Another recommendation in my quest to read abandoned wife tropes. This story was okay, but not great. I'm not sure what the time frame was supposed to be, but there seemed to be a lot of anachronistic details, not that I always care about that if the story is good. Here, we have a heroine who is all over the place while the hero is kind of a jerk, a big one. The story meanders all over the place and drags frequently. Not awful, but not great. ( )

Wow, that was pretty mediocre. I thought the hero was an ass for most of the book. Abby (the heroine) needed a backbone implant, as she was always melting in Michael's arms. When things were finally wrapping up, the story dragged on and I started skimming. I liked the epilogue. ( )

I read this book a number of years ago and I enjoyed it then for the most part. I also think that this is one of the stories that have made me avoid “the big misunderstanding” plot line. I have always believed that if you really love someone that you believe them and trust them. Unfortunately most of these plot lines revolve around that premise. Now most of the stories are not the usual plot. This book revolves around the blackmail of Michael Ingram and the deceptions of Abigail “Abby” Carrington. Michael is forced to marry Abby to save his family and the fortune that he has amassed to keep his family solvent. Abby’s father has lied to her all her life. She has believed that Michael has waited patiently to marry her. She traveled all over the world learning things that would please Michael so she would be a good wife for him. She is devastated when she realizes that all her father told her was a lie. I really felt sorry for Abby. She is an innocence young woman that has fallen in love with a man that doesn't even remember her for the most part. Abby is an eccentric. She finds pleasure in so many different things. She is also the complete opposite of any properly raised young English miss. I loved the scenes of her playing darts in the tavern or birthing a calf. I also loved the scenes where Abby and her aunt and two cousins get together and terrorize the Michael and Sam with their unladylike laughter and comments.

Michael is one of those characters that I would really like to have in front of me so I could “Gibbs” slapped him. He is so dense at times. While I feel sorry for him and like him for the most part, the way he treats Abby just sets me off. You would think that a 31 year old man would know better. Michael has earned several fortunes to pay the debts that his drunken father incurs. He has lived through his mother dying and his sister being ruined by a man that becomes his enemy. He has finally found a place of peace and Abby shows up. I know that all he has been through has shaped him. He is a kind and generous man that has had nasty stories made up about him. He is loyal to his friends and ruthless to his enemies.

For those that love historical romance this is going to be a must read story. Ms. London has done a good job of developing her characters and building her world. She makes you care about all those that are mentioned in the story. You hope that she will write stories for Sam and Alex and the aunt and cousins. This is a fairly quick read that will keep you amused and/or crying, so keep the tissues on hand. I hope that I enjoy her other books as much. ( )

I don't understand why Julia London shows "The Devil's Love" and "Wicked Angel" as "Stand Alone Historicals" when the characters are actually contained in the "Rogues" series of books. I would recommend you read these 2 books before reading the Rogues series. ( )

I really enjoyed this story. The only issue that I had with it was the speed with which Abbey was able to forgive Micheal for losing faith with her. Nevertheless, I recommend the story. ( )