Someone Wanton His Way Comes

Regency-era women decry the institution of marriage and cause an uproar among men in need of heirs in the sluggish first Wantons of Waverton Place romance from Caldwell (the Wicked Wallflowers series). After suffering through a loveless marriage, widowed mother Lady Sylvia Elton, the Countess of Norfolk, vows never to marry again and becomes the proud leader of the Wantons of Waverton, a society that educates women on how best to avoid the constraining role of wife. But as the members’ reputations are slandered by men who feel spurned by their progressive stance on courtship, Sylvia needs a way to make the society more respectable. She offers temporary membership to her friend Clayton Kearsley, the Viscount St. John, believing his gender and spotless reputation make him the perfect mouthpiece to dispel London’s gossip. Clayton has always held a torch for Sylvia, but believing he’s been cursed to die young, he’s never acted on his feelings. Working together quickly gives way to steamy, spontaneous sex scenes, but the rest of the plot moves at a much slower clip. Caldwell provides enough secrets, scandals, and scheming to keep the lovers on their toes, but bogs down the drama in exposition. Readers will be taken with the premise, but hope for better execution in future installments. (Apr.)