Which Thomas Hardy Novel Best Shows His Critique Of Victorian Morality?

BOOK 2: The Gentleman Series *Can be read as a standalone* ~~~ I think I had a one night stand with the Beast my sister was supposed to marry, now I’m marrying him. Angelica Hearst’s beauty is the bane of her existence. All she is and all she knows are tied to her beauty that everyone covets, but deep down she wants better for herself. She longs for escape from the man who has sworn to make her life a living hell and because of that she made a list of things she wants to do for herself and she’s determined to get through them somehow, but how would she with the Beast lurking? An illegitimate child, abused and forced to marry a wicked, bruised and pensive Don in place of her sister. It’s the last thing she wants, but maybe it’s a chance at the freedom she desires. ~~~ TRIGGER WARNING!!! This book contains themes that are not suitable for all readers, including; death, graphic violence, scenes of intimacy, strong language, physical and verbal abuse, manipulation, substance abuse, family trauma, and mental health issues. Proceed with caution and read at your own risk. Enjoy. x

She married him to save her sister’s life. He married her to save his crown. For two years, Alicia kept her vows and her silence--until the night Edward Valentine asked for an open marriage and stepped back into the orbit of the woman he once called his first love. When her sister collapses and Alicia faces the worst alone, she finally sees the truth: beneath his cold vows, there was never a heart for her at all. But distance cuts deeper than anger. And when the life he built without love starts to crack, Edward learns the cost of the wife he treated like a stranger. Now the man who never begged may have to. If she’s still there to listen.

“Forgive me, Father… for I’m about to sin again.” "Get on your knees and take my cock like it’s your only salvation. Hold it like you held your rosary tight, desperate. Suck it like it’s the only prayer left to save your filthy soul." She’s temptation wrapped in innocence. And I’m a sinner beneath this collar. ~~~~~~ When Mia Voss escapes heartbreak and moves in with her grandmother, the last thing she expects is to fall for the man behind the altar. Reverend Thorne Maddox—quiet, composed, and dangerously handsome—sees right through her walls.And she sees what he's trying to hide.Their encounters are supposed to be innocent, church duties, quiet confessions, polite conversation. But glances linger too long. Words slip too close to sin. And when she falls into his arms… it stops being holy.In a town full of watching eyes and sacred vows, desire becomes the ultimate sin. But the deeper they fall, the harder it becomes to let go. Where salvation ends… temptation begins. ❕ ❕Trigger/Content Warnings:This story contains themes of religious conflict, age gap, power imbalance, sensual scenes, and morally gray decisions. Reader discretion is advised 100% Sex ❕

Raised in her father's gang, the young gypsy Emma Ferguson was persecuted all her life by the puritanical society of the 19th century, yet she never felt completely part of the Romani group. Vivacious and intelligent, the beautiful Emma only wished to find her true self and live the experiences she had been denied over the 20 years of her life, when an unsuccessful performance made her worst nightmares come true in that cursed Scottish town. Emma only survives all this with the help of the handsome British gentleman, Henry Dashwood, whom she met during the fateful performance, and when he rescues her from the roadside, she begins a new and dangerous journey. In a society where gypsy origin is considered worthy of capital punishment, Henry has decided to help Emma get back on her feet, and hatches a plan that could be the salvation or ruin of them both.

The novel is mainly about the forgotten British poet/writer named C. J Richards who lived in Burma/Myanmar in colonial times and he believed himself as a Burmophile. He served as I.C.S (Indian Civil Servant) and when he retired from I.C.S service, he was a D.C (District Commissioner) and he left for England a year before Burma gained its independence in 1948. He came to Burma in 1920 to work in civil service after passing the hardest I.C.S examination. He wrote several books on Burma and contributed many monthly articles to Guardian Magazine published in Burma from 1953 to 1974 or 1975. Though he wrote several books which had much literary merit to both communities, Britain and Burma (Myanmar), people failed to recognize him. The story has two parts: one part is set in the contemporary Yangon (then called Rangoon) in 2016 context and a young literary enthusiast named “Lin” found out unexpectedly the forgotten writer’s poetry book and there is surely a good deal of time gap that led him into a quest to know more about the author’s life. The setting is quite different comparing to colonial Burma and independence Myanmar (Burma), early twentieth century and 2016 which is a transitional period in Myanmar. The writer’s life is fictionalized in the novel and most of the facts are taken from his personal stories and other reference books. It is a kind of historical novel with a twist and it has comparatively constructed the two different periods in Myanmar history to convince readers, locally and abroad more about history, authorship, humanity, colonialism, and transitional development in Myanmar today.

Felix Cambridge couldn't believe it. Along with the dukedom of Twyford, he-London's most notorious rogue-had inherited wardship of four devilishly attractive sisters! Including the irresistible Margaret Fleming. The eldest Fleming was everything he had wanted in a woman, but even Felix couldn't seduce his own ward...or could he? After all, he did have a substantial reputation to protect. And what better challenge than the one woman capable of stealing his heart?