Pretty good for a first effort. This book has a heroine who was kept secluded in the country for her whole life by her father, and then her brother. When Caroline finds out that her mother left her some money in trust, she finally manages to run away to London, where she's free to enjoy herself for the first time. She's also looking forward to taking a lover, but never wants to marry after her bad experiences with her family, who completely restricted her freedom. So her and Philip, the hero, get almost immediately involved in an no-strings affair, and she is the one to make the first move. There are a lot of sex scenes in this book, some of them verging on kinky. It's true that women in that era had so little control over their lives, unless they were single and wealthy, so it's believable that Caroline would want to keep her independence. But it seemed a bit unlikely that a sheltered young lady would be that bold in her dealings with a known rake. However if you can overlook that, it's an enjoyable read. As for the hero, he discovers that he is tired of carousing around town, and having superficial affairs. He discovers he is ready to settle down, and his change of heart seems realistic.
Darcie Wilde shows a lot of promise as an writer, and I particularly liked the well drawn secondary characters, including Caroline's good friend Fiona, Philip's brother Owen and his eccentric Aunt Judith.
I still prefer the book that follows this one, "The Accidental Abduction", which has a lot more humor in it. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.
Darcie Wilde shows a lot of promise as an writer, and I particularly liked the well drawn secondary characters, including Caroline's good friend Fiona, Philip's brother Owen and his eccentric Aunt Judith.
I still prefer the book that follows this one, "The Accidental Abduction", which has a lot more humor in it. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.
