Someone Wanton His Way Comes
Series: Wantons of Waverton #1
Author: Christi Caldwell
Published April 20th 2021 by Montlake

Goodreads Synopsis
Christi Caldwell, USA Today bestselling author of the Wicked Wallflowers series, invites you to join London’s most scandalous society in a witty romance of love, rebellion, and second chances.

Widowed Lady Sylvia Elton is out to save young ladies from the terrible fate of love and marriage. Her former husband has retained his reputation as an honorable and loving man in death, but Sylvia has privately mourned his lies and infidelity. Joined by two equally scorned and cast-off friends, Sylvia establishes the Mismatch Society. With each new liberated member, the scandalous circle wreaks havoc on the romantic prospects of London’s frustrated male peerage. But nothing prepares Sylvia for the Viscount St. John, a familiar face and her most formidable challenger.

Clayton Kearsley, the Viscount St. John, can’t allow these wantons to dismantle the Marriage Mart. Until he discovers the ringleader is his old friend’s widow, a fine woman for whom he’s carried a torch since the day they met. Thinking himself undeserving of a diamond like her, he introduced her to his best friend—a decision he now regrets deeply, knowing of the hurt she carries in secret.

Now, he is positioned to match wits with this woman, who is determined to save young ladies from future heartbreak. And despite his misgivings, Clayton is entertaining fantasies that he could end their battle with a kiss. If only he had the courage to tell her how he feels—or the hope that she’d ever again let down her guard.

This meeting of the Mismatch Society is called to order…
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After finding herself widowed while heavily pregnant, Lady Sylvia Elton has had to come with becoming a new mother while grieving, understanding the truth about her marriage, and uncovering an illegal underground boxing ring, run by her in laws, which resulted in her husbands death. While having all of this on her cards, she also has to be above reproach, lest her son is taken from her, but she's had enough of being a perfect lady, and along with two other scandalous woman - one of whom had been her late husband's mistress - and inadvertently starts a society of women who are against marriage, and the stiff rules society places upon them. Clayton Kearsley, the Viscount St. John, has always been in love with Sylvia, since he met her after her Come Out. Because of a family curse that says the men die young, he has never wanted his wife to suffer, so pushed Sylvia towards his friend, Norfolk, which led to her awful marriage. Feeling guilty, he never visited her after Norfolk's death, but when his sisters all proclaim they won't marry, because of the their society, he finds himself forcing his way in. To say he's shocked to discover that Sylvia is the de facto leader of the society, would be an understatement, but he's pleased for a reason to be close to her again. Both have never gotten over their feelings for the other, and it seems that they now might not be able to - or even want to - ignore the attraction any more.

This is somewhat of a sequel to another of Christi's books, In the Dark with the Duke, following Lila's older sister, Sylvia, and it touches on the topic of the Prendergast family, and the boxing ring. If you haven't already read that one, I highly recommend it, because it helps to understand some of the nuances between Sylvia's relationships with her in-laws, and her mother. Sylvia was never a diamond of the first water, rather a bit of a wallflower during her first season, but she became fast friends with Clayton when they met at a ball, and the friendship between them was once filled with care and admiration, and also love. Both clearly loved each other, and even thought that perhaps it would lead to marriage, but Clay got spooked, and ended up pushing Sylvia into Norfolk's arms, which set off a whole sequence of events that leads up to today. Now happy in her widowhood, even content living with her husband's mistress, and over the pain and hurt she felt at his betrayals, she wants to renew her friendship with Clay, but is also worried about the consequences. Clay never got over his love for Sylvia, and was punishing himself by staying away, especially after Norfolk told him on the day of his death that he was planning on abandoning her and their unborn child. If not for the society, and his sister's involvement, Clay probably would still be hiding away, but now that he's back with her, he doesn't want to leave. There is so much chemistry, and such a back story between the couple, that each of their moments was lovely, and full of joy and humour too. The conclusion blew me away, and I really hope we see more from the couple in book two!

Dates Read:
February 25-26, 2021

Rating
4 Stars