Wren St Claire's writing brings Kerrigan Byrne, Elisa Braden and Elizabeth Hoyt to mind. Her stories are so rich and she has a great way of making the reader root for morally grey characters.
Engaged to the wrong brother...
Three men who want her... Only one who can master her...
Viviana Torrington is a passionate slightly spoiled beauty who accepts a proposal of marriage from the very staid Earl of Stanton. But she rapidly discovers she is engaged to the wrong man when she meets his oh so charming younger brother, Captain Jack Elliot.
Jack is a gentleman and the last thing he is going to do is steal the woman his brother loves. No matter how strong the attraction...
But there is a third man who wants the delectable Viviana, Sir Anthony Harcourt, and he is not in the habit of asking nicely.
Only one man can master Viviana's tempestuous spirit, but will she choose the right one in the end?
This series features villains from previous books as heroes in later books. Read the series in order (four books plus a novella, all in KU) to appreciate their backstories, or choose the book that appeals to your mood and enjoy a spicy romantic tale with a pinch of adventure, where former villains are matched with redoubtable heroines who teach them the value of love.
The Villain's Redemption Series Book 1: The Devil's Mistress Book 2: Taming the Devil Book 3: Revenge on the Devil Book 3.5 : Saving Mr Rooke Book 4: Seducing the Sea Devil
Wren is an Egyptologist and writes historical fantasy romance, historical romance and contemporary romance. She lives with her husband six mad Bengal Cats and one confused Mini Schnauzer in Brisbane. She also manages a website devoted to ancient Egypt and writing called Egyptian Mysteries www.egyptianmysteries.com.au
A pleasant Regency story tho I did find it a bit confusing in the beginning sorting out the characters. Also, there were some odd word choices which I wondered about. Perhaps they’re because I’m an American and the author’s Australian, and our English language usage differs. A few examples;
“You are a little previous… I would like a mite of refreshment first…” (previous? mite?)
“.., better not to cram his fences…” (cram fences?)
“let me put off my dirt first…” (put off my dirt?)
My first time with this author. Does she usually have so many technical and grammatical errors in her books? Very distracting. The worst error was her mistaking “taught” for “taut” which happened at least three times: “her taught nipple”. Really? Who was the teacher? Lol.
The story itself was entertaining. I enjoyed the deviation from the usual romance formula; here we had the POV of several characters, and it was unclear who belonged with whom, which made the story less predictable. It was very hard to like Viviana, but she did redeem herself somewhat by the end. Overall, I think this writer has promise, but really needs a good editor!
The Devil’s Mistress is the first book in the Villain’s Redemption series. This Regency story is not the predictable romance. There are twists and turns for all the characters. 3- stars.
Three very different men, one beautiful, flawed woman. Who will hold the key to her heart?
Miss Viviana Torrington is the toast of the Ton, being possessed of beauty, birth, and fortune. Viviana also possesses a passionate, wilful nature. She is a spontaneous, spirited Heroine, in an unthinking way.
Denzil Elliot, the eligible Earl of Stanton, and his brother, Captain Jack Elliot, newly returned from the Congress of Vienna. Also, their sister, Lady Mary. All are residing at Sevenoaks, their family seat.
Sir Anthony Harcourt, the future 7th Duke of Mowbray, and his sister, Anne.
I enjoyed this well-paced story. Unfortunately, the downfall of the book is its poor editing. Also, the characters names and titles need to be introduced at least somewhere in the beginning. Confusion had me searching for full names and titles midway through the book to distinguish motives and Society’s expectations of the characters.
I liked this because it was a bit different. First half was great (hence the 3 stars), then it got a bit dull. Wasn’t interested about Denzel and Anne their story was boring albeit necessary. Vivianne and Jack had great thing going but after Jack left it went downhill and their coming together was a bit anticlimactic. But decent story. Thank you.
Just what I needed to get me out of my reading slump...a new author (to me) who can tell a great story. My favorite parts of the book were the heroine, Vivianna and believe it or not, the bad boy, Anthony. Viviana was so real and not the typical heroine found in most historical romance. And oh my goodness, I loved Anthony in all of his glorious badness! I can't wait to see how the author redeems him in book 2 when he gets his own story. I do love it when an author gives me a morally gray character that I can cheer for.
2 love stories in one; great characters, spicy heroine is engaged to one brother but finds herself in love with his younger brother. She has an additional suitor determined to kidnap and wed her. It is impossible to put the book down until you find out how everyone ends up with the proper spouse.
Excellent background and character growth all around... not to be missed regency... now on to book 2
Quite a few proofreading errors are scattered throughout the book. But otherwise, it's a good story with fairly decent writing. Could be five stars with careful editing.
I loved the tension between Viviana and her THREE love interests, the suspense building as the reader became swept up in who she would ultimately pick. Viviana is a firecracker of a heroine, super independent and intelligent. When she and her hero finally do sleep together, the pages burn with passion!
Trigger warning: physical violence, animal death, etc.