Lady be Bad by Candice Hern

First off, the cover for this book, and in fact the first two in the series (In the Thrill of the Night and Just One of Those Flings) have gorgeous covers as well. Lucky Candice Hern to get some beautiful covers. She talks about the cover art over at her site and she’s got lots of extras too. But on to the review.

Grace Marlowe has tried to live her life as her late husband, the bishop, would have wanted it. She supports charities, visits his family and is a chaste and upstanding member of society. But when her friends in the Benevolent Widows Fund begin sharing their tales of lovers they’ve taken she’s both scandalized and intrigued, though she’ll never mention the latter to her Merry Widow friends.

The action of this one starts a little before Just One of Those Flings ends, where Grace is left alone with John Grayston, Viscount Rochdale, to return to London. While in the close confines of a carriage (barouche? it’s something small in any case), Rochdale slowly begins a seduction of Grace, which she is horrified and flattered at the same time. Over time, he lets her know of his interest and breaks down her defenses, though Graces is confused by the heartfelt and passionate stories of the Merry Widows and the increasing censure from the bishop’s family.

Things are not as they seem on Rochdale’s part however. He’s in the middle of a wager with a prized possession (a horse) that he can bed any woman in England, and the woman chosen is Grace. He’s surprised to find the prudish and uptight Widow Marlowe is a passionate, caring woman and someone worth more than the seduction and the winning of a wager can offer.

One of the best things about this book is the discussion of a woman’s role in society, especially someone with a connection to the church and an “upright” lifestyle. What is acceptable to society based on who you are? Is who you are worth showing to the world? Should you follow your instincts or let those around you dictate how you behave? Definitely some deep thoughts coming in a romance novel.

Grace and Rochdale discuss these things, especially in connection to her late husband, the bishop, who was by all accounts a good God-fearing man, but had a very narrow view of marriage and women. Even when they’re talking about these issues there’s this great chemistry between them. They are the type of people who are comfortable talking about anything, respect each others views and are willing to be open-minded enough to debate heatedly without fear of retribution. And they know there’s an attraction there that’s special and should be explored at the same time. We should all be so lucky.

Grace, however, is not the only one who needs to embark on a journey of self discovery. Rochdale is somewhat forced to rethink his libertine lifestyle and remember things which are painful, but Grace’s devotion, passion, and most of all, her honesty, show him that he can move on and it’s not a risk to care about anyone.

The other Merry Widows appear in this one, because as Hern has stated, these Widows are very like the Sex and the City girls. They discuss anything and everything, especially men, and when the others find out who Grace is having an affair with they, of course, want the dirty details. And to know if the libertine is as good in bed as the gossips say he is.

With the serious, but relevant message, great main characters, lively supporting characters and excellent chemistry between the leads, this is a must read. Be sure to pick up the first two in the series as well.

Grade: A