To Woo a Wicked Widow

February 15, 2018
When an unhappily married woman gains a little freedom with widowhood, she decides to throw a house party, inviting the man who intrigues her but also, inadvertently, the man who wants to seduce her.As a young woman, Lady Charlotte Cavendish made a bid for her happiness when she attempted to elope. Caught by her father and forced into a loveless marriage with an old lord, she's finally free now that her husband is dead and her mourning period is over. However, in her first foray into society, she dances with a known rake, who drags her into a shadowy hallway and kisses her, casting aspersions on her character. Mortified but also amused--she is, in fact, chaste, since her husband never demanded his marital rights--she decides to host a house party for her other widowed friends and the men they've expressed interest in. Her choice is Nash, the Earl of Wrotham, but she's interested in passion, not marriage. Accepting her invitation, he acknowledges their attraction, then comes to truly like her, only to be confounded by her claim that she never wants to wed again, since he wants a wife and her father would like him to marry her. They're at cross-purposes, and the situation becomes more complicated when the rake returns to the picture, a gang of thieves threatens her home, and a variety of men--including her father--try to hamper her choices. An enjoyable read, though there's a lot going on, the writing can be uneven, and Charlotte's fickleness, especially toward the rake, gets irritating.A generally entertaining romance.

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February 26, 2018
In Jaxson’s clunky introduction to the Widows’ Club series, set in Regency-era London, independent widow Lady Charlotte Cavendish sets out to lose the only thing she retained from her marriage: her virginity. Her father married her off to a much older, emotionally abusive man, and Charlotte refuses to entertain thoughts of remarrying. Nash, the Earl of Wrotham, needs a wife and an heir. He’s taken with Charlotte the moment he sees her, but a misunderstanding leaves him believing she deserved her nickname of “the Wicked Widow.” When her father blackmails Nash into courting Charlotte, Nash quickly falls for the headstrong woman, though it’s not clear why or how, since they spend little time together prior to the declaration of love. Meanwhile, Charlotte keeps winding up in sexy situations with another man while claiming she has no interest in him; she does want Nash but refuses to accept his proposals. A dull house party is the backdrop for the antics of the wishy-washy, juvenile heroine. Relationship development is nonexistent, the blackmail is ignored, and, were it not for witty cousin Jane, the story would be void of any real entertainment. Agent: Kathryn Green, Kathryn Green Literary.

March 15, 2018
Lady Charlotte was stopped by her father when she tried to elope. The man who stopped her father from killing her fianc�e finds her years later, after she married the older man her father insisted upon, only to become a widow. Nash, the Earl of Wrotham, wants the lovely young woman as soon as he sees her, but her father, once again, tries to meddle in her life and Nash's as well, to Charlotte's dismay. When she and her widow friends, the Widows' Club, organize a house party, they learn that Nash is a neighbor. At first, Charlotte enjoys flirting with other men, but when a rogue tries to force himself on her, she and Nash realize they want to fight for a future together. Charlotte matures and grows in appeal while she and Nash explore their potent attraction. The Widows' Club is a clever concept with which to launch a new series, and the women's friendship and support as they choose their own paths forward make for refreshing reading. Grace Burrowes fans will enjoy Jaxon's memorable tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)