Virtue: A Contemporary meets Regency Romance

I literally finish this in one sitting! What an engaging read - this was definitely a page-turner. Also the SPICE! I can’t recommrnd this enough.

Huge thanks to the author for a review copy of this book!

Savannah has a high libido and loves nothing more than fantasizing about the main characters of her favorite regency romance "Love and Honor." In an effort to break free of her conservative past, and at the suggestion of her supportive (and *cough* skilled *cough*) boyfriend, she decides to start a blog chronicling her adventures as she begins to experiment more in the bedroom.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much character development this book managed to pack into 80 pages that are, let's face it, mostly spice. To me, the mark of really good spicy romance is that it uses sex scenes to further character development just as much as any standard scene, and I really felt that was the case here. I felt invested in Savanah by the end of the novella and kept thinking about where her story might go next after I put it down.

And the SPICE. It's so well written. Exciting, inventive, and detailed enough to be REALLY steamy while still keeping the book clipping along at a great pace. As I said before, this book is mostly spice, but because of how much variety there is, how short the book is, and just how freaking good the scenes are, it doesn't get boring. In just over 80 pages, the book contains Solo F, MF, and MFF scenes and includes some really good disability rep.

Part of the variety comes from the fact that there are three main aspects to the book: Savannah's life and relationship with her boyfriend Arcas, her steamy, longing-filled fan fiction of the characters from Love and Honor, and her blog. I felt like the inclusion of the Love and Honor scenes was fun and inventive, and I would love to see more interplay between Savannah's life and her imagined scenes with the duke in future books in the series.

This book is very short, and took me about an hour to read. Rather than a complete narrative, it feels like a jumping off point, the first episode of a serialized story. Given the low price of the ebook and how quickly the subsequent books are planned to come out, I don't see this as a negative. If the quality of the sequels match this first entry, by the end I think we'll have a really good novel coming in at around 300 pages.

This review is getting long, but something I have to mention is the surprising inclusion of some exvangelical content that I thought was handled well and something I haven't seen in romance before. Even though it's very different from my journey, it resonated with me a surprising amount. I'm anxious to see where that plot line goes.

I'm so glad I made this my first read of 2023, and will be pre-ordering Voyeur, the next book in the series.

For such a short story, it definitely packs a punch. It was definitely a page turner - I finished this in a night! If you're looking for something quick but also VERY spicy, this is definitely for you. The fact that there was also character development was a big plus - I love some spice, but I also like when there's more than just steamy romance in a book and Ida Brady did a great job with such a short book.

A fun, quick and steamy novella.

Savannah is struggling, trying to free herself from the metaphorical chains of her strict Christian upbringing. She has left her family behind and is trying to find herself as a modern and sexual woman...

With her boyfriend and friends helping her, and with her trusted regency romance novels fresh in mind, she ventures out into new hot adventures.

I really enjoyed reading this...

This was actually very interesting and different for me to read. Definitely spicy! I was happy to learn that there was a plot with this story and not just sex scenes. I wish we would’ve gotten that story more but with how short it is and knowing that there’s another book that follows this one, it makes sense.

Very short and smutty, a palette cleanser of sort. Savannah has a vivid imagination, and a high libido to go with it. She's just like me.

I really like this book because it was on another level. Seeing her take control of her sexuality and having no shame is the best read. Usually Other books they make woman be so shameful. I can’t wait for another book like this.

This was a really cute read!! I appreciated the disabled representation as well as the discussion about the church and its negative impacts. There was one thing that gave me the ick that I dropped down a star, and that was that there was a scene where others were forced to be privy to the MCs exploits, which felt ick without making sure that others were OK being included in the kink first.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook, and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a very different story from what I am used to in how it is written; the first part of a three (?) part serial. I can definitely say that I can see how it would not be for everyone, as it is such a mesh of differing things - including contemporary erotica with a historical fictional story, in part, within, sexual exploration, with menage scenarios, a paraplegic lover, and family issues with a religious guilt component.

The story is in the present, about Savannah, a young woman living with her paraplegic boyfriend. She is a bartender, and he is a gamer. She has an active fantasy sex life, which often focuses around her favourite historical romance. Interspersed in her story is parts of the historical story, including her reimagining of it. Savannah's partner, Arcas, is open and encouraging her Savannah exploring her sexual boundaries and encourages her to blog about her experiences, and participates in them with her. There are quite graphic scenarios of their sexual experimentations and experiences.

VERY graphic - so be warned.

Mixed into this is reflection about her uber-religious family and how they have influenced and guilted her in the past and her escape from them, and her present day conflict with them, and her feelings about them.

There is a LOT happening in the few pages of this novella and there is no conclusion as it is part of a serial.

I tend to like to stick to historicals with a occasional foray into other genres, so I have to say that what I am drawn to are the historical snippets interspersed in this novella. The story of the Duke of Mardden and innocent Lady Emmeline, who are the focus of Savannah's fantasy life. At several points I was wishing it was a real and separate story on it's own as I would read it (rather like Donna Lea Simpson's Love and Scandal, and how she did put out Last Days of a Rake, which was the story written by the female MC in Love and Scandal).

But it was enough of a hook to draw me in and now I kind of want to read the rest of the serial - to get more of the fantasy historical... and perhaps to find out what happens with the family issues. The smutty sex of Savannah, Arcas, and others is a bit of a graphic sex bonus and interesting, but ultimately not so important to me as part of the story.

3.5 stars out of 5

Being a gir with a similar background as Van I was rooting her on the whole way as she explored her sexuality. I wish the blurb warned there was going to be FF content as it's not something I enjoy and I know it can be a good selling point for readers who are looking for it. I did love that Van's boyfriend is disabled and I love the representation!

I feel like the only main issue I have is this story doesn't have as full of an arc as I'd like. It feels like the book was cut up into parts to make a series and I wish I could have had the full story all at once instead of it being pieced together. But that's just me!

This is a fun quick romp. It can be read in about an hour and had a lot of fun spicy scenes to make me want to take a page out of Savannah's blog.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much character development this book managed to pack into 80 pages that are, let's face it, mostly spice. To me, the mark of really good spicy romance is that it uses sex scenes to further character development just as much as any standard scene, and I really felt that was the case here. I felt invested in Savanah by the end of the novella and kept thinking about where her story might go next after I put it down
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This was actually a really good read. I like the way it flips back and forth between the FMC’s personal exploration and the romance novel she writes in her head! And the representation of her disabled partner is fabulous.

The unexpected merging of some of my favorite things. I loved how thorough Savannah's imagination was, playing out regency romances in her head. And, she's a nerdy gamer that enjoys spending time with her boyfriend - both partners who fully accept one another. A really great story that was the perfect length. I look forward to reading more in the series!

The book delivered exactly what it was expected to. I love that it makes the effort to appeal to both contemporary romance lovers and those who love historical romances.
Very spicy. Proceed at your own risk. Youngsters not allowed.

“What we have together isn’t wrong. You’re sweet and kind and fun, and you’re entitled to live your life however the fuck you please. Even if you were the devil in disguise, you deserve to make your own choices because you’re an adult.” – Arcas

Virtue begins with the story of Savannah’s wild imagination running loose in her head about Emmaline and The Duke. It speaks of regency eras and wild nights of scandalous sinful desires. Savannah is a librarian that works part-time as a bartender to make ends meet. She ran away from an abusive house that was trying to push religion down her throat and convinced her that even thinking about reading books is a sin in itself! Her boyfriend, Arcas, helps her overcome her fears and explore her sexual desires.

I loved this book because it had a mix of everything! Regency period? Emmaline and the Duke. Late-night raids with high stakes? Savannah and Arcas. Spicy scenes with a bit of threesome, DP, and BDSM? Yep. Blogging? Yes. Books? Hell YES! It combined everything juicy that we need in a book. I really enjoyed reading the scandalous scenes between Emmaline and the Duke, especially when he found her in the garden. What actually really impressed me was that Arcas is a paraplegic and the author wrote about his intimacy with Savannah in a way that I never read about before. The author showed us that not everything is about lust and penetration because Savannah was able to make him see stars because of some erogenous zones in his fingers. 🔥

Now on to the spice. I have to say that this book was extremely hot to the point where I was fanning myself after every chapter! 🥵 They were only 11! I want more, no scratch that. I need more! Can’t wait to read Voyeur and find out more about Savannah, Arcas, Emmaline, and the Duke!

Great (spicy!) novella! Despite being novella-length, the characters had depth, the plot existed, and self-discovery was had. Historical romance meets modern relationship, and everyone thrives. I really enjoyed this!

This was a very unique erotic short story centered around a lover of historical romance who wants to explore her sexuality and has the assistance of her paraplegic boyfriend. There is a lot going on between her fantasies based on her favorite historical romance and the blog where she shares each of her new sexual experiences. Well written, I would read more of this series and author.

This novella feels like somebody's therapy journal and I don't mean that in a negative way. There's a lot going on in this book. We've got our main character Savannah, or Van, and her paraplegic boyfriend, Arcas; the storyline of her reading a regency era romance novel with a Duke and a maiden that has been the source of her fantasies since she discovered it as a sheltered teen; and then there is the online journal that she keeps of her personal sexcapades And desires. So three different storylines happening within 81 pages of a novella and yet it works. 

Savannah and Arcas have a non-traditional open relationship, whether it is just who they are or because he is in a wheelchair, I don't know. And really it doesn't matter. It is who they are and the reader accepts it. They don't need to justify it to us. The character and their relationship opened my eyes to a diverse character and how he gives and receives sexual pleasure. 

Van's relationship with Arcas is very different from the way she was raised in a very strict, almost radically, religious home. I found this off-putting at first and thought, "here we go again, bashing religious people" but then the author expands and shows that her parents were not the typical Sunday-church goers but are actually verbally and emotionally abusive to Savannah in the name of religion and attempted to force her into an arranged marriage against her will. All of this is used to show her growth and depth. She has moments where she misses her family but knows they are toxic and abusive. And just like most children, she still desired their love and approval. 

This is written as erotica or an erotic romance.  There are multiple scenes that are very descriptive and explicit *and* arousing. But there's also depth and a story that looks to dive deeper in the following books. I would recommend reading this if you're looking for something short and sweet and a definite one handed read.  There is a lot going on with three different storylines but I suspect that they start to work better together as the series goes on. I hope to continue with the next book.