4*
(possible spoilers)
It’s always fun to visit the Wilde family. Thaddeus, the oh-so-proper heir-apparent to the Duke of Eversley, failed in his courting of Joan Wilde’s sisters Betsy and Viola, but her apparent illegitimacy prevents him from pursuing her because he must marry well. His lunatic father, who abandoned him and his mother shortly after his birth, wants him to revoke his birthright and will use any scandal to expedite it. However, what starts as a lark, helping Joan fulfill her desire to act on stage, becomes so much more as he’s taken in by her beauty, laughter, and general joie de vivre. That she is part of the loving, eccentric and accepting Wilde family seals the deal. He loves Joan, but also sees the rest of them as the family of his heart. Over time, he starts to drop the rigid, arrogant, aristocratic facade he’s perfected, and with her genuineness and trusting soul, he begins to shed the “disguise” he’s worn his entire life to reveal the fun, mischievous man he is at his core.
This enemies-to-lovers historical romance is the 6th book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series, and is as delightful as all the rest. The story mirrors Shakespeare’s Hamlet, with Joan taking a gender-bending turn as the Prince of Denmark, with Thaddeus unwittingly personifying Ophelia...without the tragic ending. It’s always a treat to visit with the large, boisterous and scandalous family of the Duke of Lindow. Plot-wise, there isn’t much to distinguish this book from others of the genre, but Eloisa James does a marvelous job of bringing her characters to life and allowing readers to share in the joy this family evokes. There are still two young Wildes in the nursery, so let’s hope we’ll be gifted with their stories in the near future.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
It’s always fun to visit the Wilde family. Thaddeus, the oh-so-proper heir-apparent to the Duke of Eversley, failed in his courting of Joan Wilde’s sisters Betsy and Viola, but her apparent illegitimacy prevents him from pursuing her because he must marry well. His lunatic father, who abandoned him and his mother shortly after his birth, wants him to revoke his birthright and will use any scandal to expedite it. However, what starts as a lark, helping Joan fulfill her desire to act on stage, becomes so much more as he’s taken in by her beauty, laughter, and general joie de vivre. That she is part of the loving, eccentric and accepting Wilde family seals the deal. He loves Joan, but also sees the rest of them as the family of his heart. Over time, he starts to drop the rigid, arrogant, aristocratic facade he’s perfected, and with her genuineness and trusting soul, he begins to shed the “disguise” he’s worn his entire life to reveal the fun, mischievous man he is at his core.
This enemies-to-lovers historical romance is the 6th book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series, and is as delightful as all the rest. The story mirrors Shakespeare’s Hamlet, with Joan taking a gender-bending turn as the Prince of Denmark, with Thaddeus unwittingly personifying Ophelia...without the tragic ending. It’s always a treat to visit with the large, boisterous and scandalous family of the Duke of Lindow. Plot-wise, there isn’t much to distinguish this book from others of the genre, but Eloisa James does a marvelous job of bringing her characters to life and allowing readers to share in the joy this family evokes. There are still two young Wildes in the nursery, so let’s hope we’ll be gifted with their stories in the near future.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
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