In this second book in the second set of The Wicked Earls Club we meet Ella - a woman who has been in love with her brother's best friend since she was 15. At her come-out he danced with her and kissed her in the garden - solidifying her feelings. The Phillip, the Earl of Kent has a disasterous night of gambling that ends with him taking part in a bare knuckle boxing match to clear his debts. Instead, it almost kills him. Ella's brother Graham is also injured in the fighting. Ella nurses Phillip back from the dead but he doesn't want her to waste her time on a cripple.
While Phillip is feeling sorry for himself, Ella refuses to pity him and encourages him to work at his healing - both physically and mentally. Part of his healing will require him to let himself love and be loved.
The characters are well written, Ella is a strong independent woman who refuses to be put into the spinster box. ( )

I have really been looking forward to the book featuring Phillip Wilkes, Earl of Kent, since we met him in Charles’ book, The Last Wicked Rogue. Parts of this book occur at the same time as Charles’ book, but it also includes segments from before and after that period. Of course, our intrepid heroine is Ella Lonsdale, Charles’ sister. You’ll love Ella! Ella is spunky, loyal and chafing at being under the thumb of two older, overly protective brothers.

Ella first laid eyes on Phillip when she was just fifteen years old and it was love at first sight. She was constant in her love for him through the following years, but he avoided her like the plague. At her come-out ball, he gave her a scorching kiss and that just renewed her love – but again – he avoided her afterward. Her love hasn’t changed and when she finds he’s been beaten almost to death she rushes to her brother Charles’ house to attend to both Phillip and her brother Graham.

While he didn’t realize it, Phillip had been targeted by Hugo, the man who has been targeting the League of Rogues for years. It is just one more way Hugo can cause pain to the Rogues, but it can bring death to Phillip – and it almost does. Phillip does a stupid thing, he bets more on a game of faro and when he loses, there is absolutely no way he can pay the debt. When the winner, Daniel Sheffield, offers to completely forgive his debt if he fights in the Lewis Street Tunnels. Phillip agrees, but Graham tries to talk him out of it. We saw all of this in Charles’ book. Both Graham and Phillip are beaten, but Graham manages to escape and bring help. Graham believes Phillip is dead – and he almost is – but he sends Charles and Ashton Lennox (Wicked Rivals) to recover the body.

After all of her nursing, Phillip still rejects Ella and heads home to his country estate. What will it take to shake some sense into the man? Does he hate her so much? With some unexpected and unwelcome help from a friend, Ella finds out what is going on with Phillip. Can she save him? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to see.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )