ARC Review: Lust by Charlotte Featherstone

Lust (The Sins and The Virtues #1) 
by Charlotte Featherstone 

Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Spice; Original edition (January 18, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0373605528

ISBN-13: 978-0373605521

ARC Provided by NetGalley

Of old, humans and Faeries have dwelt side by side in parallel realms. Only the canniest mortals recognize the alluring creatures that often walk—and lie—among them.

The righteous Fae of the Seelie Court cherish an ancient quarrel with their Dark counterparts: a curse born of anger and deceit. The Unseelie Court will perish unless one of its princes can win a woman's love—honestly, without coercion…and love her wholly in return.

To halt the slow demise of his people, Prince Thane—the embodiment of Lust—infiltrates the Georgian court to seduce his mortal inverse. Noblewoman Chastity Lennox is purity incarnate—a sensual prize well worth winning. But Thane's carnal quest proves more challenging than he ever dreamed.

No other has ever been able—or willing—to resist his erotic charms. Chastity's resolve is maddening…and intriguing. It makes him want her all the more. But how best to seduce one who truly seems above temptation? Discover her greatest weakness and become the intoxicating essence of her deepest, most forbidden desires….

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Review:

This is a story of two Fae Courts, The Seelie (Light) and the Unseelie (Dark), and of both their sins and virtues.

Several centuries ago the Dark King Duir became besotted with the Seelie Queen Aine and kidnapped her, making Light Queen his prisoner and concubine in the Dark Court. Aine despised the Dark King and vowed to escape him. After birthing him twin sons she finally had her chance; escaping with one of her sons, the one resembling her Seelie side and leaving the other that resembled the hated Unseelie, she returned to her kingdom but not before placing a curse on the Dark Court and the princes of the court, including her own son.

Now (around the mid 1700’s) King Duir is dead and Aines forgotten son rules as the Dark King, his court is slowly dying and the princes are becoming slaves to the cardinal Sins that Queen Aine cursed them with. The only way to save them and break the curse is to find the Virtues; seven mortal women born every one hundred years that represent the virtuous aspects of humanity. They cannot use their dark gifts and force these women; they must follow willingly to the Dark Court. But what woman would freely choose to be in a court of sin and debauchery?

Lust is a deliciously dark and sinfully erotic tale of temptation.

When the Duke of Lennox made a tithe with the Queen and then later a dark fae he never imagined that in return each would require his beloved daughters as payment. 

Meet Chastity Lennox, one of the Duke’s four daughters, she is virtuous and chaste like her namesake. No man has ever captured her attention or caused a flutter in her chest until the day she crosses paths with the dark and sensual Thane. He awakens her like no other and she struggles with the two halves of herself; the virtuous woman she has been and knows she should be and the woman yearning for passion, heated looks passed between lovers and intimate caresses. Most of Lust is about Chastity’s struggle, she can tell no one of her wicked desires and she flitters back and forth between what she feels is right and wrong.   She is scared of loosing herself if she is no longer virtuous and chaste, who will she be then?

Dark Prince Thane, the Dark King Niall’s half brother, is the keeper of Lust and man oh man does he ooze with it. Tall, dark, sinfully handsome, Thane is a walking temptation. He is determined to seduce Chastity and woo her over to the Dark Court to break the curse, but as he comes to learn her and get inside her head he finds himself wanting more. He truly wants her to come to him of her own free will because she wants him, the man he is. Not just the dark fey prince or Lust. So he suppresses Lust as best as he can, and to also treat her with honor, because all Lust wants is to take and pillage and Thane wants so much more. 

But the ante is upped when the Seelie show up. The Light Prince Crom, Aines son, also wants Chastity and he isn’t restricted by a curse. He is drawn by her virtuousness and what she can do for his court. And he is of the Light, so that makes him good…right? Well, sometimes good and bad isn’t so black and white. And Chastity doesn’t want to be put up on a pedestal and live a life of duty and expectation for her virtue- she craves excitement. But Crom is determined; he will have a virtue for his court.

Lust has an intricate plot and the concept of it is truly tantalizing. The dialogue is great, the characters detailed & relateable, well paced, the sexual scenes are just knock-your-socks-off good.

Thane sucked me in right away; he’s sexy, intense and yes sweet. And ya’, did I mention sexy? And good with his hands too. ;) Chastity was had a lot of internal monologue going but it was needed for the charter to work through her struggles and was understandable. Thane’s brethren are intriguing and I look forward to seeing more of them and their interactions with the rest of the Virtues. Oh, and The Dark King Niall, really looking forward to that.

I really loved the beginning with all the set-up and introductions and the ending was good. I would of liked to see some of the life at court but it was wrapped up nice and the epilogue left a cliffhanger for the next novel in the series. Though there were a lot of POV’s I found this easy to get through without having to backtrack. But there was some confusion for me in the middle. 1. Chastity goes back and forth with acknowledging Thane as a dark fey. I thought this was already settled but she doesn’t truly grasp this until the end. 2. Some of the ‘this is a dream but it’s real, no it’s a dream, or is it?’ Was a bit hard to keep up with.  3. There was one sexual scene that contained a action & a climax and it was great but then it goes back to Thane saying that he wants to do this and give her release, but he just did that!

But overall a great read, this is a new-to-me author and I am looking forward to Rinion’s, Vanity, novel next in the series. 

Warning: This is erotica with graphic sexual scenes.

4 Wine Glasses

4 Flaming Hearts: so very sexy & erotic!