TEST
Sarah Hornsby is more than happy with her life as a widow. Her contentment is not surprising since she’s finally free of an unhappy marriage and has come into her own as the proprietor of a store selling crafts made by the women of Clear Creek, Texas. The last thing she wants is to ever be under the thumb of a man again.
Enter Benjamin Drake, the second son of a duke, and a man who is on a mission to find a wealthy wife to fund his ambitions. The virtually penniless aristocrat needs to marry money to make it possible for him to fulfill his desire to be a rancher.
Sarah and Ben meet when the nobleman comes to the small Texas town to break the news to his older brother, Anthony, that their father has died and that Anthony is now the duke. Sarah, whose room is separated from Anthony’s only by a flimsy wall, meets the charming older brother when she complains about noise. Anthony’s suggestion that he apologize for the disturbance by taking the attractive widow to dinner is met first by suspicion, then with a reluctant acceptance. But with Anthony’s departure to claim his inheritance imminent, the older brother persuades the younger to substitute at the upcoming dinner. After all, Clear Creek is the perfect place for Ben to settle down, including not only ample land for ranching, but also a supply of eligible women. Surely one will agree to marry the charming and handsome Englishman.
Sarah agrees. In fact, by the end of their first encounter she vows to help Ben find the right woman to marry in return for a much-needed supply of raw materials for her business.
Of course, the right woman for Ben is Sarah herself. And while she sets out to matchmake, she finds herself awakening to her own desires – desires she had ruthlessly suppressed both during and after her loveless marriage.
Both Sarah and Ben are attractive and likable characters. I found it interesting that Ben is so very up front about his need to marry for money and Sarah’s acceptance of the practical side of his quest was also refreshing. Estrada’s town of Clear Creek is peopled with interesting characters who all come to life quite nicely.
But, with that said, Too Wicked To Love is a conventional book that follows a familiar path, both in terms of plot and character development. And, frankly, there isn’t anything about the book that sets it apart from so very many others. For those who enjoy reading about the American West and don’t require a lot of surprises along the way, this certainly would not be a bad read. But memorable in any way? No.
Grade: C
Book Type: Frontier/Western Hist Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 17/02/02
Publication Date: 2001
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.