He fought battles for crown and country. She waged war for his heart.
MY HELLION, MY HEART
Lords of Essex #3
Amalie Howard & Angie Morgan
Releasing July 24, 2017
Entangled Select Historical
In My Hellion, My Heart (Lords of Essex #3) by Amalie Howard & Angie Morgan, Lord Henry Radcliffe doesn't want anything to do with love, but with his thirtieth birthday approaching, he must marry. However, the only woman he wants is too innocent for his sexual appetite. He won't subject her to his war-ravaged past, but Princess Irina Volkonsky is determined to provoke Henry every time they're in the same room together. Will Irina finally win the heart of the man she's always loved, or will Henry lose her to someone that wants Irina for themselves?
I am coming to absolutely love Historical Romance, and this book is just one of my many reasons why. Not only because the main characters were incredible and intriguing with their back stories and their journey to happy ever after, but because their chemistry and romance is explosive and spills over onto the pages in nicely-detailed sex scenes that are well worth the wait. Right from the beginning, this story was attention-grabbing because the heroine is an absolutely hellion, determined to scandalize London with her flirtations and her desire to remain single. Why should she marry before she's ready?
As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories, as both have been through hard times in the past with Henry suffering demons from his time at war and Irina suffering at the hands of someone that should have treated her and her sister with love and kindness. Will Irina be able to help Henry overcome his demons? However, there were some light-hearted moments between the hero and heroine that I loved. Henry knows he shouldn't be interacting in the up close and personal way he does with Irina, but she's the one woman he can't seem to resist.
Furthermore, the main characters made this story a real page turner for me, as Irina is resilient, sassy and I loved how determined she was to provoke the hero. Will a scandal ruin her reputation? I also liked how courageous the heroine was in going after what she wanted when it seemed all hope is lost. Henry is the only man she sees a future with and there's no way she's going to let him get away. While the hero, I could sympathize with him when it came to his past and the reactions he has to certain situations that remind him of what he's been through. Certainly, he's strong and brave and I liked how the heroine helped him overcome anything that was too hard for Henry to handle.
Overall, the wonderful duo of Ms. Howard and Ms. Morgan have penned a fascinating read in this book that entertained me from start to finish with a storyline that had me wondering whether Henry would ever be free of the past and whether the main characters would be able to find a way to put an end to someone's desire to see them never get their happy ever after. The way this story ended had me on the edge-of-my-seat with what Henry and Irina go through, but I liked how everything worked out for this couple in the end because they're meant to be together. Yet, what I liked most about the ending was the epilogue, as it wrapped this story up perfectly, especially with the surprise the heroine had for their family. I would recommend My Hellion, My Heart by Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan, if you enjoy Historical Romance or books by authors Collette Cameron, Sophie Jordan, Kimberly Bell and Lorraine Heath.
BLURB
He fought battles for crown and
country. She waged war for his heart.
Lord Henry
Radcliffe, the scarred but sinfully sexy Earl of Langlevit, is a beast. The
only way Henry can exorcise the demons of his war-ravaged past is through
intense physicality. In and out of bed. An endeavor that has no shortage of
willing participants.
Intent on
scandalizing London, Princess Irina Volkonsky is a hellion and every
gentleman’s deepest desire...except for one. Irina knows better than to provoke
the wickedly forbidding earl, but she will stop at nothing short of ruination
to win the heart of the only man she’s ever loved.
But when
one scandalous kiss makes dangerous passions ignite, neither of them can fight
their sizzling attraction. When a sinister plot emerges to threaten them both,
they will have to fight one last battle, this time for the ultimate
prize...love.
“You’re
good with children,” her sister commented as they left. “You should think about
having some of your own.”
“I
am content with yours, thank you.”
“Irina—”She
stood, raising a hand and strode back to the window.
“I
don’t want to fight with you about this, Lana. The truth is I have no interest
in marrying anyone. And, yes, I do intend for London to be a repeat of Paris:
diverting and fun. I won’t be anyone’s trophy.”
“Is
it because of Lord Langlevit?”
Irina’s
breath halted painfully in her lungs. She turned to face her sister, composing
her face into a mask of indifference. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve
carried a tendre for him for five years,” Lana said quietly. “Ever since you
were fourteen. I suspect you still carry it, which is why no one else can
measure up.”
A
hundred reasons, excuses, words popped into Irina’s brain. Her sister had
always been able to see right through her. She settled for four hard ones. “You
mean my infatuation.”
“That
doesn’t mean your feelings weren’t real.” Her sister rose unsteadily and met her
at the window as Irina’s fingers wound into the folds of her skirts. “Certain
events draw people close, tying them together in inexplicable ways. It’s not
surprising that you...cared for Henry.”
“Hopelessly
unrequited, as it were.”
“Be
that as it may,” Lana said. “Henry is not the same man you knew, and I know you
can see that for yourself. He has changed.”
“Because
of France,” Irina whispered.
Lana
nodded. “He’s never confided in me, but yes, Lady Langlevit has suggested that
what happened to him is beyond understanding. I fear much of him was lost
there.” She pulled Irina close. “I don’t want you to lose your heart to him and
have it broken. You cannot save him, no matter how much you may wish to.” Her
voice wavered. “Trust me, Henry does not want to be saved.”
“How
do you know?”
“Because
he told me so.”
Amalie
Howard’s love
of romance developed after she started pilfering her grandmother’s novels in
high school when she should have been studying. She has no regrets. A #1 Amazon
bestseller and a national IPPY silver medalist, she is the author of My
Rogue, My Ruin, the first in the Lords of Essex historical romance series,
as well as several award-winning young adult novels critically acclaimed by
Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, School Library Journal, and Booklist,
including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha
Goddess, a Kid’s IndieNext pick. She currently resides in Colorado with her
husband and three children. Visit her website for the latest news and information.
Angie
Morgan lives
in New Hampshire with her husband, their three daughters, a menagerie of pets,
and an extensive collection of paperback romance novels. She’s the author of MY
ROGUE, MY RUIN, the first book in the Lords of Essex historical romance series,
as well as several young adult books, including The Dispossessed series written
under the name Page Morgan. Critically acclaimed by Booklist, Publisher’s
Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, VOYA, and The Bulletin, Angie’s novels
have been an IndieNext selection, a Seventeen Magazine Summer
Book Club Read, and a #1 Amazon bestseller. Visit her website for the latest news and information
Fabulous review! Thank you for sharing!
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