(A Wicked Games Novella)
Genre: Historical Romance (Victorian)
Cover Blurb
Victorian England is about to go wild…
Lady Ophelia longs to be independent, daring and bold, but her mother’s illness has stolen the last of her creative fire. Condemned to an isolated country cottage after the death of her idealistic father, she and her mother are forsaken by family and all of society. Disappointed by those she once trusted, Lady Ophelia lovingly nurses her dying mother knowing that her own dreams of being an artist will never be realized. That is until she meets a devilish aristocrat who reawakens her desire to be wild.
Viscount Stark has never known love. Reputed to be a rebel and a rake by all, at heart he is anything but. When he meets Lady Ophelia, he is struck by her haunting presence, dignity, and honor. Will he continue to play his wicked games and risk ruining the last of Lady Ophelia’s wounded heart? Or will he dare to be the gentleman he always wanted to be and unveil a love he never thought possible?
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I loved this novella. It was such a beautiful and moving story of heartbreak and grief but also hope, joy and love.
How I imagine Andrew Colton, Viscount Stark…
Was he that transparent? Was it so clear that he searched for anything to fill the void that had become his life?
Andrew grew up in a world devoid of love, hardly ever seeing his parents, looked after by nannies. It left a void in his life, one he has filled with aimless pleasures but, deep down, he has always been seeking something more meaningful in his life.
How I imagine Lady Ophelia Darlington…
She longed to feel it all. To feel anything but the imminent horror of her mother’s lingering illness. An illness that had slowly stolen her mother’s vitality and ensured that any dreams Ophelia had were but distant memories.
Cast aside by her half-brother, after her father died and shunned by society, Ophelia is living in poverty in a small, rundown cottage, caring for her dying mother. Her zest for life and her dreams of becoming an artist have slowly faded beneath the pain and sorrow of losing the person she loves most in the world.
How I imagine Lady Darlington…
A soft smile played at her lips, one that bore all too much knowledge. No crushed flower was this woman. In that smile, in her withering gaze was an understanding of the world not many ever obtained.
For me, Lady Darlington is the linchpin of the story. She loves her daughter and wants only her happiness. She recognises the goodness in Andrew and knows he is perfect for her daughter. She gives him the mother’s love that he has never had.
Even within the constraints of this novella. Ms Claremont infuses her writing with such emotional depth. Ophelia and Andrew ceased to be simply characters on a page and became people I really cared about. Their journey was my journey. Their hopes and fears, their joy and tears were my hopes and fears, my joy and tears. It’s difficult for me to convey in words just how beautiful and poignant this story is and so here are some moments in the book that touched my heart.
In his eyes for one brief, holy moment, the world spun in a different direction, touched by beauty, touched by hope, touched by a strange sort of wonder.
To his absolute chagrin, to his utter perversity, he was overwhelmed with a dancing, boyish glee.
She’d come.
And so Andrew faced the piano with the mother of his heart, a little boy who finally knew he was loved, and was suddenly aware of how wonderful life could be.
And suddenly she was struck by an alarming realization. He was her other self. Her wild soul
“…I have lost my heart to you, piece by piece. Your strength, your kindness, your passion for life, they have all awakened what I had been so sure was dead. My soul. You have awakened my soul, Ophelia, because you are my other half. The joy to my cynicism. The passion to my jaded nature. You have taught me to live with hope again.”
How I imagine Marcus Trent, Marquis of Vane…
Once, Vane had been the most mischievous, the most boisterous, and the first to laugh of their school set. Now? The man looked as if he might be suited for the position of undertaker. No. Not undertaker. . . executioner.
Oh yes, Andrew’s friend, the mysterious Marquis of Vane….what secrets is he keeping? He promises to be an intriguing hero!
Lady Wild is a unique and beautifully written story that is both heart-breaking and uplifting. Highly recommended.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STELLAR STARS
SENSUALITY RATING: HOT
Read May 2014
From the Author
My Dearest Readers,
I have a big goal for Lady Wild. I’d like to raise $10,000 of profits for donation to Hospice. My mother died just a little under two years ago. She fought the battle with cancer and ultimately lost. Her last months were spent on Hospice. My father, too, died of cancer and spent his last 3 months on Hospice. It’s such an incredible organization and I don’t know how my mom or dad and I would have made it without the support of the staff. It’s wonderful that so many people raise money for cancer prevention! But I also think it’s important to help those who’ve sadly reached a point in which terminal illness is the reality. Hospice helps with nursing, counselors, medication, and sometimes even bills. They provide relief for the caretaker. I can’t tell you how huge that is. I’m sure many of you already know. So, together, let’s help make the crossing over of a terminally ill person a little more peaceful, a little more loving, a little more free of fear.
If you can snap up Lady Wild and spread the word??? I’d be over the moon! If you can leave a review after you’ve read it? Even better! This is for my parents, and on their behalf, I thank you. Love is a beautiful thing.
Rakes And Rascals 