ASIN: B018CHH2YY
Publisher: Loveswept (August 16, 2016)
Publication Date: August 16, 2016
Sold by: Random House LLC
Blurb:
Lady Evangeline Stuart chose to wed a tyrant with a title, or so society believes. That was five years ago—five long years that she could have spent with her first and only love: Lord Hadley Fullerton, the second son of the Duke of Claymore. Now Evangeline is a widow, and her soul cries out for Hadley. But when they see each other at last, everything has changed. The passion in his eyes has been corrupted by betrayal. Somehow Evangeline must regain Hadley’s trust—without revealing the secret that would spoil the seduction.
Hadley is determined not to be distracted by Evangeline. He and the other Libertine Scholars are in pursuit of an enemy who has been striking at them from the shadows, and Evangeline’s mere presence could be dangerous. But with one smile, one touch, one taste of Evangeline’s lips, Hadley’s resolve is overpowered by far more pleasant memories. As the two enter into a discreet affair, Hadley vows to give her his body, never his heart. That, she will have to earn.
Review:
Evangeline and Hadley have been dealt such an unfair hand that I had to suck it up to keep from shedding tears. I was sad for them, and I wanted so desperately for all those involved in destroying their happiness to be whipped and hog-tied. It was just wrong. Plain wrong. No other words to adequately describe the deception…except for maybe evil, selfish, and cruel.
Evangeline is a lot more forgiving than Hadley, although he had good reason for his behavior. I won’t ruin it for you, but I was shocked once the truth came out. I knew she had to have a good reason for abandoning him, but the truth never entered my mind until it was revealed. And the best part was it didn’t require a stretch of the imagination to believe it. Kudos to Evans for that.
I really liked the H/H, and I found soft spots for the other characters. They each have very distinctive personalities, and their dedication to one another is admirable. They are the epitome of true friends, and I wanted to have them all over for tea.
Unfortunately, however, the north winds shifted about 3/4ths of the way into the book. The once tightly knit plot developed a few holes, and the plan to recover a kidnapped member of the group made me lift a brow and scratch some scalp. I also didn’t care much for the cliffhanger ending. I usually don’t care for big cliffhangers, but small ones are often welcome as they are sometimes good set-ups for the next book in the series. However, I felt like the last quarter of the book was not as good as the beginning, and I even found myself struggling to finish. I would like to know what happens, but I can’t say I’m anxious to find out.
Maybe, it’s just me. Take a read, and please leave a comment letting me know what you think.
Rating system: Cups of Coffee (the less the better)
0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.
My rating: 2 1/2 cups of coffee