Ask For It (Georgian Book 1)

I bought this book thinking that it was a sexy, steamy story (after all, look at the cover!), but found it to be more boring and even a little strange, in contrast to engaging. I usually prefer the erotic nature of the story to evolve from the romantic pull between the characters, and it just did not do it for me with these two. Also, I did not like the hero's behavior all that much. True, I think the sex scenes were pretty hot, but that is as far as I could get with this one.

After struggling to finish this book (and admittedly skimming through the last 100 pages or so), all I can say is, "What?!" This book is all over the place. It starts off fairly promising, and we think "Oho, a challenge for our gorgeous hero," but unfortunately the chase lasts about 4 seconds and then it's all downhill from there.

I really wanted to like Elizabeth but she unerringly manages to fall into that too-stupid-to-live territory that I detest in heroines. Rather than simply draw her as a complex person, the author can't seem to decide what Elizabeth is. One moment she's calmly firing a weapon at an attacker, the next throwing a hissy fit over some perceived slight, the next acting like an ice queen, the next running away from some Big Misunderstanding like a middle schooler.

As for Marcus, he is a typically gorgeous, arrogant hero who is verbally neutered by Elizabeth at nearly every turn and reduced to near violence, yet we're not supposed to love him any less.

The plot is a joke--some business with a journal that gets old quickly, a stolen brooch, a stolen (and unkindly returned) knife, a long-dead mother whose memory nonetheless affects everything, a Robin Hood pirate, some sort of wager that's not explained, blah blah blah. In addition, the secondary characters are mostly weak and annoying, such as a meddlesome brother who deserves a poke in the eye, former mistresses who...what? I could go on, but I've lost interest.

The only reason I gave this two stars instead of one was for the frequent sex scenes. Not quite decent erotica, they do rise slightly above the normal bodice ripper herd, so at least there's a minimum of the usual cheesy euphemisms.

All in all, if you're looking for a coherent plot and/or steamy erotica, save your dollars and look elsewhere.

I bought the book based upon the store reviews, but I'm afraid I have a different opinion than many readers. There was nothing the characters did or said that kept me particularly interested, not even in the bedroom scenes. I guess there was a story, but despite the fact that I finished the book just recently, I no longer have a clue what it was. Not a good sign.

Great erotica! The story takes place in England during the 1700's. So the language reflects that time period. Initially I found it tedious but I actually came to enjoy it. The sex scenes were fantastic. And there was just enough violence humor and chivalry. Well done

The hot in handcuffs was damaged during delivery. Plus I love the larger paperbacks and was not paying attention to the size of the books when I ordered these. Received two smaller versions and two larger versions this shipment.

I normally love Sylvia Day, and I have never encountered a novel of hers that I did not immediately love. However, the characters in this novel irked me considerably, and I could not bring myself to like this novel.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

First, lets begin with Marcus. He is a brutish man, and his behavior towards Elizabeth borders on harassment, and there are even times that I would say the sex they partake in is almost rape, which instantly turned me away from this novel. He is mean to Elizabeth, even though the problems they had in their relationship were the fault of both parties. He blames her entirely, and uses her explicitly, as well as physically manipulating her. He uses sex to make her do what he wants, and its just ugly.

Elizabeth is annoying in her stubbornness, and I constantly wanted to smack her for her inability to just relax. She, in turn, is also mean to Marcus, and is constantly holding the past against him, regardless of his explanation of what happened.

Overall, their relationship was extremely toxic on both ends, and they should have never been put together. All they do is hurt one another emotionally and almost physically. The only chemistry they have was in the bedroom, and even then I would argue that there were times that there was no chemistry there either. All in all, I was extremely disappointed in this book, because I love all the other novels I have ever read by Sylvia Day, and even loved the other Georgian novels, but this one was terrible, brutish, and bordered on rape too many times for my comfort. Definitely would not recommend.

I borrowed this Kindle book from my local library.

I think Sylvia Day is a wonderful writer, in another author's hands this probably would have been a one star read for me.

Marcus and Elizabeth were engaged 4 years prior, until a misunderstanding drove Elizabeth to run and marry someone else. Now she is a widow, and Marcus vows to stop at nothing until he seduces her. This is where I have a problem with this book. Elizabeth is still attracted to Marcus, but doesn't want to have an affair with him, wants him to leave her be. Marcus will not take no for an answer. When he decides he wants her now, he throws her on the bed, spanks her to keep her from getting up and then ties her up so she can't get away. Didn't this sort of "forced seduction" go out with Luke and Laura in the early 80's? It was not sexy AT ALL, just uncomfortable to read.

Elizabeth and Marcus are constantly going back and forth, treating each other horribly, and whenever Marcus is displeased with her, he just decides that they need to have sex wether she wants to or not. I never got the sense that they liked each other, let alone were in love. I couldn't connect with either of them.

The best parts of the book were the parts that dealt with the mystery/danger aspect of their lives. This is the first book from the Georgian series and I read the second one (Passion for the Game) first. So Christopher St. John from that book makes a (welcome) appearance in this book. Passion for the Game was a 4.5 star read for me. It's sexy, witty and adventurous. Everything this book is not.

Is it hatred of other women or laziness in plot development that causes the author to try to convince the reader the bondage of a woman is necessary for sex?

There are so many logic gaps in the plot, it requires too much suspension of disbelief. Somehow the female protagonist goes immediately from discovering her fiancé in an apparently compromising position to eloping with someone else. No telephones then. How did she come up with a new husband so fast?

I opted out before the first sex scene got further than the woman being tied up.

Note to Sylvia Day:

No means no. If she says no, it is rape. Rape is violence, not romance.

There are enough weak, vacillating not very bright woman characters in novels and in real life. Really. No more are needed.

The first book I read of Ms. Day is "Ask For It" (published 2006). "Ask For It" had some very well written passionate scenes, but the story at times were slow and the reader starts to skip over the writing. The story line had promise but fell a bit short on character development. Also, there was a lack of journey and movement to the story and the reader tends to be a bit stuck in the limited setting created by the author. With some rewrites, this would have been a better story.

I went ahead and read another of Ms. Day's book, "Don't Tempt Me" (published in 2008) and I actually liked this book better because it had a story and not just a bunch of passionate scenes. My book cover was not so tame as the one listed here (mine had a photo of a hot looking young man who didn't even fit with the story line because the character was older). The opening scene in Paris France 1757 and was a very passionate scene. But what I appreciate is that Ms. Day actually told a wonderful story with lots of characters development. The story begins with the secondary characters then moves forward in time to the daughters and their heroes, then weaves back to bring the first characters back into the fold of the story. All in all, this was very well done. The other thing I appreciate was that the author took you on a journey of places and the characters are not stuck in the same old setting. I had a hard time putting the book down, not to mention I cared about all the characters. This book is not as passionate as some of Ms. Days other books, but the underlying story was very good. I don't need to say more to spoil your reading.

The above two books are period pieces. Other period writers I recommend are Heather Graham, Joanna Lindsey, and Jude Devereux, and Pamela Clare.

However, if like contemporary reading I highly recommend author Shannon McKenna, Sandra Brown, Pamela Clare. All three are excellent authors.

ASK FOR IT by Sylvia Day is an exciting Georgian Erotic Historical Romance set in 1770 England. #I in the "Georgian" series. What an exciting story of intrigue,mystery,agents of the Crown,passion,and love. Follow, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield,agent of the Crown and Lady Elizabeth Hawthorne,an ex-fiancee and the one who shattered Marcus' heart. This story does have explicit sex scenes including anal play,a bit of bondage,a bit of submission,lots of passion,hence the Erotic romance. But you will not be disappointed in the storyline or the characters. Lady Elizabeth's life is threaten,Marcus' heart is threaten and every time Elizabeth finds her heart becoming engaged she runs. A fast paced,non stop action from the first page to the last as secrets are revealed,friendship betrayed,and love blossoms. Of course you do have an attempted murder or two,possible kidnapping and did I mention lust and passion. "Ask For It" is full of sizzling romance,dangerous drama and a tender love story. Don't get me wrong I adored this story from beginning to end,and crave more,which is why I am after the next in the "Georgian" series. A must read for anyone who enjoys not just the passion in a story but the tender love moments as well as the danger and drama. You will not go wrong with "Ask For It". Ms. Day is a great storyteller who draws the reader into her character's lives and plots. I would highly recommend "Ask For It" for Erotic Romance readers,as well as historical readers and those who enjoy the Georgian era. Received for an honest review from the publisher.

RATING: 4.5

HEAT RATING: HOT

REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction Reviews

I think Sylvia Day is by far one of the best romance authors out there today. She can honestly tackle any genre. Contemporary romance, erotica, historical, paranormal. She has a great voice, solid writing, and great characters.

The only thing I didn't love about this book was Elizabeth. The hero was intriguing, but the heroine drove me batty this time around. I thought her plight against Marcus was a bit unfounded and then her 180 into absolute love and jealousy seemed odd.I really could not find her very redeeming and I'm not sure I felt her past was enough to make her that insecure over Marcus, but oh well.

Historical romances always leave me a bit confused as I am just not used to reading them, but Day has a way of turning me into a convert.

This was a fun, steamy read that I finished in two days. I will for sure look into the rest of the Georgian series.

An agent for the Crown, Marcus Ashford, Earl of Westfield has just been assigned to protect widow Lady Elizabeth Hawthorne, who is in the possession of a mysterious notebook left by her dead husband. Elizabeth is stunned to find that Marcus is her contact, for they share a complicated past. Four years ago she was engaged to the Earl, but Elizabeth jilted him and ran off and wedded another. Marcus cannot forget the beauty and the misery she had caused him and vows to make her his lover. Meanwhile, someone is attempting to gain the notebook and its secrets. Marcus and Elizabeth embark on an affair amidst the attempted kidnapping and murders.

Beware, this is not 'lite' romance. First of all there is some use of foul language (F and C words mostly). Secondly the love scenes are many and very intense and graphic (seem to involve a power-struggle of sorts between the H/H). And lastly the emotional turmoil going on between these two keeps up until almost the end of the book. Both indulge in the carnal aspect of their relationship but vehemently guard their hearts. Their power struggles and lack of mutual trust leads to many confrontations and ultimately the realization of their true feelings for one another.

The only thing that prevented me from giving this one five stars is that in some of the love scenes the hero was a little too demanding and dominant for my taste -not that it was rape/forced, but it still gave me the willies to have the herione that vulnerable. The mystery wasn't bad, but took a back seat to the melodrama and the love scenes.

Basically a pretty good historical romance with LOTS (really no exaggeration!) of erotic love scenes.

If you like this types of erotic historical book I also recommend:

The Raven Prince -Elizabeth Hoyt

Passion -Lisa Valdez

A Lady's Pleasure -Renee Bernard

So for the most part I'm pleasantly surprised. I always thought I wouldn't like a historical read. I usually read more contemporary modern day stuff. But I enjoyed this book. Even though the setting is way back in the day like were talking the 1700s here. I thought the language was going to be a bit old fashioned and stuffy but its not that way. Still kept a bit of a modern day feel even though its placed back so far in time. But I enjoyed the story. I think its beautiful how Elizabeth & Marcus reconnect & rediscover each other and fall so deep in love. Great read once again by Sylvia Day. This is not the first book I've read by her and it won't be my last either. I loved the Dream Guardian series & enjoyed the crossfire series a lot too. And now I'm into this series as well. I think she's definitely one of my favorite authors now. The story kept my interest. I like it had different sub-plots going and it never got boring. Some funny moments too like one time elizabeth says, "I'm not a c--t you can rut it. If you want sexual release take yourself in hand!" LMAO!! Hilarious

In 1770 England Lady Elizabeth Hawthorne fears for her life as someone killed her husband because she believes they wanted control of his espionage secrets in his diary in which he claims a conspiracy to harm the throne exists. Elizabeth needs a protector, but the only man she trusts to do the job loathes her because she jilted him four years earlier to marry Hawthorne when she caught him in a compromising position. Still these are desperate times for Elizabeth so if she wants to survive she must swallow her pride.

Marcus Westfield has survived many an adversary except one, his former fiancée Elizabeth. Now the unthinkable dream he has had for four torturous years of rage has happened; she has come to him begging for his help. He wants to say no, but cannot as he still desires her, but this time he plans to hide his heart from her treachery, not understanding why she dumped him. Besides he rationalizes that his undercover assignment to protect the royals should enable him to enjoy some under cover assignments.

Georgian romance fans will be asking for more works like this delightful historical romantic suspense that hooks the audience from the onset into a one sitting read. The action-packed story line is filled with suspense and tension as antagonists are willing to kill again to obtain the journal. The heat between Elizabeth and Marcus will burn fingers though one might ask why she did not confront her lover when she caught him in an apparent tryst. Eighteenth century romance readers will have a wonderful day with this fine historical.

Harriet Klausner

First the positive: Most of the love scenes were pretty hot.

The negatives: Both characters got on my nerves

Marcus was too insistent in the first love scene and that got a little uncomfortable for me. At one point, I was a little confused if this was really what she wanted or not. Since this is a romance and she was the lead, I figured it must be, but I did not like the idea that he might be forcing her. She was saying "no" enough times.

Elizabeth kept judging his for his former lifestyle as if she was not married to some other guy at the same time. It was not as if he was a monk. She needed to get over it.

And there were times when Marcus was acting like a douche for no apparent reason. I wondered did he really want/love her or not.

This might bother some people- the F-word was used a lot and the love scenes were very explicit.

I absolutely loved Day's spin on a historical romance! This was absolutely nothing like the historical romances that I cut my teeth on back in high school. The steamy scenes are definitely on the erotic side, however they fit in and add to the overall story. The tumultuous relationship between Marcus and Elizabeth provided enough tension and conflict to keep the story from becoming stagnant and boring. There's a touch of intrigue and espionage that provided a simple but enjoyable mystery to carry the heated attraction between Marcus and Elizabeth that I really enjoyed. This would be the perfect vacation read. Pure entertainment and a great example of escapist reading! I will definitely be giving Day's other Georgian stories a try.

You can find me at Monlatable Book Reviews

In 1770, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield is an agent for the crown. His job is to hunt down England's enemies and he does it superbly, dodging bullets and danger all the while. Four years ago he was in love with a woman who made his heart race, and when she left him for another man, Marcus believed that he would never get another chance with her--until now.

Elizabeth Hawthorne was madly in love with Marcus once. Until the night that she went to him for help and found him with someone else. Not allowing him the chance to explain and already fearful of her desires for him, she ran straight into the arms of Lord Hawthorne, a man who would never be as dangerous to her heart as Marcus. Elizabeth believed she would be happy, until her husband was killed.

Now, three years after his death and finally out of her mourning period, Elizabeth has received a journal. It is written in her husband's hand, in an unbreakable code, and sought after by a mysterious man. But, the only one that can protect her is the man that is most dangerous to her.

Marcus has finally gotten his chance at Elizabeth but he refuses to believe in love again. This time, he only wants Elizabeth to sate his lust. When they fall in bed, and Elizabeth runs again, Marcus chases her down with a proposal. Live with him for a fortnight, without sex, and consider his offer of marriage. If she doesn't want him afterwards, he will leave forever.

Now, when an enemy with an agenda of his own is breathing down their necks, and when Elizabeth's life is in danger, the two must discover whether they can trust each other enough to be together. And they must decide whether they can overcome the obstacles in their path to realize their love.

Ask For It is a fabulous combination of intrigue, breathtaking passion and a fabulous hero willing to do anything to satisfy his woman. I absolutely loved Marcus. He is incredibly patient, and after everything he has gone through he is willing to do almost anything to ensure Elizabeth remains in his life. At times I was so frustrated with Elizabeth's behavior that I wanted to strangle her, but that is a testament to Sylvia Day's skill at drawing me into the story. I loved the atmosphere within Ask For It. From the bedrooms and ballrooms of Georgian London to the beaches of Essex, Sylvia Day is able to make this world come alive.

Shannon
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Once upon a time, gut-wrenching betrayal at the hands of the man she loved drove Elizabeth to accept the wedding proposal of another man, the Lord Hawthorne. Now widowed, Elizabeth finds herself besieged by Marcus Ashford's attentions, whether she likes it or not. The real problem is, she likes her once wayward love's attention all too much, a fact which makes it more difficult to resist the libertine by the day.

As an agent to the Crown, it is Marcus' duty to protect Elizabeth from suffering a similar fate as her husband, whilst investigating that man's murder. If that duty keeps him in close proximity to the lovely widow, then all the better. He is not a man to bypass a golden opportunity when it presents itself, and this most certainly qualifies.

Marcus is determined to finally have his way with his ex, but the tricky part will be keeping his heart out of the equation long enough to satisfy his thirst for her passion.

I am a huge fan of author Sylvia Day, and of her historical series, THE GEORGIAN SERIES. I confess, however, I had no idea how much I would enjoy these stories until I read the second in the saga, PASSION FOR THE GAME. That book fed my hunger for more, and I have since devoured all of these wonderful books. Although ASK FOR IT is actually the first book in the series, I read it fourth. I had absolutely no trouble understanding any part of the series, even though I read them out of order. Actually, this is the easiest story to read out of sequence, as the characters in this book don't have quite as large a part to play in the later books. While the stories are definitely connected, they aren't dependent on each other.

Sylvia Day is a writer who knows how to turn the heat up and keep it there, and that is certainly true of ASK FOR IT! Watching Marcus seduce Elizabeth is enough to make anyone hot under the collar. But the story is a lot more than just bedroom antics. No, this romance is rife with emotion ranging from hurt and distrust to love and deep caring.

On top of that, Ms. Day gives us a hefty dose of suspense as our characters delve into the mystery surrounding Lord Hawthorne's death and the danger that currently threatens Elizabeth.

If you love sensual historical romances with suspenseful plots, you will not want to miss either ASK FOR IT, or the rest of the stories in the delicious THE GEORGIAN SERIES!

Series Order:
Ask For It
Passion for the Game
A Passion For Him
Don't Tempt Me (Brava Historical Romance)

**Courtesy of Wild on Books**

To be fair, I must start off by saying that my least favorite theme in A romance novel is when the hero is in pursuit of the heroine through out the whole book.I guess it's hard for me to understand when a woman is in love with A man as rich and gorgeous and alluring as Marcus and then she acts like she does not want him. Having said that, I could tell from the start what I was getting into, but Sylvia Day knows how to write some really good love scenes thats hard to resist and to be honest that was her strongest point in this book. Her desciption of Marcus was also very captivating. He was simply put...gorgeous, and who could past up on reading about such A sexy hero?

To my disappointment though, his character was portrayed like A stalker that you could not get rid of. The heroine wanted no part of him and yet he held her against her will and chased her through out the whole book. At one point she was literally alarmed by his possessiveness. It was so sad to see such A remakable hero made into such A pathetic man. Maybe if the heroine had A legitimate reason for turning him away at every turn, but even when she found out the truth that he was not unfaithful, she still came up with the lamest excuses, like not wanting to be consumed by A lust that was insatiable or because he was involved with the agency. Give me A break! I do not know one woman that does not yearn for A love like that or after being in love like that would turn away from A man because of his work! There were times when I wished that he would just meet someone else and leave her alone to rot! She emasculated him and by the time she relented, it was too late for me to enjoy him as A hero because he lost all the appeal he had in the begining.

Also, the plot with her dead husband's diary and the agency was not at all engaging, and if in the begining you didn't see that the year took place in 1770, you would never know from reading the book. The historical details were nonexistent and there was never A feel for that era. I have read and loved SD's books before and I knew that historical details was not her strong point but that problem was more pronounced in this book. I gave this book 2 stars because as usual the love scenes were great, and boy!... what a goodlooking hero, but I'm sorry to say that those two things does not make A great book!

It's never a good sign when a book is under 300 pages but it takes me 14 days to read it. This book could not hold my interest. I've never read a book by Sylvia Day so maybe her books aren't for me? I'll have to read another book of hers to make up my mind. Maybe it's the whiplash I received from reading about Elizabeth and Marcus' relationship, hot-cold, off-on, it got tedious for me. Even after they were married they couldn't make up their mind. The subplot of Elizabeth's life being endangered because of a journal left behing by her dead first husband, snore, not interesting.

England, 1770

Loyal to the Crown, Marcus Ashford is part of an exclusive organization of spies. Four years ago, his fiancée, Elizabeth, ran out on him and eloped that very same night. Now she's a widow and in possession of a book that he's been assigned to decipher, which puts him in her company much of the time. Revenge is sweet. Marcus intends to collect on the promises she'd once made and never delivered.

Elizabeth eloped with Viscount Hawthorne after discovering her fiancé, Marcus, in his room with another woman. She never even gave him a chance to explain. Four years later her husband's been killed and she's learned that he was a spy. In her possession, she has a book that he kept which contains encrypted codes, and there's already been one unsavory demand for her to relinquish the book. Now Marcus has been assigned to decode the book and protect her, but who is going to protect her from Marcus's desires? And how will she protect her heart from the only man whom she's ever truly loved.

Eldridge, head of the organization of spies, only wanted to exploit Marcus's cryptology skills to decode the book. He hadn't considered that Marcus would want to manage the case. For Marcus, this is the perfect opportunity. He's patiently waited for Elizabeth's period of mourning to end and is planning to pursue her within a few days' time. She'll have no excuse to avoid him now. Since Elizabeth's husband, Viscount Hawthorne, was investigating the pirate Christopher St. John when he died, Marcus is hopeful that by deciphering the code, he'll finally have damning information on the infamous pirate. Ah yes, the woman who's plagued his every waking thought and the pirate who has plundered his holdings are finally within his reach. Things are not always what they appear, and revenge isn't nearly as sweet as he thought it would be.

Sylvia Day once again proves that there's nothing she can't write that isn't simply breathtaking. ASK FOR IT will sweep readers back in time and surround you with fascinating characters, a thrilling plot, and intense sex scenes. While the sex itself is smoldering, it's actually the build up to those scenes that will leave readers hot and bothered. I adored both Elizabeth and Marcus and loved getting the opportunity to know them and share a small part of their lives. This is one of those stories where the more you read, the more you need to know and then there's that incredible feeling of awe once all the pieces come together and suddenly everything makes sense. I'm hopeful that the pirate, Christopher St. John, will get his own story in the future. He's a thrilling character with a charisma that drew me to him. As always, beautifully done, Ms. Day! Look forward to reading more of your writings in the future. I see several on the coming soon page on Sylvia Day's website that I've already added to my "must read" pile.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

I have never been a huge fan of historical genres and at first glance had no idea it was. But once committed, unless it is horrid I will finish what I start. With that said the storyline, characters and research put into this book was intense. I continually used the dictionary, which of course is always a good thing. Conflict was emotional yet easy, the level of intimacy and arousal always intrigue me. Oh how we love to be taken and/or allowed to explore our partners/mates is truly proof words sometimes need not be spoken. Your sharpness at detail and descriptions are well done. Thank you for sharing your imagination with me.

The Earl of Westfield, Marcus Ashford, has been obsessed with Lady Elizabeth Hawthorn since she left him high and dry to elope with another. Now four years later, her spouse has been murdered and Marcus is determined to scratch that itch for Elizabeth so he can stop obsessing over her. Little does he know that one taste isn't enough to quench his need, it only leaves him wanting more. The love that develops between Marcus and Elizabeth is quite intense, especially when they try to deny the magnetism.

This love story had action, murder, angst, and love scenes far too hot for a historical romance! This is the third book I have read by Sylvia Day and I can never put them down. Though I do not usually read historical romance novels, I found myself re-reading passages and absolutely fell in love with this couple.

I only have one complaint about the kindle version of this book, who ever edited it didn't leave spaces between different scenes within a chapter. One second you are reading about her brother thinking about a duel and the next paragraph, with no gap between is about them being at a ball. My other complaint has nothing to do with the writing, just that I had no idea that it was a historical romance. I thought it was set in modern times when I read the jacket. Otherwise, the book and story are quite well written.

I made it half way through the book and could not finish it. I can't believe this got such rave reviews. I must have read another book. The characters were so lame. Sorry to use this word but that's all that I thought while reading it. I'm not going to spoil the book but say that besides the boring storyline, the characters just didn't seem real to me. I'm not going to stop reading Sylvia's books because she's a great Author but every tree has a bad apple. In this case, 2 bad apples. Entwined with you disappointed me too.

I've read nine other books written by Sylvia Day and have loved all of them. Unfortunately I can't say the same about this one. I so disliked Elizabeth that I found myself hoping whoever was trying to kill her would hurry up and succeed. She was to blame for everything wrong in her life and their relationship yet she would never accept the responsibility for it. Also, the lack of trust and insecurity on both parties lasted so long that I stopped caring about a HEA between them. At one point it became so depressing and uninspiring that I stopped reading it for several weeks before trying again. This was my first disappointment from this author. She generally creates very likable characters that draw you in and cause you to invest in their journey and outcome. She missed the mark on this one and I don't plan to read the others in this series. Since the period is the same and the characters are somewhat tied together I expect a continuation of a theme I just didn't enjoy.

I really wish Ms. Day would keep writing more historicals. I dont' like paranormals or newer fiction. This was so good I read it three times. One of my favorites by her and I have a few. She had a couple of misses too so be careful but this is not one of them. I am not sure what the two and three star reviews are about. Anyone who gave this a one star doesn't know a good historical if it bit them. If you don't like erotic historical romance then why are you reading this?

Sylvia Day has written a compelling and deeply sensual story in Ask For It.

Marcus Ashford an agent for the crown is still profoundly hurt by Elizabeth's marriage to another. Now she is widowed and her life is in danger. Marcus demands to be the one to protect her. He figures he can keep her safe and also get his desires for her out of his system.

Elizabeth ran from the strong feelings she had for Marcus and married a much more suitable man. After his death her life was in peril and she is forced to accept Marcus's aide. He consumes her every waking thought until she has to give in to her desires.

Trying to keep Elizabeth safe and not touch her is impossible for Marcus. He thinks he can keep his heart out of this but his heart has other plans.

Ask For It is one of the most sensual stories I have read in awhile. Marcus and Elizabeth discover their passion is all consuming. The danger is riveting and equally as compelling. Sylvia Day is an author to watch.

The sex was graphic so be prepared or stop reading. The tale was a typical Scarlet Pimpernel type tale of intrigue. One must, of course, wonder who are the good/bad guys and you are kept guessing pretty much to the end.

My introduction to Day's work was her anthology entitled "Bad Boys Ahoy!" and I was instantly impressed with the sensual feel that her historical plots exude. The historical aspects are masterfully blended to give that long ago era feel and enrich the lives she weaves for her characters. Rounded out with engaging plots and perfect pacing, Ms. Day easily becomes one of my most watched for authors.

Marcus Ashford, Earl of Westfield relishes the opportunity to rush to his former fiancé's side when it becomes known she is in danger. As an agent to the Crown, who better to serve her in every way he possibly can? He has burned for her for four years, years in which he was tormented at the thought of her married to another. What really went wrong so long ago when she was meant to be his? While an old danger that killed her husband looms, Marcus will do everything he must in order to make her answer for his anguish and his once again raging needs.

Lady Hawthorne, Elizabeth, is literally laid siege to by the one man she hoped never to meet again. The pain of Marcus's betrayal drove her away and into another's arms, and it's a sore fact she cannot forget. He leaves her no room in which to run this time and she is forced to face not only the dangers surrounding her late husband's death, but also the added dangers of his mysterious journal. Everyone wants it and so Elizabeth has no choice but to trust the one man she couldn't trust with her heart. The question is, is it worth the risk this time?

Ms. Day continues to thrill me with her passionate and strong characters. Her plots are rich in detail, both the sensual and non-sensual variety. The action is not over the top, but just enough to keep one interested in events as they unfold. Marcus is a strong, dominant man who thrilled this reader with his primal pursuit of Elizabeth. Elizabeth in turn is stronger than even she realized and is quite capable of taking on the forceful man. Their love scenes are heavenly to read, both erotic and sweet at once. This is going on my keeper shelf and I await "Passion For the Game", about Christopher St. John (an important character in this book), June, 2007. Ms. Day is also releasing "The Stranger I Married" in January of 2007. Glad to see this author keeping `em coming!

First "encounter" was not perceived as consensual which made me awkward about the entire book. Thought it was going to be a 4-part series on one couple, instead it just shares similar characters throughout series. OK read, but not something that I'd highly recommend.

I feel like coping and pasting Luvgirls review. I feel the same way. The love scenes were the best part. Just couldnt get into it at all and I loved the bared to you series..so im pretty disappointed. I think the murder plot was boring and with the heroine being so stubborn to reject the hero for no good reason continuously.

Sylvia Day's ASK FOR IT qualifies as erotica, and as far as that goes, that's a first for me. This book is heavy on the explicit language and erotica, so beware. Despite the explicit nature of this book, ASK FOR IT still imparts a heated passion and a loving romance. The plotting, however, is poor, the settings worse, both essentially serving as annoying background noise to the passionate scenes. I felt like I was reading an equivalent of a late-night B-grade showtime movie. The only reason I give this book 2 stars is because I thought the characterizations were more mature than I've been reading lately, and it was nice to see demons haunting our heroine for a change (though it wasn't handled well).

Our tall, dark and handsome Lord Marcus Ashford, Earl of Westfield, works for the Agency and is assigned to protect widowed Elizabeth, Lady Hawthorne, in a deadly case which places her life in peril; the details of the case aren't worth noting, only that her life is in danger. Marcus takes the case eagerly, intent on sating his lust of the stubborn woman who jilted him four year ago. Years ago, Elizabeth abruptly ends her betrothal to Marcus the night before their wedding after errantly drawing the wrong conclusions about Marcus' fidelity, or lack thereof. Marcus wasn't cheating on her though and Elizabeth doesn't give Marcus a chance to explain when she marries another man right away. Marcus leaves the country and they don't speak again until the case which has Marcus assigned to her.

While being assigned to protect Elizabeth, Marcus doggedly pursues a love affair with Elizabeth, just to be rid of his lust of her. Both confide and talk to each other about the events which led to the jilt those years ago, which was refreshing to read about. Elizabeth has major trust issues after witnessing the digressions of her father and brother first-hand, and resists Marcus, believing he will tire of her and return to debauchery. She desperately tries to escape Marcus' advances during the case and finally flees London at one point. Marcus gives chase, proposing marriage and asking her a week's time to consider his proposal, promising not to touch and seduce her unless she asks for it. Sure enough, by the week's end, Elizabeth asks for it, they marry, and more passionate scenes abound.

I liked Marcus's characterization in the beginning, but by the end I thought Day turned him into an over-the-top, pining, love-sick lapdog, and he lost a lot of the masculine flavor which made him interesting from the beginning. I understand the need to show love from the hero in an otherwise meaningless erotica and to "tame" the hero, but I didn't feel Marcus' intense desire and love was even remotely reciprocated by Elizabeth. I didn't think Elizabeth's unwarranted jilt four years ago was really settled between our leading pair. I didn't like how Elizabeth makes all the uncompromising demands on Marcus and Marcus happily assents to all of them by the end: she asks him to leave the dangerous Agency, he obliges; she asks him to verbalize the words "I love you" despite a prior chapter in which he spent 2 pages articulating - heartfelt and soulfully - just want Elizabeth means to him and everything he does anyway that shows it; and then Elizabeth demands to know if he could love her even though she could be barren, Marcus doesn't hesitate, he tells her he loves her so much nothing could change that. When Marcus suspects Elizabeth is cheating on him, Elizabeth cruelly allows Marcus to believe the worst, testing his obvious love over and over, again and again. Even though it was Elizabeth who jilted him years ago!

I thought the character of the pirate Christopher St. John was too smooth, too convenient when he saves both Marcus and Elizabeth at the end. Marcus is too love-sick to do anything on his own right. The plotting has our leading pair constantly reacting to events and neither make a concerted effort to dig deeper and discover who is behind the attempts on Elizabeth's life.

Heated, flaring passions cannot save this weak fare.

Just re-read this again over the weekend. Still staying with me days later, I love this couple. Huge fan of this author and I think this is one of my favorites by her. I love how passionate Marcus is about Elizabeth. Very sexy dialogue throughtout the book. So many great lines. I love Elizabeth and how she seems on the outside so unaffected but she is def not. They are both a handful and this is a great read. Oooh wee, Very beautiful.

I agree with at least one other reviewer that there was a lot of unnecessary angst between Elizabeth and Marcus. It took about three quarters of the book before they started to communicate effectively, despite the hot sex. That said, the story is well written and eventually had a very satisfying ending.

I enjoyed the repartée between Elizabeth and Marcus, and they certainly came across as alive, emotional people. Both of them had emerged from their short lived engagement feeling battered and ill-used. Elizabeth's pain is understandable - she jilts Marcus over what she perceives is his rampant infidelity. Marcus knows this. He is a rake of the highest order, but in this case it wasn't true. Marcus was not able to give Elizabeth the truth about his actions, due to his relationship to the Crown. Even once 'The Big Misunderstanding' had been cleared up vestiges kept reappearing.

Also, I came away a little bummed that more wasn't done with the sub-plot involving "The Agency". I had been hoping that as the book progressed there would be more explanation as to this group's activities and how they benefitted the monarchy.The secondary characters flitted in and out without real development. This goes for the villain, as well. Perhaps there's a second book in the works featuring the shadowy but intriguing Christopher St. John?

This was a light fast read for a lazy afternoon. The story line was good but the characters were a little flat and could have used some more development But since this is book #1 in the series I anticipate more in the rest.

....some really annoying circular plot construction is the only thing stopping this from being a five-star read. The sensuality between the male/female lead is just intense perfection with that kind of push-me/pull-you fear that if the relationship continues someone or both will be permanently changed. Change is always scary and this author has that emotion in a love affair pegged perfectly. What doesn't quite work is the plot about a code book and sneaking around with some risky encounters here and there--but conflict must occur. Overall it's a worthy read for the relationships--although the title and cover if you carry it around in public will draw the attention of any man around you. Bookcover might be in order....

Loved it! SD is an amazing writer. I loved these characters from the start...dual POV.....great long story that I didn't want to end. There are a handlful of books in this series and I look forward to learning more about the mysterious Chris St John!

Is it to late for Marcus and Elizabeth? Marcus has been pinning away for Elizabeth for four years, even after she left him good another man. He wants revenge and now that Elizabeth is a widow, he sees his opportunity.

Book # 1 in the Georgian series, Clever how Silvia writes all sides to the story
Book # 2 A passion for the game.
Book # 3 A passion for him
Book # 4 Don't temp me.
Worth reading them all!

This read was hot, sexy, and saucy. I read it in one setting. I usually do not like books with a lot of plotting. However, the plotting did not take away from the romance. SD is a very talented writer. This is a quick read. Both hero and heroine are likable characters. Cover to cover sex scenes. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I like period dramas and this was an very enjoying read. Keep me interesting until the end with its very interesting story line. I love the characters especially when woman are portrayed as strong independent woman.

It was good to read the origin of Christopher St. John since his story (2nd book) was my favorite. There is a lot of passion and sex in this book...some rough...some not. You can almost open the book to any page and find a sex scene. But truly this is a story about redemption and lost love.

Marcus and Elizabeth's story many years in the making due to serious misunderstanding is a pretty fast passed story. Nothing is as it seems which keeps you guessing. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

The hero treats heroine like a rape target and the author repeatedly describes her like one and treats her as one in the narrative. All while rationalizing atrocious behavior of the hero with the "it's ok if she's aroused" defense. I'm disappointed in Ms. Day-she's capable of so very much better than this.

FINALLY I finished. I couldn't put it down but OMG Elizabeth drove me crazy! For her to be a such a strong character she was always running from Marcus! But it all comes together and was an intriguing story!

Unlike her other heroines from her other books, I really like Elizabeth, is so different, high strong regardless of the Hero so irresistible and her deep feeling still toward him ( I adored her). She jilted Marcus, the H, and eloped with her brother's friend, for a reason that she thinks he cheated on her. Four years later, widow and back to ton Marcus up for his revenge...he will do his worst but can he? when Elizabeth fights him and tries not to have her heart broken again. I couldn't put it down I even skipped my beauty sleep so I can finish it and still wanting more. The story was intriguing, had everything and I do love both of characters. Not sure if there's a story about her brother William and Margaret, also St. John which def. I'll check it out.

In this wonderful novel, Marcus Ashford and Elizabeth Hawthorne are two people with a past history. They were once engaged to be married. But their marriage was called off when Elizabeth suspected Marcus of cheating on her. With not being fully aware of the situation, Elizabeth runs off and marries another man. Now four years later, Elizabeth is a widow and Marcus is back in her life.

Marcus pursues Elizabeth but she refuses him at every turn. In order for Marcus to break down Elizabeth's defenses he sets out to seduce her. Elizabeth trys to deny him because deep down inside she still hasn't come to terms with her feelings for Marcus. When she does let Marcus pursue her, Elizabeth and Marcus both find themselves falling in love. But before Marcus and Elizabeth can be truly safe, they must solve the crime of who killed Elizabeth's husband and what the secret journal really says. A wonderful read!

I would describe this story as an erotic historical. It's a good mix of sensuality and historical romance. There was an engaging secondary character that I loved and look forward to reading about in the next installment of this series. This story is filled with romance that truly explores the deep feelings between a man and a woman who are deeply in love with one another. I love how Marcus and Elizabeth are able to come to an understanding about themselves and their relationship and find a love that most people dream of. If you love Sylvia Day's work then you'll love this story.

This would get 5 stars but it sort of sputtered to an end. The characters are great and very sexy. The love scenes...hello, very HOT. I wish we could have had better development of the Father story line...I just could not quite figure out what had happened that would make her so skittish.

I think I've found my favorite new author and it is Sylvia Day! She has yet to dissapoint me and this is no exception. WOW! The story line was excellent and I know that her books are going to be "keepers" on my shelf. This is such a great tale of long lost love and the passion that never died.

If you like erotic fiction at it's best--with a plot other than just sex--slyvia Day is the author to read...I read this quickly, loving every page of it---

The story was a very wonderful fantasy in print!

I have never cared for Regency romance, but I like it just fine if you gift wrap it in layers and layers of erotic content. I actually care about the ton and why it affects every waking concern of these characters. That is something, huh?