ASIN: B00HFUMKSS
ISBN-13: 978-1466822283
Publisher: St. Martin's
Line: Macmillan
Release Date: Jul 1, 2014
Pages: 320
Digital Retail: 7.99
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Genre: Historical
Heat Level: Hot
Rating:
CAN AN INDECENT PROPOSAL
Eight years ago, a tall handsome stranger entered Lizzie Allbright’s bedchamber and consummated a marriage of the utmost necessity. The Marquis of Steyne agreed to wed and bed Lord Bute’s admittedly lovely daughter to pay off his mother’s gambling debts. But once the deed was done, Steyne’s lawfully-wedded wife vanished into the London night…
LEAD TO EVERLASTING LOVE?
Years later, Steyne has nearly forgotten about his runaway bride. But when he suddenly finds himself in need of an heir, he has no choice but to track her down. Living happily in a small village under an assumed name, Lizzie is surprised to see her husband—and to feel such a strong attraction to him. But she is downright shocked when he asks her to bear him a son. How can they possibly repeat the heated encounter of their ill-fated wedding night without falling hopelessly in love?...in Christina Brooke’s stunningly sexy Regency, The Wickedest Lord Alive.
Christina Brooke’s historical romances are:
"Clever, lush, and lovely."—Suzanne Enoch
"Sensual and passionate."—Publishers Weekly
Review
I love Christina Brooke and I’ve really been enjoying all the historicals with the Westruther clan. This latest book I anticipated so much I pre-ordered. Needed it so bad I wanted a Kindle copy at midnight on release day.
From the onset Brooke and her writing were just like I remembered them. Precision perfect, honed to emit the most effect, and with storylines bordering a dark line in historical romance, one could almost say they were gothic. I dove in with gusto, starting the story on a weekend morning and within two pages I knew this would be one I’d read until I was done.
The hero, Xavier, Marquess of Steyne, is no saint, he’s a sinner without remorse and I loved him. He’s well-mannered, when the mood fits. Richer than most men, and not afraid to flaunt it, but he’s got possessive issues. Delectable when he tells his wife if another man touches her again he’ll kill him. Those types of tendencies make me swoon; I love a good alpha male. My problem with him is that he barely talked to his wife, his heroine. The one he falls in love with and plans to reclaim as his bride—there’s bigger story there, but no spoilers.
The heroine, Lizzie, is supposedly super smart, but easily swept away by her longer for this man who’d lain with her once and then… no spoilers. Anyway, Lizzie is liable to be labelled a bit contradicting; she falls for Xavier’s every play and fails to exhibit any foibles of her own. Uber sweet and the adopted daughter of a priest, she’s everything good and right… too perfect for our wicked black sheep Xavier, who’s cold and detached. This is the healed by love trope and while I wanted it to work, I couldn’t get behind Lizzie. She seemed like such a pushover and she wasn’t my kind of heroine.
The villain is ruthless, Brooke’s still delivers on that score. The setting and the dialogue are still cutting edge for historical. I love getting lost in Brooke’s world. I just felt like something was missing, halfway through the story I knew whatever way the story wrapped I wouldn’t feel settled with it.
Overall, if you enjoy the series and you enjoyed healed by love books, then this still may be one you want to pick up. Brooke’s still has one more coming in this series and I’m holding out for a hero.
Reviewed by Landra