Review: Actually 2.5 Stars
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 05 12, 2014
Something happened in this book that's never happened before. Anyone who has read my reviews will know I don't like a lot of angst. I looked forward to it in order to see the hero suffer in this book.Jason, Earl of Coventry, is informed that he must marry a lady of his late fathers choosing in accordance to his will. If not he will lose all funding. Let's just say he leaves a mistress of 2 weeks(also married) to end up getting completely soused and having sex with a maid the night before his wedding.Lady Olivia has never had a season, traveled  with her father instead.Imagine being a woman of that time, marrying a man you've never met and than on the day of your wedding he appears three sheets to the wind. I was so angry that not only was he drunk because he chose to party with a maid the previous night but barely showed up on time because he woke in her arms hung over. He couldn't even see straight so when he went to kiss her he couldn't hit his mark.Olivia deserved better. He gave no explanation the following morning just left. Lousy character. Though they each went their own way they still both end up in London. Jason is torn on what to do and one night at a ball sees Olivia across the room. Here's the problem I had. I had little respect in his character to this point of the book he's left a mistress of 2 weeks because she bored him and had a romp with a maid the day before his wedding and now he sees his "wife" and the author thinks we're going to want the two to get together?This innocent woman who put her future in the hands of this loser, who BTW has no clue that she is, in fact, his wife. We're expected to be in love with the fact that he finds her pretty? He goes on to be arrogant and dominate over other men who pay her attention even though he is married to another or so he thinks. Upon introduction Olivia realizes he has no clue who she is and plays along by giving her maiden name of Grant. The author comes up with the ploy that he can have the marriage annulled and then per sue with Olivia.Jason is written as a shallow man but with the flip of switch is honorable and in love..rrriiiightt. I honestly can't understand why so many gave this book such a high rating. The hero humiliated his bride showed no remorse until he learned who she really was and because he's handsome and sought after by all the marriage mamas of the ton we would want him with Olivia? NO! NO! NO!Than to add insult to injury the author continues by throwing all his ex's in Olivia's path. Poor Olivia stands and witnesses as Mary the maid throws her hands around Jason's waist and winks and says maybe next time. I really got tired of reading about the mistress the brat in the closet... really? Should have let them have him.It was not romantic. I didn't want to see the guy get the girl. The love scenes were good but not with him and all his baggage. There was a HEA if you want to call it that because in my opinion Jason needed more character development. I have read many books where the H was a rake but at some point you experience gradual character growth I didn't. He was possessive over her because other men continually stared at her breast but that's not love or romantic. It was like the author wanted to make it romantic and hot but all she accomplished was making Olivia into a play thing for the men of the ton with Jason the kid fighting for his lost toy on the playground.