After five years of travel and adventures, Lord Alaric
Wilde is back on English soil and aghast at the throng of
adoring females who had been awaiting his return. His
books on his observations from abroad have made him a
literary sensation, but the hysteria owes to placards and
prints decorating London, and mostly a play that depicts
him fallaciously: WILDE IN LOVE. And Alaric doesn't like
it one bit. The duke of Lindow, Alaric's father, is
hosting a six-week house party in Cheshire for his son
North's betrothal, where Alaric will have to fend off
lusty females. North -- the heir -- has turned into a
proper fop in the meantime to impress his fiancée Diana.
Diana has brought along her best friends, cousin Lavinia
and Miss Wilhelmina -- Willa -- Everett. Lavinia is crazy
about "Lord Wilde", but Willa is entirely unimpressed;
she is an intellectual, has not read his books, and has
no intention of doing so. Willa she does see why women
fawn all over Alaric, although he is precisely the sort
of man she will never marry. Willa has exquisite manners,
is the picture of propriety, and is also exceedingly
fetching, which has not escaped Alaric's vigilant eye,
but what draws him to Willa is her total lack of interest
in his notoriety.
Set in the Georgian era, WILDE IN LOVE is the first book
in Eloisa James' brand new series The
Wildes of
Lindow Castle, and it is pure, unadulterated
romantic fun! Infused with Ms. James' inimitable sense of
humor, lavish depictions of the lush English countryside
abound, vivid images of the extravagant fashion style add
touches of color and authenticity. Alaric and Willa were
not at all what I expected: he is confident, but
basically your ordinary chap. He is charming, respectful
of women, and admires Willa's intelligence and spunk.
What he doesn't suspect is the lusty woman who lies
behind her impeccable public façade. Willa is a welcome
change from our usual brainy heroine: she is
breathtakingly beautiful, has to fend off suitors; she is
very popular. I loved her friendship with Lavinia; how
they indulged in their bawdy jokes, simply being carefree
young women.
There is quite a lot going on in WILDE IN LOVE, and done
so smoothly that it doesn't feel like an introduction to
a new series; from the first pages, the reader is simply
swept away in this wonderful new world. There are quite a
few characters, every one as appealing as the other,
danger, romance, a stray cat and the most delightful baby
skunk. I also liked that underneath it all, WILDE IN LOVE
is a subtle study in perception of the self, and I kept
thinking of Plato on the differences between how one
perceives one's self as opposed to others' perception, as
well as the masks most people hide behind.
WILDE IN LOVE does not end on a cliffhanger regarding
Alaric and Willa's story, however the last chapter hints
at what is to come in the next book, and it is very
intriguing. With WILD IN LOVE, Eloisa James launches her
new series in grand style!
Lord Alaric Wilde, son of the Duke of Lindow, is the most celebrated man in England, revered for his dangerous adventures and rakish good looks. Arriving home from years abroad, he has no idea of his own celebrity until his boat is met by mobs of screaming ladies. Alaric escapes to his father’s castle, but just as he grasps that he’s not only famous but notorious, he encounters the very private, very witty, Miss Willa Fynche. Willa presents the façade of a serene young lady to the world. Her love of books and bawdy jokes is purely for the delight of her intimate friends. She wants nothing to do with a man whose private life is splashed over every newspaper. Alaric has never met a woman he wanted for his own . . . until he meets Willa. He’s never lost a battle. But a spirited woman like Willa isn’t going to make it easy. . . The first book in Eloisa James’s dazzling new series set in the Georgian period glows with her trademark wit and sexy charm—and introduces a large, eccentric family. Readers will love the Wildes of Lindow Castle!
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