Rival Desires

I enjoyed this intense historical romance Both Jack (Lord Wescott) and Ophelia are very immature as the story starts; Ophelia is so sheltered as to be woefully ill-informed about adult activities, while Jack is an unrepentant playboy with no compassion for women as anything other than bed partners. I struggled through the first part of the story as these two young people find themselves in a marriage neither one of them wants nor knows what to do with. I kept hoping that as the story progressed, each would mature enough to change their course, and thankfully, I was not disappointed. There are some issues of consent in this story, enough to make it fit the subgenre but not quite going beyond the point where the marriage can be salvaged. There's plenty of spanking/bdsm mentions, but if you're hoping for a nuanced romance between mature adults, this isn't it. Both of these characters start out as being of adult age, but their behavior suggests a maturity level that is consistent with modern-day high school students. The magic of the story is in watching these two mature and grow into the spouses the other deserves. The HEA is sweet and satisfying, filled with hope that the two will continue to grow and mature together. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

A book that starts with a damsel in distress, rescued by a hero on a horse, and they end their night together in the same bed at an inn? Well, that is darn near a perfect meet cute in any book. Setting such event in the ton, well, you know where this is going! Hidden identities are swept away as societal demands are put in place, and then, well, then we get to the heart of the matter. Wescott isn’t as mean as he seems, he is actually quite a sweetie deep down. Ophelia isn’t as sweet as she seems, but she is confused and wary as her world is ripped away. And they both fumble, and assume, and mistake, the other. Corporal punishment for being saucy to your husband is on the table, and his lap, and the bedpost, and in the carriage. That adds to the whole mess, as it has the opposite effect on them both from what they assumed Friends are misplaced, and others rise to help. Family is adding pressure, and others are trying to relieve it. Lucky for Wescott and Ophelia, Papa remembers the mistakes he made in the past, and helps both of them overcome their hesitancy and set them on the right path. Once nudged in the right direction, what was there between them all along blossoms and blooms!