Too much introspection on the hero's part. Plus, she wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer at times. The type that never knows what she wants until it's too late and mostly just enjoys being willful for the sake of being willful. The heroine was one of the spoiled, foot-stomping types that I've never been extremely fond of. He didn't rape her, but he was a sadist and beat and sexually assaulted her. It had the elements trigger/spoiler warning: The hero raped the h and there was another scene where the villain assaulted the heroine. I picked this up because it was recommended as a bodice ripper written this decade (nearly unheard of) and it was available on Kindle Unlimited. I'm not going to rate this, because I honestly did too much skimming to count it as a read. But can enemies become lovers when past secrets and court intrigue threaten to destroy their new-found love? In a bid to claim her as his own, he vows to bind her to him with sensuality and desire. Passion ignites when Ram discovers his mystery maiden is the one woman he swore he’d never desire… his betrothed.ĭetermined to master the woman who has stolen his heart, Ram will chase his elusive bride from the lush landscapes of Cornwall to the debauched court of Charles II. His objective is diverted when, at a May Day festival, he meets an alluring woman who appears more than willing to fall into his arms… and into his bed. Despite the political advantages of the match, he has no intention of taking a royalist courtier as his wife. Ramsay Maitland is on a crusade to prove his betrothed an unsuitable bride. She’ll join the villagers in their May Day celebrations, and there she will choose the man who will take her virtue. Believing her only recourse is to break the terms of the betrothal agreement, Izzy plans to sacrifice her virginity before her wedding day dawns.

When Isabelle Beaumont’s father betroths her to a dreaded roundhead for economic gain, she vows to find a way to thwart the marriage, no matter the cost.

WARNING: Not recommended for readers who aren't comfortable with explicit love scenes, whipping, and sexual assault

Virtue and Vice by Kimberly Brody