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Lady Jane

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Jane Cavanagh possesses the most scandalous reputation in London. With an ample allowance from her father, she’s able to live a lifestyle of autonomy. She answers to no one regarding her choices in life. For entertainment, she engages male companionship, enjoying multiple trysts without an ounce of guilt. After a few months with a man, she moves to the next, leaving scattered victims of broken hearts strewn across the social landscape. Her motto is no love, no babies, and no marriage.

When someone from her past returns into her life, Jane is sent into a tizzy of emotions she would rather not face. In a shattering display of spilled champagne, she comes face-to-face with Colonel Matthew Rutland, a decorated war hero and widower. If it wasn’t for him, she might have turned out to be a different woman altogether. After a few painful interactions, it becomes obvious they both have unfinished business that needs resolving. Jane, however, isn’t keen on settling anything with the man who cruelly discarded her to pursue a military career.

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2019

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About the author

Vicki Hopkins

29 books100 followers
Award Winning Author of Historical Romance, Historical Family Sagas, Gothic Romance, and Historical Fiction. Books available in eBook, Print, and Audio.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Paige.
1,000 reviews114 followers
January 22, 2021
What kind of fantasy HR world is this set in where the hero thinks he can break off an engagement with a woman who just miscarried and she’ll have no social repercussions and will be able to marry without scandal? I never quite forgave him for that.

And then the end was just all a bit rushed. It never felt like we properly got to see the transition of Jane’s character. She went from closed off to openly living awful quickly.

Plus no mention whatsoever of the social nightmare that will be their marriage, given her ever worsening reputation and the baby being born not four months after the wedding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
3,955 reviews128 followers
September 16, 2019
One💔 Is The Loneliest Number🎶

The First Cut🔪Is The Deepest💔.🎶

Jane💃💋💔, despoiled at eighteen by Matthew Rutland🐺🍆⛲, the first and only man she ever loved💕, has gone on over the last nine years to become a heartbreaker💔 of the worst sort. There is a gaping hole💔 where her heart used to be.

She'll be alright without you, there'll be someone else....She keeps telling herself..🎶

She uses men like tissue paper, throwing them away when they begin to bore her, or become attached to her. With her own money, Jane💃💋💔 has no need for a husband or protector.

Jane💃💋 is out hunting again at the balls and galas, for a new titled gentleman to ease the loneliness and become a sexy XXX diversion for however long it lasts. Somehow she retains most of her reputation.

She sees her last lover at a ball, and walking up to talk to him, doesn't realize he is with Matthew🐺🍆⛲🔪 until it's too late! Matthew🐺🍆⛲🔪 is a war hero, a colonel on furlough, now that Napoleon is banished to Elba.

It seems both remember their parting years ago completely differently, Jane💃💋💔 was devastated, never to be the same, and Matthew🐺🍆⛲🔪 just wanted to go into the military. He never realized his taking of her innocence would affect her so deeply. THE MAGGOTY JERK!

ARC Received from Booksprout🌱
This ebook was $3.49 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions Expressed here are my own.

This is a unique and interesting book, with both sides of a long lost love💔 affair airing their own side of how a chasm came between them. Both Jane💃💋💔 and Matthew🐺🍆⛲🔪 lost something, a part of their souls in the intervening years. Is there anyway to recover? Is there anyway to start again? Why put yourself through it?

What an emotional tale! It is sure to make you cry some and get angry, too. The book is definitely for ADULT readers only.
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
18.6k reviews304 followers
September 16, 2019
Jane Cavanagh watched in fascination as Viscount Berkshire actually cried tears in her presence! He actually thought his broken heart deserved better treatment. She had thought him strong, but obviously she was greatly mistaken. He began to beg, dropped to one knee to ask her to marry him, but her cold heart just didn’t care. She tried to stir up emotion but, as always, felt absolutely nothing but indifference. She hoped his shock at hearing of all her lovers would not cause him to die at her feet, as she had a social function to attend to in the next hour. She told him she was never sorry for anything she did, and she doubted she would be in the future. He was fun, but now she was bored and it was his time to leave her. With her unfeeling heart, any cruel words a man uttered bounced harmlessly off and fell at her feet, powerless to ever hurt her. It took her only a few seconds to forget about Neville as she walked away.

Jane joined the other ladies at her Aunt’s house as she listened for gossip on the next available man she might want. Jane’s relationships had all been pleasurable, she never understood the gnawing emptiness she felt in her soul. When the ladies finally left, Aunt Millicent asked Jane to remain. She wanted to let Jane know that Colonel Matthew Rutland, a wealthy and respected decorated war hero, and Jane’s first love, had been back for two months now! His wife had passed away the previous year. Matthew had seduced her at 18, then left for 9 years to fulfill his dream in the military. The pain of his abandonment still hurt.

Matthew returned home and found his good friend Neville visiting. The two talked about old times and how everyone in Neville’s family had been doing. When Matthew teased about a lady in his life, he was upset and confessed to his broken heart. He told Matthew how he had hoped to marry her, but she only wanted to play until she got bored. He would introduce Matthew to some other ladies that could entertain him until he found a woman to marry. The two of them attended the next ball together. Jane spotted Neville who was facing her, talking to a man whose back was to her. She quickly crossed the room, not hearing her Aunt’s warning not to do so! When Matthew turned around, she dropped her champagne glass. From the resulting terse conversation between Jane and Neville, Matthew realized she was the lady who had hurt his friend. As quickly as she could, Jane returned to the other side of the room where her Aunt tried to console her. What would she do now? Her heart was ripped out seeing Matthew again, even more handsome now. Can she avoid him for the rest of the Season? Or will he try to make contact? Are they sworn enemies, or is there still something left that might be nurtured?

I must say that this book offered a powerful emotional start! The reader will immediately see that Jane is not a nice human being at all. She has closed off all feeling and allowed her own self-indulgent pleasures to be the only thing she lets herself feel. Matthew has been through loss of a wife he loved and his stillborn son. Is there anything that could pull the two of them together again, or has their pain and loss been too devastating for both to try again?
Profile Image for Sarah ('s Book Life).
153 reviews25 followers
October 10, 2019
I received an eARC copy of this book through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a fun and easy read. I really liked that, even though it's a Historic Romance story, the main female character isn't a blushing virgin or inexperienced sexually. I felt like Jane was very refreshing in this regard, and the fact that she was strong willed and knows what she wants. And she doesn't care about her scandalous reputation because it's what she wants. I found Jane very witty and clever, I was intrigued by her character from the start and I also found her pretty funny too.

I really liked the romance in this book between Matthew and Jane. It felt very organic and you could tell that they had been close before. They acted lot like old friends that were getting to know each other again and fall for each other again after nine years of being apart and living their separate lives. I really enjoyed reading there romance over the course of this story.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*
The only part that I didn't enjoy as much was the last few chapters. Namely because I felt that Matthew and Jane needed to have an in depth conversation with each other about their feelings. I would have liked it if this had happened before Matthew is sent to fight in the war against Napoleon. As I didn't like how the story ended.

By this I mean that I didn't like how Jane had suddenly changed when he returned. She was more gentle and came across as being "angelic" now that she was pregnant. This annoyed me because throughout the story Jane was very adamant about not wanting to get pregnant and then she turns out to be pregnant when Matthew arrives back in England. I just felt like there was a very sudden shift in her personality that isn't really seen in the story, we see the catalyst to her stopping her relationships with men after almost being raped and realising that she was still in love with Matthew and had never truly grieved the lose of their baby nine years prior.

I think that I might have even been happy if the two hadn't ended up together and had ended up going their separate ways. I did like that in the end the two of them did end up together I just feel like there could have been another way other than separating them for months, for Matthew to go to war again, and for Jane to end up pregnant after being very strongly adamant about wanting to not get pregnant the whole way through. I think I was just a bit disappointed with the ending to be honest.

Overall, I did really enjoy this story and thought it was an easy read.

(I have not bought a copy of this book.)
Profile Image for Sarah.
539 reviews31 followers
October 1, 2019
Jane Cavanagh is a very scandalous young woman. With a comfortable allowance from her father she is free to live a free lifestyle of her own design. Jane prefers to  keep men at a distance emotionally. She enjoys male company and happily arranges short-term sexual relationships with gentlemen of the ton. But she has three rules:
1. No love
2. No Babies
3. No marriage

After nearly a decade, a gentleman from her past throws Jane into a state of anxiety and derails her plan to find a new sexual partner from the men around her. After a couple less than perfect meetings between the two, it becomes apparent that there may be some unresolved buisness betweent the two of them that needs to be addressed if either of them are to move forward comfortably. But to do so Jane will have to address how his actions from the past have affected her and he will have to come to terms that Jane is not the same young woman he once knew.
_______________________________

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. When I first read the synopsis I thought the plot was going to be fairly shallow, but I was happily proven wrong. This book is quite short (about 170 pages) and is very engaging and I flew through it in one go. If you're looking for a quick book to read, this is perfect. You shouldn't go into this book looking for a genuine historical voice though, the characters spoke with a more modern tone. And although her behavior is within the realm of possibility, others' reaction to her is less feasible for the time period.

The initial introductions to both main characters left me unimpressed, but as I read further into the book and they became more 3-dimensional I was much more sympathetic. The first view of them paints a fairly negative view (at least for me). I found them to be fairly shallow, selfish, and cold. But when we dug into their reasoning and emotions a little more I was able to see where they were coming from, whether I agreed with them or not. I found Matthew to be the less redeemable of the two, but he did improve over the course of the book.

Overall I recommend this book, it's fun and quick to read, the characters grow throughout the book, and there is a sweet HEA.

Many thanks to BookSirens and Vicki Hopkins for sharing an electronic copy of this book with me for reviewing purposes. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 2 books101 followers
September 13, 2019
Characters Didn’t Seem Regency

I had a hard time buying many of the aspects of this book. It is supposed to be Regency, but none of the characters seem to act like what we expect from contemporarily written Regency romance books. The heroine, Lady Jane, is a woman unlike any other that I've read in a Regency Romance. She's the female equivalent of a rake, taking men as lovers and disposing of them when she grows bored. We don't understand why she is like this for a little while. Her family seems supportive of this or at least tolerant, which strikes me as odd. While she does have somewhat of a reputation, she is not shunned by the ton. When Man Zero, the one who first took her virtue and left her to pursue his military career, comes back to town, things change for Jane. How will she be affected when she sees him at every social function? What will their new relationship be, if any?

The hero, Matthew, wasn't an easy hero to like, first because of his and Jane's shared past as well as his initial indifference to the pain he had caused her. He has been able to go on with his life relatively unscathed, while he left behind wreckage in Jane's that altered her perspective and life immeasurably. Yet, at an early point in the book, he states that he never really gave her a thought until seeing her again. Now, I wouldn't require him to pine forever when he had a loving relationship with his wife. But I would at least liked him to have considered his actions over the years or more when he sees her again. Given their past, what happens between them in this book just seems implausible. I just couldn't buy it. I also didn't like that many characters in this book seem to have what I would consider to be more modern sensibilities, acting and talking more like contemporary people than like people from 200 years ago. All in all, I found this to be an oddly disconcerting book.

I received a free advance copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
177 reviews2 followers
September 15, 2019
The Sins of the Past

From chapter 8 The Talk of the Ton

...the burden of who she had become lay heavily upon his conscience. Her shameful reputation nearly embarrassed him to be with her in public.

I devoured Lady Jane in one setting. Second chance romance between the scandalous Lady Jane and Matthew the well respected war hero. In their first chance Matthew made a decision in his youth that Jane paid the price for. Not that she was innocent in the situation but while Matthew went on with his life hers went through a dramatic change. Free will aside I think had he handled things differently I doubt Jane would have made the choices she did. They do have their happy ending but I never felt Matthew ever truly realized what an impact his actions had on Jane. I wondered when he decided to pursue Jane did he really care for her or was it his male pride taking over. I must have missed it if he ever made mention of being in love with Jane in their youth or was he just doing what young men do in their youth knowing he wanted a military career. Or was there any great love for his wife. I do think he was trying to make things right, he wasn’t all bad. I will definitely read Lady Jane again.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Brenda.
2,994 reviews38 followers
October 28, 2019
Jane Cavanagh possesses the most scandalous reputation in London. With an ample allowance from her father, she’s able to live a lifestyle of autonomy.

After suffering a few painful interactions with a man from her past it becomes obvious they both have unfinished business that needs resolving.

This was my first time reading a book by this author.

I found this book to be engaging in the beginning but it bogged down. I wished for more background about the couple but it just never was explained to my satisfaction. The read and the story just didn't seem to have the flow to it that I hoped for.

I gave it a rating of 4 of 5 stars. I was hoping in the beginning for a more complete story line but it just never happened.

I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Suzanne Irving.
2,041 reviews14 followers
September 12, 2019
This is the fourth book in Vicki Hopkins “Ladies of Disgrace” series. I have only read the blurbs from the other books in this series. From the descriptions Vicki has decided to flip the idea of most regency romance books on their head. In this book we have Lady Jane who was impregnated by Matthew years before. She lost the baby and subsequently Matthew as he abandons her to go to war. In the years since then she has hardened her heart and become what might be called a rake if she wasn’t a lady. This is where we see Vicki turn the usual historical romance around. Taking a clever idea she skillfully shows us how these people ended up the way they did and brings two wounded souls back together.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4,721 reviews36 followers
September 15, 2019
Very real characters.
When you first start reading this one you will not like Jane she appears to be a cold-hearted and cruel woman who uses men then discards them. On the other hand, you will meet Matthew a war hero with a stellar reputation, but you will find that as you read that your opinions may change as these are two very flawed and or so human characters. I found as I read the characters touched my heart and I enjoyed reading it. Neville will turn out to be one of my favorite characters. I hope you enjoy this excellently written book as much as I did. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for Heather W.
4,017 reviews30 followers
September 17, 2019
A good historical second chance romance...

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more. This historical romance has interesting characters that are well developed and have issues from the past. The story is well written with the twist of having Lady Jane be a "female rake", using and discarding men at will due to her heart that was broken so long ago. Will she and Matthew have a second chance at love?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
402 reviews1 follower
September 19, 2019
Wicked story with a happy ending.

Nine years after breaking off their Wedding Matthew and Jane meet again. He is now a War hero and Jane is a lady of means who enjoys intimate make companionship authorities or commitment. When they meet again unexpectedly there is obviously still unfinished business which Matthew tries to resolve. . Jane was a very unusual woman of her time and appeared to enjoy the scandal she caused. The characters were all well portrayed and the book itself very unusual.
Profile Image for Danielle Carpenter.
1,621 reviews9 followers
December 31, 2019
This is a sad case of a broken heart; To be so young and in love, to give yourself to a man only for him to leave you for the military. Lady Jane swore no man would ever play her again, so she embarked on leaving every man who shared her bed broken-hearted. So when Matthew Rutland re-entered her life, she decided to play her game with him. This is a story of a second chance at love. It is how the two play around each other denying what they feel and the deeper emotions at play underneath. This story is fun, but addresses the actions of why some people are the way they are.
Profile Image for Lori D.
3,837 reviews113 followers
October 10, 2019
A broken heart can lead to a scandalous life and Lady Jane was a prime example. She and Matthew had a trust when she was young. And then he went off to war. Nine years later he returns to find Jane is not the same person.

But can they resolve what happened in the past and begin a new life?

This was definitely a little different with the heroine in the story being scandalous instead of the man but enjoyable to see the opposite perspectives!! Really enjoyed.
Profile Image for Barbara.
17.7k reviews8 followers
September 18, 2019
A well written story that kept my interest until the end. this is Lady Jane Cavanagh and Colonel Matthew Rutland, a decorated war hero and widower's story. A story of a second chance and the consequences of the choices that where made. I enjoyed reading. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Elizabeth McDaniel.
2,379 reviews
September 18, 2019
Jane once had her heart broken by Matthew. But he was off in the military. Now she did relationships on her terms. Until after almost a decade he waltzed back in her life. Can these two get over their past hurts and heartaches to have a future before it’s too late? Fun read

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Bobbi Wagner.
4,313 reviews41 followers
September 21, 2019
This is my first book by this author, I enjoyed it. This is a historical romance story that I read in one sitting. I was pulled into the story right from the beginning. The characters are supportive of each other as well as strong. I enjoyed how engaging this is that kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend this book.

Profile Image for Teri Donaldson.
315 reviews6 followers
October 1, 2019
What a fun and interesting book. Lady Jane certainly is not like any Regency female character I have met in a book. She’s a love them and leave them woman with a mind of her own. Marriage and love is not for her, at least she didn’t think so. Sometimes when you least expect, it might just be there waiting for you.
Profile Image for Angela Dawn.
86 reviews4 followers
October 2, 2019
This story was definitely a page turner - finished in less than 2 days!! I just couldn’t put it down. Jane is a woman wronged and keeps companionships to help get over her broken heart. As much as I disagree with the way she treats men I can see how her behavior relates to the betrayal of her first love. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
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