Adair Thorne has just watched his gaming-hell dream disappear into a blaze of fire and ash, and he’s certain that his competitors, the Killorans, are behind it. His fury and passion burn even hotter when he meets Cleopatra Killoran, a tart-mouthed vixen who mocks him at every turn. If she were anyone else but the enemy, she’d ignite a desire in him that would be impossible to control.
No one can make Cleopatra do anything. That said, she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her siblings―even if that means being sponsored by their rivals for a season in order to land a noble husband. But she will not allow her head to be turned by the infuriating and darkly handsome Adair Thorne.
There’s only one thing that threatens the rules of the game: Cleopatra’s secret. It could unravel the families’ tenuous truce and shatter the unpredictably sinful romance mounting between the hellion…and a scoundrel who could pass for the devil himself.
Release Date: Apr 3, 2018
Series: Wicked Wallflowers
Book: 1
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Imprint: Montlake
Price: $3.99
Loving this genre of fiction has its ups and downs… getting introduced to a new author and a new series has to be one of the highlights of this little obsession called reading. I am new to the world of Christi Caldwell so I was extremely excited to get the opportunity to review her most recent book and first installment of a new Regency series. As much as I would like to say that this book is easy to pick up for someone not familiar with the author, unfortunately that is not the case. This is where the “downs” come into play; this book might be the first of a series but almost every single character has been previously introduced in a different series by Ms. Caldwell and without reading that series I found myself a bit lost.
Normally I am totally game to pick up a book, even mid-series, but this book has so much backstory, so much history between the two main families featured, that I think I lost a fair bit in not being familiar with their stories. If you are an old friend of this exciting saga, then this book will likely make you do a little happy dance. If you are new to this author, this might not be the best place to start but don’t forget to add this book to your reading list!
Adair Thorne is a dangerous man, engrossed in the seedier side of life in London. He is my favorite kind of hero with a dark past, a desire to support and protect his family, and a roguish bent just begging to be redeemed. He was just getting his life together when tragedy strikes and all his dreams go up in flames – literally. He is convinced that his mortal enemies, the Killoran’s, are to blame but he is duty bound to assist them in traversing the ton. Enter our hurricane of a heroine, Cleopatra (sorry, the name just doesn’t work for me however). I found that I liked Adair far more than I liked Cleopatra Killoran, which was a bit of a problem for me. I wanted the hero to find peace, success, and his happy ending but I found myself irritated with the heroine periodically throughout the book.
Cleopatra is the strong, determined heroine who I usually gravitate towards. But – without any spoilers – she does a few things that frustrated me throughout the book and that made me like her a little less. But don’t think she is absent any wonderful qualities…she makes many sacrifices for her siblings and agrees to Adair’s help to find her a husband very reluctantly. I love that she decides to set her own terms and arms herself for the fight she must face while navigating society under Adair’s watchful eye. The attraction between these two is so strong I thought my e-reader was going to catch fire. I love how Ms. Caldwell builds the tension between them and keeps her reader invested in every step if their reluctant courtship.
If you enjoy a tension-filled ride, a reluctant couple who do everything they can to deny their growing attraction and an explosive storyline, this is totally the book for you. I really enjoyed the writers’ style and voice which has encouraged me to pick up her previous “Sinful Brides” series so that I can get the history of these dynamic characters I so desperately wanted while reading this book. Might just have to read this one again after that too!
~ Danielle
I enjoy her books.
Fantastic cover! Looking forward to reading this!