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A Week to Be Wicked: Spindle Cove, Book 2 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
When a devilish lord and a bluestocking set off on the road to ruin...time is not on their side.
Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be...anywhere but Spindle Cove. These unlikely partners have one week: to fake an elopement to convince family and friends they're in love to outrun armed robbers to survive their worst nightmares to travel four hundred miles without killing each other. All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.
What they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls. Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe…just maybe…everlasting love.
- Listening Length10 hours and 58 minutes
- Audible release dateDecember 17, 2013
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB00GFRKN90
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 10 hours and 58 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Tessa Dare |
Narrator | Carolyn Morris |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com Release Date | December 17, 2013 |
Publisher | HarperAudio |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B00GFRKN90 |
Best Sellers Rank | #45,074 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #343 in Regency Romance #2,997 in Historical Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #4,021 in Regency Romances |
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Though Minerva Highwood loves her sisters and suffers her mother, she can't embrace the sort of life they lead. She is happy only when her nose is buried in a book, or when she's off by herself, studying the rocks and fossils that thrill the geologist in her. She's a brainy bluestocking who wants nothing more than to be respected for her intellect and acknowledged for her discoveries.
She cannot, however, abide the thought of her beloved sister marrying the town rogue. In exchange for leaving her sister alone, she offers Lord Payne a deal. It's brilliant, really, and mutually beneficial. Instead of wedding Diana, he can run away with her. They can make it look like an elopement. If he accompanies her to Edinburgh to help her present her recent findings at the upcoming symposium for the Royal Geological Society, she will give him the five hundred guineas that she's sure to win for best presentation. Any ensuing ruin to her reputation is a personal price she's willing to pay.
Payne wants nothing more than to get out of Spindle Cove, but even he has his limits, and Miss Highwood has definitely exceeded them with her outlandish scheme. That's even assuming he could do what she asked, which he can't. The symposium is less than two weeks away and travelling would be problematic given his restrictions - restrictions he's loathe to explain in detail.
He may be a rake, and his reputation may be suspect at best, but even he has honor, and he refuses to ruin an innocent lady in such a callous way. Still, Minerva is intent and leaves him with exactly two choices, indulge her harebrained scheme until she begs off the journey and scurries back home, or become the worst sort of cad, letting her traipse off into the wide world all alone. That is really no choice at all, and he resigns himself to do what he can to look after her.
But neither his tattered honor nor his best intentions may be enough to help him ignore the passionate nature he starts to see peeking out at him from behind Minerva's spectacles now that she's slipped beyond the shadows of propriety. Heaven help them both.
~*~
My first visit to Spindle Cove secured my appreciation for author Tessa Dare. The delightful blend of sardonic humor, romance, and story in that series debut helped it become my favorite historical romance of the year and one of my favorites of all time. I was anxiously looking forward to continuing the series with this book, but I was trepidatious, too, as it's so rare in a series to have the same level of spectacular fun for two books in a row.
I needn't have worried.
Though this book as a whole wasn't quite as totally thrilling and all-encompassing in it's pleasure to read (only by a slim margin), the main characters Minerva and Colin, their evolving relationship, and their adventurous journey far exceeded my expectations and provided several hours of sublime enjoyment.
I loved Minerva for all her intelligence and strength, her honesty and her unabashed curiosity. She's guileless and true, and even with her insecurities she's forthright. She is truly a sharp character, and I adored how she took Colin to task on all manner of things when necessary. She never backed down, often initiating volleys of verbal warfare, keeping him on his toes. I even liked the bit of intellectual elitism she displays once or twice, and appreciated how she uses her intellect to shield her most tender feelings.
Colin ended up being even more of a delight to me than I had anticipated. I was expecting a fairly pedestrian if well-written transformation from rogue to dedicated hero, but what I got was a remarkably complex personality with some startling issues and a slow journey towards self confidence. Charming, yes. The man is definitely a charming rogue, seeming one with all the personal depth of puddle at the beginning, and Colin uses that charm like Minerva uses her intellect, both as a shield and a bludgeon.
We know of Colin's issues with sleeping alone from the first book. In this one we find out exactly from whence those issues sprung, and it is tragic. He is also a man dangerously close to the edge, living life day to day to quiet the rumblings of self-loathing and jaded cynicism that have him in his clutches. He is someone who has mostly given up the idea of being a truly good man because though his heart is often in the right place, his actions tend to blow up on him and anyone else in his vicinity.
He's a bit of a chameleon, actually, and easily adapts to every situation in which he finds himself, often in the most outlandish ways. He's one of those people who can be a friend to all but truly known by very, very few. And he's a little touchy about feeling worthy of Minerva's affections. All these wonderful, juicy layers to his character are slowly peeled away and displayed throughout the arc of the story and it provided much more depth and sweeping emotion to their romance than I was expecting.
Together, Min and Colin are simply fabulous. The banter between them was superb. Then their journey started and the relationship they began cobbling together becomes something remarkable. It's almost a begrudging friendship at first, growing warmer and warmer through familiarity and helped along by a wealth of inside jokes and tender moments. Along the way we see both characters grow and mature, finding their joys in themselves as well as each other.
As far as romances go, the one between Minerva and Colin was one of the best I've read for the depth and dimension given to their relationship. These two people truly learn each other, then truly feel for each other, for who they are at their core. It startled me a little, actually. There was such complexity in their relationship, so much knowing and accepting of their core selves, that it hit me just how rare that is in romance fiction.
I wasn't as enamored with the scenes from Spindle Cove that are sporadically interspersed between the chapters of Minerva and Colin's road trip. As much as I love that town with all its quirky charm and unique characters, those scenes were more a distraction than a benefit. I appreciate that they set the foundation for the romance between Kate and Thorne for the next book, but they just seemed an unnecessary disruption in this one.
For ardent fans of absolute historical authenticity in regency romance, I would caution readers this may not be the book or the series for you. The dialogue is more conversational and relaxed, and the plot is a bit out there. On the other hand, if you prefer your historical romance heavily sprinkled with humor, don't mind a lack of stiff-upper-lipness, and are hit by waves of spontaneous lust when you hear mathematical terminology, then I would suggest booking a trip to Spindle Cove as soon as possible. Like me, you'll fit right in.
QUOTABLES:
"My name is Minerva. I'm not your pet. And you're deranged if you think I'd ever marry you."
"But I thought you just said-"
"Run away with you, yes. Marry you?" She made an incredulous noise in her throat. "Please."
He blinked at her.
"I can see you're baffled."
"Oh, good. I would have admitted as much, but I know what pleasure you take in pointing out my intellectual shortcomings."
~*~
"How could you be certain of winning the prize?"
"I'll win. I could explain my findings to you in detail, but a great many polysyllabic words would be involved. I'm not sure you're up to them just now."
~*~
"Oh no. Oh God. I couldn't possibly be so stupid."
"Don't limit yourself. You can be anything you wish."
~*~
"At least Sir Alisdair would remember my name."
"Perhaps." He closed the distance between them, standing so near his chest grazed her breasts. "But could he kiss you so hard, you forget it?"
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Minerva Highwood is the middle daughter to an over-reaching mother who is convinced her eldest and youngest daughters are her best bets for obtaining titled gentlemen as sons-in-law. Minerva is hopeless as she is considered by her mother to be mousy, too intellectual, and always has her head buried in a book (which makes her less graceful when she stumbles over things in the process as well)! As Minerva would rather spend time with rocks than with men, she is fine with being overlooked, but she does want more out of life: to make a mark in the geological world. And she has found just the way to do it: the imprint of a prehistoric, giant lizard that she found in a cave on the ocean. She has taken an imprint and written about her finding to the Royal Geological Society (of which she is a member, though the other members are unaware of her gender); she is certain to win the big prize in the conference taking place in Edinburgh just a few weeks away. But there is no way her mother will allow her to go, and she refuses to leave her older sister Diana (who is often sickly) as their mother is literally throwing her to the worst of the lot: Lord Payne.
Desperate to save her sister AND to get to the geology convening, Minerva shows up in the middle of the night on the doorstep of her least favorite person in Spindle Cove: Lord Payne. After all, the man can't even remember her name as he calls her by every other name starting with an "M" known to man except the one that is actually hers! When Colin answers the door in only his trousers, Minerva is equal parts stunned and (though it is difficult to admit) aroused. But before she can talk herself out of it, she launches into her proposal: she and Colin pretend to elope to Scotland, but instead, he takes her to the meeting, and when she wins first prize, the 500 guinea reward is all his.
Colin is startled to find the woman he has teased rather relentlessly at his door at such a scandalous hour - isn't this woman worried at all for her reputation? And why on earth would she believe he would marry her sister when he has vowed never to wed? But he can't help but have a little fun at her expense and draw things out a little. He is having so much fun, in fact, that he forgets he has a guest... a female one. When Minerva discovers she is not the only woman present, she flees Colin's home horrified and embarrassed. But the next night, he finds her and asks her to dance, then escorts her outside for a chat after she trounces his feet more than a few times. Convinced that he must talk her out of her scheme, he reveals one of his stipulations: she would have to sleep with him every night of their journey. And by sleep, he actually means sleep. Since a horrible carriage accident claimed the lives of his parents, and left him stuck in a tight space all night until they were discovered the following day, he cannot sleep unless he has someone else in the bed with him. In fact, many of his "affairs" are spent simply sleeping (though he is no saint, so there is usually more involved depending on the length of the relationship). But he has very strict rules, one of which is no innocent women. He's not a ruiner, and he doesn't want the drama and/or entrapments that go along with relations with inexperienced ladies. After laying out his terms (which also include no enclosed carriages, for obvious reasons), he is shocked to find that Minerva still requests his company on her journey. Feeling forced into a corner (he cannot allow a lady to travel alone, of course), he agrees to take her, believing she will come to her senses quickly and beg him to return her to Spindle Cove... but he hasn't met this version of Minerva - she will not back down until she makes her lasting mark on the subject she loves most. But what will happen when Colin proves to be much more charming than she imagined? And when Minerva comes out of her shell and shows Colin her true self, will he be able to resist such a tempting package? But the journey turns out to be anything but easy, and when they are faced with setback after setback, will they even make it to the conference in time? And if they don't, will Minerva feel the trip with him was worth it in and of itself? What could a cad like him have to offer her? How could a mousy woman ever tempt such a handsome lord who could have his pick of elegant, beautiful ladies?
What I liked:
--- Fun plot with lots of unexpected turns and fun moments
--- Characters were likeable (even the "manwhore" once his reasons for the behavior were revealed)
--- Steamy goodness!
What I didn't like as much:
--- Minerva was a little too self-critical; I get that her mother drilled into her that she was not as pretty or "marketable" as her sisters, but she knew she was smart and had a lot going for her - when she let herself just be herself, she was witty and charming, and Colin was clearly attracted to her, so it would have been nice to see her own that a little sooner
--- Felt like some unnecessary "will they/won't they" angst towards the last 20-25% of the book - just go for it already!
Overall, a fast-moving, fun plot filled with unexpected turns and steamy goodness!
Plot --- 4.25/5
Main Characters --- 4/5
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 4/5
Violence --- none
Language --- the f word makes appearances early & often
POV --- 3rd
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild; 2/5 - sensual but nothing descriptive; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere; 4/5 - yes please! ; 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
Top reviews from other countries
I totally fell in love with Colin and thought Minerva was his perfect match. Colin had a desperately sad and emotional story hidden in his past and there are phobias and fears that he is unable to face. He is a handsome rake, totally charming and incredibly charismatic. Minerva is a bluestocking, very clever, a geologist and doubts she will ever marry.
They undertake a journey to Edinburgh together so that Minerva can make a presentation at the Scottish Geological Society. The whole trip is an absolute joy - there are setbacks at every turn and Colin charms their way out of them with tall tales and many hidden talents, while Minerva slowly comes out of her shell and becomes confident and self assured. There is a sizzling attraction between them from the start.
This is a wonderfully witty book, numerous laugh out loud moments and definitely has a feel good factor. Tessa Dare can not write books like this quick enough for me. Please keep them coming.
A Week to Be Wicked, da série Spindle Cove, é um delicioso romance que conta o envolvimento dos jovens Miranda e Colin numa jornada de aventuras, surpresas e auto conhecimento.
A história traz uma trama bem amarrada cheia de viradas surpreendentes, um casal de protagonistas encantador e um time de coadjuvantes que não deixa o ritmo cair.
Excelente leitura para os fãs da autora e da série Spindle Cove que irão se encantar com este romance doce e sexy.