How to Tame a Willful Wife by Christy English

Anthony Carrington, Earl of Ravenbrook, is ready to take a bride and have his heirs so he expects his bride, the one he paid for, to do what he says and enjoy her life in the country while he can still entertain in the city.  Caroline Montague is not that woman.  She likes to ride astride in breeches, fence and takes lesson in handling a dagger, which is never far from her side.  She cannot believe the man her father has picked out for her, a man that can not accept her as she is but she knows her duty and marries Anthony in just two days time with only their smoldering desire for each as a bridge.  Together, they burn up the sheets but Antony's controlling ways are still a major issue between them so Caroline struggles to find a way that the can be happy together beyond the bedroom.  Just as they seem to be finding that place, they travel to London for the Prince Regent's ball and Anthony's mistress causes havoc and it forces Caroline to get help from the one man Anthony despises, Viscount Carlyle.  Will this be the final, willful act that pushes Anthony and Caroline to the breaking point or can Anthony find a way to accept Caroline as herself while letting go of his jealously?

I really liked this book.  Caroline was a delight to read...bold, courageous, feisty, passionate and ready to protect those she loves without hesitation.  Anthony was a bit harder for me to warm up to and I'm not sure I completely did.  He is bossy, controlling, arrogant, very jealous yet honorable, kind and finds ways to stand up to Caroline like know one has before.  He wants a proper wife all the time and Caroline only is when society dictates it and this infuriates him.  I enjoyed the bantering between our couple and they certainly knew how to set the pages on fire with their passion.  I wish there had been just a bit more back story with Anthony's past or how he came to be such good friends with the Prince Regent or more with the incident involving his sister (but she may have her own story so the author may be waiting until then).  I also thought Anthony overreacted a bit to Caroline's interactions with Carlyle, especially considering he refused to tell her the truth about the past and the reasons for his hatred of the man, and then his resolution with her didn't seem quite right.  Still, I liked the romance and it read very well and quickly and I will read more from Christy English.  This was a novel full of sass, steam, stubbornness and love and is a pleasant way to spend an evening in front of the fire.  3 1/2 stars

Review copy provided by Sourcebooks via Netgalley

Love on a Midsummer Night (I am guessing this book will be related as their were numerous secondary characters introduced that will hopefully have stories and also since the title is a play on a Shakespeare title again)  Amazon has a release of August 1, 2013