A Wicked Way to Win an Earl

Sutherland Scandals #1

by Anna Bradley

A tantalizing new Regency romance filled with the most elegant society—and the most forbidden desires…

England, 1811. Delia Somerset despises the privileged ton, but her young sister, Lily, is desperate to escape their family’s scandalous past and join high society. Unwilling to upset her sister, Delia reluctantly agrees to attend a party at the Sutherland estate—and avoid the gossip at all costs.

Alec Sutherland is known as a hot-headed scoundrel, but nothing gets a rise out of him as much as the news that his brother desires Delia’s hand in marriage. She is, after all, the daughter of the London belle who soiled their family name. He’s determined to ruin her reputation as well, in the most delicious way possible. It’s only a matter of time before he can woo her with his irresistible advances.

As Delia devilishly plays along in Alec’s game, determined to prove the joke is on him, they inch ever closer to repeating history. And in this game of seductive glances, scandalous whispers, and old debts, the outcome might be much more than either of them anticipated…

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Enemies To Lovers, Regency Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 3, 2015

About the author

Anna Bradley writes Regency and Georgian historical romance with heat, heart, and happily-ever-afters. Her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, and Library Journal, and her debut novel won the Romantic Times’ award for Best First Historical.

Anna is originally from New England, but now makes her home in Oregon, where she lives with her family, an overgrown English garden and a menagerie of wayward pets. If she isn’t writing, she’s probably hiding in a corner reading, chasing the dog, or herding the cats. Find Anna on the web at www.annabradley.net

Find Anna on the web at www.annabradley.net

Reviews

[Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What?!
I am speechless right now. That was amazing. A new to me author and I couldn't put the book down, as far as I can tell it was the authors debut work! And it was incredible! You know when you're reading a really good book and you keep on having to stop reading for sec and just absorb the absolute genius your experiencing. As far as blurbs go I was intrigued, the hero and heroines parents would have been married had the heroines mother not jilted the heroes father. So obviously there would be loads of tension but the story becomes even more delicious when the two characters begin a sort of game all with the goal of exacting revenge for their parents mistakes.

I have to give a special mention to Alec the hero because it has been a while since I've read about a hero who felt so deeply for the heroine, he was driven to madness. Because that's what happened Alec's, love and lust for Delia drove him crazy. He wanted her but felt she was unsuitable but he loathed the idea of her being with anyone else! I love that about him, he was darkly seductive and just so damn persistent in his unconscious pursuit of Delia!

“He didn’t realize he’d stopped walking. He took hold of her upper arm and turned her to face him, but resisted the urge to tip her chin up with his finger so she couldn’t look away from him. “I’m nothing like my father, Miss Somerset. If I admire something, I know why I admire it. If I desire something, I know why I desire it, and I have it.”

Delia along with her sister Lily arrival in Alec's and his family's home, brings a wave of upheaval. Mainly because as soon as Alec sees Delia, he wants her, but there's also the matter of his brother Robyn being besotted with her. Delia's character was wild and nonconforming which was exactly what Alec needed because he was in danger of falling into the trap his late father had left him.

I've read a few books recently with characters who are tortured by their pasts which can overwhelm the story if the characters is constantly in a state of self hate and pity. Thankfully that didn't happen here. The story was sexually charged and drenched in angst but there were some truly entertaining moments I can't tell you how many times I was in fits of laughter especially with the dinner scene and Delia having to sit next to the deaf major.

I'm gonna stress my love for this book again, and tell you're if you're ever gonna take a recommendation from me it should be this one!

[Ivy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yeah ! I liked this book so much, I wanted to do a happy dance !



This novel was captivating from the prologue to the very end. I grew to love these characters so much that I was a bit sad when the story ended. It was also only until I was about a quarter way through the novel that I realized that the heroine Delia is the older sister of the heroine from More or Less a Marchioness. Delia has become one of my all time favourite heroines and the manwhore H Alec, the Earl of Carlisle, will go down as one of the most infamously, wickedly sexy book boyfriends of mine:







I was caught up in not just the splendid unfolding romance storyline, but also the author's use of simple but effective imagery: the game of chess metaphor and the symbolism of the roses in the H's garden. The MC's interaction becomes compared to a game of chess from the very start of their dramatic encounter, when Delia spies the rogue H leaning up against a tree ( at night ) waiting for the village skank Maggie to polish his penis. Delia, with her innocent sweet mind, is disgusted with Alec's behaviour and she tells him that after Maggie runs away. Normally, I would be irritated or disgusted with a scene like this but it was portrayed in such a funny way that all I did was laugh. There was no penis polishing done by Maggie because she ran away as soon as she saw Delia walking towards them. In this opening nighttime scene, Delia's face is covered in mud and she's looking bedraggled because the coach she's travelling in has just had it's axle broken. Delia's left her sister Lily in the coach and is walking towards the nearest inn when she comes across Alec. She doesn't know that he's supposed to be her host for the next 2 weeks since she's only acquainted with his 2 sisters and his younger brother Robyn.

The heroine is not afraid to give him a piece of her mind and that was thoroughly enjoyable to read:


“Would you kindly stop interrupting me?” Delia nearly shouted the words. There was a pause, then,

“Why should I? You interrupted me.” For a moment she wasn’t sure what he meant, but then she felt her cheeks go hot and she knew they’d turned scarlet.

“I’m sorry to have interrupted your”—she gestured with her hands—“your fornication, but that’s no reason to—”

“Fornication?” He found this very funny indeed. “Did you just call it fornication?”

“Well, yes. What of it?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s just very, ah, biblical of you.”

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 208-214). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Delia was full of wit without being shrewish and annoying. I also enjoyed the scene where he offers to help her and reassures her that's she safe with him:

When she didn’t immediately follow, he jerked around. He must have read her thoughts on her face because his arrogant gaze moved deliberately from the top of her bedraggled bonnet down over her muddy traveling dress, and came to rest at last on her ruined boots.

“Believe me, Miss Somerset, you are perfectly safe with me.” Delia gasped in outrage. He was insulting her? She didn’t need him to remind her she looked a perfect fright.

“Such a gallant thing to say.” She had to struggle to keep her temper. “But perhaps you’re not accustomed to the company of ladies who are fully dressed.”

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 237-242). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Alec thinks Delia is plain or ugly since he can't see her face beneath the layers of mud, so he's not attracted to her at first. Some people will find this horribly inexcusable of him, but hey, I'm very shallow myself. I totally understand the ability of one individual to not ever be attracted to ugly people. However, Delia is not ugly; in fact, she's astonishingly beautiful and looks just like her late mother Lady Millicent. There's a romantic backstory about how Millicent had been engaged to marry Alec's cold father but had jilted the rich handsome Earl because she'd fallen in love with Captain Somerset ( Delia's dad ). Everyone in the Ton had been appalled that the most beautiful debutante of the Season had jilted the most eligible bachelor. The scandal is still talked about even though Millicent had left the Ton to marry her true love and live in rustic happiness in Surrey. The H is unhappy about Delia and Lily's attendance at his family's 2 week house party, because his younger brother Robyn is infatuated with Delia and Alec thinks she's unsuitable. Alec isn't too worried about the situation at first, because he thinks Delia isn't pretty ( he hasn't seen her properly ) and the discussion he shares with his best friend Archie is quite illuminating:


Archie grimaced. “Clever, sharp-tongued, and plain? Dreadful combination.”

“I never said she was plain.” That blush that had stained her cheeks right before she retired this evening … “I said I couldn’t see her well enough to tell.”

“Oh, she’s plain. Or at least she doesn’t have the legendary Chase beauty. You’d have noticed that. What color are her eyes? Does she have des yeux de feu bleu?”
Alec stared blankly at his friend. “What the devil are you on about?”

“Come, now, Carlisle. Surely you’ve heard of ‘the eyes of blue fire’?

“Right. That’s the one. Back when Millicent Chase was the toast of the ton, the gentlemen swore her eyes were such a beautiful, perfect blue, they could turn a man to stone.”

“Part of him, anyway,” Alec said dryly. Archie laughed.

“They used to take bets at White’s on who would be the next to fall under the spell of des yeux de feu bleu. I recall my father falling into raptures about Millicent Chase’s eyes. He was one of her suitors, you know.”

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 698-702). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

When Alec does see Delia in the morning, he's so stunned by her beauty that the cynical rake becomes tongue tied:

“I’m surprised to see you up this early, my lord. Not very fashionable, is it?”
Delia cringed a little when she heard the bite in her voice. She’d promised Lily she’d do her best to keep her tongue in check. But he didn’t answer. The uncomfortable silence continued to stretch between them until at last Delia peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He was staring at her. In fact, he was studying her with such furious intensity she felt a flush begin to rise from her chest into her cheeks. She jerked her gaze away. What in the world was he staring at?

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 740-745). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Alec ( perhaps because he's just as shallow as yours truly ) is spellbound by Delia's physical appearance and I enjoyed that so much ! It's fun to see a H be the one who gets to marvel at the magnificent splendour of the heroine's beauty; far too often it is the heroine who goes into raptures over the H's manly charms. Alec is drawn to Delia against his will and needs to keep reminding himself that he is supposed to propose to a spoilt cold debutante called Lady Lisette. But the heroine has such an impact on him that he keeps doing what he's not supposed to do when he's around her. She's got him so wrapped up in knots that he even spouts poetry without even being aware of it ! Lol.

“Because your eyes are so unusual, and so extraordinarily beautiful.” Oh, my. Delia’s breath stopped in her chest. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words emerged. She hadn’t been expecting a compliment, especially not one so lovely.

“Speechless, Miss Somerset? It’s true, you know.” He laughed softly, but he didn’t appear to be amused anymore. “Your eyes could move the most jaded rogue to poetry. Eyes such a dark blue they’re nearly indigo. Eyes like glimmering sapphires. Eyes like pools of water, endlessly blue, and endlessly deep.” He drew in a sharp breath and continued almost angrily, as though the words were dragged out of the depths of his body against his will.

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 1450-1455). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

The MC's soon engage in a little game with each other where each is determined to outplay and outwit the other. The author uses the game of chess metaphor to explore this part of the storyline and both characters are in full battle, with each side experiencing minor victories before the conclusion of their little game. Alec is also extremely jealous of the attention that Robyn is giving to Delia and the H seems to forget that he is expected to propose to Lady Lisette. There's no relationship between Alec and Lady Lisette. He's never been intimate with her and her dragon faced mother is her chaperone at the house party. The jealousy trope plays a large role in this novel and I must admit to having a weakness for possessive, jealous and growly alpha H's like Alec. Alec spends a lot of time in this novel separating Delia from his brother Robyn and the funny thing is that the H is unaware that he's acting like a bratty little dog, pissing over what he thinks belongs to him:



The H actually keeps telling himself that he's only playing a game ( the game of chess metaphor ) with the wily chit Delia and he refuses to admit that he's jealous until it hits him in the face, when he sees Robyn's arms around the heroine. This situation actually happens quite innocently, because Robyn is merely teaching Delia about the art of archery but Alec flies into a jealous rage that he's forced to hide because they're all in public. The author's use of the rose symbolism was also very romantic and beautiful. There's a lovely scene between the MC's in the flower garden, where Delia tells Alec that she thinks his favourite rose is the mature red one that's in full bloom. She makes that guess because she's comparing roses to his preference in women and she believes that he likes the mature, experienced women like Maggie the village wench. However, Alec surprises her and in a poignant and understated erotic manner, he looks her right in the eye and says:


“Here.” He tightened his fingers around her wrist and drew her forward, close beside him. “This is my favorite.”

This rose hadn’t yet fully opened. The outermost petals were still gathered around the center of the bloom, but the barest hint of deep gold was visible inside, peeking shyly out from the protective embrace of the velvety cream-colored petals.

“So delicate,” Alec murmured. “Like honey in a bowl of cream.” He reached out and stroked a finger against one of the milky white petals. When he drew his hand away, a drop of dew clung to his fingertip. Still clasping her wrist, Alec turned her hand up and slowly drew his damp finger across the center of her palm. Miss Somerset gasped softly. Desire shot through Alec, so powerful it nearly sent him to his knees. If he ran his tongue over her soft palm, what would she do? Would she cry out? What would she taste like? Honey and cream. Alec looked into her face. Her lips had parted and her breathing was shallow and quick. His own breathing had gone ragged. But her eyes … they were enormous in her pale face, and though they were soft with desire, he also saw uncertainty there. It cleared his head just enough for him to be able to look closely at her. She seemed very young, standing in the moonlight, gazing at him with wide eyes. She was young, she’d recently lost both parents, and despite the dangerous game she was playing, she was an innocent. His jaw went tight and a surge of shame dampened the desire raging inside him.

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 1620-1631). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.



There's a lot of angst and conflict between Delia and Alec which all climaxes in a rather hateful scene when the heroine overhears an argument between the H and his brother Robyn. Alec had become so threatened by the effect that Delia was having on him that he wanted her gone from the mansion and back to Surrey. He's also determined to ensure that Robyn stays away from Delia that he says a lot of horrible, cruel things about how unsuitable she will be as a prospective sister in law. Delia overhears this argument and is understandably hurt because Alec had also made some scathing comments about her parents. The game between the MC's is amped up after this scene because Delia is determined to flirt with Robyn just to annoy Alec. The H is almost driven mad with jealousy and lust and I have to say that Delia won this round of their little game:


“Indeed? How romantic.” That lazy smile started at the corner of his mouth again, but his dark eyes were hot with fury. He gazed at her for a moment, then slowly teased that long finger across her cheek.

“What other intimacies did you permit?” She couldn’t look away from him. Delia tried to gather her wits, but all of her attention was focused on that warm, seeking finger.
“What do you mean?” Her heart hammered as he moved his hand so his palm cupped her face. He brushed his fingertips lightly across the shell of her ear and the sensitive skin behind it, and leaned forward so his breath stirred the tendrils of hair at her temple. He pressed his lips softly against her ear.
“I think you know. Did he touch you?” Delia closed her eyes at the sensation of his hot breath teasing her skin. He smelled faintly of woodsmoke and fine whiskey.

“Yes.” She tried for a firm tone, but her voice emerged faint and breathless. “Of—of course he did. He took my arm.” Some strong emotion surged through his body. He was so close to her now Delia felt an echo of it low in her own belly. The tip of his tongue grazed her earlobe. Delia jumped in shock and then shuddered with pleasure. “Oh, don’t,” she pleaded in a sudden panic. He let out a ragged breath.
“Don’t what?” His voice had gone husky, but it still vibrated with anger. “Don’t touch you?” His hand drifted down until it reached the small of her back. He held her body tightly against his own as one hard thigh moved between her legs to press against her through her skirts. “Don’t put my mouth on you?” His lips roamed deliberately from her ear across her cheek and then down to her throat. “Or don’t ask any more questions?” His mouth stopped at the soft skin between her neck and her shoulder and nipped lightly.

“Did you let my brother kiss you?” Delia couldn’t speak. She was drowning. She cursed both him and herself even as she wrapped her arms around his neck, desperate to stay afloat. He groaned low in his chest. “Answer me, Delia.”

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 2845-2852). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

This was a fabulous story filled with conflict, lust, forbidden feelings and lots of delicious angst. Alec was a fantastic, flawed H that I loved. He developed from a cocky, arrogant and entitled asshole into a man who was fighting to become a better human being than his cold and haughty late father. The author portrayed a man who actually developed as time passed and it's this humanizing element that drew me the most. I am always magnetized by H's who start off as egotistical jerks but who evolve during the course of the story, especially when this evolution is due to the effect of the heroine. A perfect romance novel is all about the evolution and humanizing of the MC's. There's a funny scene at the ball where Alec destroys Lady Lisette's hopes for a marriage proposal because he realizes that Delia's the only woman he wants. The MC's eventually consummate their relationship towards the end of the story and Alec asks Delia to trust him right after they make love. Delia is unaware that he intends to propose to her the next day so she does what most heroines do: she runs away to her home in Surrey. Alec goes to London where he thinks she'll be awaiting him and he's angry when she's not there:

“Delia has returned to Surrey. Why?”
Eleanor shot to her feet at the mention of Delia’s name. Her hand fluttered nervously at her throat. “Alec—” But Alec’s eyes were fixed on Lily, who sat quietly in a chair in front of the fire, her hands clenched in her lap. “Why?” Lily paused before answering. “She was needed at home,” she said after a moment, but she didn’t meet his eyes.
Alec ran a shaking hand down his face. “She’s needed here, damn you. I need her.”

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 3782-3786). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.


Alec then saddles his stallion and chases after Delia, like a true H. Their reunion scene is totally, OTT romantic:


He took a deep shuddering breath and clasped her hands in his own. His were shaking. “And why,” he asked urgently, pressing one of her hands hard against his chest, over his heart, “would I allow you to give everything to me? Why would I take such a gift from you?” Delia felt the strong beat of his heart under her palm. She searched the dark pools of his eyes, and what she saw in them thrilled her. “Because I love you, you maddening woman.” He brushed his lips tenderly against hers.

“Enough to chase me all the way to Surrey?” She gave him a tremulous smile.

“Much farther than that.” His dark eyes grew serious. “I would chase you to the ends of the earth, Delia.” Then his mouth was on hers in earnest, desperate and demanding, and Delia held him as tightly as she’d ever held anything in her life, her mouth melting under his. He finally released her lips to press his forehead against hers. “You’ll marry me, of course. You have to.” He laid a possessive hand on her belly. “I’ve compromised you, and since I plan to do it again and again, you’d better become the new Countess of Carlisle as soon as possible.”

Delia leaned back in the circle of his arms so she could see his face.

“What a scandalous thing to say, my lord. Why, the ton would be shocked. They’ll gossip for months about us, you know. They’ll claim the Somerset women have put a curse on the Sutherland men. They’ll say I bewitched you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. Alec tightened his arms around her.

“You have bewitched me. I’m utterly and completely in your thrall.” He pressed his face into her hair, closed his eyes, and drew in her honey scent. “It must be the eyes of blue fire.”

Anna Bradley. A Wicked Way to Win an Earl (Kindle Locations 3884-3902). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

The epilogue is a sexy one, with a scene set a few weeks after their marriage and the H is still so in love ( and filled with lust ) for Delia that he undresses her and makes love to her even though they're supposed to be attending a musicale. Alec's so much in love with Delia that he is still waxing poetic about the effect she has on him.

[Luana ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second book from this author and it took me a while to realize that the first book I read was about this hero's sister. Anyway, my problem with this author is that her characters are very obstinate. Doesn't matter how many things happens, doesn't matter their tender feelings, nothing matters but what they think to be true and right. There's not a gradual change in perspective, a gradual understanding that there are many shades of gray, a gradual acceptance of each other or the situation. It's there throughout the book and suddenly it isn't. It is frustrating.

It took the hero about 70% of the book to start thinking that maybe he might be wrong. But it did NOT change his opinion one iota. And the heroine's attitude was the same.

I loved how they fell in love. There was a lot of sexual tension, verbal fights, innuendo, hurtful things, prejudices but I couldn't get over their obstinate attitude.

I remember disliking the same thing about the other book I read from this author. They were so focused on revange that nothing else mattered until the very end.

[Angie Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to PENGUIN and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

When I first read the blurb to A Wicked Way to Win an Earl, I thought I was in for a playful read. While there were some parts that were playful, there was also an intensity to this story I wasn’t expecting. Let’s start at the beginning where we’re given a front row seat to the scandal that plagues the Somerset girls. From the prologue, it’s clear Millicent was very much aware that her marriage to Lord Carlisle would be a miserable one. Instead of yielding, she bucks society, leaving everything behind for true love. I don’t think this portion was necessary to the rest of the story; a mere mention of the event would have sufficed. Having said that, now that I’ve read it, I think Millicent and Captain Somerset are worthy of a short story of their own.

It’s clear how rakish Alec Sutherland is from the opening scene of this book, and one of the things I loved was that he was rakish until the very end. He didn’t meet Delia and instantly change his ways; he simply redirected his rogue-ish attentions to her. It was a long time before I believed his infatuation for Delia became genuine affection and love. This hero is alpha to the very core; if you’re a fan of that, this book is right up your alley. There were some moments when Alec opened his mouth and I actually cringed, thinking there was absolutely no redemption for this man. In the end, of course there was. The author really took her time developing his character, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that. I loved Delia from the first page. She was able to hold her own with Alec, and that was no small feat. He was out for blood, and it was Delia’s he wanted. She tried to turn the tables on him, and she was definitely a worthy opponent in their battle. She knew exactly how to play the game, and her quiet strength really came to the surface when they were sparring. Family was very important to her, and like her mother, she wasn’t going to define herself by what society thought. I really like that for all her inexperience and having never been out on the ton, Delia knew Alec wanted her. I always find it eye-rolling when a heroine has no idea the hero is lusting after them, especially when they’ve made it clear. Sexual tension radiated from every scene Alec and Delia had together; they were helpless to stop it even when they weren’t alone. Being that the majority of this book took place at a house party, there were a lot of secondary characters. They were fleshed out well. It was easy to keep them straight, and they actually had places in the Sutherland’s lives that made sense. Alec’s mother was a surprise for me – it could have been so easy to fall into the trap of being a bitter woman because of her circumstances, but she wasn’t, and the story was better for it. I especially liked her dynamic with Delia and her sister, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of that.

I loved absolutely every moment of this story. Before A Wicked Way to Win an Earl, I can’t remember the last time I stayed up all night to read a book. The tension ratcheted up with every page, and I just could not put it down. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, particularly to see how Millicent’s mother will treat the Somerset girls now that they’ll be out among society. If you’re a fan of historical romance novels and alpha heroes, this book should be on the top of your to-be-read pile.

This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an OK read by a new-to-me author. The banter was a bit too modern in feel for me. The book started off well, with an old scandal that presumably was going to affect the next generation. Then for me it stalled a bit.

Mostly took place at a country house party, with the classic 'everything could be sorted out in five minutes if you would just talk to each other' scenario between the two brothers, which is a bit tedious.

This was a December 2021 BOTM for HRBC, 'Scandal' theme. I like trying new authors, but I'm not in love with this one just yet. The next book in the series is about the brother. I may try it at some stage.

[♡ Martina ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Con l'uscita della seconda stagione di Bridgerton mi è tornata la voglia di leggere romanzi regency e, dando una rapida occhiata alla trama, la mia scelta è ricaduta su questo romanzo.
Il libro ha come trope il classico enemies to lovers, l'ambientazione è tipica del regency: una tenuta di campagna molto signorile, raffinata e imponente.
Il filo conduttore di tutta la storia che lega i due protagonisti è uno scandalo che ha legato, in modo indissolubile, le proprie famiglie nel passato e che si è ripercosso nel presente in cui si svolgono i fatti.
La protagonista, Delia, si troverà per la prima volta ad affrontare l'alta società inglese, che ha sbattuto la porta in faccia alla madre, e non è per niente entusiasta all'idea in quanto non nutre molte simpatie per il bel mondo e una persona in particolare sembra ricalcare queste sue convinzioni: Alec Sutherland, conte di Carlisle.
Dopo la morte di suo padre, Alec ha votato la sua vita alla protezione della famiglia, senza troppi scrupoli, e sarà suo il compito di impedire al giovane fratello Robyn di avvicinarsi troppo alla giovane Somerset e di riportare in vita il vecchio scandalo.
Delia e Alec daranno inizio a una serie interminabile di battibecchi, discussioni e flirt molto passionali. Entrambi vogliono vincere e nessuno dei due cederà all'altro.
La storia è intensa e coinvolgente, riesce a catturarti fin dalla prima pagina con una situazione imbarazzate e "particolare".
Il ritmo è incalzante e sostenuto, non ci sono molti "momenti morti" e i continui flirt aggiungono note spicy al romanzo senza farlo sembrare forzato.
Devo dire che non mi aspettavo che potesse piacermi così tanto da leggerlo in meno di ventiquattr'ore ma devo ricredermi.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though there are a couple of things about the motivations of the two protagonists that bothered me, A Wicked Way to Win an Earl is a well-written and enjoyable début from Anna Bradley. The storyline isn’t an especially original one, but the writing is solid, the heroine is spirited without being overly outrageous, the hero is darkly brooding and there is plenty of heat between the couple, all of which contribute to its being an entertaining read overall.

As this is the first book in a series about the Sutherland family, the prologue sets the stage for the conflict between the Sutherlands and the Somersets, caused when Millicent Chase ran away from her arranged marriage to Hart Sutherland, the Earl of Carlisle, and eloped with the man she loved, Henry Somerset.

A massive scandal ensued, and the Somersets never returned to society, but they were happy living quietly, with each other and eventually their family of five daughters. But some months before this book opens, the Somersets were tragically killed in an accident, turning the lives of their children upside down. The eldest two daughters, Delia (short for Delphinium!) and Lily (and yes, they all have flowery names) have been befriended by Charlotte and Eleanor Sutherland, whose eldest brother, Alexander, came into the title following the death of their harsh autocratic father three years previously.

The Sutherland sisters have invited Delia and Lily to the house-party being held at Bellwood, the country seat of the Earls of Carlisle. On the way, their carriage axle breaks and the coachman is injured, leaving the ladies with no choice but for Delia to attempt to find help. Following the directions she has been given, she is making for the nearest inn when she comes across a man and a woman beneath the trees who are clearly about to do something completely improper with each other. Alerted to Delia’s presence, the woman quickly runs off, leaving the man – a large, imposing and angry specimen – to confront the unwelcome intruder. With dismay, Delia realises that the half-undressed, dishevelled and undeniably fascinating man is none other than her host, the Earl of Carlisle, who promptly takes charge of the situation, escorting her to the inn and making arrangements to retrieve her sister and the coachman and take them to Bellwood.

Alec Sutherland hasn’t found life to be terribly easy since the death of his father. The family finances had been badly mismanaged and he has had to work hard in order to turn things around. In doing so, he is worried he is becoming more and more like his father, a cold, stern man who had little time for his family. Alec acutely feels the distance that has sprung up between him and his younger brother in the past year and is at a loss as to what to do to heal the rift between them. Robyn Sutherland is rather wild; a young man on the town enjoying all its dissolute pleasures, much as Alec did before he was encumbered by title and responsibilities. To make matters worse, Alec learns that Robyn is smitten with Delia, and that it was at his behest that Charlotte and Eleanor extended the invitation to the house-party. Not only is he worried about Robyn’s intentions toward a gently bred young lady, but is also concerned that any close association between their two families will only dig up all the old scandal when he has worked hard to restore the family name along with its fortune.

[As an aside, I found the use of the name Robyn for a man to be a distraction. Robyn with a Y is a girl’s name – well, it is in the UK – so I had to keep reminding myself that this particular Robyn was a bloke, which was annoying and disrupted my reading.]

Back to the story. Alec decides that the best thing to do is to keep his brother and Miss Somerset apart, and comes up with a fool-proof – and underhand – way to send her packing back to Surrey. If he appears to be pursuing her and spending time alone with her, she will become the subject of gossip, which can only be amplified as people recall the old scandal. At the same time, Delia makes the assumption – and this is one of the quibbles I mentioned at the beginning of this review – that Alec is going to try to seduce her simply because he’s bored and because it will “put the Somerset family in their place once and for all.” While Alec has unquestionably been flirting with her and is – he tells himself – trying to be rid of her, Delia has no way of knowing anything for certain with the result that she appears to be jumping to conclusions with no real foundation for them. The author also makes use of the cliché of the rich-bitch fiancée who is so clearly wrong for Alec that she is never any real threat to the burgeoning romance between him and Delia.

Apart from that, however, the story is well-executed, and the central romance is well-developed. Alec and Delia strike sparks off each other from the outset and are obviously deeply attracted to each other, but Ms Bradley takes the time to allow them to talk to each other and get to know each other so that the reader is left in no doubt that they are in love and not simply in the grips of infatuation or lust. She has the knack for creating and building sexual and romantic tension by means of looks, touches and near-kisses that lead to some nicely heated moments between the couple, and the sex scenes are passionate and well-written. Both protagonists are attractive characters, although Alec does come across as rather harsh at times, and Delia, for all her sensible-ness does something a bit daft near the end.

In spite of the criticisms I have expressed, I enjoyed reading A Wicked Way to Win an Earl and will certainly be on the lookout for more by Anna Bradley. (The next book is about Lily and Robyn, I think, and as there are three more sisters, there is plenty of sequel fodder!) Her writing is deft and intelligent with a nice touch of humour, and she has taken a well-used plotline and made good use of it by peopling it with distinctive characters and strongly-written relationships. It’s a strong start and she’s definitely an author to watch for fans of historical romance.

[Lady Nilambari Reads HR · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I read this book as a part of the BOTM challenge for HRBC.

Quick Review
- This is my first Anna Bradley, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
- The writing is unusual, explicit and leaves no room for guesswork about what the characters are thinking. It's there, clear as day for you to read and know. I found it refreshing. It is also full of dry wit and an obvious kind of humour. This story pulled plenty of chuckles from me.
- This book is on the shorter side and just launches into the story without a lot of buildup about characters and their backgrounds. I did not mind it overmuch because you can figure out who is who and go from there. It stays true to the central characters of Alec & Delia.
- Let me get the irritants out of the way. The blurb was misrepresentational of the story. The plot is not as scandalous as it led us to believe, and neither is there ruination of reputation.
- The tale is as old as time, a rake, meets an unbiddable miss of a modest background, in a house party, mutual hatred, to longing glances and caresses, and that turns to love. Simple, right? But, for some reason, the author decided to add drama and ended up ruining it to a certain degree.
- The deliberate, unfounded hate reminded me of shitty Bollywood movie plots. They were playing some form of a game with each other, how do I know? It is mentioned, 56 times to be exact, yeah I counted.
- Alec & Delia wanted to humble each other. Why? Due to dented family pride by a scandal that happened at least 30 years ago? I found this reaction to be completely out of place with the story and the romance. That and also because of some petty nonsense about Alec's younger brother Robyn may like Delia.
- He thinks she is not good enough. She thinks he is arrogant and is also aware that he thinks she is not good enough. Maybe on some level, she thinks he is right, but she also wants to prove him wrong. I think I got the gist right. Sorry, I could not resist this confusing statement. As I wrote in my reading updates, it was incoherent and confused the crap out of me.
- So I decided to ignore the whole chess reference, game nonsense and voila. The story became sweet, cute, and endearing. A standard boilerplate romance of hate to love and opposites attract.
- There is nothing noteworthy about Alec and Delia, both of them were standard examples of typical HR heroes and heroines. I have been reading a lot of books with deeply angsty, broken characters, and hence, these two were a breath of fresh air in a lovely simplistic way.
- I enjoyed their chemistry, a slow burn giving way to deliciousness.

Interesting anecdote - I read The Duke's Perfect Wife before this one, in which the hero's name is Hart, and his son's name is Alec. In this book, the hero's name is Alec, and his late father's name was Hart. I found it to be a remarkably funny coincidence.

My Recommendation
A cute and enjoyable story. I may be inclined to pick up the sequel at a later date.

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of A Wicked Way to Win an Earl by Anna Bradley

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Wow. I LOVED this book. I’m so sad it’s from the library. I’m contemplating just keeping it forever and dealing with the late fees. How else can I clutch it to my chest and sleep with it under my pillow forever?

This is the first book in the Sutherland Scandals series. Delia and Alec’s family have...a history. A generation ago, Delia’s mom created a scandal by breaking an engagement to Alec’s father. Choosing love, her family scorned the tons gossip and lived the country life happily.

Robyn, Charlotte, and Eleanor (Alec’s siblings) become friends with sisters Delia and Lily and invite them to a two week house party. Alec hears rumors of Robyn’s interest in Delia. He is determined to keep Robyn away from Delia, to protect his family from rehashing the scandal. He is drawn to Delia and cannot stop the challenge of ruining her reputation, almost as a type of revenge.

That is what he starts out as his goal anyway, before it transforms into something totally different.

I absolutely love Anna Bradley’s writing. All her characters seem to just come to life so easily. The relationship between Delia and Lily just captures that sister bond so well. None of her characters fall flat for me. I am curious about them all, and I come to love them all.

When Alec first meets Delia he compares his reaction as when he was 11 and fell off his horse and knocked the breath out of him. It’s not love at first sight. It’s something he doesn’t really understand. And it makes him angry. The attraction is undeniable, except maybe to him, which he fights tooth and nail. How can he be interested in the daughter of a walking scandal?

I actually loved both main characters so much. Usually I love one over the other (usually the hero). But, I want to be Delia’s friend. She’s fun and smart and witty and can be oh so sassy and genuine. And Alec. Mmm. I want him for other things 🤣

Alec can definitely be a jerk. I have heard all Anna Bradley’s heroes are horrible and mean but I don’t think Alec fits that description. There’s one scene where he could have. Oh he could have. I was like “Don’t do it. No! I’ll hate you. You’ll have to grovel! Much groveling!” And it twists around in away that I totally loved him then, if I didn’t already. He makes some bad choices, and says some horrible things. BUT. Then he is lost in anguish over it. He hates himself. And he can’t rest until he knows he’s forgiven.

He is overcome with possessiveness and jealousy the moment he meets her. Anger. Snarling. Growling. God I LOVE IT. Sorry, not sorry. He doesn’t want anyone looking at his woman, touching his woman. He’s fighting it so hard but all he wants to do is seek her out just to look and touch any moment he can. He’s a man possessed.

So yeah. I recommend this book. 😆 If you like that stuff like me.

I guess this books steam is debatable. But the tension! Oh the tension is what I LIVE for. Couldn’t have hacked through it with a machete. I think there’s 3 kisses until you get to almost the end of the book. I loved them. It’s the kind of tension and kisses that yes you can’t wait for culmination but at the same time you are loving every minute of waiting. Then you get 2 good scenes at the end. Plus on in the epilogue. This book is also a little shorter - it’s less than 300 pages but it didn’t feel lacking in anything.

[Aou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to give 5 stars because after the first few chapters I couldn’t drop it. Now it is 5.15 a.m. and I’m going to sleep with a smile. :)

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was intriguing with mystery from the start. Thinking the story was continuing in the same time period I was shocked when it picked up 30 years afterwards. Alec Sutherland and Delia Somerset meet on a muddy road while enroute to Bellehaven the Carlisle Estate in Kent. Delia catches him in the act with a woman ,meanwhile Delia is covered in mud. She asks for his help as the carriage which incidentally belongs to Alec’s family broke down and the driver’s ankle is broken and her sister Lily is freezing in the carriage. Alec begrudgingly helps them home. Delia has a dour impression of Alec and he thinks her plain and dowdy and a prude. He doesn’t see what his brother Robyn sees in her. The H and h meet again and Alec sees her all cleaned up and he is Mesmerized by her eyes and her hair. He begins to worry that his brother will become besotted with her and cause a scandal. He works to keep them apart always meeting up with her and flirting with her trying to keep her attention on him instead of his brother Robyn. They bait each other with barbs and quick wit. The sexual tension grows between them and sparks fly. The authors descriptive language of their love cone scene is like fireworks. So good. I loved this story. It is one of my favourites. Looking forward to more books written by Anna Bradley.

[Grisette · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.3 stars

This reading was long in coming but I am so happy I finally got to it. The story is not original but for a first book, I think the author aimed high and scored. I absolutely enjoyed the sharp and corrosive banter between Delia and Alec, right from the moment they met! And what a meeting! 😅😅 If anything, this book is a must read just for that first fiery encounter *!

For the first half of the book, the two main characters played a cat and mouse game, both suspecting the other of underhanded motives. These gave way to some delicious moments even if I would have wanted some deeper punches in the writing style to fully explore their misguided enmity and their gradual slipping into feelings. The second half delivered on the sensual side and had some good hints of angst between our leads - though I think a little bit of more angst to wring out some emotional choking (e.g. with the ow wannabe, their light bulbs moments, more internal angst on why they can't be together etc) would have served the book best.

That said, I had such a good time reading this book, and looking back at the date it was published (and it being a first book!), I am quite impressed by the verve infused in the characters' chemistry that I am rounding up my GR rating 😊!


P.S.1 *Though I loved that first scene, I am not sure this event fit the character makeup of Alec after reading the whole book.

P.S.2 This is my 600th review on GR 😁!

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Nothing too great about this, but nothing too terrible either. Hard to review in its own way, because it is so very run of the mill. I only finished it a couple of hours ago and I am struggling to remember much of it. Standard story in a standard setting – house party romance between the Earl and a guest. I liked the chemistry between the leads and the sex was nicely done. Considering the heroine, Delia, is a virgin, the banter between them was a little too much at times and the way the H/h met (whilst a pretty good first meeting in of itself) started to feel very inconsistent with the Earl’s supposed character as the book went on. I didn’t really follow the supposed battle between the two of them – was she going to try and seduce him and leave him in the lurch? Or was he going to do it to her? A little inelegantly done. And I didn’t buy that it would be that big a scandal for the two of them to get together given the history between their families (which I won’t spoiler). That said, it passed a few hours for me and was adequately diverting.

[Darbella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delia and Alec. The prologue was awesome. I thought it was neat that the heroine and her sisters were named after blue flowers. I enjoyed Delia and Alec falling in love. Loved the humor in this one too. I was not too sure I would like the hero because he was having sex with a bar "wench" pinned to a tree but I feel the author did an excellent job of giving us enough of his thoughts that Delia was much more special than any of his sexual partners before her. I would love to see Alec's mom fall in love with a gentleman as the series continues.

[SunnyCAGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read this one for the BOTM club (quite a bit early)and realized that although this particular book felt a bit trope-y & trite, I really liked Anna Bradley’s writing style and her ability to twist the expected tropes just enough to make the plot interesting. And, so…I’ve now worked my way through almost her entire catalogue since I read this one and I am happy that I did!
I’m glad that I jumped into her books that come after this one and kept reading even when in the first 50 pages of “A Wicked Way to Win an Earl”, I wasn’t sure she could overcome what I saw as a “safe” and standard romance plot. I realize now that it was her debut novel and thus her chance to prove a) she knew & respected the genre and b) could build a world that set the stage for the 7+ connected novels that followed. She successfully did both those things and every other book of hers they I’ve read has been 4 stars+.

The novel opens with the opposite of a “meet cute” between Delia Somerset- a country girl from a scandalous family and Alec Sutherland, the Earl. Delia’s carriage has broken down and she is covered in mud, so Alec is immune to her at first. By their next meeting when she’s cleaned up though, there is insta-lust and Alec seems to think he needs to “protect” her from his ne’er do well younger brother. The Sutherlands (2 brothers, 2 sisters) and the Somersets (5 sisters) make for delightful subjects of Bradley’s first 7 novels and this debut novel is probably my least favorite. In her subsequent novels, Bradley does a better job of modifying and building on the romance tropes and I find both her writing and her ability to put her female characters in the sensual driver’s seat- fresh and compelling.

I ended up loving the characters of Delia and Alec and their passionate, loving romance. Bradley does a great job of balancing internal dialogue with real dialogue and it makes for passionate romances where, yes, the characters (usually) talk to each other before they get to months of misunderstanding. That’s also refreshing if you ask me! Her books are steamy and the steam is believable AND female led. 💜

Alec: Brandon Routh
Delia: Cobie Smulders (blonde)
Lily: Alison Brie
Robyn: Dave Franco

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

'A Wicked Way to Win an Earl' by Anna Bradley is book one in the "Sutherland Scandals" series.
This is the story of Delia and Alec Sutherland.
I would easily give this more stars if I could... it was that good! This is the Historical Romance with the bad acting lead man who has the family to take care of and protect....and a rake. The heroine too has a family she is trying to take care of but is a loving person who tries to keep her self from falling for the hero. This took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that just showed me how much I had become attached to their story.

Delia and her sister a visiting friends that they had met in the country where they live. Delia nor any of her sister come to town because of their mother who made a scandal when she defied her parents and ran off to marry someone else that they felt was beneath her. Delia mother and father are now past. Delia and her sister think they will be safe from talk since the scandal their mother cause was so long ago and they won't be in London. But they are going to the house of the man they mother turned away from in favor of their father. That gentlemen his also died and now it it is just the adult children and the mother left.
Alec is the oldest son and knows of what happen with his father and Delia mother. Alec father was a very stern if not mean person and now Alec finds himself the head of the family. When he hears that his brother has taken an interest in Delia, Alex sets out to change that. Alec doesn't want his brother getting hurt by her. So Alec thinks to keep her busy by distracting her and keep his brother away from Delia.
But things doesn't always work out the way you think they will.

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[Iza Brekilien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, Anna Bradley ! You make my days happier and lighter and so much more interesting with your books, thank you !!!
I love your characters, I wish I could meet them, they're not stupid at all, just human sometimes. They make mistakes, but it doesn't make me want to hit them hard, just hope they'll soon find their way - and they do.
The dialogues you write make me laugh, and smile, and giddy. I wait happily for the battles of wit.
There is fire in your books, passion, wonderful characters - and villains, there has to be some, I know I'm going to open your books and giggle, and smile, and cross my fingers so that everything turns out all right, and participate - as much as a reader can !
So I'm just delighted I found your recent books, that made me want to read all of your other books, and everytime I devour one of your stories, I don't think about the bad things in life. I'm going to read everything you've written.
So THANK YOU !!

[Anna's Herding Cats]

Ooo this looks interesting. Thanks to the ladies at Penguin!



Reviewing for herding cats & burning soup.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago Delia and Lily’s mother was the jewel of the ton until she jilted Alec Sutherland’s father to marry a man beneath her. When their parent’s died not even their grandmother will receive them. So when Earl of Sutherland’s sisters invite them to a house party Delia agrees. Her sister Lily has been ill and she is hoping her love of society will see her restored. Delia and Alec's first encounter was hilarious and had me giggling. When Alec discovers that his younger brother has eyes for Delia he is determined to keep the young lady occupied and save his family from further hurt and scandal. He devises a plan to ruin Delia’s reputation. Delia is no one's fool and soon the game is afoot.

Alec made me crazy. On one hand, he infuriated me with his pompous attitude and determination to ruin Delia. However the way in which he doted on his sisters and worried after his mother moved me. Thankfully, Bradley peeled back his layers and allowed him to grow and grovel. We see tremendous character growth as the story progresses, so do not hate on him to hard.

Delia was a breath of fresh air with her clever quips and tendency to say what she thinks. Alec Sutherland unnerves her and their interaction were humorous, sensual and filled with banter. Delia is unfamiliar with the art of flirting but she manages to drive Alex insane. She too has some issues and thinks Alec is playing a game -one she intends to win.

Secondary characters were not as fleshed out as I would have liked, but added to the tale and made events plausible. The countryside setting and regency details were well done, and the story wrapped up nicely leaving me with a smile and affection for these characters.

Copy provided by publisher This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Jultri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5. Fantastic debut novel with the heady combination of humour, heart and heat. It made me laugh out loud more than once, sigh in response to the heartfelt emotions experienced by the protagonists and just a bit flustered at times from the heat emanating between the two leads . I love that they had an emotional connection straight away (he felt her grief acutely), that it was not just physical, even though the latter was recognised by them both, way before they realised the former. Utterly wonderful and I await the follow up novel with great anticipation.

Suddenly panicked, Delia rushed toward the front of the cart and scrambled clumsily into her seat before Lord Carlisle could return and offer to hand her up. She couldn’t touch his hand. Not now. Not ever. Not his hand or any other part of him. He had entirely too much … too much … He had too much skin.

She offered him a half smile instead. “In your case, my lord, the escort may prove riskier than the solitary wandering.” His eyes dropped to her mouth. That smile was a tease. A torment. He waited, both fascinated and inexplicably angry at the same time. She was going to deny him the other half of that smile.

He gazed up at her for a moment, and his expression grew serious. “There are none to equal her in voice, beauty, mind, or heart.” He lifted her hand and pressed it against the middle of his chest, over his heart. “Here, especially, she is not just unsurpassed. She is only.”

[Paula Geanau · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yo, this book lost me at "A man can't be held responsible for his actions when his bollocks are blue."


Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, yes he can?!

[Fabiola Chenet · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai adoré. Un super moment avec des personnages que j'ai vraiment beaucoup aimés. Je l'ai pratiquement lu d'une traite. Il s'agit d'une romance historique classique, donc pour qui cherche de l'orginalité... Juste ce qu'il faut de tension, pas trop de malentendus, une héroïne qui relève la tête même dans les situations les plus difficiles et un héros qui doit quand même s'amender. A lire.

[Crystal _ Reading Between the Wines Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
It's been a while since a historical romance has captivated me so completely, but Anna Bradley's A Wicked Way to Win an Earl accomplished that feat and left me craving for more!

Delia Somerset knows all she needs to about the haughty ton, thanks to the scandal that surrounded her mother many years ago when she fled society, and she wants nothing to do with any of it. Though she soon finds herself in the middle of high society at the Earl of Sutherland's estate during a week-long house party at the request of her younger sister, Lily. Delia knows that she just needs to hold her tongue and keep her head up, and then they can return to their simple country home and three younger sisters. Holding her tongue is easier said then done when she comes face-to-face with the Earl in a delicate position. Things don't get any easier the more she is around him either, oil and vinegar get along better then Delia and Alec, but that doesn't stop him from invading her every daytime thought and nighttime dreams. The Earl thinks that he can play a game with her though, and Delia is not about to have him show her up. When the stakes rise and more then just her pride is put on the line, will Delia bow out gracefully or go all in?
The Somerset's embarrassed the Sutherland name once before and Alec refuses to let them have the chance to do it again. He's worked too hard after his father's death to repair their fortune and status to have one blue-eyed beauty lead them to ruin. So instead, after learning about his brother Robyn's enamorment over Delia, he plans to ruin her instead and send her back to where she came from. And the only way to do that is to turn her game around on her; seduce her like he knows she plans to seduce his brother. When the game becomes a little too real though, can Alec admit to the true reason he went to such lengths to keep Delia and his brother apart? And who will come out the victor in this game of deception?

Anna Bradley has penned a fabulous story in A Wicked Way to Win an Earl. From the first page I was immersed in the 1800's world of English aristocracy; the disdain for those outside of the ton, the scheming and maliciousness inside of it. The fear of ostracization. I could easily picture the lavish gardens, rolling countrysides, and glamorous gowns encompassing our characters. My chest also still aches from all of the feels this book produced.

From the onset Delia and Alec had a contrary relationship. Delia despised Alec for being what she thought was an arrogant and pretentious Earl who expected everyone to bow and scrape to him. While Alec believed Delia to be a manipulative and cunning country lass on the hunt for a title and fortune through his younger brother. Determined to best each other they begin a game of deceit and duplicity. Little do they realize that the only ones they're harming is themselves. Sexual tension sizzles between Alec and Delia but because of their assumptions of one-another, these two strong-willed characters fight the attraction vigorously. There are several heart-pounding slips along the way that build the romance and connect these characters to the reader until you can't help but shake the pages (or your kindle) in frustration for these two to realize that they are perfect for each-other.

I enjoyed both Delia's and Alec's character's immensely. Delia was full of delightful wit, she had me laughing at loud at the things that came out of her mouth in regards to the Earl. Alec had a tough exterior and some might find him hard to like at first, but he is incredibly family oriented and all of his actions are because he wants the best for them. Whether that be avoiding scandal or raising his family's name higher in society.

There were a few instances in the story where I had to go back a few pages to see if I missed something because the character's demeanor seemed to shift without reason. But all in all, A Wicked Way to Win an Earl was a rare treat to read, and I loved every moment of it. The ending of the book was wrapped up neatly with a satisfying conclusion that left me smiling. I simply cannot wait for the next book in the series which features Robyn and Lily's story, A Season of Ruin. Sadly, it is not releasing until August 2016! *cries*

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

What a deliciously entertaining book “A Wicked Way To Win An Earl” was. Expecting the usual Historical Romance, I was really surprised with the way this story unfolded. It definitely wasn’t what I had expected.

Alec was a real ass throughout this story. He had his reasons for not wanting the woman who was the spitting image of the woman who brought scandal to his father to have any effect on his family, especially his brother Robyn. He would make sure she was ruined and made to go back to her little country home.

It’s up to him to show everyone that she is only after the prestige of the Southerland name and money. But, what really made him an ass was that he refused to really look inside himself to see the real reason why he was keeping Robyn away from Delia, the real reason why he walked with her in the Rose Garden, the real reason why he was so frustrated.

Delia knew that Alec was playing a game with her, luring her into a trap. So, she decided that two could play the same game and they could figure out who the real loser is in the end. What she didn’t count on was her feelings when she saw him with the woman who was rumored to become his betrothed (much to the dismay of his family). But, one wicked kiss, one night of pleasure and she knew that he won. It was time to return home to heal her heart. There is no way that the love that she felt for Alec would allow him to snub his nose at the Ton and proclaim his love for her especially when her own family even refused to acknowledge her existence.

I was pleasantly surprised throughout this story. Alec just irritated me right from the beginning of the book and Delia stole my heart. Together they played the game that had me grinning and waiting to see who was going to do what next. Who was going to one-up the other. In the end, I was thrilled that Alec knew what he finally wanted and went after it.

Anna Bradley really brought to life the differences between the privileged and the underprivileged in 1800’s. She defined the line between classes and what can be expected when you become fodder for the gossips in the Ton. She also had me giggling, gasping and hoping that the ending would do this story justice. She did not, in any way, disappoint me. Her writing in this era was crisp and clean and she immersed you in the language and ways of the aristocrats of this time.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

[Becca]

This is a "it's not you, it's me" situation. The writing is very nice and I like the style, but these characters just aren't for me. They are both lusty and shallow in my opinion. I think many people would enjoy the drama and the tension, but I just wasn't in the mood. GR friends, please don't write off the book on account of my picky opinion :)

Notes of what I liked:
-Writing style was easy to read and had the right amount of detail
-House parties--I love house parties

Why I couldn't read it:
-I really didn't like the hero. He has issues. He likes to have sex with barmaids on the side of the road. He just wasn't sexy to me.
-I didn't "get" the heroine. At first, I thought she was plucky for venturing out to solve her own problems and hold her family together. But then, after seeing the "hero" in such a disgusting display, she starts lusting for him! That's all she thinks about and she decides to draw him into a cat-mouse game of sorts. No thanks.
-After seeing these two together, I in no way wanted to see them having sex on the page. Nope.

Again, many may like this rakish hero and the setting. If I liked heroes with rakish tendencies like this, the writing style and pacing would definitely work. So no rating from me since it is one of those odd books that wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. I stopped at 35%.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great debut novel. The writing is good throughout, but be warned, the first 1/3rd of the book is a little dull and plodding. When it picks up about 100 pages in, however, it turns into something really lovely!

I can see Anna Bradley turning into one of my favorite historical romance authors. I feel like, moreso than most, she really captures the spirit of the Regency Era through cadence of speech and small period-specific details. I feel like house parties are so overdone in HRs at this point that it's near on impossible to breathe new life into a novel that centers around one. While this book didn't reinvent the wheel, it had enough fresh elements and an interesting enough hero and heroine to still be a page turner once the pace picked up. I can't put my finger on why I liked the hero and heroine so much--they weren't super distinctive, but they did come across as realistic and the chemistry between them was excellent.

Favorite part: Chapter 12. This was when the book started getting good, y'all. That chapter was filled with some seriously sexy, witty, tension-filled repartee.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Anna Bradley's first book and I liked it very much. Can't wait for the rest of the Sutherlands to find their HEAs. First, I liked the fact that I did not notice any typos, grammar or editing errors that sometimes occur with new authors. This makes me happy as is does not interrupt my reading. The only thing I didn't like, and a new author has no control over this, is that the gorgeous man on the cover doesn't quite match the hero's description. Publishers - please note the characters' descriptions before you decide on the cover.

The story itself was very good. Ancient history: the heroine's mother dumped the hero's father and eloped with a commoner. They had 5 daughters and were very happy. Lord Carlisle, not a particularly nice man, married someone else and had 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Delia and Lily Somerset met Charlotte, Eleanor and Robyn Sutherland (the younger son) and became friends. They were invited to the Sutherland's house party where they met the eldest son, the current Lord Carlisle. I hate to write plot spoilers, especially with a very good complex story. I'll just say that I recommend this book and will be buying the next one.

[Corinne Michaels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Delia and her tenacity. The family dynamic reminded me a bit of another beloved series which made it a lot of fun to read. The siblings are all great and only add to the dynamic of the plot.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75 stars*

I'm a big Anna Bradley fan, and A Wicked Way to Win an Earl was another great book by this author.

If I'm being honest, sure, it has some slow moments and the male MC was a bit of a ass for a bit too long, but I thought it was a very entertaining read. I've had a hankering for a book that was fun, low angst, and just romantic, and this fit the bill. It suited my mood, completely.

Bonus points, since I had this as a signed paperback. Can't wait to read the next in the series.


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[Joanna Loves Reading]

I give up because I just don’t care. Wrong time for me to read. I don’t think this is a bad read but time for me to take it off the table.