Book
Blurb:
Not every lady
plays by the rules.
Lady Lavinia Vaile
knows what happens to a woman who puts her faith in society. For her,
it was a disastrous marriage to a depraved man-one she threatened to
shoot when she left him. Now Lavinia lives outside of society’s
strict conventions, hosting private gambling parties. It’s only
when her husband is shot dead that Lavinia finds herself in terrible
danger…
A former judge in
India’s high court, Maximilian Harrison will do anything he can to
help Lavinia. In the darkest of times, he held on to thoughts of her
and the love they once shared. Now he risks his own position in
society―along with his ambitions―in order to clear her name. Yet
as desire reignites between them, Lavinia remains caught up in
secrets and shame. Her only salvation is to do the unthinkable…and
trust in both Maximilian and love.
Excerpt
One
Beginning
Maximilian
Harrison’s heart beat for a single purpose: get to Lavinia.
“You
will let me pass.” He trapped the lone man guarding the private
gambling salon against Lady Sophia’s garden gate.
“But
you do not have an invitation. And Lady Sophia does not allow
uninvited—”
“You
misunderstand.” Max placed a hand on the guard’s shoulder. “I
don’t give a damn about Lady Sophia or her rules. I must speak with
Lady Vaile.”
Time
was tying a hangman’s noose. Already, dawn cast shadows into the
mist.
He’d
fought his way to the outskirts of London. He’d scaled the outer
wall of Lady Sophia’s infamous mansion. He’d dashed through her
courtyard like a hunted thief. He had no desire to hurt the guard
but, by God, he would not be turned away.
In
the space between their bodies, the guard’s grip on his musket
tightened. Chilled air stung Max’s teeth. Firearms didn’t
frighten Max. If they did, he would have died in that hell-scented
cell in India.
A
tremor ran through his fingers. Focus. Thirty seconds, perhaps less,
and he could have the guard spitting dirt.
No.
Destroying him is not necessary. Nor is breaking his bones.
“Lady
Vaile is in danger. Unless I warn her, she, and your mistress, will
suffer. Open the gate,” Max ordered. “Now.”
Faint
lamplight illuminated the flush spreading up from the guard’s neck
as his gaze darted toward the garden.
“Go,
then.” He unlatched the gate. “But cause trouble and you will
pay.”
Max
stilled his curling fist. He stepped inside and, with a calculating
gaze, surveyed the garden and the gamers within.
So
this was the Furies’ lair.
He’d
heard fantastical tales of the private salons hosted by the three
ladies collectively known as the Furies—Lavinia, now Lady Vaile,
and her friends Lady Sophia and Her Grace, Thea Marie, Duchess of
Wynchester.
Marriage-minded
misses clamored to obtain Almack’s vouchers, but every aspiring
rake coveted an invitation from the Furies. And, clearly, invitations
had been sent to every dandy, wastrel, and libertine in London.
Maids,
not footmen as custom dictated, served guests in costumes accented by
silken wings. Miniature cherubs hung from tree branches.
Angels—he
snorted—a clever thumb in the face of the hostesses’ sobriquets:
Lady Vice, Lady Scandal, and Duchess Decadence.
Around
a nearby table, men chanted in unison. “Place the card, place the
card!”
Max
shouldered through coats of velvet and caught his first sight of
Lavinia in years.
She
did not look like a fury—all darkness and fear. Haloed in the pale
pink glow of early dawn, she appeared almost as innocent as the girl
he had courted all those years ago. She still commanded the colors of
autumn. Her skin glowed like ripened wheat and her smoky lashes
rimmed eyes as brown as spiced ale. A man could become forever mired
in those depths, enraptured and entombed.
He
blinked to quell the sudden burn in his eyes, a natural result of
coal soot and sleeplessness, undoubtedly.
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Lady Vice by Wendy LaCapraMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Vice by Wendy LaCapra is a 2015 Entangled: Scandalous publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
This story is an edgy historical romance with a darker tone and I for one am happy to see some stories with a little more depth for a change.
Duty, honor, and trust are the themes that run through out this story. Max went away to secure a more stable future for Livinia, only to find himself held prisoner in India. While he was away his fiance' marries another man. However, he worked for Livinia's parents and was like a son to her father despite Livinia's marriage and subsequent fall from grace, which resulted in an estrangement from her family. So, when she is accused of murder, Max sets out to clear her name... after all it was his duty.
Livinia' marriage was a ghastly nightmare and she has managed to leave her husband, but has been cast out of society. She is now working in vice- hosting gambling parties with several other women. When her husband is murdered and Livinia becomes the primary suspect, the man she has blamed for all her troubles, Maximilian Harrison comes to her rescue, promising to stand by her until they get to the truth and her name is cleared. But, she doesn't allow herself to believe for one moment that he is helping her for any other reason but his feelings of duty towards her.
Max suffers from PTSD but he doesn't know how to label this malady, so he soldiers on without saying much about his fear of closed in places and panic attacks, refusing to let them control him. As difficult as this is to live with, it's his broken heart that he suffers from most of all.
Livinia's abuse has left her emotionally damaged, bitter, cynical and hardened , especially towards the opposite sex. Is it possible these two wounded souls can come together once again and begin the healing process together, or will their differences of opinion keep them from gaining back all they lost?
I love a light regency romp as much as the next person, but lately it seems all the regency period historical romances are exactly alike and I find myself stifling a groan every time I pick one up and it's more of the same old, same old. I don't like to read super dark novels all the time either, but I am so pleased to see historical romance authors dipping their toes into deeper waters and tackling difficult issues. The author does this and still manages to stay true to the period. I actually learned some things about this period of time I had never heard of before, like wife auctions, the poorer classes way of ending a miserable marriage.
The mystery was intriguing and a few unexpected twist come into play along the way. Our baddie is truly one sick puppy. However, there are still some loose ends to tie up and it looks like Livinia's friend Sophie will have to pick up the slack in the next installment.
Although the storyline is a little more menacing, the romance is doesn't suffer from that. The story still has some really sweet and sexy moments.
Max was someone I could fall in love with easily, his character is just so sweet and despite everything, pure, although at times his dialogue leaned toward the “flowery” side. Livinia has a harder road to travel, and at times I thought she was too hard on Max, but now that the enemies are at bay, at least for now, the couple can begin work on the future they were robbed of in their youth. 4.5 rounded to 5
Author Bio:
Wendy LaCapra has
been reading romance since she sneaked into the adult section at the
library and discovered Victoria Holt & Jane Aiken Hodge. From
that point on, she dreamed of creating fictional worlds with as much
richness, intrigue and passion as she found within those books. Her
stories have placed in several contests, including the 2012 Golden
Heart®. She lives in NYC with her husband and loves to hear from
readers.
Connect:
Site:
www.wendylacapra.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/WendyLaCapraAuthor
Twitter:
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Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/wendylacapra
Thank you for your review & for being a part of my debut blog tour! Rare wife auctions did take place in the lower classes. Candice Hern, I believe, wrote a story featuring one. But I should point out they did not legally dissolve a marriage. According to my research, they were considered more a means for those without easy access courts to publicly declare a break. :) Thanks so much for reading!!!
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