Perfect historical romance. Low drama and a great read. Easy to connect with characters. A great way to spend a few hours.

2.5 stars.
the story was sort of enjoyable.
It was a bit too quick for the characters to go falling in love and having sex - it did not really feel right for them espesially since it was supposed to be fake but by 20-30% ish they allready had sex. The smut scene was a bit awkward.

Percival Stanley, Earl of Markham, better known as “Markham” notices the Lady Clarissa Laithe at a ball. Clarissa finds it hard to smile which is noticeable to many especially one gentleman bound to do anything to make her grin, no matter his attempts. The gentleman is unsuccessful and is hurt that he did not make her smile. When Markham goes to his favorite gentleman’s club Sharpe’s that him. The gentleman hurt by Clarissa’s facial expression makes a bet, whoever gets her to smile wins the wager. Markham instead tells everyone wagering that Clarissa is betrothed to him. Markham and Clarissa are not but he wanted to save her. When Markham tries to court her; she isn’t really wanting too but goes along with it. Of course, when Clarissa finds out the truth it might be to late especially since Markham might be falling for her and her with him.
Ms. Wendy LaCapra has written an enjoyable enemy to lover’s romance! The strong dislike is really felt but is not dwelled on. The story does have some choppy moments, especially when explaining of the hero’s attitude and why he is the way he is. The characters are still very well-developed, the time and places are easily visualized. The verbal banter is witty and at times humorous. Markham does have some irritating moments. He might be trying to do what is right, but the way he goes around it isn’t really appreciated. He needed to be honest with others especially Clarissa on why he did what he did. Clarissa isn’t a horrible heroine even with her aversion to avoid marriage. It did get a bit tedious even when Markham shows how much he really cares for her, and she brutally rebuffs him which isn’t too kind on her part. In some aspects it’s easy to go through liking them than hating them and finally just accepting the way they treat each other. Still the book is captivating, and it was quite a fun read!

This wasn't my favorite book in the series. I found it slightly difficult to get into the story, though the author does take the time to recap briefly what happened in the first book and the relationships between the various characters that pertains to this story. I did enjoy the respect in the relationship between the two characters, but I found that I didn't really get a feel for the relationship the two characters had previously to this story, and my emotions didn't get entirely consumed in the story.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for honest review.

4 stars

I enjoyed this book.The author was unknown to me and this is one of the nicest things about reviewing new books; I'm able to find a new interesing author. I shall look out for more of Wendy's books.

This book is part of a series and the hero 'hearts' is not really looking to settle down. When he realises that the heroine is in some danger he is keen to help her. Markham comes over as romantic, loving and vulnerable to hurt whereas Clarissa is a lot more hard hearted. She takes longer to realise that relationship is a really good thing and not to be thrown away lightly.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 in the Lord's of Chance series. In this one we have Lady Clarissa who decides she doesn't want to marry after her bethrothal to someone else has fallen through. I just wasn't a fan of this. We have an Earl that turns into a blushing school boy instead of a man that was considered a rake. It was really annoying and I didn't like it. He completely turns into a man that can't make a decision on his own. Drove me crazy!!!

Heart’s Desire is the second book in the Lords of Chance series.

Clarissa ends up in a fake courtship with Lord Percy Markham after she refuses to smile at another lord at a ball. The lord – I forgot his name but we can call him Lord Asshole – decided to bet that he could make Clarissa fall in love with him and then he would break her heart and ruin any chance she has of finding a marriage. Markham hears this and steps in to save Clarissa from such embarrassment. He declares that they have a secret courtship. They just haven’t revealed it yet because her brother has been out of town for over a year and it wouldn’t be proper.

Clarissa does not want to be saved though. She wants to be in control of her own life and make her own decisions. Even though she reluctantly agrees to Markham’s fake courtship, she is not too happy about it. Not to mention, the two did not exactly get along before.

But the heart has other plans and the two end up falling for each other.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I did not connect with the characters as much as I would have liked, but this was still a very enjoyable read. I think part of the reason I did not connect with the characters might be because I did not read book one of the series. Book 2 throws you into a cast of characters from the first book so I might have been a tad bit lost at the start.

Overall the story was well written and enjoyable. I'm happy that the ending allowed the couple to be together without requiring Clarissa to give up who she is as a person.

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. hearts desire is the end book in this series and while it is not necessary to read the first book it is worthwhile. this book was really good. Markham in the last book wagered his sister in a bet among friends in which each wagered the time most dear to them. markham's sister ended up marrying his friend but left his betrothed in the process. she is now the woman Markham is falling for. I loved both characters but the hero was wonderful. 4.5 stars.

LaCapra takes the hero/heroine dynamic and turns it on its head in this newest addition to her Lords of Chance series. One might reasonably expect Markham, a rakish favorite among London's wives and widows, to hold the reins in this relationship but Lady Clarissa is not at all what he expects. She knows what she wants and is willing to demand it. Will Markham challenge her for control or does this rake's heart desire something completely different?

One of the facets of Wendy LaCapra's writing I most enjoy is her ability to create complex, multi-layered characters with hidden depths not apparent upon introduction. Such is the case with Markham and Clarissa. Known throughout London society as Hearts, Markham appears to be a carefree man about town, ready and willing to deliver pleasure where desired. But an unexpected turn of events causes him to reassess society's perception of him, and more importantly, his own. He begins to look deeper within himself and what he realizes will change the course of his life forever. Clarissa, on the other hand, knows exactly what she wants...and what she doesn't. One can hardly blame her, considering her past. But, perhaps there's more to her - and for her - than she realizes as well. If only she can broaden her focus, and open her heart, before her actions cause an irreparable divide.

I started this book thinking I knew Markham's character (from his role in Scandal in Spades). What I discovered is that I didn't know him at all. There is so much more to this man than what he shows the world, such a loving, generous, caring, and wounded, heart. I love how the author gradually allows us to discover the person behind the facade as the character himself is making the same discoveries.

I really felt for Clarissa. The men in her life have been calling the shots for long enough and discovering passion with Markham at a time when she's finally in a position to take control of her life is not at all precipitous. She and Markham are heading in different directions emotionally and you just know LaCapra is going to put them through the wringer before it's all figured out in the end.

Heart's Desire is another satisfying journey from one of my favorite authors, filled with sizzle, touches of humor, heartwarming family dynamics, and a deep well of emotion. The book stands well on its own though characters that were introduced in the first book of the series, Scandal in Spades, have plenty of page time in Heart's Desire as well. Both books have my enthusiastic recommendation.

Advance copy received from author. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Heart’s desire is the second instalment in Wendy LaCapra’s Lords of Chance Series. Each book can be read as a standalone but does feature the couple from the previous book.

Lady Clarissa is tired of living her life at the mercy of men’s whims. The end of her ten year betrothal and brother’s recent abandonment have driven her to take control. Her first act of defiance is to refuse to smile when commanded by Lord Moultonbury. He is furious at her actions and sets out to destroy her.

Percival Stanley, Earl of Markham, affectionately known as Hearts, has been aware of Lady Clarissa but she knows she would only welcome his attention with disdain. When he finds himself drawn into Lord Moultonbury’s wager he seeks to protect her by announcing that he and Lady Clarissa are betrothed and have only been waiting for her brother to return to make a formal announcement.

Clarissa reluctantly agrees to the charade to save her reputation and discovers there is more to Markham than his reckless and impulsive persona.

While I enjoy a strong independent woman I have noticed a trend with historical authors recently to take a twenty-first century woman and transplant her into a historical setting. This does not fit with the given genre. Many authors have written strong women within the historical genre and done to well but this book is not one of them, I found the characters as a whole unlikeable and this made the book difficult to read.
A huge issue for me was the constant reference to Lord Markham as a pup. Every character used the term when addressing him. We get it, Markham is to be viewed as young and impulsive, stop hammering it home.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a sweet historical romance. Clarissa is an intelligent woman determined to mark her own path and never surrender her freedom. She's known Markham for a while and envied his carefree lifestyle. He feels an attraction to her and in an attempt to protect her from scandal he publicly announces their engagement. Clarissa goes along with it and has no intention of making it real but love always wins.
Lovely novel with a sweet couple that made the story come to life. It was just missing a bit more sexual heat and intrigue to be perfect.

An interesting and slightly different type of historical romance, Wendy LaCapra's Heart's Desire should prove interesting to readers who enjoy unique characters. Though I have not read this author before, I am looking forward to more from her in future.

This is the first book of Ms. LaCapra I’ve read and I will look forward to reading more. It started a bit slow since this is a new writing style but after the first couple of chapters I was hooked. The reason it was slow was I was hesitant when Markham followed one of his widowed lovers and usually when that happens I didn’t want to read him with some other women right off the bat, but that was not the case so that was great. Now I also expected drama with the lover and Clarissa as the story progressed, again there was none but positive parts. Clarissa starts as innocent virgin became more of a dominant lady with Markham and setting the scenes. Markham stated out as a innocent gentleman seeing women as a gift but never understood how he had become a ‘rake’ until he had a conversation with a former lover and do her to talk about his gifts and how all the women talk about him and his gifts a lot, that’s the start of Markham changing his ways but when an arrogant Lord makes a bet about Clarissa and putting her in her place at the feet of the jerk or his friends is a new change in Markham’s plan change.....

Markham is an instant delight—soft and emotional and sweet. Clarissa is more callous in her inability to empathize at times, and while she’s not my favorite heroine, she and Markham create an absolutely delicious dynamic between them. When dealing with a historical romance heroine who’s an “innocent” there’s a delicate balance to be struck to make sure the heroine doesn’t come across as willfully ignorant, stupid, or childlike. LaCapra achieves this by sometimes flipping the script, having Clarissa gain confidence while Markham becomes overwhelmed. This makes for an engaging and enticing relationship dynamic.

I found I wasn’t particularly engaged in the plot or the side characters, but kept pushing forward for more of this dynamic.

An eARC was provided on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm quite surprised by this new installment of Lords of Chance series by Wendy LaCapra. No, it wasn't Wendy's beautiful storytelling that always hooks me right into the story. I already knew of it. It's because on one hand, Markham wasn't the hero I was expecting to see getting his book so early. On the other, I didn't think he had quite the depth of character he'd shown throughout Heart's Desire.

TBH, I never felt like I knew Markham beyond how he was called 'the pup' by the other 3 heroes of the series, Bromton, Rayne and Farring. He was the youngest one, the happy-go-lucky rake who never really roused my interest even though I knew he'd get his story at some point in the series. Then he went and gambled on his sister Katherine in book 1 and I was like... uh, okay. But boy oh boy, Markham surprised me while I was reading Heart's Desire. I knew that despite his immaturity, he harbored no ill will for anyone and that he loved his sisters dearly. His rakish persona simply fell away the moment he figured out all he ever wanted was to find the love of his life... which turned out to be Lady Clarrisa, Bromton's ex-fiancee and Rayne's sister.

Lady Clarissa, likewise, came off as a distant character who had yet to flesh out in book 1. Here, I could totally identify with her issues; with the male dominated society and how she hated to be the submissive one, being totally under control. Never having her own identity in return. She was raised to become Bromton's countess all her life. All that training and yet, that didn't even turn into a reality when he went and fell for Katherine.

I loved knowing more about her and Markham and their odd chemistry that turned too deep too soon when they finally begin communicating in real sense. The first scene between them, where Clarissa and Markham both discover the hidden nuances of their passion, was utterly delightful! It was breathtaking without being too in-your-face. But was I surprised to find Markham having a hidden submissive streak that's being talked about? Oh, for sure I was somewhat surprised to find a scene like that existed in this otherwise straightforward historical romance. But for some reason, I wasn't surprised that Markham let Clarissa take control. I figured early on in the story that he'd do anything for the people he loved and cared for, which is very much admiring on it's own. He'd indulge in their whimsy and delight in it too. That he'd simply let Clarissa love him the way it suited her wasn't surprising. I also wasn't surprised to find he reveled in it himself.

Even though I had a bit of time to connect with the story in the beginning, I loved how it ended. I was happy for them both because they deserved to be that happiness. 4 stars.

Note that a slightly longer review will be posted in goodreads, booklikes and on my blog soon.

Percival Stanley, the fifth Earl of Markham, is attending a ball given by Lady Darlington, eldest daughter of the Duke of Shepthorpe.

When Markham’s father died 5 years ago, there was little money left in the estate, but he has worked hard to refill the coffers. His sister, Katherine, is married to the Marquess of Bromton, and his other sister is deemed to be a diamond of the first water. Now, it is his turn to find a wife.

At age 7, Lady Clarissa’s father betrothed her to the future Marquess of Bromton. From then until age 20, she was taught everything she would need to know about being the Marchioness of Bromton. Then, the Marquess reneged on the promise and wed another. Clarissa wasn’t necessarily hurt, but just disillusioned. Now, she wants to remain single and enjoy her freedom.

When an arrogant man tries to ruin Clarissa’s name simply because she would not smile at him, Markham steps in and declares that that he and Clarissa are betrothed. Now, Markham and Clarissa see one another often as they pursue their fake courtship. But, will it remain fake?

This is not an easy book to read because the reader is immediately thrown into a large group of characters, many with nicknames, making one feel like you walked into the middle of a movie. This a huge pet peeve of mine. I did not read the first book of this series so perhaps that is an absolutely must for readers. I lost interest in the book as the confusion built. I believe this is the first book I have read by this author and I hope to try to read another in the future that will be easier to follow.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Historical romance readers are going to lap up Wendy LaCapra’s enjoyable and enthralling tale of forbidden attraction and illicit passion, Heart’s Desire.

Lady Clarissa has had enough. She is sick and tired of letting men control every aspect of her life and wants to live life on her own terms and become the mistress of her own destiny. Clarissa’s life has been managed and manipulated by men from the cradle and she will not have it anymore. After the man she had been betrothed to since girlhood had rejected her, Clarissa vows to make her own choices and decisions from now on. Matrimony is certainly not something she is willing to consider or even dare contemplate – after all the Ton seems to be full of fortune hunters, lily-liveried cowards and irascible rakes like her friend’s brother, the charming and oh so irresistible, Lord Markham, also known as Hearts.

Markham is the sort of man who can have any woman he wants – and he often does. Women have always fallen at Markham’s feet and he certainly has no problem attracting the fairer sex. The only woman who seems to be immune to his charms is Lady Clarissa herself. While women flock to Markham, Clarissa treats him with disdain and derision. But despite her lack of affection for him, Markham cannot help but be drawn to Clarissa. She is not like the shameless widows or bored wives of the Ton who usually vie for his affections; she’s intelligent, spirited and confident and recently he seems to be unable to stop himself from thinking about her.

When he hears of a shocking wager that could lead to Clarissa’s ruin at his club, Markham is appalled. He is adamant that not a hair on Clarissa’s head is harmed, so he does the unthinkable and saves her by announcing that he is in fact her intended husband. The Ton is absolutely stunned, but that is nothing when compared to the shock which Clarissa feels. She is absolutely appalled that Markham could interfere like this! He had absolutely no right to condemn her to a marriage of convenience with a man she absolutely detest – but whom she cannot stop herself from succumbing to!

In order to ensure that nobody can see through this charade, Markham and Clarissa agree to a fake courtship. But the more time they spend together, the more they realize that there is nothing fake about their feelings for one another? Are they ready to take a chance on real love? Or will they let their fears get in the way of this chance at a happy ever after?

A historical romance delight that is warm-hearted, witty and wonderfully written, Heart’s Desire is a brilliantly told tale that I simply could not put down. Wendy LaCapra expertly and deftly blends humor, passion and drama in an irresistible historical romance that will touch your heart and tickle your funny bone.

I loved Clarissa who was an independent heroine full of spirit and Markham was a sexy and charismatic hero who will make you swoon!

A fantastic historical romance sure to appeal to fans of the genre, Heart’s Desire is a terrific read I highly recommend from Wendy LaCapra’s immensely talented pen.

Good story. Nice to see a dominant woman in this genre. Story develops well with interesting characters who must have their own stories. Really enjoyable.

Lady Clarissa is done with being beholden to men. First, her betrothed canceled their contract to marry, then her brother took off and left her all alone. Clarissa has always been quiet and biddable, doing what society expects of her, but why? What has it gotten her? Although Clarissa is intrigued by Lord Markham, Hearts, she does not want marriage. Clarissa is determined to forget him and live life on her own terms. .

When Hearts overhears a bet that involves Clarissa going into the books at his club, he does the unthinkable. He claims that they are courting to protect her good name. Hearts knows Clarissa isn't going to like it, but he will make her see it's the right thing. It isn't long before his feelings for Clarissa change. Can Hearts let her go when the time comes because he's certain she'll take his true heart with her?

Although I found the idea of four friends being named after card suits cute, I felt the usage of them throughout HEART'S DESIRE was a little much. I felt that Clarissa should at least call Markham "Hearts" less and more "Percy" or "Percival" which is his first name, especially when they become on a more intimate level. It was definitely a different read for me. There aren't many romances where the male is more submissive to the female in the story. I don't mind that angle, but I would have liked to have seen at least one scene where Hearts took charge. However, all in all, I give HEART"S DESIRE a 3.5 star rating. I look forward to picking up the first book in author Wendy LaCapra's LORDS OF CHANCE series, SCANDAL AND SPADES, and I cannot wait to read the next addition as well.

This was a very good read, quite emotional at times. I did like the character of Markham, he was essentially a very caring person. He did have a set of rules he tried to abide by. There were times in this story that I wondered if I liked Clarissa. I could see where she was coming from, in that she wanted to be in control of her own life, but she was selfish in that she was mainly concerned with her own needs. Markham was a strong enough character that he was able to give Clarissa the control she needed. However, this doesn’t seem enough for Clarissa. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.