Tracy Anne Warren "Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed"

Lady Mallory's fiance is killed in battle in Spain. Adam, the Earl of Gresham has loved her forever but as a penniless lord didn't feel he could court her. And when he finally made some money, she got engaged, curses. But now, he's got money, she's lost her fiance and life is good. Well, aside from the fact that Mallory is in deep morning for this nice guy she truly loved.

Actually this book started well, the description of Mallory's grief that is leading her into actual depression, and Adam's gentle attempts to bring her out of it, worked for me. But then Adam's character began to parallel classic abuser patterns in ways that made me more and more uncomfortable. He's not an alpha that struggles to temper his dominance tendencies because he loves her so much, he's a charming manipulator who reveals his dominant needs more and more as he gets more and more control over her life.

The clincher for me was, she likes it. Mostly. Yuck.

I try not to let my feminist sensibilities get in the way of my enjoyment of fantasy literature but this one saw the line and just jumped head first over it. It's not badly written and the sex is fine, but I just can't like a book where I hate the hero and have no respect for the heroine.

Historical Romance 2010: 1 out of 5 dictates from a distant duke. (Okay Earl)

Tracy Anne Warren ‘My Fair Mistress’

This book is innocuous enough but nothing to write home about. The beginning was promising; the hero tries to scare some sense into her with an outrageous proposal that she settle her brother’s debt to him by becoming his mistress. It doesn’t hurt that he’s drop dead gorgeous; anything to save the family after all; so she agrees. He is shocked but not willing to back out and it doesn’t hurt that she’s drop dead gorgeous.

But then the book falls into a very familiar pattern. Evil guy killed his one true love years ago. He decides that he must protect heroine by breaking up with her so the same doesn’t happen to her. He pretends he’s bored, she is devastated. Then she turns up pregnant, she decides not to tell him since he doesn’t love her; he finds out and is horrified that she hates him so much she would have a baby out of wedlock to avoid him, yada, yada, yada. Going into labor while being saved from evil guy, yikes, this is what people make fun of when they think of romance novels.

The writing is good, the sex is hot but the plot is beyond pedestrian. I might try this author again some day, but not too soon.

Historical Romance 2007: 2 of 5 stars.