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LADY WICKED
Delle Jacobs
ISBN:  978-1601548689 (Trade Paperback)
ASIN: B004P1J4U2 (Kindle eBook)
February 25, 2011 (Trade Paperback)
February 22, 2011 (Kindle eBook)
The Wild Rose Press
Historical Romance/Regency

Thomas Steynes, Viscount Savoury has burnt his bridges in London and is now forced to retreat to the only entailed property he has left, an ancient abandoned family manor.  Along the way, he comes upon a damsel in distress being tormented by the village boys.  Although a rake, he is a gentleman and rushes to her aid only to find that the damsel is Lady Wyckham a woman who hates him more than anyone else on earth.

After being cast aside by her violent husband, the last thing Davina Wyckham needs is to be associated in any way with Savoury.  All she wants is to be left alone and support herself raising herbs to sell to an apothecaries.  Savoury’s tarnished knight attempts to help her can only make matters worse, but he is determined to mend his ways, tamp down his unruly desires in order to honestly help the woman he has secretly adored for years.

***  The very first e-book I ever read was FIRE DANCE by Delle Jacobs and it was so fabulous I wrote a glowing review and have never forgotten the intricate plot she wove – it had a terrific twist that I never saw coming!  Now either my mind is slowing down and/or  I’m not as quick to pick up clues, but LADY WICKED has all the same elements, including a finale twist, that while I suspected some, I hadn’t worked it all out.  Just know this Ms. Jacobs villain’s are the best!  They are swarmy, insidious, and hold deep dark secrets.

Lord Savoury was a notorious rake, love was something he’d never experienced. He took what ever he wanted until he had finally been shunned by what few true friends he’d once had.  Coming home to the ancient castle that was falling around his feet had opened his eyes, especially at the talented pen of Ms. Jacobs who led him to see into the mists of forgotten time exactly what he was a part of.  Ms. Jacobs brought back to Savoury feelings he never knew he had, and increased his knight errant feelings of protecting the underdog and to see the error of his formerly selfish ways.  For me this was one of the more beautiful aspects of LADY WICKED.

Lady Savoury, for all her viper-tongue ways, was a victim having been horribly beaten upon by her dastardly husband.  Davina had been cast aside to fend for herself after having been set up by her husband as to having an affair with another man. [This was just a small nugget of a much bigger plan our vicious villain had in store for both Davina and Savoury]  But, I will not provide further spoilers because this plotting was just too good to reveal!

Suffice it to say, Ms. Jacobs has not lost her touch in creating a marvelously complex plot with characters that are fitted seamlessly into the story with top billing parts to play.  Each character was an important part of the whole and not just a filler to add more depth to a story.  I can’t remember a book that had me so invested in the outcome as I was with LADY WICKED.  Do not hesitate in picking this one out as one of my HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Reads.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

Reviewed By:

I started reviewing books many years ago - but my love of reading began as soon as I could read and that’s a long time! From my very first library card, I would spend my summers at the local library rather than outside playing. My tastes ran from every horse book I could find, to dog books, then gothic romances, and now historical romances with the Regency period having a very close spot in my heart. [Many of my friends, who really know me, say I was born in the wrong era - they’re probably right.] Now that I am retired, and busier than ever, I read almost all genres with the exception of hard core erotica, horror and anything involving more than one sex partner! I am loyal to my tried and true favorite auto-buy authors but love discovering the newer authors as well. I was once a very impatient person, but now retired, and with a book, an audio, or my Kindle by my side - I am the epitome of infinite patience to sit and wait for whatever comes next be it for the light to change, a doctor’s appointment, or a commercial break on the television!

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