by Viveka Portman

You may or may have seen this tweet from BookThingo’s ever awesome Kat Mayo.

…and possibly thought WTF.

For those who have read any of The Regency Diaries, you’d be less surprised to see the word adultery, but the biblical seduction may have thrown you.

That’s because I tend to challenge some of the romance writing norms in my books. Honestly I don’t do it on purpose, it just happens that way. I tend to get an idea, and run with it. Thus, my heroes may be sexy, but aren’t always heroic… And my heroines can be anything from pregnant and bisexual to innocent and curious governesses.

In my July 22^nd release the final Regency Diary, The Journal of Vicar’s Wife, the reader will meet the very troubled wife of Stanton’s Vicar, Mrs Maria Reeves (hence the bible readings!)

During ARRC 2015, I read an excerpt from this upcoming book which was very pleasantly received… (I do recommend reading a sex scene aloud to an audience of 50+, it’s nerve wracking, but strangely liberating.)

Still I wasn’t sure how the book would be received by reviewers. After all, it contains *gasp* adultery and *gasp* bible readings and *even more hot panting gasps* sex.

Again, I sense you thinking WTF?

It challenges several rules generally held by romance writers. Adultery is a highly taboo subject in romance. I understand that totally, but I like the issues my character face to be real, and sometimes, oh so unfortunately, real means infidelity.

Mrs Reeves is terribly unhappy in her marriage. Her husband is very unloving and pious, preferring self denial to pleasure, or so it seems. The story is one of exploration, as Maria explores and breaks the boundaries of her unhappy marriage and follows her journey to understanding her husband, and achieving a marriage that will work–for both of them.

I can’t deny that this was a challenging write. Making Maria’s story sexy and steamy as well as poignant and moving wasn’t always smooth sailing, but then nothing ever is.

The Journal of A Vicar’s Wife, the final instalment of The Regency Diaries, is due for release 22^nd July. 

The final instalment in Viveka Portman’s sexy, sinful Regency Diaries sees an unhappy wife desperately seeking love—and her taciturn husband who doesn’t know how to reach her.

My husband, though I do not doubt his goodness, does not love nor want me. He married me for pure convenience. He needed a bride and I was the one offered to him. Thus I find my pleasures where I may…

Mrs Maria Reeves has been married for six years. Six long, lonely years. She craves love and affection, but married to a handsome but pious vicar she receives little in the way of earthly pleasures. The Reverend Vicar Frederick Reeves is a man of principle and morals, and is more likely to provide his wife with suggested Bible readings than carnal knowledge.

 If her husband will not please her, then she will find a man who will.

But infidelity doesn’t come naturally to the vicar’s wife. Though Maria finds herself getting the sexual pleasure she desires, she also finds herself emotionally frayed and unhappy. To make matters worse, in the small village of Stanton there are always people watching, and Maria discovers that some secrets are impossible to keep. What will her upright husband do when he discovers that Maria has broken not only one of the commandments, but her vows to him?