The Ruthless Charmer (The Rogues of Regent Street, Book 2)
Heroine doesn't know what to make of famous rake Hero's constant attempts to woo her since he practically ignored her for years & deemed her unworthy to marry his now-deceased friend. They are found in a compromising position during a ball & are forced to marry to save her from further social disgrace. They wed reluctantly with Hero believing that heroine is still pining for his deceased friend & heroine deducing that he can't love her & will stifle her charitable works. They do share a mutual sexual passion until she learns that he's still frequenting a brothel with his friend. Hero showers her with his affection & support despite her withdrawal. But he stops when he finds out that she had a hand in encouraging his sister to elope with her wastrel suitor. Her confession of love for him comes too late for him. How can heroine prove to him to give their marriage another chance? I liked this London book in general. The romance/sexual chemistry/sex scenes/characterization/dialogue were good. I liked that both Hero & heroine progressed in their characters & their romance as the story went on. There was some angst based on their mistaken assumptions about each other. One major problem that I had was the inconsistency of what he said & what happened. Hero told heroine that he hasn't been with any paramours in the last 2 years. Yet the book opens with Hero in bed with a naked woman with his head pillowed on her breasts & was about to go another round before they get interrupted. Maybe the word "paramour" meant mistress to him & excludes 1-night stands? Whatever it is it left a bad taste in my mouth about Hero. It only increased when he kissed another woman at the ball before he kissed heroine. What seemed to have stopped him from further intimacy with that woman was her married status. It made me wonder if he would've consummated it if she was a widow. Heroine seemed to have taken his word on it.
Recommended with provisions.
