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Regency Sinners #1
Wicked Torment
Eight gentlemen known in Society as The Sinners.
Having all returned safely from Waterloo, these gentlemen now find themselves with the more dangerous task of discovering which of the ladies in Society has been acting as a spy for the enemy.
Dangerous to their hearts, that is.
Darius Strong, the Duke of Wolferton, known to his close friends as Wolf, cares little for what Society or anyone else thinks of him, and lives his life accordingly. Given the task of discovering whether Lady Beatrix Hanwell has been using her position in Society to garner information for the enemy puts him in something of a quandary, however. The two of them have met several times in the past, occasions when that lady had not hesitated to show her disapproval of him. Mainly by ignoring his existence. Which is going to make it difficult for Darius to get close enough to her to seduce her into revealing whether or not she is the guilty lady.
Beatrix is puzzled—and more than a little disturbed—when Darius Strong, the exceedingly handsome and scandalous Duke of Wolferton, begins to show her marked attention. As a widow aged seven and twenty, and possessing no great beauty, his interest is mystifying to say the least. Much as she tries to fight her growing attraction to Wolf she is failing miserably, as each meeting between the two of them draws her ever nearer to forgetting all propriety and simply giving in to his seduction.
Except her surrender means revealing the secret she has taken such pains to hide.
To Darius’s surprise he finds himself becoming intrigued by Beatrix. Not only intrigued but he desires her more deeply than any other woman he has ever met. So much so that he finds himself hoping she is not the lady they are seeking.
Is Beatrix guilty of treason, and if not what will her reaction be to Wolf when she discovers the truth behind his single-minded pursuit of her?
Author’s Note: The stories in the Regency Sinners, Regency Unlaced, Knight Security, and Alpha Series, have stronger sexual content and language than my other books.
Having all returned safely from Waterloo, these gentlemen now find themselves with the more dangerous task of discovering which of the ladies in Society has been acting as a spy for the enemy.
Dangerous to their hearts, that is.
Darius Strong, the Duke of Wolferton, known to his close friends as Wolf, cares little for what Society or anyone else thinks of him, and lives his life accordingly. Given the task of discovering whether Lady Beatrix Hanwell has been using her position in Society to garner information for the enemy puts him in something of a quandary, however. The two of them have met several times in the past, occasions when that lady had not hesitated to show her disapproval of him. Mainly by ignoring his existence. Which is going to make it difficult for Darius to get close enough to her to seduce her into revealing whether or not she is the guilty lady.
Beatrix is puzzled—and more than a little disturbed—when Darius Strong, the exceedingly handsome and scandalous Duke of Wolferton, begins to show her marked attention. As a widow aged seven and twenty, and possessing no great beauty, his interest is mystifying to say the least. Much as she tries to fight her growing attraction to Wolf she is failing miserably, as each meeting between the two of them draws her ever nearer to forgetting all propriety and simply giving in to his seduction.
Except her surrender means revealing the secret she has taken such pains to hide.
To Darius’s surprise he finds himself becoming intrigued by Beatrix. Not only intrigued but he desires her more deeply than any other woman he has ever met. So much so that he finds himself hoping she is not the lady they are seeking.
Is Beatrix guilty of treason, and if not what will her reaction be to Wolf when she discovers the truth behind his single-minded pursuit of her?
Author’s Note: The stories in the Regency Sinners, Regency Unlaced, Knight Security, and Alpha Series, have stronger sexual content and language than my other books.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2017
About the author
Carole Mortimer
1,303 books911 followersI have written almost 250 romance novels in contemporary and Regency.
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
I am a USA Today Bestselling Author and recipient of the 2015 RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 I received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US and in 2012 I was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for my 'outstanding service to literature'.
I am very happily married to Peter with six sons, and live on the Isle of Man
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
August 13, 2018
Darius is one of eight men known as The Sinners. They're spies and they're on a mission to root out traitors to the Crown. He's the Duke and when he gets his next assignment, little does he know how much it's going to change his life. He's usually the doler of wicked torment but he's met his match in Lady Beatrix Hanwell. She refuses to share her dark secrets, even when he makes her cry out in pleasure. One thing's for certain: Darius and Bea are in for a thrilling adventure.
I love spy romances, especially when they happen in this era. There's a lot of hot scenes in this one so prepare yourself. There's a lot of banter between Darius and Bea which endeared them to me. I whipped through the pages faster than my tablet could keep up. There's serious issues in this story which I'm glad to see Mortimer didn't shy away from. Bea is one of the strongest heroine's you'll come across.
Highly recommend and can't wait for the next story in the series!
My Rating: 5 stars
I love spy romances, especially when they happen in this era. There's a lot of hot scenes in this one so prepare yourself. There's a lot of banter between Darius and Bea which endeared them to me. I whipped through the pages faster than my tablet could keep up. There's serious issues in this story which I'm glad to see Mortimer didn't shy away from. Bea is one of the strongest heroine's you'll come across.
Highly recommend and can't wait for the next story in the series!
My Rating: 5 stars
May 2, 2023
Our arrogant duke hero named Darius is the next level of determined, possessive, commanding, and straight to the point. Beatrix is a smart and conservative widow. Darius just crashed her country party and glues himself to her.
They have few strange sexual encounters but eventually are able to come to have genuine feelings for each other.
The story and emotional depth felt forced to me and therefore even though there were sexy scenes they didn’t feel that sexy.
I don’t even remember why I read this book. It’s definitely not because of the cover which truthfully hints at tasteless crude sex and not likable hero. Or maybe this is exactly what I wanted?
Why did I liked it? Hero was not wasting time, there is masturbating scene through the window (heroine is observing the hero), heroine is smart and stands up to him, money and social standing is not playing a role here at all (yay can’t stand that anymore) and the little mystery plot was ok as well.
It was like a trail mix, some good parts, some bad parts and together was just fine.
They have few strange sexual encounters but eventually are able to come to have genuine feelings for each other.
The story and emotional depth felt forced to me and therefore even though there were sexy scenes they didn’t feel that sexy.
I don’t even remember why I read this book. It’s definitely not because of the cover which truthfully hints at tasteless crude sex and not likable hero. Or maybe this is exactly what I wanted?
Why did I liked it? Hero was not wasting time, there is masturbating scene through the window (heroine is observing the hero), heroine is smart and stands up to him, money and social standing is not playing a role here at all (yay can’t stand that anymore) and the little mystery plot was ok as well.
It was like a trail mix, some good parts, some bad parts and together was just fine.
July 3, 2017
FINAL DECISION: Very sexy and sex filled novella introduction to a new series. Although the relationship develops really quickly, I enjoyed the interaction between these two characters.
THE STORY: Darius Strong, Duke of Wolferton, has come to investigate Lady Beatrix Hanwell as a possible French spy. He was unhappy to have chosen her from the hat of names because he knows that he will likely have to seduce her and Beatrix is plain and ordinary. Bea has no illusions about her attributes and that is why she is shocked when Darius invites himself to her house party. She is even more shocked when he announces his intention to seduce her. An unhappy marriage left Bea determined to be alone, but Darius tempts the widow.
OPINION: This series has an intriguing premise. Eight men matched by drawing names from a hat with eight women -- one of whom is a traitor. Each of the men must do whatever it takes to determine the guilt or innocence of the woman he is charged with investigating.
In this novella, we are introduced to Darius and Bea. These two have no history and Darius is incredibly dismissive of Bea because of her looks. Of course, his pretense of being interested in Bea quickly turns to intense desire. They also end up having past abuse in common. I really enjoyed their interactions as Bea struggles with her intense attraction to Darius but wants to maintain her independence after her miserable marriage.
Bea is opinionated and unwilling to submit to Darius's demands. She meets him as an equal. This book is packed with sexual exploits but I enjoyed the banter between Bea and Darius the most. Bea is no shrinking violet and although Darius is a dominant alpha male, Bea makes sure that she meets his as an equal.
I enjoyed this novella and look forward to the rest of the series.
WORTH MENTIONING: This book is hot, hot, hot and edges toward erotica. It is short novella with many sexual encounters between the hero and heroine.
CONNECTED BOOKS: WICKED TORMENT is the first book in the Regency Sinners series. The overarching story is about 8 men investigating 8 women one of whom is a spy for Napoleon. So the stories are independent of one another with one overarching story.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
THE STORY: Darius Strong, Duke of Wolferton, has come to investigate Lady Beatrix Hanwell as a possible French spy. He was unhappy to have chosen her from the hat of names because he knows that he will likely have to seduce her and Beatrix is plain and ordinary. Bea has no illusions about her attributes and that is why she is shocked when Darius invites himself to her house party. She is even more shocked when he announces his intention to seduce her. An unhappy marriage left Bea determined to be alone, but Darius tempts the widow.
OPINION: This series has an intriguing premise. Eight men matched by drawing names from a hat with eight women -- one of whom is a traitor. Each of the men must do whatever it takes to determine the guilt or innocence of the woman he is charged with investigating.
In this novella, we are introduced to Darius and Bea. These two have no history and Darius is incredibly dismissive of Bea because of her looks. Of course, his pretense of being interested in Bea quickly turns to intense desire. They also end up having past abuse in common. I really enjoyed their interactions as Bea struggles with her intense attraction to Darius but wants to maintain her independence after her miserable marriage.
Bea is opinionated and unwilling to submit to Darius's demands. She meets him as an equal. This book is packed with sexual exploits but I enjoyed the banter between Bea and Darius the most. Bea is no shrinking violet and although Darius is a dominant alpha male, Bea makes sure that she meets his as an equal.
I enjoyed this novella and look forward to the rest of the series.
WORTH MENTIONING: This book is hot, hot, hot and edges toward erotica. It is short novella with many sexual encounters between the hero and heroine.
CONNECTED BOOKS: WICKED TORMENT is the first book in the Regency Sinners series. The overarching story is about 8 men investigating 8 women one of whom is a spy for Napoleon. So the stories are independent of one another with one overarching story.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
October 2, 2023
3.5 stars
Carole Mortimer writes reliably enjoyable, steamy HR instalove novellas. It sounds like this series is about a group of MMCs who are tasked with discovering if their FMC is guilty of treason, by any means necessary (read: seduction), and this novella was a good introduction. I’m always a sucker for when the MMC initially thinks the FMC plain and then he falls HARD, and this one even had nice little “who did this to you??” moment. I would have liked to see their connection develop more outside out the bedchamber though. And the whole smelling her musk thing is still weird.
Carole Mortimer writes reliably enjoyable, steamy HR instalove novellas. It sounds like this series is about a group of MMCs who are tasked with discovering if their FMC is guilty of treason, by any means necessary (read: seduction), and this novella was a good introduction. I’m always a sucker for when the MMC initially thinks the FMC plain and then he falls HARD, and this one even had nice little “who did this to you??” moment. I would have liked to see their connection develop more outside out the bedchamber though. And the whole smelling her musk thing is still weird.
June 2, 2018
Darius and Bea: Wow! Lots of hot sex in this first book of the Regency Sinners series.
A great idea for the storyline of this series. 5☆
A great idea for the storyline of this series. 5☆
June 28, 2021
Currently free on Amazon Kindle (USA).
May 7, 2017
Hooked
I am totally noon on this new series and can't wait for more. I will not ruin it for anyone, but I can tell you once you start to read this book you won't want to put it down. Happy Reading😀😀😀😀💟💟💟
I am totally noon on this new series and can't wait for more. I will not ruin it for anyone, but I can tell you once you start to read this book you won't want to put it down. Happy Reading😀😀😀😀💟💟💟
October 28, 2025
This was...fine. It is steamy! but over all the emotion didn't match the heat level for me. Always love a house party setting with two lovers who are tiptoeing around each other and the other guests. Fun for a free, shorter historical novella.
March 2, 2019
Trop cru à mon goût.
free-on-amazon-owned
September 13, 2021free 13 Sept 2021
July 6, 2017
I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily reviewed it and this is my honest opinion.
I love all Carole's books whether contemporary or historical ....i ve been a fan of her since high school ,startecd reading with Mills & boons,harlequin .... She always has a really good story concept with lots of romance , well developed characters, interesting plots in which you become totally engrossed....
WICKED TORMENT is book 1 in Carole Mortimer's "Regency Sinners" series and takes place in 1815 England. ...it is a steamy, hot & expilcit erotic scenes ...
This series has an interesting plot where Eight men matched by with eight women -- one of whom is a traitor.
In this novella, we are introduced to Darius and Bea...Darius, an sexy ,domineering male, Bea is so sweet ,lovely but also is opinionated & has an inner strength....wen dis two come together there chemistry is explosive...This book is packed with sexual exploits & many sexual encounters between the hero and heroine...i loved d concept of dis story & d plot is intiguing...as usual i fell in love with Darius & Bea...Carole"s characters r so full of life ,...i m not at all disappointed maybe i might be a little partial as ve always been a fan of her writing...well done Carole ...keep it up....i would highly recommed dis book
I love all Carole's books whether contemporary or historical ....i ve been a fan of her since high school ,startecd reading with Mills & boons,harlequin .... She always has a really good story concept with lots of romance , well developed characters, interesting plots in which you become totally engrossed....
WICKED TORMENT is book 1 in Carole Mortimer's "Regency Sinners" series and takes place in 1815 England. ...it is a steamy, hot & expilcit erotic scenes ...
This series has an interesting plot where Eight men matched by with eight women -- one of whom is a traitor.
In this novella, we are introduced to Darius and Bea...Darius, an sexy ,domineering male, Bea is so sweet ,lovely but also is opinionated & has an inner strength....wen dis two come together there chemistry is explosive...This book is packed with sexual exploits & many sexual encounters between the hero and heroine...i loved d concept of dis story & d plot is intiguing...as usual i fell in love with Darius & Bea...Carole"s characters r so full of life ,...i m not at all disappointed maybe i might be a little partial as ve always been a fan of her writing...well done Carole ...keep it up....i would highly recommed dis book
July 16, 2023
Holy hell, this book was problematic. The characters start by setting out to potentially ruin innocent women trying to find a traitor. Breasts do not swell in any noticeable manner when aroused. You should not be able to smell another person's genitals standing next to them while they are clothed. Can you imagine standing in line next to someone and being able to smell their privates? Gross. Some of the sex was fine. Some was hot. Lastly, the FMC did not get pregnant after years of having sex with her husband, who was not infertile, but got pregnant after 3 month with the MMC. The doctor said it was because she didn't really want to have a child with her husband, so her body didn't accept it. The husband raped the 16 year old maid and she got pregnant. Did that mean she wanted to get pregnant? Gross Gross Gross. This book was an extreme roller coaster of good and bad. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2018
Enjoyable read , I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
September 4, 2020
This had a bunch of my favorite elements, but was just a bit too short to pull off convincingly. The entire romance occurs over 3 or 4 days. While I understand the rush that comes with such a low page count, I still have a hard time suspending my disbelief at a hardened rake falling in love with a plain widow so abruptly. This is a bit closer to erotica than romance in some ways, in that sex seems to be used as a shortcut to intimacy (which is a terrible message, but I digress). I am definitely happy with the read - it catered too well to too many of my favorite tropes for me not to enjoy it - but there was one bit from the epilogue that made me lol: (3.5 stars)
April 25, 2019
Wicked Torment is book 1 in the Regency Sinners series by Carole Mortimer. Lots and lots of sex in this novella. Mortimer is an excellent writer. Eight men are hunting a spy. Darius suspects Bea of being one. I wish there had been a more written about the intrigue aspect rather than the sexual encounters. I enjoyed the humor in the book. There were some laugh out loud moments. I did find myself skimming the sex scenes as they were a bit too erotic for me. However, I do plan on reading more in this series because I love a good spy story.
October 23, 2022
There is a spy in society, and a female one at that. Widow, Beatrix, is one of the suspects and Lord Wolferton is tasked with investigating her, by seduction if necessary.
A popular choice for period romance, I have mixed feelings about this period in history and this genre, but I enjoyed this story. Simple and straightforward, with a reluctant and naive heroine, and a hero perfect in his imperfections. Saucy, steamy and sinful fun.
A popular choice for period romance, I have mixed feelings about this period in history and this genre, but I enjoyed this story. Simple and straightforward, with a reluctant and naive heroine, and a hero perfect in his imperfections. Saucy, steamy and sinful fun.
December 22, 2022
Intriguing story of Darius Strong, the Duke of Wolferton, who works for the Crown and Lady Beatrix Hanwell, who Darius is sent to find out if she is a spy. Showing up at her house party puts them both in difficult situations, but the attraction between them sizzles, and luckily for the reader can't be denied. Highly recommend.
Read
January 3, 2023DNF
January 22, 2022
In Pursuit of Happiness💘
ADULT Historical Recency Romance💕 and Spy 👀 Adventure.
Darius Strong🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫, the tall, dark, handsome and forbidding Duke of Wolferton ,is part of a group of noblemen called the Sinners, who do espionage work for the Crown 👑. Most of their work is done among their fellow peers, rooting out French sympathisers and spies 👀 .
Darius🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫 has been given a name of one of eight ladies of the ton that all attended certain functions where information was known to be passed to Napoleon 's spies.
One of the ladies may be a traitor, passing info to Napoleon and the French. The names are drawn , but he keeps one lady's name for himself.
Lady Beatrix Hanwell💃💋 is the woman he will be pursuing.
Fun book! Great read!
ARC Provided by Prolific Works📚
I also got this ebook with Amazon 📚 Free.
ADULT Historical Recency Romance💕 and Spy 👀 Adventure.
Darius Strong🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫, the tall, dark, handsome and forbidding Duke of Wolferton ,is part of a group of noblemen called the Sinners, who do espionage work for the Crown 👑. Most of their work is done among their fellow peers, rooting out French sympathisers and spies 👀 .
Darius🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫 has been given a name of one of eight ladies of the ton that all attended certain functions where information was known to be passed to Napoleon 's spies.
One of the ladies may be a traitor, passing info to Napoleon and the French. The names are drawn , but he keeps one lady's name for himself.
Lady Beatrix Hanwell💃💋 is the woman he will be pursuing.
Fun book! Great read!
ARC Provided by Prolific Works📚
I also got this ebook with Amazon 📚 Free.
June 27, 2017
Wow! What a great start to a new series. It had me turning the pages until the end. I have read it twice! Yes, it is a hot romance but it also has some delightful characters. Darius, an alpha male if ever there was but he has a caring side to him. Bea is quiet but has an inner core of steel, then there is the banter between Darius and his valet, priceless. There is a secret to uncover. A very entertaining read. I received this book for free from eBooks Discovery and have voluntarily reviewed it. This is my honest review. However I have purchased a copy for my kindle and have preordered the next in the series.
July 26, 2017
Brilliantly written with such a surprise ending, who would have thought.... Just goes to show, if you're going to tell the truth, better tell it all and leave nothing out.
As usual Carole Mortimer has entertained with this story about Darius Strong and Beatrix with their evolving trust of and love for each other.
The sexual content is quite graphic but you were warned about this in the publishers summary of the book so it shouldn't offend if you have chosen to read it.
The story itself flows nicely and it certainly kept me guessing as to whether Bea was actually the one guilty of treason against the crown.
Most enjoyable and I'm happy to recommend this story.
As usual Carole Mortimer has entertained with this story about Darius Strong and Beatrix with their evolving trust of and love for each other.
The sexual content is quite graphic but you were warned about this in the publishers summary of the book so it shouldn't offend if you have chosen to read it.
The story itself flows nicely and it certainly kept me guessing as to whether Bea was actually the one guilty of treason against the crown.
Most enjoyable and I'm happy to recommend this story.
February 22, 2026
The Sinners are a group of unmarried friends everyone calls the Sinners because one of them is named Sinclair. They are also spies, and Sinclair is their spy master.
The Sinners know someone has passed information to the French at different balls and social events, and ladies who attended all the balls are now suspects. Each Sinner is assigned a lady to investigate, by any means necessary.
Darius (35) is assigned Bea (27), a Plain Jane widow who had been married to a much older man for 5 years, now widowed for 2 years. There's no hint that she's had a lover during those 2 years. Darius is known as a seducer, so that's what he plans to do to Bea. Hopefully, she will spill her secrets in the bedroom.
He has to come up with an excuse to arrive at her country house uninvited. He tells her that last week, when she dropped her handkerchief and he picked it up, she was propositioning him, and he accepted. 😆
Bea thinks he's up to something, maybe it's a bet. But she can't kick a Duke out of her house, so he's allowed to stay for her week-long house party, while he flirts relentlessly, and she rebuffs him.
Then she starts to think that maybe someone sent him there to discover her "secret." The plot thickens!
But her late husband (Charles) was a terrible lover. They had sex to try and produce an heir, but she's never been aroused. So she decides she'll take Darius as a lover for the week. Because why shouldn't she get to enjoy herself?
But she tells Darius he's not allowed to ask her any questions. Darius thinks she's hiding her treason. But he agrees, and they shake on it. With his dick. 😉
Darius' valet tells him that Bea's servants are acting strangely. They don't gossip at all; no one has any complaints about Bea at all. Darius notices the other guests at the country house, all friends of Bea, don't reveal much about her, either. Are they all helping her hide something?
There's some cat and mouse, push-pull. She pulls away, he reels her back in. He can't let her end the affair until he determines her guilt or innocence, but he also doesn't want to end the affair because he's enjoying tutoring her with sex.
When he sees her naked, she has scars all over her back from Charles beating her when she didn't produce an heir. Bea tells Darius that Charles has illegitimate children in the village, so it must be she who's infertile.
Knowing that she survived Charles's physical and emotional abuse is very appealing. You see, the Sinners met and became friends because they were all neglected orphans. Darius has a lot of inner strength himself, but hasn't met a woman with the same inner strength before.
Darius' valet, Quinlan, tells Darius that Bea's butler, Kirby, is asking too many questions about Darius. Kirby tells Bea the same thing about Quinlan. Bea worries again that Darius is there to discover her "secret," which could end with her hanging. She's very sad that the man she now loves might be here to investigate her.
They just had sex the night before, so she uses the excuse that "last night was a mistake" to tell him to leave. There's another guest (Landbourne) who came there to propose marriage to Bea, and she tells Darius she will accept his proposal. (She really has no intention of marrying anyone.) She needs to get rid of Darius so he won't keep interviewing her servants and friends.
He's angry that she's ending the affair and marrying someone else. He needs to keep investigating her, but he's also jealous of the OM. So he just refuses to leave. And she can't do anything about it, because he is a Duke.
He's so angry about it, he punishes her with sex, then feels guilty about it and decides to leave the next day. He admits being sent by the Crown to find evidence of her guilt, which he couldn't find, but he knows she's guilty because she's obviously hiding something.
She tells him she's guilty, because she's tired of living a lie, but refuses to say why she did "it", because she doesn't want to implicate other people.
They still haven't named what "it" is.
He has to take her to the authorities but thinks about going on the lam instead. Then he gets a letter from Sinclair telling him Bea can't be the guilty lady, because she didn't go to one of the balls. Darius confronts her about what in the world she just confessed to! 😕
She says she would never betray the country, but she killed her husband.
The butler Kirby and the lady's maid Jane rush in and explain what happened: Charles had raped Jane and when she ended up pregnant, he tried beating Jane to death, so Bea hit Charles over the head. They helped her stage it to look like he fell down the stairs.
Darius reveals that after he was orphaned, he was beaten by his guardian. When he became an adult, he beat the hell out of the man and nearly killed him. So he decides to ask the Prince Regent (son of George III) to pardon Bea.
He says he loves her and hopes she will one day love him too. She says she already does. 😊
The Prince Regent doesn't prosecute, they are married, and have a baby 6 months later. 😉
Since Bea won't answer questions, and the servants ain't talking, there's not a lot of investigating in this book, but there's a lot of sex. 😆 Darius is so forceful and Bea gets so flustered, they were so cute!
As a side plot, Kirby and Quinlan also fall in love. ❤️
The Sinners know someone has passed information to the French at different balls and social events, and ladies who attended all the balls are now suspects. Each Sinner is assigned a lady to investigate, by any means necessary.
Darius (35) is assigned Bea (27), a Plain Jane widow who had been married to a much older man for 5 years, now widowed for 2 years. There's no hint that she's had a lover during those 2 years. Darius is known as a seducer, so that's what he plans to do to Bea. Hopefully, she will spill her secrets in the bedroom.
He has to come up with an excuse to arrive at her country house uninvited. He tells her that last week, when she dropped her handkerchief and he picked it up, she was propositioning him, and he accepted. 😆
Bea thinks he's up to something, maybe it's a bet. But she can't kick a Duke out of her house, so he's allowed to stay for her week-long house party, while he flirts relentlessly, and she rebuffs him.
Then she starts to think that maybe someone sent him there to discover her "secret." The plot thickens!
But her late husband (Charles) was a terrible lover. They had sex to try and produce an heir, but she's never been aroused. So she decides she'll take Darius as a lover for the week. Because why shouldn't she get to enjoy herself?
But she tells Darius he's not allowed to ask her any questions. Darius thinks she's hiding her treason. But he agrees, and they shake on it. With his dick. 😉
Darius' valet tells him that Bea's servants are acting strangely. They don't gossip at all; no one has any complaints about Bea at all. Darius notices the other guests at the country house, all friends of Bea, don't reveal much about her, either. Are they all helping her hide something?
There's some cat and mouse, push-pull. She pulls away, he reels her back in. He can't let her end the affair until he determines her guilt or innocence, but he also doesn't want to end the affair because he's enjoying tutoring her with sex.
When he sees her naked, she has scars all over her back from Charles beating her when she didn't produce an heir. Bea tells Darius that Charles has illegitimate children in the village, so it must be she who's infertile.
Knowing that she survived Charles's physical and emotional abuse is very appealing. You see, the Sinners met and became friends because they were all neglected orphans. Darius has a lot of inner strength himself, but hasn't met a woman with the same inner strength before.
Darius' valet, Quinlan, tells Darius that Bea's butler, Kirby, is asking too many questions about Darius. Kirby tells Bea the same thing about Quinlan. Bea worries again that Darius is there to discover her "secret," which could end with her hanging. She's very sad that the man she now loves might be here to investigate her.
They just had sex the night before, so she uses the excuse that "last night was a mistake" to tell him to leave. There's another guest (Landbourne) who came there to propose marriage to Bea, and she tells Darius she will accept his proposal. (She really has no intention of marrying anyone.) She needs to get rid of Darius so he won't keep interviewing her servants and friends.
He's angry that she's ending the affair and marrying someone else. He needs to keep investigating her, but he's also jealous of the OM. So he just refuses to leave. And she can't do anything about it, because he is a Duke.
He's so angry about it, he punishes her with sex, then feels guilty about it and decides to leave the next day. He admits being sent by the Crown to find evidence of her guilt, which he couldn't find, but he knows she's guilty because she's obviously hiding something.
She tells him she's guilty, because she's tired of living a lie, but refuses to say why she did "it", because she doesn't want to implicate other people.
They still haven't named what "it" is.
He has to take her to the authorities but thinks about going on the lam instead. Then he gets a letter from Sinclair telling him Bea can't be the guilty lady, because she didn't go to one of the balls. Darius confronts her about what in the world she just confessed to! 😕
She says she would never betray the country, but she killed her husband.
The butler Kirby and the lady's maid Jane rush in and explain what happened: Charles had raped Jane and when she ended up pregnant, he tried beating Jane to death, so Bea hit Charles over the head. They helped her stage it to look like he fell down the stairs.
Darius reveals that after he was orphaned, he was beaten by his guardian. When he became an adult, he beat the hell out of the man and nearly killed him. So he decides to ask the Prince Regent (son of George III) to pardon Bea.
He says he loves her and hopes she will one day love him too. She says she already does. 😊
The Prince Regent doesn't prosecute, they are married, and have a baby 6 months later. 😉
Since Bea won't answer questions, and the servants ain't talking, there's not a lot of investigating in this book, but there's a lot of sex. 😆 Darius is so forceful and Bea gets so flustered, they were so cute!
As a side plot, Kirby and Quinlan also fall in love. ❤️
April 30, 2018
Wow I have a new favorite!
I haven't read this author before but will be eating these up as fast as I can. Long enough to enjoy the character's development. The heat was great,and the ending was too sigh over.
I haven't read this author before but will be eating these up as fast as I can. Long enough to enjoy the character's development. The heat was great,and the ending was too sigh over.
June 29, 2018
Steamy
I liked this story. It was steamy. I did not connect really with the main characters. I like d the untold story of the valet and butler. I would have liked a little more story and other characters but it was decent story.
I liked this story. It was steamy. I did not connect really with the main characters. I like d the untold story of the valet and butler. I would have liked a little more story and other characters but it was decent story.
September 29, 2019
Story shoves authors acceptance of gays every other page down the refers throat
Cute read ruined by the obvious gay support. Someone who reads a romance about a man and a woman doesn’t want a disgusting side story of gay men.
Cute read ruined by the obvious gay support. Someone who reads a romance about a man and a woman doesn’t want a disgusting side story of gay men.
December 28, 2023
slightly ridiculous, occasionally kinky, still fun all the way through. This Duke is 9” of bbbossy. 🫠🐆🐆
July 18, 2017
I really liked "Wicked Torment" by Carole Mortimer and I'm happy that it will be a series! Eight friends are spying for the crown, perfect, since eight women are under investigation for possibly passing secrets to the enemy. The men all pull a name of one of the women at random to find out who they will investigate. They can use any means at their disposal.
Darius is not at all happy with his pick, in fact he tries to get another fellow to trade his pick. No one agrees and he is stuck with the dowdy widow Beatrix. Darius believes he can seduce (or scare) her out of her secrets, after all, she will probably fall at his feet thankful for his attention.
Beatrix is no fool. She doesn't trust Darius, doesn't trust his sudden attention or plans of seduction. She does have a secret and knows she is guilty. Beatrix believes that Darius is playing a part to get her to reveal her secret and she is scared.
The push and pull between Beatrix and Darius was a joy to read. Darius sure wasn't my favorite leading man, but he redeemed himself. Beatrix is a smart, fun female lead who deserves a happy ending.
There is quite of bit of steamy passion between these two! It gets really hot! Highly recommended for readers who like their historicals with heat.
I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
Darius is not at all happy with his pick, in fact he tries to get another fellow to trade his pick. No one agrees and he is stuck with the dowdy widow Beatrix. Darius believes he can seduce (or scare) her out of her secrets, after all, she will probably fall at his feet thankful for his attention.
Beatrix is no fool. She doesn't trust Darius, doesn't trust his sudden attention or plans of seduction. She does have a secret and knows she is guilty. Beatrix believes that Darius is playing a part to get her to reveal her secret and she is scared.
The push and pull between Beatrix and Darius was a joy to read. Darius sure wasn't my favorite leading man, but he redeemed himself. Beatrix is a smart, fun female lead who deserves a happy ending.
There is quite of bit of steamy passion between these two! It gets really hot! Highly recommended for readers who like their historicals with heat.
I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
July 7, 2017
I have in the past been an avid reader of Carole Mortimer's books. Regrettable Wicked Torment was a disappointment to me as it appears to be a suspenseful novel loosely held together by a proliferation of bedroom scenes, which I felt did not support Ms Mortimer's usual excellent brand of story telling, but detracted from the plot. Lady Beatrix is only too aware of the fact that she does not have the attributes that most gentlemen look for in a wife and after a disastrous marriage, she would prefer to keep her single status. When Darius Strong, the Duke of Wolferton arrives uninvited to her house party, Beatrix is on the alert and is very mistrustful of his motives, with good reason. Darius is really put out when he realises that he has been sent to investigate Lady Beatrix's loyalty to the Crown, as she is holds little appeal for him. However, as Darius gets to know Beatrix he realises that she has qualities that he has never before considered. This is a short novel and I feel that it could have been source of a very good plot, however much of the suspenseful nature of the book was lost in erotica and therefore fell short of expectations. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review
June 15, 2019
The Duke of Strong!
First of all, I love Carole Mortimer! All of her books are 5☆'s!
Wicked Torment is an excellent way of describing how this relationship unfolds.
Darius Strong The Duke of Wolferton, just his name is a turn on! He works for the Crown and is assigned to investigate Lady Beatrix of treason. He unexpectedly shows up at her estate in the country, in the middle of a house party. He, being a Duke and known to be assertive and arrogant invites himself.
Lady Beatrix is a widow and is under suspicion but doesn't know. Darius is an alpha male, he is tall, muscular and gorgeous. Lady Beatrix is shocked and a bit turned on by the Duke. He tells her flat out that he intends to fu#$ her! She is worried about the guests hearing his daring words.
I laughed , but in a good way at the way he'd just plainly tell her what he is going to do to her and her reaction!
Darius learns that Bea former husband was cold and cruel to her.
This is a very steamy Historical Romance only Carole Mortimer can write and I love it!
An unexpected romance with a beautiful teary-eyed Epilogue! I love Epilogue's.
First of all, I love Carole Mortimer! All of her books are 5☆'s!
Wicked Torment is an excellent way of describing how this relationship unfolds.
Darius Strong The Duke of Wolferton, just his name is a turn on! He works for the Crown and is assigned to investigate Lady Beatrix of treason. He unexpectedly shows up at her estate in the country, in the middle of a house party. He, being a Duke and known to be assertive and arrogant invites himself.
Lady Beatrix is a widow and is under suspicion but doesn't know. Darius is an alpha male, he is tall, muscular and gorgeous. Lady Beatrix is shocked and a bit turned on by the Duke. He tells her flat out that he intends to fu#$ her! She is worried about the guests hearing his daring words.
I laughed , but in a good way at the way he'd just plainly tell her what he is going to do to her and her reaction!
Darius learns that Bea former husband was cold and cruel to her.
This is a very steamy Historical Romance only Carole Mortimer can write and I love it!
An unexpected romance with a beautiful teary-eyed Epilogue! I love Epilogue's.
June 24, 2018
Eight friends have returned from Waterloo and are now spies for the Crown. They have been best friends since school and call their group The Sinners after their leader, the Duke of Stonewell, Dominic Sinclair.
As Stonewell is the leader, he has been told that there is a woman in Society that has been passing government secrets to help Napoleon. However, there were eight women that attended the same six functions when the information was exchanged. Stonewell has each of the men pick a name of the lady from a hat. They have to prove the lady's innocence or guilt.
The first book revolves around Darius Strong, the Duke of Wolferton and Lady Beatrix Hanwell. Wolferton invades Bea's house party and won't leave.
I have been a fan of Carole Mortimer's for a long time. I love this series. The characters are great. The length is perfect. They have a strong sexual content that works well with the characters and plot.
As Stonewell is the leader, he has been told that there is a woman in Society that has been passing government secrets to help Napoleon. However, there were eight women that attended the same six functions when the information was exchanged. Stonewell has each of the men pick a name of the lady from a hat. They have to prove the lady's innocence or guilt.
The first book revolves around Darius Strong, the Duke of Wolferton and Lady Beatrix Hanwell. Wolferton invades Bea's house party and won't leave.
I have been a fan of Carole Mortimer's for a long time. I love this series. The characters are great. The length is perfect. They have a strong sexual content that works well with the characters and plot.
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