Wednesday, June 22, 2016

His Second Chance by Stephanie Lake


The Seventh Viscount of Torring, Randall Blair is more than disgusted with unfaithful lovers. When his last lover announces his engagement to the current reigning belle, Randall decides to suppress his true nature and follow suit. He is determined, once and for all, to forget the dark sailor who slipped in and out of his life five years before.

Lady Prudence Wedgewood has, for a member of the fair sex, unquestioned beauty, and shows a surprising wit, which will entertain Randall, even if her well-proportioned body does not arouse his desires. The marriage should at least be bearable.

The Blair and Wedgewood wedding plans unfold flawlessly...until Lady Prudence’s brother returns.

Lieutenant David Wedgewood has always been beyond discreet with his unnatural attraction to men. An attraction, which years ago, nearly set Randall’s bed aflame for a blissful, torrid week. David returned for only one reason: to save his beloved sister from a marriage destined to bring nothing but pain. Marriage to a sod!

He will kill Randall if that’s what it takes to stop the wedding. And he is willing to seduce Randall, to prove that this marriage can only end in disaster and heartbreak.

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Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Loose  Id



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica☆☆☆
3.5 Stars.
Stephanie Lake is a new-to-me author, and I found her writing style easy to read and the pacing fluid, offering a few stolen hours of guilty pleasure reading.

His Second Chance was a well-developed historical romance novella on the shorter side, featuring ex-lovers. A rich aristocrat, Randell is lonely, to the point he wishes to marry just so he can have someone to come home to. While he prefers men, they have never given him the stability which he seeks, especially with the hangman's noose hanging over his head should his affairs be discovered. With the help of his aunt, he seeks a bride.

David had freaked 5 years earlier, fleeing his lover's bed in fear, only to have the nightmare become reality when a fellow serviceman and lover is hanged, where he finds out the man had been cheating with many others, and upon interrogation, the man named David as another he had bedded.

Terrified, filled with self-loathing and need, David returns home when he finds out his ex-lover is set on marrying his sister. None of which is a spoiler, but I felt the need to set the tone. Angst. Angst. Hurt feelings and pride. More angst. All of which sets the tone for a deliciously indulgent read.

Why did I only rate at 3.5 stars? Novellas are difficult to write – so few pages means everything has to be at warp speed, the development of the characters and connecting the reader to them. I felt disconnected while reading, never emotionally checking in. This is my personal opinion, and it very well could have been my current mood. But with a novella, when I feel the need to skim, it must not be to my tastes. Also, I felt as if I had been dropped in the middle of an already established series, like I was missing something, but this is listed as book #1 in a new series, therefore something was off about the set-up, unless this is a spin-off.

Recommended for readers of MM historical romance.

Would I read more by this author? Yes, I am curious to read more.



Stephanie Lake is the pen name for a husband/wife team who enjoy writing happy endings and steamy middles. We hope you enjoyed His Second Chance, the first book in the Second Chance series.

Connect with Stephanie

Loose Id  ~  Goodreads


http://www.loose-id.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of His Second Chance (Second Chances #1) by Stephanie Lake to read and review.

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