The Viscount and the Vixen

<i>The Viscount and the Vixen</i> is wonderful! More than a romance, it's a beautiful love story, and I can't seem to put into words how deeply it touched me. I was certain I wouldn't like her, but Portia is so much more than she appears. Even though I was shocked and appalled as her story unfolds, I often felt like my heart was being torn apart and was brought to tears for the things she endured and the choices she had to make. And Locke... what a devoted son he is! And attractive, hard working, sensual and sexy and... well, you can see, I wasn't lying when I said I'm having trouble finding the words to express what a moving tale this is.<br /><br />I'm thrilled to read that the man who made this series possible, the Marquess of Marsden, and the love of his life, Linnie, will have their story told in a novella called <i>Making Merry with the Marquess</i>. It's due out in early 2017!! <br /><br />An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review, though I will try to do a better job of it closer to the November 29, 2016 release day. <br /><br />Blurb:<br /><br />Love begets madness. Viscount Locksley watched it happen to his father after his cherished wife’s death. But when his sire arranges to marry flame-haired fortune hunter Portia Gadstone, Locke is compelled to take drastic measures to stop the stunning beauty from taking advantage of the marquess. A marriage of mutual pleasure could be convenient, indeed... as long as inconvenient feelings don’t interfere.<br /><br />Desperation forced Portia to agree to marry a madman. The arrangement will offer the protection she needs. Or so she believes until the marquess’s distractingly handsome son peruses the fine print... and takes his father’s place!<br /><br />Now the sedate—and, more importantly, secure—union Portia planned has been tossed in favor of one simmering with wicked temptation and potential heartbreak. Because as she begins to fall for her devilishly seductive husband, her dark secrets surface and threaten to ruin them both—unless Locke is willing to risk all and open his heart to love.<br />

I thought I could do this one because I enjoy Heath's writing but my personal dislike issues got in the way. Not a fan of secret trying to pass off as hero's baby angst, insta-lust, or first chapter starting off like this:<br /><br /><b> <i>Leaning forward, he dug his elbows into his thighs. “I’m simply striving to determine why a woman as young and lovely as yourself would be willing to lie on her back so a man as shriveled as my father can slide on top of her.”<br />“Locke!” his father bellowed. “You’ve gone too far. Get the hell out.”<br />“It’s quite all right, my lord,” she said calmly, never taking her challenging gaze from Locke’s, not flinching, not blushing, not so much as arching a thinly shaped eyebrow at him. “I don’t see that your father’s preferred position for coupling is really any of your concern. Perhaps he will take me standing while coming in at me from behind. Or on my knees. Or upside down. But I assure you, he will not be shriveled.” <br />Then she slowly lowered those damned whiskey eyes to his lap, and he cursed his cock’s betrayal. With startling detail, images of him with her in all those positions had flown through his mind. He’d grown so hard and aching that he couldn’t have gotten up and walked out if he wanted.</i> </b><br /><br />In a contemporary, would love this heroine's response, in historical, just not what I am personally looking for.

<b>4.5 stars</b>.<br /><br />Lorraine Heath is one of those writers whose work really resonates with me. I don’t know what it is exactly, but the emotional content of her books draws me to her time and time again, and I will often finish one of her novels feeling completely wrung out and unable to pick up another book for at least twenty-four hours. Such was the case with <b>The Viscount and the Vixen</b>, the final full-length novel in her <b> <i>Hellions of Havisham Hall</i> </b> series.<br /><br />The Marquess of Marsden is a recluse, labelled mad by most because he is believed to have gone insane following the death of his beloved wife in childbed. Havisham Hall has been allowed to fall into disrepair over the years, and even though his son, Viscount Locksley has lived there exclusively for the past couple of years, he has made no improvements because his father dislikes change and he – Locke – doesn’t want to agitate him.<br /><br />So when he arrives at the breakfast table one morning to find his father freshly shaved, smartly dressed and reading the paper, it’s a bit of a shock. Marsden usually takes his meals in his room and doesn’t bother much about his appearance, but when he tells Locke that his (Marsden’s) bride will be arriving later, Locke thinks his father is delusional and must be referring to his mother. But Marsden is perfectly lucid and explains that as Locke has so far neglected to find a wife and set up his nursery, it behoves him to marry a woman young enough to provide the necessary “spare” in order to secure the succession. And in order to do that, Marsden placed an advertisement in a newspaper which was answered by a Mrs. Portia Gadstone, with whom he has been corresponding ever since. Locke is flabbergasted, but also concerned for his father and worried that he has been taken in by a fortune hunter. When Mrs. Gadstone appears, he is knocked sideways even further; she’s luscious and he’s suddenly drowning in lust the like of which he can’t remember ever experiencing before. But even so – he’s sure she’s a gold digger and is determined to protect his father at all costs. And it quickly appears there is only one way to do that, which is to marry Portia himself.<br /><br />Portia has been driven to the drastic step of marrying a man widely reputed to be insane because she’s in a desperate situation. She can’t deny that the prospect of marrying a wealthy man is an attractive one, but just as important as the marquess’ wealth is the fact that his title offers her the protection she seeks, and she is determined to be a good wife to him.<br /><br />But her first sight of Marsden’s gorgeous, green-eyed son throws her for a loop, even though he makes it perfectly clear that he distrusts her and wants to stop her marrying his father. When Locke proposes she marry him instead, Portia is almost turned from her purpose, realising that her life with him will in no way fulfil her desire for quiet, rather dull existence she had envisaged having with his father. But that doesn’t alter the fact that she has imperative reasons for marrying and living in a remote location – and the deal is made.<br /><br />The sexual tension between Locke and Portia is off the charts right from the start, and theirs is – to begin with - a relationship based purely on mutual lust, which suits both of them. Locke saw what his mother’s death did to his father and as a result, has no wish to experience love; and Portia doesn’t want to fall in love with a man upon whom she is practicing a serious deception. But as the story progresses, the lines between lust and affection become blurred and Portia starts to worm her way under the skin of father and son, both of whom are taken with her intelligence, wit and kindness. And for Locke, the fact that his wife is a woman whose capacity for passion matches is own is an unlooked for bonus.<br /><br />Lorraine Heath has penned a lovely, tender romance that progresses at the same time as Locke and Portia are setting fire to the sheets (often!), and I particularly enjoyed the way that Portia’s gradual progress in restoring Havisham Hall, opening up long-closed rooms and making them habitable and welcoming again, mirrors her gradual unlocking of her new husband’s heart and her discovery that he is a man capable – and deserving – of a great deal of love and affection. There is never any doubt that Locke and Portia are falling in love; their actions often speak louder than their words as these two people who didn’t want love come to realise that it’s found them, regardless.<br /><br />Portia’s backstory and her reasons for answering Marsden’s advertisement are drip fed throughout the book, and it’s a testament to the author’s skill that even though Portia has deliberately set out to deceive, the reader feels sympathy for her. At a time when women had no rights to anything, even their own bodies, she has had to make difficult choices and ended up living a life very different from the one she had envisaged. She owns her own mistakes, but when faced with an impossible choice, made the only decision she could live with, one which now looks set to ruin her life and happiness with the man she never intended to love.<br /><br />Locke seems to be rather a stereotypical romance hero at first glance – tall, dark, handsome, cynical and a demi-god in bed – but there’s more to him than that. Underneath the veneer of charm and wicked sensuality, he’s a compassionate man with a strong sense of duty who is quite obviously fooling himself into believing he doesn’t want love when he is so clearly ready to embrace it. His relationship with Marsden is easily one of the best things about the book; the affection in which father and son hold each other leaps off the page and possesses just the right degree of exasperated tenderness. And Marsden is far more subtly drawn here than he has been in the other books; he’s unbalanced, but clearly not insane and appears to be subject to fits of melancholy rather than mentally unhinged.<br /><br />When Locke discovers his wife’s dishonesty, there are, of course, some unpleasant things said, and later, Portia does perhaps forgive Locke a tad too quickly. But on balance, Locke’s willingness to listen to Portia’s story – something many men of the time would probably not have done – says much for him and about the strength of their relationship. It works in context, although I can understand that some may feel he wasn’t sufficiently remorseful and should have grovelled more.<br /><br /><b>The Viscount and the Vixen</b> contains just about everything I want from an historical romance – complex, intriguing characters, scorching sexual tension, and a strong storyline that is firmly rooted in the era in which the story is set. Ms. Heath once again delivers those things along with finely observed familial relationships and a sexy, well-developed love story. I’ve enjoyed each of the books in this series and am looking forward to whatever the author comes up with next.

DNF @ 84%. Here's me the entire time: <br><br> <img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1483047284ra/21575020.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Because, no. Please don't read this book, I beg you. If you don't, you'll have several hours to plot world domination, or think up a way to end world hunger, or nap. You'll be a happier, healthier person. Really. <br><br>TIME FOR THE SPOILERY RANT. YE'VE BEEN WARNED, MATIES.<br><br>If you do read The Viscount and the Vixen, you'll read a depressing tale of an emotionally damaged guy, aka Viscount Locksley aka Locke, being forced into marriage by his mentally unstable father, the Marquess of Marsden. The woman Locke marries is a duplicitous sociopath of a prostitute, aka Portia, who is knocked up with another guy's kid. She hides the pregnancy, planning to pass the kid off as legit, even after she and Locke supposedly - after lots of clinical sex but no romantic courting of any kind - have developed feelings for each other. Locke learns about the pregnancy from the guy who did the knocking up, near the end of the book; on my Kindle it was roughly at 84%, which is when I stopped reading and cleaned my Kindle with bleach to get the stink off.<br><br>There's also a downbeat, Poldark rip-off sub-plot concerning Locke's failing mines and imminent financial insolvency. Whee! Fun times!<br><br>I've read the previous two books in the Hellions of Haversham series, and was looking forward to Locke's tale. Expecting a Dickensian, Gothic romance from the prior books' set-up of a mad marquess and his heir living in a crumbling manse named Havisham Hall on the northern, remote moors, it was like running into a brick wall as I immediately discovered Heath ejected that entire premise to write an awful book about an awful woman exploiting two emotionally damaged men. <br><br>Portia is beyond crass; her first conversation with Locke and his father, the Marquess of Marsden, has her discussing giving the father oral (and various other) sex. Locke is financially desperate, emotionally closed off, and forced into a loveless union. This is not a romance novel. Locke and Portia never grow together; Locke begins to form an attachment to her, and at the point when she should confess her predicament so a romance could (maybe?) form between them, she doesn't. She just carries on being a lying liar who lies, justifying her action in her own mind, being awful. I hated her to the point of I've written my own Gothic version of Locke's story which has Portia dying in childbirth, and Locke escaping his circumstances by meeting a feisty, fiery American heiress who melts his cold existence and sad past with a caring, take-no-prisoners love. If anyone deserves that kind of romance ending in Romancelandia, it's Locke. <br><br>So, yeah, don't read this book. Pet your dog or cat, go for a run, start another book instead.

NO M E G U S T Ó ! ! !<br />NADA <br />NADITA <br />NOTHING <br /><br />No sé si era un <i>No eres tú soy yo</i> pero esta historia no era para mí.<br /><br />No me gustó la historia para nada y la protagonista no ayudó a eso, desde el primer momento en que apareció para mí ya era insoportable.<br /><br />El desarrollo del romance fue nulo.<br />La actitud de los protas de ella ya amé una vez no quiero volver amar.<br />Él nunca amaré a nadie. <br />Asssh que flojerita.<br /><br />Todavía en ese punto de la historia estaba por darle 2,5 o 3 máximo pero se revelaron los secretos de ella y el engaño y para mí eso es BIG FAT NOT.<br />Ni el epílogo pudo salvarlo.<br /><br />Hasta pereza me da hacer una reseña.<br />Así que BAAAAIS.

*4.25 stars*<br /><br />I was surprised at how much I enjoyed <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/28523597.The_Viscount_and_the_Vixen__Hellions_of_Havisham___3_" title="The Viscount and the Vixen (Hellions of Havisham, #3) by Lorraine Heath" rel="noopener">The Viscount and the Vixen</a> by <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/104926.Lorraine_Heath" title="Lorraine Heath" rel="noopener">Lorraine Heath</a> as this was my first Lorraine Heath, and, as usual, I barely read the blurb before buying it. But I really, <i>really</i> liked it, and I could barely put it down in the last 100 pages. <br /><br />Whenever I go to a book convention, I try to read as many of the attending authors as possible. <a href="https://www.bookloverscon.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Book Lovers Con</a> is fast approaching, and Lorraine Heath was my first author to check off my to-read list. I am truly thrilled that I bought <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/28523597.The_Viscount_and_the_Vixen__Hellions_of_Havisham___3_" title="The Viscount and the Vixen (Hellions of Havisham, #3) by Lorraine Heath" rel="noopener">The Viscount and the Vixen</a> in paperback because it was a delight to read. <br /><br />I'm happy I read this book without reading any spoilers because each moment of the book was new and surprising for me. I loved the chemistry, the sexual tension, and the way the romance went from an enemies-to-lovers-ish vibe to something intensely romantic. It was a beautiful progression, and I felt like it happened naturally. <br /><br />I also liked all of the secondary characters, especially Locke's father, who's love for his deceased wife brought me to tears at times. <br /><br />The story drew me in more and more the further I got in the story, and I didn't want to put it down by the end. Now I have to read all the other books in the series (already purchased, also in paperback). Very excited to discover <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/104926.Lorraine_Heath" title="Lorraine Heath" rel="noopener">Lorraine Heath</a>'s backlist now. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13070326-heather-k-dentist-in-my-spare-time" rel="nofollow noopener">goodreads</a>|<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reading_all_night_long/" rel="nofollow noopener">instagram</a>|<a href="https://twitter.com/DentistHeatherK" rel="nofollow noopener">twitter</a>|<a href="http://www.myfictionnook.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">blog</a>

Reseña completa: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://masromance.blogspot.com/2019/02/el-vizconde-y-la-cazafortunas-de.html">https://masromance.blogspot.com/2019/...</a><br />Merece la pena leerla hasta el final porque ese final y ese ¿qué estás dispuesto a hacer y perdonar por amor? es lo que salva una novela que abusa de la lujuria y las escenas de sexo y con unas conversaciones y actitudes que me han parecido bastante fuera de lugar. Después puedes ver porqué las muestra así la autora, pero es algo que los demás no saben y, aún así, hacen<br /><br />

4 Estrellitas. Estaba deseando leer este libro desde que descubrí los dos primeros, que en su momento me encantaron. Por lo mismo crecían mis ansias por conocer la historia de Locke, y aunque me ha gustado un pelín menos que los anteriores, lo he disfrutado un montón.<br /><br />Mi problema últimamente con los libros es que apenas tengo tiempo para leer y me duran una vida, así que cuando puedo ponerme lo considero un regalo. Por eso y a pesar de los nueve días que llevo con “El vizconde y la cazafortunas” haya hecho que el libro me gustara más todavía.<br /><br />¿Qué puedo deciros? Que al igual que en otros libros Lorraine Heath ha vuelto a arriesgar trayendo una protagonista un tanto atípica y con un oscuro y secreto pasado que sería mejor que no conocieran Locke y su padre, el marqués de Marsden. Lo que ocurre en ésta novela es lo siguiente, el marqués loco de Marsden desea volver a casarse para procurar un heredero de recambio, ya que su hijo no parece dispuesto a casarse, así que pone un anuncio en el periódico en que busca una esposa ¿Quién querría casarse con el marqués loco?<br /><br />Portia Gadstone está en un buen lío y necesita protección y seguridad, si para ello debe casarse con un hombre que le triplica la edad y no hará muchas preguntas mejor, pero no puede ser un hombre cualquiera, debe ser alguien con título. Así es como responde al anuncio del marqués de Marsden y llega a Havisham Hall dispuesta a cumplir con su papel de procurarle un heredero, pero todo se complica cuando se pone en medio su hijo, el vizconde Locksley, que no está dispuesto a que su padre cometa semejante locura casándose con una cazafortunas.<br /><br />El marqués de Marsden es muy claro, firmó un convenio con Portia que debe cumplirse, y si Portia no se casa con uno, lo hará con otro. Así es como Locke se sacrifica por su padre, y Portia se ve obligada a casarse con ése atractivo y huraño hombre que le ha dejado bien claro que no se fía un pelo de ella, y que ni mucho menos se enamorará de ella ni acabará loco por amor como su padre, él solo quiere a su esposa para disfrutar de ella en la cama.<br /><br />De modo que tenemos un libro de matrimonio de conveniencia, uno de mis temas favoritos en novela romántica, pues siempre me ha fascinado como dos desconocidos, o no tan desconocidos, se ven obligados a casarse y deben aprender a amarse. En el caso de Locke y Portia saben lo que hay y no esperan amor, él quiere la pasión que puede proporcionarle su hermosa esposa y ella quiere la seguridad y protección que su título y apellido puede darle, so pena de descubrir sus horrorosos secretos.<br /><br />Aunque como se verá más adelante y a pesar de sus infructuosos esfuerzos, nuestros protagonistas acabarán perdidamente enamorados antes de lo que pensaban, pues no hay nada mejor que compartir el espacio y la pasión para conocerse y caer en las redes, sobre todo si el marqués de Marsden está detrás de todo para que su hijo pueda perpetuar su linaje.<br /><br />Sólo hay una cosa que podría empañar la vida que están construyendo Locke y Portia, y es el secreto que ella guarda, y que podría destruir la vida que están construyendo juntos. En este caso Lorraine Heath arriesga con una originalidad que ralla la de las novelas anteriores, por eso mismo me ha gustado y he llegado a creerme su historia juntos.<br /><br />Lo mejor de la novela han sido los personajes, en un principio Portia no me gustaba por sus motivos mercenarios, esto nunca suele gustarme en un protagonista, pero ha ido cambiando o madurando según pasaban los capítulos, y al final, cuando se descubre todo puedes entender el por qué hizo lo que hizo. En cuanto a Locke no decepciona, es un hombre muy de los de Lorraine Heath, un hombre oscuro que no desea amor, pero que en el fondo guarda tanta pasión y necesidad como la que tenía su padre. Pero sin duda, el mejor personaje de todo el libro ha sido el marqués de Marsden, en el fondo éste anciano ha sido el gran protagonista de la serie, el marqués que enloqueció por amor al perder a su esposa, y que no descansará hasta afianzar su linaje para poder reunirse con su esposa. Con él, creo que la autora ha sabido darle el destino que merecía y me ha gustado mucho.<br /><br />Con todo esto, me gustaría saber si sería capaz de leerme el relato corto del marqués de Marsden y su esposa, pero conociendo el trágico final de ella, no sé si sería capaz de disfrutarlo. Recomiendo el libro si eres muy fan de Lorraine Heath y desde luego si has leído los anteriores libros de la serie. “El vizconde y la cazafortunas” no decepciona, aunque diría que no está a la altura de los primeros, pero es una buena lectura que entretiene bastante, y sólo por los capítulos donde aparece el marqués de Marsden, o los amigos de Locke, Ashe y Greyling con sus esposas, merece la pena.

The beginning of this book was so slow and I was not enjoying it at all. Portia answers an ad to marry the aging Viscount Locksley's father so that she can have money and be taken care of. Little does she know, the Viscount has been pushing his son to marry and have children so that there is an heir, and he ends up marrying Portia instead. Portia slowly takes her role as the woman of the house, and I had a hard time keeping with this book for the first half. Everything happened in their home and not a lot of other characters were part of the plot. Once it hit the second half, though, they went to London and so many secrets were revealed and there was finally the angst I love from Lorraine Heath. I really loved the conflict Locke and Portia had to confront and the complications their romance faced. I was hooked for the second half, though I will say that Locke's father was endearing for the entire book! I loved him and the epilogue touched my heart!

3.5 stars ...<br><br>I suppose if I am comparing this book to the previous two in the series, I would have to say that the plot line was lacking (or maybe it was a bit too much i.e. too much to take in or believe) and I didn't think it was as good a read as the previous two books. Honestly, I don't think Locke would have been so trusting ... I know, I know... even the author says in the "endnotes" that it is Fiction (trying to justify the actions of some of the characters, methinks).<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1632042682i/31943183._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><blockquote> <b>"We all require love my dear. The more we think we don't need it, the more we do."</b> </blockquote><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1632042682i/31943184._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><blockquote> <b>It's an unwise man who lies to himself ...</b> </blockquote><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1632140048i/31947561.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>It was nice to catch up with the other Hellions ...<br><br><img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e0/8e/3b/e08e3b5c108d633f919d8ac5f9a1e29e.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>A good story... maybe not my favourite of the series. I do love Lorraine Heath's writing and she has written a lot of books. I think I still have quite a few to catch up on so that is something to look forward to.<br><br><img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/67/c3/35/67c335c0ce9aa34fc03431917d10be46.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/52/cf/1a/52cf1a419069f131a5eb9142326b266d.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7d/c2/92/7dc2928041525e00bd04115548fd821d.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">