Tuesday, May 19, 2009

A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore

Flap copy from paperback:
What happens when a lady desires not one man, but two?

Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, has finally moved on. After seven years mourning the loss of her husband, Garrett, at Waterloo, she has married his best friend and heir, Tristan. Sophie gives herself to him body and soul...until the day Garrett returns from the Continent, demanding his title, his lands- and his wife.

Now Sophie must choose between her first love and her new love, knowing that no matter what, her choice will destroy one of the men she adores. Will it be Garrett, her childhood sweetheart, whose loss nearly destroyed her once already? Or will it be Tristan, beloved friend turned lover, who supported her through the last, dark years and introduced her to a passion she had never known? As her two husbands battle for her heart, Sophie finds herself immersed in a dangerous game- where the stakes are not only love...but life and death."


This book was a great debut into the regency genre, though some of Sophie's attitudes seemed a bit modern to me. The plot was certainly complicated, and doesn't all wrap up by the final pages (most probably because there is a sequel in the works). I found Sophie and Garrett to be satisfying characters, but felt Tristan was more two dimensional despite his primary role in the novel. Miranda was also surprisingly well-drawn, though Gary was a bit of an after-thought. I did think the narrative seemed rushed at the end, with a lot of action popped in and resolved rather quickly; the pacing just felt a bit off to me. One thing this book does have in overabundance is heat- there is none of the chaste "fade to black" you sometimes find in period romances! All in all, a great read; I for one will be on the lookout for the next book in the series.

If you would like to read this one for yourself, or just want to read more about it, check out Bookin' with Bingo's list of reviews and giveaways here- good luck!

2 comments:

Kytaira said...

This sounds like a great book. I love blog tours because not only is it a chance to learn more about an interesting book but also discover new (to me) blogs like this one! Thanks!

Bingo said...

Thank you, Colleen, for putting in about my giveaway tour! I am now a follower. I just love the way you can "meet" new people all the time like this. I like what you said in your review. Mine is due up later today (I hope) Thanks and come on back to visit..lots of giveaways going on.