The Viscount's Addiction

By Scottie Barrett

England's prisons can make a man bitter. Betrayal can make him merciless.Falsely accused of murder and left to rot in England's infamous prison system, Ryder Braddock, Viscount Blackwood, is finally... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599989697
• ISBN13: 9781599989693
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 0.6" x 5.6"

Customer Reviews

A man's addiction to opium rarely ends well.......

From the moment you read the first page you will be drawn into the dark swift flow of the books opium addicted Viscount. Ryder's spent 5 years in Newgate Gaol for a murder he didn't commit. Subjected to daily beatings and corpses left to rot within the cells, it's no wonder he becomes addicted to the opium. As the story unfolds we realize the opium benefactor is non other than his uncle- part of his plan to secure Lord Blackwoods estate while he is incarcerated. Upon his release and return to the estate, he is introduced to Jesse-his uncle Hentry's step-daughter and ward from the time she was 15. It is revealed that at that age he had her and sign a proxy marriage certificate to Ryder(Lord Blackwood)-so that Henry and his son Lewis could live off the estate while Ryder is away legally. Of course this makes Jesse Ryder's wife-legally. Ryder's immediate reaction is to assume all 3 have swindled him and from the looks of his estate impoverished him as well. As punishment he kicks out his cousin Lewis and tells Jesse he will be taking advantage of his marital rights-she will also have 30 days in his bed before she will be in prison with the others. She protests her innocence in the whole affair and tries to show him she was taking care of things the best she could. Opium, Laudnum and alcohol are never far from his reach, making it difficult for him to really see things clearly. He does not trust her and she is falling in love with him. When she starts actually making references to her absence in 30 days-he starts to feel he would rather not lose her and asks her to stay and help rid him of his addiction. (Could he be starting to care for this woman who lied and cheated her way into his life?) This woman -in whose arms he can forget the withdrawls for a while............... When she agrees-she starts to realise a few things herself-She is in love with this very bad-boy sexually- aggressive Viscount and much to her dismay-when his addiction is over-He will be a different Man & ---so he will surely end their coerced marriage. The story is fluid, chatty , sensual, naughty and every scene is well set up for our passionate couple. Scottie's version of recovery from Opium spared some of the more brutal sides of addiction and I am actually glad to get more of the relationship story instead. I really liked both characters and thoroughly enjoyed their torturous banter with each other. I would have liked a longer story (selfish at heart) when I enjoy the characters I always want to spend more time with them. If you love a very dark and truely tortured (sex-exhibitionist)hero paired with a witty tough at heart surprisingly sensual naughty heroine-then this is your book. These two people were totally meant for each other..Bravo! I was happily surprised!--Thanks Scottie-I will be reading more of your books-ON a personal note * try to make them longer>

addictive

The embittered and betrayed viscount returns to his estate after suffering the unbearable indignities of goal. He is allowed his freedom when there is not an iota of doubt as to his innocence, but while incarcerated he develops an addiction to opium as a means of enduring the horrendous conditions of imprisonement. A man who has lost his illusions, he realises on his return that his uncle and cousin had contrived his arrest so they could have access to his wealth which they achieved through the unwitting participation of Jessie, his uncle's beautiful ward. They also made certain he was never short of his addiction which made him more vulnerable as his constantly befuddled mind prevented lucid thought and the awareness of having been swindled by his relatives. This handsome, wounded man finds a crumbling estate, a hostile environment with his relatives resenting his presence and whatsmore, a beautiful wife whom he desires and despises since he suspects her of being in league with the other two men. Jessie feels a powerful attraction for this man but has to battle not only her relatives but also her unyielding husband in order to salvage what she can of both the man she loves and the estate. I read it in one go as I loved the play of love winning over suspicion and mistrust. It's what I look for in romance ,that sense of yearning and tugging of heartstring as well as passion. This book contains all these so I thoroughly enjoyed it.

5 Kisses, TwoLips Reviews

Ryder is wrongfully imprisoned, addicted to opium, and currently sharing his cell with a corpse. But things are looking up; some witnesses have said they saw someone else commit the crime he's accused of, so he's released. He arrives home to find his uncle and cousin have been working diligently to deplete his fortune. Much more surprising than that, they have duped a young woman into marrying him while he was in prison, telling her it was Ryder's idea. All the paperwork was handled by proxy, so Ryder is now facing a wife he has never even met. He can't deny his attraction to his wife Jessie, but he treats her with disdain, disrespect and suspicion because he thinks she's in cahoots with his devious uncle. Jessie and Ryder slowly get to know each other; he realizes she isn't the schemer he thought she was, and she discovers he's not really a dangerous criminal. Now Ryder is faced with a new craving - his wife - and the only danger Jessie truly faces is losing her heart. I love a well-written erotic historical, and The Viscount's Addiction by Scottie Barrett is exceptionally spicy and satisfying. I found it to be especially interesting because a hero with a substance addiction is rare (at least in my experience). It seems to be a worse taboo than some of the other shocking topics we read about in this day and age. The conflict in this tale is not only about Jessie helping Ryder fight his opium addiction, but also about pride getting in the way of two people being honest with their feelings about each other. The Viscount's Addiction is poignant, delicious, and very, very good. 5 Kisses, 2 Peppers (light bondage, spanking, anal play) ~Lindy Reviewer, TwoLips Reviews, LLC www.TwoLipsReviews.com

Enjoyable steamy romp.

I absolutely loved this little romance which is currently available only in e-book format. Mores the pity. The story is quite old-fashioned, simplistic and sparsely written. But it's nicely steamy and basically the story of an unfolding relationship between two people. There are no minor side-plots or romances. And it features a virgin heroine who instinctively knows she likes doing it with the right guy. Who also happens to be her unjustly jailed for 5-years husband. Her name is Jessie. She's beautiful, hard-working and helps her husband to throw off his opium addiction. The hero is called Ryder and despite being wrongly banged-up has not returned to his home mean-spirited. Everything is 100% consensual. When the heroine tells the hero 'No' he completely accepts it. My only criticism is that Viscounts Addiction is of course much too short. Maybe more could have been made of the step-father's obsession with witchcraft. Also. It wasn't really clear why those women waited 5 years before coming forward to provide Blackwood with an alibi. Or why anyone would believe what they had to say at all. And anyway. Why on earth would a Lord of the realm be jailed for killing a common hooker in those days? btw. You don't have to own a kindle to get it. Everyone has Adobe on their desk-top don't they? Works just as well.

The Viscount's Addiction

Strung out on opium and falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit Viscount Lord Ryder Blackwood is embittered and doesn't see a way out of his predicament. Losing hope and not caring if he lives or dies, he's surprised when someone finally comes forward to clear his name. Unbeknownst to him while incarcerated he's accrued a wife, a woman he's sure is inline with his thieving aunt and cousin. Jessie is an innocent pawn in the lunacy of her stepfather. Marrying a man she thought knew of their arrangement, she's unprepared for his disbelief and anger. Jessie made sure at least his family fortune wasn't ravished in the same way his home has been, but feels all her efforts will be in vain due to the lord's dependency on drugs and alcohol. An unlikely pair will have to overcome the torment that comes when your mind and body are ensnared by chemical enslavement. I think sometimes modern individuals forget drugs have been an issue for hundreds of years. The Viscount's Addiction is a prime example of how even the strongest of spirits can be broken when hopelessness occurs. Jessie and Ryder are both victims of their circumstances but while Ryder has decided to drown in his sorrows Jessie has taken her situation and maintained not only her physical innocence but her morality. This historical effort from Scottie Barrett is memorable and provides a dramatic way to past the time on a wintry day. Indy reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed