A Wicked Earl’s Widow (Once Upon A Widow Book 2)

REGENCY:  Eliza, Countess of Sunderland, suffers control from her evil father. He literally sells her off for money to a man with the reputation of a rake. After only one year of a reasonably peaceful marriage, Eliza finds herself a pregnant widow. She remains under the protection of her in-laws who help raise her daughter. But Eliza’s father has again gambled away his fortune and decides another arranged marriage is in order.

Nathaniel, Viscount of Pendleton, was raised to be a kind and responsible man. Although he doesn’t quite feel ready to marry, his family convinces him “it’s time.” On his way to London, he comes upon Eliza who is attempting to defend an old woman from attack. Nathaniel rescues them, and then finds himself falling in love with a woman whose history he knows nothing about.

This story has all the necessary elements of a classic Regency. Well-written, with lush descriptions and steady pacing, it does have shortcomings in several key areas. The romance itself is shallow and lacks the emotional development needed for the reader to believe its authenticity. A romance can be “clean” but there still should be the feelings a romance reader seeks. There are also too many, lengthy scenes about Eliza’s daughter. These might be fine in a longer story, but they take the focus off the romantic relationship in this short novella. Notwithstanding, fans of Regencies looking for a short, clean read will enjoy “A Wicked Earl’s Widow.”

FS Brown