Wicked by Design cover art

Wicked by Design

Hester and Crow, Book 1

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Wicked by Design

By: Katy Moran
Narrated by: Emma Spurgin-Hussey
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About this listen

A thrilling Regency romance, for fans of the Bridgerton series.

From the windswept cliffs of Cornwall to the glittering ballrooms of St Petersburg, this is high voltage Regency romance with a twist.

1819. Jack 'Crow' Crowlas, the charismatic and troubled hero of K.J. Whittaker's first novel, False Lights, has married his feisty love, Hester, and with their baby daughter, settled down to enjoy their new life as Lord and Lady Lamorna of Nansmornow in Cornwall. But for Crow, trouble is never far away and as Cornwall seethes with rebellion, he is arrested for treason.

Spared execution on condition that he undertakes a highly dubious mission to St Petersburg, he finds himself tangled in a snare of treachery and illicit passion, violence and sexual deceit, where not only his love for Hester, but also his relationship with his only brother, serving with the British army in Russia, will be tested to the limit and beyond.

©2019 Katy Moran (P)2019 W F Howes Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Regency Regency Romance Romance Russia

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Critic reviews

"A swashbuckling, sparkling world of a novel...with a mad, bad and dangerous hero." (Suzannah Dunn)
All stars
Most relevant
Although it is imagined history it is written in a very believable fashion and is of the time. The story is even more exciting very different.

Riproaring story.

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This astonished me with its sweep of history and emotion in an epic tale set in the time of the Napoleonic Wars but with Wellington having lost at Waterloo. The characters are multi-facetted; aristocratic heroic men damaged by the aftermath of a searing war, courageous women struggling to keep their loved ones alive as they battle against the vicious politics, but they are so human and lovable and the story so immersive that you rejoice and suffer with them.

The detail and atmosphere is brilliantly done, the language authentic and poetic, It is a hugely adventurous tale, frightening and exciting with the romance between Crow and Hester as operatic as the Cornish landscape that is evoked so well.

The wonderful narrator is completely up to the task, a lovely rich and flexible voice that brings a multitude of different characters with different accents to full-blooded life. A real tour de force on every count.

Fabulous Epic of Love and War

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This is a book of turmoil, raw emotions and roller coaster adventures. It's an adult love story but I didn't find it crude as the sex is pertinent rather than for titillation. The narrator reads well but doesn't perform so it's difficult at times to distinguish the characters.

Much better than expected.

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Really enjoyed this story of what could have happened if Wellington lost at Waterloo. Great characters, engaging story and excellent narration made for a compelling listen. Sad though that it ended so abruptly. I would love to know what happened next.

Alternate history

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