Lorraine Heath you will always be famous!!!!! Like many historical romance readers I am VERY picky, but Heath is an autoread for me because I know she's got it going on. Tempest is a high-stakes, emotionally resonant, HOT romance that I'm so excited I got to read early. Marlow and Langdon broke my heart in the best way! Their tension......I was fanning myself, that's all I'll say. The peripheral relationships in this book are also so fun. I enjoyed seeing some of the couples from Heath's past books, including Grace and Lovingdon, who are my forever favorites. Marlowe was a great heroine. Her backstory is both silly and heartbreaking, and I love that she gets a cool hobby. Her relationship with Hollie was honestly sweet, even when it was sad. Seeing her affection for him and the way he treated her even after they broke things off was very sweet. Langdon...I mean. Dude's hot, what can I say? Like Marlowe, I am also a sucker for a man in shirtsleeves, or whatever the modern equivalent of that is. Please lord, deliver me a period man whose shirt I can steal, who will cook me eggs on toast, and who will sexily row me back to shore after I crash my hot air balloon. Amen.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

After a horrific train accident Viscount Langdon has retreated to a small, secluded island to hideaway while he deals with the repercussions of the accident. When a stormy night washes London’s most infamous courtesan to shore, he doesn’t know what to make of her. As she recovers on his island, his desire for her grows. The problem is that she belongs to another. Can they have a future together or is their time limited?

Marlowe had big dreams when she was young. When her charlatan of a father left her and her mother in a mountain of debt, she makes her way to London to seek work. Unfortunately the money she makes as a seamstress is barely keeping them afloat, so when a better offer comes along she takes it in order to survive. An avid aeronaut, she takes to the skies in a hot air balloon to find peace. When a storm sends her crashing down, she barely survives. Never would she have imagined that the storm would bring her directly to the man who refused to spend a night with her after a game of cards a year before. She felt an attraction then, and it only grows stronger as they get to know one another. Her loyalty is to another, but will this loyalty keep her from missing out on a chance at love?

Oh boy did Ms. Heath deliver on the yearning and angst. It’s a bit of a slow burn, and perhaps a little too slow at times, but the depth and complexity of the characters more than makes up for it. This is very much a character study on two people who were dealt with many obstacles in life, and yet they do the best they can to march on.

I loved Marlowe’s strength and courage. It was very interesting to learn about ballooning at the time and to learn that there were women aeronauts. Marlowe was dealt a bad hand at a young age, and yet she made her choices boldly. She owned her power in a profession that oftentimes strips women of their power and agency. I appreciated the sensitivity with which Ms. Heath writes about sex work. She doesn’t judge it or condemn it.

Langdon was the perfect amount of brooding. I appreciated that his kindness shown through despite his feelings towards his limitations. Oftentimes, authors create MMCs that are insufferable and lash out when they have a secret, but that wasn’t the case here. Does he guard his secret, yes, but he doesn’t allow it to push Marlowe away.

Ms. Heath creates characters you really want to root for. I’m a big fan of her previous novels, and she doesn’t disappoint with this one. It was also lovely to see past characters make appearances. If you love a slow burn and independent and bold heroines, I’d suggest you pick this one up.

What a book! We spend half the book with only the MCs on a remote island just getting to know each other. Forcing two characters to be marooned on an island was a brilliant plan for them to acknowledge their attraction. The characters have so much emotional depth.

This was such a lovely historical romance. Marlowe was flying her hot air ballon and crashes and ends up stranded on an island with Viscount Langdon. She ends up taking shelter with him and just ughhh the cozy feelings in this are it my friends. I love how Marlowe is a mistress for another man and the slow way their forbidden love blooms. Not to mention I love how they bond over shared trauma and the way the viscount struggles with mental injures from a railroad incident that happened to him… just so good! *thanks so much for an advanced copy of this all thoughts are my own*

Thank you so much for this ARC! This was my first foray into this series and after reading it I did go back and read the prior three books that were published

I think this author’s strengths lie in setting up the angst and the drama in her novels, but she really fails to deliver in her conflict resolution and romance, so I found all of her books to be really disappointing in that regards and more of the same (i.e. disappointing in the same way)

I think these books are more suited towards folks who don’t care much for romance and are more interested in historical aspect of the book

The books are well written. I think fans of this author will appreciate this book but fans of historical romance won’t enjoy this book as much.

After surviving a horrible railway accident, Viscount Langdon retreats to his private island to escape and recover. A terrible storm washes an unlikely survivor onto his beach: London’s most infamous courtesan. Marlowe and Langdon are trapped together, battling a curiosity about each other and a growing obsession.

This is the fifth book Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James. The series features the children from the popular Scoundrels of St. James series. Langdon is the son of Lucian Langdon and Lady Catherine Mabry (In Bed with the Devil). There are mentions of many previous characters near the end of the story, but the majority of the novel stands alone.

Like most Heath titles, I really loved this one. She's really a master at crafting unusual scenarios for her characters that somehow make complete sense! Because the characters are marooned together, the focus is squarely on them for the first half of the story, and I really loved the way their backstories unfolded and they danced around each other. I also liked that neither's "secret" was what I expected it to be, and their obstacle wasn't a "classic villain." I can't wait to get to know more character's in the Heath Book Universe!

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Class Difference

Steam: 4

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review

4 stars. This rating could probably be increased on reread because when I read the first 40% of this book, I was not in the mood for anything new. I returned to the book after a break, and I devoured it in an evening.

A great silly Heath premise — a man alone on a deserted island during a storm shouts “my kingdom for a woman!” Then, lightning strikes and illuminates a woman washed up on his shore. It also has the signature Heath angst.

In the author’s note at the end, she talks about trying to make this series have complex characters who come from happily married parents, and I do think this series does a decent job of delivering on this.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!!

Absolutely loved!! But that's not surprising as this is a Lorraine Heath romance.

I read the premise of this book and was like it sounds wacky, I need to read it. I was drawn into the story right from the start and couldn't put it down. This book has everything: drama, remote island, steam, angst and humor. Langdon and Marlowe were such fantastic characters. They were complicated and felt realistic.

I love Heath's sense of humor. For example, Langdon is yelling at the sky for a woman and and who shows up in a hot air balloon? Haha I just found it really funny. There are a few moments here that had me laughing so hard.

The steamy scenes are great too. These two had a lot of chemistry and great connection.

This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. Would highly recommend!

I quite enjoyed this one!

Marlowe and Langdon are stuck on an island after a storm crashes her hot air ballon (she's an aeronautical!) and he saves her. They have met before and it was not favorable, so this forced proximity allows them to get to know each other beyond their initial impressions and the scandal sheets. Unfortunately, Marlowe already has a protector and she and Langdon are honor bound to respect that...

I loved how Heath portrayed the relationship between Marlowe and her protector, it is something I have never seen in historical romance. It was refreshing and really added depth to her character and the story. Meanwhile, Langdon is dealing with long term consequences of something that happened to him and I really appreciate that it's not something that was magically solved by the end of the book. It gave the epilogue real weight and added to their relationship, as something to work through together and an imperfect reality of relationships.

Very enjoyable. Definitely suggest pulling up a Lorraine Heath family tree haha

Lorraine Heath is one of my favorite historical romance authors and once again doesn't disappoint. I was so excited to see more children of the characters from St James, especially since Langdon has been in the background of the other series books. The romance was perfect, the ending wonderful and everything I treasure about Lorraine Heath.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

In true Lorraine Heath fashion, this book delivers historical romance in an engaging and unique way that only Heath can accomplish. I enjoyed Marlowe and Langdon and the circumstances in which they first met and how their relationship unfolded! This book is another great journey and I look forward to what she writes next!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy of A Tempest of Desire by Lorraine Heath! I couldn’t be more excited to dive into this one because, let me tell you, Lorraine Heath has solidified her spot as one of my all-time favorite historical romance authors. Why? Because she delivers completely bonkers romances grounded in rich historical accuracy—and I’m obsessed.

This book? Oh, it’s a wild one. It centers around a female hobbyist aeronaut (yes, you read that right) who crash lands on a not-so-deserted island. Who does she find there? An Earl recovering from a devastating railway accident. Like, y’all. Would that have been your first idea for a historical romance plot? Because same.

Instead of waltzing through ballrooms during the height of the London Season, we get to watch these characters navigate isolation, confront their traumas, and heal each other’s souls. It’s such a refreshing twist in the historical romance genre—a unique blend of the obscure and the absurd that I can’t get enough of.

This one is for all my fellow bonkers-loving romance readers out there. If you’re into historicals with an imaginative twist, A Tempest of Desire is an absolute must-read. Lorraine Heath, you’ve done it again. 💕

When aeronaut Marlowe's hot air balloon goes down in a storm off the coast of Cornwall, she washes up on the solitary island of the one man in London who seems immune to her courtesan charms, Viscount Langdon. Langdon, however, was taken by Marlowe the first time he saw her, and is just too noble to poach another man's mistress. They get to know each other, and each other's secrets, as they stay stranded on the isle together through the storm, and then have to figure out a way forward once they're back in London.

I loved this book so much I've already read it twice. The first half of this book is so deliciously intimate while it's just the two of them on the island. There's no side characters to come in and interfere (or support) and so the build of the relationship truly relies on what they're willing to share with each other. It also means that they're almost always on page together, which is always the preference. I love that Marlowe thought he wasn't interested in her, and when she confronts him about it he absolutely does not try to play it cool and tells her that in reality, he didn't want to disrespect her and also decided that never having her was better than only having her for one night. I've really enjoyed the Scandalous Lords of St. James series, but this is by far my favorite one. A Tempest of Desire is a great read for fans of historical romance who are looking for a strong female main character with male main character who supports her decisions and dreams.

When Langdon decides to look for a mistress he is immediately attracted to the elusive and exclusive courtesan Marlowe. Shocked by how much he craves her, he decides not to give in. When she lands injured at his secluded island in a storm, all bets are off. They both try to deny their passion. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon for my honest review.

One of my favorite Lorraine Heath series is The Scoundrels of St. James. The series highlights a group of swindlers, pickpockets, and theives who are launched into London society. Each book in the series is an absolutely fantastic read and some of my all time favorite Heath novels. Heath then graced us with The Scandalous Gentleman of St James series featuring the kids from our scoundrels. When I saw that Heath was returning to this series to give us Viscount Langdons story I couldn't help but hit that request button! Catherine and Claybourne are one of my favorite couples so I couldn't wait to see what kind of situation our young Langdon got himself into.

This book is a delicious slow burn. Langdon previously had a chance for a night with Marlowe, another man's mistress, and didn't take it. Now hiding away in an old keep off the coast of Cornwall, he gets a second chance when her hot air balloon crashes and washes up on shore during a storm. The forced proximity on a more or less deserted island created the perfect intimate setting for them to really get to know eachother. Both of them are healing in their own way and the openness and trust they build with each other is refreshing.

I really like that Marlowe's protector didn't become the bad guy in the story and that the main conflict came from fighting societal norms and marrying her regardless of the scandal it would cause. Heath mentioned it in her authors note, but second gen stories really need to have different challenges so you don't mess with the parents HEA and I think she did a wonderful job with that in this book. Overall, I loved it. I hope she continues to expand this series in the future!

I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

Lorraine Heath is back after a brief pause on her Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series, and I couldn't be more happy and excited! I've been such a fan of hers since I started reading historical romance and am endlessly impressed with the world and universe she continues to build on. This novel picks up with the eldest son of our first MCs in the Scoundrels of St. James series, Viscount Langdon (aka Oliver).

The premise of this story is so far-fetched and wild but so classic Heath: Viscount Langdon has secluded himself on a private island when during a storm, he discovers a woman lying unconscious on the shore. After bringing her into safety, he realizes they've met before- a famous (and taken) courtesan he's had his eye on, named Marlowe. And Marlowe is honestly SUCH A TREAT! Like most women in this series, she's not at all what she seems on the surface and is actually an aeronaut who was caught in the storm on her hot-air balloon. Now, these lusty, angsty "enemies" are stuck on an island together until the storm recedes, let the pining, sexy secret-keeping begin!

These two characters were so nicely fleshed out and multidimensional that I was always intrigued to learn more about them as I kept reading. Plus, they were loads of fun. Marlowe's first POV scene is literally her lusting over Langdon's bare bum, and I have such respect for that, that she's instantly likable. Her quest for freedom and using flight to escape her harsh realities is something I think all women, even today, can find understandable. Langdon is also so wonderfully tragic and sweet it's heartbreaking to read how he sees himself and his struggles after his accident. They both have such great heat and early on, you can tell that although there's a hefty amount of lust involved, there's also something deeper there. The two of them seem to really see each other in ways the outside world doesn't. But they also are just so reluctant to fall for each other that it kept me on the edge of my seat reading.

Overall, I loved this book so much and was crying by the end (as per usual with a book by Lorraine Heath). She has such a way of weaving in tragedy with hope and I'm always shocked by the twists and turns she throws. And then how those twists always leave me DEEP in my feels. This gets a 4.5 only because I found myself frustrated toward the later half of the book when it came to the reasons they "couldn't be together." Regardless, this was still such a great story and I hope Heath continues to write more with these characters. This reminded me how much I loved this series and found family!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A Tempest of Desire follows Marlowe, a notorious mistress, and Langdon, the eldest son of Lucian and Catherine, who are stuck together on an island after a storm knocks Marlowe's hot air balloon out of the sky. I adored Marlowe as a character and understood at every turn the trouble that she faced and the struggles that she was going through. She is a mistress and well aware of the life that she chose for herself, but she also made the decision when she was only nineteen and didn't fully comprehend how it would continue to shape her life. I especially appreciated that Marlowe's protector was not some mustache twirling villain in the corner, but a man that she loved as a friend and continued to care for throughout the book. She's one of those fantastic characters that breaks your heart and was my favorite part of the book.

I didn't love Langdon quite as much, but that's because he mostly needed Marlowe to knock some sense into him a time or two.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Loraine Heath's book but it won't be my last. This was absolutely fantastic and there was so much to like on it. I was captivated by the book from the moment I read the blurb about a courtesan who can fly her on balloon but ends up caught in a storm and ends up stranded on an almost deserted island where a very grumpy Lord is hiding from society. The book takes its time developing the story and the relationship between these two and I had such a great time watching these two main characters interact and trying really hard not to fall in love. They both have their faults and that made them even more precious and there was so much hurt/comfort from both sides.
I was initially worried about how these two would end up together when they come from such different social circles but I shouldn't have worried. I will also mentioned that I haven't read the prior books on this series so it stands alone on it's own pretty well.
You should read this book if you like grumpy/sunshine, class difference, strong female characters, only one bed or hurt/comfort.

Love Lorraine Heath, love the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series, love a strong heroine who is courageous and confident and a hero who ultimately can't live without her.

It did take me a bit of time to warm up to this one (things got better after they'd gotten past the initial prickly attraction), but by the end, there were wonderfully angsty moments that had my heart aching for these two to resolve the conflict keeping them apart. So many small moments in this that made their love feel substantial long before they admitted it to one another.

As always with Lorraine Heath, this one is worth the read!

I adored this historical romance so much. It was a slow burn which I appreciated because I wasn’t expecting it, given the heroine being a mistress.