'Wicked Intentions' by Elizabeth Hoyt is set in 18th century London and follows the story of Temperance Dew, a widow who assists her brother in running a charitable orphanage on a tight budget. When they lose their financial backing, Lord Caire, a notorious rake searching for the murderer of his mistress, strikes a deal with Temperance to introduce him to potential financial backers in exchange for his help in guiding him through London's slums. weaves together romance, mystery, and exploration of societal issues, set against a backdrop of the dark and dangerous streets of London.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of murder, emotional and sexual trauma, and references to darker elements of social issues.
Has Romance?
The romance is a central focus of the book, characterized by strong chemistry and emotional complexity.
From The Publisher:
From the New York Times bestselling author who Lisa Kleypas hails as "too good to be true" comes the first book in her beloved Maiden Lane series.
A MAN CONTROLLED BY HIS DESIRES . . .
Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .
A WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST . . .
Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.
A BARGAIN NEITHER COULD REFUSE
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Reader Stats (41):
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1 comment(s)
***4.5***
I really liked it! The characters were complicated, with a surprising amount of depth. And I liked the mystery of it, too (I like mystery books as well, sue me).
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to connect to Lazarus at first, but it became apparent pretty quickly that he wasn't (as he thought) emotionless. It was more like... he never learned to speak that language. Watching him struggle and learn to do that was brilliant story-telling. And it was heart-breaking to see him lose faith in Temperance. (Also, haha that he is a fan of Catullus - I am a fan of the hidden dirty joke.)
There were a lot of unanswered questions, though. I can only assume they will be revisited further in the series (which is somewhat unusual in my experience of HR - very little plot tends to carry forward from one book the the next, most of the time). I will be bummed if these questions are never answered. Who the heck is the Ghost of St. Giles? (I have my theories...) And what is up with Charming Mickey? Who the hell is that baby? What is Asa up to, anyway? Why is Concord such a surly jerk? And WTF is going on with the names in that family, anyway? Temperance, Silence, Verity, Concord, Asa and Winter Makepeace. Really? Really? And speaking of names, why are there 27 orphans named either Mary or Joseph? Is that like a thing, or are these people just crazy?
Also, the moral of today's story seems to be: pay your tithes to your crime overlords, boys and girls, or bad shit happens. Both of the plot lines were driven by surly, unpaid crime bosses. Clearly, these guys don't mess around!
I make light, but that is probably because it is late and I am punchy. But seriously, this was my first Hoyt book, and I really enjoyed it a lot. I need to read more of her stuff!
What can you read after
Wicked Intentions?
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