C2’s review of Too Wilde to Wed (Wildes of Lindow Castle, Book 2) by Eloisa James
Historical Romance published by Avon 29 May 18
Greetings, Faithful Reader! Today we are talking about Eloisa’s latest book and, I must say, it is my one of my favorites from her. Aren’t you curious as to why that is?? You know you are! Let’s go!
There will be spoilers for the first book in the series, Wilde in Love – BE WARNED!
Wilde in Love ended with a cliffhanger that set up this book. So that’s unusual, yes? Generally, there are only cliffhangers if it’s the same characters in the next book, right? Eh. What do I know? Anyhoo, Too Wilde to Wed is North’s story. He is heir to a dukedom and was jilted by his fiancée in Book 1. The cliffhanger was North finding Diana in a remote cottage with a baby crying in the background. Since they never slept together, that was a bit awkward, yo.
When we pick up the story in Too Wilde to Wed, North is off in the colonies, fighting colonials. Instead of retreating to the ancestral estate to soothe his jilted soul, he formed a regiment and went to war. In the meantime, Diana was found by his aunt and quietly installed as governess to his youngest siblings (lots of Wilde kids, don’t you know). So, when North returns home from the war – not that it’s over, but he is done with it – SURPRISE!
Diana had no choice but to accept Lady Knowe’s offer, since she had been disowned by her mother. She and her nephew had to eat and have a place to live, after all. Yup, not her child, obviously. And not North’s, either, even though that was the rumor circulating through the household. Also, there are the tabloids that make him out to be a vile seducer.
As it turns out, even thinking he’s been betrayed by her can’t stop North from caring about Diana. After he comes home (with a bit of PTSD), they slowly grow closer. But the obstacles between them remain. Her circumstances, his new reputation as a despoiler of virgins, her complete unwillingness to become a duchess ever. How can they be together?
Ah, Faithful Reader, I like books like this. No crazy external plots or shenanigans, just a focus on the relationship between the hero and heroine (and some crazy relatives). Truthfully, I didn’t expect to like North. In the first book, he was not remotely interesting – but he wasn’t being himself. The real North? Swoon worthy! When the hero loves the heroine so much he refuses to accept defeat and is determined to find a way for them to be together? Yes, please!
Did Diana annoy me a bit, with her refusal to even consider changing her mind for so long? YES. But then I had to remember how young she is. And good for her for being relatively self-aware, I guess. Still, at 20 or whatever, you may think you will never be duchess material and don’t want to take that whole mess on (I get that), but to ignore that you could change your mind in 20-ish years? Hmmph.
Does this book stand alone? I say yes. I mean, you do see some interactions between them in Wilde in Love but, really, you get enough backstory in this book to not bother reading the previous one, if you don’t want to. I enjoyed Too Wilde to Wed so much. If you are a fan of Ms. James’ books, you will like this one and, if you haven’t tried her writing, this is a good one to test out.
Grade: A-
Summary:
No one is more surprised than Lord North when he returns from war to find his ex-fiancee in his ancestral home…working as a governess in a sexy, fiery new Wildes of Lindow Castle romance by New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James…
The handsome, rakish heir to a dukedom, Lord Roland Northbridge Wilde—known to his friends as North—left England two years ago, after being jilted by Miss Diana Belgrave. He returns from war to find that he’s notorious: polite society has ruled him “too wild to wed.”
Diana never meant to tarnish North’s reputation, or his heart, but in her rush to save a helpless child, there was no time to consider the consequences of working as a governess in Lindow Castle. Now everyone has drawn the worst conclusions about the child’s father, and Diana is left with bittersweet regret.
When North makes it clear that he still wants her for his own, scandal or no, Diana has to fight to keep from losing her heart to the man whom she still has no intention of marrying.
Yet North is returning a hardened warrior—and this is one battle he’s determined to win.
He wants Diana, and he’ll risk everything to call her his own.
No excerpt available.
Other book in the series:
