(Reviewed by Ishita RC)
The daughter of a disgraced lady of nobility and a common actor, Madelyn Swann knows the hardships of life. She knows that no proper lady would actually sell herself at an auction to the highest bidder. But desperate times call for desperate measures. What she never expected was to become a wife to Nathan Atwood, Viscount Rowley.
What Nathan wants is a wife who can embarrass his snobbish father, the Earl of Gilmore. Being an actor, Madelyn fits all his requirements. What he didn’t count in the equation was getting charmed with his beautiful and witty wife.
Can love overcome the grievances of the past?
I somehow find the characters of regency novels more fascinating than the average of-the-mills romance books. There is strength in the individual characterisation that fascinates the reader because of how close the fictional characters are to the realities of human beings. This book managed to evoke the same feelings when it comes to the perfect characters who bring the setting and main plot alive with their individual spirits. The narrative style is simple and eloquent and keeps pace with the setting and overall tone of plot. The cover image and title is dramatic and seductive enough to capture your attention.
The plot is lively and engaging and keeps the reader involved with its anticlimax. However, by the very end of the book, the overall tone of excitement and liveliness dials down to a flatness that did disappoint me. Considering the lead characters who were introduced in such a dramatic way, I expected a more dramatic ending than what I read.
What confounds me more is the fact that though the book is part of a series, I failed to feel any continuity that is usually seen in books that are part of a series.
His Wicked Wish is another one of those uncomplicated quick reads that you will enjoy reading.
