His Wicked Heart by Darcy Burke

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!

Related Books

To Seduce a Scoundrel (Ms Burke led up to this book beautifully and I can't wait to see how it plays out!)  July 2012