Books › Upon a Wicked Time (An Avon Romantic Treasure)
Upon a Wicked Time (An Avon Romantic Treasure)
384 pages
A tender, slow-burn battle of wills where a hopeful heart sets out to conquer a cynical mind.
What it feels like
This historical romance wraps the reader in a cozy, yearning atmosphere where the central conflict is entirely emotional. The narrative moves at a steady, deliberate pace, allowing the quiet ache of a one-sided marriage to slowly transform into a deeply felt mutual passion. The prose is lush and introspective, lingering on the unspoken desires and vulnerabilities that simmer beneath polite society's surface. It feels like watching a stubborn frost melt under a persistent spring sun, delivering a satisfying emotional payoff. Readers who delight in watching a cynical, emotionally guarded hero be gently but firmly dismantled by an earnest, determined heroine will find themselves thoroughly charmed by this intimate exploration of trust and surrender.
- Mood
- swoony
- intimate
- yearning
- Tone
- earnest
- romantic
- angsty
- hopeful
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- unrequited love turned mutual · marriage of convenience · thawing the ice king · vulnerability and trust
- The writing
- Lush and emotionally attentive, focusing heavily on the internal landscapes and unspoken desires of its protagonists.
- The arc
- Moves from the quiet ache of unreciprocated affection to the hard-won warmth of mutual devotion and passionate surrender.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love a determined, optimistic heroine slowly breaking down the walls of a cynical, emotionally unavailable aristocrat.
Content notes
- emotional withholding
- mild sexual content
About the book
Young Tessa Astley fell in love with the rakish Duke of Kittridge after one kiss. Now, her fairy tale seems to come true when she weds the handsome lord. Only Jered Mandeville doesn't want a soulmate, just a duchess to beget heirs. So Tessa starts a campaign to win her husband's heart. She might be able to convince the duke to fell again, once upon this wicked time.
Description from Open Library.
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