I Thee Wed
The fourth in The Wicked Worthingtons Series, set in Regency London, describes how Orion sets out to establish his career as a successful scientist, but unexpectedly finds love as well. Not with his mentor’s very suitable daughter, however, but with her half-Italian cousin Francesca, who burns ‘like a flame on ice’. Though Francesca is a scientist too, a biologist, struggling for acceptance in a prejudiced, patriarchal society, it is her cooking skills, lively mind, and voluptuous body that sweep him off his feet. Especially the body. Fortunately the attraction is mutual, but will one night of unrestrained passion end their fascination and satisfy their ‘scientific’ curiosity?
The sexual encounters are extended and graphic, but humor is created by their efforts to deal rationally with their intense physical attraction and by Orion’s highly eccentric family, especially his precocious and brilliant little sister Atalanta. There are darker notes too: sexist oppression and bullying, blackmail and intellectual theft. Most of the characters are likeable, however, and they earn their happiness by learning to respect and care for others, regardless of differences. Recommended.
