Review & Giveaway - - Too Wilde to Wed

Too Wilde to Wed
By Eloisa James
The Wildes of Lindow Castle - Book 2
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: May 29, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

At first glance, Lord Roland Wilde a/k/a North and his fiancée, Miss Diana Belgrave seemed the perfect couple but a look beneath the shiny exterior would have revealed something very different.  Neither put forth the effort to look beyond the surface presented by the other or to dig too deeply when Diana ran from her own betrothal party. Is it any wonder they didn't make it to the altar?

The North who returns from war in the colonies two years later is vastly different from the man who left believing he had been betrayed by Diana, a woman he hasn't quite been able to forget. He's a man haunted by war, unable to sleep, searching for peace. What he finds is his former fiancée working at his family home as a (rather inept) governess for his youngest sister and the young boy society believes is his but this Diana is nothing like the demure fashionista to whom he was betrothed. Living in close proximity to one who chose to run away rather than become his duchess is an upheaval he doesn't need. Or maybe, this new Diana is exactly what he needs. 

The gorgeous stepback

Diana had a very good reason for her actions two years ago but those actions steered her onto a path that no one could have foreseen. Who would have thought the young woman destined to be a duchess would now be working as a governess for the same family of which she would have been a member? And, more amazingly, who would have imagined that she would be happier than she ever could have been as a duchess; happy, independent, and free to be herself, with no expectations of society hanging over her or watching her every move. Only one thing threatened that happiness: the return of North. 

I love this couple. I love the entire Wilde family. In fact, not since Julia Quinn's Bridgertons have I fallen in love with a family so quickly or completely. I've read Diana and North's story twice and already I'm eager to go back to the first page and begin again. They're just so darn good together...even when they're both certain they'll never be together. The sheer yearning in those moments had my heart clutching and my hand reaching for the tissues. I also love the humor in this story (and there is plenty), the witty banter, the sparks that fly when North and Diana go toe to toe, and the sweetness that flows between them in the quiet moments of the darkest hours of the night. I enjoyed their growth, both individually and as a couple, a process that enabled them to better understand - and accept - one another as well as their own strengths and weaknesses. I was in their corner, cheering for a happy ending, though I had no idea how James would pull it off. In the end, the solution, so simple, really, and from such an unexpected source, was perfection. Though I'm no fan of roller coasters (the real ones), this book coaster, filled with peaks and valleys, laughter and heartache, love and acceptance, is well worth the ride. 

If you're in the mood for a feel-good romance that will tickle your funny bone, carry you through a range of emotions, and, ultimately, wrap you up in a warm, loving hug, look no further than Too Wilde to Wed. 

Who is your favorite romance family?
Are you reading the Wildes of Lindow Castle series? 

I have a print copy of Too Wilde to Wed for one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on this post before 11:00 PM, June 1, 2018. (US only)