Dirty English by Ilsa Madden Mills

An Eliza Review:
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Ratings (out of 5)
Chemistry: 💥💥💥💥
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Heart: 💖💖💖💖
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Dirty English by: @ilsamaddenmills
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Elizabeth Bennett bears the scars - physically and emotionally - of a prom night gone terrifyingly wrong. Two years later, she’s learned to survive by making and keeping rules for herself, rules that have never been a problem until Declan saunters up to her at a fraternity party. He’s big ✔️, British ✔️, and sexy as hell ✔️✔️. But beneath his prize fighter body beats the heart of a wounded, deeply caring person. He’s the kind of man worth breaking rules for - but at what cost?
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Dirty English is a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice - but with much darker undertones. This book deals with sexual assault and then lengths a person goes to to feel in control of their own lives again following such violence. Elizabeth’s strategy for protecting herself is to keep everyone but her two best friends at arm’s length. But Declan isn’t an arm’s length kind of guy. Rather, he’s more the “hold you close like you’re precious and never let you go” sort. And we don’t mind at all.
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I really enjoyed the characters in this book, even if I was sometimes frustrated as hell with them. But I think that’s rather the point. Just like in Austen’s P&P, our perception of people does not necessarily equate who they truly are. Elizabeth and Declan both keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and are unable to act with any emotional maturity or distance until later on in the book - which is what we expect. But even when they’re making their own lives 10x harder than they need to be, the chemistry is electric.
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If you like books with prize fighters who are big and brawny, but complete squish inside, you’ll love Declan. He’s a modern gentleman. As for Elizabeth, she’s spunky, clever, and tenacious - just as her namesake was. Their HEA feels so richly deserved for both of them.
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🚨WARNING: This book contains the aftermath of sexual assault. Full disclosure: I am a survivor of sexual assault and many moments in this book rang true for me - especially regarding E’s rules following. I was not triggered by this book - but take care, dearest readers. I was not triggered by this book - but take care, dearest readers, if you think you might be. I am happy to answer any specific questions regarding content in our DMs.

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Kiss and Tell:
If you like reading about the sort of sex that involves being pushed up against walls, the shower, and the floor - hard, passionate encounters - this is not one to be missed. This book has almost everything - super sexy kissing, groping (the good kind), oral sex, penetrative sex, and one VERY sexy outdoor moment. It’s not filthy, but it’s not remotely tame either.