USA Today Bestselling AuthorFounded by the wealthy Miss Angela Childers, the purpose of the Society for Single Ladies is to solve crimes. But its intrepid members are just as fascinated by the mystery of love . . .Virginia, Lady Dulverton, feels safer keeping the world at a distance. One man sees through her reserve to the woman beneath: the infamously rakish Francis, Earl of Wolverley. Now a … widow, Virginia is wrangling with the terms of her late husband’s will. When she realizes Francis is in danger because of his connection to her, she feels compelled to help, regardless of the hazard to her own heart.Francis has worked hard to strengthen his inheritance. But he’s also found time to play. Despite his many dalliances, his affections have never been involved. Those belong entirely to a woman he could never have. When he’s attacked in the street and told to leave Virginia alone, he decides to do exactly the opposite . . .With the help of the Society for Single Ladies, they set out to discover who is targeting Virginia, and why. It’s a race that will lead to the Devonshire coast, a smuggling ring, and a love that, however perilous, is worth waging countless battles . . . “Lynne Connolly writes Georgian romances with a deft touch. Her characters amuse, entertain and reach into your heart.”—USA Today bestselling authorDesiree Holt “With plots, deviousness and passion galore, Temptation Has Green Eyes by Lynne Connolly is a truly enjoyable read.”—Fresh Fiction
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Francis Collingwood, the Earl of Wolverley wants to purchase his mother’s childhood home, but the owner Virginia, the widowed Viscountess Dulverton refuses to sell. Francis has long desired Virginia, but when they first met, she was married so he kept his distance and now that she has been widowed for almost four years and shows no signs of wanting to remarry, he wonders if now is the time to woo her. His mind made up, he set out to win Virginia, but it is clear that someone doesn’t want him getting close to her, first he is beaten and warned to stay away – a warning he ignores – and then later when he presses his suit to Virginia and is rejected, a more serious attempt is made to thwart him – an attempt that leaves him bleeding in the street in front of her house.
Virginia can’t sell the property due to the terms of her late husband’s will, but Francis is not the first person who has approached her to buy the property. She plans to set up an orphanage at the manor house in accordance with her late husband’s wishes and decides to go check out the property. She makes plans to leave when Francis comes and presses for her to marry him – she wants to but has a secret – she will lose everything if she marries before the 10-year anniversary of the late Viscount’s death. She will also lose everything if she tells anyone the terms of the will. She rejects his proposal, but when he is injured, she can’t walk away and has him brought into the house and tended.
Francis is sure he is not the target – Virginia is and he insists on traveling with her – something Virginia is not willing to accept – although she plays along. She gives him the slip, but soon regrets her decision when it becomes clear that Francis was right – she is the target. Thankfully Francis arrives and they are able to get away from the would be assassins – but their adventure is far from over!
This was a well written story with a very interesting mystery interwoven with a very sweet romance. Virginia and Francis are a wonderful couple and have a lot of chemistry and a lot keeping them from a HEA. The story is filled with emotion, secrets, smugglers, betrayal, surprises and steamyish love scenes. I did feel like the first half of the book dragged, but once they make it to the manor, the story takes off at lightning speed and doesn’t let up until the final page. This is the third book in the series and there are cameos from former characters, but the book is easily read as a standalone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.*
Virginia feels worthless and unworthy from the treatment of her parents and her husband. Francis, Earl of Waverly, has loved Virginia since he met her soon after her marriage. After two years a widow, he’s determined to court her, but she rebuffs him, until accidents endanger his life. His goal is to protect her instead, even after learning the stipulations of her dead husband’s will. Several secrets are in play that Francis is determined to solve. At the same time to keep her safe, he must convince Virginia to marry him. I consider this book a Georgian Gothic romance. A definite page turner for what happens next. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
I think the author does a great job with this story. I love the way this new to me author and series stands alone and didn’t make me feel like there was a gap or make me think I’d missed out on something that was shared in a previous book. Love the determined nature of the Earl and the independence of Virginia. They have great chemistry, the mystery is very intriguing and the story flows a good pace while providing depth, understanding and of course the shocking behavior of the gentry.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Virginia and the Wolf is a strong romance with a compelling suspense/mystery component.
Virginia was married quite young to an older lord. Between him and her cruel parents, she has no self esteem. She inherited quite a lot from her husband when he died but there are many strings attached and she is not allowed to tell anyone what they are at the risk of losing it all. After her horrible experience of marriage, she likes the independence that she now has.
Francis met Virginia at her wedding and it was love at first sight for him but has kept his secret over the subsequent years of her marriage and widowhood. He approaches Virginia because he wants to buy one of her properties for his much loved mother-she’s ailing and it was her childhood home. She refuses as her husband’s will requires her to convert it to an orphanage. He can’t understand why she can’t use another, better suited property and she can’t tell him why. He is upset and as a revenge, decides to show his interest in her because he knows she doesn’t want to be courted and she was proud of her reputation for correctness. And his price for backing down is the manor property. But other people are interested in the manor as well.
Francis is attacked and warned to stay away from Virginia. Virginia witnesses another attack when Francis is leaving her home and takes him in to recover from a head injury.
A trip to the manor is in Virginia’s plans and Francis wants to accompany her as he feels she is in danger. But she tricks him and leaves alone and he is left to follow.
And thus the suspense part of the story follows-there are challenges and danger along the road and they continue at the manor.
This was an enjoyable read and the mystery is wrapped up nicely as is the romance.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. However, the opinions expressed are my own.
After shabby treatment from her parents and her late husband, Virginia, Lady Dulverton, prefers to hold herself aloof and apart from the world around her. There is one man who sees through her façade, the inconveniently attractive Earl of Wolverly. Now widowed, Virginia is finally relishing what little freedom her husband’s will affords her and trying to keep Wolverly at bay. But when his connection to her is made public and appears to put him in danger, Virginia abandons her hopes of keeping him at a distance and tries to help.
Francis Collingwood, the Earl of Wolverly, has built his fortunes to such an extent that he can no longer be ignored, despite the fact that his mother was born a commoner. He’s loved Virginia from afar for years and he won’t let her slip away now. When he is attacked and warned away from her, he becomes more determined than ever to stay by her side.
Frances and Virginia head for their country homes on the Devonshire coast in an effort to determine who is targeting them and for what possible reason. They stumble upon more than they bargained for including an organized smuggling ring and a love worth losing everything for.
I’m really not sure where to begin with this one. I love a hero who’s loved the heroine for years, especially when he’s also protective and determined, so Francis definitely fit the bill. What brought this down for me was the heroine herself. Yes, she was in a sorry situation thanks to her parents and her late first husband, but many of her decisions and her reasoning just didn’t make sense. Virginia was determined to keep her independence, but when it came down to it, thanks to her husband’s will, she had no real independence and was stubbornly turning a blind eye to that fact. She had no problem selfishly asking Francis to wait and rarely considered his feelings, even in situations where she was caring for him when he was injured. Her insistence on doing what she wanted, purely for the sake of having her own way, put them both in danger multiple times and could’ve been avoided if she’d been willing to be honest and work with/listen to Francis sooner. I wound up feeling like Virginia didn’t deserve Francis’ solicitousness, which was frustrating for me because, after her horrible first husband, she absolutely did deserve better, but the hurt she caused Francis and repeatedly so, made it hard to root for her. Francis put her first above all else while Virginia was always thinking of herself first and became annoyed when anyone cared for her welfare, even her servants. I can understand wanting security after an awful experience at the hands of a controlling husband, but Francis had more than proven himself and she still kept jerking him around and was very hot and cold towards him with very little regard for the fact that she was hurting him.
The writing here was good and I enjoyed the mystery, but the pacing felt slow and I wanted more from it since the plot felt a bit discombobulated, especially towards the end. For all of Virginia’s caution in her relationship with Francis and her supposed intelligence, she showed none of that with regards to the plot against them and that was maddening. Overall, I enjoy the concept of this series and hope for more, but this particular addition was rather flat for me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Virginia, Lady Dulverton, feels safer keeping the world at a distance afterall she suffered abuse first from her parents then thinking she’s escaped only to suffer again from her husband. Now a widow, Virginia is wrangling with the terms of her late husband’s will. When she realizes Francis, Earl of Wolverley is in danger because of his connection to her, she feels compelled to help, regardless of the hazard to her own heart. Francis has worked hard to strengthen his inheritance. But he’s also found time to play. Despite his many dalliances, his affections have never been involved. Those belong entirely to a woman he could never have but now she’s widowed. When he’s attacked in the street and told to leave Virginia alone, he decides to do exactly the opposite. With the help of the Society for Single Ladies, they set out to discover who is targeting Virginia, and why. It’s a race that will lead to the Devonshire coast, a smuggling ring, and a love that, however perilous, is worth waging countless battles
This is the third book in the series & is easily read on its own. Another well written, fast paced book with strong characters. I loved Francis who has won society’s respect & is very wealthy through his own efforts & he’s quietened the gossip about his parents who whilst a love match came from very different backgrounds. I liked Virginia but I didn’t love & there were quite a few times when she deserved a good shake. I loved the journet to their HEA, it kept me turning the pages well into the night as I needed to find out how things were resolved. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
I love the title of this story. We have another single lady’s story from the chronicles of The Society of Single Ladies and I found it an enjoyable read. These stories are so different from other stories set in this era. The story has an outside mystery but not a lot of angst (in my opinion) between the hero and heroine. While Virginia is dead set against remarrying for personal reasons that she does not want others to find out about, Francis (aka the Wolf) is trying very hard to woo her. The attraction comes off the page. While the mystery plays, the Virginia and Francis embark on a journey of trust and love.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley
Virginia and the Wolf
The Society of Single Ladies Book 3
Lynne Connolly
https://www.facebook.com/LynneConnollyAuthor/
Release date 11/17/2020
Publisher Kensington Lyrica
Founded by the wealthy Miss Angela Childers, the purpose of the Society for Single Ladies is to solve crimes. But its intrepid members are just as fascinated by the mystery of love . . .
Virginia, Lady Dulverton, feels safer keeping the world at a distance. One man sees through her reserve to the woman beneath: the infamously rakish Francis, Earl of Wolverley. Now a widow, Virginia is wrangling with the terms of her late husband’s will. When she realizes Francis is in danger because of his connection to her, she feels compelled to help, regardless of the hazard to her own heart.
Francis has worked hard to strengthen his inheritance. But he’s also found time to play. Despite his many dalliances, his affections have never been involved. Those belong entirely to a woman he could never have. When he’s attacked in the street and told to leave Virginia alone, he decides to do exactly the opposite . . .
With the help of the Society for Single Ladies, they set out to discover who is targeting Virginia, and why. It’s a race that will lead to the Devonshire coast, a smuggling ring, and a love that, however perilous, is worth waging countless battles . . .
Will she realize in time where lies the true wealth, not in a bank account but in the heart of someone who loves you …
I love this series and each new addition to it is a delight to read.
With this crazy year and everything going all around what a pleasure to read about an enduring love, one time and distance did not lessen.
Francis is not the usual peer, despite his title, he had to build his way in society. Shunned because of his mother’s origins being seen as to lowly to be acknowledged, it made him a stronger man than he probably would have been if his circumstances had been different.
His only regret is to have meet Virginia too late, once had been married. Now a widow, he is determined to find a way to change her heart, to show her a second marriage will not be a hardship nor the surrender of her independence.
Yet unknowingly he will have to face more than he expected, not only the will of a woman to keep the freedom provided by her widowhood but also forces determined to keep them apart.
Virginia is a very complex character, between the mask she presents to the world and her inner turmoils, there is an ocean of differences.
She is knows to be the intractable widow, a woman who follows all the rules of decorum, while fending off all potential suitors. She truly believes by following her late husband’s will, she does the right choice, even if it means saying goodbye to all her dreams and any potential family she could have had.
She for so long had been left to fight for herself, she has forgotten what it is to rest on someone’s shoulder, and with her harshly won self-reliance, she has forgotten wealth and status do not always mean happiness and to hold on them for too long, it might imply loneliness is her future, even if it is would be a cozy aloneness.
Now as dire occurrences are closing in on them, she must make choice, decide if the price she had be asked to pay for her freedom is worth its goal. Or if by letting go of what she is hanging on to as it is her lifeline, she will be finally free to be herself, to live wholeheartedly when she is only following society’s and her late husband’s dictates.
There is a third character having a hold on everyone’s destiny, and while he is not physically present, he imprints this story by his schemings and the devious hold he has on Virginia’s destiny.
Ralph, her first spouse, is a monster, manipulating every aspect of his wife’s life, from how she is seen through society’s lenses, to who she is authorized to talk to and how she must conduct herself in his life and his death.
I would have unearthed his body and thrown his bones to the dogs.
5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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I love The Society for Single Ladies – what an intrepid bunch of single ladies. They solve crimes and find romance, what could be better than that? While this is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Yes, you meet characters from the earlier books and there are some references to them, but you don’t need to have read the books to understand them. The book is well-written, nicely paced, and populated with lovely characters.
Francis Collingwood, the Earl of Wolverstone, is now a well respected and wealthy man, but that wasn’t always the case. Francis’ parents were a love match – but a very unequal one. His mother was always referred to as a milkmaid though she was the daughter of a wealthy farmer. Society never accepted her though she was the loveliest of women in every way. With only a modest fortune, Francis was always looked upon as inconsequential mostly because of his mother’s background. At least he was until he made his Grand Tour and rather than partying his way across Europe, he used his time to make contacts and learn ways to increase his wealth. His father fell in love with his mother at first sight and nothing else mattered to him. Francis also fell in love at first sight, but sadly the woman he saw and loved, Lady Virginia Dulverton, was a newlywed, so there was no chance for them. At least not until her husband died some years later.
Virginia’s homelife was unhappy, to say the least, so she was very happy when Viscount Ralph Dulverton offered for her. She was so happy to escape her parents that she even fancied herself in love with Ralph. That changed on their wedding night and it never changed. Now, he is still controlling her in death. She was taken with the young Wolverstone when she met him ten years ago, but she was newly married and nothing could come of it. Now, he’s showing interest again and she still can’t let anything come of it. But goodness, she is drawn to him.
There are a number of factions at work – most of them against Virginia – and she isn’t aware of any of them. She’s carrying along with the terms of Ralph’s will and living her life. She loves her independence and has no desire to ever marry again. She cannot stomach the idea of another man having control of her and her life. Yet, Francis makes no secret of pursuing her.
Things really heat up when Francis rescues her at a ball – and is then attacked and warned to stay away from her. As he continues to pursue her, he’s attacked again, on her doorstep, and nearly dies. Off across the country, she goes with him in hot pursuit. There are villains aplenty – we just don’t know who they are – and they are bent on harm to both of them now. Oh! My goodness! What an exciting chase. Then there are cold drafty houses right on the sea – with cliffs and cellars – and more villains. Our couple certainly have to work for their HEA.
I loved the story and the chase and the romance. Francis was absolutely wonderful and I loved absolutely every minute of his page time. I liked Virginia as well, but her TSTL moments just made me doubt that she was as smart as we were supposed to think she was. Her constant ‘doubts’ also carried on way too long. I understand her life and yes, she suffered mental abuse at the hands of both her parents and her spouse – but – good grief – it was time to move on long before she did. I wanted to reach into the pages and shake her.
I hope you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did – and I’m looking forward to the next entry in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.