Author: Bronwen Evans
Genre/Age: Historical Romance/Adult
Series: Disgraced Lords (Book Seven)
Publisher: Loveswept
Format: ebook via The Romance Reviews
Rating: ✺✺✺✺
Links: Goodreads
Synopsis: A fiercely independent duchess and a brooding, reclusive earl are tested by the demands of desire in this unforgettable romance from the USA Today bestselling author of A Kiss of Liesand A Night of Forever.
For Rose Deverill, one husband was enough. As the wealthy widow of the Duke of Roxborough, she has cultivated an unsavory reputation meant to discourage wife hunters. Thanks to a string of steamy affairs, Rose is perfectly content to be known by polite society as the “Wicked Widow”—until she’s reunited with the man she fell in love with at age fifteen. Their bedroom encounters are scorching, but it breaks Rose’s heart to wonder whether her reckless behavior ruined her for Philip Flagstaff.
The second son of the Earl of Cumberland, Philip never wanted the title. But after Philip’s older brother, Robert, follows him into the Battle of Waterloo, his worst fears come to pass. Now Robert lies in a soldier’s grave, and Philip is determined never to pass on the inheritance to children of his own. Then Rose appears, soothing the pain with her delightful curves and passionate kisses. The notorious Duchess seems to want nothing from him—and yet Philip has never ached to give a woman more.
A couple can't stay together...but can they withstand being apart?
Rose has almost everything she could ever hope for. Her widowhood gives her freedom, her son brings her joy, and her current beau is the one man she's always wanted. She'd love nothing more than to continue this way forever, but society's laws dictate a marriage must be in the works and Rose's lover won't agree to a union.
When Phillip realizes his seemingly perfect relationship with Rose is in jeopardy, he has two options. Marry the woman or let her go so she can find another man to wed. But after causing his brother's death in battle, Phillip has sworn to himself that he would never marry and produce an heir. Proposing to Rose just isn't in his plan.
And so the couple must call off their heated affair, which leads to broken hearts all around and a city full of wagging tongues. With mutual friends on every side, Rose and Phillip couldn't avoid each other if they tried. Yet, seeing the other is too painful to endure. If they can't walk away, maybe they can find a way to be together again.
This book started off in a very strange way. We get a peek into the reason that Phillip is so against marriage and it's understandable, even if I didn't agree with his attitude toward it. Then we're thrust into the present day and this is probably the only historical romance book that I've ever read which began with the couple already together. And I mean together-together. Bow-chica-wow-wow.
Then our couple is split up and the story takes a sharp dive into heartbreak-town. I felt just as miserable as Rose did. It was so easy to feel what she was feeling and hurt right along with her. Fantastic writing, that's for sure. Even's Phillip's struggle to live without Rose tore my poor heart in two. This couple was meant to be together.
No lie, I wanted to strangle Phillip for about 90% of this book. I wanted to literally wrap my hands around his fictional neck and squeeze the life out of him because of the way he continued to hurt Rose, even without meaning to. And it might not have been so bad if I didn't like her so much and wanted them figure this out so badly. His stupid self was a good test of my patience, I tell you.
But somewhere in the last few chapters, I decided not to kill Phillip and instead let him try to redeem himself. I think his epiphany could have been more pronounced, but I was glad to see a happy and satisfying ending. This was an emotional roller coaster, which is something I wasn't expecting but really enjoyed.
In closing...
I have got to check out some of the other books in this series. Four suns!
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