A Hint of Wicked

James Family #1

by Jennifer Haymore

CAUGHT BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE . . .

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 cousin 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.

TORN BETWEEN TWO HUSBANDS . . .

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.

A HINT OF WICKED

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Fiction, Regency Romance, Historical Fiction

403 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Verity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware of ~*/O\* SPOILERS ~*/O\*~
JH has written a daring debut, full of romance, passion, emotional ups & downs, intrigue & sympathetic characters. Potential readers should know in advance that the heroine, Sophie, does have marital relations w/ both Hubbies, on separate occasions. There’s also a ménage fantasy (which is described in detail, not just a hint) & a slight tinge of BDSM, so if this is not your cuppa tea, stay away from this book. I can only presume the title alludes to the kinky heroine, who equally loves both of hubbies (in a different way) & is turned on by her own ménage fantasy.

Tristan has always carried a torch for Sophie, but when Garrett confessed to him that he intended to marry Sophie, Tristan gave her up & married another. From the get-go, we discover that Sophie’s preggers w/ her daughter & her hubby, Garrett, is declared MIA in Waterloo. Fast forward 8 yrs later, Sophie & Tristan are in conjugal bliss. To their eternal shock, Garrett comes back from the grave – literally barges in during Sophie & Tristan’s heated bedroom encounter – then wreaks havoc in their life. After the explosive encounter, Garrett’s friend drops the bombshell that Garrett only recently recovered parts of his memory. Garrett went home, not knowing that things have changed. Garrett has a 7 y/o daughter he never laid eyes on. Tristan, his cousin / heir – who has a 5 y/o son w/ his deceased wife - has married Sophie. What a tangled web. “Complicated” / “Awkward” doesn’t even begin to describe the nitemare. Garrett begins to try putting the pieces of his life together. Both men love Sophie. Sophie loves both men. Is it possible for her to love both men, to not hurt 1 man by loving the other more ? By law, she can only be married to 1 man. Garrett is determined to have Sophie’s 2nd marriage nullified. Tristan vows to fight for her by filing a countersuit on grounds of Garrett’s 8-year abandonment. Tristan’s determined to appeal if he loses. He’s lost her once to Garrett before, he refuses to give her up again, even tho’ the odds are stacked up high against him. Tristan & son, Gary, are forced to vacate their home. He has to relinquish his title & all its entitlements to Garrett.

What happens next is what makes this book so fantabulous. You can feel each key player’s yearning, anguish, frustration, confusion, heartache, desperation, vulnerability, bitterness, impotent rage, inner turmoil & every nuance of feeling, thru’ it all. Every stolen moment here & there is so precious to Tristan & Sophie, after Garrett imposes his will (and goes as far as installing guards @ their thresholds) to separate them. You sympathize w/ Garrett, who battles his inner demons & has lost : his memory, his chance to watch her daughter grow up the last 7 yrs, his beloved wife & the most devastating of all, his equilibrium as he’s told that he’s gradually descending into irreversible madness. As if there’s not enough drama, amidst this impossible love triangle, a villain w/ his own agenda, is meticulously trying to destroy their lives, in the name of revenge & greed.

Tristan’s wrecked w/ jealousy & rage whenever he sees Sophie w/ Garrett together & is tortured by images of his wife w/ Garrett. Likewise, Garrett is enraged & turns into a domineering boor as he tries to separate the lovebirds & to rekindle the flame that was extinguished (more like, subdued, actually) by circumstances beyond his power. Each of the heroes feels deeply betrayed whenever they see their spouse w/ the other man. There are sweet, tender moments when Garrett & Miranda try to reconnect their father – daughter bonding. There’s plenty of steam generated by the carnal desires of all 3 of them : Tristan & Sophie ; Garrett & Sophie ; Tristan, Garrett & Sophie (in her own kinky fantasy). There’s also the riddle of Garrett’s increasingly bizarre behavior, the rumors & grim final diagnosis that he’s losing his sanity. Yikes.

Sophie is 1 helluva heroine. Don’t let her ambiguous feelings turn you off. She may not always know who she wants, to be her eventual lifemate, but she is strong, fiercely protective of those she holds dear, dignified & a staunch supporter when Garrett’s mind is declining. She does her duties as a Duchess, loving mother, sister-in-law & wife. She does her best under the difficult & life-altering circumstances. She got the courage to go after the villain. When she makes the ultimate decision in choosing between Garrett & Tristan, it’s not a walk in the park. She follows her heart & finally realizes she has to let go 1 of them.

Garrett is 1 of the best dark tortured heroes in romancelandia & I can’t wait for his own story. I’m not sure if it’s a faux pas, but Garrett seems to have more screen time & textured layers than Tristan. He realizes on his own that Sophie’s a changed woman. Sophie is also aware that Garrett’s a changed man. They try to overcome their bitterness & rebuild the tattered pieces of their lives, after the devastating court ruling. Tristan is not helpless, though his prospect looks bleak. He fights his battle honorably & he does his own sleuthing, to unearth the real personality behind the villain’s façade. Tristan is kind, charming, considerate, endearing, a loving father & hubby, but there’s a steely core underneath & is more perceptive than Garrett. The ending is bittersweet. You can’t help but root for all of them to find their happiness, 1 way / another. Nothing is black & white here. JH’s perched herself on my auto-buy list w/ this amazingly beautiful debut.

[Kim H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. The middle 2/3 of it nearly put me to sleep; there wasn't a single character in it I could really identify with. It's wallpapery, neither of the heroes was fleshed out enough, an obvious device to keep the reader happy with the outcome either way it went, the end result for me being that I could have cared less. Either one would have been fine for a lackluster romance - which is all this ended up being. I totally get the whole torn between two lovers thing and was intrigued with the premise, but there's no romance in it for me if one of the main characters is in love with two people. I know if it had been the hero who felt like that about two women, it would have hit the wall. Part of it too is that the heroine is so ubiquitous; her character & actions felt contrived for the sole purpose of making this story work for a wider audience. If you could get any other sense of her at all from her actions it would be that she's utterly weak & self-serving and has no will of her own. Everything came across as a contrivance to get her in bed with two different men, and not even at the same time, which would have at least made it spicy, if not necessarily my cup of tea. And speaking of spice, the sex scenes were decidedly lacking in it... Aside from the opening bondage scene (which never actually does much for me anyway), the love scenes were quite dull. I grade this one at a C-.

[seton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A steady, slightly above-average historical mass-market debut from Haymore (who also writes erotic romances as Dawn Halliday). This looks to be the first of at least a Trilogy and the author leaves some storylines dangling so that they can be explored further in the next two books.

I have read two of the Dawn Halliday ebooks and for the most part enjoyed them but I am unsure whether I will continue reading this Regency trilogy as I have higher standards when reading historicals.

I didnt care for a lot of the writing decisions made in the book. This was a Love Triangle where the Losing Point (so to speak) was arguably the most vivid character in the book, which I think is a mistake. It made me NOT care about the more sedate, boring, thinly-drawn other characters and I didnt even particular LIKE the Losing Point Man. The "My Favorite Husband" situation could have been used to ratchet up the Angst but the author chose not too. The focus on the Triangle itself was diffused in the second half of the book with the manipulations of the one-dimensional villain. I wouldnt even call this a particularly STEAMY historical since I found most of the love scenes clinical and lacking in foreplay.

All this done in rather stilted prose that took me several days to wallow through.

Oh, almost forgot to mention: some more conventional readers might be offended by the Heroine's probably too modern open sexuality (like most historicals today, this IS a wallpaper one) and her actions with her two husbands but as a jaded, degenerate reader, I didnt have a problem with it :-)

Veteran romance readers would be aware that Mary Balogh's 1994 Victorian romance - Tangled - pretty much had exactly the same set-up as in AHOW. I much preferred how Balogh gave the messy situation much more angst and I even found the Balogh book HOTTER since the sex in TANGLED beautifully illustrated the growth in the principle relationship in classic Balogh fashion.

Grade: B-

[Dinjolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is just no way to salvage this book.
I felt that all the relationships that were going around were already tainted in some way.

Let me start with Sophie and Tristan
Tristan was in love with Sophie. She loved Garret. Garret and Sophie married. Tristan lived in hurt. Then he married. And all would have been strained if at this point Garret was gone. Because he was. But then we have Sophie and Garret's child in the mix. And then...and... then Nancy got pregnant and Tristan started loving Nancy. All this is 2 years after Garret is gone. How did he love Nancy and, you know, had sex with her, when the woman he loved all his life was now free? And he did marry Nancy because she was 'fun'. So,tarnished! And he had to take 4 years to live up to the courage to tell Sophie he loves her. Wait. What? Did he not love NANCY? How are we back at Soph? At what point does he love her? Is it again? Is it all this time? Is it now? Shat a mess.

Then we get Sophie and Garret.
I wanted to scream at the author to just make Garret go away. It's not just that he messed with Sophie's head. And messed with Tristan's love. All in all he messed everything! Also there was the fact that he was thinking of Jollie. How dare he! He himself knows that he does not care for her. But he gets a hard on over her. And random whores. And he thinks about how when he was young Sophie was the only woman for him but now...oh now!Now he can fuck who ever but he still WANTS HER! ARRRG!...just juck. Very very juck. I would have loved him more if he was constant. Really, I would have. I would have even wanted him to be the one to win Sophie. As it stands I come to the conclusion about

Sophie

Nobody was constant to this woman! All these men TELL me and THE WORLD that they love her, that they will love her forever and still..still..not one of them if faithful to that love. I wanted more for her. She went trough so much and for what? For who? I hated every doubt she had and every tear she shed. And I wanted it all to go back in time so she could choose again when she was young and when all was alright.

The ending

I didn't care. I just would not pick either of them. Garret was faithless now and Tristan just gave her up before. Garret thinks about a mistress in Europe and Tristan banged his wife even thou he had the need to travel the world so he did not have to spend any real time with her. What ever. Losers.

The evil twin
Is there anything to say? Is there really? He made me crazy from the start. He was EVERYWHERE! And guess what? I could have no more missed a big train going RIGHT AT ME than the plot development in which he was a villain.

Look at my rew of book 2. Why? Because it is fun! Wait, no it isn't. It's an even bigger mess.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotionally complex, sexy debut!

[Mafi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorei! Não ia com muitas expectativas pois estes livros tem quase todos a mesma fórmula e acaba sempre tudo bem mas não conseguia parar de ler, queria saber com quem é que a Sophie ia ficar! Agora quero ler os outros para ver o que vai acontecer :D

[Isabel Almeida (Os Livros Nossos) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um toque de perversão, (com o título original - A Hint of Wicked) é um romance histórico, cuja acção decorre em Inglaterra no Século XIX, na sequência da Batalha de Waterloo.
Garrett, o Duque de Calton, é dado como desparecido na referida batalha, e durante sete anos, a Duquesa Sophie e o primo do Duque - Lorde Tristan Westcliff - envidam todos os recursos ao seu dispor para o procurarem, mas sem sucesso.
Entretanto, o destino prega uma cruel partida a este trio aristocrático, e o Duque de Calton regressa passados sete longos anos, vivo, e disposto a retomar a sua vida de volta, assim como o amor de Sophie, a qual entretanto, reconstruira a sua vida junto de Tristan, o qual assumira a administração das propriedades do Duque.
Sophie vê-se então dividida entre dois amores, e surge ao longo do livro a questão sempre latente: pode Sophie amar ambos os homens? Como irá ela tomar a mais importante e dolorosa decisão de toda a sua vida? Como se explica o misterioso desaparecimento do Duque de Calton, durante longos anos e tendo sido arduamente procurado pela família que tanto o estimava? Estes são alguns dos dilemas colocados durante a narrativa.
A autora traça um retrato fiel da sociedade Inglesa do Século XIX, com o seu puritanismo por vezes exacerbado, as convenções sociais levadas ao extremo, e uma justiça que compactua com esta visão deveras limitada da moralidade vigente.
Em simultâneo, a autora soube habilmente inserir na obra um toque de sensualidade, em especial, descrevendo de forma explícita, porém elegante, os envolvimentos sexuais que as personagens vão tendo, mas onde o sexo surge envolvido num indiscutível turbilhão emocional, e por isso em nada choca o leitor este aspecto da obra.
No último terço da obra, e à medida que vamos descobrindo as respostas, surge também um momento de acção, com a perseguição a um crimonoso desevolvida por algumas das personagens, o que, a nosso ver confere à obra, um carácter de originalidade e também bastante dinamismo.

Em suma, uma leitura que recomendamos aos amantes do romance histórico e/ou sensual.

English Version of the review:

A Hint of Wicked (“Um toque de perversão” in the Portuguese Edition) it´s an historical novel, whose action takes place in England in the nineteenth century, following the Battle of Waterloo.

Garrett, the Duke of Calton, apparently disappeared in that battle, and for seven years, the Duchess Sophie and the Cousin of the Duke - Lorde Tristan Westcliff – used all the resources at their disposal to seek him, but without success.

However, the destiny preached a cruel departure to this aristocratic trio, and the Duke of Calton returns after seven long years, alive, and ready to resume his life back, as well as the love of his wife Sophie, which however, had reconstructed her life with Tristan, which had taken the administration of the properties of the Duke.

Sophie is then divided between two loves, and appears throughout the book the question always latent: can Sophie love both men? How will she take the most important and painful decision of her entire life?

How can be explained the mysterious disappearance of the Duke of Calton, a man that was loved by his family, a family that A family that had sought him zealously?
These are some of the dilemmas posed during the narrative.

The author draws a faithful portrait of the English Society of the nineteenth century, with its Puritanism, sometimes exacerbated, the social conventions carried to the extreme, and a judicial system that stands for this truly limited vision of the prevailing morality. At the same time, the author wisely inserted in the plot a touch of sensuality, in particular, describing explicitly, but in a very elegant way, the sexual involvements that the characters are having.

In this story, sex is involved in a undisputed emotional turmoil, and therefore, this detail it´s not shocking to the reader.

In the last third of the book, and to the extent that we are discovering the answers, there is also a moment of action, with the persecution of a criminal made by some of the main characters, which, in our view gives the work, the character of originality and also some dynamism.

In short, a reading that we recommend to all the readers who appreciate historical and sensual novels.

A Hint of Wicked

[Readdiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Players:
Sophie (Duchess of Calton); Garrett (Duke of Calton); Tristan (aka Lord Westcliff - a viscount- and Garrett's heir)

The Plot:
Sophie, Tristan and Garrett grew up together, becoming best friends, and while Garrett did marry Sophie, Tristan had been in love with her as well. However, Garrett leaves for war but ends up missing. After 8 years, Garrett is proclaimed legally dead and during that period, Sophie fell in love and built a life with Tristan. While engaging in a very intimate act, Tristan and Sophie are interrupted when a man crashes in to their bedroom and immediately starts pummelling Tristan. Lo and behold, Garrett was actually alive! He had been suffering from amnesia. And Sophie now has to choose which one of her husbands she will want to stay married to.

I had a feeling I was going to be disappointed after this and that the story would follow most love triangle plot lines where it so happens that one of the character's "true colors" are discovered etc etc and well, it'd be very easy for the heroine to make her choice.

Thankfully I was wrong! Sophie's relationship between both men are subtly illustrated and even though she loves both, and (gasp) desires both, I think she chose the right hero for her. (Sorry, but its not an erotic romance so she could only choose ONE, although Sophie does explore that very wicked fantasy of having both!)
There were moments where I wished Sophie wasn't so passive and I understood that it was linked with the fact that she loves both men and didn't want to hurt them. Plus, it was the 1800s and stayed true to that time. What could a woman who loved her family really do? My respect for her grew when she became more involved in her own fate and take action - however impotent it was at times. She was a strong heroine and it was obvious that she'd do anything for those she loves.

Tristan and Garrett were real to me. They were complicated and both had their share of weaknesses and strengths that complemented Sophie. They were essentially honorable, good men in an impossible situation. As the story progressed I could see that although she loved both, and both loved her, only one of them could really make her happy - I was rooting for him!

I'm glad the author didn't cop out but I did wish that there was more emphasis on the internal elements of the characters and their subsequent relationships. The story also involved a secondary character and his evil machinations to bring Garrett humiliation and, quite possibly, death. I felt that the subplot with the evil villain was a bit ... contrived. It was predictable and the evil villain one dimensional.

I was unclear about one thing though - Garrett's motivation to participate in the war seeing as he was the Duke and Tristan was his heir, I'd've expected Tristan to have gone. But that's trivial.

All in all, an atypical romance that is sure to make some people absolutely hate (the heroine was not very 'pure') but one which I was absolutely delighted over and hope there'll be more like it in the future. Grade B.

[Kelly Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Jennifer Haymore grew up in Hawaii, where she surfed, learned how to fly airplanes, raced bicycles, and developed a love for sailing. She has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in Education from UCLA. Before she became a full-time writer she held various jobs from bookselling to teaching inner-city children to playing bit roles in soap operas. A Hint of Wicked is her first published title. Jennifer resides in Southern California with her husband and their three children.
When Sophie’s husband, Garrett, died at the battle of Waterloo, it was their childhood friend, Tristan who picked her up and helped the Duchess of Calton get over the tragedy. Giving her body and soul to him, Tristan introduced her to a passion she never knew. Now married seven years later, they are happy with their newly formed family and life together. That is until Garrett returns and wants his land, his title, and his wife back. Garrett, scarred in both body and mind, will do anything to regain all of his memories and make up for lost time. Unsure which man she is even legally married to, Sophie is forced to choose between the childhood love from then, and the best friend she grew to love after. As the two men battle for her affections, Sophie begins to question the motives behind the man Garrett brought home with him- a supposed confidant and war hero. They soon discover that this is more than a question of love, it is a dangerous game of revenge and reprisal. One in which someone may not survive.
The only fault I can find with the book was the title. I understand why it was chosen, or used, but it didn’t seem a great fit for me.
I have to give a lot of credit to the author, Jennifer Haymore. To use this plot in a regency historical romance, and in a debut novel no doubt, was brave, unique, and intriguing. So, bravo Jennifer! She truly understands the style and period for regency. The characters were relatable and engaging. You could feel their frustration and torment seeping out of the page. The secondary characters moved the plot along nicely and were charming, as well. There weren’t any moments throughout the story where I lost interest, nor were where any dead spots. The setting was spectacular and you could envision it easily.
A Hint of Wicked is a clever, provoking, and steamy story from an upcoming author to keep your eye out for!
Kelly Moran
Author and Reviewer

[Celia {Hiatus until August} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Não podemos ter tudo...
A vida é feita de escolhas, tal como referiu Garrett, se houve algo que aprendeu na vida, é que não podemos ter tudo... E por vezes tudo, é demais...
Livro e história envolvente, por mais que tentasse tomar partido, não consegui. Conforme a história se ia desenvolvendo, mais difícil se tornou fazer uma escolha.
Impossível não nos identificarmos com a Sophie, julgo que todos nós, em qualquer altura da nossa vida, tivemos de fazer uma escolha que não queríamos, que não sabíamos e que, qualquer que fosse a escolha, todos sairiam magoados.
Jennifer Haymore mostra o lado humano, o lado oculto, sem tabus, do conflito interno que todos nós passamos quando temos de fazer uma escolha que não queremos, porque no fundo, queremos tudo...
É tão fácil julgar quando se está por fora.
O que mais me cativou foi ser tão real e a autora não tentar fazer as personagens perfeitas nem com falsos moralismos.
Adorei!!!

[Cinnamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hint of Wicked is the story of one voracious woman and two very hunky men. As is always the case when we find ourselves in this situation, there is bound to be some great drama. Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, is our heroine and although she's different from the normal rear-kicking tough girls I've been reading lately, she's still strong in her own right. She might not go around wearing tight leather, chasing down the world's evil, but she has a fantastically strong personality that just bleeds off the page. Haymore has done an excellent job with creating a strong woman in this time period and has obviously done her research. For the most part, Sophie conforms to the time period's rules of propriety without coming across as meek, mild and completely bland. Just as the colors of the cover pop out and dance with the eyes, Sophie is a wonderfully colorful character who draws the reader in, becoming a real, flesh and blood person rather than just black words on a grey page.

As in any good romance, there's the beautiful femininity of the heroine and the roguish attraction of the hero. In this case we have two heroes. Holy cow, ladies, you better grab your loveliest fan because these guys are guaranteed to steam up the room. Garrett, Sophie's childhood sweetheart and husband is powerfully built and comes complete with roguish charm. Nothing holds sway over his heart the way that Sophie does. If possible, he would literally turn the world upside down for her. Enter Tristan. Impeccably dressed to the nines, he holds a different charm from Garrett. Completely attractive, his personality is as much as turn-on as Garrett's body is. When Garrett leaves for war and news of his possible death at the battle of Waterloo reaches Sophie and Tristan, it just about breaks them both. Years later, when hope of Garrett's return finally dies away, the two friends realize the flame of desire between them and wed, beginning a happy life as husband and wife. What could be better? They are Duke and Duchess, wanting for nothing, safe in each other's arms. Right up until the moment that Garrett returns that is.

What follows is a harrowing story of love, betrayal, passion, madness and intrigue. What will Sophie's fate be when she's confronted by two husbands? Will she have to choose between them? Is she even capable of doing that? With her two men vying for her heart and fighting against one another, Sophie wants no more than to welcome happiness back into their lives, but it seems that the entire world is set to fight against her.

As you may have noticed, I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book. Did I mention that I loved it? I usually tend toward Urban Fantasy when choosing books to read, but this one called out to me and I am so ecstatic that I welcomed it. I have not read a book so full of passion and emotion in a long while. I was literally perched on the very edge of my seat, my eyes ripping through the words, trying very hard to force myself not to skip down just to find out what happens next. As with any Regency novel, this one was full of the intrigue that seemed to flow throughout the time period. Haymore does a fantastic job of creating twists, turns and side stories to keep us guessing throughout the book.

The characters! Oh, man the characters. What a fantastic job Haymore did with her character development. We continued to watch Sophie, Garrett and Tristan develop throughout the book, but from the moment they stepped foot on the page, they had already become real people. Their complexities, beauty and quirks all made them so very realistic. At times, it was difficult to remember that I was reading a book and not sitting, watching a beautifully produced play.

Haymore did a fantastic job of bringing her story to life and I highly recommend everyone go out, buy the book and read it. That being said, here it is: Fair Warning Time. There are adult themes in this book. There are intimate scenes sweetly depicted within these colorful pages. While not overflowing, there are enough scenes that I would be amiss if I didn't let readers know. In no way does it detract from the story and the scenes are written so beautifully that it really does play an integral part in what makes this book so fantastic. I would give it a sensuality rating of 4.

I give A Hint of Wicked a giant A. Seriously, I would not be surprised in the slightest if people are talking about this book for a while. It will hold an honored spot on my bookshelf and I imagine I'm going to have to protect the cover so that it doesn't fall off after I've read it over and over again. What are you waiting for? Go read it!

[Cocktails and Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Amazon for having this a one of your $.99 specials this week, otherwise I may not have downloaded.

As children, no one could separate Garrett, his cousin Tristan and Sophie when they were children. So it was no surprise when Garrett and Sophie married when she was eighteen. They had four short years together before he was assumed dead after the battle of Waterloo.

Fast forward eight years and we find Sophie and Tristan married. While she still loves Garrett and misses him, she is deeply in love with Tristan and he with her. Sophie feels as if she's finally able to being the woman she's become, rather than the grief stricken widow.

When Tristan is ripped from Sophie during an intimate moment, both of them are shocked to find a dirty and ragged looking Garrett is standing in their bedroom ready to kill Tristan. The three of them aren't able to process the turn of events. Garrett thinks Tristan was raping his wife, Tristan's first thought was now he'd lose the woman that he loves and Sophie doesn't know what to think.

I loved Tristan and Sophie. Through the pages (electronic as they were) you could feel the depth of feeling they had for each. Even when Sophie was torn between the two men, you could tell that the feelings she had for Tristan were those of a woman, compared to the girlish love she had for Garrett. They truly were a team, even when they were forced apart.

Although Garrett was the villain of this story, I didn't like him. Didn't like the way he saw Sophie as a possession, rather than a person. Didn't like that he couldn't excuse her moving on with her life when she thought he was dead. And most definitely didn't like the way he tended to discount her feelings. I know he'd gone through some horrific events, but it just seemed like he couldn't get past his hurt to take a look at the bigger picture.

We do have a nice villain, who worms his way into the Duke of Carlton's life and then takes off with a precious piece of Carlton property. Of course, this is after he has completely wreaked havoc through Garrett, Tristan and Sophie's lives.

The only thing I didn't like was the way the book ended. It seemed like we were left hanging. I know there are 2 other books to the series and that the next book will probably answer all the question I felt were left hanging out there, but I wanted a little bit more closure than what we got at the end.

Overall, this was freaking good read. I know it's good when I have to force myself not to skip to the end of the book to see what's happening (which was one of the first things I had learned to do on my Kindle and then on my e-reader apps on my iPad. I know...I'm bad)

4 Cocktails

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found a copy of this and thought the cover, stepback and premise all looked/sounded good so I decided to give this a shot. And unfortunately it was not a great time. 😬 This story centers around a love triangle, which I personally don’t mind this trope (when done well). Sophie, Garrett and Tristan all grew up together. While both guys (who also happen to be cousins) had feelings for Sophie, Garrett declared his feelings first so he and Sophie got married. Garrett is off at war and witnesses observed him suffering an injury during a battle which he never returns home from so after almost 7 years later he is finally declared dead. Tristan and Sophie then get married and are living blissfully, until one night while in the middle of some sexy times including her being tied naked to the bed 👀 Garrett shows back up. Then we hop back and forth with Sophie as she struggles between loving 2 men and having to decide who is her actual husband, while they both fight for her love, since she’s married both.

I really didn’t care for the writing in this one but I was determined to give it a shot since I picked up 2 books by this author and they both sounded so good. This is supposed to be a historical romance but it honestly didn’t feel like one with nothing really happening in the story to explain the time, the way the writing is, and just the whole vibe felt off. If love triangles aren’t you’re thing then definitely skip this one as we have the heroine with both men (separately) throughout the book. The heroine does have a little moment/daydream of wanting to get with both men at the same time & honestly maybe it should have gone that route to spice up this lackluster story. 🤷🏼‍♀️ The characters were really lacking for me on depth & I sadly wasn’t a fan of any of them. If all that happening wasn’t enough to already work with, we also have some amnesia, nightmares & violence outbursts, and a random villainous side-plot happening in this story.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. I'm not sure what to say about this book. It was both good and bad in ways. Very angst filled and with an unusual plot that you would believe could not be resolved easily. And it wasn't. I'm not completely happy with the ending although I'm glad she chose who she did. I can't say how I would have changed it, other than to say it was almost anti-climactic.

I loved Tristan. I cannot imagine how it must feel to lose everything you love in a moment's time. Garrett was a character you hated yet alternately felt sorry for. Waterloo and time and another person's twisted revenge ruined his life.

Sophie to me was very selfish. I never warmed up to her at all. I think she needed to be more forceful and she needed to come to a decision well before she did, because she hurt two good men in the process, even though it wasn't her intention to. I definitely think she belonged with the man she chose though.

I will read the upcoming sequel only because I would like the other male lead to have his HEA. I can't say Jennifer Haymore will become an auto buy author for me though.

[Xana · Rating 2 out of 5]

A classificação certa seria 2,5*. Não foi maçador,mas não deu para me entusiasmar.
Depois de tanto ler este tipo de histórias, e apesar de este ser um pouco diferente em vários aspectos, faltou-lhe algo.
A personagem feminina é até uma mulher forta, mas tanta indecisão cansou-me.
Não me apaixonei definitivamente.

[Angelc]

Definitely not my style, get me outta here!! Others may like this style of book, but it's not for me. Didn't find this storyline to be romantic at all. Read 30 pages or so, did not finish.

[Elizabeth (Liz)]

I can't finish this one. This storyline is absolutely *painful* to read! I cannot stand Tristan, not anything about him! And I know how this ends. Enough is enough!

[Romance Novel TV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Stacy Ahlgren
4 Stars

CAUGHT BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE . . .

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.
TORN BETWEEN TWO HUSBANDS . . .

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.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Hint of Wicked” is mostly the story of Sophie, who had married her childhood sweetheart Garrett and tragically lost him - or so she thought - at Waterloo. Naturally, she’s devastated, and grieves a long time for the wonderful man she married. Several years later, after Garrett is declared legally dead, she finds it within herself to love again, and the man who has captured her heart is Tristan, another childhood friend, someone who loved Garrett almost as much as she did. Together they begin a new life, one filled with love, and promise, and incredible passion.

But just as Sophie and Tristan have found happiness and are enjoying their new life, they are shocked by the return of a most beloved friend from their old one when Garrett returns to England, stunning them both. And it’s no surprise that Garrett wants his life - and his wife - back.

Of course now that Tristan is married to Sophie, this causes a huge rift between the once close friends. Garrett and Tristan now look upon each other as the enemy, and Sophie is caught in the middle of the two men she cares for deeply, torn in her loyalties. While she’s ecstatic and relieved that Garrett is alive, and loves him still, she married Tristan, and now loves him as her husband. But Garrett is determined to regain his life back and all that went with it, so he petitions the court to make a decision on who is Sophie’s actual and true husband.

Garrett is not the same man that Sophie married. Time and his mental condition have changed him, as well as the fact that while he was away, he was not residing as the Duke he was, but rather laboring as a farmer in Belgium, unaware of his life and responsibilities in England. Yet once he begins to remember his former life, he immediately makes his way back to Sophie, only to discover his lovely wife has remarried his best friend.

And Sophie is not the same young, innocent woman she was when she married Garrett. Growing up, he was always her protector, the one who looked out for both her and Tristan, yet since his disappearance, Sophie has had to make many adjustments in her life, including raising a child on her own, and these changes have made her the strong, resilient woman she is now. Tristan has become her best friend, the person she tells her deepest secrets to, and he’s the only other person in the world who truly understands the sense of grief and loss she experienced when Garrett never returned home after Waterloo. She falls in love with him and they marry. When Garrett does return home, she acknowledges that she loves and desires two men, yet refuses to be the one to choose between them.

Tristan has always loved Sophie, but never revealed his true feelings when it became evident that Garrett and Sophie loved each other. He stepped aside, never revealing the depth of his feelings for Sophie. But now that she is his wife, he refuses to step aside again, and vows to fight for the woman he believes should be his. But will this tug of war destroy them all?

My thoughts (possible spoilers):

I knew right off that this book was going to be a little different by the way Sophie and Tristan first learn that Garrett is alive, and it’s incredibly uncomfortable and emotionally wrenching for all of them. This understandably sets the tone for future confrontations between the three, resulting in hostile, bitter exchanges that resolve nothing, and resentment stirs in both Tristan and Garrett. I’ll admit I had to read this book twice before I could collect my thoughts and write this review, and it was easier the second time around, obviously because I now knew what to expect.

Sophie is perhaps my favorite character, infused with strength and compassion and the resolve not to hurt those she loves. It’s been mentioned in other reviews about her refusal to choose between Garrett and Tristan, and how her decision is not based on inaction nor a weak nature, but rather because she does care so much for each man and cannot be the one to cause either additional pain. Sophie is determined to make the best of the cards that have been dealt, all the while knowing that her fantasy of loving two men will never come to fruition, and she must eventually make a choice as to which man is her true husband. And she does, but never once is it an easy decision. It breaks her heart.

Tristan is a man of honor, the friend who stood by years ago and watched the woman he loved marry his best friend. He cares deeply for them both and is at peace with his choice, if not exactly happy about what he’s sacrificed, but he moves on and builds a life of his own, and he is content. He grieves as much as Sophie for the loss of Garrett, and believes in his heart that being with Sophie is something Garrett would have wanted. Throughout the story we see evidence of Tristan’s honor warring with his heart’s desire. His strongest impulse was to grab Sophie and the children and run away with them, but he knows he cannot, and that is partially why I loved him so much. He still did the right thing, even when it tore him away from Sophie. He could never live with himself if he broke her spirit.

Garrett. I had a heck of a time warming up to him in the beginning. There were times when he was cruel and unforgiving, though we learn the reason for some of his behavior later in the story. But when he first returns, he’s cold, uncompromising, with a deadly edge to him. There is little of the old Garrett left, but Sophie clings to the belief that deep-down, he hasn’t changed that much for the young man she fell in love with. And as we get to know Garrett, both from glimpses of his childhood as well as his experiences in the war and afterwards, I felt more compassion towards him. Here is a man who’s returned home after being gone for eight long years, which must have felt like an eternity to someone who cannot remember his past. When he returns, it’s not just to discover his wife remarried, but also to his seven-year-old daughter, and a sister who is no longer a child. And, there’s a very good chance he’s completely mad…

Ms. Haymore does not shy away from the intimacy issue. Here is Sophie, a sensual woman who’s experienced sexual pleasure in the bed of both her husbands, and her desire does not cease to exist when her first husband returns, complicating her life greatly. In her deepest fantasies, she longs to experience the pleasure of making love to the two men she loves at the same time, yet rationally she knows it can never happen. Tristan and Garrett are not the type of men to share the woman they love. She knows in her heart she must say good-bye to one of them. The love she has for her two husbands is as much a physical part of her as it is an emotional one, and she expresses her feelings with her body as well as her heart. So yes, Sophie does have sex with Tristan, and later with Garrett, and it’s deeply pleasurable for her each time. She doesn’t let guilt or shame taint her time in their beds. Sophie is a woman who passionately loves two men, and she won’t regret loving either of them.

I think this story would have been incredibly compelling if it had concentrated solely on the heart-wrenching dilemma between these three people, that it could have delved deeper into the emotional complications they had to work through. Instead, there is a secondary plot that closely intertwines with Garrett’s return and partially explains his strange behavior. I wish there hadn’t been so much time invested in this aspect of the story, even though it did make for interesting suspense, but I felt the story would have been more effective without all that subterfuge. Still, “A Hint of Wicked” is a powerful story in many ways, and while the romance angle is resolved, it is not without its share of heartache. Jennifer Haymore wrote an unforgettable story that stayed with me long after I put the book down.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is difficult to rate because even though the writing is good, it does not quite fit into the traditional romance novel. It was a little to ménage a trois for me....

Sophie, Tristan, and Garrett grew up together. When Garrett ascended to the dukedom, he confided in Tristan that Sophie would be his wife. Tristan had privately loved Sophie as well, but he didn't fight Garrett on it. Sophie and Garrett were married and then he went off to war. Garrett was presumed dead and was missing for 8 years. During that time, Tristan and Sophie developed a close relationship and were married. Then we find that Garrett was not killed after all and had just lost his memory. He returns and wants his life, and wife, back. Garrett is determined to destroy what Sophie and Tristan have built together. And someone is trying to destroy Garrett. Thus, the chaos begins.

What I liked: The writing is solid, and the mystery (even though I figured out the bad guy) kept me turning pages. The book was sensual and had pretty heated scenes that were pretty unique. I liked Tristan's character too. He was consistent, level headed, and the only character who was true to himself. Garrett and Sophie's daughter Miranda was also a nice touch, albeit a bit mature for her age.

What I didn't like: This book did not fit into the usual formula of what I like to see in that there was not a lot of interaction between the lovers (except for some heated scenes), the lovers were not constant to each other, and I was not convinced at the end that they belonged together. Garrett was an idiotic ass. He refused until the end of the book to listen to others and consider the fall out of his actions. He also expected his wife to wait for him and thought that she was wrong to remarry after 8 years of mourning him. What?! Finally, there was a touch of BDSM at the beginning of the story. Not too in your face, but it was still there. I get why it was used (to show contrast between Sophie's relationship with Tristan v. Garrett), but I don't usually read erotica and read romance instead because I don't really care for it. It wasn't tacky, but just be prepared.

What I am still not sure about: Sophie's character. On the one hand, she displays a lot of strength and level headedness in the face of adversity. On the other, I became frustrated that she couldn't make up her mind. We see her sleep with both men. We see her refuse to choose and graphically fantasize about having both. And then, suddenly, she somehow makes her choice, but I never saw her thoughts going that way and still do not feel that she had truly confined herself to monogamy. This really, really bugs me. I know she has been married to both men, but I don't think it was fair to either of the men for her to behave as she did. She sent mixed signals, confused everyone, and prolonged the agony. It was a twisted love triangle instead of a romantic relationship.

Overall: Haymore displays a solid writing style, interesting sensuality, and good storytelling. I didn't care for her characters, but I think she showed enough talent for me to try another and see if her characterization in other books is more to my taste. 3 stars.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more unusual romances I've read in a while, Jennifer Haymore delivers a sensual, complicated plot that leaves the reader begging for more.

Sophie, our heroine, is caught in an unusual love triangle consisting of herself, her long lost but believed to be dead husband Garrett, and her current husband Tristan. To make things more complicated, Tristan is Garrett's cousin and inherited Garrett's title when he was believed to have died at Waterloo. Sophie has loved both men romantically and will be forced to choose between them when Garrett returns from the dead.

Sophie is a sympathetic heroine in every sense of the word. Her childhood sweetheart--Garrett--was everything she could have ever wanted. She married him and gave him a child. She waited eight years for his return before Tristan stepped in and they fell in love. Both of them had deep remaining affections for Garrett. But he is not the same person he used to he. He has been deeply affected by the war and has holes in his memories. Sophie finds herself longing for Tristan and what she used to have with Garrett.

Even with the love triangle and all of its complications, Haymore manages to include a suspense plotline in the story as well. As a debut novel, I was impressed. Up until the end, I was compelled to continue turning the pages. I expect that we'll continue to see stellar work from Haymore. It gets four stars instead of five only because there was a piece of the ending missing. I wish she'd given us an epilogue, but I'm guessing she may be saving that for a future book.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, talk about dilemma! Sophie loves Tristan and is happy but...*music of doom* While they are doing it her husband rushes in. Yes her husband who has been dead for 7 years. He is her legal hubby then. But, she loves Tristan. But she also loves Gareth, her first love.

Ok so you see the dilemma. She is in love with 2 men. And it's not her fault since Gareth went missing at Waterloo. She did not even re-marry that long ago. It really tore at the heartstrings, but yes I was team Tristan. She loved, she lost and she loved again. Tristan was awesome, and deserved a hug.

Gareth, no, I did not feel it. But then he had ISSUES. And first love, well, she grew up, they were not right for each other anymore.

All in all, a great book. I had suddenly read 200 pages, the next day, same thing happened. Romance, struggle, and drama promised, plus danger.

On another note. I have read book 2 and I do want to read book 3 too. A good series

[Diane Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book 3.5 stars. I liked it, but didn't really enjoy it. Love triangles make me uncomfortable because there is no truly good resolution. And in this book there were even children involved! I couldn't really get into the heroine, Sophie -- her motivations were not entirely clear to me. I liked things about both heroes, but didn't love either of them. Not my favorite book.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical historical romance story, but I really liked it. Hard to put down.

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole story is heartbreaking and I remembered why I hate this romance trope: too much sadness, on all sides, not even the HEA makes it up for me.

[Ermione Pickwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was painful. Sweetly so.

[Özlem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Türkiye'deki historical romance eksikliğinden ötürü bizde adı duyulan ama devamı gelmeyen yazarların kitaplarını okumaya başlayalı 2 seneden fazla oldu. Ama onlar bile yetmedi, bu yüzden bizde hiçbir kitabı çıkmamış historical yazarlara da bu sene itibarıyla sarmış bulunuyorum. Gerçi şu ana kadar 4 yazar ile tanıştım ama bunların 3'ünün adı ya duyulmamış ya da erotik kitaplara kaçan yazarlardan oluşuyordu. Jennifer Haymore okuduğum 4. yazar oldu ama resmi olarak ilk kez tamamıyla historical yazan bir yazara başlamış bulunuyorum. Ve keşke ilk deneyimim güzel sonuçlansaydı. Maalesef kitap beklentimin çok altında kaldı.

Konusunu ilk okuduğum zaman oldukça heyecanlanmıştım. Çünkü başarılı bir şekilde kurgulanması oldukça zor bir hikaye mevcut. Belki yazar altından kalkmayı başarmıştır diye düşündüm ama okuduktan sonra Goodreads puanına bakınca 3.58'in bile yüksek olduğunu anladım. En fazla 3.30 olabilecek bir kurguya sahipti.

Karakterlerin her birine hak vermiş olsam da genel olarak beni çok yordular. Benim gözümde Sophie karakteri gerçekte Garett'ı seviyordu fakat Tristian'a duyduğu şehvet daha önde olduğu için seçimi ondan yana olmuş izlenimi verdi. Sophie, Tristian'a da belli bir aşk duyuyordu ama dediğim gibi, konu Tristian olunca cinsel arzular aşka göre daha ön plandaydı.

Tristian genel olarak iyi bir karakterdi. Gençliğinde Sophie fırsatını kaçırmış olsa da kaderin cilvesiyle 2. şansı elde etti ve bu şansı elinden kaçırmamak için her şeyiyle savaştı. Fakat katakteri başka bir romanda görsem eminim ki daha çok severdim. Çünkü bir yerden sonra hayran olduğum mücadelesi ona kıyasla beni daha çok yıprattı.

Garett, diğer 2 baş role göre daha gri tonlarda geziyordu. Bu yüzden kitabın en gerçekçi karakteri kendisi oluyor. Savaş sonrası yaptıkları bilinçsizce olsa da aynı davranışları eşi yapınca takındığı tavırlar beni oldukça delirtti. Sonuçta Sophie göz göre göre Tristian'a koşmadı. İkisi de onu yıllarca arayıp durdular ama ölü olduğu kesinleşince birbirlerinde huzuru bulmaya cesaret ettiler ve evlenene kadar gayet de ahlaklı diyebileceğimiz bir süreçle yollarına devam ettiler. Evlilikten itibaren de olması gerektiği gibi karı koca hayatı sürdüler 1 seneye yakın süre boyunca. Zaten sonrasında Garett'in gelişiyle durum karman çorbaya dönüyor. Sophie ve Tristian bir şekil Garett'tan haber alsaydı ikisi birbirlerine asla yanaşmazdı. Kısacası karakterin sürekli suçlayıcı tavırlar takınması da hoşlanmadığım kısımlardan biriydi. Üstüne bir de fikirleri konusunda dikine gitmesi iyice bezdiriyor okurken. Yine de kendine çeki düzen vermeye ve hayattan ne istediğini bulmaya çalışması büyük kusurlarını biraz da olsa affettiriyor.

Karakterlerden daha çok yoran bir şey varsa o da yazarın kalemi oldu. Sürekli aynı cümleleri kullanması ve bir durumu her bölümde anlatıp durması kitaptan iyice soğuttu beni. Bu kitap yazarın ilk kitabıymış, bu yüzden acemilikler çok göz önündeydi fakat yazma hayatına bu şekil başlamışsa sonraki kitaplarında da buna yakın tarzla devam etmiştir diye düşünüyorum. Öğrenmek için farklı bir serisini okumam lazım.

Umuyorum ileride daha çok seveceğim kitapları olur.

[Amal Bukhari · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good novel

[Errolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description of this story really intrigued me, and I was anticipating a good romance read that did not follow the normal pattern of most romance books. Reading romance you come to expect the basic plot lines and story twists, so every once in a while it is nice to break out of that pattern and be surprised. Most of the time it is very satisfying if done correctly. This book was good in that it has a pretty unique plot for historical romance, and on top of that...it has a secondary storyline that also strays from norm.Sophie's first love and husband is missing and presumed dead at the battle of Waterloo. For many years she has searched for him in hopes that he will turn up, and throughout those years Tristan, Garret's close childhood friend and hers, remained by her side. After seven years of hoping, Sophie finally has Garrett declared dead and decides to move on. Tristan also lost his wife in those years to childbirth...so they are both now free to act on their feelings for each other and they marry. The book opens a year later when a night of love making is interrupted by none other than Garrett himself. He is pissed off and angry...and a bit unstable...but he is her husband and intends to reassert himself. Tristan, who has always loved Sophie since childhood but did not pursue her due to Garrett, refuses to give her up and vows to fight for her even when his marriage to her is annulled as illegal by the courts. Sophie is torn between the two men: One who was her first love and whom she pined for for years..and one who she loves just as much and who she has experienced more freedom with than ever with her life.But we also see from the start that something is amiss with Garrett. He is erratic and angry. He shows up with a man named Fisk who he claims saved his life in battle and who found him years later and brought him back to himself. He had lost his memory for years and Fisk nursed him back to health and took care of him. He gives Fisk unprecedented access to his finances and life and listens to him above all others. He also treats Sophie like a prisoner in her own home...out of fear that she will run off and his possessive nature. And despite their many years of friendship, he treats Tristan like a criminal who stole his life, the reader gets and idea though, that he is working off false information. As the book progresses the mystery of Fisk and his role in Garrets illness and state of mind is revealed as both Sophie and Tristan start to doubt him. It is unraveled throughout the book, and till the end of the book...Fisk's story is still not really fully resolved.The main complaint with the book is the Fisk angle. I liked the mystery and suspense portion of the book ...and that storyline was interesting. But I felt that more time was spent exploring and hashing out this portion of the story at the expense of the romance. Yeah I like when romance books do things differently...but I still expect the romance to me the main focus. With all the time spent on the mystery of Fisk, I felt like I did not get a good enough read of who the two men Sophie was stuck between were. So when she made her decision..it felt kind of random to me. I felt more time should have been spent building up the relationship between the three and convincing the reader that Sophie had reason to be torn. I did not fully buy it...especially with the way Garrett was acting in some portions of the book. I wanted to see both men competing for her and showing why they were worth the fight, and why she was so loyal to one or the other...instead we just got more focus on them solving the mystery of Fisk and chasing bad guys. So at the end..it felt a bit abrupt. I felt like I was reading more of a mystery than a romance.

[Sandy M · Rating 5 out of 5]

After hearing so much about this book, I did hope that it would live up to the hype going around the internet. It definitely did that and so much more. Ms. Haymore does a beautiful job of interweaving the lives of three characters you can’t help but like and sympathize with when fate takes an ugly and tragic turn, turning their lives into a living nightmare where before nothing but love had been between them.

Garrett, Tristan, and Sophie grew up together, inseparable until Garrett made his intentions toward Sophie known. Tristan gracefully bowed out, roaming the world and allowing his cousin to marry the woman they both loved. The newlyweds are ecstatically happy, but war intervenes and Garrett heads out to fight for his country, leaving behind a pregnant Sophie, never knowing he will some day be a father.

Word of Garrett’s death reach Tristan and Sophie and they take comfort in each other as they grieve. It takes a few more years before Sophie is ready to move on, but she’s fallen in love with Tristan and they marry, only to have their happiness torn in two a year later when Garrett storms back into their life, demanding their marriage be invalidated by the court while not giving a thought to how they feel about the situation. Sophie finds herself caught between the two men who mean everything to her, the two men she loves with all her heart, but there’s nothing she can do when her life with Tristan is annihilated with the stroke of a pen.

Garrett is not the same man she married, just as she’s not the same woman, and living with him again is both a joy and quite painful; she still loves him in spite of everything. He begins to exhibit strange behavior and doesn’t believe a word the quack of a doctor that her husband’s aide pulls out of thin air says; Garrett is not going insane. All the while, living without Tristan is also taking its toll; she loves him and misses him in her bed. And Tristan is not letting go this time, he’s doing everything he can to have their marriage re-validated, all the while trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Garrett. The closer she and Tristan get to uncovering that evil plot, the closer danger is to all of them, and it’s Sophie who is about to pay the highest price of all, in more ways than one.

Ms Haymore has given Sophie a dilemma that no woman would ever want to face. How do you choose between your best friends, the men you’ve loved all your life, loved in more than one way? She does a terrific job of giving the reader the points of view from all three characters; you get inside their heads and hearts to feel all those swirling, angry, tumultuous but poignant emotions, to live through all those painful memories, all that tragic heartache. Of course, the writing has to be terrific to get all of that across in the way that it is, and Ms. Haymore does one spectacular job of it all.

I loved every last word of A Hint of Wicked.


See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com

[Dácil González · Rating 1 out of 5]

Creo que hacia mucho tiempo que no me encontraba con una novela tan pésima como esta. Aunque a decir verdad ya viendo que la recomendaba Nicole Jordan tenía que haberme imaginado que muy buena no podía ser.

En Infiel nos vamos a encontrar con una mujer casada que su marido se va a la guerra y desaparece y ella se enamora del primo de este. Como no podía ser de otra manera su marido regresa y se encuentra con el pastel.
No es la primera vez que leo un argumento de estas caracteristicas y la mayoría de las veces las autoras saben llevarlo bien e incluso salvar la historia.

Solo me he encontrado dos novelas que la autora no ha sabido por donde salir y han sido Dos veces amada de Lavyrle Spencer, novela que abandoné y esta, que la terminé por pura cabezonería.

Intento imaginarme una manera de que la novela se hubiera podido salvar pero creo que deberia haberla escrito otra persona directamente.
La protagonista es de lo más inmaduro que me he encontrado nunca. Tranquilamente le dice a sus dos maridos que los ama a ambos y que lo mejor sería que ellos lo aceptaran y dejaran que ella los amara a ambos sin más problemas...
Total...que hombre no ansia compartir a la mujer que ama con su propio primo? es de locos.

Por si fuera poco estos dos lores no tienen sangre en las venas, son dos hombres a los que la protagonista mangonea a su antojo, que babean y suspiran por ella a pesar de que esta juega a dos bandas sin esconderse un segundo. Ellos están como dos niños esperando que les toque su turno para jugar...

Creo que el argumento encajaría más en una novela erótica donde la protagonista se podría dar el gusto de estar con los dos a la vez y ellos tendrían la mente mas abierta a ello o incluso en una novela actual. Pero sinceramente esta situación y muchas otras que me he encontrado en la historia no tienen sentido en una novela ambientada en la regencia...

Este ha sido mi primer contacto con la autora y aunque el mes que viene sale su segundo libro yo tengo claro que no lo voy a leer.