The Viscount's Wicked Ways [Mass Market Paperback]

Anne Mallory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2006

He has a way with women . . .

Thomas Ashe, the brooding Viscount Blackfield, is a man any lady would shun. But Patience Harrington, try as she might, has never been a proper lady. Her bumbled London season left her with no marital prospects and no recourse but to accept her father's invitation to travel to gloomy Blackfield Castle. Surely, spending a few nights in the presence of priceless antiques and a devilish viscount can't be as bad as facing the ton gossip.

Focused solely on his secret government project, Thomas cares little for the valuable antiques he's recently inherited. The troublesome young woman who has come to assess them, however, stirs his senses in every way. Patience is a distraction Thomas can ill afford—a beautiful temptation that makes him ache with desire. For a spy is threatening to destroy all he has built, and Patience is hiding something. With so much at stake, Thomas must do whatever it takes to seduce the truth from Patience's lips before lives—and his own heart—are lost.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Here’s a fresh, vibrant talent who cannot be ignored.” (Romantic Times BOOKclub )

About the Author

Anne Mallory is a lifelong romance reader who sold her first novel to Avon Books after becoming a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart contest. In Total Surrender is her eleventh book. A native Michigander, Anne currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060872926
• ISBN-13: 978-0060872922
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I think all writers love to read -- it's part of the job description. Romance, mystery and fantasy are my favorites -- and if all three are combined, all the better!

I write Regency era set romances that are heavy on mystery, intrigue and adventure.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wanted to give it 5, April 2, 2006

By 

M. DETWILER "fairval4" (Martinsburg, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Viscount's Wicked Ways (Mass Market Paperback)

I wanted this book to be a 5 star one, but little things kept it from being that for me. I loved the story and, as always, the writer got the hero right. Thomas was everything a romance novel hero should be. Patience, the heroine, fared a little worse. I lost some patience with her. At times, she bordered dangerously close to TSTL territory for me. I found her social blunders a little monotonous. She surely should have known what to say and how to behave. Just a minor quibble, but it did bother me. Also, things seemed a bit rushed. Just when Thomas and Patience seemed to be getting somewhere, poof!, the scene was over. I felt the transitions were a bit rough. All in all, I liked this book, but felt the characters were not developed as much as they should have been, and the pacing seemed a little off. It was sort of like--Gothic Light.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too Boring To Finish, August 6, 2009

By 

S Smith - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Viscount's Wicked Ways (Mass Market Paperback)

I didn't even read the epilogue on this one. It's just so predictable (I know, for a romance novel), but without the sparks and life that make other similarly predicatble romances wonderful. Without that, all I notice are the flaws. I really wanted to like the hero and heroine. I enjoy historical romances that give the heroine something to do other than plan parties, but she never came alive and her dialogue was off-putting at several points to where I just couldn't find anything likeable. :( I mean, she's not acerbic, vain, pms-ish, or whiny. She should be likeable... The hero is the same and he also never comes alive, although I didn't dislike anything I read from him. Anyway, I guess I found the romance off-putting too. They don't seem to talk much and run around kissing and making out, but there's no real heat and the heroine feels no guilt or consideration for her reputation as she publically gallivantes around with the heroine. I'll admit, I like a little(very little) angst and drama about why they shouldn't be together because this is a historical and good girls wouldn't have done that without struggling a little over the desision(sp?). It wouldn't have had to b e much, just a moment in which she acknowledged that what she was doing was against society's strictures and could have acutal consequences. :sigh: I guess that's why I couldn't like the main characters, writing these reviews really helps put the mind in order. Anyway, so the writer waves a magic wand and the heroine's bad and unsavory reputation is dismissed and the world is sunlight and roses again, at least, that's the impression I got. For books that actively annoy me, I do usually try to finish the epilogues or last few chapters just to know what happens, but I started reading at some ball scene where the reputation is swept aside by the hero simply not listening to the gossip (very effective I'm sure and there children wouldn't be called names or hear their mothers' name besmirched at all, yep) and at this point I decided to focus my attention elsewhere.

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant But No Spark, January 16, 2012

By 

Catherine - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Viscount's Wicked Ways (Mass Market Paperback)

This was an enjoyable, quick read, but it didn't really wow me. Mallory usually has a very distinctive style to her writing, so I was surprised by how anonymous this one seemed. It was pleasant, but rather bland, and was missing that spark that I'm used to feeling with her.

I thought Patience's overactive imagination and her inability to keep her foot out of her mouth in social situations was fun. She felt a bit silly at times, but I enjoyed her. The same goes for the hero, Thomas. I think the title of the book is completely out of place though. The hero is far, far from wicked. He's a regular, nice guy who is very easy to like.

There were a lot of red herrings thrown around and it left the final reveal of the villain feeling a bit underwhelming. All that build up and that was it? It was a little disappointing.

I thought the interactions between Patience and Thomas were cute. I liked when they'd have breakfast together and he'd relax and open up. It was amusing how he'd act grumpy and cold again and sweep out of the room when someone else joined them. Mustn't let them know he's a nice guy, after all. ;)