The Wicked Earl’s Widow by Aubrey Wynne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Wicked Earl’s Widow is the second book in the Once Upon a Widow Series by Aubrey Wynne. This was an intriguing historical romance with drama, action, humour, suspense, second chances, secrets, lies, discoveries, danger, intrigue, kidnapping, and some mystery.
The story is set along the same timeline as Rhapsody and Rebellion, and there are some interconnected details and characters from other of Ms. Wynne’s books. Nathaniel is best friends with Gideon from Rhapsody and Rebellion; and is the childhood friend of Grace from ‘Earl of Sunderland’ :Wicked Earl’s Club (Once Upon a Widow Series Book #1). Eliza is Grace’s cousin. I really enjoyed discovering all the interconnected details- as well as trying to unravel the ‘mystery’ elements of this story.
Eliza had a hellish childhood, at the hands of an abusive and violent father. He married her off as soon as he could- treating her like merchandise in a business arrangement. Eliza was both worried about her new husband, but quite relieved to be out from under her father’s oppression. She is surprised to find her husband is gentler and more caring than she’d expected, developing feelings for him along the way. So, she is genuinely devastated when he dies in a riding accident, leaving her a widow and single mother to their two year old daughter. Her father doesn’t take too long before he is hounding her about marring again- heavily in debt, he needs her to make a wealthy match to pay off his debts. Then, when her safety is threatened, Eliza is forced to flee London to the safety of her cousin’s country estate. But along the way they encounter an old woman being set upon by rogues. She won’t look the other way and pretend she didn’t see anything, so she takes matters into her own hands and does something quite out of character- saving the old woman in the process. This is where Nathaniel arrives on the scene, offering his assistance, and then somewhere to rest from their taxing journey.
Nathaniel is the Viscount of Pendleton. His father died when Nate was only a boy, leaving him the title and estate. If it hadn’t been for the kindly estate manager who took Nate under his wing, Nate may have had an entirely different life. When he sees Eliza for the first time, he is immediately intrigued by her. She was quite the conundrum- fierce yet fragile, terrified yet valiant- and so utterly stunning. He had a feeling there was so much more to her and her story than she was letting on, and he was determined to find out what, and to win her trust. He feels quite taken with her and Thea, as well as triggering his protective nature. When danger follows her, he’s determined to keep her safe. What happens you ask? Well you will need to read the book to find out. It is definitely one book that historical romance/regency romance lovers won’t want to miss.
This story showcases Ms. Wynne’s creative storytelling talents and gives the reader a very immersive experience. There was so much happening in this book- but it was all wonderfully choreographed into a smooth and entertaining read.
The characters are all so well developed- each with their own individual personalities. They were so easy to like, or detest (as in the case of a certain character). Althea (Thea) and Cyrano were adorable additions to the story and definitely stole the scenes they were in.
It is told from several points of view, which gives the reader a much broader perspective of the story, events, thoughts, feelings, and motivations which occur.
So, if you like a great regency/historical romance, with wonderful characters, and a story that will pull you in and engage you from beginning to end- then this is definitely the book for you!

Thank you, Ms. Wynne!

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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