In the Garden of Temptation: The Garden Series, Book 1

In this book, even the villain triggers pity....
It was a good read where I rooted for everyone, secondary characters, Villain, hero and heroine.

In the Garden of Temptation was the second book of Wicklund's that I read. (The first was Lord of Always -- a wonderful romance with a paranormal element.) I'm thrilled that In the Garden of Temptation, a riveting romance, is now available as an audio book.

Helen Lloyd's proper, starchy English accent lends itself to this story full of neat twists and turns.

Adam Stanford, Earl of Ashworth, is a man who is honorable and above reproach. He's always done the right thing. Then he meets the beautiful -- and married -- Lady Catherine Bourgeault, the beautiful, young wife of one of the most disreputable men in England.

Stunned by a passion and a love that no amount of conscience can deny, Catherine and Adam risk everything for a few moments of stolen bliss. Unknown to them, every event from their introduction to the consummation of their love has been orchestrated by Catherine's evil, demented husband for his own dark purpose.

When Baron Bourgeault finally springs his trap, Catherine is forced to break Adam's heart in order to save him. The baron whisks her away to his crumbling castle in the country. As he sinks deeper and deeper into his psychosis, Catherine knows that her life, and all she holds dear, may be forfeit unless the power of redeeming love can save her.

Wicklund has a way with women characters and the knack for presenting them as likable and honorable even when they may not be engaged in honorable actions. I understand these women, and I like them. Her talent with characters extends to men. In this book, she takes an honorable man and makes him behave dishonorably, but we don't care! We still like him. We understand how he is in the grip of a love he never expected to feel. We see his battle with his conscience.

Wicklund's book is captivating and Lloyd's narration brings the book to life.

This book is fabulous. Such twists and turns and each character is slowly unveiled and just when you think you know everything you don't. Not super mysterious but very romantic and believable for that time period.

Catherine's drive to do as she is bid despite her own desires to act otherwise is typical of the time period but they don't make her overly dramatic. The author created the perfect point of fiction with reality in all of the character's behavior.

She could have had fights going throughout the end of the book but instead chose the more realistic approach to the issue at hand - Catherine and Lord Ashworth and made it a triumph in the end by default.

Wonderful!