⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Most definitely. A delightful mix of levity and seriousness that also brings home the importance of family – the one we make, not necessarily the one we’re born into.

Lord Adrian Webb is a no-good, roguish, rakish scoundrel of the first order, which is why his father sends him to the Continent and cuts him off without a farthing. When (penniless) in Rome, what’s a disgraced gentleman to do, but dabble in some light forgery? After all, better to leave the original works of art where they belong instead of some English snob’s drawing room. But soon his scheme snowballs out of control, and a blackmailer is out to ruin him. The Wynchester family is known for their daring capers to help those in need. Until now, Marjorie has always let her siblings take the lead when it comes to planning undercover work. But someone in London is trying to pass off counterfeits and this time she’s the only one with the skill needed to find the culprit. Her investigations lead her straight to Lord Adrian Webb. But every time Marjorie thinks she’s figured Adrian out, she learns something new that turns all her assumptions on their head. He’s a sinner. A saint. A heartless scoundrel. A loyal brother. A liar. A good kisser. Er… wait… She can’t afford to lose herself in the passionate embrace of a man she’ll have to turn over to the magistrate as soon as the case is closed.

MY THOUGHTS

So far I am four for four in this series. The Wynchesters are by far my favourite historical romance novel family. This book focuses on Marjorie, who is partially deaf and tends to hide herself away at home with her art and her forgery skills.

The entire family played a part, as usual, which adds to the excitement, but for the majority of the story it was only Marjorie and Adrian, relying on their sharp wits to keep one step ahead of Snowley.

Adrian was a wonderfully complex character. His main motivation was protecting his sister, but he had done some very questionable things in that endeavour and has definitely hurt people in the process. He also played up to his reputation, which wasn’t entirely a truthful picture of his caring character.

Marjorie was an excellent example of someone who already had everything, but still felt like she didn’t measure up to her siblings. She had to learn to see her life for all the greatness it already had, instead of focusing on her shortcomings.

This was immensely fun to read and quite the roller coaster ride. The anticipation building up, then feeling on top of the world, before crashing down, repeated again and again. I didn’t expect to laugh while also feeling on edge and tense.

I can highly recommend this entire series if you like your historical romance with lots of action and plenty of sizzling chemistry. It’s not necessary to read the books in order, but it helps to know the characters.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Historical Romance
Published: September 12, 2023
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: The Wild Wynchesters
Other books in the series: The Duke Heist, The Perks of Loving a Wallflower, Nobody’s Princess
Tropes: Disability, Forced Proximity, Misunderstood Hero, Found Family