BOTM 1 - December 2021 - A Wicked Way to Win an Earl

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Discussion thread for the First BOTM of December 2021. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some html is ok' for instructions.)

Happy Reading!


A Wicked Way to Win an Earl 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…

[Maureen]

Just read this book in a day. It was a wonderful love story with just the right amount of quick wit and repartee along with a lot of chemistry. The author Anna Bradley really knows how to write a great love scene. Here is my goodreads review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Elaine]

I'm in for this one...it's another new to me author.

[Mariana]

Yeah, I'll give this one a try as well. Never read Anna Bradley before either. I see some good reviews. Probably start reading in a week or so.

[kimchikingreads]

I am starting this book soon! The blurb definitely seems interesting and I've seen quite a number of good reviews. ;)

[Missy]

The blurb does sound interesting. I think I might be able to join in this BOTM.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

I expected this to be in audio, but it doesn’t appear to be. I can get the ebook on Libby though, so I will try to read this. I like Bradley quite a bit but haven’t read this one.

[Sandra]

Starting today!

[Jultri]

I read and loved this book when it first came out and it remains my favourite one by the author. I won’t have time to join in for a reread but I’m excited that other readers will discover this author. I love that the BOTM is exposing lesser known authors to a wider audience. Hope you all will enjoy it as much as i did.

[Jan]

I'm planning to join this read. New-to-me author. Julia, I agree - I have tried/discovered some lesser known authors via our BOTM, and really liked some of them :)

I might try first to finish Tempting Fortune, an old skool Jo Beverley I'm reading for December for Romance Across The Ages. (Georgian era). So I will get to this one maybe in a few days or a week? Looking forward to starting it.

[Luana ☆]

I just started this one. I am already interested to know how the story plays out. Usually we see a scandal in the happening but here we are looking at the consequences of a scandal for the next generation. That's quite interesting...

[Jan]

I've just started too. Finished my RATA challenge book now so ready to go on this one.

I feel the same, Luana. I like the idea of the intro taking place a long time previously. Will be interesting to see how it plays out. The long-term consequences of an old scandal.

[Lady Nilambari]

This was a new to me author. I really enjoyed reading it. Here is my review -

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Susan]

Great review Lady Nilambari.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and liked the fact that the scandal was an old one. The story started off really well. I did however get fed up with the back and forth game. I found it became tiresome.

I had been interested in reading more about these families, but the version I read had an excerpt for the next one in the series and I read it and lost all interest.

Overall, not a bad read. Easy to read - but forgettable. i am thinking 3 stars, perhaps 3.5

[Jan]

I'm up to Chapter 8. It's a pretty quick and easy read so far. I was intrigued by the prologue but (view spoiler)[ the banter between the leads feels a bit too modern for me. The saucy talk about Alec's behaviour just seems out of its time and not suited to a typical Regency young lady. Also doesn't reflect well on Alec IMO. (hide spoiler)] I will read on, however.

[Lady Nilambari]

Susan wrote: "Great review Lady Nilambari.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and liked the fact that the scandal was an old one. The story started off really well. I did however get fed up with the ba..."

Thanks, Susan. It did get a little tiresome! I did not even bother with the next book's excerpt.

[SunnyCAGirl]

I started reading this one back in November when I got it from Libby. It was a bit early for the BOTM....but reading it early enabled me to jump through the first 11 books on Anna Bradley's catalogue by now.
It was 3 solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me...and I liked Bradley's writing style, characters, love scenes and world building enough to read through her series in quick succession. Delia and Alec had a delightful love story though I found this particular book a bit expected and trope-y. I found the next 2 "Season of Ruin" and "Lady Eleanor's 7th Suitor" to have much more unique takes on the typical romance tropes and characters. I hadn't read other books quite like them before.
My full review of "A Wicked Way to Win an Earl" with casting on goodreads linked below.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Cath]

Looking forward to reading the various reviews shared here once I've finished. For now, I've just finished chapt 14.

Re Chapt 14, I'm confused about some details. I think I'm just not getting some things.

(view spoiler)[Okay, it's the dinner party & Alec has decided to take Delia into dinner as a prelude to implementing his new scheme. This seating configuration just doesn't make sense to me as I try to visualize it based on the description:

They entered the dining room where Alec seated her at the head of the table, then deliberately took his seat across from her. There was no seat to her right.

How would she react when she realized Major Lytton, who was seated to her left, was as deaf as a post?

They then proceed to have a conversation that involves the 2 of them with occasional loud interjections from Major Lytton. And later it is mentioned that Alec looks toward the other end of the table.

So I'm guessing that Alec is actually sitting at the head of the table, Delia is to his left and Major Lytton is to her left?

As an aside, I do find it very odd that considering the conversation they are having, the people who are sitting in proximity to them (for instance whoever is to Alec's right) are just sitting there not having any reactions at all, especially given Major Lytton's comments.

And then another question I have. Still in Ch 14 at the dinner party, at the point in discussion where Alec is basically daring Delia to accompany him on a ride around the estate. She asks if others will be coming along and he basically says no but if she's afraid to go with him alone b/c she's worried about propriety, fine.

And then Delia says, "There can be no impropriety in a ride around the grounds, surely."

Now, this is where this doesn't make sense to me. First of all, supposedly Delia is on high alert thinking that Alec means to create a scandal and ruin her, so I'd think she'd be especially suspicious of his motives and potential for misbehavior on his part. Furthermore, I thought this was definitely considered a no-no at this time period - an unmarried young woman of a certain standing riding around alone with a man? And in fact, the next paragraph tells us that Alec knows even before they finish their ride around the estate there will be gossip about them.

So unless I'm ignorant here about the social mores (a very likely possibility I'll concede!) and it is no big deal if Delia goes off alone w/ Alec, I just don't see how she would agree with this? (hide spoiler)]

[Cath]

^Thanks for the feedback, Darbella. I feel better knowing I'm not the only one who felt the need to come up w/ a scenario that made sense :)

I read on thru Ch. 15 (view spoiler)[where there was some discussion among Lily, Delia & Alec's sisters, and now I'm thinking "head of the table" meant the general area of the head of the table? However I guess I'm nitpicky but if Alec was at the head (as he should be) I'd prefer the author describe Delia as being seated at his left. I feel like when specific configurations are being discussed, like the location of buildings etc, the author should use precise wording rather than vague generalities. To be fair, it could be that using "head of the table" is well-known way, among knowledgeable readers of the period, to refer to anyone seated in the general area of the head of the table; however if that is the case then I still feel the author would be better off not assuming that every reader will have that level of knowledge. (Like me! LOL)

I guess part of the problem I have is that this particular scene feels somewhat emotionally sterile to me b/c it feels like Alec & Delia are on a little island while nothing else much is going on in the room, as we are given very little information about the others present. We do get a brief mention of glares from Lady Cecil & Lissette, and Delia being uncomfortable, but that's about it.

Then we learn a lot more about the situation from the perspective of others in Ch 15, from a conversation. And I guess this is kind of one thing I've felt throughout parts of the book - I feel there's a lot of telling, whereas especially at certain points I'd like more showing. I think the dinner table scene could have been much richer if we'd gotten more descriptions of how some of the other people present were reacting and even perhaps heard a few comments being directed toward Alec. Especially b/c, as is implied, this is a situation in which the stakes should be high, in terms of what Alec is trying to do to Delia. And since what he's trying to do depends on the reactions of others - their emotional responses, their assumptions about her & Alec (potential scandal!) - then I feel like in order to create a good sense of tension about the peril Delia is in (so to speak), it would help to have immediate access to information about the others' reactions and therefore the "danger" that Delia is in (her reputation). (hide spoiler)]

[Cath]

^Darbella, yeah some stories really just flow for me and while I'm enjoying this story generally, without deliberately looking for stumbling-blocks, certain things keep standing out to me. And the dinner party seating was specific, in that I knew exactly what I was puzzled about. That's something I would have noticed in any book regardless.

But otherwise with this book, as I'm reading along I've ended up with this vague feeling that something's not consistent for me re: how the heroine is characterized, how the hero thinks of her and how this fits in with the "games" they are playing. Sometimes it seems to me she's this naive person who's not really capable of sophisticated mind-games & strategy, then other times it seems like either the hero is attributing to her a much more sophisticated strategic way of thinking or then he flip-flops and suddenly he's acting as if he thinks of her as if she's naive and inept at sophisticated strategy.

I know what you mean about your ratings system. I rate HR based on my emotional reaction to (emotional experience of) the book. For instance, I rated A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux a 5. Now, for me, as I was reading it, her prose was very klunky & I didn't really like it (even quit my first attempt, read it on 2nd attempt ), but I absolutely loved the ending b/c it gave me a strong emotional feeling, and so that's what my rating is based on. OTOH I have no doubt that The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley is a very excellent and ground-breaking book, deserving of high ratings, but precisely b/c of the way the book is written, and should be written no doubt, I couldn't get into it. I like a lot of access to characters' emotions - I want to feel the feelings they are having about each other - and Ian's story just wasn't giving me what I wanted so I had to DNF.

[Sandra]

I've finished this and read the next one of the serie. I liked it.

[Missy]

I read to the end of chapter 12. At first, I didn't like the writing; it felt like I was reading a contemporary romance book, but I've gotten used to it and am enjoying the book.

[Leena]

I've just started and am on chapter 7. what's interesting is that she's based an entire romance on an overthinking assumption by both parties. it was supposed be a simple outings for Delia and Lily.
I couldn't understand how these girls could actually come there. didn't they feel awkward?? all things considered, this would have been their house.

[Leena]

bantering is fun amd I totally agree Missy, it's git such contemporary feel.

[Elaine]

I found this to be…okay. Not great but there was something that kept me from putting it down. I may try this author again in the future.

[Leena]

I too found it just about OK.

[Padma]

Was an enjoyable read. My first book by this author

[Jan]

I found this one OK too. 3 stars. Not bad, but overall it felt a bit cliched. Although there was some funny banter, at times it felt too modern for a HR feel.

Glad I tried a new author though, and like Elaine, I may try this author again in the future. This was her first book, so later ones may be better.

[Missy]

I just completed the book. I agree with Jan and gave it 3 stars too. I’ll definitely read another book by this author.

[Mamacita aka MawMaw]

I liked it. Gave it 3.5*. I just finished it And definitely want to read the other book in the series.