Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, #3) in Audiobook Junkies

Mar 15, 2011 Lisa Kay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: buddy-read, authors-h, series-m, season-winter, challenge-disney-princess-reading, all-time-favorites, genre-romance-historical, animal-dog-in-story, reviewed-by-me, character-baby-in-story

★★★★★ & a Wow! Loved every word of it. It is so neat when a book lives up to my hopes and desires. Charming Mickey and Silence have had an unusual history in the Maiden Lane series, with plenty of aching hurt ー the kind that goes bone-deep ー and it is so neat to see the fabulous Ms. Hoyt pull this one off. The pacing is spot-on, the mystery palpable, and their HEA believable. Amazing secondary characters too! I really don’t like it when an author uses the epilogue to set up the next volume; ...more

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May 02, 2011 Denise rated it it was amazing

Shelves: angst, favorites, action, childhood-abandonment-abuse, strong-heroine, big-hulking-beautiful-male, strong-secondary-characters, second-read-worthy, super-protective-male, favorite-shrine-worthy-hero-s

Another absolute winner in the Maiden Lane series.

Bad boy pirate,"Charming" Mickey O'Connor who we met in the first book, Wicked Intentions, when Silence came to him to release the cargo he had stolen from a ship so that her husband was not imprisoned. He agreed on the condition that she spend the night in his "palace" She would do anything to save her husband so she agreed. He sent her home the next day, untouched by him, but he sent her out with her hair mussed and her bodice loosened. Her h
Another absolute winner in the Maiden Lane series.

Bad boy pirate,"Charming" Mickey O'Connor who we met in the first book, Wicked Intentions, when Silence came to him to release the cargo he had stolen from a ship so that her husband was not imprisoned. He agreed on the condition that she spend the night in his "palace" She would do anything to save her husband so she agreed. He sent her home the next day, untouched by him, but he sent her out with her hair mussed and her bodice loosened. Her husband was ashamed of her and did not believe her story that nothing happened.
This quote is from when she brought this incident up with Mickey in this story:
He let her get nearly out of the room before he spoke, " I may not have the right, Silence, me love," but he drawled so soft she nearly didn't catch the words."But I would've listened to ye. I would've believed ye." ~sigh~
Throughout the second book, Notorious Pleasures, we watch Silence fall in love with Mary Darling, the baby that was left on her doorstep. After receiving anonymous gifts left to her, and catching glimpses of Mickey watching her she realizes that Mary must be Mickey's child.
So Mickey steals Mary from the home, and Silence goes to his palace to retrieve her. Mickey explains that he must keep her with him so that she is safe from his enemies. She decides to stay with him also because he will not give Mary back, but he welcomes her to stay. She loves Mary too much to be without her.
Micky's most powerful enemy is the scary crazy horrid, Carlie Grady, better known as the Vicar of Whitechapel ( Who we also remember had dealings in the second book with Griffin Remmington, Lord Reading and the whole gin business) But this guy is super creepy and scary and he wants baby Mary and Silence as well to get his revenge on Mickey. Mickey and the Vicar have history, all bad and tragic. We learn of Mickey's horrid childhood and there are many surprises in this book. The ending finally unveils for us the identity of the Ghost of St. Giles ( who I had assumed it was from the first book)
Elizabeth Hoyt pulls no punches in this story. Mickey is a bad boy and we see this for ourselves. It's not sugar coated and he shows no remorse for the way he has lived his life, nor any real desire to change throughout the book. The first night Silence stays at Mickey's palace, he is in bed with 2 women. He does not believe in love, and thinks himself incapable of it, and you can believe that maybe he is right but you can also see that he is becoming obsessive about her. But it does seem that he thinks of her as just something else that he wishes to possess. The story has a lot of sweet moments, and I just loved the dog and Micky's two best goons. The steamy parts don't happen until much later in the book, but when they did happen.. whew....
Well, I must say that by the end of this book ( and DAMN, did it have to end?) Mickey is now up there in my top 10 favorite hero's.. maybe even my top 5. ...more

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May 13, 2013 Diana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, listens, pirates, historical, blown-away

I was concerned about starting this book–I’m a fanatic about series and their proper order–and the blurb implied there was a history between the characters that played out in past books. However, the description for this book was correct and yet gave the wrong impression. The blurb acted more like the set up for Mickey and Silence’s story than brief glimpse. That being said, I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Seriously, I absolutely adored everything about this book and its narration. Freakin’ fantastic. I d I was concerned about starting this book–I’m a fanatic about series and their proper order–and the blurb implied there was a history between the characters that played out in past books. However, the description for this book was correct and yet gave the wrong impression. The blurb acted more like the set up for Mickey and Silence’s story than brief glimpse. That being said, I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Seriously, I absolutely adored everything about this book and its narration. Freakin’ fantastic. I don’t even know where to begin telling you all that I enjoyed about this book.

On the outside, Silence and Mickey were two very opposite characters. Different backgrounds, different beliefs. But Hoyt showed how deep down inside, they wanted the same things out of life: someone they each could trust and take care of. Watching the growing bond between Silence and Mickey was heartbreaking (as we discovered what exactly made Mickey so dark) and beautiful at the same time. Reading this novel was like watching every fairy tale romantic movie come to life. And the side characters were just as interesting. They didn’t steal the show but they were prominent enough to entertain and add to the story. I would have liked to known what happened to Mickey’s men after the scene at Tyburn but maybe I will find out in the books after this one.

The narration of this book was absolutely spot on and everything a narrated title should be. Each character was distinct and full of life, right down to Mary Darling. The nuances of a story and its characters are some of the hardest things to illustrate in a book but McNab caught every one of them. The sly humor, the dark undercurrents of some of the characters, the emphasis on certain scenes that turned out to be important later, it was all well performed. There is nothing that comes to mind with the narration that I can fault.

I can see why this book was nominated for an Audie. Ashford McNab enhanced Hoyt’s story and brought the story of Mickey and Silence to life in a way that resembled a movie. There were times I would close my eyes and literally “see” the story as it played out. I own several books in this series but I think I will finish them in the audio formats. I’m afraid after listening to them first, reading it to myself will be a poor second and do a disservice to the book. As it stands now (this being my second listen of the nominees), this is my favorite to win. Highly recommended, especially in audio.

Warning: After the revelation in the epilogue, you will immediately want the next book in the series, Thief of Shadows. My suggestion is to get that book at the same time you get this one to keep yourself from going into a book fugue state that causes you to wander the library at midnight wanting a lost book. Trust me, it happens people! :P ...more

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Sep 12, 2016 Mya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, romance, historical

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt (Audio Edition)
Narrated by Ashford McNab
Maiden Lane Series #3

5 Stars - I Loved the Mickey O’Connor! He was the perfect bad boy who falls in love with a good girl and everything changes. He and Silence made a wonderful pair. Perfect opposites. I also loved that you could see O’Connor’s men start to care for Silence as well and we get watch Mickey start to love his daughter.

I do have to comment though: “The home for unfortunate infants and foundling children ...more

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May 04, 2013 The Book Junkie Reads . . . rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical_romance

Quickie for catching up with what is current in Mickey's and Silence's lives.

Merged review:

Silence has grown in the last year. She has learned to take a stand for herself. She has learned to stick to her guns and not move on the issue. No matter what. How much of that is due to the ordeal she went through? How much is due to becoming a mother? Mother's will do anything for their child.

Mickey gets a lot more than he bargained for when he makes his latest deal. He thought he was leading the sheep ...more

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