Review of Wilde in Love by Eloisa James
Wilde in Love 
by Eloisa James
ISBN: 9780062389480
Published by HarperCollins on October 31st 2017
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency, General
Pages: 416
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One of Cosmopolitan's Best Books of 2017!
Lord Alaric Wilde, son of the Duke of Lindow, is the most celebrated man in England, revered for his dangerous adventures and rakish good looks. Arriving home from years abroad, he has no idea of his own celebrity until his boat is met by mobs of screaming ladies. Alaric escapes to his father’s castle, but just as he grasps that he’s not only famous but notorious, he encounters the very private, very witty, Miss Willa Ffynche.
Willa presents the façade of a serene young lady to the world. Her love of books and bawdy jokes is purely for the delight of her intimate friends. She wants nothing to do with a man whose private life is splashed over every newspaper.
Alaric has never met a woman he wanted for his own . . . until he meets Willa. He’s never lost a battle.
But a spirited woman like Willa isn’t going to make it easy. . . .
The first book in Eloisa James’s dazzling new series set in the Georgian period glows with her trademark wit and sexy charm—and introduces a large, eccentric family. Readers will love the Wildes of Lindow Castle!
Wilde in Love Review
Wilde in Love is the first book in The Wildes of Lindow Castle series by New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James. After exploring and adventuring abroad, Lord Alaric Wilde returns home to England to discover that he has become quite the celebrity. The novels he penned about his journey managed to draw the attention of a vast majority of the female populace. Unfortunately, the one woman to draw his undivided and appreciative attention does not look upon him kindly. On the contrary, Willa Ffynche has little interest in Lord Alaric Wilde or his novels. She makes this abundantly clear frequently throughout the story, which only manages to deepen Alaric’s interest in her.
The story is set in the late 18th century on Alaric’s family’s country estate known as Lindow Castle, which sits close to a bog that claimed the life of his older brother. Willa, along with her close friend Lavinia, attend a house party on the estate for about a fortnight. This offers ample opportunity for both Alaric and Willa to exchange inappropriate puns, witty remarks, and to discover that there is a great deal of chemistry to be acknowledged between them.
I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of 18th century fashion and the comical dialogue between the numerous different house guests. Willa’s friend Lavinia added a lot of humor to the story, especially with her ongoing feud with Alaric’s close friend Parth. I found myself chuckling a few different times at the antics of these two (I’m keeping my fingers crossed that their dislike of one another will change into something a bit more pleasant in a later novel).
The addition of the deranged character Prudence, a missionary’s daughter, added a great deal of drama and suspense to the story. The strained relationship between Alaric’s brother North and his fiancé also added a bit of intrigue. With such an interesting mix of characters, a perfect setting, an ominous bog, humor, and strong chemistry between Alaric and Willa, I would say that Wilde in Love is a new favorite historical romance of mine. I cannot wait to see what stories unfold within the Wilde family and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment.
And thanks to Willa Ffynche…I now want a pet skunk named Sweetpea. Lovely.
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