Friday, March 19, 2010

Review -- Provocative in Pearls

Provocative in Pearls
by Madeline Hunter
Publisher: Jove
Release Date: February 23, 2010













“Blame it on the pearls. They appeared so lovely above your naked breasts, Verity. You looked dangerously provocative, and I quite lost my good sense.” – The Earl of Hawkeswell






It is suppose to be a marriage of convenience. Well, convenient for the Earl of Hawkeswell as he is the one in need of a fortune. Not so convenient for his new bride, Verity, who pretty much had her life all planned out – marry the one man who could carry on her father’s legacy and live the rest of her days in her small community. Upon discovering her despicable cousin arranged the marriage in order to raise his social status, Verity takes destiny into her own hands by running away shortly after speaking her wedding vows. Planting evidence along the river to convince anyone and everyone that she has drowned, Verity spends the next two years incognito in the English countryside with a small group of ladies who hone their gardening skills counting the days until she reaches the age she can claim her fortune without the benefit of marriage.

The Earl of Hawkeswell is very frustrated, and has been for almost two years now. The single reason he choose to marry Verity – her fortune – is not accessible to him until she is declared deceased by the English government. Hawkeswell has not been able to touch one single pittance of the money. Without the reinforcements of his wife’s fortune, Hawkeswell’s finances have been stretched as far and as tight as possible. Hoping to forget his financial woes for a little while, Hawkeswell travels to the countryside with his good friend Sebastian Summerhay. However, escape is not in the cards for Hawkeswell as he encounters the very woman who has made his life a living hell, his long thought dead wife.

Determined to get his wife’s fortune, Hawkeswell believes it is in his best interest (and the interest of those in his care) to make the marriage work, so in addition to spending time together he extracts a commitment from Verity to accept three kisses from him every day. Those three seemingly insignificant kisses build the chemistry between Hawkeswell and Verity and before either one of them realize the consequences, the passion they feel for one another explodes and the sweetest of love blooms.

In Provocative in Pearls, which is Book 2 of The Rarest Blooms series, Madeline Hunter continues her tradition of lush, passionate writing that inevitably pulls at the strings of your heart and leaves you sighing with satisfaction. I am looking forward to the rest of this series and can’t wait to see what is up next for the ladies of The Rarest Blooms!



~ Buffie

10 comments:

  1. Buffie - you had me at series... I'm all in.

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  2. Hi, Buffie. Great review. I've been looking forward to this book. I didn't much like Hawkeswell in RIR, but he does sound like he might redeem himself in PIP.

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  3. I've been debating about ordering both books in the series, but I think this review tipped me over to the side of ordering! (This seems to frequently happen, I need to rethink my addiction to your blog in consideration of my book budget ;)

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  4. Great review, Buffie! I enjoyed Ravishing in Red but liked Provocative in Pearls much more. Can't wait for the rest of the books in the series!

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  5. Deb, Hawkeswell redeems himself very nicely. :)

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  6. Maria, I absolutely love a series too, and this one looks like it is going to be a great one!

    Deb, while I didn't read RIR (yet!), I do think that Hawkeswell redeems himself quite nicely ;-)

    JWZ1978, I'm glad we can keep your TBR pile growing and growing and growing LOL!

    PJ, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series too!

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  7. Terrific review, Buffie! I'm with PJ. I loved Ravishing in Red and thought Provocative in Pearls was even better. I'm primed for the next book in the series

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  8. Wow, what an interesting premise, Buffie. And a terrific review to boot! I am adding this one to my TBB list, pronto!

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  9. Wow, what an interesting premise, Buffie. And a terrific review to boot! I am adding this one to my TBB list, pronto!

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  10. Thanks Janga! I am so ready for the next one too :-)

    Yes, Andrea, it is an interesting premise -- a woman who does not want to marry an Earl. It's a great story!

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