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Taming a Rogue #1
Lord of Wicked
One good Lady is about to go bad…
The only thing Miss Melissa Goodly has ever wanted out of a marriage is love. But any hope of that dissolves one wild night, when she loses herself in the arms of the most irresistible–and unobtainable–man in all of England. For when they are discovered in a position as compromising as it is pleasurable, she has no choice but to accept his proposal.
Avowed bachelor Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, never meant to seduce an innocent like Melissa. Yet now that the damage is done, it does seem like she’d make a very convenient wife. After all, she is so naive he won’t have to worry about ever being tempted. Or so he thinks, until the vows are spoken and they are left alone–and his new bride reveals a streak just as brazen and unrestrained as his own…
(Previously published as Invitation To Ruin - winner of the RomCom Readers Crown in 2012)
The only thing Miss Melissa Goodly has ever wanted out of a marriage is love. But any hope of that dissolves one wild night, when she loses herself in the arms of the most irresistible–and unobtainable–man in all of England. For when they are discovered in a position as compromising as it is pleasurable, she has no choice but to accept his proposal.
Avowed bachelor Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, never meant to seduce an innocent like Melissa. Yet now that the damage is done, it does seem like she’d make a very convenient wife. After all, she is so naive he won’t have to worry about ever being tempted. Or so he thinks, until the vows are spoken and they are left alone–and his new bride reveals a streak just as brazen and unrestrained as his own…
(Previously published as Invitation To Ruin - winner of the RomCom Readers Crown in 2012)
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
156 people are currently reading
801 people want to read
About the author
Bronwen Evans
163 books972 followersUSA Today bestselling author, Bronwen Evans grew up loving books. She writes both historical and contemporary sexy romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and compassionate alpha heroes. Evans is a three-time winner of the RomCon Readers’ Crown and has been nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award. She lives in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand with her dogs Brandy and Duke.
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Join my book club newsletter and receive a FREE eBook.
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
Bronwen loves hearing from avid romance readers at Bronwen@bronwenevans.com
You can keep up with Bronwen’s news by visiting her website www.bronwenevans.com
Or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bronwenevans...
Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/bronwenevans_NZ
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
August 26, 2022
Read:7/13/16
Good but frustrating! The rake goes to the wrong room and realizes too late that it's the wrong girl. Now he has to marry the innocent woman and stay away from her cousin. The h was pretty, strong, and very likeable. She hopes for children if not love. She also finds an interesting book.
The H was an ass for most of the book. The rake also refuses to sleep with the h. He wants no children bc the children might end up like his evil father. Does he tell his bride? No!! He just goes out every night making her feel undesirable. See?....frustrating!
The H somewhat atones at the end, just in time to save the day.
Worth the read. Warning strong sex scenes.
The brother's story is better!
Good but frustrating! The rake goes to the wrong room and realizes too late that it's the wrong girl. Now he has to marry the innocent woman and stay away from her cousin. The h was pretty, strong, and very likeable. She hopes for children if not love. She also finds an interesting book.
The H was an ass for most of the book. The rake also refuses to sleep with the h. He wants no children bc the children might end up like his evil father. Does he tell his bride? No!! He just goes out every night making her feel undesirable. See?....frustrating!
The H somewhat atones at the end, just in time to save the day.
Worth the read. Warning strong sex scenes.
The brother's story is better!
October 20, 2013
I'm not sure what happened with this book. All I know is that it was emotionally draining. It was the worst type of romance, in that, the hero, Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, is an unreformed rake and a true devil to the heroine, Miss Melissa Goodly, until the very last part of the book. I felt angry for most of the book and so emotionally distraught for the heroine.
BACKGROUND:
At a ball, Melissa withdraws from the evening affair early to her bed. For Melissa, it's always been Anthony, but she's disappointed because she sees how Anthony only has eyes for her widowed cousin, Cassandra, who is known for her wiles in bed (Cassandra is a real witch to Melissa btw). Anthony is in hot pursuit of Cassandra who he wants as his next mistress. Anthony is wild himself and not interested in settling down in marriage....LIKE EVER....
So, Anthony is set up by his twin brother Richard (and partly dowager mother) to enter into Melissa's room by mistake. Richard and his mother have chosen Melissa because she is so good and they believe she can help Anthony heal from the damages of an abusive childhood. Richard gives Anthony directions to Melissa's room instead of Cassandra's. So, Anthony goes in and ravages Melissa, and gets caught in this compromising position.
This ends up sealing the fate of both Anthony and Melissa. Anthony manages to convince Melissa to marry him, even though she doesn't want to. The reason being that she wants to marry for love, and she knows that Anthony will never commit, nor love her.
OH THE TORTURE:
From this point on, the reader is spoon-fed an anemic & partly starved development of love between the leads. Anthony is moody and switches between treating Melissa with warmth and humiliation/emotional abuse, alike. Anthony behaves this way because he is dealing with the severe emotional, and physical abuse he received on behalf of his father (a notorious slave trader). As a child, his father was trying to crush Anthony emotionally so that he could also be a terrible slave owner/trader. Although Anthony rejects the slave trade and changes the family business completely. He still carries visual images and emotional scars that run deep. This is why he can't allow himself to love. He fights the developing love he begins to feel for Melissa like it's an enemy to his soul. For this reason, he lashes out at her, makes her feel inferior, verbally degrades her, makes her believe he is sleeping with whores every night, and lies to her about a major assumption he let her believe she would enjoy upon marrying him.
THE HEROINE:
Melissa Goodly is probably the most emotionally abused heroine (on behalf of the hero) I have ever read. She develops this core of strength within her character and holds herself together when Anthony lashes out at her. OMG, I felt so bad for her countless times. Usually, I like to list some of the sweet or romantic interactions between the leads, but in this book, I could more easily outline the horrible things Anthony did to Melissa throughout the book...
THINGS I HATED (Hero's Treatment of Heroine):
-I hated how Anthony embraced Cassandra in front of Melissa (and stroked her back trying to console her) after he was betrothed to Melissa.
-I hated how Anthony got jealous and left Melissa at the ball after he saw her talking to his brother in the garden. (later he did apologize)
-I hated how he threatened to take back the promise to not bed Cassandra when he was angry with Melissa.
-I hated how he left her on their marriage night and announced it in front of his intimate guests (in the drawing room) that he was going to his gaming/whore club and not spending his wedding night with her.
- I hated it how he refused to be near her post marriage. (he avoided her for about 4 freaken weeks in their same house)
-I hated how he refused to have sex with Melissa and made her feel like trash when she tried to seduce him. (when in fact, after his betrothal to Melissa, he only wanted her, but like a SUPER JERK he fights his love for his wife)
-I hated how he made Melissa believe that he was with a whore every night after their wedding (even though he was actually faithful to her).
Believe me I'm just getting started with this list in how the Hero abused the heroine...there is so much more!!!!!
DISTURBING THEMES OF THE BOOK:
I'm not sure why Evans wrote this novel this way. In this regency romance, there is so much evil, and it builds in layers. The evil comes from inside the characters, and most of all the evil is embedded in society's treatment of woman and slaves.
1) Marriage as a form of slavery: There is a comparison drawn between marriage and it's impact on a woman in relation to slavery, at the time. That is, a woman is a slave and property of her husband under marriage, just as black people were slaves and subject to their masters in society.
During the ball scenes you get the sense that no one is happy. The fate of the beautiful debutants and married women, alike, is subject to the absolute power of these "gentlemen" in society, who are a law unto themselves.
2) Slavery- OK, both the leads are diametrically opposed to slavery. They work within their own ways to try and stop it. But, I got the sense that this nice quality is like a bone the author threw to readers to try and balance the hero's abominable treatment of his heroine. There are some very gory, awful, stomach-aching descriptions of how black girls/women salves were abused. And, there was very little hope injected in this area. Thankfully, one of the redeeming features was when Anthony finds Melissa at a slave auction and helps her free two women slaves (that was really great).
3) Gaming Hells/Courtesan/Men Clubs: Ok, the men frequent these "clubs" that have naked courtesan's pleasuring themselves with an audience, as the men play card games. And, this is the norm for the men in this book. All of them, both the noble men (i.e. Richard and Rufus--Anthony's good friend) love these places. It's not frowned upon, it's quite the norm. Well, this also made me sick!-- (even though Anthony frequented this disgusting place, he didn't sleep with anyone because he was pinning for his wife).
4) Have you ever read a book where the heroine is abducted by the villain (who is absolutely evil incarnate) and ends up forced to give him a BJ before she is saved by her hero????? NO? Well, me neither! I was disgusted.
5) Also have you ever read a novel where the villains have more sex scenes than the leads??????? I have not!! BTW, the sex scenes between the villains are disgusting and awful. I mainly skipped through this part.
RESOLUTIONS:
I suppose even though I found this book disturbing, I kept reading because I wanted to see if Anthony and Melissa would finally find their HEA. Well, they did. It was only after Melissa was abducted and her ASS of a husband completely reforms himself.
So, if the majority of the book was anemic on the romance part, the end of the book throws a feast at you. The problem is that, as a reader, you're so used to being spoon fed sweets in small portions, it's hard to feel any type of satisfaction and to digest the HEA.
But, ultimately, there are intimate, healing scenes between the leads (way at the end of the book) where Anthony gives himself completely to Melissa, heart, body and soul. From this point on, Anthony adores the ground Melissa walks on. He can't get enough of her and is the perfect husband. Melissa is, of course, vindicated....poor girl.
BACKGROUND:
At a ball, Melissa withdraws from the evening affair early to her bed. For Melissa, it's always been Anthony, but she's disappointed because she sees how Anthony only has eyes for her widowed cousin, Cassandra, who is known for her wiles in bed (Cassandra is a real witch to Melissa btw). Anthony is in hot pursuit of Cassandra who he wants as his next mistress. Anthony is wild himself and not interested in settling down in marriage....LIKE EVER....
So, Anthony is set up by his twin brother Richard (and partly dowager mother) to enter into Melissa's room by mistake. Richard and his mother have chosen Melissa because she is so good and they believe she can help Anthony heal from the damages of an abusive childhood. Richard gives Anthony directions to Melissa's room instead of Cassandra's. So, Anthony goes in and ravages Melissa, and gets caught in this compromising position.
This ends up sealing the fate of both Anthony and Melissa. Anthony manages to convince Melissa to marry him, even though she doesn't want to. The reason being that she wants to marry for love, and she knows that Anthony will never commit, nor love her.
OH THE TORTURE:
From this point on, the reader is spoon-fed an anemic & partly starved development of love between the leads. Anthony is moody and switches between treating Melissa with warmth and humiliation/emotional abuse, alike. Anthony behaves this way because he is dealing with the severe emotional, and physical abuse he received on behalf of his father (a notorious slave trader). As a child, his father was trying to crush Anthony emotionally so that he could also be a terrible slave owner/trader. Although Anthony rejects the slave trade and changes the family business completely. He still carries visual images and emotional scars that run deep. This is why he can't allow himself to love. He fights the developing love he begins to feel for Melissa like it's an enemy to his soul. For this reason, he lashes out at her, makes her feel inferior, verbally degrades her, makes her believe he is sleeping with whores every night, and lies to her about a major assumption he let her believe she would enjoy upon marrying him.
THE HEROINE:
Melissa Goodly is probably the most emotionally abused heroine (on behalf of the hero) I have ever read. She develops this core of strength within her character and holds herself together when Anthony lashes out at her. OMG, I felt so bad for her countless times. Usually, I like to list some of the sweet or romantic interactions between the leads, but in this book, I could more easily outline the horrible things Anthony did to Melissa throughout the book...
THINGS I HATED (Hero's Treatment of Heroine):
-I hated how Anthony embraced Cassandra in front of Melissa (and stroked her back trying to console her) after he was betrothed to Melissa.
-I hated how Anthony got jealous and left Melissa at the ball after he saw her talking to his brother in the garden. (later he did apologize)
-I hated how he threatened to take back the promise to not bed Cassandra when he was angry with Melissa.
-I hated how he left her on their marriage night and announced it in front of his intimate guests (in the drawing room) that he was going to his gaming/whore club and not spending his wedding night with her.
- I hated it how he refused to be near her post marriage. (he avoided her for about 4 freaken weeks in their same house)
-I hated how he refused to have sex with Melissa and made her feel like trash when she tried to seduce him. (when in fact, after his betrothal to Melissa, he only wanted her, but like a SUPER JERK he fights his love for his wife)
-I hated how he made Melissa believe that he was with a whore every night after their wedding (even though he was actually faithful to her).
Believe me I'm just getting started with this list in how the Hero abused the heroine...there is so much more!!!!!
DISTURBING THEMES OF THE BOOK:
I'm not sure why Evans wrote this novel this way. In this regency romance, there is so much evil, and it builds in layers. The evil comes from inside the characters, and most of all the evil is embedded in society's treatment of woman and slaves.
1) Marriage as a form of slavery: There is a comparison drawn between marriage and it's impact on a woman in relation to slavery, at the time. That is, a woman is a slave and property of her husband under marriage, just as black people were slaves and subject to their masters in society.
During the ball scenes you get the sense that no one is happy. The fate of the beautiful debutants and married women, alike, is subject to the absolute power of these "gentlemen" in society, who are a law unto themselves.
2) Slavery- OK, both the leads are diametrically opposed to slavery. They work within their own ways to try and stop it. But, I got the sense that this nice quality is like a bone the author threw to readers to try and balance the hero's abominable treatment of his heroine. There are some very gory, awful, stomach-aching descriptions of how black girls/women salves were abused. And, there was very little hope injected in this area. Thankfully, one of the redeeming features was when Anthony finds Melissa at a slave auction and helps her free two women slaves (that was really great).
3) Gaming Hells/Courtesan/Men Clubs: Ok, the men frequent these "clubs" that have naked courtesan's pleasuring themselves with an audience, as the men play card games. And, this is the norm for the men in this book. All of them, both the noble men (i.e. Richard and Rufus--Anthony's good friend) love these places. It's not frowned upon, it's quite the norm. Well, this also made me sick!-- (even though Anthony frequented this disgusting place, he didn't sleep with anyone because he was pinning for his wife).
4) Have you ever read a book where the heroine is abducted by the villain (who is absolutely evil incarnate) and ends up forced to give him a BJ before she is saved by her hero????? NO? Well, me neither! I was disgusted.
5) Also have you ever read a novel where the villains have more sex scenes than the leads??????? I have not!! BTW, the sex scenes between the villains are disgusting and awful. I mainly skipped through this part.
RESOLUTIONS:
I suppose even though I found this book disturbing, I kept reading because I wanted to see if Anthony and Melissa would finally find their HEA. Well, they did. It was only after Melissa was abducted and her ASS of a husband completely reforms himself.
So, if the majority of the book was anemic on the romance part, the end of the book throws a feast at you. The problem is that, as a reader, you're so used to being spoon fed sweets in small portions, it's hard to feel any type of satisfaction and to digest the HEA.
But, ultimately, there are intimate, healing scenes between the leads (way at the end of the book) where Anthony gives himself completely to Melissa, heart, body and soul. From this point on, Anthony adores the ground Melissa walks on. He can't get enough of her and is the perfect husband. Melissa is, of course, vindicated....poor girl.
August 16, 2021
3.5 stars
February 28, 2011
First let me make it clear that I only made it 15% into this book. But something happens in the first 15% that made me unable to finish this book.
Melissa and Anthony Craven, the Earl of Wickham meet at a ball. Anthony has the reputation of “Lord Wicked” because of the number of ladies he has seduced. He has his eyes set on Melissa’s cousin, Lady Cassie. But Anthony’s twin brother Richard wants to make a game out of it. They set up a wager, both trying to see who can get to Lady Cassie’s bed first that night. (Lady Cassie has already made it known she would love to have Anthony in her bed). Playing dirty however, Richard tells Anthony the wrong directions to Lady Cassie’s room.
Melissa is sound asleep when Anthony comes in thinking he is seducing Cassie. Because it is dark and Cassie and Melissa look similar, he doesn’t realize his mistake. He pursues with foreplay and then intercourse – finally Melissa wakes up thinking it was a dream. And here my problems begin.
First, I never buy into “I thought I was having sex in my dreams not in real life” scenario. She is a virgin. I don’t care if she had a couple of glasses of champagne – I don’t buy that you would stay asleep while a heavy man is penetrating you.
I could have lived with the dreaming sex, but I can’t get past the actual act itself. When Melissa wakes up and realizes Anthony is having sex with her –
“She gulped back a mortified cry. She tasted bile in her throat at the horror of the situation.”
But this is really the only terror she shows. Because in the next paragraph:
Melissa’s face flamed with shame and embarrassment. She had been enjoying his caresses, encouraging his attentions. (While dreaming) What would he think? She’d behaved so wantonly.
First of all, she was enjoying his caresses while dreaming. Apparently not in a conscious state. Shouldn’t she be screaming in rage? Horrified that a man just had sex with her? At this point, HE IS STILL INSIDE OF HER. Then Anthony realizes this is not Cassie:
“What sort of trick is this?” His voice was low and deadly in her ear.
She tried to turn to face him, wiggling in this strong grip.
“Christ, do not…move…do not..wiggle..oh my God.”
Melissa felt him surge inside her. Once, twice, his grip on her arms vice like. She knew her skin would be bruised in the morning. He all but roared in her ear, his breath coming in ragged pants. He was trying desperately to withdraw from her, but in her frantic panic they seemed to tangle further.
So he realizes it is NOT Cassie, and still surges inside this woman? Why didn’t he immediately pull out? This is not consensual. And Melissa’s reaction makes no sense. First she feels abused, but then she is mad that he is not paying more attention to her. And that is maybe suppose to be an excuse for this to be okay?
Stunned, she curled into a ball and lay completely still. She was the one who had just been violated, yet he rolled away from her as if he’d been burned by a flame. He made sure he was no longer touching her, as though she were diseased.
Her temper flared at his dismissal of her. She rolled onto her side, facing him, trying to ignore the dull ache between her thighs, noticeable, along with the wetness.
Isn’t she ruined? Possibly pregnant? No longer a virgin? Does she even care that a man took her virginity without asking? I don’t care if in the future she would have gone to Anthony willingly – he had sex without her consent. Yes, it is not black and white – Anthony up to a point truly thought it was Cassie who did want him in his bed. Maybe Melissa would have gone through with it if they had talked. But he didn’t ask.
I understand that eventually these two end up in love. But I can’t get over how they start. Even if Melissa was attracted to Anthony earlier in the evening, and even if she wanted to have wicked dreams about him – the act of him actually having sex with her, and not even trying to not orgasm inside of her completely turns me off. Worse, her reaction is so nonchalant. If she had been outraged, terrified, horrified at this act that had just occurred, maybe I could have stood behind her and wanted to see how this played out. But I just can’t accept the fact that he has non-consensual sex with the heroine, and her lack of reaction. Worse, his twin brother orchestrated this whole event just to win a wager. No thank you.
Melissa and Anthony Craven, the Earl of Wickham meet at a ball. Anthony has the reputation of “Lord Wicked” because of the number of ladies he has seduced. He has his eyes set on Melissa’s cousin, Lady Cassie. But Anthony’s twin brother Richard wants to make a game out of it. They set up a wager, both trying to see who can get to Lady Cassie’s bed first that night. (Lady Cassie has already made it known she would love to have Anthony in her bed). Playing dirty however, Richard tells Anthony the wrong directions to Lady Cassie’s room.
Melissa is sound asleep when Anthony comes in thinking he is seducing Cassie. Because it is dark and Cassie and Melissa look similar, he doesn’t realize his mistake. He pursues with foreplay and then intercourse – finally Melissa wakes up thinking it was a dream. And here my problems begin.
First, I never buy into “I thought I was having sex in my dreams not in real life” scenario. She is a virgin. I don’t care if she had a couple of glasses of champagne – I don’t buy that you would stay asleep while a heavy man is penetrating you.
I could have lived with the dreaming sex, but I can’t get past the actual act itself. When Melissa wakes up and realizes Anthony is having sex with her –
“She gulped back a mortified cry. She tasted bile in her throat at the horror of the situation.”
But this is really the only terror she shows. Because in the next paragraph:
Melissa’s face flamed with shame and embarrassment. She had been enjoying his caresses, encouraging his attentions. (While dreaming) What would he think? She’d behaved so wantonly.
First of all, she was enjoying his caresses while dreaming. Apparently not in a conscious state. Shouldn’t she be screaming in rage? Horrified that a man just had sex with her? At this point, HE IS STILL INSIDE OF HER. Then Anthony realizes this is not Cassie:
“What sort of trick is this?” His voice was low and deadly in her ear.
She tried to turn to face him, wiggling in this strong grip.
“Christ, do not…move…do not..wiggle..oh my God.”
Melissa felt him surge inside her. Once, twice, his grip on her arms vice like. She knew her skin would be bruised in the morning. He all but roared in her ear, his breath coming in ragged pants. He was trying desperately to withdraw from her, but in her frantic panic they seemed to tangle further.
So he realizes it is NOT Cassie, and still surges inside this woman? Why didn’t he immediately pull out? This is not consensual. And Melissa’s reaction makes no sense. First she feels abused, but then she is mad that he is not paying more attention to her. And that is maybe suppose to be an excuse for this to be okay?
Stunned, she curled into a ball and lay completely still. She was the one who had just been violated, yet he rolled away from her as if he’d been burned by a flame. He made sure he was no longer touching her, as though she were diseased.
Her temper flared at his dismissal of her. She rolled onto her side, facing him, trying to ignore the dull ache between her thighs, noticeable, along with the wetness.
Isn’t she ruined? Possibly pregnant? No longer a virgin? Does she even care that a man took her virginity without asking? I don’t care if in the future she would have gone to Anthony willingly – he had sex without her consent. Yes, it is not black and white – Anthony up to a point truly thought it was Cassie who did want him in his bed. Maybe Melissa would have gone through with it if they had talked. But he didn’t ask.
I understand that eventually these two end up in love. But I can’t get over how they start. Even if Melissa was attracted to Anthony earlier in the evening, and even if she wanted to have wicked dreams about him – the act of him actually having sex with her, and not even trying to not orgasm inside of her completely turns me off. Worse, her reaction is so nonchalant. If she had been outraged, terrified, horrified at this act that had just occurred, maybe I could have stood behind her and wanted to see how this played out. But I just can’t accept the fact that he has non-consensual sex with the heroine, and her lack of reaction. Worse, his twin brother orchestrated this whole event just to win a wager. No thank you.
August 9, 2022
The first 60-70 pages of the story made me think to myself how I might have a 5-star read on my hands. I hadn't read an HR with a good rake (playboy) in a while. It just all depended on the execution. I was excited for the arranged marriage/forced proximity schtick because they were compromised (Anthony accidentally fell into her bed and briefly had sex with her) and seeing them fall in love, but instead, Anthony seemed to avoid her for half the novel because he was afraid to get her pregnant and have a son he could be a bad father to like his father.
Anthony's angst went on too long for me, and he knew that he might have knocked her up already (which turned out to be true), so the whole staying away from her so he wouldn't impregnate her was pointless.
At first, I loved the whole everyone scheming, even Melissa, to make Anthony fall in love with Melissa. After a while, it was just like why should the woman put in all this effort when the guy doesn't even seem to care?
Then, at the very end, the author tried to make the story romantic when it should/could have been romantic all along! I'm not a fan of the hero and heroine being like "I loved you from the first time I saw you" or the very beginning. Is this even realistic? It just makes me think if you knew from Chapter 1, why did we have to go through all this? Romance novels should be a story of how two people fell in love, imo.
Then, of course, the two villains both like pain with their pleasure lol. The first time I read that in books I didn't mind it, but now it's slightly an overused trope.
I was kind of surprised that no editor caught that "Aries" is a zodiac sign, not the Greek god of war. This happened multiple times throughout the book. Ares is the name of the Greek god. There was also a sentence or two with only one word (ex. "dialogue." Chuckled. "dialogue"), and I couldn't tell if that was on purpose or not.
The book was also formatted in such a way to not head-hop, and I'm not sure if I've never noticed that in other books before, but it seemed particularly aggressive here. For example, there would be Anthony's POV for a while, then a space and one paragraph in Melissa's POV, then Anthony's again. That one paragraph of the other person's POV seemed unnecessary. A lot of times we can infer what the other person is thinking, especially if it's already been repeated in inner dialogue before.
Anyway, this book satisfied the regency HR crave for a little while so that's good. And it was much better than the last regency HR book I read too.
TW: slavery (slave trading was outlawed in Britain a year before), rape in the past, OM
Anthony's angst went on too long for me, and he knew that he might have knocked her up already (which turned out to be true), so the whole staying away from her so he wouldn't impregnate her was pointless.
At first, I loved the whole everyone scheming, even Melissa, to make Anthony fall in love with Melissa. After a while, it was just like why should the woman put in all this effort when the guy doesn't even seem to care?
Then, at the very end, the author tried to make the story romantic when it should/could have been romantic all along! I'm not a fan of the hero and heroine being like "I loved you from the first time I saw you" or the very beginning. Is this even realistic? It just makes me think if you knew from Chapter 1, why did we have to go through all this? Romance novels should be a story of how two people fell in love, imo.
Then, of course, the two villains both like pain with their pleasure lol. The first time I read that in books I didn't mind it, but now it's slightly an overused trope.
I was kind of surprised that no editor caught that "Aries" is a zodiac sign, not the Greek god of war. This happened multiple times throughout the book. Ares is the name of the Greek god. There was also a sentence or two with only one word (ex. "dialogue." Chuckled. "dialogue"), and I couldn't tell if that was on purpose or not.
The book was also formatted in such a way to not head-hop, and I'm not sure if I've never noticed that in other books before, but it seemed particularly aggressive here. For example, there would be Anthony's POV for a while, then a space and one paragraph in Melissa's POV, then Anthony's again. That one paragraph of the other person's POV seemed unnecessary. A lot of times we can infer what the other person is thinking, especially if it's already been repeated in inner dialogue before.
Anyway, this book satisfied the regency HR crave for a little while so that's good. And it was much better than the last regency HR book I read too.
TW: slavery (slave trading was outlawed in Britain a year before), rape in the past, OM
July 31, 2020
What I assumed would be a smut version of a trope I go for - forced/shotgun/moc story with a cruel cheating H - turned out to be much more and in a shockingly dark and disturbing way. The book has at least two very strong triggers/shockers and is littered with many small ones. I found it highly icky the way the H lusted after the ow in the opening scene and compared the lookalike h very unfavourably!
Miss Goodly was rather pretty but lacked the depth of beauty radiating from Lady Cassie. The young cousin reminded him of a copy of a Rembrandt, not quite as aesthetically pleasing as the original but.. Ouch!
Then his sexual obsession suddenly and unbelievably switches on to the h.
The ugly triggers that revolted me also made me realize that the author has gone where most fear to tread or only fudge and pussy foot around. And it wasn’t added to titillate. So she deserves 2 stars just for that.
And all that without actual cheating!
But there was much that was still to unfold.
*Major Major Spoilers*
So, 3.25 stars for this sometimes flaky, sometimes bizarre story that’s quite out of my comfort zone.
“Let me guess. You will be more like a lord and master than a husband? Be careful, my friend. Sometimes slavery takes many forms.”
Miss Goodly was rather pretty but lacked the depth of beauty radiating from Lady Cassie. The young cousin reminded him of a copy of a Rembrandt, not quite as aesthetically pleasing as the original but.. Ouch!
Then his sexual obsession suddenly and unbelievably switches on to the h.
The ugly triggers that revolted me also made me realize that the author has gone where most fear to tread or only fudge and pussy foot around. And it wasn’t added to titillate. So she deserves 2 stars just for that.
And all that without actual cheating!
But there was much that was still to unfold.
*Major Major Spoilers*
So, 3.25 stars for this sometimes flaky, sometimes bizarre story that’s quite out of my comfort zone.
“Let me guess. You will be more like a lord and master than a husband? Be careful, my friend. Sometimes slavery takes many forms.”
December 27, 2019
Full Review to be posted soon.
I really love historicals that feature redeeming a rake trope but sadly this didn't really hit my buttons. There was historical inaccuracies and the romance wasn't that believable for me. But the compromising scene was very uncomfortable to read because the heroine didn't consent.
I really love historicals that feature redeeming a rake trope but sadly this didn't really hit my buttons. There was historical inaccuracies and the romance wasn't that believable for me. But the compromising scene was very uncomfortable to read because the heroine didn't consent.
May 10, 2017
I actually read this quite a while ago, but occasional go back to wallow in the delicious angst. But it was a bit too much. Right up there with my fave harlequins.
There's Anthony the man besotted with the slutty witch, Cassandra, but never intends to marry anyone. Then there's Cassandra's sweet virginal cousin, Melissa, who is (secretly?) besotted with Anthony. Anthony's family like Melissa for Anthony and so trick him into going to her bedchamber instead of Cassandra's and getting caught.
So now he must marry but he intends it to be a MOC only, no hanky panky, but boy is he tempted. He's an utter a-hole to Melissa throughout the majority of the book, letting her think the worst. He's a tortured hero who believes deep down he is a monster like his father.
There is also a secret plot towards the end with an evil villain(s).
I must admit I never re-read the first part of the book, but I re-read the last third when Melissa finally tells her what she thinks/feels and when Anthony starts to wake up and search for his balls. He grovels deliciously and... safety stuff
There's Anthony the man besotted with the slutty witch, Cassandra, but never intends to marry anyone. Then there's Cassandra's sweet virginal cousin, Melissa, who is (secretly?) besotted with Anthony. Anthony's family like Melissa for Anthony and so trick him into going to her bedchamber instead of Cassandra's and getting caught.
So now he must marry but he intends it to be a MOC only, no hanky panky, but boy is he tempted. He's an utter a-hole to Melissa throughout the majority of the book, letting her think the worst. He's a tortured hero who believes deep down he is a monster like his father.
There is also a secret plot towards the end with an evil villain(s).
I must admit I never re-read the first part of the book, but I re-read the last third when Melissa finally tells her what she thinks/feels and when Anthony starts to wake up and search for his balls. He grovels deliciously and... safety stuff
May 7, 2011
Most of my friends know I love, live and breathe paranormal romance. My bookshelves are full of series and favourite authors who write in this genre - Nalini Singh, Larissa Ione, Joss Ware, Jacqueline Frank, Angela Knight, J.R.Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Joey W.Hill, Denise Rossetti...the list goes on and on...
So, when I tell you I can count the number of historical romance authors I've read and enjoyed on one hand, you'll understand why I'm posting a review about this debut author's book.
I read Bronwen Evans' debut historical romance, INVITATION TO RUIN, in a day. I'd only intended reading a few chapters during my lunch break, but I ended up reading it well into the afternoon and then evening. What did I find so appealing about it?
It wasn't the story line, although I did enjoy the grittier, darker elements within it.
It wasn't the historical period; I'm afraid I wouldn't know if Ms.Evans portrayed her world accurately or not simply because I'm not an aficionado of that time period.
It wasn't the style of her writing, although I certainly enjoyed it and going back over sections of it (after I finished it) to analyse how she constructed various scenes.
Quite simply, it was the characters. They engaged me.
The Lord of Wicked - Anthony Craven - is a true tortured hero. I loved that he wasn't an overbearing alpha character. Without giving away any spoilers, this hero's tormented childhood left him determined not to care about anyone, to hide his emotion from everyone and to ease the pain of his past through the pursuit of pleasure rather than love. No emotion, no connection, no advantage given.
He was taught that to show any of the softer emotions was a weakness. So, watching his transformation from a hard, cold, almost ruthless rake into one who recognises that love strengthens instead of weakens was an experience that, as a reader, left me very satisfied. It was extremely well done and entirely believable.
I also found Miss Melissa Goodly a refreshing heroine, not quite what I expected in an historical heroine (you can probably blame my ignorance and instinctive stereotypical mind-set for that). She's a woman of strong convictions, opinionated, worldly-wise in some ways and innocent in others, passionate and vulnerable without being over the top. A lovely balance of conflicting qualities.
Phillip Drake is the quintessential villain. You were pretty much rooting for his demise from the first scene you witnessed him in. What I found fascinating about him was his past. I kept wanting to know what made this man like he was. Again without giving away any spoilers, Evans' explains this in snippets throughout the book. The tie between the hero and the villain deepens the connection I felt for these characters - good, bad and ugly.
The way she explained what made each man who he is left me thinking about how the events of our pasts shape what we are now and how we act or conduct ourselves, and this was especially true of Craven and Drake.
I put down the book knowing that I'd just spent several hours reading something that left me feeling satisfied and entertained.
Everything a good book should do.
So, when I tell you I can count the number of historical romance authors I've read and enjoyed on one hand, you'll understand why I'm posting a review about this debut author's book.
I read Bronwen Evans' debut historical romance, INVITATION TO RUIN, in a day. I'd only intended reading a few chapters during my lunch break, but I ended up reading it well into the afternoon and then evening. What did I find so appealing about it?
It wasn't the story line, although I did enjoy the grittier, darker elements within it.
It wasn't the historical period; I'm afraid I wouldn't know if Ms.Evans portrayed her world accurately or not simply because I'm not an aficionado of that time period.
It wasn't the style of her writing, although I certainly enjoyed it and going back over sections of it (after I finished it) to analyse how she constructed various scenes.
Quite simply, it was the characters. They engaged me.
The Lord of Wicked - Anthony Craven - is a true tortured hero. I loved that he wasn't an overbearing alpha character. Without giving away any spoilers, this hero's tormented childhood left him determined not to care about anyone, to hide his emotion from everyone and to ease the pain of his past through the pursuit of pleasure rather than love. No emotion, no connection, no advantage given.
He was taught that to show any of the softer emotions was a weakness. So, watching his transformation from a hard, cold, almost ruthless rake into one who recognises that love strengthens instead of weakens was an experience that, as a reader, left me very satisfied. It was extremely well done and entirely believable.
I also found Miss Melissa Goodly a refreshing heroine, not quite what I expected in an historical heroine (you can probably blame my ignorance and instinctive stereotypical mind-set for that). She's a woman of strong convictions, opinionated, worldly-wise in some ways and innocent in others, passionate and vulnerable without being over the top. A lovely balance of conflicting qualities.
Phillip Drake is the quintessential villain. You were pretty much rooting for his demise from the first scene you witnessed him in. What I found fascinating about him was his past. I kept wanting to know what made this man like he was. Again without giving away any spoilers, Evans' explains this in snippets throughout the book. The tie between the hero and the villain deepens the connection I felt for these characters - good, bad and ugly.
The way she explained what made each man who he is left me thinking about how the events of our pasts shape what we are now and how we act or conduct ourselves, and this was especially true of Craven and Drake.
I put down the book knowing that I'd just spent several hours reading something that left me feeling satisfied and entertained.
Everything a good book should do.
skimmed-through
December 3, 2021Original title: Invitation to Ruin
Warning: nonconsensual sex/rape (based on reviews)
Warning: nonconsensual sex/rape (based on reviews)
August 31, 2021
4.5 Stars
The only thing Miss Melissa Goodly has ever wanted is to be loved. But any hope of that dissolves one night, when she awakes to find herself in the arms of the most irresistible–and unobtainable–man in all of England. For when they are discovered in a position as compromising as it is pleasurable, she has no choice but to accept his proposal. Avowed bachelor Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, meant to visit Cassandra but is given the directions to the wrong bedroom & finds himself with her innocent cousin Melissa. Yet now that the damage is done, it does seem like she’d make a very convenient wife. After all, she is so naive he won’t have to worry about ever being tempted.
This is an updated & re released book. I found myself engrossed in this book. I loved Melissa who was strong & down to earth & I loved how she stood up to Anthony & was determined to make him love her. I really liked Anthony but wanted to shake him at times as he couldn’t see what was in front of him. The chemistry between the pair just grew & grew. The book flows well, the road to their HEA isn’t easy but it did make for an engrossing read. The book also deals with some issues which could be a trigger for some readers
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
The only thing Miss Melissa Goodly has ever wanted is to be loved. But any hope of that dissolves one night, when she awakes to find herself in the arms of the most irresistible–and unobtainable–man in all of England. For when they are discovered in a position as compromising as it is pleasurable, she has no choice but to accept his proposal. Avowed bachelor Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, meant to visit Cassandra but is given the directions to the wrong bedroom & finds himself with her innocent cousin Melissa. Yet now that the damage is done, it does seem like she’d make a very convenient wife. After all, she is so naive he won’t have to worry about ever being tempted.
This is an updated & re released book. I found myself engrossed in this book. I loved Melissa who was strong & down to earth & I loved how she stood up to Anthony & was determined to make him love her. I really liked Anthony but wanted to shake him at times as he couldn’t see what was in front of him. The chemistry between the pair just grew & grew. The book flows well, the road to their HEA isn’t easy but it did make for an engrossing read. The book also deals with some issues which could be a trigger for some readers
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
February 22, 2022
I WAS SCEPTICAL ABOUT THIS STORY WHEN I SAW SUCH BAD REVIEWS ABOUT THIS BUT IT MADE ME WANT TO CHALLENGE THE NORM AND READ IT MYSELF. BEFORE WE GO ON, I AM A SUCKER FOR ANGST AND MAYBE A LIL MASOCHIST BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT WHEN THE HERO IS A JERK TO THE BONE UNTIL HE REFORMS.
NOW MOST READERS GAVE UP THE MOMENT THEY MEET THE HERO WHOM I MUST SAY WAS PORTRAYED AS HE SHOULD AND I DONT BLAME HIM ONE BIT, BECAUSE IT MAKES THINGS MORE DRAMATIC AND ANGSTY. WHATS THE POINT OF READING SOMETHING SO SAPPY AND ROMANCY WITHOUT GOING THROUGH OBSTACLES AND ACTUALLY OBTAINING LOVE BY YOUR OWN MEANS?
OUR HERO is a jerk YES but he has his reasons, in the form of a fucked up childhood. Yep he is the tortured hero. The story opens with him panting like a bitch in heat for the heroine's prettier cousin who looks almost like her but the refined and sluttier version. When his twin DELIBERATELY tricks him into our heroine's room, he takes her virginity and voilà they now have to wed. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, Anthony was given leave to walk away and not marry the girl but alas they were caught. Then again, if he truly didn't want the girl, he would have refused, he is a damned aristocrat anyway! The story progresses with him trying to avoid his matrimonial bed, resisting his wife's charms but he fails miserably when he falls in love with her (not that that dimwit knew it at first). Anthony was abused by his father as a child and he is afraid that he will become his father one day, thus his fear of having children and THIS happens to be the obstacle to their marriage.
OUR HEROINE is superb! I don't get why the other readers pity her when all i see is a woman with spirit, fire and determination and she is also beautiful and intelligent! She would make the perfect wife for Anthony if he would stop being so stubborn. While some readers find his actions crass, I think reading so many HRs has made me immune and it would only be weird if he wasn't dallying with other women. HAVE NO FEAR! The man never cheated once from the day he met his wife, in fact he was besotted. I adore their moments TOGETHER and the fights left me gripping with a heartache. The heroine has been pushed around by her atrocious brother who wants to marry her off to pay his debts. It is amazing how circumstances occurred and she is legshackled to the one man she has been in love with but thought impossible.
OVERALL this was an interesting affair of tug of war in love and while it has its moments, I think I loved most was the heroines resilience and determination to make her husband love her and in the end the compromise of the hero to reach out and accept her love. I was actually waiting for something bad to happen to the heroine because the hero was too obstinate to see what good he has got.
I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY ANGST WHORE LIKE ME. THE HEA WAS GOOD BUT THE JOURNEY TO THE END WAS THE BEST.
NOW MOST READERS GAVE UP THE MOMENT THEY MEET THE HERO WHOM I MUST SAY WAS PORTRAYED AS HE SHOULD AND I DONT BLAME HIM ONE BIT, BECAUSE IT MAKES THINGS MORE DRAMATIC AND ANGSTY. WHATS THE POINT OF READING SOMETHING SO SAPPY AND ROMANCY WITHOUT GOING THROUGH OBSTACLES AND ACTUALLY OBTAINING LOVE BY YOUR OWN MEANS?
OUR HERO is a jerk YES but he has his reasons, in the form of a fucked up childhood. Yep he is the tortured hero. The story opens with him panting like a bitch in heat for the heroine's prettier cousin who looks almost like her but the refined and sluttier version. When his twin DELIBERATELY tricks him into our heroine's room, he takes her virginity and voilà they now have to wed. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, Anthony was given leave to walk away and not marry the girl but alas they were caught. Then again, if he truly didn't want the girl, he would have refused, he is a damned aristocrat anyway! The story progresses with him trying to avoid his matrimonial bed, resisting his wife's charms but he fails miserably when he falls in love with her (not that that dimwit knew it at first). Anthony was abused by his father as a child and he is afraid that he will become his father one day, thus his fear of having children and THIS happens to be the obstacle to their marriage.
OUR HEROINE is superb! I don't get why the other readers pity her when all i see is a woman with spirit, fire and determination and she is also beautiful and intelligent! She would make the perfect wife for Anthony if he would stop being so stubborn. While some readers find his actions crass, I think reading so many HRs has made me immune and it would only be weird if he wasn't dallying with other women. HAVE NO FEAR! The man never cheated once from the day he met his wife, in fact he was besotted. I adore their moments TOGETHER and the fights left me gripping with a heartache. The heroine has been pushed around by her atrocious brother who wants to marry her off to pay his debts. It is amazing how circumstances occurred and she is legshackled to the one man she has been in love with but thought impossible.
OVERALL this was an interesting affair of tug of war in love and while it has its moments, I think I loved most was the heroines resilience and determination to make her husband love her and in the end the compromise of the hero to reach out and accept her love. I was actually waiting for something bad to happen to the heroine because the hero was too obstinate to see what good he has got.
I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY ANGST WHORE LIKE ME. THE HEA WAS GOOD BUT THE JOURNEY TO THE END WAS THE BEST.
May 4, 2011
This book starts out with a mistaken-identity rape of sleeping respectable girl (instead of her slutty cousin). Well, it seems mistaken but it soon becomes quite clear that the hero has been set up by his TOTALLY INSANE family members to do this because they think this girl is right for him (WTF? moment #1).
At any rate, this little horrorshow inevitably, as this is a Regency romance, leads to an engagement as opposed to prosecution. But the hero is adverse to having children--he doesn't want to pass on his father's legacy of abuse--so he won't repeat his "mistake" with his fiancee/wife although he's been a total manslut to date (WTF? moment #2).
While the hero and heroine are trying to establish their relationship, a pair of perverted (in graphic detail!) villains/slavers try to keep this pair apart by kidnapping the heroine in order to sell her as a sex slave. The villains in this book are over the top in their awfulness, and I was really put off by the detail about their sadistic sexual practices and also the horrible assault on the heroine (which itself was sort of waved away by the characters at the end as a total nonissue, in the final WTF? moment of the book--see spoilers for more detail).
I really can't in good conscience recommend this book. Major chunks of plot made no sense at all and too much of it was repulsive but written in a way that made you wonder if it wasn't meant to be titillating too. Just...ugh.
At any rate, this little horrorshow inevitably, as this is a Regency romance, leads to an engagement as opposed to prosecution. But the hero is adverse to having children--he doesn't want to pass on his father's legacy of abuse--so he won't repeat his "mistake" with his fiancee/wife although he's been a total manslut to date (WTF? moment #2).
While the hero and heroine are trying to establish their relationship, a pair of perverted (in graphic detail!) villains/slavers try to keep this pair apart by kidnapping the heroine in order to sell her as a sex slave. The villains in this book are over the top in their awfulness, and I was really put off by the detail about their sadistic sexual practices and also the horrible assault on the heroine (which itself was sort of waved away by the characters at the end as a total nonissue, in the final WTF? moment of the book--see spoilers for more detail).
I really can't in good conscience recommend this book. Major chunks of plot made no sense at all and too much of it was repulsive but written in a way that made you wonder if it wasn't meant to be titillating too. Just...ugh.
August 17, 2021
I previously read this book in its original format, Invitation to Ruin, but as I read this novel the plot came back to me, and it is just as intense and dramatic as it was 9 years ago. Miss Melissa Goodly has loved the Earl of Wickham, Anthony Craven, from afar ever since she first set eyes on him. Caught up in the web of Anthony's twin brother's machinations, Melissa unexpectedly finds herself trapped in a marriage of convenience with Anthony, but she is far from happy as any feelings of love are all one-sided. Melissa quickly learns that Anthony judges and acts before thinking, much to her detriment. However, as circumstances bring them together, they quickly realize that their first impressions of one another need to be reevaluated. With a malicious sub-plot, Melissa's life is placed in danger and Anthony eventually comes to understand all he has to lose. The story depicts a seamier side of life that was prevalent in the era when women had no rights and the rich and powerful were a law unto themselves. Fortunately, Melissa has a backbone and staying power and hopefully, she will eventually win the wounded Earl over. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through BookSprout and this is my honest and voluntary review.
February 23, 2022
oh ducking hell. i should have read spoilers before starting this. TRIGGER WARNING. it has major almost complete rape scene and lots of disgusting cruelty sex described of the villain. i’m nauseous reading this and am pissed i got to the 80% mark where the villain is forcing the h to give him a BJ naked on her knees. disgusting. i want to throw up. in fact, this book has more sex scenes described of the villain than the leads, and it’s traumatizing descriptions of it too. there’s literally no romance in this fucking book. it’s so dark that it’s more on par with dark mafia romance than HR.
July 16, 2018
Good book with some deeply emotional scenes. Anthony is a well-known rake who has made it clear that he will never marry. His reputation has earned him the name Lord of Wicked. When we first see him, he is making a bet with his brother as to which of them will sleep with a particular woman first. Even more disturbing is his intention to "stir the pot" by dancing with the woman's innocent cousin.
Melissa wants nothing more than to find a husband she can love and who will love her. But her wastrel brother is determined to sell her off to the highest bidder for his own benefit. Though she knows that Anthony is not the man for her, she can't deny her attraction to him. Her dance with him leaves her flustered and even more enamored of him.
Thanks to interference and a bit of trickery, Anthony ends up in Melissa's bed instead of Cassandra's, which he doesn't realize until it's too late. Anthony may be a rake, but he is also an honorable man and proposes marriage. He's a little surprised when she resists, but he prevails. The dilemma he faces is how to resist his attraction to her.
Overall, I liked both Melissa and Anthony, though Anthony took a while to win me over. He comes across as very cold and manipulative at the beginning, as he deceives Melissa about his plans for their marriage. I began to soften toward him as more of his background was revealed, and how the horrors he experienced made him fear treating his own child the way he was treated. Avoiding the prospect altogether seemed his only option. Melissa was a terrific heroine. She is feisty and independent, determined to get the outcome she wants. She is also a kind and caring woman, as shown by the type of charity work she does. I liked the way she doesn't just sit back and accept others' decisions but stands up for her own needs.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Anthony and Melissa. The sparks between them are strong from the beginning. Anthony is determined to keep Melissa at a distance, but she doesn't make it easy on him, to the point where he uses some truly cruel methods to drive her away from him. I loved that Melissa isn't quite so easy to drive away. It takes her a few days, but she realizes that while his words say one thing, his body says something entirely different. I loved the way she used her intellect to learn the ways of love to win him over. It was great fun to see Anthony tormented by his desire for his wife, to the point of being unable to carry on the way he had planned.
There were several misunderstandings between them, brought about by their differing outlooks on life. Melissa tends to see the good in people first and foremost, and acts accordingly, while Anthony always sees the worst. The first major misunderstanding, regarding the London slave market, ended up showing that they had more in common than they knew. Sometimes their misunderstandings caused them to behave badly toward the other, but eventually, they would learn the truth and find ways to make amends.
One of the things I loved best about Melissa was her refusal to give up on Anthony. The more she learned about his past, the more she admired the way that he had overcome it, even if he didn't think so. I was in tears for her as he pushed her away in ways that did his best to destroy her dreams and make her hate him. Even though it broke her heart, she still couldn't stop loving him. I ached for Anthony, who was so consumed by guilt over things in his past that he couldn't see the things that he did right. He really wanted to be the husband that Melissa deserved, but believed that he was unredeemable. I loved that it was his friends Samantha and Freddie who finally broke through his walls, and how they showed him that he would never be like his father. Having seen the light, Anthony has to find a way to win back Melissa. I loved seeing him expose his vulnerability to her. Even more, I loved how she was able to make him see that it wasn't her forgiveness he needed. I loved the epilogue and seeing the huge difference in Anthony and the happiness that radiates from them both.
One of the most unusual things about this book is that it deals with a subject rarely seen in Regency romances - slavery. I don't think I've ever read a book that talked about the selling of black slaves in England during that time period. I loved that both Melissa and Anthony were involved in fighting it, though in vastly different ways. There was an element of suspense in the book also, as Anthony's fight became far more personal than he ever expected. My heart was in my throat as Melissa became the focal point of Anthony's greatest enemy. The final confrontation was intense with several twists before the ultimate resolution.
I thoroughly enjoyed Anthony's friends and relations and their determination to save him. Though Richard and his mother's methods were underhanded, they were effective. I liked Richard's obvious love for his brother and his efforts to help Anthony and Melissa after their marriage. Rufus intrigues me and I look forward to reading his book, as well as Richard's.
Melissa wants nothing more than to find a husband she can love and who will love her. But her wastrel brother is determined to sell her off to the highest bidder for his own benefit. Though she knows that Anthony is not the man for her, she can't deny her attraction to him. Her dance with him leaves her flustered and even more enamored of him.
Thanks to interference and a bit of trickery, Anthony ends up in Melissa's bed instead of Cassandra's, which he doesn't realize until it's too late. Anthony may be a rake, but he is also an honorable man and proposes marriage. He's a little surprised when she resists, but he prevails. The dilemma he faces is how to resist his attraction to her.
Overall, I liked both Melissa and Anthony, though Anthony took a while to win me over. He comes across as very cold and manipulative at the beginning, as he deceives Melissa about his plans for their marriage. I began to soften toward him as more of his background was revealed, and how the horrors he experienced made him fear treating his own child the way he was treated. Avoiding the prospect altogether seemed his only option. Melissa was a terrific heroine. She is feisty and independent, determined to get the outcome she wants. She is also a kind and caring woman, as shown by the type of charity work she does. I liked the way she doesn't just sit back and accept others' decisions but stands up for her own needs.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Anthony and Melissa. The sparks between them are strong from the beginning. Anthony is determined to keep Melissa at a distance, but she doesn't make it easy on him, to the point where he uses some truly cruel methods to drive her away from him. I loved that Melissa isn't quite so easy to drive away. It takes her a few days, but she realizes that while his words say one thing, his body says something entirely different. I loved the way she used her intellect to learn the ways of love to win him over. It was great fun to see Anthony tormented by his desire for his wife, to the point of being unable to carry on the way he had planned.
There were several misunderstandings between them, brought about by their differing outlooks on life. Melissa tends to see the good in people first and foremost, and acts accordingly, while Anthony always sees the worst. The first major misunderstanding, regarding the London slave market, ended up showing that they had more in common than they knew. Sometimes their misunderstandings caused them to behave badly toward the other, but eventually, they would learn the truth and find ways to make amends.
One of the things I loved best about Melissa was her refusal to give up on Anthony. The more she learned about his past, the more she admired the way that he had overcome it, even if he didn't think so. I was in tears for her as he pushed her away in ways that did his best to destroy her dreams and make her hate him. Even though it broke her heart, she still couldn't stop loving him. I ached for Anthony, who was so consumed by guilt over things in his past that he couldn't see the things that he did right. He really wanted to be the husband that Melissa deserved, but believed that he was unredeemable. I loved that it was his friends Samantha and Freddie who finally broke through his walls, and how they showed him that he would never be like his father. Having seen the light, Anthony has to find a way to win back Melissa. I loved seeing him expose his vulnerability to her. Even more, I loved how she was able to make him see that it wasn't her forgiveness he needed. I loved the epilogue and seeing the huge difference in Anthony and the happiness that radiates from them both.
One of the most unusual things about this book is that it deals with a subject rarely seen in Regency romances - slavery. I don't think I've ever read a book that talked about the selling of black slaves in England during that time period. I loved that both Melissa and Anthony were involved in fighting it, though in vastly different ways. There was an element of suspense in the book also, as Anthony's fight became far more personal than he ever expected. My heart was in my throat as Melissa became the focal point of Anthony's greatest enemy. The final confrontation was intense with several twists before the ultimate resolution.
I thoroughly enjoyed Anthony's friends and relations and their determination to save him. Though Richard and his mother's methods were underhanded, they were effective. I liked Richard's obvious love for his brother and his efforts to help Anthony and Melissa after their marriage. Rufus intrigues me and I look forward to reading his book, as well as Richard's.
June 5, 2022
Did not like.
October 20, 2011
I've read worse, but this book was definitely a disappointment. The writing itself is nothing special, frequently cliched, and often awkward, e.g. "Rufus strode into the room, an irritated scowl hanging from his auburn brows." ... "As they turned for home, Melissa still noticed the anger ruminating from the man sitting like stone beside her." ... "She smiled, the evil within escaping as her lips parted." ... "His voice was so quiet she barely heard the words. All she concentrated on was the pain radiating from within the sounds."
And I really hate it when authors use goobery terms for parts of the body, like "womanly folds" and "instrument of passion".
The story itself was also flawed. A plot line like this - so common and run-of-the-mill - needs to be supported by good writing and moving characters if it's going to float. The good writing isn't here, supporting characters that could add to the book are glimpsed only shallowly, and the hero is an ass while the heroine lets him get away with it. Evans gives Anthony a tortured background to explain his dickheadery but her depiction of it is simply lacking, as are his redeeming qualities. She does spend plenty of time having him behave like an asshole, making for a very lopsided, shallow, unlikeable hero. For his part, Anthony grows to respect and admire Melissa's intelligence and style, but there's a disconnect between that and his sexual appetite for her, which is what really consumes him. Even the sex scenes between them fall flat, and Evans likes to switch the POV frequently, using paragraph breaks, and I mean really, really frequently, which really fragments the scenes terribly.
Evans also includes several ugly sex scenes between the villains of the piece, which is something that needs to be done just so to add to the book rather than detract from it, and in this case the author didn't succeed.
Add to all this a poorly done ending with things wrapping up unsatisfyingly easily, and then a rambling wind-down and you end up with a flat, clumsy effort that falls sadly short of the mark.
And I really hate it when authors use goobery terms for parts of the body, like "womanly folds" and "instrument of passion".
The story itself was also flawed. A plot line like this - so common and run-of-the-mill - needs to be supported by good writing and moving characters if it's going to float. The good writing isn't here, supporting characters that could add to the book are glimpsed only shallowly, and the hero is an ass while the heroine lets him get away with it. Evans gives Anthony a tortured background to explain his dickheadery but her depiction of it is simply lacking, as are his redeeming qualities. She does spend plenty of time having him behave like an asshole, making for a very lopsided, shallow, unlikeable hero. For his part, Anthony grows to respect and admire Melissa's intelligence and style, but there's a disconnect between that and his sexual appetite for her, which is what really consumes him. Even the sex scenes between them fall flat, and Evans likes to switch the POV frequently, using paragraph breaks, and I mean really, really frequently, which really fragments the scenes terribly.
Evans also includes several ugly sex scenes between the villains of the piece, which is something that needs to be done just so to add to the book rather than detract from it, and in this case the author didn't succeed.
Add to all this a poorly done ending with things wrapping up unsatisfyingly easily, and then a rambling wind-down and you end up with a flat, clumsy effort that falls sadly short of the mark.
October 11, 2021
This book is a bit of a rewrite of a previous book that had two instances of sexual assault. They are removed from this book and the changes definitely make a difference.
When confirmed bachelor Anthony, Earl of Wickham is caught in the bed of unmarried debutante Miss Melissa Goodley, he chooses to wed her and hides his intentions for why he needs a white marriage. Melissa has been in love with Anthony since the season has begun but he's been chasing her cousin for an affair.
I loved this book. Bronwen's heroes are dark and this book is pretty dark with themes of slavery. She really tackles issues that other romance novelists overlook. Melissa attempts to seduce Anthony but finds out his true motives when an enemy comes back to haunt him.
This whole series is excellent. She's a writer I always forget is on my list of writers I love. I did go back and read the original and was a bit triggered by the two scenes she took out so I think the re-write was a great decision.
When confirmed bachelor Anthony, Earl of Wickham is caught in the bed of unmarried debutante Miss Melissa Goodley, he chooses to wed her and hides his intentions for why he needs a white marriage. Melissa has been in love with Anthony since the season has begun but he's been chasing her cousin for an affair.
I loved this book. Bronwen's heroes are dark and this book is pretty dark with themes of slavery. She really tackles issues that other romance novelists overlook. Melissa attempts to seduce Anthony but finds out his true motives when an enemy comes back to haunt him.
This whole series is excellent. She's a writer I always forget is on my list of writers I love. I did go back and read the original and was a bit triggered by the two scenes she took out so I think the re-write was a great decision.
April 13, 2011
Invitation to Ruin is the courageous historical romance debut novel by author Bronwen Evans. Courageous you say? It may seem odd to say that when referring to the author instead of the characters in the story, but I think the author took a few risks, that are often taboo, when writing this book. I think the author was very brave when deciding to include things like England's slave trade market at the time the book is set, and a scene involving an unconscious seduction that some reviewers have suggested is no less than rape (which I don't necessarily agree with...I'll explain later).
Our heroine, Melissa Goodly is sister to a Baron who has led their family to financial ruin because of his dissolute lifestyle and sees his sister as his answer to their lack of funds. She is poor, with little choice as to her fate. Her brother is willing to make a match for her with anyone that has a fortune, no matter the man's age or character, he will be satisfied...at least as long as the coffers are full. She is in essence a slave to her brother's depravity and greed and will be "sold" through marriage to the highest bidder. Melissa is not opposed to marriage, but dreams of marrying for love, much to her brother's disgust. She is exactly like her name conveys. Miss Goodly is a good person; an altruistic idealist who is willing to wait for love, and does what is within her power to make the world around her a better place. She is a true and devoted friend, honest, and fights in her own small way against the evils of the slave trade in England by protesting the sales, and when funds allow purchasing slaves, setting them free, and finding them work for paying wages.
Our hero, Anthony Craven, is on the surface, the complete opposite of our heroine. He is rich, titled and a man who appears in control of his destiny. Yet, he is haunted by his past, and bases his future on what he feels he deserves...which is a life devoid of love and compassion, alienating anyone his family and anyone that he could potentially develop feelings for, and instead pursues only pleasure as one of London's most infamous rakes. He was raised by a ruthless slave trader father who took every opportunity to beat (literally and figuratively) just about every compassionate emotion from him, including love, from his son. So that what is left is a man who feels nothing but disgust and hatred for his father and for the man he was forced to become because of his upbringing. He was a slave to his father's upbringing through emotional blackmailing and physical punishment...much like the actual slaves his father traded upon to make his fortune. Though he has long since abandoned the slave trading empire he was raised to run, he still feels the taint on his soul.
I have to admit that before receiving this book for review, I had read a few other reviews that were quite scathing in it's criticism of this story specifically because of one scene. The scene in which Anthony and Melissa find themselves in a compromising situation which forces them to marry. It's an important scene, so I am going to break one of my rules of trying to not include spoilers in my review of a book so that I can try to explain my view of what happens. It begins with Anthony and his twin brother, Richard, making a wager on who can get Lady Cassandra (Melissa's cousin who she happens to resemble) into bed first. Anthony has been pursuing Lady Cassandra and has just received his first invitation to her bed. He and his family are residing in her London home because a fire in his own home that has caused them to seek residence elsewhere for a short period of time, where it just so happens that Melissa and her brother are also staying since her cousin is sponsoring her introduction and debut into London society. Anthony's brother cheekily professes that he will have Lady Cassandra before they retire to their rooms, and to give his brother a sporting chance gives Anthony the directions to Lady Cassandra's bedchamber.
However, Anthony's brother knowingly gives him the wrong information because he believes that Miss Goodly is exactly the type of woman that can save his brother from his lonely existence and self destruction. Richard orchestrates both Anthony and Melissa's downfall because he truly believes they are a perfect match. Anthony enters the darkened chamber and begins to make love to the woman he believes is Lady Cassandra. He doesn't realize the woman that he is with is not who he thinks it is until he enters her and discovers that the woman he is having sex with is a virgin, not an experienced widow. Up until this point Melissa is having what she things is a very passionate dream with the man she has secretly drooled over, the Lord of Wicked, Anthony Craven, and is thoroughly enjoying herself until she shockingly wakes to find herself in bed with a man and consequently ruined. Does she scream and protest? Not really, and a few reviewers have questioned this response as being unrealistic. However, I think it is important to remember that she is with the man of her dreams...literally, is slightly tipsy, and is confused as to how this all happened. She is ashamed by her passion and what he must think of her....because up until this point she hasn't acted like an innocent virgin even though she thought it was just a dream. She panics, becomes afraid, and does ask him to stop. And this is where the situation gets tricky. Does he stop when he realizes his mistake? Not exactly. He pauses, then finishes (within seconds), then rolls away in disgust. Melissa believes he is disgusted by her and her responses to him, but later we find that he is in fact disgusted by himself and a past event that directly relates to this event.
Is it consensual when she is unconscious, but her body is willing? I don't know. Is it rape when he doesn't immediately withdraw even though she has asked him to? I don't know. This is a very gray murky area, but given the context of the entire story I don't believe it is, and this is why. In her dreams Melissa is making love to Anthony, not some unknown lover. And, and this is what I feel is most important, is Anthony's intent in this scene. Does he knowingly enter Melissa's room and make love to her? No. He believes he is with Cassandra. Does he force her? No, not really. Melissa is an active participant even if it is in her dreams. Was it his intention to harm her? No. Was it written in a way that was demeaning and degrading to Melissa? No, it was written with passion, but also leaves the reader to question the motives and actions of the characters which lets the plot of the rest of the story unfold. And that is where I think the difference lies. If you take the scene out of context it doesn't look good, and some reviewers stopped reading the book after this scene, which doesn't give the characters and their story a chance to redeem themselves. I have to admit, that I didn't immediately think "rape" when I read the scene in question. I didn't think it read that way, but I can certainly understand why some might come to that conclusion. I don't know the authors intent, but given the hero's history it seems to me that it was deliberately written in a way that could call Anthony's actions into question. I hate to say more than that because it directly relates to a long held secret to his past that shapes the man he becomes.
Now that I've expressed my feelings of "The Scene" here are some thoughts on the rest of the book. I thought the author did an excellent job of expressing who Melissa and Anthony were not only to the reader...but to each other. Misunderstanding and misinterpretations are very common in romance, but in Invitation to Ruin, those are not left to fester until the end where there is a huge "aha" moment where one, or the other realizes how wrong they were about the other person. Situations do arise between the two..after all Melissa finds the good in everyone, whereas Anthony assumes the worst in people, but they are resolved throughout the story which I liked because you could see how they got to know each other in such a short period of time, and how passionately they both felt about abolishing slavery in England.
The emotions in Invitation to Ruin were passionate and sometimes dark, with despair and hurt. The hero did many things to drive his heroine away, but she persisted in her pursuit of a good marriage...not only because it was her only option to have the kind of marriage that she dreamed about, but she found things in Anthony that were redeemable. Melissa could easily have assumed the role as a doormat for punishment, but she doesn't come across that way. Instead she has spunk, and when she get's knocked down (not literally) or begins to doubt herself, she picks herself up and forms a plan to gain what she wants. While the marriage is forced upon her, and she doesn't like how it all came to pass, Anthony is the man she dreamed of having for a husband. Some would say it is a perfect example of the saying "be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it". This story explores that and more.
One thing that was a bit bothersome for me were the characters name. Normally, I don't really mind names that authors choose for their characters, but I found the hero and heroines names to be too cliché. For instance the heroines name Miss Goodly...I don't think her name needed to be "good" for her to evoke goodness....and the hero Craven....I think you can see where I am going with this. For me having names that obvious, kind of cheapened who they were.
I wish that the author would have done more with Melissa's character in regards to the anti slavery society that she was President of. As President of the movement I would have expected her to be more involved, but her involvement in the group was a very small part of the book. It made her sympathetic to Anthony and his experiences growing up, but I expected more than that from her, and I think could have made the confrontation with the villain better. I wanted her to be more than just a "wife" once she was married, since she had that freedom as a "sister". I also didn't think Melissa's cousin Lady Cassandra received due justice for her spitefulness and deviousness. She was a very selfish person who wanted Melissa sold into white slavery for snatching the Lord of Wicked out of her clutches. I wanted to her to really get what was coming to her, but I didn't feel that happened which was sort of a let down.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed Invitation to Ruin and thought it was well written. I wanted Melissa to keep trying to get the marriage that she deserved, while at the same time wanting Anthony to give in to his desires. That their passion for each other is what will gain each of them all that they have ever dreamed of and more. There are a few things about the plot that didn't work for me, but "The Scene" wasn't one of them. I think this story is very courageous in some of the risks it takes, especially for a debut author, and I think this will be either a love it, or hate it type of book for readers. Invitation to Ruin may be the title, but for me it was an invitation to a few hours of engaging and emotional romance reading enjoyment.
Overall Ratings: 4.25
Sensuality level: 3.25 (Usually I expect more heat from a Brava romance, but this story is all about the sexual tension between the H/h and has only a few loves scenes, one of which is brief)
This book reviewed by Booklover1335 for Seductive Musings blog. A copy of the book was provided to the reviewer by the author for an honest review.
Our heroine, Melissa Goodly is sister to a Baron who has led their family to financial ruin because of his dissolute lifestyle and sees his sister as his answer to their lack of funds. She is poor, with little choice as to her fate. Her brother is willing to make a match for her with anyone that has a fortune, no matter the man's age or character, he will be satisfied...at least as long as the coffers are full. She is in essence a slave to her brother's depravity and greed and will be "sold" through marriage to the highest bidder. Melissa is not opposed to marriage, but dreams of marrying for love, much to her brother's disgust. She is exactly like her name conveys. Miss Goodly is a good person; an altruistic idealist who is willing to wait for love, and does what is within her power to make the world around her a better place. She is a true and devoted friend, honest, and fights in her own small way against the evils of the slave trade in England by protesting the sales, and when funds allow purchasing slaves, setting them free, and finding them work for paying wages.
Our hero, Anthony Craven, is on the surface, the complete opposite of our heroine. He is rich, titled and a man who appears in control of his destiny. Yet, he is haunted by his past, and bases his future on what he feels he deserves...which is a life devoid of love and compassion, alienating anyone his family and anyone that he could potentially develop feelings for, and instead pursues only pleasure as one of London's most infamous rakes. He was raised by a ruthless slave trader father who took every opportunity to beat (literally and figuratively) just about every compassionate emotion from him, including love, from his son. So that what is left is a man who feels nothing but disgust and hatred for his father and for the man he was forced to become because of his upbringing. He was a slave to his father's upbringing through emotional blackmailing and physical punishment...much like the actual slaves his father traded upon to make his fortune. Though he has long since abandoned the slave trading empire he was raised to run, he still feels the taint on his soul.
I have to admit that before receiving this book for review, I had read a few other reviews that were quite scathing in it's criticism of this story specifically because of one scene. The scene in which Anthony and Melissa find themselves in a compromising situation which forces them to marry. It's an important scene, so I am going to break one of my rules of trying to not include spoilers in my review of a book so that I can try to explain my view of what happens. It begins with Anthony and his twin brother, Richard, making a wager on who can get Lady Cassandra (Melissa's cousin who she happens to resemble) into bed first. Anthony has been pursuing Lady Cassandra and has just received his first invitation to her bed. He and his family are residing in her London home because a fire in his own home that has caused them to seek residence elsewhere for a short period of time, where it just so happens that Melissa and her brother are also staying since her cousin is sponsoring her introduction and debut into London society. Anthony's brother cheekily professes that he will have Lady Cassandra before they retire to their rooms, and to give his brother a sporting chance gives Anthony the directions to Lady Cassandra's bedchamber.
However, Anthony's brother knowingly gives him the wrong information because he believes that Miss Goodly is exactly the type of woman that can save his brother from his lonely existence and self destruction. Richard orchestrates both Anthony and Melissa's downfall because he truly believes they are a perfect match. Anthony enters the darkened chamber and begins to make love to the woman he believes is Lady Cassandra. He doesn't realize the woman that he is with is not who he thinks it is until he enters her and discovers that the woman he is having sex with is a virgin, not an experienced widow. Up until this point Melissa is having what she things is a very passionate dream with the man she has secretly drooled over, the Lord of Wicked, Anthony Craven, and is thoroughly enjoying herself until she shockingly wakes to find herself in bed with a man and consequently ruined. Does she scream and protest? Not really, and a few reviewers have questioned this response as being unrealistic. However, I think it is important to remember that she is with the man of her dreams...literally, is slightly tipsy, and is confused as to how this all happened. She is ashamed by her passion and what he must think of her....because up until this point she hasn't acted like an innocent virgin even though she thought it was just a dream. She panics, becomes afraid, and does ask him to stop. And this is where the situation gets tricky. Does he stop when he realizes his mistake? Not exactly. He pauses, then finishes (within seconds), then rolls away in disgust. Melissa believes he is disgusted by her and her responses to him, but later we find that he is in fact disgusted by himself and a past event that directly relates to this event.
Is it consensual when she is unconscious, but her body is willing? I don't know. Is it rape when he doesn't immediately withdraw even though she has asked him to? I don't know. This is a very gray murky area, but given the context of the entire story I don't believe it is, and this is why. In her dreams Melissa is making love to Anthony, not some unknown lover. And, and this is what I feel is most important, is Anthony's intent in this scene. Does he knowingly enter Melissa's room and make love to her? No. He believes he is with Cassandra. Does he force her? No, not really. Melissa is an active participant even if it is in her dreams. Was it his intention to harm her? No. Was it written in a way that was demeaning and degrading to Melissa? No, it was written with passion, but also leaves the reader to question the motives and actions of the characters which lets the plot of the rest of the story unfold. And that is where I think the difference lies. If you take the scene out of context it doesn't look good, and some reviewers stopped reading the book after this scene, which doesn't give the characters and their story a chance to redeem themselves. I have to admit, that I didn't immediately think "rape" when I read the scene in question. I didn't think it read that way, but I can certainly understand why some might come to that conclusion. I don't know the authors intent, but given the hero's history it seems to me that it was deliberately written in a way that could call Anthony's actions into question. I hate to say more than that because it directly relates to a long held secret to his past that shapes the man he becomes.
Now that I've expressed my feelings of "The Scene" here are some thoughts on the rest of the book. I thought the author did an excellent job of expressing who Melissa and Anthony were not only to the reader...but to each other. Misunderstanding and misinterpretations are very common in romance, but in Invitation to Ruin, those are not left to fester until the end where there is a huge "aha" moment where one, or the other realizes how wrong they were about the other person. Situations do arise between the two..after all Melissa finds the good in everyone, whereas Anthony assumes the worst in people, but they are resolved throughout the story which I liked because you could see how they got to know each other in such a short period of time, and how passionately they both felt about abolishing slavery in England.
The emotions in Invitation to Ruin were passionate and sometimes dark, with despair and hurt. The hero did many things to drive his heroine away, but she persisted in her pursuit of a good marriage...not only because it was her only option to have the kind of marriage that she dreamed about, but she found things in Anthony that were redeemable. Melissa could easily have assumed the role as a doormat for punishment, but she doesn't come across that way. Instead she has spunk, and when she get's knocked down (not literally) or begins to doubt herself, she picks herself up and forms a plan to gain what she wants. While the marriage is forced upon her, and she doesn't like how it all came to pass, Anthony is the man she dreamed of having for a husband. Some would say it is a perfect example of the saying "be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it". This story explores that and more.
One thing that was a bit bothersome for me were the characters name. Normally, I don't really mind names that authors choose for their characters, but I found the hero and heroines names to be too cliché. For instance the heroines name Miss Goodly...I don't think her name needed to be "good" for her to evoke goodness....and the hero Craven....I think you can see where I am going with this. For me having names that obvious, kind of cheapened who they were.
I wish that the author would have done more with Melissa's character in regards to the anti slavery society that she was President of. As President of the movement I would have expected her to be more involved, but her involvement in the group was a very small part of the book. It made her sympathetic to Anthony and his experiences growing up, but I expected more than that from her, and I think could have made the confrontation with the villain better. I wanted her to be more than just a "wife" once she was married, since she had that freedom as a "sister". I also didn't think Melissa's cousin Lady Cassandra received due justice for her spitefulness and deviousness. She was a very selfish person who wanted Melissa sold into white slavery for snatching the Lord of Wicked out of her clutches. I wanted to her to really get what was coming to her, but I didn't feel that happened which was sort of a let down.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed Invitation to Ruin and thought it was well written. I wanted Melissa to keep trying to get the marriage that she deserved, while at the same time wanting Anthony to give in to his desires. That their passion for each other is what will gain each of them all that they have ever dreamed of and more. There are a few things about the plot that didn't work for me, but "The Scene" wasn't one of them. I think this story is very courageous in some of the risks it takes, especially for a debut author, and I think this will be either a love it, or hate it type of book for readers. Invitation to Ruin may be the title, but for me it was an invitation to a few hours of engaging and emotional romance reading enjoyment.
Overall Ratings: 4.25
Sensuality level: 3.25 (Usually I expect more heat from a Brava romance, but this story is all about the sexual tension between the H/h and has only a few loves scenes, one of which is brief)
This book reviewed by Booklover1335 for Seductive Musings blog. A copy of the book was provided to the reviewer by the author for an honest review.
dnf
September 14, 2024DNF at 36% - I should have gone with my gut that Lord of Wicked is a really bad name. His name is Lord Wickham, why wouldn't he be known as Lord Wicked? Why the redundant, ungrammatical "of". Lord Wicked, Lord of Wickedness, not Lord of Wicked.
However, I did NOT go with my gut. I was ready to quit by the end of the first chapter but decided to keep going and then there was just one too many overwrought gothic elements and I just couldn't any more. The notion that Lord Wickham's evil father was some sort of social pariah because he engaged in the SLAVE trade rather than because he engaged in the slave TRADE is just such ahistorical nonsense I couldn't be doing with it. But then of course the real crime is WHITE slavery. Fucksake.
This author usually writes pretty good steamy bits, but I didn't get that far.
ETA from reading some other reviews, this seems to have been revised between editions - the one I read is the 2021 edition.
However, I did NOT go with my gut. I was ready to quit by the end of the first chapter but decided to keep going and then there was just one too many overwrought gothic elements and I just couldn't any more. The notion that Lord Wickham's evil father was some sort of social pariah because he engaged in the SLAVE trade rather than because he engaged in the slave TRADE is just such ahistorical nonsense I couldn't be doing with it. But then of course the real crime is WHITE slavery. Fucksake.
This author usually writes pretty good steamy bits, but I didn't get that far.
ETA from reading some other reviews, this seems to have been revised between editions - the one I read is the 2021 edition.
January 19, 2023
Love it
While I understand that so many people didn't like the story because of the dark side of the historical context put in this story I like seeing an author that does bring it up. Though the topics in this story are a tad bit sensitive to some there should be a warning maybe?
Onto my thoughts on the story, he needs a woman to show him that he is nothing like his father and he is capable of loving more than anyone in the world and she will do everything it takes to make him see that to make their marriage work. Even if it means seducing him and doing things she's unsure of.
This was a wonderful marriage of convenience story.
I definitely look forward to the next story
While I understand that so many people didn't like the story because of the dark side of the historical context put in this story I like seeing an author that does bring it up. Though the topics in this story are a tad bit sensitive to some there should be a warning maybe?
Onto my thoughts on the story, he needs a woman to show him that he is nothing like his father and he is capable of loving more than anyone in the world and she will do everything it takes to make him see that to make their marriage work. Even if it means seducing him and doing things she's unsure of.
This was a wonderful marriage of convenience story.
I definitely look forward to the next story
Read
October 27, 2024lost interest...the MC is waaay to understanding of the love interest's actions...and he was more than awful to her...this wasn't for me and i should have dnf-ed earlier...
August 31, 2021
Sparks fly between Melissa and Anthony, but when they are found in a compromising position, they are forced to marry. It was to be a marriage of convenience but soon sparks are flying and they are in danger. Fast-paced read with loads of drama, suspense and steam. Lots of twists and turns in this entertaining historical read. I loved it!
December 13, 2012
HUH,.. okey here we go,..
Anthony Craven Earl of Wickham like so many Hero is a arrogant man,free to do what he wants.
Nothing mattered to him expect pleasure, but then we know behind his charms appearance something happened in his past life.
So for the first pages, we know for months he want a beautiful widow became his mistress and she just playing hard to get and because he's Anthony the cassanova who like a challenge he became more curious to the widow.
So far i like this, hero who like slutman with bad past and nobody get close to him, bla bla bla..
its okay for me if H described as playboy or whatever but i don't like how he seem to obssesed to OW and this kind too much at the first we introduced to Anthony :(
Melanie Goodly, yeeeeeaaaaaahh she good. She pretty enough if not stand beside her breathtaking cousin. So she and her brother stay at their ravishing cousin house Cassandra.
Anthony want Cassandra to be his mistress fo long, and when one night at party she decide to sleep with him. Melanie has crush for him after months come to London and at this party indirectly became her first debut season. She to old for victorian age at time because she must nurse her parents if i'm not wrong. haha..
Anthony taunt by his twin brother Richard about Cassandra and Yes finally he dance with her, not because he want to but to get Cassandra jealous. Why?????? i don't like this he even not hear Melanie question when they dance because he got too much attention elsewhere and no other and no one else is Cassandra Jeeeeezzzz pleaseeeeeee Anthony.
Melanie too hurt by him make a reason for early night (headache) and Anthony who had plan to sleep with Cassandra enter the wrong room, Melanie room because so what happened next its Anthony must married her.
Anthony know his brother trap him, but what can you say and do??? hahahaha.
I like process how Anthony fall for Melanie, from not like to become possesive and jealous man.
Hey, its suprise for Anthony because he finally agree to married and he think why not he can free from her mother pressure, get Heir, timid naive wife who can stay home and he free do what he want.
OOOOO, you wrong not Melanie, she sassy, strong, and brave to stand for her will. She even want just one unique gift wedding from Anthony that he must cancel his plan for make Cassandra his mitress. HAHAHAHA.
Supposed they can be happy couple if not for Anthony haunt by childhood past. He's emotional distand doesn't want to admit his feel to her.
and in this appear Anthony mother, he know that her mom just can give her love for his brother and not to him, but he doesn't know that because of her, he must married Melanie. This the way his mother show her love to him, and pay for her fault to Anthony when he was a child. She think Anthony need woman like Melanie to save his soul.
Hate it, He must out from house because he can't stand one roof with Cassandara knowing she was only a few doors away yet due to his promise to Melissa—untouchable Damn he still desire Cassandra when he agree to married Melanie.
I don't like when Cassandra get angry to Melanie for rob Anthony, and Melanie immediately afraid by Cassandra treat whereas she know as strong heroine and even before that she with brave speak her mind.
AND most of all he go to club at his wedding night. JEEZZZZZ,.
This why i just give 3 stars, i know i know seen from his current situation its okay, MAYBE.
So what??? because he's horny or because his restless hunger it okay for him to do somethng like that, or because the pathetic reason in the world he's a MAN.
So even after he enter the club he still remember his WIFE Melanie, and can't get to excited about other woman, until this i'm happy. YEEEEEE...
but not this after he hard instantly by remember his wife he still hard by other woman. WTF.????
but i little confused here, when he eyed female display pleasuring herself He hardened immediately at her blatant sexual invitation but when she finished for the first time in his life, Anthony was not aroused. SOOOOOOO????? how can be? what different between hard and aroused???
Anthony Craven Earl of Wickham like so many Hero is a arrogant man,free to do what he wants.
Nothing mattered to him expect pleasure, but then we know behind his charms appearance something happened in his past life.
So for the first pages, we know for months he want a beautiful widow became his mistress and she just playing hard to get and because he's Anthony the cassanova who like a challenge he became more curious to the widow.
So far i like this, hero who like slutman with bad past and nobody get close to him, bla bla bla..
its okay for me if H described as playboy or whatever but i don't like how he seem to obssesed to OW and this kind too much at the first we introduced to Anthony :(
Melanie Goodly, yeeeeeaaaaaahh she good. She pretty enough if not stand beside her breathtaking cousin. So she and her brother stay at their ravishing cousin house Cassandra.
Anthony want Cassandra to be his mistress fo long, and when one night at party she decide to sleep with him. Melanie has crush for him after months come to London and at this party indirectly became her first debut season. She to old for victorian age at time because she must nurse her parents if i'm not wrong. haha..
Anthony taunt by his twin brother Richard about Cassandra and Yes finally he dance with her, not because he want to but to get Cassandra jealous. Why?????? i don't like this he even not hear Melanie question when they dance because he got too much attention elsewhere and no other and no one else is Cassandra Jeeeeezzzz pleaseeeeeee Anthony.
Melanie too hurt by him make a reason for early night (headache) and Anthony who had plan to sleep with Cassandra enter the wrong room, Melanie room because so what happened next its Anthony must married her.
Anthony know his brother trap him, but what can you say and do??? hahahaha.
I like process how Anthony fall for Melanie, from not like to become possesive and jealous man.
Hey, its suprise for Anthony because he finally agree to married and he think why not he can free from her mother pressure, get Heir, timid naive wife who can stay home and he free do what he want.
OOOOO, you wrong not Melanie, she sassy, strong, and brave to stand for her will. She even want just one unique gift wedding from Anthony that he must cancel his plan for make Cassandra his mitress. HAHAHAHA.
Supposed they can be happy couple if not for Anthony haunt by childhood past. He's emotional distand doesn't want to admit his feel to her.
and in this appear Anthony mother, he know that her mom just can give her love for his brother and not to him, but he doesn't know that because of her, he must married Melanie. This the way his mother show her love to him, and pay for her fault to Anthony when he was a child. She think Anthony need woman like Melanie to save his soul.
Hate it, He must out from house because he can't stand one roof with Cassandara knowing she was only a few doors away yet due to his promise to Melissa—untouchable Damn he still desire Cassandra when he agree to married Melanie.
I don't like when Cassandra get angry to Melanie for rob Anthony, and Melanie immediately afraid by Cassandra treat whereas she know as strong heroine and even before that she with brave speak her mind.
AND most of all he go to club at his wedding night. JEEZZZZZ,.
This why i just give 3 stars, i know i know seen from his current situation its okay, MAYBE.
So what??? because he's horny or because his restless hunger it okay for him to do somethng like that, or because the pathetic reason in the world he's a MAN.
So even after he enter the club he still remember his WIFE Melanie, and can't get to excited about other woman, until this i'm happy. YEEEEEE...
but not this after he hard instantly by remember his wife he still hard by other woman. WTF.????
but i little confused here, when he eyed female display pleasuring herself He hardened immediately at her blatant sexual invitation but when she finished for the first time in his life, Anthony was not aroused. SOOOOOOO????? how can be? what different between hard and aroused???
July 2, 2012
Melissa Goodly wants to marry for love. Her brother, Christopher, a baron with great debt, is demanding that she marry somebody rich by the end of the Season. Currently they are staying with their cousin, Lady Cassandra, and are surviving though her generosity.
Everyone knows that Lord Anthony Craven is only at Cassandra's ball because he is trying to win her as his mistress. What Anthony doesn't realize is that his mother and brother are worried about him. His brother, Richard, not only makes a wager with him, but also "slips" Anthony the wrong location of Cassandra's bedroom.
Anthony, in hopes to make Cassandra jealous, asks Melissa to waltz. There is a resemblance to the cousins and Anthony puts on the charm. Melissa secretly admires Anthony from afar and although she knows he is after Cassandra, she enjoys her time waltzing with him. After exchanging harsh words with Christopher, Melissa realizes she has drunk too much champagne and retires for the evening.
As she drifts to sleep, she dreams of Anthony coming to her. Only, it's no dream and before they both know it, Melissa's virginity is gone. Anthony, obligated to do the honorable thing insists that she marry him. At first she refuses as she wants love, but with her reputation at stake, she finally gives in.
On the outside Anthony appears the perfect aristocrat. However, he is haunted by some of his past choices demanded of him by his cruel father. His father, caught up in the greed and wealth of the slave market, attempted to take all emotion and compassion out of his son through physical and emotional abuse. Due to such a harsh upbringing, Anthony does his best to alienate everyone who attempts to get too close.
However, there is something about the situation, something about Melissa that gets under his skin. Although he does everything possible to fool himself, when Melissa is kidnapped by a truly nasty villein (introduced and developed through the book) Anthony must choose his true path.
As a couple they make a really interesting pair which keeps the book moving. Melissa only wants to be loved, desired, respected and desperately wanted. Anthony must deal with his anger, his need for forgiveness and find some way to leave his past truly in this past.
An emotional and sometimes intense read with many sexual scenes as well as controversial topics....
Everyone knows that Lord Anthony Craven is only at Cassandra's ball because he is trying to win her as his mistress. What Anthony doesn't realize is that his mother and brother are worried about him. His brother, Richard, not only makes a wager with him, but also "slips" Anthony the wrong location of Cassandra's bedroom.
Anthony, in hopes to make Cassandra jealous, asks Melissa to waltz. There is a resemblance to the cousins and Anthony puts on the charm. Melissa secretly admires Anthony from afar and although she knows he is after Cassandra, she enjoys her time waltzing with him. After exchanging harsh words with Christopher, Melissa realizes she has drunk too much champagne and retires for the evening.
As she drifts to sleep, she dreams of Anthony coming to her. Only, it's no dream and before they both know it, Melissa's virginity is gone. Anthony, obligated to do the honorable thing insists that she marry him. At first she refuses as she wants love, but with her reputation at stake, she finally gives in.
On the outside Anthony appears the perfect aristocrat. However, he is haunted by some of his past choices demanded of him by his cruel father. His father, caught up in the greed and wealth of the slave market, attempted to take all emotion and compassion out of his son through physical and emotional abuse. Due to such a harsh upbringing, Anthony does his best to alienate everyone who attempts to get too close.
However, there is something about the situation, something about Melissa that gets under his skin. Although he does everything possible to fool himself, when Melissa is kidnapped by a truly nasty villein (introduced and developed through the book) Anthony must choose his true path.
As a couple they make a really interesting pair which keeps the book moving. Melissa only wants to be loved, desired, respected and desperately wanted. Anthony must deal with his anger, his need for forgiveness and find some way to leave his past truly in this past.
An emotional and sometimes intense read with many sexual scenes as well as controversial topics....
October 23, 2012
INVITATION TO RUIN by Bronwen Evans is an amazing historical romance set in 1808 London. This is her debut book.The plot is well written with twists and turns. While some of the characters are pure evil,the rest are enchanting,engaging and will capture your heart. This is an incredible story of love,trust,forgiveness,the struggle for forgiveness,and desire for true love. It is story of one man's struggle for something he thinks is unobtainable...love and forgiveness. One woman's desire to be needed,wanted and most desperately wanted....love.Together Anthony and Melissa will struggle with Anthony's hidden anger,his need to overcome his deep need for forgiveness and his horrible upbringing by his father.While Melissa struggles with her need for family,children and Anthony's love and wanting her.This is story of inner struggles with turmoil,betrayal,survival,putting the past where it belongs in the past and moving forward to a future of complete love,peace and happiness.BE AWARE while there are many sex scenes it is an incredible story of not only the fight for love,it is also the fight to abolish slavery,human trafficking and the fight for freedom.I would highly suggest this incredible story for it will stay with you long after the story ends.If anyone is looking for an interesting twist on historical romance,with a dark, gritty, sensuous Regency romance this is the story for you.It is fast paced and a page turner.and as a debut author,this author is one to keep an eye on.I know I will be waiting for her next book to appear.This book was received for the purpose of review from the publisher and details can be found at Brava,Kensington and My Book Addiction and More.
May 6, 2014
I don't understand why most find this book bad because I think this is one of the bests of Bronwen Evans. The author is a risk taker like Jess Michaels. She risks taking such intense flow of the story particulary the slavery thing. Other authors would prefer to tackle light concept that it leads to the point that their stories became boring. This kind of story needs an open minded reader for it to be fully appreciated. I was amazed of how this story goes. I was annoyed sometimes because yeah, the hero is an ass but you'll understand and pity him for such a cruel childhood. There is an irony of the character of the hero and heroine. The heroine believes in love and the happiness it gives to those who have experienced it while the hero is afraid to love, trying very hard to avoid that kind of feeling because it made a person weak as what his father told him.
Love was castrating. It grabbed you by the balls and made you a prisoner. It made you petrified of loss. It made you weak and exposed your fears. Love destroyed; hate helped you to survive.
I really like everything about this story. It was an intense, cruel, sweet and romantic story. It gives us hope to really believe in love and revel in the experience of it, whether it gives us happiness or pain.
"It's better to love and lost than never to have loved at all."
Love was castrating. It grabbed you by the balls and made you a prisoner. It made you petrified of loss. It made you weak and exposed your fears. Love destroyed; hate helped you to survive.
I really like everything about this story. It was an intense, cruel, sweet and romantic story. It gives us hope to really believe in love and revel in the experience of it, whether it gives us happiness or pain.
"It's better to love and lost than never to have loved at all."
December 12, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Anthony and Melissa were two likeable characters and had a great chemistry that just grew throughout the story. Although Anthony was a rake and a cad, and his actions towards Melissa leaved a bit to be desired, his terrible background and awful treatment by his father explained his behaviour, and I soon found myself desperate for him to find redemption in Melissa's embrace. Melissa was a feisty heroine, not outlandishly so for the period, but she was by no means an innocent bystander who needed to be rescued. She was spirited and independent, and I loved the way she decided she was going to learn the ways of love so she could entice her husband. I thought the storyline entirely appropriate for the period and thoroughly believable. And the theme of anti-slavery was well drawn and interesting. This was a lovely romance that kept me reading right to the end, and I was disappointed when it was over. Well done Ms Evans. I'll certainly be buying your next book :)
June 28, 2012
This was such a good book! It has my favorite kind of hero. The kind that is so, so wounded emotionally. The hero Anthony was emotionally and physically abused by his father as a child. The heroine was not wanted as a child, so she has never had anyone to love her as a child or an adult. The heroine fought had to show the hero that he was worthy of having someone to love him. Of course through a lot of ups and downs they finally get their happy ever after. I am now starting "Invitation to Scandal" the second book in the series and I am hopeful it will be just as good as "Invitation to Ruin".
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