Book Review: What a Wicked Earl Wants by Vicky Dreiling

What a Wicked Earl Wants

By Vicky Dreiling 

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: WILL A RAKE'S WICKED WAYS

Andrew Carrington, Earl of Bellingham, believes in being a gentleman, whether it's fishing a soggy stranger out of the Thames or assisting a fetching lady into his bed. If the stranger becomes a friend and the lady a mistress, all the better. He certainly welcomes the opportunity to help Laura Davenport, a dazzling young widow with a rebellious stepson. Her gratitude, he hopes, will take an amorous form. But from the moment he sets foot in her drawing room, he gets far more than he bargained for ... 

LEAD THE LADY ASTRAY?

It was a moment of desperation. On the brink of losing her stepson, Laura turned to the notorious Lord Bellingham for help. Suddenly she, a vicar's daughter, is in the precarious position of resisting his tantalizing advances. How Bell earned his wicked reputation is clear; the surprise is how much more there is to him than the gossip sheets could possibly reveal. Now every moment with this dangerously desirable man puts Laura's good name at risk-and promises pleasure unlike any she has ever known ...

Review: I don't know how she does it, but Vicky Dreiling never ceases to write a historical romance that I fall head over heels for. I get lost in her world of Earls and Ladies, and her newest novel was definitely no exception!

Andrew Carrington, also known as Bell seeing as he is the Earl of Bellingham, is on the lookout for a new mistress. But when he comes across Laura, a recently widowed woman with a teenage stepson, at a ball, he is instantly intrigued. Laura, though, is not like the other ladies willing to fling themselves into Bell's arms; she is a respectable lady who cares about the wellbeing and respect of her rebellious stepson. When her stepson's legal guardian threatens to take him away, Laura finds that the only person she can find to help turn her stepson around and keep him is none other than the dashing (with quite a reputation) Earl of Bellingham. Can she resist his wicked charms as she tries to turn her stepson into the respectable gentleman he should be? 

Oh, where to start? I read this book in one day on my flight to London and it made time seem to fly by. I absolutely loved Bell (though I wasn't a big fan of him being called Bell...I think Andrew would have worked just fine) and how though he acts as a lady's man, he really does have a soft heart. Well, at least for Laura. He doesn't hesitate to help her out with her problems and acts playful towards her, which breaks down her protective walls she had to put up since her husband's death. So many young men want to marry Laura for her money, so she knows she has to be careful who she trusts. And why not the dashing Bell? 

I really liked the story of Laura fighting to keep her stepson, even though he was really rebellious and started straying away from anything to do with his responsibilities or stepmom. Laura really isn't that old either (her husband was pretty old when they married and died shortly after), so she had to take on quite a lot of responsibility by taking care of a teenage stepson. I really liked that aspect of the story and how Bell not only really liked Laura, but he really wanted to help out her stepson as well. Nothing like a caring, loving Earl to sweep you off your feet. 

So, yet again, I fell in love with Vicky Dreiling's book. Who wouldn't with the romance, society, reputations, and extremely dreamy high society men? I'm excited for another book to come out in this series (this is book one of The Sinful Scoundrels) so that I can read even more about these lovely characters and their enchanting lives.