Reviews

Y'all, "To Wed a Wicked Earl," let me tell you-

I love a pining hero and this book was recc'd as featuring one. And our Hero, Rothbury, is adorably pinnie. He has silently loved Charlotte for years, which is pinetastic but also confusing. I didn't follow the timeline because apparently they have known each other for like 7 years but also only first talked or danced at the beginning of this book.

Which is kind of the ebb and flow theme of this book from deliciousness to just silliness.

Rothbury is the typical I'm-not-good-enough-for-her Hero. He is so sad on the inside but shows it through these carnal, sultry private thoughts. Example: Charlotte doesn't think he could possibly be looking at her but he murmurs to himself "No sweetheart, I'm looking at you." He winks at her like 4 times which makes me jealous and promises to replace the gown he hasn't yet ruined from doing major kissing.

But then there is also a fair amount of ridiculous to this story. Twice he has a full conversation with this woman he has been pining over for 7 years but since it's dark, he doesn't recognize her voice. Then a third time he has a blindfold on (which he can't manage to remove with one hand) so he doesn't recognize her by her smell. I just find this odd. There is a weird plot regarding the Hero educating Charlotte's mom on the dangers of taking laudanum- even though it often helped Charlotte sneak away when mommy dearest fell asleep in public.

Y'all, at times this book seemed disconnected to me and at other times it was fantastic. But at the end of the day, the Hero was awfully pinnie and that's what I wanted.

Alrighty, they have kissed, I've told you about it and am accepting more Hero's Who Pine recs below!

witandsin's review

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4.0

Adam Faramond, Earl of Rothbury, learned long ago never to let people see what he’s truly feeling. That’s why society would never guess that Adam, who comes from a family whose name is synonymous with scandal, has been in love with Miss Charlotte Greene, wallflower extraordinaire, for years. After Adam saves Charlotte from potential embarrassment at a ball, the object of his affections decides that they should be friends. To Adam, being friends with Charlotte is better than nothing at all, even if every moment spent with her makes him long for more. Then Adam’s grandmother threatens to ruin him financially unless he weds and Adam concocts a plan to convince his grandmother that Charlotte is fiancée. But when his plan goes awry, it’s up to Adam to take a risk and reveal his true feelings to Charlotte for the chance at the kind of marriage he’s only dreamed about.

Olivia Parker turns up the humor and the charm in her lively second novel. To Wed a Wicked Earl takes readers on the romantic journey of two characters no one would ever expect to fall in love. Adam, though an incredibly sexy hero, is unfairly painted with the same brush as his ancestors who were all wicked to the core. I very much wanted to see Adam judged on his own merits, which is why I so adored Charlotte. She saw the man behind the name, much in the same way he saw her intelligence, wit, and beauty in a way no one else did. Together, they made a wonderful pair and it was easy to become invested in their love story.

Ms. Parker has a fresh, light-hearted style of storytelling I greatly enjoy. Her characters are easy to fall in love with, and Charlotte and Adam are no exception. I was intrigued by them in Ms. Parker’s debut novel, At the Bride Hunt Ball, and their story lived up to what I had been hoping for. While To Wed a Wicked Earl is the sequel to At the Bride Hunt Ball, Ms. Parker provides all the necessary information for Charlotte and Adam’s romance in their book. However, be forewarned that there are major spoilers for the first book in To Wed a Wicked Earl.

I absolutely adored To Wed a Wicked Earl. I was up late in the night reading, unable to put the book down, which is, of course, the mark of a greatly entertaining read. I finished Charlotte and Adam’s story with a smile on my face, eager to read the next book in this series, that of the endearing Lady Rosalind Devine.

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.

girlwithhearteyes's review against another edition

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3.0

3 stars. This was ok. The writing was good, although I didn't connect with either of the characters very much.

valeria_gzz's review

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.75

2,75 stars. I think I would’ve liked this better had I read the first book but that’s alright. I think the narrator had to do with me not loving this books (Christine Rendel for future reference).

It was a lot of saying Adam had a crush on Charlotte and barely any showing. The characters also didn’t feel real? Like they didn’t have much background to them.

The book was steamy and it was good BUT it took a long time to get there. It didn’t get good until about 40% and didn’t get steamy until ~65% which is just too long for me with a new author who doesn’t give her characters (at least in this book) any (good) backstory.