Title: Desperate Desires (A Sweet and Spicy Novella)
Author: Terri Wolffe
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
ISBN: B004MME1HA
Pages: 215 , Kindle
Genre: Romance
Reviewed by: Nicole Sorkin, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
In Desperate Desires (A Sweet and Spicy Novella) by Terri Wolffe, Lady Lucinda Davenport has determination beyond anyone’s wildest dreams and aims to obtain what she wants. What Lucinda desires is to be impregnated by Lucien Branford, fourth Duke of Carlsborough. The problem is, the Duke, who is wealthy, handsome and well adored by women young and old, has no knowledge of her existence. Lucinda actually doesn’t care so much about the Duke’s money and his prestige; she wants a child by the Duke in order to sustain her family’s bloodline as her own husband is too old to have a baby with her.Lucinda created an elaborate scheme to kidnap and hold hostage Duke Lucien Bradford. Lucinda is quite aware that the Duke frequently visits the Templar Gentlemen’s Club. She made arrangements to park outside in her carriage during the evening awaiting for him to leave the club. With Ginny her maidservant and Georgie her oversized socially impaired brother, she successfully was able to lure the Duke inside her carriage by telling him she needed his assistance regarding Lady Catherine, a person the Duke deeply cares for. Once Lucien got into the dark carriage, Georgie overpowered the Duke, blind-folded him and tied him down. Lucinda was able to pull off her scheme without a hitch.
During the ride to Lucinda’s estate, the captive Duke had no knowledge as to where he was going, who these people were, or why they had abducted him. Lucien insisted upon answers and was angry at himself for being hoodwinked by such imbeciles. Lucien starting asking Lucinda questions during the ride, having a cunning dialogue back and forth, much like a tennis match. This scene in the book’s dialogue is riveting, very entertaining, and simply downright provocative. As the Duke was asking too many probing questions for the eight hour trip, at one point she had him drink a concoction of sleep-inducing herbs, knocking him out cold. They continued on their way outside of London to Champney Court, Lucinda’s beautiful estate with acres of land that she and her husband the Earl own.
Lucinda’s servants tied Lucien to a bed with only a towel draping over his private parts. Drugged, cold, blindfolded and exhausted, Lucien just didn’t have the energy to fight back. Over the next few days, as the Duke regained his energy, a banter back and forth between Lucinda and Lucien finally brought the explanation as to why he was abducted in the first place; that being Lucinda’s need to become pregnant by the Duke to have a child. She and her husband the Earl worried immensely about their greedy family who would fight for the Earl’s fortune if he died without an heir. The Earl was concerned his wife would not get anything and thus completely supported his wife’s plan. He knew if he had an heir, his family cannot touch his money. The Earl was concerned about his health, being forced to use a wheelchair due to gout. Initially Duke Lucien thought this plan was absurd and didn’t want any part of it, but with Lucinda’s feminine charm and seductive powers, the Duke couldn’t resist and eventually found himself falling in love with her. With much chagrin, the tables were turned and the Duke became the one who had the authority and power.
The book will keep the reader on their toes the whole time, and have them wonder what will happen next. Although the ending to Desperate Desires is very predictable, I felt it was what most people would hope to have happened in the end. Desperate Desires succeeds on many different levels. The characters are very well developed, the storyline is superb, and the descriptions of the time period created a wonderful mental image. In trying to figure out how to deal with Lady Lucinda, Lucien learns much about himself, as at first he was trying to survive then eventually flourished in the romance.
This novel is a great mix of romance and psychological thriller. It transports the reader from their couch to 17th century London, England, with all of its splendor, beauty and hardships. I felt the title is most appropriate for this book given the obsessive love they both have for one another. The love scenes are steamy and hot, and I would consider this book suitable for mature adults. Overall, I enjoyed this novella and would recommend Desperate Desires (A Sweet and Spicy Novella) to others romance book enthusiasts and historical fiction lovers.
