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Lord Gabriel Sharpe has spent the last seven years, since his best friend Roger Waverly's death, drowning in guilt and dealing with it the only way he knows how: accepting any challenge to race no matter how dangerous. When Virginia Waverly challenges Gabe to race the same course as the one that killed her brother Roger, Gabe realizes that Virginia is just what he needs to fulfil Gran's ultimatum: marriage or no inheritance. With General Waverly accusing Gabe of Roger's death and Virginia's refusal of him upon learning about his inheritance, Gabe is getting further and further from his goal of convincing Virginia to marry him. The only way Gabe can think to show Virginia he cares is to denounce his inheritance and make his fortune racing.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I first started reading Sabrina Jeffries books about a year ago and since that very first one I have made it my mission to read every single book she has written. Since the beginning of the hellions series I have found it impossible not to fall in love with every single character. I have anxiously waited for TO WED A WILD LORD and let me tell you I was not disappointed! Not only is our hero, Gabriel passionate yet vulnerable, our heroine is just fiery enough to make each page sizzle. Im normally very critical when it comes to my novels but I can honestly say anyone who is looking for a book they will not be able too put down, a book that they will enjoy reading again and again, then this is the book for you. I also recommend reading the whole of the Hellions of Halstead hall series as each hero is just vulnerable enough to make you fall in love with them and each heroine is just enchanting enough to make even the most avid disputers of romance believe in love.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This entertaining Georgian romantic farce is the fourth in a series of five romances featuring the five brothers and sisters of the Sharpe family of Halstead Hall. The heroine of this one is Lord Gabriel Sharpe, known as "Gabe" to his family and friends and "The Angel of Death" to the wider world. Gabe is the brother of Oliver, Marquis of Stoneville.
I would strongly recommend that if you are going to read this series you do so in sequence, which is:
1) "The Truth About Lord Stoneville (Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Oliver's story)
2) "A Hellion in Her Bed (Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Jarret)
3) "How to Woo A Reluctant Lady (The Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Minerva)
4) This book, "To Wed a Wild Lord" (Gabe)
5) "A Lady Never Surrenders (The Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Celia, due early 2012.)
Gabe is a devoted lover of horses and particularly horse racing: his ambition is to run a successful racing stable, something which his father had attempted and failed, but he is convinced he can succeed where his father didn't. He is also a noted whip, and carriage racing used to be one of his main pleasures in life - but it has brought him no pleasure since his best friend, Roger Waverly, was killed racing against him on a particularly dangerous course known as "threading the needle" some seven years before the main action of this story. Society gave him the "Angel of Death" nickname after this accident, but perversely he has received all the more challenges to races by reckless men who wish to prove themselves.
Three people have never forgiven Lord Gabriel for Roger Waverly's death: Roger's sister Virginia, his grandfather General Isaac Waverly (known to Virginia as "Poppy," and Gabe himself. Which creates an interesting situation when Gabe has to look for a wife, because the only respectable woman who has ever interested him is the beautiful spitfire who blames him for her brother's demise ...
The scene for this series was set twenty years before the main action of the story, on the day in 1806 when the disastrous marriage, and the lives, of Gabriel's parents came to a tragic end. The prologue of each of the first four books of the series is also set on that day, showing how it affected the central character of the story.
Lord Gabriel's father, the Marquis of Stoneville, had married Prudence Plumtree, daughter of a wealthy brewer, for her money. He hoped to use the dowry she brought from the Plumtree brewery to keep up his vast but expensive house and estate at Halstead Hall, while continuing to live the life of a dissolute noble rake.
Bad mistake. The Plumtree family may be in trade but judging by Hetty Plumtree, the grandmother of the five Sharpe siblings and a major character in the series, they are sharp as a whip, stubborn as a mule, and nearly as proud as the noble Sharpes. They don't make good doormats.
Prudence did not have the complaisant attitude to her husband's infidelity which is found in some parts of the aristocracy and when he cheated on her, she went ballistic. The elder Sharpe siblings' memories of their parents, particularly those of Oliver the firstborn, were of a series of cataclysmic rows. The prologue of this book makes clear that even seven-year old Gabe was upset by the frequent screaming matches between his mother and his father.
And then the Marquis and his wife were found shot dead. At the start of the first book the reader was given the impression that there was a murder-suicide in which the Sharpe siblings' mother shot first her husband and then herself. Exactly what really happened is a major plot element in all the books, including this one, so I don't want to give anything further away beyond saying that the tragedy will haunt all the characters throughout the series.
The main action of all five books begins in 1825: the Sharpe siblings have grown up and each has become notorious in his or her own way. Oliver, the present Marquis of Stoneville, now 35, has become an infamous rake. Jarret, now aged 32, has become possibly the most notorious and skilled gambler in the country. Their sister Minerva, aged 28, writes gothic novels under her real name.
As we have seen, Gabe the third brother and hero of this book, aged 26, is another rake and is nicknamed "The Angel of Death" for his skill at dangerous carriage races, while the youngest sibling, Celia, is fascinated by guns and has become a crack shot - and she in turn is notorious for challenging her friends' brothers to shooting competitions and wiping the floor with them. The family as a group are known by the same name as this series of books: the Hellions of Halstead Hall.
The purse-strings of the family are still held by their maternal grandmother, and at the start of "The Truth about Lord Stoneville," Hetty Plumtree's patience with the five Hellions of Halstead Hall finally snapped when Gabe broke his arm during yet another dangerous race. So she gave all five of them an ultimatum: settle down and marry within a year, or she'll cut them off without a penny and leave the brewery to their cousin Desmond.
That's the background to all the books in the series, and each volume covers how one of the five brothers or sisters responds to Hetty's ultimatum.
Virginia Waverly has a strange way of expressing her outrage at Gabe racing the dangerous course at Turnham Green known as "threading the needle" - she challenges him to race her on it. Gabe responds with a challenge of his own: if she wins a rather less dangerous contest he will race her at Turnham Green, if he wins she will let him court her.
And so the stage is set for a romantic battle royal interlaid with two mysteries: what really happened to Gabriel's parents, and what were the real circumstances when Gabe raced Roger?
This series is nonsense, but it is entertaining nonsense, and I loved most of the characters, including Hetty, Gabe, and Virginia. I've enjoyed each book more than the previous one.
There are some flaws in the background research, mostly very minor, one or two serious. The main contradition in terms in this book is that Virginia's grandfather "Poppy" is a former cavalry general who is short of money - so much so that he has been unable to buy her a decent new dress for three years.
There was no such thing as an impoverished cavalry general in Georgian England. Unless he had ruined himself since reaching that rank by gambling or by some similar spectacularly self-destructive act, which appears wildly out of character for the person depicted in the book, Poppy's circumstances do not make sense. It was almost impossible for a cavalry officer who was that short of cash to rise to the rank of general in the Napoleonic-era British army.
Given that Sabrina Jeffries wanted Virginia's grandfather to be a relatively impoverished former senior officer, she should have made him an admiral, or just possibly a general who had risen through the artillery or engineers.
Between the Restoration and the Cardwell Army reforms some fifty years after the time when "To Wed a Wild Lord" is set, you could usually only gain promotion to the rank of Colonel in cavalry or infantry regiments by quite literally buying each step in rank for hard cash, after having qualified by serving a set minimum time in the rank below. Promotions in cavalry regiments were the most expensive and difficult to obtain.
Promotion to General was obtained by a mixture of merit and influence from among those who had reached the rank of Colonel, most of whom would have bought their way to that rank.
There were a very limited number of battlefield and "non-purchase" promotions, usually awarded for an act of suicidal bravery, and in the less exclusive infantry regiments - though not the cavalry - it wasn't unknown for the Colonel to lend a deserving N.C.O. the money to buy a subaltern's commission. But overall the system was deliberately designed to make it almost impossible for a poor man to rise above the lowest commissioned ranks and to ensure that only rich men could rise above the rank of Major, except in specialised units like the artillery and engineers.
It WAS possible, though difficult, for an able man of relatively humble origins to rise to flag rank in Nelson's Royal Navy on merit and luck. Indeed, Nelson himself was the son of a doctor. This was all the more possible for an able man from an impoverished branch of a noble family - e.g. like Virginia's grandfather in the book, who was the third son of an earl. But to become a general through the cavalry in Wellington's army you really did need to have lots of money.
(As an aside, in case you are having trouble believing that what appears a blatantly and ridiculously unfair system to modern eyes could possbly have been adopted, or wondering why it applied to the army but not the navy, please bear with me for a couple of paragraphs of explanation.
The purchase of commissions was introduced in 1683 by the Restoration government of Charles II, within living memory of a period when Oliver Cromwell imposed direct military rule on Britain, known as the "rule of the major generals." This had been unpopular with all levels of society, and Charles II's ministers wanted to make it difficult for such a thing to happen again. Read more ›
I would strongly recommend that if you are going to read this series you do so in sequence, which is:
1) "The Truth About Lord Stoneville (Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Oliver's story)
2) "A Hellion in Her Bed (Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Jarret)
3) "How to Woo A Reluctant Lady (The Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Minerva)
4) This book, "To Wed a Wild Lord" (Gabe)
5) "A Lady Never Surrenders (The Hellions of Halstead Hall)" (Celia, due early 2012.)
Gabe is a devoted lover of horses and particularly horse racing: his ambition is to run a successful racing stable, something which his father had attempted and failed, but he is convinced he can succeed where his father didn't. He is also a noted whip, and carriage racing used to be one of his main pleasures in life - but it has brought him no pleasure since his best friend, Roger Waverly, was killed racing against him on a particularly dangerous course known as "threading the needle" some seven years before the main action of this story. Society gave him the "Angel of Death" nickname after this accident, but perversely he has received all the more challenges to races by reckless men who wish to prove themselves.
Three people have never forgiven Lord Gabriel for Roger Waverly's death: Roger's sister Virginia, his grandfather General Isaac Waverly (known to Virginia as "Poppy," and Gabe himself. Which creates an interesting situation when Gabe has to look for a wife, because the only respectable woman who has ever interested him is the beautiful spitfire who blames him for her brother's demise ...
The scene for this series was set twenty years before the main action of the story, on the day in 1806 when the disastrous marriage, and the lives, of Gabriel's parents came to a tragic end. The prologue of each of the first four books of the series is also set on that day, showing how it affected the central character of the story.
Lord Gabriel's father, the Marquis of Stoneville, had married Prudence Plumtree, daughter of a wealthy brewer, for her money. He hoped to use the dowry she brought from the Plumtree brewery to keep up his vast but expensive house and estate at Halstead Hall, while continuing to live the life of a dissolute noble rake.
Bad mistake. The Plumtree family may be in trade but judging by Hetty Plumtree, the grandmother of the five Sharpe siblings and a major character in the series, they are sharp as a whip, stubborn as a mule, and nearly as proud as the noble Sharpes. They don't make good doormats.
Prudence did not have the complaisant attitude to her husband's infidelity which is found in some parts of the aristocracy and when he cheated on her, she went ballistic. The elder Sharpe siblings' memories of their parents, particularly those of Oliver the firstborn, were of a series of cataclysmic rows. The prologue of this book makes clear that even seven-year old Gabe was upset by the frequent screaming matches between his mother and his father.
And then the Marquis and his wife were found shot dead. At the start of the first book the reader was given the impression that there was a murder-suicide in which the Sharpe siblings' mother shot first her husband and then herself. Exactly what really happened is a major plot element in all the books, including this one, so I don't want to give anything further away beyond saying that the tragedy will haunt all the characters throughout the series.
The main action of all five books begins in 1825: the Sharpe siblings have grown up and each has become notorious in his or her own way. Oliver, the present Marquis of Stoneville, now 35, has become an infamous rake. Jarret, now aged 32, has become possibly the most notorious and skilled gambler in the country. Their sister Minerva, aged 28, writes gothic novels under her real name.
As we have seen, Gabe the third brother and hero of this book, aged 26, is another rake and is nicknamed "The Angel of Death" for his skill at dangerous carriage races, while the youngest sibling, Celia, is fascinated by guns and has become a crack shot - and she in turn is notorious for challenging her friends' brothers to shooting competitions and wiping the floor with them. The family as a group are known by the same name as this series of books: the Hellions of Halstead Hall.
The purse-strings of the family are still held by their maternal grandmother, and at the start of "The Truth about Lord Stoneville," Hetty Plumtree's patience with the five Hellions of Halstead Hall finally snapped when Gabe broke his arm during yet another dangerous race. So she gave all five of them an ultimatum: settle down and marry within a year, or she'll cut them off without a penny and leave the brewery to their cousin Desmond.
That's the background to all the books in the series, and each volume covers how one of the five brothers or sisters responds to Hetty's ultimatum.
Virginia Waverly has a strange way of expressing her outrage at Gabe racing the dangerous course at Turnham Green known as "threading the needle" - she challenges him to race her on it. Gabe responds with a challenge of his own: if she wins a rather less dangerous contest he will race her at Turnham Green, if he wins she will let him court her.
And so the stage is set for a romantic battle royal interlaid with two mysteries: what really happened to Gabriel's parents, and what were the real circumstances when Gabe raced Roger?
This series is nonsense, but it is entertaining nonsense, and I loved most of the characters, including Hetty, Gabe, and Virginia. I've enjoyed each book more than the previous one.
There are some flaws in the background research, mostly very minor, one or two serious. The main contradition in terms in this book is that Virginia's grandfather "Poppy" is a former cavalry general who is short of money - so much so that he has been unable to buy her a decent new dress for three years.
There was no such thing as an impoverished cavalry general in Georgian England. Unless he had ruined himself since reaching that rank by gambling or by some similar spectacularly self-destructive act, which appears wildly out of character for the person depicted in the book, Poppy's circumstances do not make sense. It was almost impossible for a cavalry officer who was that short of cash to rise to the rank of general in the Napoleonic-era British army.
Given that Sabrina Jeffries wanted Virginia's grandfather to be a relatively impoverished former senior officer, she should have made him an admiral, or just possibly a general who had risen through the artillery or engineers.
Between the Restoration and the Cardwell Army reforms some fifty years after the time when "To Wed a Wild Lord" is set, you could usually only gain promotion to the rank of Colonel in cavalry or infantry regiments by quite literally buying each step in rank for hard cash, after having qualified by serving a set minimum time in the rank below. Promotions in cavalry regiments were the most expensive and difficult to obtain.
Promotion to General was obtained by a mixture of merit and influence from among those who had reached the rank of Colonel, most of whom would have bought their way to that rank.
There were a very limited number of battlefield and "non-purchase" promotions, usually awarded for an act of suicidal bravery, and in the less exclusive infantry regiments - though not the cavalry - it wasn't unknown for the Colonel to lend a deserving N.C.O. the money to buy a subaltern's commission. But overall the system was deliberately designed to make it almost impossible for a poor man to rise above the lowest commissioned ranks and to ensure that only rich men could rise above the rank of Major, except in specialised units like the artillery and engineers.
It WAS possible, though difficult, for an able man of relatively humble origins to rise to flag rank in Nelson's Royal Navy on merit and luck. Indeed, Nelson himself was the son of a doctor. This was all the more possible for an able man from an impoverished branch of a noble family - e.g. like Virginia's grandfather in the book, who was the third son of an earl. But to become a general through the cavalry in Wellington's army you really did need to have lots of money.
(As an aside, in case you are having trouble believing that what appears a blatantly and ridiculously unfair system to modern eyes could possbly have been adopted, or wondering why it applied to the army but not the navy, please bear with me for a couple of paragraphs of explanation.
The purchase of commissions was introduced in 1683 by the Restoration government of Charles II, within living memory of a period when Oliver Cromwell imposed direct military rule on Britain, known as the "rule of the major generals." This had been unpopular with all levels of society, and Charles II's ministers wanted to make it difficult for such a thing to happen again. Read more ›
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
40 reviews
18 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Feasted On: The Hellions of Halstead Hall Series, Book 4
22 Nov 2011
Format:Mass Market Paperback
4 out of 5 stars! To Wed a Wild Lord is a sweet, mysterious, and romantic novel about two families trying to get through some major tragedies the best way they can. Even though Amazon.com has recommended I read Sabrina Jeffries' books before this is the first time I have actually read one of her books, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised!! This novel and series has two plots the one that deals with the main character's hopes and dreams and another that deals with the past tragedy of losing parents and the mystery surrounding their deaths. Each plot in this novel was captivating and moving .... the love for those who were lost and how those who've past away have impacted the lives of those that are still around.
The characters in this novel were spectacular too!! The relationship between Gabriel and Virginia was something I could not get enough of, especially when their chemistry seemed to fly off of the page. Then I really liked the relationships each of them had with their own families---very sweet to read about. And then to top it off ... we have their grandparents whom could have probably had a short story of their own as they had soo much spunk!!
I would recommend this to fans of the series (of course) and to any Sabrina Jeffries, Loretta Chase, and/or Susan Elizabeth Phillips fans!
Review By: From Me to You ... Book Reviews
(read more of this review and a few teasers on my blog)
The characters in this novel were spectacular too!! The relationship between Gabriel and Virginia was something I could not get enough of, especially when their chemistry seemed to fly off of the page. Then I really liked the relationships each of them had with their own families---very sweet to read about. And then to top it off ... we have their grandparents whom could have probably had a short story of their own as they had soo much spunk!!
I would recommend this to fans of the series (of course) and to any Sabrina Jeffries, Loretta Chase, and/or Susan Elizabeth Phillips fans!
Review By: From Me to You ... Book Reviews
(read more of this review and a few teasers on my blog)
15 of 19 people found the following review helpful
2 and 1/2 stars - don't want to burst the bubble but ...
5 Dec 2011
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
It took me over two weeks to finish this book, and I usually go through a romance in 24 hours - it wasn't a painful reading; it simply wasn't a captivating work. This fourth installment of the Hellions of Halstead series is mired in romance genre tropes, daubed with apparent and annoyingly interminable internal struggles, and is unoriginal in its implausibility.
The novel opens at a ball, excluding the preface, where the reader discovers that Virginia Waverly has brazenly challenged Lord Gabriel Sharpe - even naming Sharpe "Gabriel" is unoriginal- aka the Angel of Death, to a race, wanting to defeat him and humiliate him in front of all to see, avenging her brother's death. Gabriel, of course has other plans - he shall court and marry Virginia to make amends for "causing" the death of her brother (and his beloved friend) Robert Waverly in a racing accident, simultaneously fulfilling his grandmother's ultimatum that all the Sharpe children wed by a certain month in order to gain their inheritance. But of course there is a problem - Virginia will never allow such a blackguard to court her. However, as anticipated, the two reach an accord. If Gabriel wins, Virginia will allow him to court her, and if Virginia is the victor, Gabriel shall race her a second time on the same deadly course where Robert lost his life. Gabriel wins - shocking!!!
Now, as to our protagonists - Virginia Waverly is a very nice young lady; she is 22-years-old; she is an overly devoted granddaughter, a romantic at heart, impetuous at times, however practical, perceptive, and adept at managing estate affairs. Gabriel Sharpe - age not exactly given - is an honest man (he does not lie), has dreams of starting his own stud farm, however, is guilt ridden and hurt by his parents' passing, hence embracing recklessness. The two make a nice couple, with Gabriel appreciating Virginia for exactly who and what she is, and Virginia seeing past Gabriel's wildness and understanding the truth behind his actions. That is all good, however, what the attraction between these two characters is I know not.
Yes, Gabriel is gorgeous and Virginia is a looker; however, Jefferies fails to depict, and, in turn, create a palpable desirability between her protagonists. The sex scenes - there were just two sex scenes and two make-out sessions - are of the PG16 variety and were even less interesting because while reading the novel I felt detached. The relationship between the two was quick to form - it took all of a week. And as to the "I Love You-s" - how such strong feelings were developed in such a short amount of time (during which the two do not spend a lot of time together) was unbelievable at best.
The tone of the work is light, comparable to all of Jefferies' writing. The plot flows smoothly and rationally. The Waverly's belief in Gabriel's culpability, coupled with Virginia's need to discover what exactly happened that fateful night and Gabriel's desire to cheat death - brought on by his parents' early demise - are the factors driving the work. The primary and secondary characters are well developed, and the descriptions are accurate and unobtrusive. "To Wed a Wild Lord" also does not have the annoying "predator" comparisons so many authors utilize these days. But of course, Jefferies is an experienced writer and should offer no less. The problems of the book, however, do not stem from form, structure, or execution but rather from the unoriginality of the idea constituting the work - the implausibility of a young lady boldly challenging the Angel of Death to a race, blatantly disregarding convention; the too convenient similarities in personal experiences of the two main protagonists, both having been orphaned early on in life and grieving Robert's loss; and the obstinate anger, blindness, and officiousness of Virginia's grandfather, revering Robert's character and formulating an inaccurate view of that truly happened on that day and passing said view to his granddaughter.
To be honest, this was a very hard review to write - the novel just isn't awe inspiring; it isn't even mediocre inspiring. "To Wed a Wild Lord" is a well-executed formula, with all the elements of a light, quick, historical romance, but that is it. There is nothing captivating or original about this book - nothing that causes "flutterings" or makes you want to turn the pages. It reads as something written out of obligation; a book to fulfill a contract. If this is what you want, then pick it up - it just failed to do anything for me.
original on romancecritic
The novel opens at a ball, excluding the preface, where the reader discovers that Virginia Waverly has brazenly challenged Lord Gabriel Sharpe - even naming Sharpe "Gabriel" is unoriginal- aka the Angel of Death, to a race, wanting to defeat him and humiliate him in front of all to see, avenging her brother's death. Gabriel, of course has other plans - he shall court and marry Virginia to make amends for "causing" the death of her brother (and his beloved friend) Robert Waverly in a racing accident, simultaneously fulfilling his grandmother's ultimatum that all the Sharpe children wed by a certain month in order to gain their inheritance. But of course there is a problem - Virginia will never allow such a blackguard to court her. However, as anticipated, the two reach an accord. If Gabriel wins, Virginia will allow him to court her, and if Virginia is the victor, Gabriel shall race her a second time on the same deadly course where Robert lost his life. Gabriel wins - shocking!!!
Now, as to our protagonists - Virginia Waverly is a very nice young lady; she is 22-years-old; she is an overly devoted granddaughter, a romantic at heart, impetuous at times, however practical, perceptive, and adept at managing estate affairs. Gabriel Sharpe - age not exactly given - is an honest man (he does not lie), has dreams of starting his own stud farm, however, is guilt ridden and hurt by his parents' passing, hence embracing recklessness. The two make a nice couple, with Gabriel appreciating Virginia for exactly who and what she is, and Virginia seeing past Gabriel's wildness and understanding the truth behind his actions. That is all good, however, what the attraction between these two characters is I know not.
Yes, Gabriel is gorgeous and Virginia is a looker; however, Jefferies fails to depict, and, in turn, create a palpable desirability between her protagonists. The sex scenes - there were just two sex scenes and two make-out sessions - are of the PG16 variety and were even less interesting because while reading the novel I felt detached. The relationship between the two was quick to form - it took all of a week. And as to the "I Love You-s" - how such strong feelings were developed in such a short amount of time (during which the two do not spend a lot of time together) was unbelievable at best.
The tone of the work is light, comparable to all of Jefferies' writing. The plot flows smoothly and rationally. The Waverly's belief in Gabriel's culpability, coupled with Virginia's need to discover what exactly happened that fateful night and Gabriel's desire to cheat death - brought on by his parents' early demise - are the factors driving the work. The primary and secondary characters are well developed, and the descriptions are accurate and unobtrusive. "To Wed a Wild Lord" also does not have the annoying "predator" comparisons so many authors utilize these days. But of course, Jefferies is an experienced writer and should offer no less. The problems of the book, however, do not stem from form, structure, or execution but rather from the unoriginality of the idea constituting the work - the implausibility of a young lady boldly challenging the Angel of Death to a race, blatantly disregarding convention; the too convenient similarities in personal experiences of the two main protagonists, both having been orphaned early on in life and grieving Robert's loss; and the obstinate anger, blindness, and officiousness of Virginia's grandfather, revering Robert's character and formulating an inaccurate view of that truly happened on that day and passing said view to his granddaughter.
To be honest, this was a very hard review to write - the novel just isn't awe inspiring; it isn't even mediocre inspiring. "To Wed a Wild Lord" is a well-executed formula, with all the elements of a light, quick, historical romance, but that is it. There is nothing captivating or original about this book - nothing that causes "flutterings" or makes you want to turn the pages. It reads as something written out of obligation; a book to fulfill a contract. If this is what you want, then pick it up - it just failed to do anything for me.
original on romancecritic
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Cute Story, but Not Overly Compelling
24 Nov 2011
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
"To Wed a Wild Lord" is the 4th book in the 5 book Hellions of Halstead Hall series. While most romance series do not need to be read in order for complete comprehension, the Hellions series really should be read in order. The mystery of the siblings' murdered parents unravels slowly throughout each book and all of the siblings appear in each book with the plot for the next book being set up in the previous one. Reading them in order is definitely recommended.
Virginia Waverly's brother Robert died 7 years ago in a carriage race accident against Lord Gabriel (Gabe). Although Robert was Gabe's best friend, the Waverly's, including Virginia, hold long-held anger and hatred towards Gabe because them blame him for Robert's death. In Book 3 of the series, "How to Woo a Reluctant Lady", Virginia loudly challenges Gabe to race the same course on which her brother died racing Gabe. This dredges up the past for Gabe and his veneer of uncaring chips away as he has to deal with reliving that horrible race.
This book takes place 2 months later and Gabe has somehow decided that he should marry Virginia in order to right the wrong of racing her brother to his death. Obviously, Virginia is having none of that idea, but she is so eager to race Gabe and put him in his place that she agrees to a wager that ultimately leads to him being allowed to court her.
The storyline was rather predictable in this book and I was disappointed that more of the parents' murder mystery was not revealed. I was hoping for more fire and banter, as there was in "How to Woo a Reluctant Lady" (my favorite in the series so far). But Virginia falls for Gabe pretty rapidly, but this is a romance novel afterall. This is a cute story and well worth the read, but not the strongest in the series.
NOTE: The Kindle Edition includes an exerpt from the final book in the series, "A Lady Never Surrenders", that is a different passage from the one on the author's website. So you can get even more insight into the next book that looks to be heated and fantastic.
Virginia Waverly's brother Robert died 7 years ago in a carriage race accident against Lord Gabriel (Gabe). Although Robert was Gabe's best friend, the Waverly's, including Virginia, hold long-held anger and hatred towards Gabe because them blame him for Robert's death. In Book 3 of the series, "How to Woo a Reluctant Lady", Virginia loudly challenges Gabe to race the same course on which her brother died racing Gabe. This dredges up the past for Gabe and his veneer of uncaring chips away as he has to deal with reliving that horrible race.
This book takes place 2 months later and Gabe has somehow decided that he should marry Virginia in order to right the wrong of racing her brother to his death. Obviously, Virginia is having none of that idea, but she is so eager to race Gabe and put him in his place that she agrees to a wager that ultimately leads to him being allowed to court her.
The storyline was rather predictable in this book and I was disappointed that more of the parents' murder mystery was not revealed. I was hoping for more fire and banter, as there was in "How to Woo a Reluctant Lady" (my favorite in the series so far). But Virginia falls for Gabe pretty rapidly, but this is a romance novel afterall. This is a cute story and well worth the read, but not the strongest in the series.
NOTE: The Kindle Edition includes an exerpt from the final book in the series, "A Lady Never Surrenders", that is a different passage from the one on the author's website. So you can get even more insight into the next book that looks to be heated and fantastic.
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