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A review by purely_romantic
When the Viscount Wanted Me by Lydia Lloyd
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
CWs and CNs at the end.
The second book in Lydia Lloyd’s The Rake Chronicles focused on yet another one of the titular rakes–four men who have been friends since boyhood–and Henrietta, the plucky, chaotic and audacious younger sister of John from book 1. I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read this because it was just a perfect read, and once again, showcased Lloyd’s exquisite skill with both the time period and the beats of a Regency romance.
We first meet Henrietta in the previous book and she caught my attention even then. Now a few years older and out in society, she is just as sassy and wonderful on page and the talk of the ton. One of my favourite things about her is that though she is young and slightly impetuous she is not a blushing and naive miss just waiting for the action to happen to her. And when her casual liaison with a childhood friend, who now will simply not take no for an answer, is found out by her big brother’s best friend, she confronts him with the double standards of their time in possibly one of my favourite scenes of the book. Henrietta has carried a flame for the handsome Viscount since she was young, and suddenly her girlish crush is very much an adult want and the two characters cannot help but be so very drawn to each other, even as Trem must do all he can to protect Henrietta’s reputation as well as conceal this secret from her brother.
One thing Lloyd is exceptionally skilled at doing is writing chemistry between two characters that just sizzles off the page. The heat in both their physical and emotional wants is palpable and laced with so much heat and tenderness. These are not just intimate scenes for the sake of them; these are scenes that tell us so much about both characters’ vulnerabilities, their strengths and just how far they are willing to go for each other. Trem may be an experienced and gossiped about rake, but with Henrietta he feels safe, wanted and like he has found home, and she finally feels seen as a woman and not the little girl he had always thought she was. The way they protect each other and find their happily ever after, even with some drama along the way was just perfect! 5 big stars!
CWs: a mention of SA, racism and racial discrimination; mentions of a traumatic childbirth and death due to childbirth; unwanted and persistent attention from a former love interest throughout the book.
CNs: This is a brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister romance which also has an age gap. The book is also high heat and contains several on-screen sex scenes. Thank you to the author for an ARC and this is my voluntary review.
The second book in Lydia Lloyd’s The Rake Chronicles focused on yet another one of the titular rakes–four men who have been friends since boyhood–and Henrietta, the plucky, chaotic and audacious younger sister of John from book 1. I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read this because it was just a perfect read, and once again, showcased Lloyd’s exquisite skill with both the time period and the beats of a Regency romance.
We first meet Henrietta in the previous book and she caught my attention even then. Now a few years older and out in society, she is just as sassy and wonderful on page and the talk of the ton. One of my favourite things about her is that though she is young and slightly impetuous she is not a blushing and naive miss just waiting for the action to happen to her. And when her casual liaison with a childhood friend, who now will simply not take no for an answer, is found out by her big brother’s best friend, she confronts him with the double standards of their time in possibly one of my favourite scenes of the book. Henrietta has carried a flame for the handsome Viscount since she was young, and suddenly her girlish crush is very much an adult want and the two characters cannot help but be so very drawn to each other, even as Trem must do all he can to protect Henrietta’s reputation as well as conceal this secret from her brother.
One thing Lloyd is exceptionally skilled at doing is writing chemistry between two characters that just sizzles off the page. The heat in both their physical and emotional wants is palpable and laced with so much heat and tenderness. These are not just intimate scenes for the sake of them; these are scenes that tell us so much about both characters’ vulnerabilities, their strengths and just how far they are willing to go for each other. Trem may be an experienced and gossiped about rake, but with Henrietta he feels safe, wanted and like he has found home, and she finally feels seen as a woman and not the little girl he had always thought she was. The way they protect each other and find their happily ever after, even with some drama along the way was just perfect! 5 big stars!
CWs: a mention of SA, racism and racial discrimination; mentions of a traumatic childbirth and death due to childbirth; unwanted and persistent attention from a former love interest throughout the book.
CNs: This is a brother’s best friend/best friend’s sister romance which also has an age gap. The book is also high heat and contains several on-screen sex scenes. Thank you to the author for an ARC and this is my voluntary review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism and Sexual assault