{"id":20911,"date":"2018-04-05T08:35:30","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T12:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=20911"},"modified":"2022-10-12T08:11:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T08:11:11","slug":"review-the-hellion-by-christie-caldwell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/05\/review-the-hellion-by-christie-caldwell\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Hellion by Christie Caldwell"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-20911\" data-postid=\"20911\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-20911 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_nesa005 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner gutter-narrow col_align_top tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_9zoi006 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_pbr8615 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/the-hellion-christi-caldwell.jpg?w=640\" title=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Hellion by Christie Caldwell\" alt=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Hellion by Christie Caldwell\">\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_t2x2975 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Adair Thorne has just watched his gaming-hell dream disappear into a blaze of fire and ash, and he\u2019s 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\u2019d ignite a desire in him that would be impossible to control.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">No one can make Cleopatra do anything. That said, she\u2019ll do whatever it takes to protect her siblings\u2015even if that means being sponsored by their rivals for a season in order to land a noble husband. But she will\u00a0<i>not<\/i>\u00a0allow her head to be turned by the infuriating and darkly handsome Adair Thorne.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">There\u2019s only one thing that threatens the rules of the game: Cleopatra\u2019s secret. It could unravel the families\u2019 tenuous truce and shatter the unpredictably sinful romance mounting between the hellion\u2026and a scoundrel who could pass for the devil himself.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_4xe5060 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_z9zn616  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16466 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts.jpg?resize=135%2C44\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a0Apr 3, 2018<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Wicked Wallflowers<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>1<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong>\u00a0Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Amazon Publishing<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Montlake<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong>\u00a0$3.99<\/p><hr \/><p>\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Loving this genre of fiction has its ups and downs\u2026 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 <em><strong>Christi Caldwell<\/strong> <\/em>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 \u201cdowns\u201d 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.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">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\u2019t forget to add this book to your reading list!<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Adair Thorne<\/strong> 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 &#8211; literally. He is convinced that his mortal enemies, the Killoran\u2019s, 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\u2019t 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.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Cleopatra<\/strong> is the strong, determined heroine who I usually gravitate towards. But &#8211; without any spoilers &#8211; she does a few things that frustrated me throughout the book and that made me like her a little less. But don\u2019t think she is absent any wonderful qualities\u2026she makes many sacrifices for her siblings and agrees to Adair\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">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\u2019 style and voice which has encouraged me to pick up her previous \u201cSinful Brides\u201d 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!<\/p><p><em>~ Danielle<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_okvi905 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2q7yXH5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adair Thorne has just watched his gaming-hell dream disappear into a blaze of fire and ash, and he\u2019s certain that his competitors, the Killorans, are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,125,48],"tags":[146,307],"class_list":["post-20911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-danielle","category-montlake","category-reviews","tag-3-stars","tag-historicals"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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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\u2019d ignite a desire in him that would be impossible to control.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">No one can make Cleopatra do anything. That said, she\u2019ll do whatever it takes to protect her siblings\u2015even if that means being sponsored by their rivals for a season in order to land a noble husband. But she will\u00a0<i>not<\/i>\u00a0allow her head to be turned by the infuriating and darkly handsome Adair Thorne.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There\u2019s only one thing that threatens the rules of the game: Cleopatra\u2019s secret. It could unravel the families\u2019 tenuous truce and shatter the unpredictably sinful romance mounting between the hellion\u2026and a scoundrel who could pass for the devil himself.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a0Apr 3, 2018<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Wicked Wallflowers<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>1<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong>\u00a0Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Amazon Publishing<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Montlake<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong>\u00a0$3.99<\/p><hr \/><p>\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Loving this genre of fiction has its ups and downs\u2026 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 <em><strong>Christi Caldwell<\/strong> <\/em>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 \u201cdowns\u201d 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.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">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\u2019t forget to add this book to your reading list!<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Adair Thorne<\/strong> 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\u2019s, 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\u2019t 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.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Cleopatra<\/strong> 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\u2019t think she is absent any wonderful qualities\u2026she makes many sacrifices for her siblings and agrees to Adair\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">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\u2019 style and voice which has encouraged me to pick up her previous \u201cSinful Brides\u201d 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!<\/p><p><em>~ Danielle<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2q7yXH5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20911"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20911\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}