LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Adair and Cleo's story!!

As a huge fan of Caldwell's Sinful Brides series, I've eagerly awaited Adair's story. I was so excited to learn that Caldwell tied that series with her new Wicked Wallflowers series. I'm hoping that means we will still get to see the H/H from that series in this new one.

Adair is the last of his family that has not succumbed to the lure of marriage. So when their club is burned to the ground, he is put in charge of the reconstruction of the property. He doesn't need one of the enemy getting in his way.

After Cleo saves Adair's SIL, a promise is made that the family would sponsor one of the Killoran sisters and give her a season. Cleo is the one to make the sacrifice, even though the last thing she wants is to marry into the ton. Since the Killoran's are suspected of causing the fire, they put a guard on Cleo while she is staying with the family. The guard is Adair.

These two enemies never imagined that they would feel the attraction they do for each other. But can they get passed that to find their HEA?

I loved what is truly the end of the Sinful Brides series!! The whole family has now found their HEA and now we have a whole other family in which to fall in love with! I can't wait to see what Caldwell has in store for use with the Killoran family!

This is such a great first book to kick off the Wicked Wallflowers series! I enjoyed this tremendously! One of the things that I especially enjoyed was that while it is set in the popular Regency period, the hero and heroine are unique in that they both grew up on the rough streets of the worst part of London. They have each adopted a street "family" and the two families are declared enemies.

The circumstances which bring them together are also unique. The families operate rival gaming establishments. Adair Thorne's "brothers" have married into the ton and he has just lost his gaming-hell to a fire. Cleopatra Killoran finds herself in the unwanted situation of needing to marry into the aristocracy in order to benefit her "family." These two sworn enemies are reluctantly forced to honor an unsteady truce. As they are required to spend time together, their attraction is undeniable. This couple was one to root for. They each had admirable grit and there were serious problems for them to overcome.

I will say that it took me a couple of chapters to sink into this story because it is a spinoff series and I was not familiar with the back stories of previous books. However, I was able to follow along and it was not an issue for long. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys historical romance. I am thrilled that there will be more related books in a series.

I loved the Sinful Brides series and the Black family. The interaction of the sister and brothers really carries the stories. I was so looking forward to Adair’s story and his verbal contests with Cleopatra Killoran. The story moves a bit slow for me but in all fairness, maybe that is what was needed to tell the story of their learning to trust each other and not make snap judgements. I loved Adair but Cleopatra was kind of hard to get to know and become friends with during the course of the book. Overall it was a good story. Definitely looking forward to the other Killorans’ stories.

While the Hell and Sin Club burned, Adair Thorne remembered the fire that killed his family and their place of business. Club competitor, Broderick Killoran, is a suspect even though his sister, Cleopatra, had arranged a truce between the clubs. Broderick wants Ryker Black’s wife, Penny, to introduce Cleo to society. Cleo moves into Ryker’s home but is closely watched by Adair as he doesn’t trust her. She is attracted to Adair but will never admit it. Adair, against his better judgment, is attracted to her also.

Cleo was walking around the house one night and heard Penny and Ryker’s baby crying. When she is discovered everyone thinks she hurt the babe, which she did not. She goes home but her brother makes her return. Cleo discovers Adair has made plans for a new club and is rebuilding. Another fire was set there, and Cleo was accused. Adair knows she did not start the fire, but who did? That is for you to read and discover as there is a lot more going on that I will not spoil.

This is a wonderful story and I hope you’ll read it. I’m looking forward to rest of this series.

DNF @16%

I decided not to leave a rating on this because I was not very far, and the writing seemed engaging. If you are new to Caldwell, do not start here. This is apparently a spinoff from another series. Despite it being a first in series, there were events and characters with back stories that left me confused and lost. If I ever get to those stories, I may come back and finish this. Part of the problem is that the world built here is not easy to fall into. It is a far fetched world with a rags to riches theme that would take quite a bit of selling for me to buy into, so I am not convinced it would be worth it.

What else is there to say about Christi Caldwell except to say...

She is literally unparalleled in her genre. Hands down, no competition, the fact that she was recently nominated for a RITA is no surprise to this die-hard fan. If she doesn't win, it will be an outrage. She is one of those authors that, if I hear someone say that don't know who she is, I will literally pull up her website and show them her books. It's unacceptable for any historical romance reader not to be aware of this spectacularly talented woman.

Okay, now that I have stopped drooling over her (sorry, Christi), let's get to her latest FIVE STAR book. I loved this book. I read it in a day. Started it before heading in to work, read it during my lunch break, and then devoured as soon as I got home. I was so involved with the characters, as I always am with a Christi Caldwell romance, and it's no wonder. She writes books that pull you apart emotionally, making you feel every emotion the characters feel, and I am forever amazed at how every character is unique. Even after writing so many books, she has yet to lose steam in creating multi-dimensional characters that are unlike any she's written before.

The Killorans are the sworn enemies of the Black brothers. But when Cleopatra Killoran saves the life of the wife of one of the brothers, there is a debt to be paid in the amount of one season to catch a titled husband. While Cleo has no interest in the nobility, she knows that her marriage into it would bring power to her family and enable them to survive any hardship the future brings. Her entry into the Black household, however, immediately causes friction, and her guard likes her least of all. Adair Thorne blames Cleo for the ruination of his club, which was allegedly set on fire by her family, and he has no interest in helping her with anything. Although he is set against her, her behavior begins to counter every belief he's ever had about a Killoran. When he realizes his emotions have begun to change, he fights it, but sometimes love is more powerful than hate.

Cleopatra and Adair were an extremely volatile couple. I mean, when Cleo arrived at the Black house, they ended up in a wrestling match within the first ten minutes. Cleo was not afraid to give it right back to Adair, whether it was a physical reaction or banter to grate his nerves. While this was done with no intention of enticing Adair, he actually felt drawn to her hellion ways. Her attitude intrigued him, and her past mirrored his in such a way as to give them a kinship where none might have been found otherwise. Both were under the influence of Diggory in the past, an evil character mentioned in previous books, and they bore mental and physical scars from the experience. Once they formed a friendship and got to know each other better, these shared life experiences and their straight talk with each other allowed the love to come quite easily. It was really nice to read a romance that wasn't such a quick fix. It took time for them to start trusting each other, and it created a stronger relationship in the end.

Do I even really need to say it? I can't wait for the next book! I can't decide who I want to read about next. I'm leaning toward Gertrude, and I'm thinking Lord Landon will get a role in a future book as well. Just a guess. Definitely can't recommend this book enough - go read it now!

The Hellion by Christi Caldwell

Review
The Hellion is the first installment of Christi Caldwell’s new series: The Wicked Wallflowers. The novel is a stand-alone but is de facto the continuation of the Sinful Brides. In this classic tale of enemies to lovers, Christi does what she does best and tells a story of two people finding redemption in love. The Hellion is about Adair Thorne, Ryker Black’s brother from The Scoundrel’s Honor (Sinful Brides #2) and Cleopatra Killoran, none other than the sister of his rival Broderick Killoran.
It all starts when Adair Thorne’s gaming hell the Hell and Sin burns down. Adair is convinced that Killoran is responsible for the fire but can’t prove it. Hence Adair and his brothers decide to go forth with the terms of the truce negotiated between the two feuding families (The Lady’s Guard, Sinful Brides #3): they will help one of Killoran’s sister to make a match with the aristocracy. The fearless Cleopatra moves in the Black household for her London season and is right away faced with Adair’s hostility and mistrust.
But slowly magic happens, Adair and Cleopatra spend more and more time together: the pair discovers that they may have more in common than they originally thought. Instead of pure hostility, respect and trust become part of their interaction. They share the same strong passion for gaming hells. Enemies turn friends. Their prejudices towards each other melt like snow in the spring sun. Attraction sparks. Friends turn lovers. And comes the moment they will have to decide if their love can be stronger than their past, their secrets and their loyalty to their respective family.
I personally had not read the previous books but I was easily caught up with the characters and the story flowed perfectly. I enjoyed this books so much that I am currently back tracking and reading my way through the Sinful Brides.
In the end, I loved Cleopatra because for all her confidence, she was also very vulnerable and authentic. And I fell in love with Adair because when given the chance, he left his past behind and opened his heart.
So I strongly recommend this book to all the Christi Caldwell’s fan out there. It will deliver a very satisfying dose of romantic regency. And for all the readers out there looking for a new author, this is a wonderful book to step into Christi’s world, her heroes and heroines will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

Previously, in Christi Caldwell’s Sinful Brides Series readers met a family unlike any other. A band of street brothers who owned and operated one of St. Giles biggest gaming establishments, the Hell and Sin Club. The bigger than life, Ryker Black, was the leader and head of that family, and what an awesome world filled with unforgettable characters this amazingly talented author gifted to the regency genre lovers. This family would overcome many challenges (some lighthearted, some dark), and meet and establish connections in Society, growing in wealth and power.

With the first in her newest Wicked Wallflowers series, “The Hellion”, the focus shifts to yet another intriguing and unique family, the proprietors of the Devil’s Den. This rival club and family, also coming from a life on the streets, is led by Broderick Killoran, a brother who wants better for his siblings and is driven by “a lust for respectability”. Broderick believes to secure noble connections and acquire entry into Society will ensure their strength and power, thereby providing a lasting security for all the group. When his sister, Cleopatra was instrumental in saving one of Black’s family from the evil clutches of a horrid, vicious thug, in return the Blacks entered into an agreement to sponsor one of Killoran’s sisters for a Season.

This book can be read as a stand alone, but it does serve as a link between these series: Adair Thorne, brother of Ryker Black, and Cleopatra Killoran, sister of Broderick Killoran.

As his siblings have found love, and their paths are taking them in new directions, Adair is feeling alone, being left in charge and given the primary responsibility of the Hell and Sin Club. This story begins with the destruction of his club by fire, bringing with it similar memories of his past childhood. Of course, in his mind the only possible cause for this loss would be the Devil’s Den.

Cleopatra Killoran is unlike any other heroine. She’s stubborn, strong, and smart; a bespectacled lady, with a pistol in her pocket and a dagger in her boot, she can hold her own with most any man, brains or brawn. But underneath this rough and tough girl, there are heart-wrenching secrets and fears tucked away and buried.

When the Blacks take Cleopatra into their home, Adair is assigned as her escort and guard. The plan is to introduce her into Society where she’ll find a nobleman for a husband, and the agreement will be honored. As Adair battles inwardly over his hatred of the Killorans and an unexplainable draw and sudden pull towards this bold and headstrong girl, things become quite interesting. Cleopatra starts to realize the man of honor and kindness Adair truly is, and begins to doubt her self-sacrifice for her family’s good. A bond begins to form as they share interests and ideas for the rebuild and management of his club. Will Adair and Cleo also share the secrets of their pasts and open their hearts to one another? Who started the fire at Adair’s club, and what will happen to the Hell and Sin Club? Theirs is a must read!

With a mix of familiar and new characters, this writer once again builds a series that promises so many adventures, challenges and opportunities waiting to be explored and enjoyed for months to come. While it’s always sad to see one series end, there is always the assurance that Christi Caldwell’s amazing characters are never left behind. They always live on in her readers’ minds and hearts, and may reappear yet again on the pages of a new story yet to be told.

Can’t wait for more of the Killorans!!! Awesome!

Hate is a powerful emotion. So can love, but to get to the later hate has to die first. Adair Thorne has hated those that came from the Diggory Gang since he was a boy tortured by that notorious gang leader and that includes the Kiloran siblings. Now the Blacks have to keep to the end of a bargain they reached with one Cleopatra Kiloran, which is to help one of her sisters snag a lofty lord for a husband. But when their gaming hell is burned down they believe the Kilorans are to blame and the little spitfire that comes to his friend's home to talk about the fire and bargain, sparks both his ire and his blood.

Cleopatra hates all things Black and she enjoys teasing Adair the most, but when she decides that it should be her sacrificed to the betterment of her family’s ambitions and finds herself living in the Black residence, she finds it next to impossible to avoid Adair. Their slow build to a friendship and then love was steady and entertaining to watch. Both characters were strong and well developed and both were very headstrong that the back and forth between the two kept the story going. The conflicts developed were both intense and hard to overcome, but when they are, the happy ever after is that much more wonderful to see. I enjoyed their story and want to go back and read about the other members of the Black gang because going into this first book in this spin-off series made it quite clear that it wasn’t the start for the characters and all of them are fascinating and interesting that I want more from them. I loved Adair and Cleopatra.

As always when I request an ARC, I will give a fair and honest review. O'i luvs this series!. What an unbelievable cast of characters that show up in each of the books within this series. Tough as nails street urchins who pull themselves up by their bootstraps to the best of their abilities to achieve their dreams. GREAT SERIES.

Christi Caldwell has an amazing way of writing damaged, wounded characters and making you love, not pity them. She uses everything they have gone through, whether in the ton or the wicked streets of London, to show how strong and resilient they have become. Their past has made them stronger. But they are still willing to be open to love (whether they know it at the beginning of the book or not).
In this book, 2 warring families are looking for ways to blame each other for anything that happens and yet, Cleopatra Killoran and Adair Thorne manage to find love over the hatred they are more comfortable with.
As the story continues, you see how the two have more in common than not and no matter how hard they fight it - they can't help the attraction between them. The tension between the families makes the Happily Ever After all the more satisfying.
I received an advance copy of this book for free.

What if Romeo and Juliet hated each other and yet their destiny was to end up together loving one another?

Adair loses his gambling hell when someone set it on fire. It is the same kind of fire that killed his family when he was a child and thus he became an orphan. But he has a family now, the Blacks; four brothers and a sister raised on the streets of St. Giles. If not by blood, they are siblings by love but they are all married now, and they are married to the ton and the wealthy, each and every one of them.

Ryker, the head of the family, lives in Mayfair with his wife and baby. He’s an aristocrat now, but he’s essentially the same man who, along with his siblings, pickpocketed in order to survive, and made a fortune thanks to the gambling hell. Naturally when Adair tells him his suspicions that the rival family, the Killorans, are behind the fire, he believes him. Even if they made a truce when Cleopatra Killoran betrayed the cruelest man in St Giles and saved one of Adair’s and Ryker’s sisters-in-law.

But they can’t prove anything. And Broderick Killoran wants the Black’s to fulfill their end of the bargain. They must take in one of the Killoran sisters and sponsor her for a season so she can ensnare a toff and marry him. That’ll give Broderick Killoran’s family the same respectability the Blacks now have. And the sister who sacrifices herself is none other than the fiery Cleopatra.

Ryker doesn’t trust the Killoran sister and hates her brother. Adair is without a home and must live in Ryker’s home. He doesn’t trust Cleopatra either and is convinced that Broderick ordered the fire. Cleopatra finds herself in the enemy’s hands… what can possibly go wrong?

Everything. Not only because of the hatred and the mistrust between two rival families, but because both Adair and Cleopatra are now living between two worlds and sooner than later they find they have more in common than differences. They understand each other and they’re living under the same circumstances. Will they be able to adjust to polite society? Will they be children of the streets forever? Will Romeo and Juliet have their Happily Ever After?

Both Cleo and Adair feel betrayed by their families. Broderick wants respectability so he needs to be introduced to society. Adair’s brothers are planning a business expansion that will focus on respectable endeavours rather than gambling hells, but they will still support Adair’s business. They feel they are left behind. Naturally when Adair is appointed Cleo’s guard, they start talking eventually, they share their feelings and their past because they listen to one another, they understand. They’ve lived the same kind of life… but there are wounds that won’t heal easily, and it’s all in their common past.

The Blacks and the Killorans were all orphaned. And they were ordered about by an evil monster called McDiggory. This one abused and tortured the children and the adults that lived under his wing. But Ryker Black, his three brothers and his sister escaped, survived and built their business. The Killorans were, at the time, a brother and three sisters. But at the beginning they were only the girls… how could they have escaped McDiggory? Broderick knew his numbers and his letters so he could protect the girls from McDiggory until Cleopatra eventually betrayed the man so the Killorans kept his business.

The Hellion is quite an interesting book because it isn’t about lords and ladies, it isn’t about soldiers or workers. It’s about the children of the streets. It is about the forgotten amongst the forgotten. It is not about fancy dresses and balls… both of the main characters are children of the streets. They’ve known the worst of the human being and they are survivors. They still are. They’ve developed skills that no children should develop, because they’ve seen filth, hatred, torture, cruelty, murder, whoring, hunger and death. They are always vigilant, never unarmed, never trusting. They’re adults because they’ve learnt to never turn their backs. And they never underestimate anyone, no matter how weak or how strong they may look.

For example, there is a scene in an event organized by Ryker’s wife, Lady Penelope, in which Cleopatra runs to the nearest most isolated window she can find. She (and Adair) feels caged in Mayfair. That’s why when she opens the window for some fresh air she can’t breathe. The air is fresher and cleaner in Mayfair and she can’t breathe because it’s not her air, it’s not her world.

They grew up in a dirty and violent environment, they’ve seen violence all their lives. They can deal with violence, but now that they are in kinder parts… it isn’t easy to take those instincts from them. They’re like rescue animals getting closer half a step at a time, especially Cleo. She has been physically (not sexually) abused in her childhood. She’s been tortured, beaten, marked, mocked. And Adair understands that, even if he could escape that (McDiggory’s lair).

Caldwell is good at grabbing the reader by the collar and taking her to the world she’s writing of. You can almost smell the vicious air of St. Giles, feel your hand being branded like McDiggory branded Cleopatra’s with a D. You can feel the tragedy that was these kids’ lives. You can see them pickpocketing, begging or becoming child-whores in order to survive. All of them knowing that only the strongest would make it. But they also knew that being strong was no guarantee either.

Only when Adair and Cleo start seeing each other as they are, not as a Black and a Killoran, will be free to fall in love.

Initially I was going to give this book 3 stars but I ended up changing my mind due to all of what I wrote above. Here’s why at the beginning I struggled a bit with this book:

MIXED FEELINGS

There is something in this book that I did like and at the same time I didn’t. Let’s explain what it is and why I have these feelings. This is the first book of a new series. It should have been a fresh start even if one or both of the main characters had been minor characters in previous series. But in this case Adair comes from The Sinful Brides series, he was a minor character back then (actually he’s the only one of the Black siblings who remained unmarried). This series is set in the very same universe as that series, all of the couples from that series are present in this book, and their presence is a heavy one. They are Adair’s family and they are as close as families can be. And I loved finding Calum and Eve, whom I have read about and loved a few months ago. The problem is that Ms. Caldwell makes constant references to events that happen in The Sinful Brides series because the heroine and her brother had an important intervention in one of the previous books, and the ties between them are more than that. I have to recommend that the reader reads those stories first because not only these references are confusing, but also, if a reader chooses this book as her first Caldwell she will find many spoilers from previous books, and I don’t mean HEAs, but actual plots.

What happens when a wild-child is thrown together with a hard-as-nails alpha? Sparks fly, venom is spit and the vitriol of hatred is unleashed. That is until the two protagonists get together and turn all of that into lust . We have met Cleopatra Killoran and Adair Thorne in THE SINFUL BRIDES series, previous to this one. They are both products of the London slums, raised by the evil Diggory until they made an escape. Cleo is the sister of Adair’s rival gambling hell owner and there is only mistrust and antipathy between the H/h and also between the gaming hells. It seems that a love match is insurmountable Until the thrilling climax.

I enjoyed this look at Cleopatra, her sisters (heroines of the next books in the series), the seamier side of London and Adair Thorne partner in the Hell and Sin gaming hell. As usual Christi Caldwell has created characters we care about and who jump off the page. The book is infused with adventure, dialog that evokes Cleo and Adair’s cockney origins and sizzling sexual tension. My only dislike is that the antipathy between the H/h went on too long for my taste. I highly recommend this standalone book but encourage you to read the SINFUL BRIDES series to get even a more in depth feel for the St. Giles, London and the world of the gaming hells.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
A very special book .
What makes it so special?
Adair Thorne?
Cleopatra Killoran ?
It’s both those and so much more .
It’s the fact that Christi has created these two characters.
Characters that are hard , unrelenting, unreachable, and she developed them .
That evolution is not easy , these people were born , raised and live in St.Giles , it’s a rough relentless, environment.
But by putting the two together she’s created something totally unique, a couple who need each other more than they ever realised , a man and woman with desire, love and a wish for a life wholly different but the same as they have now , and they never knew.
They are special and so is the result of their joining forces, they don’t loose their identities they keep their rough edges , don’t become soft or different in any way , they add to themselves, another dimension is created , love .
I adored this book , the whole journey was enlightening and emotional.
It’s definitely my favourite of this series.
Very Highly Recommended!

I started out not sure I was going to like this book (1st chapter of losing the club, I loved the club!). I'm terribly glad I kept going! Cleopatra may have just surpassed my love of Helena. I was worried she'd turn into a TSTL character, but Oh My, she's got moxie! Cleopatra grew up in an area that chews up and spits out the weak, and she surpassed and overcame every challenge that was thrown at her. The mistrust that she was constantly subjected to by the Black family only made her convictions stronger. I do love Adair as well. The Hell and Sin was his Home and he's lost without it. He doesn't allow himself to fit in anywhere else and Cleopatra see's that and understands him. They were too much alike to not fall in love, even with all their families hating the other. They fought it themselves, but love is a fight that wins every time. The ending was one I didn't see coming. I had an idea of who might have set fire to the club, but the "villian" wasn't at all who I expected! I'm now wondering which of the Killorans will be the next to fall! I was gifted an ARC, and was glad I was able to read it so soon, thank you NetGalley. Amazing book!

***********4.25 Stars*********

In The Hellion, Christi Caldwell brings us back to the dark and dangerous streets of St. Giles and the men and women who have called this place home. I love how we leave the glitz and glamour of the upper society and find ourselves engrosses in the gritty and rawness of a world that is all about surviving at all cost.

Adair Throne and Cleo Killoran are two people who were born of the streets. They understand the ruthlessness of the world and have no desire to entire a society that turned a blind eye or perpetrated their suffering.

Adair whole life has been his gaming hell. With his family they built something out of nothing and created an empire to ensure they will never live on the street again. however, as Adair's siblings find love and marry, he finds himself on the outside looking in. All that he has given everything too, is slowly slipping from his grasp and he finds himself adrift and alone.

Cleo has sacrificed everything for her family. She would do anything to protect them, including selling herself to a titled lord, in order to ensure her family's future. However, Cleo begins to rebel and struggles with sacrificing for her family as she fears that if she marries into the Ton, she will lose her spirit and become a shell of a person.

Adair and Cleo hate each other, They is no love lost and when these two are forced together there exchanges end in a fiery explosions. However, no amount of hate or distrust can keep these two apart. Cleo afraid of what her sacrifice will mean, can't help but be drawn to Adair, as he is the only man that can understand who she is.

Cleo was such a complex character. She is no simpering miss and her life has been marred with abuse, neglect and horrors no children should ever know. Life was not a silver spoon and she had to fight, steal and kill in order to climb out of the gutter. She has a strength that surpasses most women and her fears that the Ton will snuff out her light is a real threat.

Adair, this men was amazing. He had my heart swooning. Once he got past the years anger and bitterness, he was able to see Cleo for who she is. She was his equal and someone who would understand the choices he made and would love him for it and not try to change him.

Adair and Cleo relational development felt natural and real. It started out with hate and distrust and then they slowly turned into mutual respect and friendship and then turned into love. There relationship was not easy and was tough to watch at times, but it felt honest and real for the lives these two people lived.

Another great read and one I highly recommend.

The Hellion is the first book in the Wicked Wallflowers series, but the characters are acquaintances met in past stories. Adair is the final brother from the Hell and Sin Club to find his HEA. In the beginning, he doesn’t see how his old world is crumbling around him and he feels lost and alone. Maybe not so much alone as left out. With his brothers and sister all happily married, the only thing he has left is his club. When that to is snatched away by a suspicious fire, he directs his anger to the Killoran family, whom all believe to be responsible. Cleopatra Killoran will do anything to save her family and is furious that Ryker Black’s family believes her brother would resort to arson and Renege on the truce between the families set when the Killorans saved the wife of one of Blacks brothers. Cleopatra must enter the enemy camp and find a Lord to marry to help her family gain and keep the security they crave. Adair is assigned to watch her and keep her from harming his brother’s family. But sparks of a different kind begin to blossom between the two street wise people and hatred turns to friendship turns to love. Christi Caldwell weaves a beautiful story of how two untrusting people from warring families, learn that love can conquer hatred and together they can heal from their pasts. I loved this story and loved the process both the hero and heroine went through to find happiness. I was gifted with an arc and honestly offer this review.

I voluntarily read an Advance Review Copy of this book through Netgalley. Black’s family was to present Cleo to the ton and help her find a man with a title to marry. Cleo, Queen of the Devil’s Den, has no desire to marry but will sacrifice for her family. While at Black’s townhouse Adair is to watch her for security reasons. Cleo is a spitfire until she gets to know Adair and then she begins to feel things that she thought was impossible. Adair, by the same token, came to see Cleo as the only woman he wanted to share his life with. Cleo has a hard time adjusting to being introduced to the ton, escaping with Adair always finding her which has a calming effect on her. The book is well written and captivates you to the very end. It contains previous rivalry between their two hell clubs, Adair’s club burned to the ground, Cleo’s family accused, her introduction to the ton and the closeness between Adair and Cleo grows. Another fire and Cleo almost losses her life and Adair rescues her. This is a great historical romance and I highly recommend it. There is so much to the book that you need to read it to get the full story.

Romeo and Juliet, Heathcliff and Catherine, and now Adair and Cleopatra can be added to my list of favorite star crossed lovers. I love stories of seemingly insurmountable conflicts between families. Like love, feuds create a parallel universe where normal rules don’t apply. And when love defies the conflict, it makes for some very compelling reading.

Adair Thorne had been orphaned by fire as a child and now his home, his livelihood, The Hell and Sin, had been reduced to ashes. He felt like that child again. Scared and wading through an uncertain existence. The club had been his dream, his home, all he’d wanted in life. Now it was gone and Adair was certain it was all due to Broderick Killoran, owner of The Devil’s Den and their rival. He’d been trying to ruin Adair and his brothers for years. Ever since Killoran inherited from Mac Diggory, the man who’d made their lives a living hell. Broderick Killoran had vowed there would be peace between the Killoran and Black families. A truce. His sister, Cleopatra, had even aided in saving Niall’s wife. In exchange, he had asked Black, with connections to the ton, to introduce one of his kin to Polite Society. Though Adair and his brothers mistrusted Killoran, they had no proof yet who started the fire. Until they did, they would have to honor their promise. Cleopatra Killoran would have her season. As second to Broderick, Adair had marked her as trouble the moment he’d seen her. Now she would be in Black’s home where Adair himself was residing since his home was gone. She’d be a guest but one he’d watch closely. “The day a Killoran was anything but an enemy of the Hell and Sin family was the day the world ceased spinning.”
Cleopatra was known to be bold, confident, and fearless. But as she packed to stay at the Black household, she felt a fear and panic she’d not felt since she was a child under Mac Diggory’s control. Until Broderick Killoran had come into her life. He’d protected her and her sisters and she loved him for it. Broderick wanted them to have a better life. Respectability. And to do that, they needed noble connections. Those connections would mean never having to worry about losing everything and living in squalor as they had before. Cleopatra knew her brother was right, but that didn’t ease the fear and panic of leaving her life behind. She could have let one of her sisters go but, though the youngest, Cleopatra was the strongest. Both the Killoran and Black families had been raised as gang members on opposite ends of London. Then they’d been hated rivals. And now they were honoring an agreement. The same people she’d been taught to hate she was now expected to live with. “To live under Black’s roof, make a match with a nob and forever be crushed by that lord’s spirit.” “To humble herself before a world of people who she’d spent her life hating but worse, severing Cleopatra from the only life she’d known.” Cleopatra was afraid but determined not to let it show. She’d do this for the sake of her family. She could handle living among society, living with Black and his brothers. She was Cleopatra Killoran. Named for a queen. There wasn’t a man of any station she couldn’t control.
Cleopatra received a warm welcome from the wives of the Black family. But the brothers were a different story. She felt more like a guarded prisoner than a guest. Especially with Adair Thorne who stalked her every move. The hatred in him was palpable which only made her more determined to bait him. He was arrogant and it was easy to get under his skin. It was clear he didn’t want her here and for that, she admired his genuineness. She didn’t want to be there with him either. Something about him made her feel peculiar. “A damned unwanted fluttering that didn’t have anything to do with hatred or danger, and all the more unnerving for it.”
Adair felt conflicted as well. This small, bespectacled creature was misleading. She was a fearless and sharp tongued hellion. Within moments of meeting, she called out his family’s honor, laughed at him, and questioned his courage. No one had ever dared to speak to him so. She made him lose control. He’d have admired her if she wasn’t a Killoran.
As the weeks progressed, Cleopatra and Adair started to see each other in a different light. They shared a passion for gaming hells. Cleopatra made suggestions for his new club. Her logic made sense and Adair appreciated her insight. Cleopatra began to feel more at ease. At each dreadful ball, she was glad of Adair’s presence. She tried to tell herself it was only because he was from her world and it gave her comfort. They were slowly evolving from mortal enemies to uneasy friends. But just when they’d seem to reach an accord, something would happen to shatter it. Both adept at masking their emotions, they’d often cover their feelings with hurtful and hostile remarks. In one such altercation, Adair lost control, like he was wont to do in Cleo’s presence, and kissed her. That kiss was just as intense and passionate as their arguments. And it completely left them confused. Too much divided them and had divided them all their lives. The hatred they felt for each other’s families was more familiar and safe than the burning longing they felt for each other. Try as they may to deny it, the connection between them was deepening and growing stronger. They valued each other’s opinions, recognized each other’s worth. They shared agonizing memories with each other. Secret parts of themselves. Neither had believed themselves capable of the trust and closeness they felt with each other. But their families would never see the other as they did. What kind of future could they have with such hate between their families? It may not matter, for as secrets come to light and more danger threatens, the only dreams they’d had all their lives and their only hope for the future could be gone.
Just when I think I’ve found my favorite hero and heroine, Christi Caldwell gives me another couple to fall hopelessly in love with. Calum has long been my favorite but I have to say, Adair made me question that. And Cleopatra couldn’t have been more perfect. She proved to be even more wonderful than I imagined. I fell in love with her the moment she packed her weapons right along with her underwear. For Adair, I think I fell in love with him up on that rooftop. Just as Cleo did. They definitely were the most perfectly matched couple I have read in a long time. Both had a deep love for and loyalty to family. Both hated society and loved the gaming hell world. Both had been hardened by horrid beginnings and suffering. They understood what each other had endured. Both feared entering a new life and the uncertainty that came with it. They were leaving behind what they knew. And though both seemed bold and confident, they were vulnerable. Adair was uncertain going out on his own. Each of the brothers were contemplating new endeavors and Adair felt like decisions were being made without him. Cleopatra held her head high and masked her emotions when the ton, who’d thought her good enough to lose their fortunes to, found her shameful for anything more.

These wonderful characters were all introduced in Christi Caldwell’s Sinful Brides series. If this story is any indication, The Wicked Wallflowers series may be even more spectacular. There’s so much I’m looking forward to in this series. I hope Cleopatra’s sisters have their own story. They are just as feisty as their younger sibling. Lord Landon intrigued me as well. I’m anxious to read more of him. And I am chomping at the bit for Reggie and Killoran’s story. I knew Killoran would be so much more than he seemed and I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for him.
This story stands out in so many ways. The strength of characters, the complexity of the plot, the authentic dialogue, and the beautiful love story are all woven together so perfectly. The evolution of Cleopatra and Adair getting to know one another and themselves better is beautiful, amazing, funny at times, and other times will bring tears to your eyes. While this can be read as a stand alone, I can’t imagine reading this story without having read the Sinful Brides series. It just made the story even more moving knowing what brought these characters to this point. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. And thank you to Christi Caldwell for writing characters that have taken a place in my heart. A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. The Hellion by Christie Caldwell is the first book in her new series Wicked Wallflowers. It can obviously be read as a stand alone but many of the characters in this book were introduced in her previous series Sinful Brides so I would suggest reading them first. Adair Thorne has just lost everything once again to a devastating fire that destroyed the gambling hell he owned with his brothers. In the midst of trying to rebuild his life is upended by Cleopatra Killoran who’s family just happens to be the sworn enemies of his own family. They are thrown together in order to satisfy a pledge given by Adair’s family when Cleopatra helped to rescue his brothers wife. The Black family agreed to sponsor her during the season so that she could attract a Lord for a husband. There is a nice slow development of the relationship between this Romeo and Juliet as they discover that they are not so different after all and a bit of steam. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it and the other books about the Black Family. Publishing Date April 3, 2018 #TheHellion #NetGalley