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A review by sarah_moynihan
Her Wicked Ways by Darcy Burke
4.0
'SHE WAS HIS SAVIOR
Banished from London for her reckless behavior, Lady Miranda Sinclair is robbed by a dashing highwayman en route to the country. By offering him a kiss in lieu of the jewels she had to leave behind, she commits the very type of act that caused her exile. When her dour guardians extend her punishment to performing charitable work at the local orphanage, she's further tempted by the home's owner, a provincial gentleman who stirs her passion in a most wicked way.
HE WAS HER DOWNFALL
Desperate to save his orphanage from financial catastrophe, Montgomery "Fox" Foxcroft leads a double life as a highwayman. The arrival of wealthy, well-connected Miranda, whose kiss he can't forget, presents a lawful opportunity to increase his coffers. His problems seem solved-until she rejects his suit. Out of options and falling for the heiress, Fox must risk what principles he has left and take advantage of her wicked ways-even if it ruins them both.'
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3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Her Wicked Ways is the first book in Darcy Burke's Secrets and Scandals series.
I have been reading some of Darcy Burke's more recent books and have really enjoyed them. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and so I've decided to go back and read some of her earlier works, starting with Her Wicked Ways.
I liked both main characters, but I found Fox to be significantly more likable than Miranda. He is incredibly selfless and caring. He wears himself and his coiffers thin in order to do his utmost to protect those that rely on him for their survival. He is even willing to face the risk of the hangman's noose if it means doing everything he can to keep the orphange going.
Miranda is labeled as rebellious, but I'd really just say that she is more fliratatious and less reserved that one would expect for the time, she really doesn't exhibit any other signs of rebelliousness in my opinion. That is until she undergoes some growth, which she inarguably does, but it's a near thing for her. The develpment her character makes happens in fits and bursts and she has a few steps backward along the way and she often disappointed me. For me, her character only came fully around within the last dozen pages or so and she was making me anxious that she wasn't going to pull it together.
Fox and Miranda are an interesting pairing, in that their attraction is largely only physical for much of the book and the emotional/romantic attraction is more inconstant, but strangely is worked for them. More than anything though, I wish that they had been honest which each other much earlier, but I was still happy with how the story ended and the plot was unique. I love that Burke writes about women that don't quite follow the rules of the day.
I'm curious to learn just what Jasper meant in his cryptic response to Miranda at the end of the book and so I'm looking forward to starting the next book in the series, His Wicked Heart, and to learn more about his character.
It is important to note that this is one of Burke's earliest books and I did not find it to be as strong as her more recent books. I still enjoyed it though and would recommend this book if you enjoy historical romance or any of Darcy Burke's other books. This is not a clean romance.
Banished from London for her reckless behavior, Lady Miranda Sinclair is robbed by a dashing highwayman en route to the country. By offering him a kiss in lieu of the jewels she had to leave behind, she commits the very type of act that caused her exile. When her dour guardians extend her punishment to performing charitable work at the local orphanage, she's further tempted by the home's owner, a provincial gentleman who stirs her passion in a most wicked way.
HE WAS HER DOWNFALL
Desperate to save his orphanage from financial catastrophe, Montgomery "Fox" Foxcroft leads a double life as a highwayman. The arrival of wealthy, well-connected Miranda, whose kiss he can't forget, presents a lawful opportunity to increase his coffers. His problems seem solved-until she rejects his suit. Out of options and falling for the heiress, Fox must risk what principles he has left and take advantage of her wicked ways-even if it ruins them both.'
_________________________________
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Her Wicked Ways is the first book in Darcy Burke's Secrets and Scandals series.
I have been reading some of Darcy Burke's more recent books and have really enjoyed them. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and so I've decided to go back and read some of her earlier works, starting with Her Wicked Ways.
I liked both main characters, but I found Fox to be significantly more likable than Miranda. He is incredibly selfless and caring. He wears himself and his coiffers thin in order to do his utmost to protect those that rely on him for their survival. He is even willing to face the risk of the hangman's noose if it means doing everything he can to keep the orphange going.
Miranda is labeled as rebellious, but I'd really just say that she is more fliratatious and less reserved that one would expect for the time, she really doesn't exhibit any other signs of rebelliousness in my opinion. That is until she undergoes some growth, which she inarguably does, but it's a near thing for her. The develpment her character makes happens in fits and bursts and she has a few steps backward along the way and she often disappointed me. For me, her character only came fully around within the last dozen pages or so and she was making me anxious that she wasn't going to pull it together.
Fox and Miranda are an interesting pairing, in that their attraction is largely only physical for much of the book and the emotional/romantic attraction is more inconstant, but strangely is worked for them. More than anything though, I wish that they had been honest which each other much earlier, but I was still happy with how the story ended and the plot was unique. I love that Burke writes about women that don't quite follow the rules of the day.
I'm curious to learn just what Jasper meant in his cryptic response to Miranda at the end of the book and so I'm looking forward to starting the next book in the series, His Wicked Heart, and to learn more about his character.
It is important to note that this is one of Burke's earliest books and I did not find it to be as strong as her more recent books. I still enjoyed it though and would recommend this book if you enjoy historical romance or any of Darcy Burke's other books. This is not a clean romance.