Her Wicked Proposal by Lauren Smith

Her Wicked ProposalNarrated by Heather Wilds

Her Wicked Proposal is book three in Lauren Smith’s League of Rogues series. In terms of the romance arc, the novel stands very well on its own, but listeners will most likely prefer full knowledge of the backstory in order to fully enjoy this historical.

Cedric, Viscount Sheridan, is still reeling some six months after losing his sight. He finds even the simplest of tasks difficult, and he can’t help mourning the life he feels he has lost. Things like womanizing and horse racing are beyond him now, and for someone who is considered to be a rogue, this is quite devastating. Cedric feels like less than half a man. He can’t imagine what will become of him.

Enter Anne Chessley, a woman Cedric and his friends have christened the Ice Maiden. With her father recently deceased, Anne will do almost anything to escape the hoards of fortune hunters who will surely seek to gain control of her sizable fortune. For years, she has carried a bit of a torch for Cedric, and so, she approaches him with a most unconventional proposal. They should marry just over a week after her father’s burial.

Cedric is shocked by Anne’s blunt speaking, but not by her willingness to fly in the face of society’s customs. He has little use for the countless rules the Ton places on behavior. He’s been attracted to Anne since he first laid eyes on her on the night of her debut, but, up until now, he hasn’t thought himself good enough for her. Plus, Cedric wants a woman who will respond passionately to his every touch, and he’s pretty sure that woman isn’t Anne. Still, in the face of her proposal, he agrees, only if Anne will promise to be a willing bedmate. As one might suppose, Anne does agree, even though she’s a little hesitant.

In the days leading up to their wedding, Anne and Cedric spend a considerable amount of time together. Cedric is intent on seducing his beautiful fiancée, and Anne can’t decide whether he loves or hates this idea. She finds his touch more than pleasurable, but what if she loses her heart completely to the devilish Viscount?

Cedric is part of a very close group of male friends who have christened themselves The League of Rogues. I loved the way Ms. Smith crafted the friendships between the various members of the league. The men care very deeply for one another and that loyalty is plain in every interaction they have. The formation of the league, as well as the explanation for why certain people wish them ill was a little confusing. I imagine that if I had started with Wicked Designs, the first book in the series, things would have been much clearer.

I was also a bit turned off by Ms. Smith’s handling of Cedric’s blindness. True, the book took place in 1821 so disability was seen in a very negative light. Even so, Cedric pitied himself a bit too much for my liking and other people seemed to pity him too. This may be a bit of a spoiler, but I also object to the idea that Cedric could only be a whole person, deserving of love and happiness once his sight was regained. I would have much preferred him to have learned to live his life as a blind man. (Highlight the text to read if you choose.)

Heather Wilds is one of my favorite narrators of historical romance. I am very fond of her character interpretations. Here, she used several very authentic-sounding accents to make each character distinct. I especially enjoyed her depiction of Harding, one of Cedric’s Irish footmen.

I was very pleased with Ms. Wilds’ differentiation between the six men in the League. I never needed to rely on dialogue tags, and this was quite impressive, especially in scenes where all six were present. Each rogue was given a unique sound that fit the character’s personality to a tee.

I am eager to read the first two books in the series, as I want to become fully familiar with the rogues, and, since Ms. Smith set the stage for the rest of the rogues to gain their own HEA’s, I will keep an eye out for future books as well. As long as Ms. Wilds continues to narrate, the series will be an auto buy in audio format.

Shannon


Narration: A

Book Content: B-

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence Rating: Fighting

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Her Wicked Proposal was provided to AudioGals by Tantor Audio for a review.

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