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A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore was a pleasantly surprising romance novel. I fully expected it to be atrocious, but it actually was pretty good, with an engaging plot, endearing characters, and spicy love scenes. I did have a bit of a problem with Haymore’s writing style, but, all in all, I enjoyed this book and would probably read it again.
The year is 1815, and Sophie James, Duchess of Calton, has just been widowed. Her husband, Garrett, has fallen in the battle of Waterloo. Sophie and Garrett had been childhood friends, along with Garrett’s cousin, Tristan, so Garrett’s death is a terrible blow to them both. Since they never retrieved Garrett’s body, Sophie holds out hope that Garrett might still be alive. However, eight years later, Sophie finally accepts the truth, and she and Tristan are married. In a twist as juicy as any you’d see on General Hospital, Garrett returns from Belgium, only to find Sophie and Tristan in bed in a rather, well, compromising situation.
The Duke had been suffering from amnesia, living on the Continent and working as a common laborer. He brings with him a man named Fisk, whom Garrett trusts implicitly but who also may not be all he seems.
As you can imagine, Sophie has a bit of a dilemma on her hands. She never stopped loving Garrett and is overjoyed when he returns, seemingly from the grave; but she also has grown to love Tristan very much. Much has changed over the previous eight years, and Sophie isn’t sure she can be the same wife to Garrett as before. And, of course, there are legal questions—yes, Garrett was legally declared dead after Waterloo, but now that he has returned, is his marriage to Sophie still valid?
Haymore executes the plot twists with a deft hand, and the action never stops or gets too confusing. She really could write for daytime soap operas. When Fisk elopes with Garrett’s younger sister, it’s full of drama but thankfully not cheesy—and it keeps the option out there for a sequel, naturally.
Haymore created great characters. You can really sense Sophie’s dilemma, and the reader gets a very good sense of how much she and Tristan love each other. Garrett is painted in the beginning as a bit of a villain, but, as the novel goes on, you really start to sympathize with him. It must not be easy to find yourself dumped into a life and a culture you don’t remember at all—all the while worrying that you’re losing your mind. In the end, Garrett’s bark is definitely worse than his bite.
The best parts of A Hint of Wicked were the love scenes; they were surprisingly racy for a non-erotica romance novel. She may be a straight-laced proper Duchess on the outside, but, on the inside, Sophie is a naughty, naughty girl. I’ve read a lot of romance novels, so it takes a lot to surprise me when it comes to love scenes, but I can honestly say I was surprised to see how kinky some of the scenes were.
My only real problem lies with Haymore’s writing. I had mentioned in last month’s column that a lot of romance authors these days seem to favor short, choppy sentences. Sadly, Haymore seems to have jumped on that bandwagon, and it grates on my last nerve. A penchant for two-word-long sentences is really the only blemish on an otherwise wonderful romance novel.
All in all, A Hint of Wicked is a great book. Racy love scenes, sweet characters, and lots of twists and turns kept my interest. I can honestly say that I’d read this book again—and it’s been a long time since I’ve found a romance novel that I’d read a second time.
