Wrecking Belle

Wicked Sons #2

by Emma V. Leech

A rude awakening…
Like most titled young men with no financial concerns and doting parents, Conor Baxter, Lord Harleston, hasn’t a care in the world. Reckless and fun-loving, he enjoys life to the full, until a terrible riding accident changes his life. The horrifying hours spent alone in the dark with a badly broken leg, and the months of recovery that follow, give him time to reassess the way he lives. The realisation that life is fragile and that his death would have had a profound impact on those who love and rely upon him, forces Conor to remake himself.

The new Lord Harleston is a careful man, one who likes quiet and order and avoids the world he inhabited with his old friends.

And then came Lucy.

Enter the wrecking belle…
Miss Lucy Carleton is the daughter of a self-made man but comes a poor second to his business interests. After her mother dies when she is a child, he gives her into the care of his sister and forgets about her, until the moment she becomes useful to him. Mr Carleton has ambitions that need a title, and Lucy is going to get it for him.

An accident looking for a place to happen…
Lucy is a spirited girl, but one whose nerves make her act without thinking. As these actions are generally accompanied by accidents and occasional catastrophes, her entrée into the ton does not go smoothly. Sadly, Conor is not only there to witness her humiliation, but to share in it, too.

Soon, all Conor has in mind is to stay as far away from Lucy as he can get.

When fate, and doting mamas, have other plans…
Caught in a compromising situation together, it seems Conor may be stuck with Lucy for good. Determined to rid himself of his Miss Apocalypse, Conor continues to endure her mishaps and plots his escape.

Yet when the time comes to let her go, it is not so easy to do, but it will take a man of action to keep her in his life.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Victorian

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2023

About the author

Bestselling author hiding mostly in 19th-century England, venturing out only for chocolate and tea.

Emma V. Leech is the award-winning author of multiple bestselling series across Regency romance, Regency mystery and paranormal romance. Fall in love with swoon-worthy rogues, bold heroines, witty banter and deeply romantic happily-ever-afters. Follow Emma on BookBub for new releases and exclusive deals.

EMMA’S BOOKS

Rogues And Gentlemen
Regency romance – 17-book series (ongoing)
Sexy, tumultuous and irresistibly romantic. From pirates and smugglers to earls and dukes, these unforgettable rogues will sweep you away!

Winter Rogue
A Regency Christmas romance within the Rogues & Gentlemen world
A scandal-weary earl, a runaway heiress and a crumbling country estate snowed in for Christmas. A sensual, heart-tugging holiday novella about redemption, desire and a love neither of them expects.

A Rogues and Gentlemen Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
A collection of three romantic holiday stories featuring beloved Rogues & Gentlemen characters. Expect snowstorms, sizzling tension, unexpected proposals, mistletoe moments and heart-melting happily-ever-afters – a cosy festive escape for Regency romance lovers.

The Girl Is Not For Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
Miss Olivia Penrose is the only thing standing between her family and ruin when a brooding aristocrat crashes into her carefully laid plans. Sparks fly amid family secrets, snowy scandals and irresistible festive longing in this passionate, witty and deeply romantic winter read.

Girls Who Dare
Regency romance – 12-book series
Inside every wallflower is the heart of a lioness. When these overlooked young women make a pact to change their lives, rules are broken, reputations are risked and love becomes the most daring adventure of all.

Daring Daughters
Victorian romance – 19-book series and two compilations
The next generation of the Girls Who Dare. Their mothers risked everything for love – now their daughters are ready to be even bolder. An ongoing series of fiercely romantic stories set in a rapidly changing world.

Wicked Sons
Victorian romance – 12-book series
Their mothers dared all for love. Their sisters did the same. Now it’s the sons’ turn… dangerous, tempting and determined not to fall – until the right woman brings them to their knees.

The Venturesome Ladies Of Little Valentine
Regency romance – my current series
A quiet seaside village, a wave of scandalous newcomers and local ladies who refuse to be swept aside. A warm, witty Regency series full of secrets, second chances and delicious enemies-to-lovers romance.

The Regency Romance Mysteries
Regency romantic suspense – 3-book series
Dashing heroes, wicked villains, murder, mystery – and heroines who refuse to sit prettily and wait to be rescued. Perfect if you like your Regency romance served with danger and intrigue.

The French Vampire Legend
Paranormal romance – 4-book series
A dark, dramatic and heart-wrenching tale of courage, sacrifice and a love that not even time, war or monsters can destroy. Gothic atmosphere, high stakes and a romance that refuses to die.

The French Fae Legend
Fantasy romance – 4-book series
An award-winning saga with close to sixteen million online reads. Moving between modern-day France and the Fae Lands, these books weave powerful magic, danger and an all-consuming love that proves stronger than any enchantment.

The Book Lover
A standalone paranormal romance novella
A book-obsessed young woman, an infuriatingly charming stranger and the unnerving sense that stories might be bleeding into real life. A short, intensely romantic tale for anyone who has ever fallen in love with books… and perhaps with something not entirely of this world.

Reviews

[Susan Saltos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay. Disappointed in this one as I was the first Wicked Sons book. The other series are so much better (Girls Who Dare and Daring Daughters). This book felt missing a lot. I didn’t feel the romantic connection between Conor and Lucy. They hated each other and then all of a sudden they were in love? Why? It was never explained, it just suddenly was. I think some time should have been spent between Conor and Lucy before the opera scene for them to get to know each other and become friends. Lucy becoming friends with Violeta, Conor’s cousin/sister would have also been the best opportunity for Lucy and Conor to get to know each other and become friends as Lucy got to spend time with his family. I also didn’t see enough time of Lucy and her father. She says her father is horrible and ambitious and will force her to marry the Duke but we don’t see any indication of that except for the one scene where he is pressuring her to go after Conor. There needed to be more scenes of her father being a bully to her. A visit from her Aunt Sally would have been nice also. Maybe the Aunt could have tried to talk sense into her father (Sally’s brother). Lucy mentions Aunt Sally a few times but we never get to meet her.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma V Leech has been one of my favourite authors for quite some time now. Girls Who Dare and Daring Daughters are two of the best series’ I’ve read (and re-read). Does Wicked Sons live up to its predecessors? No, not quite. Although we’re only on book two so perhaps that will change?

Reading between the lines of the author’s social media disappearance, the change from spicier books to sweet books with clean, post-marital s*x doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but the characters have lost some of their sparkle alongside this. And dare I say it, the author seems to have lost some of her passion for writing too. I don’t have any issue with a clean romance, and with this author there have always been some books with more spice and others with less. But the tension, the build up, and the chemistry between characters has disappeared. These are the wicked sons? Where is the wickedness? Where are the amazing, multi-dimensional characters that this world has built up for so long?

I struggled through the first few chapters, if this wasn’t an author I was familiar with and a setting I’d been invested in for 30+ books I’m not sure I would have persevered. I’m glad I did because it was an enjoyable read and the characters grew on me. But it was still missing that special something that usually makes EVL’s books a step above the rest. It was a sweet read, and with any other author I would’ve returned the book in KU and probably forgotten about it quite quickly. This is an author that I’m used to leaving me in a chokehold, desperately waiting and calendar watching for the next book to come out. It left me feeling cold and sad.

[BJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

H isolated himself after an accident, then he's lured into marriage. He likes her but doesn't love her. She has learned to expect little after being bullied by her father. They are both nice people, do their best to please everyone until her father pushes him too far. Good story about weak people, not my favourite by this author.

[LainieLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

This was cute and I stayed up way too late to read it. It's also a bit longer then other books Emma has released lately - which I loved! I LOVED Lucy, her clumsiness and nerves were super endearing and honestly I can relate haha. Conor was also lovely, and I really liked their interactions together. Kitty is awesome too, so I loved getting glimpses of her outrageous, meddling, personality.

Like the first book in the Wicked Sons series, this seemed to have a fun dash of humor added in! I found myself laughing at little quips. Overall I really enjoyed this and liked the hints of other couples. Vi and Leo at some point???

I do wish there was a bit more spice in these, having read so much of Emma's work, I feel like the overall trend has been moving towards less tension and spice? Not that I'm totally complaining here, but I enjoyed some of the tension and chemistry in her older books.

[Janet Denise Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS, DRAMA, MISCHIEF, & LOVE FOUND

Another 5 STARS for Book 2 of Emma V Leech's new Series: Wicked Sons. The sons of another of her famous series if you are familiar with her writings. A great BLURB is provided. This particular story is about Lucas & Kitty's son Connor. They are the Earl & Countess of Trevick, a very old well respected title. They are also well respected in the political & social worlds. A few years back Connor, a hot all out beloved young man had an accident & had fallen off his horse in the middle of the woods in the middle of a turbulent thunderstorm while traveling. It changed him into a very stay at home, cautious young man. He stopped visiting his friends & clubs, socializing all together. Now, he gets hot chocolate thrown on his jacket & gets knocked over another time at a social event while trying to save a vase & a young woman from falling. She ends up splayed all over him & her wine all over his jacket. He gives her a terrible nickname he calls her to his family & herself.

Lucy's father is one of the richest men in London. He owns a Gentleman's club & has money invested everywhere, plus gamblers of every sex & social group owe him money. Lucy is beside herself & just wants to go back to the country to her Aunt's small cottage where she was raised. She stayed nervous & didn't understand herself why she did the things she did & the poor Viscount, she had spilt both hot & cold liquids on him & her face turned red thinking about laying all over him, how humiliating for them both. Surely, the Lord must hate her.

Well, Vi, Connor's adopted sister takes Lucy on as a friend & then Kitty gets involved in helping her to navigate society. Kitty & others notice how Lucy's antics have made Connor start to become more his old self & they all think she is very good for him & he for her.

So it is such a exciting & funny crazy ride of a storyline while Connor learns to live in the now again & love. Then, Lucy's father decides that he wants a Duke, not a Viscount & mischief prevails, because he doesn't seem to understand who all he is dealing with.

We get to revisit so many old friends that I hope that will star in their own book soon. I love greenhouses & gardens & there is one described in here I really hope to revisit shortly. All the ladies in their dares, their husbands, daughters, & now sons still love on.

RECOMMEND

[Gayla McNicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ghost writer?

This book was frustrating and disappointing. I have read all of EVL's books in three previous series; Rogues and Gentlemen, Girls Who Dare, and Daring Daughter's. I enjoyed all of them and loved many. So far Wicked Sons has been a let down, and Wrecking Belle was bewildering. I normally binge read her books on release day. This book took me weeks to finish. I almost gave up at 42% because it just doesn't feel like she wrote it. Parts are good, mostly just the excerpts of letters at the beginning of each chapter, but most of the book feels soulless. It lacks depth and dimension. It got better at around 50%, but went wrong again around 70%. I question if she actually wrote this. It's obviously her cast of characters, but not her usual voice. I don't mind the cleaner story, I don't have to read steamy scenes, but there should be some passion and feeling. I felt nothing reading this, aside from disappointment. I hope Return to Wildsyde is better and this is a fluke.

[Whatkatydidnt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great moments but a little underwhelming

The book features some of the things I loved best about the girls who dare and daring daughters books. The letters giving glimpses into sub plots and side stories and the weaving in of old favourites. The glimpse of Bella & Laurie was fab!
Overall though I struggled to care all that much about this particular couple. He’s really not very nice a lot of the time for much of the book for no particular reason and she seems so accepting of it, which is out of keeping with the feisty ladies in past books. I found myself far more intrigued with the possibility of a future relationship between Leo and Violeta than the main plot. I enjoyed the first of the wicked sons books and felt this one was a little insipid by comparison.

[Wendy Tavenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

His disastrous love

I loved Lucy and Conner’s story. After he recovered from his injuries from a stupid careless act he decided he would change his life. Poor Lucy is nothing but a walking disaster. Trouble seems to find her at every turn when she somehow threw her hot chocolate on a gentleman as he walked by. Lucy’s father is basically blackmailing a Lady of the ton to find her a titled husband.
When Conner sees the young lady that threw the hot chocolate on him again he confronts her and disaster strikes again. But when there caught in a compromising situation a fake engagement ensues.
A wonderful story with Conner coming to his senses and a trip over the border.

[Gia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this a higher rating..I loved all the Daring daughters. Connor, the hero is constantly belittiling the heroine Lucy for her clumsy ways. Granted Lucy is somewhat clumsy though its not always her fault. Their romatic connection is hard to see,I felt connor doesnt really feel anything towards her until his father tries to make him jealous. Then suddenly he is in love with her?? Just the day before when they were on the beach, he wants nothing to do with her after he falls down.(really due to no fault of hers!) It wasnt like some of the really moving and deep love stories that touch your heart..Like Eve and Louis or Montague's. This was flimsy at the best.

[Joyce West · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the two previous series and was hoping for the same with the follow on about the sons. Sadly the first book and this are lacking in sparkle and this one is a clean pleasant enough romance which ends up in post marital sex after a dastardly attempt to separate the hero and heroine which occupies about 10% of an otherwise mediocre story. If this is the new style then it's not for me but I live in hope that the author might recover her zest for writing.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

A delightful tale of compromise and enforced marriage, with a betrothal that both partners agree to end after a decent amount of time.
The road to their success in this matter is rocky, full of potholes, and deeply frustrating. Peopled with a villain, a fairy godmother, a host of great characters keeps the reader turning the pages.
The hilarious reactions of Conor, the embarrassing clumsiness of Lucy, and their happy ever after, is a fun read.
Highly recommended

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny story 💕

Lucy (aka The Wrecking Belle) is such an adorable character and I loved reading this story about her and Conor. And all the teasers about the other ‘sons’ through the book were fantastic.

[Melba Hard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good in places.

Lovely pl characters but a little boring in the middle.. Connor was afraid of doing any thing deteriorated an accident but frustrated to a very accident prone young woman,leading to amusing events.

[AmazingJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful, Entertaining & Romantic Story.

I enjoyed reading this book, it was entertaining & Romantic.

Both Lucy & Conor were wonderful characters.

I am looking forward to reading Luella & Lyall's story in the next book in this series.

[Jessica Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

review

Great book, amazing series, and a sweet romance with a dash of trouble from the villain. I look forward to more

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not her best work by any means, but I am just so smitten with these characters I can’t find anything to complain about.
When we finally run out of relatives to give HEAs to, I will be so sad

[Nicole LaBoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the new series

It was so hard to put the book down once started. It was a page turner with all the feels.

[Sherry Vorhaben · Rating 5 out of 5]

great

Well, Emma has done it again. With every book she writes you’re captured on the very first page. Captivating plots and lovable characters. Can’t wait for the next one.

[Karen Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrecking anachronism

There are a few anachronism in this book but after finding them you will still enjoy the story thoroughly. I did.

[Kathy Garcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than the 1st Wicked Sons' book, but not by much. Plot thin, character development was limited and wooden, no chemistry between the characters to imagine them actually in love.

[Michele Hawthorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read!

Entertaining, fun, and wonderfully written! The characters are well known from previous books but would be great as a stand-alone read. Enjoyed every moment!

[Holly Ortega · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, but the daughters who dare series was so much better. The romance between them a little forced. Conor was a little much

[Tarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, fast read.

Did not like all the letters to/from other characters at the beginning of every chapter, that had nothing to do with the story. I thought this was distracting.

[Sharon Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Loved Conor and Lucy's story. I found myself laughing out loud at times. I was hoping to see Leo and Violetta maybe have a story too?

[Dick Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidents follow her everywhere and seem to involve one man in particular. Not only must they get by the unfortunate accidents, but a greedy father also rears his ugly head.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite all his doubts and encounters with Lucy he and her end up with a hea

[Anamaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Yo · Rating 3 out of 5]

📖
Bit boring, felt as things were rushed trough.
I forced myself to finish to get glances of the side characters.