SCANDALOUS DESIRES . . .

Amy Hardwick has one last Season to shake off her wallflower image and make a love match. If she can't, she'll set aside her dreams of romance and return home to a suitor who can provide security-if little else. What she doesn't count on is the inappropriate-and irresistible-attention lavished on her in a darkened library by rake extraordinaire Will "The Devil" Darcett . . .

DEVILISH DELIGHT

When Will is caught in a tryst with the ton's shyest miss, he knows he must offer for her hand. Yet Amy is not the shrinking violet she seems to be. Passion lies beneath her prim exterior and Will is eager to release it. But winning Amy isn't simply a matter of seduction; first, Will must convince her that he's mended his wicked ways . . .

Review

The devil is searching for someone to corrupt…

William ‘The Devil’ Darcett is desperate for funds; his family, fearful that he’ll never stay in England has cut off his allowance and forbid him to travel. Will doesn’t take kindly to his family’s constant desire to influence his choices or life so he’s determined to find a way out of the predicament—even if that means corrupting an heiress.

Amy doesn’t suffer fools. In fact she’s determined not to be one under any circumstance. With her new found gift of designing gowns and being a fashion darling she’s finally shedding the wallflower image. Will’s sudden attention towards her is startling and even though little whispers of desire stir she’s no better than to trust the devil. Trust or not when the pair find themselves locked in a wine cellar it’s going to be to have and to hold. Only Amy doesn’t know if this will work and Will isn’t prepared to give up his rakehell ways just because he needs to save a damsel in distress.

Dreiling departs from her previous styles with How to Ravish a Rake. This is not a bad thing, but if you’re looking for a dramatic, tension filled story then this one is not the choice for you. In this story Amy re-defines the word ravish, as she doesn’t get the rake to succumb in typical fashion. She plies this bad boy from his shell through courting and good old fashioned flirtation. This story is what I would term a ‘sweet’ romance. There’s no grandious, fiery passion like there was between Hawk and Julianne in How to Seduce a Scoundrel, but the story is radically different because the characters are.

Amy can’t win her hero through acting sultry and seductive. Those abilities are not within her… yet. She’s overcoming her wallflower status and just beginning to get comfortable being in large groups. Her kind nature and innocent demeanor instill an overpowering sense of honor and defense in Will. I enjoyed watching Will transform, and come to terms with his bad boy reputation. For these two, conflict is mainly an inner struggle, and only emerges externally in the last quarter of the book.

If you enjoyed Dreiling’s stories in the past you’ll be happy to know that Aunt Hester makes another appearance, and I got a good laugh from Will’s grandmother as well. My only caveat with this story is at times there was a little too much descriptive detail for me, and I would have enjoyed more in the way of showing rather than telling.

Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet romance where love develops between two unlikely people then this story is for you. It’s a fabulous example of how different characters require different stories, and even those that don’t possess the most passionate nature can still find happiness.

Reviewed by Landra

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