Wicked Intentions - Dark Romance Novel | Best-Selling Gothic Fiction Book for Adults | Perfect for Halloween Reading & Book Club Discussions

4.5/5 I get it now. I’ve heard of the Maiden Lane series for as long as I’ve read HR and decided this would be the year to finally read them. I usually have a hard time when the expectations are high for a book and while this is the only the first in the series, it lived up to its expectations.It was a captivating story and delightfully different. While Lazarus is a peer and there are a few society events, majority of the story takes place in St. Giles and side characters are from there as well. I’ve read a fair share of books that can say the same but this book made me feel more immersed in the story and create the imagery in my mind.I liked Lazarus and Temperance both. Lazarus is complex even though on the surface he seems straightforward. His lack of emotions and desires in the bedroom are deeply rooted and I loved how Temperance saw him and pushed him to voice the issues that’s no one else has ever bothered to ask about.Temperance was an enjoyable characters. In all outward appearances not complicated or unhappy with her life, she’s a widow and has made her life running and raising orphans-an honorable thing. But underneath she struggles and Lazarus notices this from the beginning calling her a martyr. Her journey was relatable and satisfying. I’m excited for the rest of the series.My heart broke for Silence and I peeked ahead for her future possibilities. The glimpses of the ghost of St. Giles and the guessing of who he is. And of the course the names of the orphans from the foundling home-I can only imagine how fun it was for the author to come up with those names!Wicked Intentions is the first book of the Maiden Lane series.There are four encounters that were hot. Two include bondage.