I couldn't resist picking up the other books in Lorraine Heath's trilogy that ends with Waking Up with the Duke. Since "troubled marriages" and "second chance at love" are among my favourite themes in romance novels this seemed right up my alley. Not to mention the angst potential this kind of story has.Well it definitely falls within those themes as the h/h have been married for a few years but separated after marrying due to a misunderstanding (I should say that said misunderstanding could have been easily explained at any time...). The heroine has been living in the country alone and the hero has been living in the city. But Claire wants to bring out her sister and she is determined to use her husband's status in society to do it.I thought a bit unbelievable that after spending 3 years avoiding her husband and not explaining to him what was really going on that fateful night that Claire suddenly grows a backbone and decides to confront him, tell him the truth and make him do what she wants. But apart from that this it could have still worked for me. In fact when I finished I thought it an ok read, totally forgettable but not particularly bad. But looking back I keep thinking that Morgan just accepted Claire’s explanations to easily (for the kind of grudge he had been holding) and that exploring those feelings of his (that were also fueled by his past and the expectations it created) it could have been a major contention point in the story. As it was it kept being about Morgan's mistress, how he wanted to divorce Claire to marry her (when she was a typical "other woman" villainess) instead of being about them meeting again, changed by life and past events, and falling in love with each other.I also have a problem with this series being called London's Greatest Lovers. The books are not about sex (ok not only about sex as this is a HR after all) and I didn't like this emphasis on sex to bring the heroines to the point. Balogh writes this type of plot beautifully, with little sex but great tension and that's how I prefer it.Grade: 3.5/5 Bintang 4.Buku ke1 seri London's Greatest Lovers.Cinta itu buta... Cinta itu bodoh...Bagaimana bodohnya Morgan Lyons, Earl of Westcliffe, merasa tiada satupun keluarga yg perduli dengannya, cemburu pada saudaranya Stephen yg lebih banyak mendapat perhatian ibu mereka dan pada satu lagi saudaranya yg lain Ransom yg memiliki gelar yg lebih tinggi dan kekayaan yg melimpah sedangkan dirinya sendiri harus menikahi ahli waris yg kaya Claire untuk menutupi pengeluarannya agar tidak menjadi tanggungan sang adik yg kaya. Berharap mendapat perhatian dan kasih sayang dari sang istri, Morgan malah menemukan Claire ditempat tidur bersama Stephen dimalam pertama pernikahan. Sakit hati dan tanpa meminta penjelasan dan mencari tahu mengapa hal itu tejadi, Morgan mengasingkan Claire dirumah pedesaan sedangkan dirinya berhubungan dengan banyak wanita dikota.Tiga tahu dalam pengasingan, Claire yg merasa bersalah dan bodoh (karena pada malam pertama pernikahan merasa takut kepada Morgan) berusaha untuk memperbaiki kesalahpahaman yg telah terjadi. Kesempatan debut adiknya digunakan Claire untuk merebut hati dan kepercayaan Morgan. Dan untunglah perasaan cinta Morgan yg masih tersisa serta perhatian Claire terhadap Morgan terutama saat saat terakhir kehidupan anjing yg selama ini setia menemani Morgan membuat hubungan Claire dan Morgan membaik. Membatalkan perceraian, keduanyapun dimabuk cinta.Namun karena kesombongannya (Claire berhasil merebut Morgan dari simpanannya) dan dengan bodohnya, Claire yg naif terlena dan terjebak dalam perangkap keji (mempertemukan Claire dengan Stephen dalam suasana romantis) yg dibuat Anne, mantan simpanan Morgan. Dan sekali lagi Morgan yg bodoh mengusir Claire kerumah pedesaan tanpa meminta penjelasan. Tidak puas dengan keputusan suaminya, Claire berusaha menemui Stephen untuk mencari kebenaran. Kali ini dengan bodohnya, Claire yg sedang hamil tanpa pikir panjang dan dalam kesedihan menunggang kuda menuju ke London. Terjatuh dari kuda, Claire mengalami keguguran dan hampir kehilangan nyawanya.Melihat Claire dalam keadaan yg menyedihkan, Morgan lagi lagi dengan ketidaktahuannya dan dengan bodohnya membawa Stephen untuk menemui Claire. Untunglah kebodohan tidak selamanya menang. Berdasarkan cerita Stephen dan Claire, Morgan akhirnya mengetahui kelicikan Anne terhadap Istrinya dan mengancam Anne untuk tidak lagi menyakiti Claire dan mengganggu pernikahan mereka. Anne akhirnya dapat diringkus saat kedapatan sekali lagi hendak menyakiti dan meracuni Claire. Kebusukan Anne yg lain pun terungkap saat Anne mengakui membunuh suaminya sendiri hanya untuk mendapatkan cinta Morgan (aduh... Anne inilah orang terbodoh dan paling buta sedunia karena Cinta)
Do You like book Passions Of A Wicked Earl (2010)?
one of my best favorite.Cold-hearted Earl who just need to be loved by his wife
—babay123
Love it! Great read-though I did cry once or twice. I couldn't put it down!
—amber12345
