Review: White Lace and Promises – Natasha Blackthorne

White Lace and Promises by Natasha Blackthorne
Series:  Carte Blanche #2
Release Date: Total E-Bound
Page Count:  258
Source:  Total E-Bound, via my own wallet
Buy the book at:  Total E-Bound

Beth and Grey’s passionate battle of wills continues…

New York Merchant Prince Grey Sexton loves the audacious, spirited young temptress who seduced him in a Philadelphia bookseller’s and made passionate love to him in his carriage. Her fiery nature broke through his cold self-protection. But in a time of war and trade disruption, he cannot allow himself to be distracted. He vows to put business above all else in his life, including his bride.

Shocked and hurt by Grey’s distance, Beth wonders whether he truly returns the burning love she feels for him. Beth demands that Grey prove he can truly change once and for all or else she will not start a family with him. But will the dark, sensual secrets she yet keeps repel this arrogant, self-controlled gentleman she has married?

This one picks up pretty much where Grey’s Lady ended.  Grey and Beth are now engaged a he needs Beth to start acting like a lady of society.  While Beth loves Grey and wants to be married to him, she sees the immediate changes in him now that he has her.  He spends more time dealing with his business affairs than with her.  Her feelings are hurt and she keeps wondering when it is he’s going to leave her.  Intent on keeping Grey, she starts acting like the society ladies in hopes that she can hold onto Grey.  To make matters worse, she has those who “mean well” constantly making sure Beth knows that she’ll never be the woman Grey needs her to be.  

Grey loves Beth like he has loved nothing else in his life, including his business.  This scares him, so he pushes her behind his duties to his company and it’s employees.  While he’s miserable being without her as he wishes, he sees her turn into someone who is not the Beth that he fell in love with.  He figures she’s turned into the cold society woman that marriage to him brought and figured he’s have to deal with this new Beth.

All this heartache and drama because two people simply didn’t talk to each other or truly listen to what was being said when they did.  They were definitely hot together in bed, but they stopped talking and listening to each other once they got engaged.  If they had talked, the outside forces that tried their hardest to tear them apart never would have been able to do the damage they did to their relationship.  If they listened when they did talk, it would have been real easy to figure out what was happening.

I loved this book.  You really got to know Grey and Beth and understand what made them the way they were.  They were most definitely one of the hottest historical couples I have read, but seeing the people behind the passion made this book such an enjoyable read.