The beginning of Love Lessons reminded me a little of Robin Schone’s The Lady’s Tutor. A lady of quality goes to a man of bad reputation, skilled in the arts of love, in order to gain instruction. However, the similarities ended there, not only in the actual plot, but also in the tone of the book and the depth of the characters.

In this case, Lady Abigail Weston seeks out dissolute gambling hall owner James Stevens so she will gain knowledge of what transpires in the marriage bed for her sister’s benefit. Caroline Weston is expected to make a brilliant match this Season, and Abigail wishes for her sister to go to her wedding night prepared for what will happen there, and not like some ignorant chit who will be frightened and traumatized by the events. James, who expects Abigail to be just another one of the women who come to him to plead on behalf of their indebted husbands, fathers and brothers, is intrigued by her proposition and much to his own surprise, agrees to the lessons.

Despite Abigail explaining that she only wishes to know the theory, so to speak, soon enough she and James can’t keep their hands or thoughts off each other, and each erotic encounter builds upon the last until their carnal affair begins to have serious consequences that affect others, such as Caroline and the man she falls in love with. Both Abigail and James are very quick to claim to love each other (even if James keeps it to himself) when they admit they don’t know each other, but other than the secrecy needed to keep the liaison a secret, they don’t seem to trust each other very much. It doesn’t help that we’ve met them both before, she’s the virgin and temptress who takes to the lessons like a duck to water; he’s the debauched rake who finds the gently raised lady far more alluring than any of the multitude of women he’s had before.

Despite all the explicit details used in Love Lessons, all the body parts that are forever oozing and dripping, rock hard and rigid, it’s all a little repetitive, probably because the characters (central and secondary) were a little lacking in personality and act in predictable ways to advance the plot. For example, Abigail and James are careful about their encounters until it suits the plot to have their liaison discovered by the book’s villain, then James is careless enough not to notice he’s being tracked and Abigail ends up barely clothed, shouting from a window. Abigail is banished and sits around for a month, even if she tells herself she has her own fortune and can do anything and go anywhere, until another character intervenes and pretty much hands her an HEA. Caroline and her beloved simply end up as plot devices, and we never really get to know them.

If you’re just looking for a racy book, Love Lessons will fit the bill perfectly. It’s steamy and very explicit, with sex scenes that go on for pages and pages it seems, and I found it to be a quick read. If, however, you’re also looking for the romance and characters to care about, I’m hoping to find those in Ms. Holt’s next book.