Synopsis:
Orphaned and sheltered, Lady Aslyn Hastings longs for a bit of adventure. With her intended often preoccupied, Aslyn finds herself drawn to a darkly handsome entrepreneur who seems to understand her so well. Surely a lady of her station should avoid Mick Trewlove. If only he weren’t so irresistible . . .
As secrets are about to be exposed, Mick must decide if his plan for vengeance is worth risking what his heart truly desires.
Purchase Links:
Title: Beyond Scandal and Desire
Series: Sins for All Seasons #1
Author: Lorraine Heath
Release date: January 30, 2018
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 4.5 stars
This is my first book by Lorraine Heath, and right out of the starting gate, she landed herself a spot on my auto-read author list. I was so impressed that I'm now on a mission to get through some of her backlist this year, to explore what I've been missing out on. This book gave me that rare and elusive giddiness you feel when you find an author and story that you connect with in every way. Heath paints the culture and people so vividly in color for you that her story doesn't just come to life, it takes you inside all of its brilliant shades. If you're late to her work like I was, there's no time like the present to correct that error.
She was no longer the means to an end, but had become the end itself.
The blurb for Beyond Scandal and Desire caught my eye immediately. A revenge plot where the unsuspecting heroine is caught in the hero's crossfire? Count me in. Though I have to admit, I was a little nervous in the beginning that Mick would be too heartless and unlikable to warm up to. Luckily, this wasn't the case at all. Yes, he was stern, ruthless, and cut a pretty intimidating figure. But there was a never a point when he was at his worst that I didn't see the good in him. Under his rough exterior, he's fiercely loyal and protective of his adoptive family. Mick's character clearly had some growing to do, but I had faith he would get there in time.
Through the common practice of baby farming, the nobility were spared the hassle of facing the consequences of their actions. The Duke of Hedley believed that his own inconvenient truth was buried, but truth and justice were about to be resurrected. Mick wasn't content with being a dark stain, living in the shadows amongst the dregs of society. He was going to have it all, take it all, or die trying.
He’d climbed as far as he could up the social ladder. To reach the higher rungs, others had to fall—far and spectacularly, like fireworks burning out on their way down. He would be paid what he was owed. And God’s mercy on anyone who stood in his way.
Lady Aslyn Hastings is the ward of the Duke and Duchess of Hedley. For as long as she can remember, there has been an unspoken understanding that one day she would marry their son, Kip. She's coddled, and lectured on etiquette and morality until she feels positively stifled in their care. Secretly, she's bored at this bland life that's allotted to her, but she manages to ignore her rebellious streak for the most part. Her (almost) fiancè Kip is respectful at all times, polite, and the epitome of a proper gentleman around her. So why does she feel like something is not quite right about how they fit?
They were to marry, and yet she felt like a child playing at pretend, not a woman anticipating the days—and nights—to come with relish. She’d been brought up to always feel calm and steady, but at that moment she desired only to feel more.
After Aslyn and Kip have a seemingly chance meeting with Mick, he subtly starts to maneuver them like pawns on his chessboard. What he never could have planned for was the feelings that Aslyn immediately started to stir in him. This was where the story really started to become addictive to me. Forbidden feelings, suppressed desires, and shattered preconceptions made for some heady reading. The tension between these two was tangible, and though Mick had every intention to seduce her from the start, suddenly, all he wants to do is protect her from himself and anyone else who would harm her. She brought a softness out in him, and an inner turmoil that was completely new to him.
He was a man accustomed to controlling his world, his fate, his destiny—yet where she was concerned, he’d lost his bearings. He felt as though she possessed a sledgehammer and was knocking away his wall of indifference, brick by brick. How would he protect himself when they were all gone? He didn’t know if he could find the resilience to stack the bricks back up.
One thing about the story that didn't work for me personally was the way that Kip's severe addiction was swept under the rug at the end. We were supposed to believe that his "lesson was learned" and he'll be fine as long as they watch over him. All will be well. I just can't accept that, it was a little to convenient to be believed. This was the only thing holding me back from giving this a full five stars, and it didn't affect my enjoyment all that much.
Overall, I was thrilled with the first installment in the Sins for all Seasons series. There was angst, passion, and belly flutters galore. I'm
FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:
0 komentarze:
Post a Comment