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The Secret Pearl
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Plot Summary of The Secret Pearl
"One evening in Regency London, Adam Ridgeway, Duke of Raybourne, unhappy in his marriage, decides to pay for the services of a prostitute. After engaging in sex, he discovers that she is or was a virgin. She tells him her name is Fleur.

Fleur ran to London after being unjustly accused of murder by her aristocratic cousin. She had decided to prostitute herself rather than starve, but when she gets a job as a governess to a young girl, she gladly leaves to work at a grand estate in the country. She is horrified to discover that her employer is the one and only customer she had while working as a prostitute. While she has nightmares about that one sexual encounter, she feels an unwilling attraction as Adam comforts her and protects her when she encounters her accusing cousin. Adam meanwhile suffers with his disfiguring injuries from the war, his difficult wife, his spoiled daughter, his dissolute brother and the forbidden attraction to Fleur."

L. Watson, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Secret Pearl
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - 19th century
Forbidden/mismatched love? Yes
How mismatched? - loving a prostitute!
Inner struggle subplot Yes
Hidden Identity/Secret Motive Yes
Is really... - a criminal (possibly)
Disability or addiction? - physical disability/sickness/injury

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - missing body parts/abilities

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - prostitute
How sexual is this person? - naive virgin
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
effect of sexing - scared
Sex has bad effect on her Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
City? Yes
City: - London
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 80%
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - actual description of sex
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 1-2 sex acts
Most similar books to The Secret Pearl
The Reluctant Reformer by Lyndsay Sands
Gabriel's Woman by Robin Schone
Lanterns by Patricia Veryan
Midnight Confessions by Candice Proctor
Logic of the Heart by Patricia Veryan


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Mary Balogh Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
L. Watson  

SCHOLARS:
Angel Manners  Ashareh  Sandra Calhoune  lipp78  plnorth  maggie roberts  Stephanie B.  Susan  


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