Tranquilla Caden (Quilla) is a handmaiden in The Order of
Solace, a quasi
religious order of women who exist for the sole purpose of
restoring joy to
the clients who hire them. Quilla's latest client,
alchemist Lord Gabriel
Delessan, has requested her services as a mock housekeeper
of his
laboratory and a conversation companion -- not for physical
pleasure he
reminds her. Her patron is married so Quilla complies with
his wishes and
performs the tasks she has been assigned in admirable
fashion. She soon
learns from the cook that all in the Delessan house is not
well. It appears that
Gabriel's a wife has an affair and conceived a child who
Gabriel doubts is his.
And although he won't discuss the details with Quilla, he
does confide in her
about his feelings about marriage and commitment. Gabriel
is emotionally
distraught, driven by anger and refuses to accept either
joy or solace. His
mother cheated on his father and bore his half brother, his
wife Saradin has
cheated on him, and he has trust issues. Quilla finds
herself in a most
disconcerting position with a patron who doesn't want the
pleasure she
offers, and one she's falling in love with. Gabriel's
jealous abusive wife
considers her a whore and wants her out of the house and
away from her
husband. How will Quilla resolve the challenges she faces?
This is the third book in The Order of Solace novel series,
each of which
explores various aspects of physical and emotional pleasure
through a
different handmaiden. Having not read the previous books,
this reviewer had
questions about The Order and found this distracted a bit
from the story.
Also, given the titillating idea behind The Order of
Solace, and the "Devoted
to his service bound by his desire" quote on its cover, one
would expect lots
and lots of, well, sex. But a reader who picks up this book
with that
expectation will be disappointed since there's not a lot of
sex, and when it
occurs it's more than half way through the book. However,
what one can
expect are characters with emotional depth, good writing,
and an interesting
story about true love, emotional pain and forgiveness. This
book won't
disappoint and readers should find that they look forward
to future
installments.
From the national bestselling author of Pleasure and
Purpose, a provocative new novel of a woman who lives to
serve...
It was at the request of Lord Gabriel
Delessan that a handmaiden of the Order of Solace be
delivered to his manor house. For young and ingenuous
Tranquilla Caden, it would be her new position of
service-devoted as she was to fulfilling every demand of her
new master, to stimulating his mind, stirring his soul, and
arousing his body. Yet something happens that Quilla never
counted on: she was falling hopelessly, dangerously in love
with the enigmatic-and very married-man she was required
only to service.
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