Book One in the Maiden Lane Series
In order to find financial support for her foundling home, widow Temperance Dews, makes a deal with Lazarus Huntington, Lord Clare. In return, she must help him find a killer in the slums of St Giles.
The plot meanders along for the first half of the book and includes an unnecessary scene where he visits his mother, but nothing that happens actually moves the plot along.
The couple are acting as detectives to solve the murder of Lord Clare’s mistress. They follow up some leads, more people continue to die, and there is a bit of action when they are attacked in the street.
While they continue their detective work, they get to know one another. Lazarus is a jaded rake and there are lots of suggestions about his perverted sexual preferences. Temperance, on the other hand, is a well meaning philanthropist, who also believes she has unnatural desires.
The tension is a slow burner, but when they finally have sex it’s worth the wait as the heat level is high. It was only after that that I got a real feel for the story and the characters. Before, I felt they were just plodding along, and I didn’t really care if they found the murderer or not.
Wicked Intentions is a historical romance combined with a murder-mystery. I think that Hoyt over-hypes Lazarus’ relationship with his mother and his so-called sexual perversions, as well as Temperance’s supposedly unnatural desires. When we finally get to know the truth about both, it’s like, is that all? In that era these things were probably considered perversions, but our modern sensibilities are jaded to them.
Overall, I feel that the novel is okay, but I don’t think the plot did the characters justice.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Feels: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
