Author: Christi Caldwell
Genre/Age: Historical Romance/Adult
Series: Wicked Wallflowers (Book One)
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: ebook via NetGalley
Rating: ✺✺✺✺.5
Links: Goodreads
Synopsis: USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell’s Wicked Wallflowers series burns hot as two rivals meet in the flesh and feel the heat…
Adair Thorne has just watched his gaming-hell dream disappear into a blaze of fire and ash, and he’s certain that his competitors, the Killorans, are behind it. His fury and passion burn even hotter when he meets Cleopatra Killoran, a tart-mouthed vixen who mocks him at every turn. If she were anyone else but the enemy, she’d ignite a desire in him that would be impossible to control.
No one can make Cleopatra do anything. That said, she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her siblings―even if that means being sponsored by their rivals for a season in order to land a noble husband. But she will not allow her head to be turned by the infuriating and darkly handsome Adair Thorne.
There’s only one thing that threatens the rules of the game: Cleopatra’s secret. It could unravel the families’ tenuous truce and shatter the unpredictably sinful romance mounting between the hellion…and a scoundrel who could pass for the devil himself.
Intense enemies to powerful lovers...
Adair is devastated and angry after their gaming hell is destroyed by fire. And he knows exactly who is to blame. The Killorans, their business rivals and sworn enemies. And though Cleopatra Killoran might have helped to save his sister-in-law, Adair is sure their family will no longer uphold their end of the deal to sponsor a Killoran lady's season in polite society. However, when the time comes to renege, they begrudgingly agree to go through with it and welcome a Killoran into their home. That doesn't mean they have to trust her.
Cleopatra would rather be anywhere else other than inside of the Black residence. Her fancy new rooms feel more like a prison, especially with guards lurking around the corner and watching her every move. She may have promised her brother that she would find a suitable match for marriage and volunteered in order to save her sisters. And she might be prepared to throw her independence away to marry a toff. That doesn't mean she has to like it.
But Cleo never expects to find a camaraderie with the incredibly intriguing Adair Thorne. And Adair would never have predicted that he would begin to see the hellion for the brave woman she is. As the pair grow closer, they have to navigate through grave mistrust on both sides, their own reservations about love, and an unnamed arsonist who isn't done wrecking havoc.
I'm so happy that Adair got his story. As you may know from my reviews of the series which came before this one, I was worried when he had been the only one left single at the end. And I even speculated he would be paired with the feisty Cleopatra. Glad to say my suspicions were right and even more excited to have been given the opportunity to review this book. It was a great story!
While I understand it had to happen, I was bummed to see the gaming hell go down in flames. It was such a big part of every one of the other brothers' stories. So that was bittersweet. And the opening chapters were really intense too. Our pair really did hate and mistrust each other in the beginning. I love a good enemies-to-lovers story so this hit my sweet spot in many ways and sucked me right in. I hated to put it down to sleep and eat and all of those mundane things you have to do to survive.
The romance is slow to build as our pair start to trust each other over time and I much prefer the slow burn over the instant affection. I can't say that this is my favorite pair of the bunch, simply because I still have a soft spot for Niall. But Adair sure won me over by the end. He was tough, yet tender when it came to Cleo. And she was a spitfire but let her guard down with him. He was comfortable and they had a lot in common. I loved watching their relationship grow.
In closing...
I'm wondering which direction the story will go now. Will Cleo's sisters get a shot at love? 4.5 suns!
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