Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Early Review of The Viscount and the Vixen (The Hellions of Havisham #3) by Lorraine Heath

Title: The Viscount and the Vixen
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Format Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Avon (November 29, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0062391054
ISBN-13: 978-0062391056
Author's Website: http://www.lorraineheath.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I am also an Avon Addict which means I love the books that Avon publishes enough to volunteer to read as many ARCs and books as they can send my way. So you'll be seeing a lot of books reviewed by me from this publisher. Please note, however, that if I don't like a book, it will be truthfully reflected by a low rating.
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Killian, the Viscount Locksley, is in no hurry to marry. His father, the Marquess of Marsden, fears he never will, so he devises a plan to get a spare. He places an advertisement in the paper for a wife, but not many are willing to marry, much less conceive a child with, a man thought to be mad even if he comes with a title. In fact, only one woman answers the ad-- Portia.

Portia is young beautiful widow who was left penniless with no living relatives when she decided to take the Marquess up on his offer of marriage. Almost from the beginning, however, her story doesn't seem to add up. She wants protection from something or someone the question being what or who? When she meets the Marquess' handsome son, however, things get complicated. 
This was a wonderful story from beginning to almost the end, The shaky ground started when Portia's big secret was finally revealed. It was hinted at from the very beginning, but the extent of the deceit behind it was massive. While Killian's response was a bit harsh, I don't consider it unreasonable given the time period the book takes place in. If anything it's only a sliver of what could have been dealt out, and given it was only a verbal lashing it would probably be considered quite a mild response at the time. 

Strangely, Killian's response isn't what gave me such mixed emotions, but rather Portia's betrayal. We live during a time when Portia's secret, while still scandalous, wouldn't be to the extreme it was back in the 1800's. Things have changed so much it's sometimes hard to comprehend just how women were once treated. Could Portia have handled things differently and still have ended up with a satisfying ending? I'm not sure. I truly wish I'd read this one in a book club setting because I would so love to know what other people's response to this situation would be. It definitely opens up a Pandora's box for discussion. 

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5. While it had a bit of a rocky ending, I very much enjoyed the overall story. The chemistry between these two was sizzling hot and practically scorched the pages. While I understand why Portia did what she did, it didn't particularly sit well with me. I love how Killian was able to overcome his initial feelings of shock and betrayal and realize that, in the long run, it didn't matter. What mattered was how he and Portia felt about each other. This is definitely a book which will stir up some controversy, but I think that's a good thing. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a SHOWER rating - a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol  

P.S. While this is the third book of the trilogy, you can definitely read this one with no prior knowledge of the series.    


Order of the series:

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