Customer Reviews

The Wicked Games of A Gentleman

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I rarely write a review for a book. However, after seeing many of these reviews, I felt the need to respond. I actually really liked this book. It got my attention immediately. The characters were well developed; even the minor characters. The interaction with Drake and his brother Devon were priceless. Some romantic novels can make you 'smile' at their humor. This one actually made me laugh out loud several times. Especially the picture of Heath and the references to it that kept popping up throughout the story. The sex was better than most. It wasn't the same stuff you read in every other book and much 'hotter' than many; which is a plus.... It was my first Jillian Hunter. It will not be my last. I want to read the whole series of this entertaining Boscastle family.

In 1815 London, Lord Drake Boscastle is the envy of all aristocratic males (except for those happily married like his brother Grayson star of The Wicked Games of a Gentleman) as he has bought Maribella St. Ives as his mistress. Before finalizing their arrangement, Drake notices governess Eloise Goodwin; he steals a dance, a kiss, and a fondle or two from the shocked but willing innocent. However, his payment is helping her find her missing charge Thalia Thornton, who is with a lothario.

After taking the two women home as he promised her brother, Drake visits Maribella only to have his cousin Gabriel escort Eloise to the brothel. She needs his help again as Thalia has run off with her lothario. As Drake and Eloise work together to save Thalia from ruin while her sibling has run away to avoid a gambling debt, Eloise's former philandering fiancé Ralph Hawkens tries to blackmail her concerning her secret mistake and an upset jealous Maribella sets down the gauntlet.

This is a fun Boscastle regency romance that stars two likable protagonists and a strong secondary cast who add depth to the story line. Drake cannot help himself as he feels he must assist Eloise though he also enjoy playing "wicked" games with her. Eloise has a sharp wit that entices Drake. Sub-genre fans will appreciate Jillian Hunter's fine tale and look forward to brother Devon's wicked ways.

Harriet Klausner

Respectable lady's companion Eloise Goodwin is wooed (but not with marriage in mind) by the seductive Lord Drake Boscastle in this charming, fun, well-paced and sensual read. Drake is en route to an assignation with his intended mistress, a much sought-after courtesan whom he has pursued for months. Along the way, he stops by a society party where Eloise is chaperoning an engaged young miss with a wandering eye, whose fiancé is out of the country. Though plainly dressed, the lovely Eloise catches Drake's eye. She finds him attractive as well, but recognizes him for the wolf he is and has no desire to be his next meal. They dance and Drake steals a few kisses from her, but they soon part. Drake heads to his rendezvous with the courtesan, and Eloise returns home with her wayward charge, who was found necking with a known philanderer.

Later that night, the girl runs away with her no-good Lothario. Frantic to find her, Eloise goes to Drake for help, since he is a friend of the girl's brother. She locates him at a bordello, where her timing could not be any worse - he is about to "consummate" his arrangement with his mistress. Drake nonetheless extricates himself from his ladylove and agrees to help, inexplicably less bothered than he should be about the interruption. And so their adventure (and her seduction) begins - the world-weary and somewhat tarnished knight in shining armor, and his levelheaded and virtuous bundle of temptation.

The charm of the couple and their delightful interplay clearly make this story. Almost from the start, they enjoy each other with a sweetness and abandon that is truly endearing. Except for his aversion to marriage, Drake is a pretty stand-up guy. He may act a bit cocky and aggressive, but at his core he is a big sweetheart, and Eloise soon realizes this. Her passion for him is honest and selfless and totally disarming, and he is in over his head before he quite realizes it. The author wisely does not dwell too much on the negatives aspects of Eloise's brief stint as his mistress, and the situation is resolved quickly before any harm can be done. There is no great mystery or suspense in this story, yet it is very easy to get through. It has a little humor, a lot of sex, and the joy of two people falling in love. It is by far the best of the Boscastle series.

Lord Drake Boscastle, the dashing rake of the infamous Boscastle family, is bored with his life and hopes that an assignation with the highly sought after courtesan will cure his ennui. Mere minutes before leaving the ball to secure the courtesan as his mistress, he spots the lovely and voluptuous Eloise frantically searching for her "lost lamb". How can a wolf resist such a fetching sheep? He cannot.

What follows is a delightful laugh out loud romantic comedy with only a wee bit of drama. Drake is besotted at first site and prim Eloise has been hiding from her past for too long. When these two finally come together it's explosive as the sexual tension is palpable.

The love scenes are steamy, the tension is hot. Eloise is curvy and Drake is mad for every soft inch of her. JH revisits all the previous Boscastles and had me chortling during the part with poor baby Rowan when he was "ill". Lots of hilarious scenes in this read.

I cannot wait for Devon's book!

The Wicked Games of a Gentleman by Jillian Hunter part of the Boscastle Family series. Drake Boscastle has decided to take on a new mistress but on the night he is seal the deal he meets Eloise. Eloise is a companion with main goal make her her charge stays safe until her marriage in less than a month. I finished this book in a day - with some interesting plots twist that I didn't see coming. Off to read the rest of the series....

Rarely do I enjoy an author who brings about various emotions as I read. Jillian Hunter is one of those rare finds - I absolutely love reading her books because I can be guaranteed a good laugh somewhere in her tale, as well as a love story that is anything but the norm. She has developed a unique style of writing that is sheer perfection.

Her last trilogy focused on the Boscastle clan (The Seduction of an English Scoundrel, The Love Affair of an English Lord, and The Wedding Night of an English Rogue) and I was instantly grasped by this rebellious lot. Their adventures captured me from the beginning and I only hoped Hunter would continue her story line with this dynamic family. Happily I can say that THE WICKED GAMES OF A GENTLEMAN once again has a Boscastle at the helm.

Lord Drake Boscastle is good looking, rich and the black sheep of the Boscastle family. He seems to be in a dark mood most of the time and cannot figure out why. He decides taking on a mistress is needed to help his mood, and he's interested in an arrangement with one of England's most famous courtesans. On the night of his introduction he is swept off his feet by Eloise Goodwin, a governess with a scandalous past of her own. She's innocent, spirited and very attractive. She's definitely not what Drake had in mind but he was blindsided by her nonetheless.

Soon Drake realizes that Eloise brings about all the good things in him - he wants to protect her, provide for her, and all of the other things people in love want. Yet he denies his emotions and figures it's just a good old dose of lust. Eloise is also smitten so much so that she agrees to become his mistress.

From here the story goes along the seduction lines and the reader thinks it will be the normal romantic journey. However, it is not and it's much more enjoyable. We're also given glimpses into the other Boscastle clan's lives and these side plots are wonderful. My favorite, that had me laughing out loud, was the scene in which Grayson (head of the family) is frantic over his son's stomach ailment. His wife has left for an evening with her parents and Grayson panics when his son starts crying and he's sure his son will die. He summons every possible person who can help. It turns out to be a bit of gas instead of a terrible disease. It was absolutely hilarious and I wonder if this was something that had happened in this author's real life!

Side plots are intriguing and give the romantic story a bit of depth. THE WICKED GAMES OF A GENTLEMAN will make the reader laugh, sigh with enjoyment and be anxious for the next book in this trilogy to come on the market.

Characters are absolutely wonderful and well developed. Drake is so vivid, my mind pictured him perfectly. Eloise is well mannered and intriguing with a bit of mischievousness mixed in. Ralph, Eloise's former fiancé, is a rat and his description is so well done that I grimaced whenever he came on the scene. Thalia Thornton is Eloise's charge until her wedding - Eloise must make sure she does not do anything to disgrace herself until she takes her vows. Thalia is a spoiled brat, although highly enjoyable with her antics and tantrums. We were also given updates to the lives of the other Boscastles (Devon, Chloe, Jane, Grayson, and Emma) even though those characters were developed in previous books, Hunter reminded us of why we enjoyed them so much before.

Overall, THE WICKED GAMES OF A GENTLEMAN is absolutely wonderful and whets the appetite for book number two in this series, THE SINFUL NIGHTS OF A NOBLEMAN, which will be on sale in October. I think the Boscastles have to be my absolute favorite fictional family of all time and my only hope is that Jillian Hunter keeps producing these great books!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was well paced, had witty dialogue, and believable characters. The whole mistress thing is way too played out in Regency romances, but it is a part of the genre and we love the genre. Anyway, I liked this Boscastle better than all the others. He is the most realistic. I have the next book in the series, but am afraid I won't like it as much, so I haven't read it yet.

Hunter plunges the reader into the Regency period of England in this deliciously sinful romance, "The Wicked Games of a Gentleman." This novel is a continuation of her Boscastle series. Drake Boscastle is a scoundrel who has everything - money, good looks, and charm. However, he believes he's incapable of love until he meets a woman who challenges him in ways he never thought possible. Hunter's pacing never lets up. "The Wicked Games of a Gentleman" is a gem of a romance that's hard to put down.

The novel starts with Drake planning to meet famed courtesan, Maribella St. Ives. Before he does, he attends a party and immediately becomes involved in a scandal when he's unwittingly drawn into a duel against his cousin, Gabriel. As Drake stalls for time, he meets Eloise Goodwin, a ladies' companion who has temporarily lost her charge, Thalia Thornton. Drake coaxes Eloise into a dance and they share a spontaneous kiss. Drake then leaves to meet Maribella, but his mind lingers on Eloise. His evening with Maribella is spoiled when Gabriel shows up with Eloise. Eloise asks Drake for his help in finding Thalia. He agrees to help, leaving Maribella, and the story takes off from there.


Hunter writes in a third person omniscient point of view, changing perspectives with no clear line breaks or divisions. This is known as a "Lonesome Dove," perspective and most professional editors discourage it, but the romance genre is very forgiving of it. The story moves fluidly. Drake, Eloise, and the supporting cast are likable and interesting. Hunter's dialogue is crisp and sharp. Her descriptions put the reader in the moment, and her love scenes are vividly passionate. The story's ending gives the reader rich satisfaction. "The Wicked Games of a Gentleman" is one romance that can't be put aside easily.

This was my favorite of all of the Boscastle series. Drake and Eloise were entertaining and at times funny. At the brothel where they meet for the second time was great. I loved how Drake would get so frustrated at times with things and when he was kicked out of his parlour. I loved all of the books but Drake and then Devon were my favorites.

1815 London

THE WICKED GAMES OF A GENTLEMAN is a delightful novel of the continuing tales of the Boscastle Family. Lord Drake is everything enticing; tall, dark and handsome with a side towards being downhearted, but straightforward and beautiful Eloise Goodwin is just his ticket to happiness.

Very Enjoyable tale!