Scan barcode
sarah_moynihan's review against another edition
4.0
'It’s hard to be respectable…
Jasper Sinclair, Earl of Saxton, made a bargain with the devil—his father—to marry in one month's time. But instead of declaring his intentions for an acceptable debutante, he indulges his long-buried baser needs by joining a fighting club and pursuing a delectable woman who may not be what she seems. Soon he finds himself battling addictions that threaten his already wicked heart.
When you’d rather be wicked
Orphaned seamstress Olivia West wants the chance to lead an honest, respectable life, but the arrogant Earl of Saxton launches a daunting campaign to make Olivia his mistress. Destitute and desperate, Olivia agrees to one night with the dangerous peer, and draws upon her mother’s courtesan experience to seduce him. After binding and blindfolding him, she brings him to the edge of release, only to switch places with an actual prostitute. However, Jasper detects Olivia’s deception and vows to claim what he's owed— not his money, her.'
________________________________
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
His Wicked Heart is the second book in Darcy Burke's Secrets and Scandals series and is a historical romance.
I found this book to be stronger than the first in the seriesand it was a faster read for me. I found this book to be a quick read, which was a result of the action and subterfuge. Despite some problems I had with the two main characters, I did like both of them. My favorite characters were Jasper's aunt, Louisa and his friend, Sevrin and I look forward to learn more about his character later on in the series.
I found Jasper to be quite manipulative. As a priviledged earl, his character largely didn't seem aware that he was behaving so terribly and instead seemed to spend most of his time villifying Olivia's actions. Not that Olivia doesn't make some bad choices as well, but it really bothered me that he couldn't seem to fathom the fact that many of her actions stemmed from being a vulnerable woman in the world with little to no protection or means. As a result, I often found Jasper to be infuriating and hard to like. I wish they had begun to behave better toward one another earlier in the book.
From what I've read of the series thus far, I'm enjoying it and would recommend it to others who enjoy Darcy Burke's books. Full disclosure, I think this is only the second book that she ever publushed and, like the first in this series, I don't the writing to be as strong as her more recent books, but it is still an enjoyable read. His Wicked Heart is not a clean romance.
I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series To Seduce a Scoundrel and learning more about Sevrin.
_____
I would like to thank the author, Darcy Burke, for sharing a copy of His Wicked Heart with me for reviewing purposes. This is my honest review.
Jasper Sinclair, Earl of Saxton, made a bargain with the devil—his father—to marry in one month's time. But instead of declaring his intentions for an acceptable debutante, he indulges his long-buried baser needs by joining a fighting club and pursuing a delectable woman who may not be what she seems. Soon he finds himself battling addictions that threaten his already wicked heart.
When you’d rather be wicked
Orphaned seamstress Olivia West wants the chance to lead an honest, respectable life, but the arrogant Earl of Saxton launches a daunting campaign to make Olivia his mistress. Destitute and desperate, Olivia agrees to one night with the dangerous peer, and draws upon her mother’s courtesan experience to seduce him. After binding and blindfolding him, she brings him to the edge of release, only to switch places with an actual prostitute. However, Jasper detects Olivia’s deception and vows to claim what he's owed— not his money, her.'
________________________________
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
His Wicked Heart is the second book in Darcy Burke's Secrets and Scandals series and is a historical romance.
I found this book to be stronger than the first in the seriesand it was a faster read for me. I found this book to be a quick read, which was a result of the action and subterfuge. Despite some problems I had with the two main characters, I did like both of them. My favorite characters were Jasper's aunt, Louisa and his friend, Sevrin and I look forward to learn more about his character later on in the series.
I found Jasper to be quite manipulative. As a priviledged earl, his character largely didn't seem aware that he was behaving so terribly and instead seemed to spend most of his time villifying Olivia's actions. Not that Olivia doesn't make some bad choices as well, but it really bothered me that he couldn't seem to fathom the fact that many of her actions stemmed from being a vulnerable woman in the world with little to no protection or means. As a result, I often found Jasper to be infuriating and hard to like. I wish they had begun to behave better toward one another earlier in the book.
From what I've read of the series thus far, I'm enjoying it and would recommend it to others who enjoy Darcy Burke's books. Full disclosure, I think this is only the second book that she ever publushed and, like the first in this series, I don't the writing to be as strong as her more recent books, but it is still an enjoyable read. His Wicked Heart is not a clean romance.
I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series To Seduce a Scoundrel and learning more about Sevrin.
_____
I would like to thank the author, Darcy Burke, for sharing a copy of His Wicked Heart with me for reviewing purposes. This is my honest review.
golden_lily's review against another edition
3.0
Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews
His Wicked Heart is an improvement in practically every way from Her Wicked Ways. Burke’s sophomore effort definitely still feels connected to the first, but is much tighter in plot and characterization. It’s sexier, too. It’s that “practically” that’s keeping the score middle of the road, however.
I hate alpha-heroes. Most romance leads are “alpha” to some extent, and that’s generally fine, but Burke’s heroes are the old-school, bossy, arrogant, compromise-her-and-force-her-to-love-me types. And I don’t find anything attractive about that.
This time around, the hero is Jasper, Earl of Saxton. I found Jasper to be a frustratingly inconsistent character. He’s full to the brim with generosity and forgiveness towards the less fortunate, unless the heroine, Olivia is involved. In another case of a romance novel hero realizing he’s acting like the villain, and then disregarding that knowledge because HIS intentions are good, Jasper harangues her into revealing her deepest, most sordid secrets. Because the poor daughter of a courtesan couldn’t possibly be ashamed or trying to move up in a society that won’t accept her. No, the reason she won’t tell Jasper the secret of her birth MUST be because she’s trying to destroy his life.
Speaking of the villain, he’s the same character from Ways, and remains cartoonishly evil, right up until the end when! Even though his daughter, Miranda from the first book, has already graciously provided him with the same and it doesn’t appear to have made a lick of difference to the Duke’s character. Again, it’s base inconsistencies like this that make the story hard to believe. He isn’t really enough of a driving force to keep the characters from their HEA, so we have to add a liberal dose of misunderstandings and lack of communication to drive the over-long middle.
On the positive side, I like Olivia. I thought she was genuinely sorry over the deception in the blurb and her interactions with Louisa were sweet. I liked that her personal conflict ended, a bit tritely, with self-growth and discovery instead of the last second appearance of an object to give her all the answers. She’s not the most exciting character I’ve ever encountered, but she came across far better than her hero. It made me happy that she had dreams and aspirations apart from his, though I wish we’d seen something of her sewing/designing in the epilogue.
As for the erotic scenes, there are five and each is several pages and mostly well written. I will quibble that switching from the euphemistic “nub” to the clinical “clitoris” for one scene in the middle of the book was both jarring and felt out of place in the time period. I can’t find any documentation that this is actually anachronistic, but it reads too modern to me. I also can’t sign off on the term “cleft” for the vulvar region. Your preference may vary, but anything that brings to mind cleft palates is decidedly unsexy. Beyond that, I found them varied and enjoyable, with the carriage scene as the stand out.
In all, His Wicked Heart is a marked improvement for Burke and good novel, though your opinion will probably hinge on whether or not you like your heroes a bit old-school.
His Wicked Heart is an improvement in practically every way from Her Wicked Ways. Burke’s sophomore effort definitely still feels connected to the first, but is much tighter in plot and characterization. It’s sexier, too. It’s that “practically” that’s keeping the score middle of the road, however.
I hate alpha-heroes. Most romance leads are “alpha” to some extent, and that’s generally fine, but Burke’s heroes are the old-school, bossy, arrogant, compromise-her-and-force-her-to-love-me types. And I don’t find anything attractive about that.
This time around, the hero is Jasper, Earl of Saxton. I found Jasper to be a frustratingly inconsistent character. He’s full to the brim with generosity and forgiveness towards the less fortunate, unless the heroine, Olivia is involved. In another case of a romance novel hero realizing he’s acting like the villain, and then disregarding that knowledge because HIS intentions are good, Jasper harangues her into revealing her deepest, most sordid secrets. Because the poor daughter of a courtesan couldn’t possibly be ashamed or trying to move up in a society that won’t accept her. No, the reason she won’t tell Jasper the secret of her birth MUST be because she’s trying to destroy his life.
Speaking of the villain, he’s the same character from Ways, and remains cartoonishly evil, right up until the end when
Spoiler
a baby finally causes him to see the lightOn the positive side, I like Olivia. I thought she was genuinely sorry over the deception in the blurb and her interactions with Louisa were sweet. I liked that her personal conflict ended, a bit tritely, with self-growth and discovery instead of the last second appearance of an object to give her all the answers.
Spoiler
(When she went to see the old costume designer, I was certain we were going to get a stack of letters or a diary.)As for the erotic scenes, there are five and each is several pages and mostly well written. I will quibble that switching from the euphemistic “nub” to the clinical “clitoris” for one scene in the middle of the book was both jarring and felt out of place in the time period. I can’t find any documentation that this is actually anachronistic, but it reads too modern to me. I also can’t sign off on the term “cleft” for the vulvar region. Your preference may vary, but anything that brings to mind cleft palates is decidedly unsexy. Beyond that, I found them varied and enjoyable, with the carriage scene as the stand out.
In all, His Wicked Heart is a marked improvement for Burke and good novel, though your opinion will probably hinge on whether or not you like your heroes a bit old-school.
sassysmutlover's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I love scandal books and this one did not disappoint. I absolutely love this family, even the Duke because you just have to laugh at how he acts about everything.
I really liked Oliva because she stayed strong no matter what life threw at her and who couldn't love Jasper's aunt, she is just so accepting, and when she says she will handle her brother I know she means it.
Jasper is very different from most. He tries to act so perfect, but loves to do things that if his father knew he would blow up at him. Most books talk about fight clubs, but I really liked that this one has more than talk and you get to know what goes on and how they interact with each other.
I actually could not figure out who sent the note right away and was shocked by who it was and everything he did. To me he was creepy like a stalker. I loved the ending and how Oliva talked to the Duke.
I love scandal books and this one did not disappoint. I absolutely love this family, even the Duke because you just have to laugh at how he acts about everything.
I really liked Oliva because she stayed strong no matter what life threw at her and who couldn't love Jasper's aunt, she is just so accepting, and when she says she will handle her brother I know she means it.
Jasper is very different from most. He tries to act so perfect, but loves to do things that if his father knew he would blow up at him. Most books talk about fight clubs, but I really liked that this one has more than talk and you get to know what goes on and how they interact with each other.
I actually could not figure out who sent the note right away and was shocked by who it was and everything he did. To me he was creepy like a stalker. I loved the ending and how Oliva talked to the Duke.
rainelle_barrett's review against another edition
5.0
His Wicked Heart, by Darcy Burke is a historical romance story worth reading.
Darcy’s ability to use words describing the details of the scenes, pulls the reader and their imagination into the story. The suspense and drama had me gasping and dropping my jaw on a few occasions. Darcy writing brought you into the world, where Olivia and Jasper suffered heartache and pain to find their way to one another. This helped me relate more to the characters and what they felt at that time.
I found myself and cheering them on to the end. The drama. The suspicion. The fights and the steamy romance scenes, gives this story the fire that will keep the reader glued to the book. Olivia’s character is a strong woman.
The people who judge her, may think that she’s week, but her smart whit and living, as they say the common life, taught her well. She was able to beat back her nay sayers and hold her head high, while walking into a room. Jasper’s character, feared no one. Not even his controlling father the Duke. Jasper walks through this book with is fist held high and the soft words and genuine love for Olivia. Oh, I haven’t forgot about the naughty ecstasy that Olivia and Jasper share in their stolen moments.
Jasper fingers where dancing like Fred Astaire’s feet in this book. Read the book. You will understand what I’m talking about. Talk about someone being on fire! Olivia was saying to herself, heavens, their is no way I’m letting this man get away.
I recommend this book with two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
Darcy’s ability to use words describing the details of the scenes, pulls the reader and their imagination into the story. The suspense and drama had me gasping and dropping my jaw on a few occasions. Darcy writing brought you into the world, where Olivia and Jasper suffered heartache and pain to find their way to one another. This helped me relate more to the characters and what they felt at that time.
I found myself and cheering them on to the end. The drama. The suspicion. The fights and the steamy romance scenes, gives this story the fire that will keep the reader glued to the book. Olivia’s character is a strong woman.
The people who judge her, may think that she’s week, but her smart whit and living, as they say the common life, taught her well. She was able to beat back her nay sayers and hold her head high, while walking into a room. Jasper’s character, feared no one. Not even his controlling father the Duke. Jasper walks through this book with is fist held high and the soft words and genuine love for Olivia. Oh, I haven’t forgot about the naughty ecstasy that Olivia and Jasper share in their stolen moments.
Jasper fingers where dancing like Fred Astaire’s feet in this book. Read the book. You will understand what I’m talking about. Talk about someone being on fire! Olivia was saying to herself, heavens, their is no way I’m letting this man get away.
I recommend this book with two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
lizabethstucker's review
3.0
This wasn't as good a read as the first, but still intriguing. He's made a deal with his father, allow Miranda marry her Foxcroft, and Jasper will marry within a specified time to a suitable woman. Then he meets Olivia West, daughter of a courtesan. Definitely NOT suitable! 3.5 out of 5.
silvercal's review against another edition
4.0
Jasper Sinclair, Earl of Saxton, is well aware of the bargain he made to let his sister marry for love but that does not stop his arrogant father from demanding he fulfill his duty to wed within the month...to a proper young lady with proper breeding. Absolutely no lady lacking prestigious credentials will be acceptable, even if he ruins her. Jasper thought he had found love years ago and even though he ruined her, her family was quickly shipped off to America as she was well beneath a future Duke's realm. As he is out looking for some entertainment one night, he helps rescue a red-haired beauty who turns him down flat. Confident she will change her mind, he leaves his card as being her protector is much better that the hovel she is staying in. So it comes at no surprise that the red-haired beauty sends around a note a day later. What happens after, though, is a huge surprise and sets a course that will change Jasper's life forever.
Olivia West, daughter of a notorious courtesan, is recently orphaned and struggling to make ends meet by doing work as a seamstress. She hopes to find a job doing embroidery and almost has some luck, when she receives an unwanted advance and all her prospects plummet. Meeting the dashing Jasper leaves quite an impression on her but as she is determined to be better than her mother, she turns him away until it looks like she has no other options. Together, with a friend, they come up with a crazy (and I do mean crazy) idea that ends up crashing and leaving a very irate Jasper to deal with Olivia. And just when all hope seems lost, an angel arrives in the form of one Lady Louisa to whisk her away to a life she never knew. There is just one small problem...Louisa just happens to be Jasper's aunt and Jasper is determined to protect his beloved aunt from the surely scheming, deceitful Olivia. Matters of the heart are always a bumpy road but when trust is lost, what will it take to reform that trust and find happiness? Jasper is determined to figure that out with Olivia!
After reading Darcy Burke's debut, Her Wicked Ways, and meeting Jasper and seeing the sacrifice he was willing to make to allow his sister her happiness, I was very eager for his book and I am so glad it was enjoyable! Jasper was such a delightful mufti-layered character. On the surface, he knows his duty and knows he can never ruin another innocent again and he feels much remorse and anger as to how the situation was handled. He finds some solace in a fighting club, run by a peer but a peer that is pretty scandalous in his own right but it helps Jasper release some of his tension while showing what true friends can be, peerage or no peerage. Jasper also has a kind heart proven by his willingness to help those who cross his path with unfortunate circumstances. When he is betrayed by Olivia, it takes quite a while before he can start to trust her again and find the strength and courage he needs to stand up to his father to do what is right for him. Olivia is trying to succeed in one of my favorite professions of this time period and I loved the little tidbits about fashion and sewing. She lets down her guard for a moment and lets herself do something truly reckless and in the end, it will almost cost her true love and happiness. Olivia is a decisive, strong, independent young lady who is longing for a real family, a place to fit in and Jasper with his sexy, kind heart and strong loyalty to those he loves, is the perfect partner. If you are looking for a romance that is going to make you smile and sigh and shake your ereader because you want the couple to work it out and find that trust again mixed with dreadfully annoying parents and a loving, perhaps a bit dotty, aunt--this is a wonderful romance to read! Darcy Burke is an author to watch! 4 solid stars
Thanks so much to the author for providing me with this eARC!
Olivia West, daughter of a notorious courtesan, is recently orphaned and struggling to make ends meet by doing work as a seamstress. She hopes to find a job doing embroidery and almost has some luck, when she receives an unwanted advance and all her prospects plummet. Meeting the dashing Jasper leaves quite an impression on her but as she is determined to be better than her mother, she turns him away until it looks like she has no other options. Together, with a friend, they come up with a crazy (and I do mean crazy) idea that ends up crashing and leaving a very irate Jasper to deal with Olivia. And just when all hope seems lost, an angel arrives in the form of one Lady Louisa to whisk her away to a life she never knew. There is just one small problem...Louisa just happens to be Jasper's aunt and Jasper is determined to protect his beloved aunt from the surely scheming, deceitful Olivia. Matters of the heart are always a bumpy road but when trust is lost, what will it take to reform that trust and find happiness? Jasper is determined to figure that out with Olivia!
After reading Darcy Burke's debut, Her Wicked Ways, and meeting Jasper and seeing the sacrifice he was willing to make to allow his sister her happiness, I was very eager for his book and I am so glad it was enjoyable! Jasper was such a delightful mufti-layered character. On the surface, he knows his duty and knows he can never ruin another innocent again and he feels much remorse and anger as to how the situation was handled. He finds some solace in a fighting club, run by a peer but a peer that is pretty scandalous in his own right but it helps Jasper release some of his tension while showing what true friends can be, peerage or no peerage. Jasper also has a kind heart proven by his willingness to help those who cross his path with unfortunate circumstances. When he is betrayed by Olivia, it takes quite a while before he can start to trust her again and find the strength and courage he needs to stand up to his father to do what is right for him. Olivia is trying to succeed in one of my favorite professions of this time period and I loved the little tidbits about fashion and sewing. She lets down her guard for a moment and lets herself do something truly reckless and in the end, it will almost cost her true love and happiness. Olivia is a decisive, strong, independent young lady who is longing for a real family, a place to fit in and Jasper with his sexy, kind heart and strong loyalty to those he loves, is the perfect partner. If you are looking for a romance that is going to make you smile and sigh and shake your ereader because you want the couple to work it out and find that trust again mixed with dreadfully annoying parents and a loving, perhaps a bit dotty, aunt--this is a wonderful romance to read! Darcy Burke is an author to watch! 4 solid stars
Thanks so much to the author for providing me with this eARC!
paulieg's review against another edition
3.0
Lean and fast-paced at the start, this book was quickly bogged down by superfluous plotlines and characters. Absorbing enough to finish, but there were far too many misassumptions used to keep the leads apart. Also, I missed the book's earlier focus on the day-to-day struggles of a woman at the time who had to work when the story moved to the more familiar but less interesting world of high society.
More...