After Dominic Kilburn left Lady Willa Ransom at the altar, she vowed never to reveal how badly she was hurt. Following a year abroad, Willa wants to move on with her life, so she accepts an invitation to a house party. She’s determined to leave her humiliation behind, as well as the scorching attraction she still feels for the man who jilted her.
When dark secrets from his past surfaced right before his wedding, Dom knew he didn’t deserve Willa. So, he bolted. But he still burns for the only woman who ever claimed his heart. To escape the memories of all he lost, Dom heads to a friend’s estate on an isolated Scottish isle. Yet one of the other guests is the very woman who haunts his every thought and makes him wish for the impossible.
Thrown together by well-meaning family and friends, Willa and Dom try to resist the fiery pull between them. Soon the line between love and loathing begins to blur, and their attraction explodes. But Dom’s past lurks on the edge of their rekindled passion and Willa fears she’ll be devastated all over again. Can these star-crossed lovers find their happily ever after, or will everything detonate a second time?
Release Date: Apr 25, 2023
Series: Last Chance Scoundrels
Book: 3
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Price: $6.99
The final book in Last Chance Scoundrels is delicious!
Leigh is probably one of my favorite historical authors currently writing. I prescribe her books to anyone wanting a more inclusive window into the historical world, along with heroes that empower the women they love and aren’t threatened by a woman’s desire or ambition. The final book in this series only adds to her ongoing world and legacy… not to mention her talent for writing smokin’ hot romance.
I’ve been waiting for Dom and Willa’s story since the opening pages of The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes. Dom left Willa at the alter for a reason, some reason, and it was horrible, and I needed to know why. I also had to understand what type of person Willa was. Leigh delivered this heartbreaking story in the best way possible, with Dom and Willa stranded together at an island house party. When these two are forced to face their past, the awakening is so much more than lingering attraction.
I loved how Dom and Willa had issues they needed to overcome and how being together once more drove them to uncover hard truths. These two together are smokin’ hot, though, from the forced bad acting scene to their random meeting on a dark night beach, to getting caught in a rainstorm, and of course, a small guest house with only one bed. There’s some light kink in this book too, which I love. Leigh is so good at weaving in sexual tension amid internal conflict. As for external, this book is all Dom and Willa, which forces readers to really sink into the history between the pair and how they’ve grown in the time apart.
There is nothing conventional about this book, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. From the setting to the pacing, it’s on the mark. While there aren’t external forces keeping these two apart, the wounds of the past are the major antagonist here. Both characters show how easily a person can be dominated by the expectations of society around them and the masks they wear instead of being true to themselves.
If you’re looking for historical romances that really dive deep into character development and you enjoy on-fire sexual tension, you can’t go wrong with this one. I’m considering this summer for an Eva Leigh Renaissance and may be reading through her last four series to soak in a world I wish I were part of.
~ Landra
Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google Play