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Jamagan |
3.0 / 5
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I bought this book after reading some of the glowing reviews here on Amazon. The plot seemed unique and intriguing - a woman torn between her back-from-the-dead husband and her new husband.
Unfortunately, it was obvious from the very first page who Sophie would end up with, which took away almost all of the tension. The "bad guy" is also so completely cliche he might as well have a stamp on his head. His motivations were so unrealistic that it was laughable, again taking away the tension.
I do have to say that the romantic scenes were steamy and detailed, creating a very vivid image. This was the saving grace of the book, and a main reason the book will find many fans.
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booklover1335 |
4.0 / 5
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I started reading A Hint of Wicked late one night thinking I would just read a few pages before I went to sleep, but quickly found myself completely absorbed in the love triangle between childhood friends and unable to put it down.
Garrett, the Duke of Calton, fell in love and had been happily married to Sophie for four years when he is called to duty to fight in the battle of Waterloo where he is wounded and presumed dead. Seven grief stricken years pass, and during that time best friends Sophie and Tristan, the new Duke of Calton, find solace in each others arms, fall in love and marry.
After eight years of being missing Garrett returns wanting to resume his old life, only to find he has been proclaimed dead, his heir has become the new Duke of Calton, and his wife is now married to the man he once considered as close as a brother. How does he begin to get his life and his wife back? Does Tristan resolve himself to losing everything that he holds dear...Sophie? And how does Sophie choose between Garrett whom she loved passionately in her youth, and Tristan whom she loves deeply as a grown woman?
A Hint of Wicked is the first historical romance this year I have reviewed that I can honestly say that I loved. I had been eager to read this one form the moment I first read about it, and was actually a little bit wary that I might have built it up too much in my head, and as a result setting myself up for disappointment. Don't despair if you have read an abundance of mediocre historical romances lately like I have. Never fear Wicked is here to end the doldrums!
This is the first novel that I have read by Jennifer Haymore so I did not know what to expect. Now I know. I should expect a compelling story with intrigue, lots of emotion, very steamy loves scenes for a traditional historical romance, and I should plan to devour it in one sitting...everything else can wait. I honestly could not put the book down. I had to find out who Sophie would choose, and surprisingly I was not able to guess until the very end of the book. It was that well written. I will eagerly be anticipating the next book in the series, A Touch of Scandal, her sequel to A Hint of Wicked, which was wickedly good.
I have 5 copies of A Hint of Wicked from Forever Publishing to give away on my blog Seductive Musings. The giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. No PO Boxes are allowed. Giveaway ends July 10, 2009 please visit my blog for details and information on how to enter.
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Valorie Tucker |
3.0 / 5
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Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, lost her husband Garrett at Waterloo. After seven years of mourning and searching, she finally moved on and married their mutual best friend Tristan, who lost his own wife. Though Sophie still harbors feelings for Garrett, she loves Tristan with a passion never experienced before, not even during her previous marriage to Garrett. The two of them have gotten through their grief together and are very much in love.
In the midst of carnal passion, Sophie and Tristan are surprised by the sudden homecoming of Garrett who did not die at Waterloo, but instead spent the past years with amnesia in Belgium. But now that Garrett has his memory back, he wants his wife and his name returned to him. Sophie and Tristan are now at a loss of what to do-- nullify their marriage or fight it out. Sophie's position is especially difficult since she is still very much in love with Garrett and is overjoyed that he alive and home, back to her and their daughter. But yes, she loves Tristan and does not want to separate from him either. Since Sophie can't be married to two men, she has to choose. Of course, Garrett wants to give her no choice by declaring her marriage to Tristan illegal.
Flanked by his trusted assistant William, Garrett is having trouble coming to terms with the war. He is prone to hallucinations, flash backs, and violence. His doctor is very grim about Garrett's eventual outlook, which makes it even harder for Sophie to give up on him. Very soon, Sophie and Tristan suspect that something is amiss, that Garrett isn't as sick and out of control as William and his doctor say. Now not only must Sophie decide between the two and Tristan fight for his wife, but the two of them have to uncover what plot Garrett is unknowingly in the middle of.
I am a novice when it comes to romance, but I decided to give A Hint of Wicked a try because it is historical fiction and I am constantly searching for that one romance book that will seal the deal for me and make me love the genre. Or even just appreciate it. Though new to this genre, it didn't hinder my ability to appreciate Haymore's elegant writing style or her vast variety of adjectives that were never overused. It was, of course, predictable who Sophie would turn out with. Still, I tried not to let that bother me and instead took the book for what it was worth. Rather than accept the story as a mystery unfolding, I understood it as a progression of events I would see to the end, just to know how the events play out and what the means to the end are.
Need I mention that the book is very steamy? I don't think I have to once you see the cover. Haymore certainly doesn't shy away from being descriptive, she doesn't hold back and cut out before the passion starts in full force, but her writing is such that she never descends into being crude. It is so easy to ruin a good love scene, you see, at least for me. Truthfully, sometimes Sophie annoyed me. Sometimes reading about how perfect she is got to me. But I never got bored of the love scenes.
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Jeannie Lin |
5.0 / 5
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Sophie's husband is wounded at the battle of Waterloo and his body is never found. After eight years of heartbreak and fruitless searching, Garrett is declared dead and Sophie finally starts to rebuild her life with Tristan. She finds love again, remarries and starts to heal -- and then Garrett returns.
One woman, two husbands. And Sophie truly loves them both. How can you not want to read every word to find out how this dilemma can be resolved? This is the sort of emotionally charged scenario that only masters such as Julia Quinn and Lavyrle Spencer dare to attempt, yet Jennifer Haymore takes this on in her New York debut.
None of this would work if you didn't believe in the emotions and Ms. Haymore handles them beautifully. You yearn for what Sophie and Tristan and Garrett have lost, you'll cry for them. This is not an easy emotional journey and at times, you may wonder how this can all work out. When Sophie says, "I want them both", it's not out of selfishness, but out of a deep connection with Garrett, the first love of her youth as well as with Tristan, the new love she's discovered after the years of pain and loss.
I loved this book for how fearless A Hint of Wicked is in delving deep into the difficult decisions people have to make. Then, on top of that, it's wonderfully plotted, fits in perfectly with its time period and creates such a sensual and intimate mood that I had to give a deep sigh when it was all over.
I have often wondered a book generates a buzz prior to its release. In this case, the attention is well deserved. I'd read the follow up novel, A Touch of Scandal, today if someone were to put it in my greedy little hands.
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Genevieve Kydd |
4.0 / 5
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One of the more unusual romances I've read in a while, Jennifer Haymore delivers a sensual, complicated plot that leaves the reader begging for more.
Sophie, our heroine, is caught in an unusual love triangle consisting of herself, her long lost but believed to be dead husband Garrett, and her current husband Tristan. To make things more complicated, Tristan is Garrett's cousin and inherited Garrett's title when he was believed to have died at Waterloo. Sophie has loved both men romantically and will be forced to choose between them when Garrett returns from the dead.
Sophie is a sympathetic heroine in every sense of the word. Her childhood sweetheart--Garrett--was everything she could have ever wanted. She married him and gave him a child. She waited eight years for his return before Tristan stepped in and they fell in love. Both of them had deep remaining affections for Garrett. Bit he is not the same person he used to he. He has been deeply affected by the war and has holes in his memories. Sophie finds herself longing for Tristan and what she used to have with Garrett.
Even with the love triangle and all of its complications, Haymore manages to include a suspense plotline in the story as well. As a debut novel, I was impressed. Up until the end, I was compelled to continue turning the pages. I expect that we'll continue to see stellar work from Haymore. It gets four stars instead of five only because there was a piece of the ending missing. I wish she'd given us an epilogue, but I'm guessing she may be saving that for a future book.
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Jossie |
5.0 / 5
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This is one of the most satisfying books that I've read in a long time. I loved the characters, and the story enthralled me from the onset. I immediately felt Sophie's angst in trying to choose between two men she truly loved while balancing the fact that she really didn't want to hurt either man.
Both men were delicious in their own right, and Jennifer Haymore did a wonderful job of making them both susceptible, masculine, and human-- not an easy task given the quandary they found themselves in. I especially understood the character of Sophie. She didn't just sit around waiting for fate to determine her choice. Although some readers may feel she was weak because of her indecision, I believed the fact that she was doing her best to work out all her conflicting emotions while trying desperately not to hurt either man she adored.
Be forewarned that Hint of Wicked is not your stereotypical romance. Both men are equally desirable, and neither becomes unlikeable (or dies!) at the end to make Sophie's choice any easier. All in all, I agreed with Sophie's decision at the end. It's not your typical Hollywood ending, but at least, we know at the end that the other guy may find true love in the sequel.
The book may irritate some readers because she doesn't choose both men (somehow the guys would have agreed to share Sophie--a fantasy yes, but highly unrealistic). If you're looking for that kind of book, Hint of Wicked is not for you.
Overall, I loved this book because of the story, characters, and realism. I especially respected the fact that Jennifer Haymore (first time author--wow!) did not shy away from tackling Sophie's predicament head on and painted a beautiful tale with vibrant, human characters. If the author had chosen an easier (less believable) way out for Sophie, I would have enjoyed the book less but would have still given Hint of Wicked 4 stars. Because she did NOT pull her punches, I give Hint of Wicked a resounding 5 out of 5 stars.
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ReadingHobbit |
4.0 / 5
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This was a good read - the plot was emotionally twisting, but not emotionally draining. The pacing was good, with just the right amount of tension between the characters (for the most part). The love scenes were erotic, with touches of the "forbidden" to kick it up a notch without overdoing it. The love stor(ies) were believable, and contrary to a few of the other reviewers, I think the ending was perfect - it shouldn't have ended any other way. (I don't want to give away the ending, so I better leave it at that.)
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thekittenspaw |
4.0 / 5
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Hint of Wicked is a book that piqued my interest immediately. How could a woman choose between two men she truly loved? Would her desires even matter in a time when women had no say in their fates?
When I started reading, the heart-breaking problem was fleshed out even more, with children left confused and frightened and the once-strong bond between the men, best friends and cousins, being torn to shreds.
The question of who she will choose is the central story in this novel. The suspense aspect simply pushed the emotional tug-of-war more by infringing on trust and intefering with the characters opportunities to work out their problems. In all, it kept me guessing which gentleman would keep their mutual bride.
I loved this book and higly recommend it.
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Littleflwers |
5.0 / 5
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I just finished "A Hint of Wicked". This is a Historical Romance packed full of action, mystery and plenty of romance. The books main characters are: Sophie, Garrett and Tristan. As the story explains, Garrett has been missing from the war for 7 years. Tristan which is Garrett and Sophie's friend since childhood helps her look for Garrett and ultimately he is declared dead. Sophie and Tristan marry. Then out of the blue Garrett shows up, decides that Sophie is still his wife and claims his place in her life. Now as if that isn't enough of a story, we also have a character by the name of Fisk who Garrett credits with saving his life and feels he owes him everything. This is where the mystery comes in. Who really is this Fisk character and what exactly are his motives. We do eventually find out what has happened to Garrett during those lost 7 years. This was a great story with many twists. I loved the characters, I liked not only the intrigue of what Sophie would do now that she was faced with having two husbands, but also the huge mystery of where Garrett has been and who this Fisk person is. The book is an all around great read. I enjoyed it very much. It wasn't your typical romance in any way. It had a great plot with believable characters and situations. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read not only a romance but just a good solid story line. I can hardly wait to start her next book. If it is anything like this one - I know it will be good.
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Ursula A. Holmes |
4.0 / 5
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I loved this book. I read quite a lot of romance novels but I have never come across this plot before. I agree with some of the other's that I'm not sure of the decision Sophie made; however, Ms. Haymore is not done yet. She plans to write other books regarding this family so the other party left behind may get their happily ever after yet.
I read this book but could not wait to find out who she chooses so I flipped to the back and read the last few pages and it broke my heart. I could not sleep. I almost did not read the rest of the book (so let that be lesson not to skip ahead)but I decided to read the entire book and I'm not so broken hearted, but I don't know that I like the decision.
I will tell you that I cannot wait for the next books. I just wish she could write faster.
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