Your Wicked Ways

I started this book not expecting much based upon other reviews. But having read Eloisa James' books before and thoroughly enjoyed them, I thought I'd take a chance.Once of the special things about Ms. James books is that her characters and plot lines are a little off the beaten path so to speak. That is to say, she just doesn't churn out the typical Regency Romance with the dashing hero, brave to a fault, devilshly handsome, sometime cad, master of the bedroom, need I go on.....? No, her characters have some flaws - not a lot of them thank God or they might be totally irredeemable, but enough to see them through the growth process in the story line.In this story, we have two very young people, Rees the Earl Godwin and Helene, who were initially drawn to each other for a variety of reasons, and run away to Gretna Green to get married. They both share a passion for music and believe this mutual interest plus their love will be all they need to make a good marriage. However, they soon discover that marriage takes more than a few songs and stolen kisses to make it work.For one thing, the wedding night left a good deal to be desired. Shy and uncertain about what to expect, Helene felt inadequate. Her husband, also leery of the night before him, stayed down in the tavern a little too long and arrived at their bedroom completely foxed. [The reader will not discover what caused this disasterous first night until later in the book when Helene and Rees finally confess their fears and disappointments about that night and learn that both of them had been virgins.] The marriage starts off badly, and leaves both mentally scarred about their respective inadequacies. Finally, in a fit of temper, Helene throws the chamber pot at her husband; and Rees, who has had enough of this unsatisfactory marriage, throws Helene out of his house. She then goes home to live with her mother, and for nine long years is virtuous and miserable. Though they stay married, Rees goes on to live the life of a supposed "Rakehell" breaking every taboo mostly to irritate his demanding father and miserable becasue he misses Helene.As the years pass Helene realizes that she would like to have a child. She asks Rees for a divorce and he refuses because of the damage that it could do to their reputations. After Helene receives a "make over" in her wardrobe to more sensually show off her lovely figure, and a completely new hairstyle that enhances her lovely face, Rees sees her in a whole new light. He decides that if she must have a child, it should be his; and after some length of discussion finally persuades her that she should move back into his home for a month until she conceives.From there the real romance begins, but not in your typical way. For one thing, Rees insists that Lina, his opera singer and former lover remain in his house so that she can practice his songs for the opera he is writing. This brings about some amusing and awkward moments between Helene and Lina.As Rees and Hel

Wow just when I think Eloisa James has done the best work she can do and that she'll never top herself she blows me away again. I loved everything about this book: the characters, the story, the writing, all of it. Rees was a fitting adversary for the very strong Helene which also made him the perfect love for her too. I couldn't wait to see how everything turned out and was up late reading several nights in a row. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book for exactly some of the same reasons other reviewers disliked it. It had a very fresh premise and it kept me turning the pages because I honestly didn't know what was going to happen next. Helene starts out as a very sympathetic character and I felt that Rees was going to end up that way. Eloisa James never disappoints. Her lovely prose has such a ring of authenticity that you almost feel as if her characters and their situations could have really existed in Regency England. A fabulous read!

If you're tired of the same old plots being recycled, this book is for you. The plot is unusual and so fun. And there is something so fresh and lively about James's writing style, it really keeps things moving along. The humor is great too! I hardly ever laugh out loud while reading, but with this one, you just have to. My favorite aspect of the book is the hero--who would ever think that a hero who starts off being bad in bed could end up being so sexy? I really encourage anyone who loves sexy, funny romances to give this a try. You won't be sorry!

This novel goes beyond many other books set in this period of this style. Rather than exploring the first bloom of love, it opens the door to a love that has been tried and failed in its first attempt. Helene is uptight and puritanical in her beliefs. Her husband is a rakehell. They haven't lived together in ten years. Helene desperately wants a child, but Rees will have nothing to do with her in marriage or in bed. She requests a divorce repeatedly and even attempts to have an affair. Rather than granting her the divorce, Rees comes up with a scheme to give her a child and get help with his musical that he has been struggling with. The reason I enjoyed this book so much is that the relationship between the two leads seemed real. Both had grown in their own ways (neither extremely positive) while they were apart, but neither had reached their full potential. Together, they can make positive changes and be happy, unlike when they were apart. I read the reviews complaining that Rees was abusive and Helene was a poor character for taking him back. I think they were both wounded by love (as we all are) and afraid to take chances. Rather than placing blame, enjoy the novel for the growing up the leads do and the love they find in each other. It is a novel of depth, rather than an easy read like many other books in this genre.