Review: Never liked the hero, spoiler
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 01 9, 2014
Wicked Designs leaves a lot to be desired including a far far better hero.  I forced myself to finish this book.The major problem with this book is the hero and his lusty insensitive friends. Godric St. Laurent, Duke of Essex decides to kidnap the niece of a business partner who has stolen his money.  This innocent girl is taken from her coach and drugged and kept on the Duke's estate with his cronies who help guard her and lust for her too.Godric is completely arrogant and so full of himself.  He does not care he is destroying a girl's reputation and he acts like a Neanderthal, hiking her over his shoulder and tying her up like a dog once too.  He seems genuinely mad that she would try to escape.  Empathy is not his strong suit.  He also brags about his sexual exploits to his friends about the heroine too.  It's like being in a male locker room but set in a 19th century billiard room.  He also is way too physical with her in front of his friends.SPOILER...Emily the heroine starts out pretty strong but succumbs to Godric whenever he touches her.  Oh, and she apologizes to his friends when she tries to escape and fools them into believing she only speaks English.  Please, show some back bone, a prisoner should not have to apologize for trying to escape. Emily is all over the place with her emotions.The reason this does not get a one star is there are glimpses of some very good heartfelt writing here, there's just not enough and I stopped rooting for this couple early in the story.