Sophia's Schooling

Sophia’s Schooling pulled me in for a full day. I couldn’t put the book down.. I loved every encounter she and Edward had. Back in those days, you didn’t have lots of entertainment. Sophia was never bored but she wanted to find love. I love her and Edwards quirkiness and playfulness. Thank you for the ARC of this and looking forward to reading more books by Maggie Sims.

Sophia father died. After her mourning she goes to live with a distant cousin who is an earl. She must attend the season to find a husband. Her cousin’s best friend agrees to escort her. He compromised her. He agrees to marry her. He tells and shows her if she doesn’t follow the rules she will be punished by spanking. He has secrets. He craves to teach her different types of sexual pleasure. The book was well written. I looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy!

The idea of "schooling" is new to me having read a few HR type of books. I liked Edward (he's too reluctantly cute) and Sophia (her aim to please and her independence) for their personalities respectively. I guess this book is not just for me.

I read this book in just two days, and I must admit it was spirited and provocative. The attraction between Sophia and Edward was intense, and their romance blossomed despite their personal challenges. The narrative was smooth, and the dialogue flowed naturally. I found myself cheering for their HEA! It was very much a red-hot romance, and I hope to read the next book in the series when it is released.

A thank you to NetGalley, The Wild Rose Press, and Maggie Sims for the DRC!

Orphaned at eighteen, Sophia Wilkinson has learned love means loss. Now she must leave her country home to navigate the opulence of the London Season, although she has no desire for romance or a husband.
Edward Morduant, the newest Earl of Peterborough, is struggling with the business of his family estate. He has shunned marriage due to a shameful secret, but with his title comes the need for heirs.
Despite their misgivings, Sophia and Edward cannot resist their attraction. When she accidentally discovers his penchant for spankings, her curiosity is her undoing. A clandestine meeting risks a scandal. Only marriage to a reluctant bridegroom can save her reputation. But perhaps the School of Enlightenment can give her an education in love.
This is a pretty good story. He has a penchant for spankings and she does too.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This was a cute little book, that was honestly very lovely. I'm a sucker for historical romance and this book really hit the mark. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

Sophia is an intelligent young woman, recently brought to London, for a Season sponsored by her cousin, the Earl of Suffolk, and his wife. She recently lost her father, and was given a bit of an unconventional upbringing. He managed a country estate for his cousin, the Earl, and was the local vet. Sophia grew up learning his knowledge, and he also enjoyed speaking with her about current events and news, so she is quite intelligent, knowledgeable about animals, and loves the country. She does not want to be a burden to her cousins, and hopes to be able to marry, with the modest goal of marrying a gentleman with a country estate, with whom she can have a comfortable partnership, including helping with her knowledge of animals.

Edward recently inherited his title as Earl of Peterborough. He was a second son engaged in the business of breeding and training horses, and never expecting to inherit the title, and the responsibilities that go with it. He had a traumatic upbringing as he has a reading disability and was frequently punished by switching for his inability to read by his governess, and when he went away to school. He had learned different ways to compensate for his inability to read, sometimes with the help of his brother, and friend, the Earl of Suffolk. Later, as an adult, he learned to derive sexual pleasure and stress relief from being the giver of punishments, rather than receiving it.

However, with the inheritance of the Earldom, he would be expected to take his place in the House of Lords, and be knowledgeable about the politics of the day - very daunting when it takes him so much effort and time to even read a page of the newspaper. He is very fearful of his disability being discovered and being mocked, and rejected by his peers. He knows he must provide an heir as well, but because of his experiences, is even more distrustful of women and how he would be treated if his secrets were discovered. He also did not want to give up his favourite method of stress relief either, and could not fathom that a wife would tolerate his sexual proclivities.

Neither Edward or Sophia thought love was in their futures. Sophia thinks it is better to not love, as everyone she has loved has left her... her best friend, her parents through death. Edward does not trust women and thinks that any woman who finds out about his faults and desires would despise him. But they are very attracted to each other. They learn about the School of Enlightenment from Nicholas and his wife.

This was a steamy romance that has a heavy spanking element in the storyline. I was a bit conflicted because of Edward's sense of distrust of women almost felt like it bordered on mysogyny and how that could conflict with his relationship and discipline with Sophia. It did not feel right that there would be inherent distrust when she is trusting him to not ultimately do her harm, but he did not trust her not to betray him - get what I mean? Also, he was quite overbearing with her with regards to the animals. I could understand in the beginning, not knowing her, and seeing her with his stallion, but until almost the end, he did not listen to her and try to find out what she was capable of in terms of her knowledge of animals. Perhaps she earned more of his distrust too by having to go behind his back to do some things, but that was also because he held back many things from her, and prevented her from doing what she loved and found purpose in. She seemed like she could truly be a partner to him in his life, as a spouse and helpmate, both with his politics, and his horses, but he did not give her a chance until near the end, and that did not sit right with me, especially when she demonstrated her knowledge and also her trust in him through allowing his discipline.

3.5 stars out of 5.

A sexy, titillating regency romp! Sophia and Edward find each other while they are both at crossroads in their lives... Sophia wants to find a husband to secure a quiet, comfortable, life in the country among the animals she loves. Edward has unexpectedly become the Earl and must take his place in the House of Lords, a daunting task considering his upbringing as the second and less refined son. I enjoyed that both characters were able to explore what turned them on and while Sophia is the eager student, she also gets her chance to be in charge, too. Both Edward and Sophia have to make big decisions, but they also find ways to have some fun in the process as well. Recommended to readers who enjoy a little kink in their historical romance!

Sophia's Schooling is hot!

I must say that first and foremost. But it's also a tender love story of two insecure people finding out how to relate to one another. Sophia is a recently orphaned young woman who becomes the ward of her cousin, the Earl of Suffolk. Sophia is a quiet girl who loves horses and is afraid of abandoment that must now contend with debuting in London society to find a suitable match. Meanwhile, Edward, just elevated to the title of Earl of Peterborough after the untimely death of his older brother, finds himself in need of a wife. A wife with very specific attributes (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Might his best friend Nicholas' cousin be the right fit?

The attraction between Sophia and Edward is palpable from the start and their sexual compatibility is off the charts, particularly after Sophia is enrolled in The School of Enlightenment. A very special school where women of the era can learn all sorts of scandalous things (!) But Edward has insecurities and secrets of his own that make their journey to love not only steamy hot but also rocky and quite heartfelt. Maggie Sims does a great job of crafting two very compelling characters and making the reader want to root for them. For those that like their Victorian (?) era historical romances hotter than a steam engine, Sophia's Schooling is the book for you!

This was a fun read I loved the relationship between Sophie and Edward, I couldn't put the book down i wanted to see what would happen between them. Since her father had passed away she went to go live with her cousin. She went to attend a season to find a husband and that is where she met Edward. This man had his secrets this was the reason why I picked up this book to find out his secrets it is what mainly intrigued me into this story.
There was a lot of spice in this story.

Full of Steam!

When Edward the Earl of Peterborough and Sophia his best friends cousin met, Edward immediately wanted her but he had a specific type of need which included spanking and he had a much guarded secret which apart from her cousin Nicholas, he didn’t want anyone to find out and ridicule him which had happened in the past.
Sophia had her eyes opened when she came across her cousin and his wife one night which peaked her interest. In one of her passionate moments with Edward, she mentioned it to him. Edward really surprised didn’t realise that you could combine his sexual preference with a wife and although he didn’t want to get married, after spanking Sophia one evening and compromising her decided that yes they could marry but he would keep close his other secret.
I won’t spoil the story line anymore but the book is FULL of steamy, explicit erotic sexual moments and is not for anyone who likes to read clean and tame romance stories.
I personally really enjoyed the story and all of the steamy moments and loved their HEA and will be reading more from this author.

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

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Just a bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine (pretty evenly split)

Should I read in order?
You can start here, but there’s a lovely prequel novella called Roslynn’s Rebellion that you can read if you sign up for Maggie Sims’ newsletter!

Basic plot:
Sophia comes to stay with her closest family relatives after being orphaned. She can’t seem to stay away from Edward, the family friend, and he can’t seem to keep his hands off her...

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency time period (1816)
- Split between London and country manor
- High steam with 8 full scenes plus plenty of partial scenes – domestic discipline and use of toys
- Plot focus on the characters and their relationship (no mystery to solve or villain)

Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned but would guess 20s

My thoughts:
There was a lot I really enjoyed about this story and some I struggled with.

Sophia I really enjoyed. She adores horses and had a close relationship with her father, who worked as a veterinarian. He taught her much of this knowledge and she takes pride into being able to take care of animals in her care. When she goes to live with Nicholas and Roslynn, she witnesses a sexual encounter between them that has extremely curious to experience it for herself. She meets Edward soon after and he quickly finds out she’s interested in the same lifestyle that he craves.

Edward, I struggled with. He has a lot of emotional baggage from his childhood and he’s not very pleasant on a number of occasions. Due to how he was treated as a child, he has a severe mistrust of women – he believes he will never be able to love one as they are vicious and would only hurt him in the end. Part of his insecurity is his severe dyslexia, which affects so many aspects of his life.

Because Edward’s mistrust was so severe, and at a few points his cruelty to Sophia was as well, I was hoping to find a lot more healing for him in the story. I also wanted a longer/better grovel from him. At the end of the story I still can’t say I liked him.

Still, I enjoyed Sims’ writing immensely. She also writes sex scenes with the exact combination of explicit detail and powerful emotional punch I love! I will definitely be trying book 2 in the series and am excited for it.

After the death of her parents, Sophia goes to live with her cousin and his wife. There, she meets his friend Edward. They're immediately attracted, but Edward has very particular tastes. Can this innocent young woman become the submissive wife he needs?

This romance novel is entertaining, well written, and super steamy. Edward is romantic and kind, Sophia eager and curious. The chemistry between them is hot, hot, hot.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sophia’s Schooling is a passionate, oh-so-steamy journey of two lonely people who must learn to trust to find happiness. Sophia is young, alone, and scared of an unknown future. Edward, the new Earl of Peterborough, harbors a dark secret and particular sexual desires that he is afraid to share with women.

I enjoyed the tense sexual tension between Edward and Sophia. The sensual scenes were hot, hot, hot! At times the plot fell flat, or rather the storyline steered off course. I felt the school scenes could be somewhat fantastical. I could not get invested in the school scenes, and I honestly don’t know why. I know the school is fundamental to the series, but I want the plot at this point to be more organic and relatable. However, I loved every time the couple was together on-page. I felt the last third of the book was excellent. The journey Edward and Sophia took ebbed and flowed realistically. The plot moved fast, and the storyline was addictive and passionate.

Sophia’s Schooling is the first full-length novel in the School Of Enlightenment series. There is a novella that precedes this book that introduces characters in this novel. Maggie Sims has written a sexy, captivating first romance in a series of untold potential.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sexy fun regency novel. Really enjoyed it. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Sweet and steamy historical romance. Sophia and Edward are interesting characters who do not feel confident in their new positions in life. Overall a good story without much angst.

This sexy and sensual debut from Maggie Sims is a perfectly steamy sexual awakening of a young woman. I found this novel to be interesting and fun. Sims' writing is easily accessible, well paced, and full of sexy moments that will keep the reader engaged in the development of this romantic relationship. I definitely enjoyed this novel and look forward to exploring more works from Maggie Sims as well as more works from this indie publishing company-The Wild Rose Press.

If you think that historical romances need more sensuality and steam than you should definitely check this novel out! This romance revolves around the sensual awakening of Sophia, who is 18 and recently orphaned. She is now living under the protection of a cousin. She must leave her country home for the opulence of London. While there she meets her cousin's best friend-Edward, who awakens desires in her. Both Edward and Sophia are not in the market for a spouse but they are having a hard time keeping their desires from each other, but Edward does not think he will make a good husband due to a shameful secret.

This novel is full of chemistry, sensuality and has a light layer of BDSM which plays well with the hero and heroine's discovery of themselves and how they will operate with each other. Maggie Sims uses Sophia's curiosity and openness is a wonderful way to explore a different side of sensuality. Through the exploration the development of trust that Sophia gives to Edward is very prevalent and creates a deeper relationship between the two. I think Sims really uses the acceptance it takes to be naked and curious with you partner as a beautiful way to develop a rich understanding between Edward and Sophia. Because they are both able to fully explore the other in the bedroom this helps to establish a trust that Edward can than be fully open with Sophia about his secret. Sims really shows the reader that a strong connection in the bedroom can be a beautiful lead into a strong relationship that will create a well balanced partnership.

I would strongly recommend this is you love a high steam romance and love the historical backdrop. This novel is the perfect sexy read and will hopefully give you a new author and indie publisher to explore more from.

Good read, quick and enjoyable. First book from this author that I have read. Good for fans of Bridgerton

3.5 stars rounded up.

Newly orphaned, Sophia Wilkinson has no idea what to expect of going to live with her cousin in opulent London. She only knows that she doesn’t especially want to risk her heart to the pain of loss again, though a husband may prove necessary to ensure her security.

Edward Morduant finds himself the reluctant Earl of Peterborough after his brother’s death and he’s also struggling to adjust. He harbors a secret that brings him shame and has caused him to eschew marriage, but now that he has inherited a title, he realizes he will eventually need to have heirs to continue it.

Edward is reluctantly attracted to his best friend’s ward even knowing he shouldn’t be. When Sophia finds herself curious about domestic discipline, she winds up getting closer to Edward than she’d ever planned to and when they’re caught in a scandalous position, only marriage can ensure the protection of her reputation. They’re both reluctant but hopeful, especially when Sophia is enrolled for two weeks of classes at the School of Enlightenment to prepare her for her marriage.

This story won’t be for everyone, but it is refreshing to see something so different in historical romance. There were definitely instances of interactions between the MCs that had me scoffing and Sophia definitely put up with more than I would have, but in the end their dynamic worked for them. Edward was a bit of a pill much of the time, asking much more of Sophia than he was willing to give of himself and at times it made her seem like a pushover, when in reality she was trying to find ways of getting along with her new husband while also staying true to herself. Sometimes Edward’s aloofness comes off as him using Sophia. He’s really just trying to protect his heart, but these blinders he wears at times make him oblivious to or careless of her desires in the face of what she can do for him. For this reason, it sometimes seems like Sophia is just going along to ensure her security. I definitely thought Edward was too condescending with her sometimes, referring to her as ‘young lady’ rather than allowing her to openly communicate with him was frustrating for me and I now know, not that I ever doubted, that this sort of relationship dynamic definitely wouldn’t work for me personally. Everything changed for Sophia so rapidly and she was incredibly young, so I think he was just a bit too impatient with her sometimes. The concept of her going to the school after they married was also a bit strange, but I give it points for being original. I just wish Edward gave Sophia credit for her horse knowledge a bit sooner. As a horse person myself I would’ve been furious to have someone condescending to me about horse safety when I’ve been around them my entire life, even if it was coming from a place of fearing for her safety. Thankfully, Edward did eventually open himself up to her and I found that very satisfying. I believed the feelings that developed between these two and that connection at least came through very strongly on the page.

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