His Wicked Reputation by MAdeline Hunter - Review

Published: March 3, 2015

Number of pages: 401

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: Wicked Trilogy #1

Synopsis:

She was a sensible woman.
He was a man who could drive a woman senseless with desire.

Gareth Fitzallen is celebrated for four things: his handsome face, his notable charm, his aristocratic connections, and an ability to give the kind of pleasure that has women begging for more. Normally he bestows his talents on experienced, worldly women. But when he heads to Langdon’s End to restore a property he inherited—and to investigate a massive art theft—he lays plans to seduce a most unlikely lady.

Eva Russell lives a spinster’s life of precarious finances and limited dreams while clinging to her family’s old gentry status. She supports herself by copying paintings while she plots to marry her lovely sister to a well-established man. Everyone warns her of Gareth’s reputation, and advises her to lock her sister away. Only it is not her sister Gareth desires. One look, and she knows he is trouble. One kiss, however, proves she is no match for this master of seduction.

What did I think of this book:

This book takes places in Regency England and a few of the characters are Eva and her sister Rebecca, Gareth and his brother Ives, Eva's aunt Sarah, Erasmus and Harold two townsmen who help Gareth. 

I felt bad for Gareth that some of his family and society did nto accept him as a rightful heir or part of the family because he was the son of his father's mistress. I can also only imagine how hard it was on Eva and Rebecca trying to make ends meet. Eva seemed to take the weight of it on her shoulders as she was the oldest of the two sisters. 

The more I read of this book the more I enjoyed it. There was also a bit of a mystery in this story with the missing art that Gareth was trying to find. I did like the sense of adventure that played a part in this story as well. The relationship that Eva and Rebecca had was nice and I liked how Eva protected her sister no matter what it cost her. At times I found Eva and Gareth to be frustrating as I wanted them to have a relationship other than what they had. It was nice though to see Gareth and Eva become lovers then good friends. As a side story you had the relationship between Gareth and his brothers and what was going on since their brother Percy passed away. I liked how the two that were still living seemed to accept Gareth as one of the family. I enjoyed the ending of this story and am looking forward to the rest of the series. 

About the author:

Madeline Hunter is a two-time RITA award winner and seven-time finalist, and has twenty-five nationally bestselling historical romances in print, including The Accidental Duchess, The Counterfeit Mistress, and The Conquest of Lady Cassandra. A member of RWA’s Honor Roll, her books have been on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly. More than six million copies of her books are in print and her novels have been translated into thirteen languages. Madeline is a regular contributor on USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog with her Romance Unlaced column. She has a PhD in art history, which she teaches at the university level.

The Wicked Trilogy:

#1 His Wicked Reputation

#2 Tall, Dark &Wicked

#3 The Wicked Duke 

Watch for the reviews of the rest of the books in this trilogy.