Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction

Pages: 382

Publishing date: August 1st 2010 by Grand Central Publishing

A man controlled by his desires…

Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London’s most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand— she’s spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk.

A woman haunted by her past…

Caire makes a simple offer—in return for Temperance’s help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London’s high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control—one that may well destroy them both.

A bargain neither could refuse.

crownfullrating

Sometimes I like to indulge in some guilty pleasures and Elizabeth Hoyt is fastly becoming my guilty pleasure read, no pun intended. I find myself either thoroughly enjoying her work or rolling my eyes but in the same breath, I can’t stop reading it. It’s a problem, I know!

Temperance Dews is a widow who happens to run a children’s home in St. Giles which is known for its slums. She alongside her brother, Winter, take in children and infants who would otherwise be turned out on the streets or worse – used in prostitution or some other gimmick. We learn early on that the death of her husband weighs on Temperance heavily and she seems laden with guilt. What’s more is that the home is in desperate need of a wealthy patron to supply funds to them and without the funds, they will all be turned out on the streets.

Gruesome murders aren’t so uncommon but there seems to be a serial killer on the loose, gutting women from head to toe and that is what brings Lord Caire to the scene. He’s a man known for his dark tastes and wicked ways, he had also hired one of the murdered prostitutes as his mistress. So, he seeks out someone who knows St. Giles better than himself which brings him to Temperance.

The world is so gritty and disgusting you can nearly imagine yourself trudging through those streets and experiencing what it was to be a woman of those times, absolute prey.

I am not overly keen on fast transitions from acquaintance to trembling with want and while I do realize this is a romance novel keep in mind this is my opinion and something that keeps me from enjoying a moment. I don’t mind these situations for a quick, guilty read but to gain anything substantial from a love scene [or even just a purely lustful scene,] I like more depth. More building up to it to add more to it. Out of the few Hoyt books I’ve read, it’s either a hit or miss in that department. Still! I’ll always pick up a read of hers.

I don’t feel as though this book was as well put together as her others, even my least favorite – To Desire A Devil – seemed to be better constructed but I do feel as though it’s worth a strong 3 crown rating. It’s still a decent read, I enjoyed it and wanted to finish it, but I definitely was not in love with it.