Passions Of A Wicked Earl [Mass Market Paperback]

review
I stayed up late to finish this book because it was so good.

Three years ago the marriage between Claire Lyons and Morgan Lyons, the 8th Earl of Westcliffe, was destroyed before it really began. Westcliffe found Claire and his brother in bed together and since then she has lived seperated from her husband. Westcliffe spent the last three years living like a single man and did everything to forget Claire and the fateful night that hurt him so much.
But now it's finally time for Claire to come back into Westcliffe's life and to try to win him back. She needs his help to plan her sister's first season but also wants to show him that she has grown up and is no longer the insecure teenager she was.
Claire is willing to work hard to get back his trust and hopes that Westcliffe will finally stop bedding other woman and will concentrate totally on her. Westcliffe doesn't want to be hurt again but he can't hold back for long because Claire is the one woman who can reach his heart.
Will he be able to trust into her again before it's too late and will he be able to finally believe Claire about what really happened in their wedding night?

Historical romances are often hit or miss for me and "Passions of a wicked Earl" was definitely a big hit. It's actually the first book by Lorraine Heath that I read but it will not be the last.
I enjoyed pretty much everything about this book. I especially liked reading about Westcliffe and Claire and loved to see how their relationship changed and how they began to trust each other. No development was rushed and that's another plus. I also enjoyed reading about Westcliffe's brothers and can't wait to learn more of them.
Westcliffe was on the first glance harsh, stubborn and very arrogant but soon after starting the book I began to like him. He's a complicated character and actually quiet insecure when it comes to relationships. There are some heartbreaking scenes between him and his dog and I loved that in these moments you could see who he really is. Sometimes his actions frustrated me however I understood his reasons. I especially enjoyed the scenes when he finally began to understand that he was not the perfect betrothed/husband and in contrast seemingly arrogant and unfeeling.
Claire is Westcliffe's perfect match and I also enjoyed reading about her. She has grown into a strong woman and understands that she made mistakes in the past. I loved that she could see the man behind the facade and that she was willing to give Westcliffe time to change.
There's also some mystery going on that in the end helped Claire and Westcliffe to finally overcome their issues.

cover
The cover is ok, not bad but also not wow.

final appraisal
"Passions of a wicked Earl" is a very entertaining and lovely book. I enjoyed that the relationship between the heroine and hero changed slowly and I rooted for them right from the start. This book made me excited to read more of the characters and other books by Lorraine Heath.

London's Greatest Lovers series
1. Passions of a wicked Earl
2. Pleasures of a notorious gentleman
3. Waking up with a Duke (2011)

I've read quite a few Lorraine Heath books, and I've come to expect quality prose and well-executed plots. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit short of the mark.

I thought it was commendable that the author took some risks with the plot at the beginning, for instance having the heroine actually do something regrettable to instigate the separation instead of it being a flimsy misunderstanding. Unfortunately, towards the end of the book, it felt like the reasons for the couple's problems was shifted onto secondary characters instead of letting two strong characters take responsibility for the messes they created and grow from them.

I usually don't mind high drama but this book overdoses on it with every historical romance trope I can think of thrown in (arranged marriage, scorned mistress, beloved martyr heroine, distant parents with scandalous reputations, secret love children, others I wouldn't want to spoil) and I think the story suffers a bit from having to tie up all of the loose ends (the last few pages especially). This might be a personal hang-up, also, but I felt like the ages for the characters were wrong. The age differences were a bit too far apart for comfort for the teenage hero to be thinking about the 10 year old heroine in the context of their future marriage. Having them closer in age would've made his pining for her a lot less creepy (and more credible).

I liked that the time line was believable, with the action unfolding over a decent length of time, and that the hero and heroine made their way back to each other gradually instead of just falling into bed at first sight. There's actually a sense of two people getting to know each other and falling in love. Despite the issues I had with it, it was an enjoyable read which is a testament to the author's writing skill. I just wish they had left out a couple of the plot elements.

Initially I was concerned that Passions of a Wicked Earl was going to be another one of those romances where sex substitutes for story. A woman whose only goal is to sleep with her STD chasing husband? Count me out. I was completely wrong. Lorraine Heath has written a wonderful tale of two people at the end of their marriage realizing that their lack of communication has cost them years of happiness. Morgan and Claire come completely alive on the page as two people who didn't fully consider the emotions of the other. Claire allowed her fear and youth to keep her from opening up to Morgan while Morgan never realized he had to make any effort at all to win her trust. Now, with Morgan contemplating moving on to a new relationship, they have to explore what they have left. This is the sort of deeply emotional tale that Sherry Thomas excels at. Her fans will find that Lorraine Heath is a master as well.

I enjoyed almost everything about Passions of a Wicked Earl. Morgan's mother is the sort of older heroine readers long for but too rarely get. Her own emotional triangle with a younger painter and a former (and faithful to his wife) lover add additional depth to an already satisfying story. Unfortunately, an unneeded subplot of danger appears late in the book. While it doesn't undermine the whole it did keep this from being a five star read for me. If we had half stars, I'd certainly bump Passions up to four and a half. This is a great read that will make you grateful the next chapter of the tale is only a month away. Read them both, these are books you'll be recommending to others.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 34 reviews  4.1 out of 5 stars