Eliza is forced into marriage with no idea her life will change for the better. Married less than a year, her unwilling rake of a husband is surprisingly kind to her—until his sudden death. The widowed Countess of Sunderland remains under her in-laws’ protection to raise her newborn daughter. But her abusive father is on the brink of financial ruin and has plans for another wedding.Nathaniel, … wedding.
Nathaniel, Viscount of Pendleton, gains his title at the age of 12. His kindly but shrewd estate manager becomes father and mentor, instilling in the boy an astute sense of responsibility and compassion for his tenants. Fifteen years later, his family urges him to visit London and seek a wife. The ideal doesn’t appeal to him, but his sense of duty tells him it is the next logical step.
Lord Pendleton stumbles upon Eliza on the road, defending an elderly woman against ruffians. After rescuing the exquisite damsel in distress, he finds himself smitten. But Nate soon realizes he must discover the dark secrets of her past to truly save the woman he loves.
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This story had so much heart!
Eliza is a widow with a young daughter. Her father tries to coerce her into remarrying a man of his choice. Her in-laws concoct a plan to help her.
Eliza is drawn to Nate but thinks her past makes her not an acceptable match. Nate has his own issues to overcome.
This story shows the strength and resilience of women. It made me think and also angered me over the circumstances. Ms. Wynne made her characters come to life and had me thoroughly invested in their outcomes. This is a story of overcoming obstacles and allowing your heart to be open to love. I highly recommend this book!
4.5 Stars
Eliza is forced into a marriage with an unwilling rake of a husband is surprisingly kind to her & she’s hopeful for the future then Carson falls from his horse & is killed. Now widowed the Dowager Countess of Sunderland remains under her in-laws’ protection to raise her newborn daughter. But her abusive father is on the brink of financial ruin and has plans for another wedding.
Nathaniel, Viscount of Pendleton, gains his title at the age of 12. His kindly but shrewd estate manager Maxwell becomes father and mentor, instilling in the boy an astute sense of responsibility and compassion for his tenants. Fifteen years later, his family urges him to visit London and seek a wife. Nate stumbles upon Eliza on the road, defending an elderly woman against ruffians. After rescuing the exquisite damsel in distress, he finds himself smitten.
A lovely story which is well written & has well fleshed characters. My heart went out to Eliza & her mother for their treatment at the hands of her despicable father no wonder she felt unworthy. Nate is lovely & gradually coaxes Eliza to value herself. Of course the stars of the book are Althea & Cyrano, nothing like a child & a dog to steal your heart. The story flows well & I was drawn in from the start & read the book in two sittings. I also really liked Hannah & hope she has her HEA
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Some people use pain and it makes them stronger. Others curl up in a ball and take it until one day they they snap. Eliza has always let her abusive father dictate her life. When she becomes a widow and he threatens her little girl she heads to a friends house. Coming upon an old woman being beaten by scoundrels she loses her composure and whips the boy almost to death. Nathaniel comes upon the scene and takes her and her daughter to his estate. He is friends with her cousin who aims to keep her safe. As their feelings grow and danger looms Nathaniel has to come to terms with his feelings and convince her she is not damaged and worthy to be loved.
Some people should not be parents like at all and poor Lady Eliza had one of those horrid parents. Her father was physically and mentally abusive to her and her mother. She was able to have freedom when she got married even though her father had tried thought to have given her a horrible marriage mate, but he was wrong and the husband that she had was great and she got a lovely child do to that. Unfortunately he dies and her father is at it again with his wickedness, now my friends I will not tell you what happens..Grab a copy and enjoy!
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
5 Star
A Wicked Earl’s Widow (Once Upon A Widow Book 2) by Aubrey Wynne is a historical romance that once you start reading you won’t be able to put down. I had to know what happens next. This is Eliza and Nathaniel story.She is a widow who has a daughter under protection. She also has a father who is very cruel and abusive. Nathaniel is a man who has been very successful in making his family name a respectful name.These two meet when he finds her defending an elderly woman. There is definitely some attraction between them. Can he save Eliza? Can these two have a future together?Will he find out about the dark secrets of her past? Find out what happens next I highly recommend reading this Book. I can’t wait to read more from this Author
The Wicked Earl’s Widow by Aubrey Wynne was an okay read, that for me, fell a little shot, but saved itself at the end.
Not my first read from this author, so I was looking forward to reading this novella. From this author’s persvoice works, that I quite enjoyed, this short story was a mixed feels read for me.
So let’s get into it shall we.
This book starts out nice, smooth and entertaining. As the story moves forward and we get more into that world and the plot, things start to take a weird turn when the love interest shows up. Normally at this point, the romance portion of the plot kicks in, and we get all the melty feels, and the heat. But, that wasn’t the case, it felt flat and for me, never formed a realistic connection. For a book that’s presented as romance heavy, and to not deliver, was a let down, and a bit disappointing.
Now not all was lost, as the ending was a little bit of a shocker, and I’m glad the author went there. That took guts and it saved this read for me. Outside of the ending, I did like the side plots and the side characters. It created a nice balance that helped with the lacking romance.
Overall the story was good, it had promising elements, and it did keep my attention. I just wish the romance was just as strong, because it would have rounded out this story into something magical. But just remember that what I have problems with, you might not, so please take my recommendation and my approval that you will find something to love about this historical fiction.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
A short fast read that kept me turning pages a well written story. Eliza and Nate’s story has suspense, drama, danger, one very evil father, abuse, Eliza’s daughter Althea, Nate’s hound Cyrano, and romance. I recommend this book.
A Wicked Earl’s Widow (Once Upon a Widow Series Book 2) by Aubrey Wynne is a historical romance story. It is told in multiple POV’s which I love as it gives you a much better understanding of who the characters are, where they come from and what made them who they are and what they are thinking. This drama filled story will keep you entertained and on your toes. There is secrets and lies, danger and intrigue, mystery and humour. The characters are all well developed and enjoyable and absolutely wonderful.
Eliza lost her husband but is still being tortured by her past and by the evil man who raised her. When her daughter and herself, are threatened she is forced to flee for their safety. Along the way she encounters an old woman that is being attacked and decides to help, which leads her to find refuge in the Pendleton estate. But unfortunately danger finds her and she is once again face to face with the viciousness and evil from her past.
If you like historical romances, with a bit of thrill to them then this is a book for you.
A Wicked Earl’s Widow by Aubrey Wynne is the second book in her Once Upon a Widow series. It follows Eliza, the widow of the Earl of Sunderland. Since her husband’s death, she has been inundated with orders from her abusive father to remarry. She must decide what is best to do, for her own interests and those of her daughter Althea who she wishes to protect from her father and potential husband.
It’s an exciting story, as we are constantly concerned for Eliza and Althea’s safety. We see Eliza battling with the consequences of a lifetime of cruel treatment, and it is in a moment of unrestrained anger that she first encounters Nate. The positive relationship they have – his protectiveness and caring – is wonderful to read.
Although part of a series, this book works fine as a stand-alone. A vibrant regency romance, it pays homage to Gothic tropes but very much has the feel of a modern historical novel. Althea, for example, is a very vocal child and frequently caught up in the story’s action.
For me, this is a four star read. I’d recommend it to fans of historical romance who like stories with a bit of action and suspense.