His Wicked Wish

Cinderella Sisterhood #5

by Olivia Drake

MARRIAGE TO A NOBLEMAN? NOT IN HER WILDEST DREAMS. . .

The daughter of a disgraced woman and a common actor, Madelyn Swann has been shunned by the nobility. No proper lady would traipse about on a Covent Garden stage, let alone sell herself at auction to the highest bidder. So why in heaven’s name would Nathan Atwood, Viscount Rowley, make a generous offer for her hand?

Turns out Maddy is exactly the type of woman Nathan wants as his wife. Finally, he can embarrass his snobbish and cruel father, the Earl of Gilmore—and scandalize London society—with his beautiful, unsuitable bride. Then he’ll depart England forever and leave his wife behind. Having secret plans of her own, Maddy is happy to play the role … only to find that enjoying her husband’s seduction requires no acting whatsoever. But as she falls madly in love with Nathan, can she persuade him to stay with her for always?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Regency Romance, Adult

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

Shortly after graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, Olivia Drake sold her first novel two weeks after sending it to a publisher. She now lives in Texas in a cozy cottage with two feisty cats and a photographer husband. Her two daughters have flown the nest, but still come back whenever they want a home-cooked meal!

Olivia Drake is the author of 35 romance novels. Her most recent series is called 'Unlikely Duchesses' and began with THE DUKE I ONCE KNEW, followed by FOREVER MY DUKE. The third stand-alone book is WHEN A DUKE LOVES A GOVERNESS.

Her other series include 'Heiress in London' (SEDUCING THE HEIRESS, NEVER TRUST A ROGUE, SCANDAL OF THE YEAR) and 'The Cinderella Sisterhood' series (IF THE SLIPPER FITS, STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, ABDUCTED BY A PRINCE, BELLA AND THE BEAST, HIS WICKED WISH, THE SCANDALOUS FLIRT).

Many of you also knew Olivia as Barbara Dawson Smith. She is a New York Times bestseller and winner of numerous honors, including the Golden Heart Award and the coveted Rita Award for excellence in the historical romance genre.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/olivia...

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hills are alive…

I honestly finished the last pages of His Wicked Wish with songs in my head. I wanted to stretch my arms out wide and sing with joy that the hills were alive… and that… there ain’t no mountain high enough… to keep this couple from finding… the greatest love of all. Corny, I know, but I love the feeling a good romance leaves me with. I really enjoyed this story and the surrounding characters. It was a little unconventional, definitely original and filled with emotions that jumped off the pages. The main characters were far from perfect and at times were selfish and thoughtless. But what person is perfect? If we were all perfect, wouldn’t it be a dull old world?

What makes a good historical romance? When I start a historical romance I’m looking for a hero that is confident, elegant while in society, but relaxed while home, treats people fairly whether they be lord or servant AND when he finds love…HE SHOWS IT. Now, my heroine I like to be a little unconventional, definitely strong minded, able to handle herself well in society but can also get herself out of scrapes if needed. Oh, and if she’s a little quirky…that’s a bonus. The characters surrounding our lovebirds can be friend or foe, rake or rascal, a paragon of virtue, or a harlot with a heart. The storyline must have that little spark of freshness, but hold a timelessness that acknowledges its history. In the end, the soppy romantic in me just wants to read about love.

His Wicked Wish starts with our hero Nathan Attwood returning to England after 10 years travelling the world, a successful merchant and business man. He is visiting his Godmother, Lady Milford, one year after she sent him a note that his father was on his deathbed. With the delay in delivery, Nathan, unfortunately, missed the missive that was dispatched a week later saying that his dad was on the mend, but his brother had passed. Nathan is devastated that his brother had died, and his father lived on. To put it mildly, Nathan HATES his father. The last thing he wants is to see his father and acknowledge the fact that he is now the heir and Viscount Rowley. He is devastated that he never got a chance to say goodbye to his beloved brother. Nathan had left England after years of feeling unloved and unwanted by his father. After a huge fight, he swore never to return while the Earl lived. He does not want to be the heir and knows that if he accepts it, his father would see it as a win which is not something Nathan finds appealing. Sitting down with Lady Milford, Nathan comes up with a plan to make his return a scandal, an embarrassment and a disgrace to the family name. Bring in the trollop…

Madelyn Swann is an actress. She is a little unconventional, very beautiful and ready for a career change. The kind of change she wants to make takes funds and to some extent protection. Maddy knows the easiest way to make the necessary money but is determined that it will be on her terms. When she is approached by Lady Milford to consider her Godson, Viscount Rowley, she had no idea that her life was about to change even more than she planned. Instead of signing a contract with a protector, she signs a contract with a husband.

Nathan has set a dastardly plan that has Maddy using all of her acting skills to convince his family that she is a lowly, loudmouth and vulgar chatterbox. She is doing her job well but it’s all an act. Madelyn has a secret that she is determined to keep until the timing is right. What Nathan doesn’t know is that Maddy has her own plan for revenge, and his plans help her to achieve her goal too.

This is a steamy read with both Nathan and Maddy feeling an instant attraction to each other. Neither wants to fall in love, but those pesky emotions can’t help but come into play the more they spend in each others company. Nathan doesn’t plan to stay in England and Maddy has her own plans beyond their arrangement.

There's some action and adventure for the couple and we also see them have a misunderstanding which tests their feelings for each other. The story did not drag at all for me and I was turning each page desperate to find out what would happen next.

His Wicked Wish was a definite WIN for me and now that I have found Olivia Drake I’m definitely keen to read more of her work.

To pre-order His Wicked Wish from Amazon - http://amzn.to/1OVMcTJ



I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
'His Wicked Wish' by Olivia Drake is book five in the "Cinderella Sisterhood". This is the story of Madelyn Swann and Nathan Atwood, Viscount Rowley. I have loved this series...but I have been jumping around in the books so I did feel this was a standalone book..
Maddy has grown up in the acting world since she was little. Her mother was and actually Lady of the town but fell in love with a commoner so she was disinherited. Maddy parents died when she was young... so Maddy has been on her own with the acting crew. Now Maddy has wanted to get off the acting grew and open a shop/business. To do so she decided to get a 'protector' and offered herself for the highest price.
Nathan has come back from being gone for a long time. Nathan was under the impression his father has died. Nathan has never gotten along with his father and was not sad to hear the news. But when he went first to his godmothers house he learns his dad is alive but it was his brother that had died. Now Nathan is his heir. So Nathan thinks for revenge he will marry a unsuitable women who will embarrass his father.


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[Bree T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I really like a good marriage of convenience story. Especially one where the hero is at first, a bit of a womaniser (or let’s face it, a twat) and ends up being brought to his knees by the weight of his misconceptions and arrogance. This probably should’ve ticked all my boxes but…..I found it a bit of a struggle to be honest.

In trying to pinpoint the reason why, I think it’s Nathan. He’s kind of a tool. I understand that he had quite the miserable upbringing at the ends of a bitter cuckholded father who already had the heir and made it clear he had precious little need for the spare. Nathan disappears to China to make his fortune in trade, returning only when he believes his father to be dead. Instead he arrives back in London to find that his father is very well and it’s actually his older brother and heir to the title that has passed away leaving Nathan the new Viscount Rowley. Nathan decides that he’s going to wreak some havoc by parading the worst sort of wife he can find as the future countess. That wife turns out to be actress Madelynn Swann who has decided to forego treading the boards to auction her innocence off to the highest bidder/protector/whatever you want to call it. Only Nathan offers her marriage and despite the fact that marrying a Viscount/future Earl doesn’t exactly gel with Madelynn’s ambitions, she does see an opportunity. And despite the fact that Nathan is, as mentioned previously, a bit of a tosser when she meets him, she decides to accept his offer over all others.

Okay.

**Mild SPOILERS ahead on Maddy’s identity, which is revealed early in the book but anyway, be forewarned**

Nathan wants Maddy to act as crassly as possible – talking about inappropriate things at the dinner table, wearing dresses that ladies wouldn’t be seen in, etc. It’s quite tedious but it has the intended effect, sending his father the Earl, Nathan’s grandmother the Dowager Countess and his brother’s widow into various fits of snobbery, rudeness and apoplexy. Despite the fact that they’re supposed to be gentlemen and ladies they’re incredibly rude and don’t shy away from doing it to her face. I get the whole “class” thing and that they deem Maddy so far beneath them as not to even deserve their courtesy but….they basically act incredibly horrible and then because Maddy actually turns out to *gasp* be not at all as lowly born as people imagine, they immediately begin treating her differently.

When Nathan finds out Maddy isn’t at all some nobody (she’s the granddaughter of a pretty haughty and super rich Duke, how bout that?) he’s all put out and angry because he no longer married a cheap, tarty nobody to anger his family, he married the granddaughter of a Duke! And he carries on about it for a bit because his little plan is ruined and now not only did she turn out to be a virgin after he believed her free with her favours but now her blood is, as he says “even bluer than mine”. It makes him look yet again, like an immature jerk, something that he excels at throughout most of the book. Perhaps the worst of these was when Maddy attempted to tell him that the auction was actually for her virginity and he was all like *wink* oh yes, of course it was, you’re right into this role, aren’t you? *smirk* and Maddy is like wait, this is serious and Nathan is *nudge nudge* of course you’re a virgin LOLOLOLOL. Sigh.

End ***SPOILERS***

Also running through the book is a kind of danger plotline about someone that wanted to win Maddy’s favour (her virginity) and then doesn’t take losing and the subsequent reveals about Maddy too well. I didn’t really feel it added anything to the plot except to make the book longer and it felt a bit unbelievable.

To be honest, Maddy was really the only thing I liked about this book and then she lost a lot of herself after she married Nathan.

[(Nat) Reading Romances · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the Cinderella Sisterhood but it can be read as a standalone. I never read anything by Olivia Drake before.

My biggest problem with this story is that I just didn’t buy it when they professed their love. The hero was charming at the beginning but as we get to know him, he was bitter and treated the heroine with disdain, while she doesn't do a thing to him.

Marriage of convenience is one of my week spots, I'm a fan, but I had mixed feelings about His Wicked wish. Light, sweet and easy reading historical romance.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book of this series for me. I enjoyed the first book quite a bit. This one was OK, but it almost felt like the hero and heroine had separate storylines. Not enough interaction between the two of them, one or two sex scenes, and even those felt sort of lukewarm.

[Jaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Book 5 in the Cinderella Sisterhood and Lady Milford has lent her red dancing slippers to another woman who is about to have her whole world turned upside down and her future forever changed. I have read all of the four previous books in the series and can honestly tell you that I enjoyed them very much. Olivia's writing is uplifting, her characters are amazing and the stories take you to a place where there is adventure, peril, revenge, redemption and most of all love.

Maddy Swann is an actress who has decided to leave the stage and work towards her life long dream to open a business that would cater to everything a woman could want to make herself beautiful. She decides to hold a private auction to find herself a protector and eventually save enough money to make herself independent. Little does she know, she is about to get more than she ever wished for.

Nathan Atwood left England 10 years ago and vowed never to return. When he receives a letter from his godmother Lady Milford that his father is on his death bed he decides it is time to go home. He misses his brother and sister and now that his father is dead he doesn't ever have to set eyes on him again. The very reason he left is because the mutual hatred he and his father felt for each other.

Nathan and Maddy make a bargain arranged by Lady Milford that turns out completely different than what they both had planned. They are also both keeping secrets that could change the course of their lives.

I highly recommend this book and all the others in the series. Olivia's stories are original and captivating and you won't them to end.

Received a complimentary copy for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical romances and was pleased to discover this one. This is part of a series but I enjoyed it as a stand alone book. I am now keen to read more by this author. A very sizzly read with the main female being an actress and the male lead being an upper class character looking to upset his father He has spent a lot of time out of the country after family disputes. He resents his father.They are very attracted to each other –but both have a hidden agenda.
I really enjoyed the writing style and the characters and this made for a real page turner.
With many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this one- I will be seeking out more in the future.

[BonnieL · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out well and I thought I might be at least a 3-star. But then it went off the rails - I understand that the theme of the series is Cinderalla - but really - a mysterious fairy godmother type aristocrat who appears when needed and gives the heroine an pair of magical shoes? Since I haven't read the first book in the series, where I assume that this is all explained, I just find the who concept annoying. Then we have a hero who is about as cold, spoiled and petulant as you could find, a villain who was obvious from the outset and absolutely no character-building that would make believable the hero's sudden declarations of love.

[DemetraP · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't pinpoint what bothered me about this book. The hero was jealous of her and wouldn't let anyone say anything bad about her and they both fell in love with each other.

I guess I just didn't feel the romance. Her mother died when she was young, his mother died when he was young, they both had issues with their family. That was about all they had in common.

I felt like all they had was lust, I didn't feel the love.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is Wow! Olivia Drake is one of the authors I specifically look for. Her writing style is right up there with Eloisa James and Julia Quinn.
Once I started this story I couldn't put it down. She does a superb job of bringing all her characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you are right there with them. The hero, Nathan returns to his home, after being estranged and hating his father for 10 yrs to finding out his older brother has died from the small pox. He now is the heir and plans to humiliate his father by marrying a woman that would be an embarrassment by her background. He makes a deal with a godmother that he would consider the woman she picks out. Madelyn is a actress whose out to find her grandfather the duke who turned his back on her mother for marrying her father a actor. Madelyn invites several men looking for a protector to bid on her favors so she can get information on her grandfather and buy a shop that will sell not only dresses but other items. Nathan offers her marriage thinking that she is a very experienced woman, little does he know that Madelyn is still a virgin. He also makes her promise to be loud and obnoxious just to irritate his father. Nathan keeps his secret why him and his father do not get along. Madelyn keeps her secret that she is the granddaughter of a Duke. Will Nathan and Madelyn find true love or will the hatred Nathan has for his father ruin everything? If you love Cinderella Historical Romance I recommend this book for you. I received a ARC of this book from Net Galley for a honest review.

[Margaret Sholders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a book from Olivia until this one. Readers, this is a deep, different story line. There will be lots of emotions in this story. Olivia has a good book here with good characters. Nathan is far from home and gets news to come home. Major Spoiler. Maddie is a theatre star and is planning an auction. Major Spoiler. They meet at the theatre and he wants to get her to help solve his problem by marrying him. They do. There are lots of secrets floating in this story. I liked this story and all of it's spoilers. I will say you may need tissues. I did. You will find out that you have read farther than you thought. Give this story a chance. You too can fall into this book. I hope you enjoy reading this book and be nice to your family! I have this book for an honest review for NetGalley.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick Summary: Simply beautiful and oh so romantic

Review: The appeal of this historical romance lay in its rich and colorful characters. I loved the protagonists, as well as the supporting characters. The male and female leads were bold, confident, and peculiar. They each faced tragic pasts, which shaped who they had become. Still, there was something inside of both that revealed a gracious compassion toward those who had hurt them most. The beauty of their love for one another (realized and not) was so sweet.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Adult
Status: Historical
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Conflict/Drama: Yes
Family Dysfunction: Yes
Humor/Wit: Yes
Suspense/Intrigue: Yes
Strong Protagonists: Yes
Evil Antagonist: Yes
Stand Alone: Yes
Part of Series: Yes
Re-read: Yes
HEA: Yes
Happy Sigh: Yes

Source: NetGalley (E-copy in exchange for an honest review)

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

After Bella and the Beast I swore I would never read this author again but the premise of this book just sounded amazing and it was. I really liked both the H and h. They both had secrets but in the end love triumphed. The scene where he introduces her to his family was priceless and I loved how she influenced his family and Nathan with her good heart. I did cry a little at one scene towards the end of the book that is very heartbreaking but I loved the HE A and I am glad I tried this author again. This will definitely be a keeper on my favorites shelf.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan is quite the obnoxious drunk, “wake’em, then.” He made no attempt to moderate his tone. “Tell’em that you’re mine. All mine.” I really enjoyed this book, Nathan was a man on a mission and I highly doubt he thought Maddie would disrupt that mission for the better.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical romance. Nathan and Maddie are great characters and all the characters are well developed. I enjoyed the interaction between Nathan and Maddie. There is suspense, humor and sadness in this book. Great beach read.

I won this on The Reading Room website.

[Susan Parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Nice light romance, complete with a fairy godmother, a happily ever after, a vanquished evil foe, family reunions, secret heirs, etc. Not realistic if that's what you are looking for, but excellent escapism.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddy and Nate.-
An enjoyable read with a wonderful HEA

[Jess O. (From Jess to You) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"4 out of 5 stars! After ten years of being away Nathan (Nate) comes back home to London believing his father has passed away, only to learn the bitter truth that in actuality his older brother is dead while his father still lives, which makes Nathan the new heir. As a way of punishing his father, Nathan plans to marry the tawdriest woman he can find, and with the help of his godmother, he thinks he finds the perfect woman in Maddy (Madelyn). However, though Maddy grew up as an actress the secrets in her own past could ruin the possible future that they’ve carved out for themselves. Will all their plans come crashing down around them or will fate have other plans in store?

This dynamic novel was entertaining from the very beginning! The ways Nathan and Maddy go about trying to exact their revenge was hilarious and I was fascinated with how Maddy slowly seemed to fit perfectly into Nathan’s life and into his family. While the characters..."

Read more of this review and a TEASER here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2017/05/feasted-on-cinderella-sister-hood.html

[Connie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

#5 in the Cinderella Sisterhood Regency romance series

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very fun book. Even though I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, this seemed to be a standalone, so there was no confusion. I liked that the story started with the auction, introducing many of the characters right from the beginning and providing a bit of a different storyline. The main characters are great, even though both their motivations are for revenge. But they seem so earnest and entertaining that I was able to forgive them. Madelyn is an actress who is taking on the role of a lifetime, as wife to Nathan and a society lady. Nathan also isn't the typical high-society guy since he has made his fortune in trade, unheard of and frowned upon in those days. Their relationship is fun, and the action fast-moving. The hint of magic surrounding the red shoes was tantalizing, but unfortunately never developed, perhaps because it was played out in previous books in the series. I liked it so much that I will return to the beginning and read the other books preceding this one.

[Nessa]

DNF.

I thought this would be a good one given the plot but...I digress. The male lead was unlikeable, and I didn't sense any real chemistry between the characters at all.

What ticked me off enough to put this book down?

The entire premise of auctioning herself off (the heroine) - fine - I can close an eye and let the silliness of it slide. Secondly, the way the hero's though centered around her were a few red flags and I found him to be a total hypocrite.

Of course he would be lusting after her and all...expecting the worse of her morals because shes's *gasp* AN ACTRESS! The way he approached her already made me annoyed, and then he had the gall to judge her as a person of loose morals and would likely corrupt his sister by being in Emily's presence just angered me.

I kept waiting to change my mind, hoping the plot will escalate but into Chapter 10 and I still found it boring, and with the hero's attitude...nah, this one was a total letdown. Spoiler alert, I read from another reviewer that when the hero discovered that Maddy's actually a blueblooded virgin, he got mad. Honestly, I WONDER what the reason for his drastic revenge was, but I didn't care enough to find out.

[Vi D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did really enjoy the start of the book, I was unsure how to feel about them once they got married and never because of the FMC. Now I know it’s a historical romance so there’s a difference in social classes and genders, I totally get it, but what annoyed me was that the MMC still believed she’d always been acting (because she’s an actress) to the point that on their wedding night, she told him to be careful cause she’s inexperienced and he believed it was all a plot and she was playing the part of blushing virgin as some kinda kink. Of course it’s not until everything is said and down that he realizes he was wrong but he says nothing and actually blamed it all on her and that just set the tone for the rest of the book and I found that scene hard to swallow. Later on, he starts acting like a dick because he realizes she has her own reasons for agreeing to the marriage…other than love or lust or even money. Like wow shocker, but so do you buddy?! Like why make everything her fault always? The end felt rushed to me and they just make up so quick it was unsatisfying.

3 stars for a solid start but abt halfway through I just couldn’t anymore. It made me uncomfortable.

[Jasmine Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

His Wicked Wish is chock full of delightful things: It's 1) a Regency romance 2) about an actress who enters into a marriage of convenience 3) with a noble (an earl, maybe? I can't remember) 4) who is nice to servants and 5) against all appearances she's actually a virgin and 6) she's actually the granddaughter of a duke and 6) they're both hot and 7) they fall in love.

Alas, this gooey goodness gets interrupted about 90 percent into the book when the heroine gets kidnapped. I'm not putting a spoiler alert here because at this point is it a spoiler when the heroine gets kidnapped in a Regency romance? Oh, yeah, and there's a plot point resolved by a near-fatal illness.

I still give this book a solid 4 stars, but it's a shame it couldn't stick the landing.

A longer version of this review is on A Middle-Aged Divorcee Writes Smut. Blog is 18+. https://m-adws.blogspot.com/2021/12/r...

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was disapointingly underwhelming ☹

The book started with so much promise - an ambitious actress seeking vengeance, a scorned second son relishing in causing scandal among the nobility, so many sparks and shakespearean insults flying about in a mattrr of few pages, the promising slow burn pining... but no. Sadly, this turned out to be yet another case of "there is chemistry and lust, and then sudden love confession in the last ten pages of the book."
and a baby of course, lest not forget the ever present babies in hr 😫

side note: that first meeting woth her dressed as a crone and spouting the most ridiculous of shakespearean insults while he holds her hand and smiles will live rent free in my head 👌💕

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madelynn Swann, an actress in London, wishes to enact revenge on the aristocrat who shunned her mother after the lady fell in love with a common actor. But if Maddy wants to be introduced into high society, she has to join their ranks. She accepts a proposal of marriage from Viscount Nathan Rowley, the Earl of Gilmore’s son. Nathan has his own ulterior reasons for wanting her as his wife. He plans to get revenge against the father who wronged him. As Maddy’s affection grows for her new husband, she wonders if he feels anything for her beyond the schemes they concocted together. Do they have any chance of finding lasting love? An engaging historical romance, this story has two compelling characters who need to let go of the past in order to embrace their future.

[Drucilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the set up here and the chemistry between the two leads is just as strong as the characters themselves, though I'm a tinsy, winsy bit disappointed that Madelyn does have blue-blood. It would have been a nice genre flip to have her just be a commoner. The kidnapping/murder plot at the end is introduced and resolved practically on the same page making you wonder why it was even introduced in the first place. Except to satisfy genre requirements, of course. On the whole, it's a solid entry into the genre, with minor bits of purple prose sprinkled throughout.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

two people with their own dark secrets.... Madelyn a common actor and Nathan the black sheep of a noble family who enter into a business contract which suits their needs! He comes home after a decade of roaming China to find his notorious father still alive and she decides it's time to face her noble past and right a wrong! However plans change, the heart really changes - the playboy turns into a caring man and the disrespectful wife becomes the love of his life! Oh yes, this is truly a noble romantic story which satisfies the reader until the very last page .....

[Leigh-Ayn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Olivia Drake book and won't be my last.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had to read it as an actual book as the e-book is not available in Australia.
Nate and Maddy are two people out for revenge and find love and peace.
Although sometimes I wanted to point out to Nate that sharing is caring and to Maddy that he doesn't need to share when you don't either!
I didn't need the big twisty bit at the end. It felt rushed and the story didn't need it.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maddy is a popular actress, from the marriage of a noble woman and an actor. She's just the bride Nathan wants to take home to his noble family and scandalize them with an inappropriate bride. She has an agenda of her own when it comes to the English nobility. But their agendas take a back seat to the passion that out sizzles their payback plans.

Latest of the Cinderella sisterhood and good though not as good as the others in the series.

[Howard Brazee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An actress learned to act like nobility from her mother who had been disinherited for marrying an actor. She was going to retire and open a clothing shop, and prepared to auction her off as a mistress to get enough money to do so.

The son of a nobleman ran away from home and made money in China. He decided to marry a lower-class woman to make his father angry. Without knowing the actress nor his history, his bid of marriage wins that auction.

Then we have the (regency?) romance.

[Miriamgreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

three problems,
schmuck takes virginity/ leaves her blood smeared and walks out, unacceptable for a hea
schmuck bed sport every night and goes to own room, unacceptable for a hea
madam bed partner accepts the schmucks crumbs
this was close to being an abused wife who cannot leave
and love at the end? ok, we read these for a HEA
it had some strong points but the defective hero who we are still in love with a rooting for despite his traumas, is still, until the very end, a total schmuck