Undressed by the Earl

Undressed by the Earl by Michelle Willingham

David Hartford doesn't really want to get re-married, but there are two things keeping him in London in search for a wife:  he is the Earl of Castledon and in need of an heir, and he promised his daughter she would have a new mother after this Season.  His only stipulation is that she can't be someone he could fall in love with.  That pretty much eliminates the beautiful and lively Amelia Andrews from the list of eligible debutantes.  The problem is, he keeps getting pulled in to her schemes.  Why can't he just walk away from her?

Amelia Andrews has been in love with one man for four years.  Yes, this man is a known rake who ruined her sister's reputation by crying off their wedding, but Amelia was in love with him first.  Now that Viscount Lisford is finally showing interest in her, she is starting to realize that her family was right about him all along.
When Lisford kidnaps her in an attempt to elope, Amelia finds herself married to save her reputation.  Unfortunately, it is to the man she was trying to match with her sister; the man whose personality she once likened to a handkerchief; the one man she might actually love, but who will never love her:  the Earl of Castledon.

Much like all of Ms. Willingham's previous work, this story is gut wrenchingly emotional and full of many plot twists and turns.  Some might see this book as a challenge to keep track of all of the "balls in the air", but Ms. Willingham is a masterful juggler and none of the balls hit the ground during the performance.

Perhaps the greatest attribute of this book is the trove of characters that have been built up and carefully cultivated throughout this series.  While a new "villain" needed to be introduced for this story, the reader was kept on guard, waiting for the true villain to emerge.  It was only when this character was once again wrecking havoc on the world that the main and supporting characters were allowed to truly flex their proverbial muscles.  I might be sadistic, but there is something innately more interesting about characters in crisis than otherwise.

Outside of the crisis area, though, the story falls a bit flat.  The hero was not my favorite of the series, and came off not very heroic.  I did like the story between Amelia and David's daughter, and also of Beatrice and her husband, but, again, those were mostly during crisis.

Over all, I simply felt that the first half of the book was good, but the second half was spectacular.  If you are one of those readers who only read the first five chapters before deciding to finish or not, don't cheat yourself out of an amazing experience.  Stick with it.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Characters – 5

Storyline – 4

Overall – 4

Unraveled by the Rebel

Unraveled by the Rebel By Michelle Willingham

Juliette Andrews has been living what many women of her class would deem the a nightmare.  With the knowledge of her ruination at the hands of a monster and the nightmares it still provokes, she has declared that she shall never marry, especially not the man she has loved for years and is now unworthy of.

Dr. Paul Fraser has been fighting against the tyranny of the Earl of Strathland since the day the Earl killed his father for a crime Paul had been accused of.  After years away from home studying and helping the rebellion with its medical needs, Paul returns to woo the woman he left behind, but never forgot.  Not understanding her dismissal of him, he is determined to win back Juliette's trust and affection, even if it means agreeing to marriage in name only.

The second book in the Secrets In Silk series, this one is a LOT more emotional than the first.  Juliette has to deal with a truly horrifying experience.  Unfortunately, that experience brought with it consequences both physical and psychological.  No one in her family, save her aunt and uncle, are aware of this experience, and they aren't even aware of all of the details.  She has kept it bottled up inside her until she is almost completely dead inside.

Paul is haunted by his own demons, as well.  The death of his father has left him hungering for vengeance to a point where he is willing to turn his back on everything if it means eliminating the Earl from existence.  There are some other qualities that add depth to Paul.  He is honorable and loyal.  His love for Juliette is strong and unyielding.  When she finally agrees to a marriage in name only, he knows that he will never touch any woman but her...therefore, none at all.  He is also humble enough to know that his position in society as a doctor is not enough to recommend him as husband material, so he decides to use his uncle's legacy for the first time since it was offered to him many years ago.

Again the cast of supporting characters are wonderful.  Lively and memorable.  The villain is even more evil than before, and a few more characters pop up to add flavor to an already delicious world.

Overall, this is a great book.  I read it quickly, as I couldn't put it down, and loved every minute of it.  Not for the faint of heart as it deals with some highly disturbing situations, but the end is very satisfying.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 5 

Language – 4

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5

Undone by the Duke

Undone by the Duke By Michelle Willingham

Victoria Andrews has designed some of the most sensual and scandalous lingerie for the most exclusive modiste in all of London.  Yet she hasn't met the modiste in person, hasn't left her Scottish home in five years, and hasn't felt the touch of a man...ever.

Jonathan Nottaway, Duke of Worthingstone, has had his fill of women for the time being, marriage minded or otherwise.  After his fiancee dumps him due to a family scandal beyond his control, he disappears from society for a year without any intent on returning.  Deciding to check on a piece of property he one in a card game, Jonathon heads north to Scotland, not realizing that the man he won the property from was so cruel and so hated among his tenants that showing his face was likely to get him shot and leaving him to the uneasy ministrations of a skittish female and her superstitious servants.  Will his recovery bring about a healing for both of them?

This was a tantalizing, intriguing, and emotional read.  The heroine suffers from a truly debilitating phobia that she cannot even put in to words, much less explain or reason.  The incident that led to this phobia was truly horrifying to her, and given the fact that she has been letting it build and fester for five years, it seems almost insurmountable.

Aside from the phobia, Victoria does have a certain amount of quite bravery about her.  She is highly observant of things around her and is thoughtful when contemplating solutions to issues that come up.  Upon the appearance of Jonathon she proves that her phobia is consistent with her personality.  She is naturally skittish around strangers and has to force herself to socialize with anyone, even just one person.

The hero in this story is a bundle of emotions held together by a contradictory disconnect.  His life has been full of abuse, anger, shame, grief, and guilt.  After ending up on Victoria's doorstep he is cautious and hopeful all at the same time.  He hopes to protect her from his world and protect himself from the heretofore unknown feelings that she seems to bring about in him.

The supporting characters in this story are memorable.  The sisters are very much like any sisters you meet.  They are loyal to each other and very close, but nothing alike.  Their different personalities complement each other and lead to the successful clothing design endeavor.  Jonathan's aunt is brash, but likable, as are Victoria's aunt and uncle.  Their neighbor, Cain, is cunning and harsh, but is an overall good guy and his connection with Madison is an interesting subplot.

The villain, however, takes the cake.  The Earl of Strathland is more than words can describe.  Even curse words would not be strong enough to describe him and what he does to innocent people who are supposed to be under his care.

Overall, this is a good book.  Well paced, well written, and well plotted.  It is the first book in a quartet, so we will be seeing many of these characters again.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 4 

Language – 4

Storyline – 4

Overall – 4