Just Wicked Enough by Lorraine Heath

Michael Tremayne, the fourth Marquess of Falconridge, is in need of money. So, like many aristocrats, he seeks out a wealthy bride so that he can fill his coffers quickly and take care of his monetary troubles. The problem is Michael doesn’t want to announce to everyone he’s in desperate need of money, and he doesn’t want to go through the business of courting a wealthy debutante, so he holds an auction. On the block is himself and his title for marriage to an American heiress looking to be a noble bride.

The highest bidder is American James Rose, a New York banker who offers up his daughter Kate. Kate Rose really has no choice but to marry the man her father bought for her. She’s either been sought for her money or passed over for her more attractive and vivacious sister Jenny. Though she finds out later he was bought for her, she wants to be married for love, and so she asks him to wait bedding her until he loves her.

Michael knows love is hard, but passion is wonderful. He sets out to seduce his new bride and show her that passion can make up for love, but there are of course, several road blocks in the way of this happily ever after. Kate had been in love before, and her former beau is back, Michael is hiding a family secret, which is the real reason he needs the money, and both realize that love is not so hard or tragic, after all.

This book was a pleasant surprise. Kate is open about the fact she’s always been spoiled, but she’s got smarts as well and is not flighty or pretentious with her money. Her family had been spurned by the Knickerbocker set in New York, and so came to London to find titled husbands for Kate and Jenny. There is, of course, a valid reason why James Rose pays so much money in the auction for Michael to marry Kate, and it’s nice to see a close family, especially one so fabulously wealthy.

The Rose family first appeared in A Duke of Her Own, though neither of the Rose sisters got married in that one. Though I didn’t read the first book in the series, the Duke of Hawkhurst and his wife Louisa appear in this one, as well as Jenny and Jeremy Rose and Louisa’s brother the Earl of Ravensly. Which makes me curious about who the next book in this series will be about.

Michael has always been ignored for himself. He had benevolent neglect by his aristocratic parents, raised by nannies and governesses until he went to school. When his father died, he was known for his title more than his actions. When he marries Kate, he thinks it’s going to be the easy way out, but actually he’s got a hard road seducing Kate.

Together, Michael and Kate are very cute and sweet. Kate gives the idea that if he knows her favorite color, then Michael could be welcome in her bed. The effort he goes to to deduce that color is so sweet. When he does get her into bed, the passion there is obvious and sweet. And very erotic, as they teach each other the meaning of passion.

The other great thing about the story is Michael and Kate spend a lot of time getting to know each other. He tries to think of gifts that will please her, goes places he maybe doesn’t like to because it pleases her, etc. When she finds out about the auction, she runs to a friend, and Michael knows where to find her. The lack of separation made the story more real and as the two main characters learned to love each other and support each other tied the story together and made it a true HEA.

Grade: A-