens between them, but one of the things mentioned a lot is how devoted she is so said man).

I did like the trust they had for one another. They both open up about secrets and such. They are truly there for each other and I love that about them. I thought the ending was so so good.

Overall, this was fine. I liked the characters more than the story though.

Lorraine Heath always crushes, but this was especially good with bringing back some beloved characters and getting to see Langdon get his love story. I devoured this book and it was so fun, and an absolute joy to watch the hero and (Ballooning!!!!) heroin fall in love on the deserted island.

The next book will also be in this series which happens to be one of my favorites so I can't wait.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the arch. All opinions are honest and my own.

Heath's return after several years away is a fantastic and emotional read, with two strong, intelligent leads who must overcome their pasts and personal fears to come together.

I might come back to this later, but I am currently DNFing at 30%. ⁠
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What's happened up until now in the book? This rich nobleman is all depressed, alone on his private island, because he can't understand numbers anymore. He's lonely and stuff so he makes a wish during a storm that a woman would wash up on shore ... and one appears! She's a famous courtesan! She was in a hot air balloon but was caught in the storm and she crash landed! And, most importantly of all, she is Not Like Other Girls. ⁠
⁠
She's soooo not like other girls, y'all. She:⁠
⁠
1. Took off her restrictive, heavy clothes so she wouldn't drown to death (the MMC implies that other ladies would prefer death to immodesty).⁠
2. She is interested in bugs (most other ladies would rather just ask the men in their lives to squish the bugs).⁠
3. She loves unconventional gifts (PUH-LEASE, all the other courtesans like jewelry and stuff).⁠
⁠
I've read rave reviews of this book, but I just can't motivate myself to read further. Does this get any better? Is Lorraine Heath not for me unless she's writing about Gorilla Twins?⁠?
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This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

I do love a good Lorraine Heath story and this one was so good.

I loved Marlowe and Langdon. They’re both lonely and good people and I really loved this take on a grumpy/sunshine of sorts. These two have loads of conversations and respect, not to mention chemistry. There’s a pretty big cast of characters here, but I think a lot of them were from the previous stories.

Plot wise, it’s a slow meandering and the main tension is the UST between Marlowe and Langdon. I loved getting a small bit of overlap in their thoughts, especially when it came to the night they first spoke. Reading how they both thought so differently about the other and then getting to read the actual confession was one of my favorite scenes.

Overall, this book had a lot of great characters who were easy to root for and it definitely has me wanting to go back and read the other books in this series.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Top Pick!

“She’d seen the darkening sky but hadn’t cared. She’d wanted to be someplace where she had more control. Where she was the mistress, the queen, the ruler. Where she could think. Where perhaps she could recapture those dreams she’d clung to when she was a young girl and her father would take her up in his balloon. She longed to reclaim the peace and absence of doubts she’d held then. When she’d believed her future was hers for the taking, could be anything she desired. Instead, it had been fashioned by circumstances beyond her control. And of late, she was simply so damned weary of disappointments.”

Viscount Marlowe survived a horrific railway accident unscathed for the most part, but he has a secret no one knows. He has become lonelier since his accident, retreating to an uninhabited island off the coast of his family’s estate, but when he discovers Marlowe’s bruised and broken body on the beach he knows that his life is about to change forever. The storm that pushed Marlowe’s hot air balloon onto the island is nothing compared to the feelings that she unleashes within Langdon.

I’ve been hoping Lorraine Heath would revisit these characters in this series, and she finally has. It was worth the wait. I could not have loved this any more than I did. Class difference is my favorite trope because I always feel the characters need to overcome outside pressures to be together, and it isn’t all in their head.

Langdon and Marlowe had to overcome some tough situations like her reputation as a mistress and her father’s debts, but through everything Langdon stood tall in the face of adversity. His commitment to Marlowe never wavered even when her vulnerabilities forced her to push him away. He was romantic and sweet, and Marlowe is a lucky lady to have a man who is so in love with her. I will come back and reread the epilogue when I need to be reminded of the magic that historical romance can create, and how it makes me believe in the power of true love.

If you’re a fan of the Scandalous Gentleman of St. James series by Lorraine Heath then you don’t want to miss the newest installment. You will not be disappointed. If you’re a fan of historical romance authors like Lisa Kleypas and Tracy Anne Warren then give this one a try.

~ Michelle

This was an excellent book!! I enjoyed the character development as well as how the plot was developed throughout the story. The author was able to to do a good job with all aspects of the story. I would recommend to others.

3.5 stars rounded up. I'm torn on rating this one because the characters were fascinating here--multi-layered, complex and flawed, as Lorraine Heath excels at--but the plot was excruciatingly slow for much of the story. After an eventful first chapter, with Marlowe crash-landing her balloon on Langdon's island refuge off the coast of Cornwall, the story revolves around the two of them lusting after each other while remaining aloof outwardly. We don't meet any other characters, aside from flashbacks, until more than 50% through the story, and the back-and-forth between Marlowe and Langdon makes it hard to build momentum. If you are in the mood and appropriate mindset for a slow burn romance, this will hit the spot. If you are struggling through a reading slump and having issues focusing on reading like I was, it makes it difficult to get through. Regardless, as always, Heath writes a satisfying love story with seemingly insurmountable odds.

One other issue to note: the story never really confronts head-on the fact that Monty was basically a pedophile that groomed underage girls. I know times were different and age of consent was not 18, but with both Marlowe <spoiler> and his wife, who he admitted he met and intended to marry from when she was well underage, but was supposedly "patient" in waiting for her </spoiler>, he took advantage of their situations and youth. Marlowe claims that she went into the mistress relationship willingly, but given her lack of experience and struggles as an impoverished seamstress's assistant, there wasn't much of a real choice. This isn't a deal-breaker or reason to avoid the book, but just another aspect that I struggled with in the book.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

Balloon crashed courtesan, (mentally) scarred noble, isolated on an island. Have been lusting for each other for months. Absolutely wild ride. Though the noble's usual hang ups about a courtesan keep it from being perfect for me.

I have been in the mood for some bonkers historical, and it's a strong start in the bonkers category. I love that the heroine is an aeronaut. Things calm down and become a bit more conventional once they're off the island, but it's a very enjoyable read with a lot of lusting after each other.

I also very much enjoy the bits of historical fact that fed this narrative, from the women's ballooning trend to railway spine. I learned something new!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s always a joy to return to Lorraine Heath’s established series and this was no different. LH is one of the only authors that delivers angst I truly, truly love. Even the most bonkers of premises (like crash landing in a hot air balloon on a broody aristocrats private land) is done masterfully in her hands.

I love the second generation spin off and cannot wait to see more in this universe. I’ve heard Jamie Swindler’s kiddo is next and I am HYPE.

4.5/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Forbidden romance
Stranded together
Sex worker FMC
Wounded hero
Trauma Bonding
Class differences
Dual POV

This one was a slow start for me, but once I got past the first third of the book, I just couldn't put it down. There was angst and longing that is always rampant with forbidden romances and class differences. I think the author did really well with showing how a woman with limited resources could still hold power over her life. Marlowe was a force to be reckoned with, and I really enjoyed how she was unashamed with her choices and even found contentment in her life. But I also really loved how she was able to find joy and freedom. Despite her life’s circumstances, she made the best out of it. Oliver took his damn time realizing what it was she needed and how to execute it, but I was very pleased with how protective and respectful he was from the very beginning.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and how it eventually concluded. I would highly recommend this book for those who like forbidden romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

He’d cried out for a woman and fate had seen fit to deliver to his shore London’s most infamous courtesan.

A Tempest of Desire is fifth in the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series but you'd have no problem jumping in here. This was a more quiet book, it's character driven with the vast majority focused on these two alone and wanting to reach for each other. There were a couple flashback scenes in the beginning to show their, we have the tingles, first meeting one another, it's what can some times come off as insta-lust but Heath is a capital W-riter, so it's instant attraction; emotions and thoughts are there enough to be shown, explored, and felt.

But then she’d never had to deal with anyone who bothered her as much as Langdon did, in ways she didn’t quite understand.

If you've read this series and the one it's a spin-off from, you'll know Langdon is the son of the Devil Earl, and he feels the responsibility of carrying some of that weight, he doesn't want to in anyway ruin his family's carefully built reputation. So, when he's in a railway accident and gets diagnosed with Railway Spine (A+ historical additive) that causes him to not understand numbers anymore, he sequesters himself to his family's private island. Men and their Drama King ways. While he's on the island, Marlowe, who he knows as one of his peer's courtesan, washes up on his shore unconscious. Turns out Marlowe is an aeronaut and her balloon crashed when she encountered a storm while flying. Langdon's number issue and Marlowe's glimpse at PTSD from her crash are, there, but this is really just about the feelings between the two.

He thought he knew her. All of London thought they knew her but all they truly knew was what the ink in the gossip columns revealed and it was shaped by those who resented her.

Over half of this book is the two on the island eyeing each other up and wanting one another. The bond over sharing their traumas and we get a good look at how and why Marlowe ended up a courtesan at the young age at nineteen, she's now twenty-two, help give layers to the characters. I liked the in-depth look at her and how it realized her character, we don't quite get as much from Langdon but he's fine for the role he's in.

He spun her so her back was to him and he draped her hair over one shoulder before he began loosening the lacings on the gown.

After some open-door bedroom antics, the second half moves us back to society and London. They have some separation as Marlowe is hurt that Langdon asks her to be his mistress when she wants more of a commitment from him, knowing that 1879 London society is not very forgiving regarding their current statuses. We get some mooning from both, Langdon trying to stay in her life by sending her gifts, as he works through the “remember this is why the story can't just wrap up in 100 pages” given impediment that he worries about ruining his family's reputation.

He wouldn’t take what she wasn’t willingly offering.

The ending, is of course, predictable but, you know what, I'm a sucker for when someone gathers the troops (Landgon's family and friends) and throws everything they have and puts it on the line for the one they love. The only thing I kind of missed (sort of get it with the epilogue) was more meaningful scenes with Marlowe and her mother, working out how her father's actions hurt them both. If you're looking for more of a quiet, focus on the characters, and wade through the emotions, then this would be one to pick-up.

A great story from Lorraine Heath. I absolutely loved this story. So different and fun. We find Lord Langdon alone on his family's island, where he goes to escape the world for a while. A storm is approaching and he doesn’t realize the storm he is in for. Marlowe, London’s most infamous mistress, goes out to fly in her hot air balloon, alone. She too doesn’t realize the storm is approaching. After somehow crashing into the sea and yet surviving Lord Langdon finds her on his shore. He recognizes her immediately, he has secretly dreamed of her. Their paths have crossed before, but being alone on an island can change things. Now they are really in for an adventure together. Can two people from very different walks of life find a way to be together?
I loved how slow paced the story is. It gives us even more chances for a great story. Heath always gives us amazing and detailed characters. They have exciting stories and those personalities that you fall in love with. You won’t be able to put this story down. I loved that the characters have real conversations and you find yourself in their world.
Enjoy the adventure!
A thousand stars for this story!

Good book with intriguing main characters. Viscount Langdon is holed up on an island in Cornwall, recovering from the effects of a railway crash. He has a hard time coping with the changes in himself and frequently doubts his sanity. The book opens as he stalks the cliffs of his island, more drunk than sober, railing against the fates that left him feeling that he no longer deserves to be his father's heir. But worse than that, the bone-deep loneliness is slowly destroying him. As he yells into the wind, "A woman! A woman! My kingdom for a woman!" the lightning reveals a woman washed up on the island's shore. It isn't until he gets her unconscious body to his home that he recognizes her.

Marlowe is an infamous courtesan in London. The story of how she came to be in that position is heartbreaking, but she has accepted the consequences of her choices and made the best of them. She is especially unusual in that her hobby is flying a hot air balloon, which is how she washed up on Langdon's island.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Langdon and Marlowe develop. They have encountered each other in London and noted sparks of attraction between them. But she is the mistress of another man, and he doesn't poach. The book's first half is spent with Langdon and Marlowe on the island while the storm rages. I loved watching them get to know each other - talking, flirting, doing day-to-day things, and discovering they like each other very much. But life doesn't stand still, and eventually they return to London.

Neither forgot their time together. Marlowe's time with her current protector is ending, and she must decide her next steps. She could move on to another man, but her heart wants Langdon and not as his mistress. However, she is well aware of their class differences and that her profession makes her unsuitable for him to marry. Langdon also knows the likely repercussions of proposing marriage. He doesn't want to create problems for his family but also wants the woman he loves.

There is plenty of angst on both sides as Marlowe and Langdon work through the obstacles keeping them apart. It isn't easy to overcome expectations and prejudices, and I enjoyed seeing Langdon's determination. His big moment at the end was fantastic. I loved the final chapter, and the epilogue was a terrific conclusion.

I flew through the first five hours of A Tempest of Desire, but the last two felt rather endless because it was very repetitive. It was so fun watching them fall in love on the deserted island, but the return to reality and persistent denial was tiresome by the end.

Also it was very slow burn and a lot of edging the reader more than anything, so I really expected the first sex scene to be KACHOW. But it and the rest of the scenes were quite short? The second one was a bit saucier but not much, especially for two experienced characters. Also Lorraine’s penchant for delicate toes persists (huzzah!).

Overall it just felt really good to be reading a book written by a Writer. The next book will also be in this series thankfully since it was lovely to see past characters again!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️/5

I received an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

I enjoyed the plot of this one - a mysterious earl discovers a woman washed ashore during a storm in Cornwall. Marlowe cannot recall everything immediately, but when she sees HIM save her, she is annoyed. Out of all the men, why him? Langdon hasn't forgotten the face of the woman on his mind since making a bet and walking away instead of claiming her. Now she's at his mercy, in his home. The pace is a bit slow with how they both get the answers they are seeking but I love how they build a bond on trust and desire as well as finding comfort in each other. The history bits about women flying hot air balloons are cool too. Full review coming to my goodreads and insta.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc.

Two things I didn't realize when I started this book: it's book 5 of a series and the main character, Langdon, is the son of characters from the book "In Bed With the Devil." This didn't matter too much, so I would consider it a stand alone. The plot is a little bizarre but stick with me. Langdon is alone on his private island mentally recovering from a train wreck he was involved in. Besides flashbacks and headaches, he's experiencing a problem comprehending numbers which is terrifying him. During a storm, he comes across an unconscious woman in the surf. Turns out she is an aeronaut balloonist and the infamous courtesan, Marlowe. They spend a few days together until the storm dissipates falling in love. Of course a Viscount can't marry a courtesan! She refuses to be his mistress, even though she needs a new protector. He actually has a lot of respect for her and what she had to do to support her mother and pay off her father's debts. After all the drama about how scandalous she is and she couldn't possibly marry him, the ending was a little too pat.