Her Wicked Ways by Darcy Burke
Historical Romance
May 2012
Self Published

Reviewed by Mandi

I saw Tessa Dare tweet about this book and since I have no discipline when it comes to buying books, I immediately downloaded it onto my Kindle. I read the first chapter and knew I would be finishing this one quickly. I really enjoyed the first 85% of this book. After that, I had some problems, but let’s talk about the good stuff first.

Lady Miranda Sinclair has been banished from London by her parents (her father is a Duke) for her illicit behavior. Caught in an intimate embrace one night at Vauxhall, her parents are tired of her antics and send her to live with a cousin in the small town of Wootton Bassett. She is banned from any social engagements and finds herself at the mercy of her cousins and their daughter Beatrice, who isn’t quite sure about her. Her life has gone from flitting around with the ton of London, to a very country atmosphere.

But that doesn’t mean Miranda is going to stay away from trouble, because trouble finds her. Riding in a carriage one night, they get stopped by a highway man there to steal all their money. But it turns into a little more of an amusing affair:

“I don’t have time to discuss the finer points of your doddering or lack thereof. Return to the carriage and retrieve whatever it is you have of value. I’d hate to have to use my pistol.”

Her gaze flicked downward. “Your pistol?”

Hell’s teeth, had she just looked at his crotch?

This highwayman is actually our hero, Montgomery Foxcroft or just Fox. (Oh I love that name). Fox owns and runs an orphanage in this small town. His late father gambled all their money away and he needs money to make major repairs, so he has taken to stealing it. Usually from those he knows are known criminals, but at this time he is desperate to make repairs on the orphanage roof.

Beatrice, Miranda’s cousin happens to volunteer at this orphanage, and Miranda is forced to go along (to her horror, pick lice out of the kids hair). This is where Miranda and Fox meet, while Fox isn’t wearing a disguise (obviously Fox recognizes Miranda but she doesn’t recognize him). They immediately size each other up. Miranda looking down her nose at this poorly dressed, (yet still sexy!) man and Fox thinking Miranda is hoity-toity and snobbish. But Miranda soon proves herself capable of learning new things, and a warmness inside her catches Fox off-guard. Fox needs money, and Miranda, daughter of a duke has a lot of it. His plan turns to seducing her, but when his arch-enemy Stratham comes sniffing by with eyes for Miranda, he knows he will have to work extra hard to get her attention.

This book has two great protagonists in Fox and Miranda. Fox is hard working, could care less about society, and has a really sharp tongue to him. It doesn’t take long for Miranda to get down and dirty with the orphanage and to realize there is more to life than balls and fine gowns. Yet her transformation is very believable. For awhile all she can think about is getting back to London and away from this country life. But Fox is a force she can’t ignore. He is very masculine and pushes her to be a better person.

I also like that Stratham, a wealthier country gentleman also makes  a play for Miranda and has a nasty history with Fox. But I could also see a glimmer of hope of redemption in him. He is the villain you love to hate and yet hope to one day love to love. I will say I was disappointed in who he ends up with at the end of the book but I won’t go farther so I don’t spoil.

As I said above, the first 85% of this book is fast paced, very sexy, with engaging characters. I was very invested but disappointed in the ending. Around the 85% mark the conflict escalates with a conclusion of sorts to some trouble Fox had gotten into. At this point, it felt  to me that Miranda was in love with Fox. Hanging over them though are her extremely strict parents. Now she is the daughter of a duke so obviously I knew there would be conflict with her marrying a poor, untitled gentleman. But I just didn’t like how it was all resolved. Miranda truly felt like she loved Fox, but then the next chapter she is accusing him of sleeping with her, just to get to her money. It didn’t make sense to me. It felt like a new Miranda than the one that had appeared in earlier pages. And when the final resolution came down to allow her to marry with her parent’s wishes (of sorts) it felt too easy.

I still recommend this book and I look forward to the next book which features Miranda’s brother. I wish I would have liked the end better but still glad I read this one. I really enjoy the author’s voice. A nice debut.

Rating: B-

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