The Last Hellion Takes a Wife

This is the third book in the Hellions of Havisham series, telling the tale of Killian St. John, Viscount Locksley.  He is the son of the mad Marquess of Marsden that we’ve met earlier in the series.  The marquess is said to have lost his mind with grief after his wife died and Locke has done his best to survive on his own and not upset his father overly much.  The manor is falling into disrepair, and the marquess needs to be locked in his rooms at night or he will go roaming on the moors in search of his wife.  So when Marsden appears at breakfast one morning looking freshly shaved and well dressed, Locke is surprised to say the least.  Even more surprising is that Marsden claims his bride will be arriving that day, making Locke suspect his father is even more mad than previously thought.

However, Marsden is crazy like a fox – he’s put out an advert for a wife, claiming that he needs more heirs since his son is obviously not inclined to marry.  The woman who he has been corresponding with, Portia Gadstone, is due to arrive that day; but it’s a ploy to get Locke to marry her instead.  Locke is instantly taken by Portia, even though he presumes that e is just a fortune hunter, otherwise why would she want to marry his father?  It makes him think that he has to marry her to protect his father, but his libido is jumping into overdrive at the thought of having her in his bed.

To be honest, there is a lot of sexy times in this book; the connection between Locke and Portia is swift and charged with erotic promise.  Portia hadn’t been prepared for her reaction to Locke; she’d been planning to marry the old man and live a quiet life in the country. And yet when Locke steps in to marry her instead, she can’t help but be aroused by his sexual confidence and knowing green eyes.  They both know what they are getting in this marriage – lust and nothing more.

Portia slowly begins to transform Havisham Hall, opening rooms that have been locked up for years, and restoring them to former glory.  Along the way, she brings the marquess out of his self imposed exile, even though he still longs for his dead wife.  However, she is hiding a secret that is slowly revealed in bits and pieces and will provide a test of Locke’s growing feelings for her.

I do enjoy Ms Heath’s books, though I know that not everyone here does.  She creates characters that are flawed and yet believable in their situations so that I get caught up in their emotions.  This book also brings a visit from the previous hellions – the Duke of Ashebury and the Earl of Greyling, and their wives and families and it was a nice addition to see them again.