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.

Lorraine Heath can be relied on for three things:
1) plotlines that seem slightly bonkers on the surface but feel utterly natural once you're enmeshed in the characters she's created and the world they inhabit;
2) the most perfectly-phrased descriptions of complicated emotions;
3) almost convincing me that there's no possible way these characters are going to get a happy ending (and then pulling it off!).

After a traumatic rail accident, Viscount Langdon retreats to a rocky island off the coast of his family's estate to heal in solitude. He's grieving the confident, capable heir he was prior to the accident, and figuring out how to proceed both in society and in his tight-knit family. Walking along the cliffs in the midst of a storm, Langdon sees a woman's unconscious body wash ashore. He hauls her up to his tiny castle, discovering while he tends her wounds that he recognizes her. Marlowe is the longtime mistress of one of his aristocratic acquaintances and a notorious London courtesan (with one name, like Madonna or Shakira!). She is also a part-time aeronaut, with her own hot air balloon that had unexpectedly drifted into the path of a storm.

The two have a very brief yet impactful past interaction that they must reckon with while waiting out the rain and rough waters. Naturally, they are majorly attracted to each other, but Marlowe is loyal to her benefactor, so they must bond on a deeper emotional level before a romantic or sexual one. Langdon can be prickly, and often makes offhand comments aimed at shocking Marlowe or getting a rise out of her--as if he's trying to push her away rather than navigate his complicated emotions. But there's nothing like the trope of forced proximity (only one bed, naturally) to force characters into uncomfortable situations!

I was reading around 15% a night until I hit the 45% mark and could somehow no longer put my Kindle down. I got to 80%, realized I would have to either commit to finishing the book or commit to being a functioning human being at work the next day, and somehow managed to get to sleep. I was really enjoying the couple's time alone on Langdon's island, but once Heath threw "the real world" into the mix, I was rapt. These two felt so real, their emotions so vivid. For me, it was wondrously angsty catnip.

If you're already a Lorraine Heath fan, you'll love this book. I think fans of the way Sherry Thomas writes complicated, angsty emotions and couples that seem impossible will also enjoy this book quite a bit. If you're looking for a historical with a unique heroine (commoner, has to provide for herself, not a virgin, has a cool hobby, fiercely determined and independent) or hero (invisible disability, close relationship with his family and two lovely alive parents, an absolute yearner, respects and admires strong women)--this is IT. READ IT.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lorraine Heath knows how to write a hell of a love story. I was so excited to read the story of the “Devil” Earl of Claybourne’s son, Viscount Oliver Langdon. Heath excels at writing somewhat tortured or flawed heroes, and when we first meet Langdon, he has isolated himself on an island in the middle of a storm, believing himself to have gone mad and praying to the heavens for a woman. When said woman literally washes up on his shore, it would rock any sane man’s world, especially if it is the most desired courtesan in all of London. And it’s in this moment that we discover the true nature of Langdon. He is gentlemanly even though he doesn’t want to be, he withholds his judgment, and is open to receive the gift of Marlowe that the winds have brought him.

While reading this I felt that I knew Langdon and Marlowe’s hearts and I desperately wanted them to be together. On the island, they’re in an isolated bubble that surely cannot exist once they return to London where instead of two souls who have so much in common, they are a titled gentleman and a notorious courtesan. In true Heath fashion, both hero and heroine are so desirous for each other, but it seems impossible that they will ever get their HEA. In fact I was at 96% wondering HOW they would possibly be together, but thank goodness romance rules ensures that love IS the outcome. This is a book I wanted to pace myself through because it was so tender, so heartbreakingly beautiful that it felt good just to sit in those moments. Nothing is better than reading words on a page that let you feel the love characters have for one another. And A Tempest of Desire is filled with SO. MUCH. LOVE. It was like revisiting old friends seeing Langdon’s family and friendly “relatives” such as James Swindler, and each cameo is exactly what I would’ve wanted. And like an old friend I know I will revisit this story and it’s connecting worlds again and again. I received an early copy from the publisher, but still preordered the book, because hello! it’s going to be a reread. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭.5
Swoons and romantic gestures: 🎈🎈🎈🎈
Read it again: 💯

A Tempest of Desire is the story of Marlow and Oliver, Viscount Langdon. Marlowe is currently mistress to Lord Hollingsworth but when he offers her to Viscount Langdon for a few hours if he wins theìir card game, she is thrilled to observe his winning hand. Fast forward ~ 1 year later, Marlowe is marooned on Oliver’s (Viscount Langdon) island. Marlowe is battered and bruised from falling from her hot air balloon and the basket was ruined. Oliver allows her to remain in his home until she is recovered enough to return to London. As they are in such close proximity to each other without a chaperone, they are again faced with the attraction they have for each other. Both Marlowe and Oliver have secrets that they don’t want to share and Marlowe is still under the protection of her benefactor, Lord Hollingsworth. Marlowe doesn’t want to be mistress to Oliver and he as the heir to an earldom must have an acceptable lady for his wife. A Tempest of Desire is another great installment to the Scandalous Gentlemen of St.
James series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Avon, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

What I liked: Langdon and Marlowe, individually and together. They’re both very interesting leads with depth in their backstories and the issues they’re dealing with now. I loved their chemistry but also the moments when they had serious conversations. Loved that Marlowe was not the typical histrom heroine, and that her ballooning hobby was something new and unexpected to read about.

What I didn’t like: the constant reminders that Marlowe has a “protector” and is technically in a relationship with someone else. And while I thought the beginning and end of the novel were super strong, the middle bit of them clearly being in love but not figuring out how to be together was a little repetitive. I understood where they were both coming from, but they seemed to have the same conversation 5 times and it could have happened a couple less.

Still, Lorraine Heath really does no wrong in her histroms and I’ll happily keep reading them.

Heath does such a phenomenal job of creating such atmospheric novels. The reader can almost feel the wind and rain lashing as well as Langdon's struggle with feeling he is slowly going mad. I sure love a broody hero who has yearned after the FMC from afar and Langdon fits this so well. Prior to his accident he set out to find himself a mistress, but after one look at Marlowe from across the room, he knows no one else would do and with her well protected he has no plan on moving in on another man's mistress. But post accident, his life has been irrevocably changed and he has a secret he tries to keep hidden, one that has him becoming more and more reclusive.

Marlowe is a FMC that I adored from the moment she opens her eyes to a delicious sight of Langdon's bare backside. Their prior brief meeting at a card game where the anti to the pot was time with Marlowe, and with the knowledge that Langdon threw his cards in order to purposely lose, still has her at odds with her undeniable (and unwelcomed) attraction to him.

From the opening of chapter 1, I knew that this was going to be the kind of novel that would be even more enjoyable in audiobook and was so glad to be able to preorder the audiobook which has a fantastic male narrator. His voice for Langdon had me pausing just to press the headphones even more in my ear to listen to his delicious tone. I was so thankful to have received an eARC in exchange for an honest review, which I read along while listening to the audiobook I purchased myself. It pairing made me enjoy the story so much!

I have been waiting I believe 7 long years for Langdon's book, so you know once I stumbled upon the place holder for A TEMPEST OF DESIRE on Lorraine Heath's website with a note that it was Langdon's book, it was on my radar, and I jumped on the chance to read this one as soon as possible. Did this derail my quest to read Lorraine Heath's full backlist in order as a 2024 goal? Yes, but I don't care. It was worth it.

The best way for me to describe it is if Bridgerton Season 3 made hot air ballooning relevant and there was more of it + Waking Up with the Duke (why yes, also by Lorraine Heath).

The forced proximity, no mouth kissing, the pining, the angst. The how is the author going to get these two stubborn people their HEA anxiety. GIVE IT TO ME.

This was a story of two people that had faced adversity in their lives. He was there to save her life after her hot air balloon crashed into the sea. She helped him with a long-term difficulty that he had acquired after a train crash. He was a nobleman and she, unfortunately, was a courtesan. Despite the odds, they managed to come together regardless of how society might have felt about their union.
The story was well-written and it made me shed a few tears. I received a free ARC from BookSirens and this is my honest review.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Lorraine Heath never fails to deliver complex characters, and the trials and tribulations that shapes them. Marlowe, the heroine, leads an unconventional life as a courtesan. Langdon, is hiding from his troubles, keeping secrets from his family. How can two so very different people fall in love? Take some tropes of forced proximity, only one bed, lack of clothing and add in a dash of deep conversations and you will have your answer. While Langdon is a bit of a dunderhead about wanting Marlowe as his mistress, this is a romance novel of the very best kind.

Spoiler Alert: they get together at the end.

I never miss a Lorraine Heath novel, and love the continuation of this series!

This was a quieter, more introspective romance that was character-forward and plot-light. If that's your jam, you'll adore A Tempest of Desire. It wasn't mine, but it's a well-done slow-burn romance that I think is worth trying, especially when you're in the mood for a more low-stakes plot.

What I really like about this book is its portrayal of one aspect of historical sex work and sex workers, namely, the celebrity courtesan. These were women who made careers of being mistresses to wealthy, powerful men. Our heroine Marlowe (who goes by one name! The true mark of celebrity) is actually under the "protection" of one of these men when she meets, and falls for Langdon. The situation is portrayed in a pretty pragmatic way: Hollingsworth treats Marlowe well and even helps her move on later, but you always feel acutely aware of the power differential (see: Hollingsworth "offered" Marlowe to Langdon some years before the book and no matter how well-intentioned it was because their chemistry was palpable.... YIKES) and that theirs is ultimately a transactional relationship— which isn't a judgement on the heroine, to be clear.

Langdon is an enormously charming hero even though said charm is pretty rusty when he first meets Marlowe— understandable considering he's been a recluse for a while now and is suffering from PTSD after an accident. Like, our intro to the man is him drunkenly wandering his own island like a tragic gothic hero pondering upon the sublime and wildness of nature— and lo and behold, who should appear in the midst of a storm just as he's begging god for a woman, but Marlowe in her hot air balloon. Still, Langdon has this natural seductive appeal you know he put to FULL use before his accident, and once he warms up to Marlowe, all bets are off. And obviously Marlowe isn't easily shocked, but she's very titillated by the idea of cracking this self-contained man's restraint. So there's a lot of long, chemistry-laden conversations while they're stranded Langdon's secluded island home, with some HEAVY sexual tension they don't really act on until midway through the book.

Except Langdon kind of ruins it when he makes the inevitable mistress proposition to Marlowe right after. Again, I really like how Lorraine Heath dealt with this aspect of the plot, because it's not like Marlowe is offended by this proposition, but she doesn't want the same relationship with Langdon that she has with her current protector. To be clear, she doesn't regret any of her past choices in choosing to be a career mistress, but she wants to move on on her own terms. And it's not like Langdon judges her for her career either, but like most men of his class, there's a clear disconnect in his mind between a mistress and a wife, and that's the gap he needs to bridge for their HEA.

The sex:

I think this is one of Lorraine's more restrained books, sex-wise. I appreciate what we get, and it makes sense for this couple. There's also a lowkey desperate vibe to most of the sex scenes because Langdon and Marlowe a self-imposed deadline on when they can be together. Standout scene was probably a very hot, very desperate carriage scene where Langdon tries one final time to stake a claim on Marlowe and it's actually so DESPERATE but also quite hot.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Publication Date: December 24th

A Tempest of Desire
Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Series - Book 5
By Lorraine Heath
Avon - December 2024
Historical Romance

Viscount Langdon may have survived a train accident, but he couldn’t escape the memories or the consequences. He wished for solitude, so had escaped to his family's island. His family's concern kept them appearing periodically, but the brutal storm that had arrived should have guaranteed complete isolation for a few days. Except he had discovered a woman had washed ashore. Fear had gripped him that others might have perished in the accident, but thankfully she had been alone flying in a hot-air balloon. He should not have been surprised that London's most famous courtesan was also an intrepid aeronaut.

Marlowe knew she was lucky to be alive. She'd made a miscalculation that had almost cost her life. Mistakes were not something she could afford. Not only in her hobby, but also as a courtesan. She'd made a calculated decision due to consequences not of her making, but she was very aware of the precarious position she was in. She had been drawn to Langdon from the moment she'd first seen him, but she knew she needed to keep her distance from him.

With him, she would lose her heart, and she knew a courtesan like her could never have a future with an earl's heir.

A Tempest of Desire returns readers to familiar characters and places from multiple series, but completely stands on its own. Of course, it was exciting to see who would be next to pop in to visit Langdon. He has a large support system of family and friends, but is stubbornly failing to deal with the effects of the accident on his own. Essentially the opposite is the case for Marlowe. It was wonderful to see them navigate the difficulties set before them and fight for a future together. I also loved learning a bit about the history of ballooning.

Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

Lorraine Heath is the best.

Lorraine Heath is a superb writer who never fails to deliver. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series (and how it overlapped with the last). So, its sad to see this one wrap up so beautifully. She takes a trope and digs in deep.

When Langdon asks for a woman, one is delivered to him in the form of Marlowe, a notorious courtesan. She is a daring in her hot air ballon that crashes on Langdon's island. I guess ask and you shall receive? They get to know each other while keeping secrets. They both have secrets to keep. They have chemistry and plenty of sparks and both have lived complicated lives.
Highly recommend.
Get this book! I did. I may have bought a spare or two, its so good.