The courage to love

The courage to Love, by Samantha Kane
Published by Elloras cave
Grade: D+

Back cover reads:

Kate Collier is still recovering from a vicious rape and trying to make a
success of her dress shop when Jason Randal and Anthony Richards return to
London from the Continent, intent on winning her. She's known them for years,
ever since they served with her late husband in the Peninsula against Napoleon.
She'd been in love with them for almost that long. To discover they feel the
same is a shock, but Kate isn't ready to turn her life back over to a man, or
men.

Jason and Tony prove hard to resist, however,
especially when their close friendship blossoms into desire for each other as
they make Kate's body burn with passion. The combination of their insatiable
desire for her and their journey into a sexual relationship with one another is
irresistible to Kate.

A nightmare from her past tries
to keep them apart, but the three long for a life together in spite of society's
censure, and they will not be denied.

This is a Historical set in the 1800's. Kate is a widow who is raising her niece. After the death of her husband she found out that there was very little money to survive. So, Kate did what ladies of propriety did in those days..she became a Mistress. The man she was with would set her up in her own house, and pay all her debts for her.

Meanwhile Tony and Jason have been in and out of town. They are both in love with Kate, but they want to give her some freedom and 'play around' so to speak, before they ask her to marry them.

The guys come back to town this last time and find Kate not at all like herself. She is jumpy, moody and really angry. Reason being that the last man to take Kate on as his Mistress abused her in the worst way. He allowed his friends to rape her and just sat back and watched.
We find out that he only did it to get back at Jason and Tony. He knew that they were in love with her, so he hurt Kate in order to hurt them.

When Jason and Tony find out what happened they are livid, but even more determined to live a life with Kate. She doesn't see how is can be possible. Sse is already a leeper in the eyes of society, so being seen with her will cause them to be outcasts. Besides, how can she marry two men? It's not legal. The guys explain that they love her too much to care what society thinks. And, because Jason is Titled, and he needs an heir, he will be the one Kate marries, but in their hearts she will belong to both of them. She promises to think about it.

Jason fights a duel against the Bastard who hurt Kate, but the guy cheated and shot Jason before the duel officially started. Jason gets really sick because of an infection and almost died. Bastard rapist gets away.

Kate does marry Jason surrounded by friends and family. Jason says the vows, but Tony puts the ring on Kate's finger.

Jason and Tony had a big group of friends who support their 3 way way marriage. Their friends, and even the Vicar who married them all served in the war together, and are haunted by the same war time memories. All the men are very close.

There are a lot of little things that keep me from giving this story a higher grade.

1) Words like 'Gorgeoulicious'. This is supposed to be regency set historical. Some of the words caught me off guard.

2)I have to read second in the series to find out if rapist bastard is caught. He ran away after he shot Jason, and people are out looking for him, but thats it. From the looks of things he strikes again in the second book. Dammit.

3)There were some scenes between Kate's niece and one of Jason & Tony's friends that didn't go anywhere. It looked like they were going to start a relationship, but then the author seemed to forget about them. I like Kate's niece, I'm annoyed that there wasn't more to that part of the story. Either write an ending..good or bad..for them, or don't write anything.

4)Jason's mother. One day she is disowning him because of his lifestyle, then just because he might die she is not only totally accepting of him being bisexual and in a three way relations, she is suggesting the marriage and telling Tony to call her mom.

It did have good sex scenes. That's where the plus in D+ comes from.