Wicked Nights With A Lover by Sophie Jordan

Title/Author: Wicked Nights With A Lover (The Penwich School for Virtuous Girls #3) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, December 1st 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Why I read this book: did I mention yet that winter makes me want to read romance novels?

Marguerite Laurent has been making a living as a nurse to terminally ill patients. While caring for one of her patients, she runs into a fortuneteller who says she will die before the year is out. At first Marguerite shrugs it off, but after another prediction coming true, she decides she'll make the most of the time she has left. Step one is to take a lover. The night before she and her intended paramour are supposed to leave for Spain, she's summoned to the house of her father, who she's never met before. Leaving, she's abducted by the handsome Ash Courtland, a man who's helped her father build his empire and wants revenge on his business partner for betraying him. Ash is determined to marry one of the daughters, so as to get his hands on a larger part of the company. He wasn't expecting Marguerite to resist so much, even when it's clear she's attracted to him.
What Ash doesn't know is that the prediction foretold her death following her marriage. With mortal fear hanging over her will they find a way to be together after all?

As romance novels go, this was a really good one. I haven't read the other books in the series but I really enjoyed this one. It has the right mix of a likeable heroine, a swoonworthy, handsome man and enough storyline to give their lovestory a nice background.

Sophie Jordan has a way with words, the story flows nicely and I didn't want to put it down. Am I ever glad of owning and e-reader! I love the book, but I couldn't have taken it with me to work if I'd had the real thing, that cover would have been a bit embarassing, especially if patients got a look at it! I'm really not ashamed of reading romance novels, but the covers sometimes make me cringe a bit.

Anyway, let's forget about the cover: the book was great! Even though a voice in the back of my head said that this kind of story always ends well, I was still feeling anxious for Marguerite to be okay, cause everything pointed to her not surviving in the end.

The chemistry between Marguerite and Ash was great and I at least got tears in my eyes at some parts, which is always worth bonus points in my opinion. As villains go, Marguerite's father was a bully, but I was hoping to get a bit more information about him, his reasons and such.

There was one scene I didn't like: towards the end Marguerite uses sex to proove a point to Ash, which felt weird and as an unnecessary addition. Other than that I really enjoyed reading this book.

I was already looking forward to reading Firelight by the same author, but now I know her writing style is so engaging, I have even higher hopes for that one!
My rating: 4 stars