#bc it was like... all virgin marriage of convenience books with different spins)

[mermaidsirennikita]

Y'all are TRULY sleeping on Hyacinth by S.M. LaViolette. Like, I really enjoyed Phoebe (first book in the series), but Hyacinth is on another level. It features:

--a scarred libertine duke

--a neurodivergent heroine (23 to his 36) who happens to be KILLER at playing cards (in part because she's counting them) and sneaks out at night to play them while dressed as a very awkward young man

--a very casual interest in kink from her that makes him (a kinky man) go "O_O"

--a shockingly fabulous scene in which he tries to get her to admit she's a girl by taking her to a brothel, making her watch two people fuck while sitting beside him, and rattling off like 75 slang phrases for "jerking it" before being like "there's nothing WRONG with it bOY MEN MASTURBATE IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER ALLLL THE TIME" and starting to pull his dick out

--her: "AHHHH NO--YES? NO!"

--RIDING CROPS!

--so MUCH begging from this man, SO. MUCH. BEGGING.

--they're switches, your honor

--squirmy carriage BJs