This is an atypical historical romance - a hardened embittered Earl , scarred by an accident - abandoned by his fiancé - he becomes a recluse .
Finally he wakes up to the world again and decides on a path of revenge - he blackmails is ex-fiancé's father into providing him with the services of her sister to act as companion to his Aunt .
Two people who have felt ill-treated by the past slowly grow to realise that perhaps the future will hold more than just hope .

i was given an arc of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

A different take on the classic phantom of the opera tale i found this book enjoyable though not very memorable

A treat for historical romance readers!
There is an illtreated daughter, who is bartered off to the whims of an Earl. Her parents care for the coin that comes with the deal, and the Earl wants revenge on her family. That is about the gist of this story. But it is warm, and a real delight to read. The hero and the heroine, their chemistry, the outcome... everything together makes this a good read.

This one is all on me. I knew what I was getting when I chose a Wenn book and conveniently ignored it. Don't get me wrong. I like Wenn well enough in general. But I *knew* her book would be riddled with anachronisms and details that simply would not happen in the time period, not to mention that it would be wildly melodramatic. It was all these things. So yes, it is entirely my fault that I picked this book and didn't like it all that much.

All in all, this is a revenge book - revenge on a whole host of people who are so melodramatically bad they are twisting that mustache. Yes, the mousy little girl gets the guy and yes, the guy is not as much a beast as he thinks he is. Speaking of, this is a bit of a beauty and the beast story too.

If you are stickler for historical accuracy, don't read this book. It will make you gnash your teeth. If you like melodrama and don't mind all sorts of anachronisms, then you might enjoy it.

Not a bad story. Overall i liked how the story progressed. Lots of secrets going round in the book. Enjoyed for the most part.

Douglas Scott, the Earl of Darkwood, had it all. Wealth, two homes, friends and a beautiful fiancee name Annabelle. But his cousin Anthony was a gambler and could not keep from having to come to Douglas to beg for money for him and his father to get them out of debt.
This one time Douglas had decided not to help him or Anthony would never learn. Unfortunately a desperate man will do whatever he can to solve his problem and that was to cause an accident that would kill Douglas! Oh yes, he saw no other way out!
But as fate would have it Douglas lived but was greatly scarred. It seemed he lost everything in that moment. His fiance and then his comfort with being seen. So he becomes a recluse and bides his time.
Ten years later he makes his move and blackmail's Annabelle father by buying up all his debt and he demands Wendy, Annabelle's sister. Not to compromise her but to be a companion to his elderly Aunt.
Then the story truly begins with the interaction between the two and all of the outside forces which work against them. Prepare to be pulled into this story of a wounded man and the lady who might be able to bring him to the light.. I really enjoyed this first book I have read by Jennifer Wenn and recommend you read it too!

Darkwood Manor - 1805

Anthony Scott is in love with Annabelle Russell, however, he has limited funds as his father gambled the money away. Anthony has become like his father and gambles too. Now, Annabelle is to marry the wealthy Douglas Scott, the Earl of Darkwood. As he has done before, Anthony comes to Douglas asking him to pay off his debts. This time, Douglas refuses. Furious, Anthony thinks of killing Douglas and then he would be next in line for the title. So, he sets up an accident where Douglas’s carriage goes off a steep cliff. However, Douglas survives but has injuries and scars on his face. When Annabelle sees Douglas’s face, she refuses to marry him and marries Anthony instead.

Ten years later finds Douglas leading the life of a recluse where no one sees him and he lives in the dark. Knowing that Annabelle’s parents, Sir Edward Russell and his spoiled wife are in need of money due to excess spending. Douglas buys up their debts and then tells them that he wants their daughter, Wendolyne (Wendy), age 20, to come to Darkwood Manor to be a companion to his aunt who will be visiting him for a time. As Wendy has literally been her parents’ servant for years, this is a nice for her to get away from their selfishness. In return, Douglas will waive their debts. They immediately accept.

Wendy is an innocent who has always worked hard literally as a servant in her parents’ home and is willing to help at Darkwood Manor. She tries to get to know Douglas and is surprised to find that she is not repelled by his appearance as to her, he has no scars. Soon, there is an attraction between them that cannot be denied.

The greedy hands of Anthony and Annabelle are extended yet again for money from Douglas. In addition, Wendy’s parents want money too.

Is there a possibility that Douglas’s revenge can be smoothed over to allow he and Wendy to have a relationship? Will they always be pressured by his and her family for money?

This was a difficult book to figure out at times. Is Douglas or is he not scarred? His character is unpredictable as he is loving one minute and then cold. Wendy is much too trusting. Readers will want to see the evil characters get their due.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was really enjoying this book until around three quarters of the way through when the plot went a little unbelievable. Without giving anything away, I couldn’t imagine the way Wendy’s parents behaved in other people’s home or that the mother’s language would have been acceptable in this era. There are other examples but that would give away the storyline. Wendy was a likeable character, although I was willing her to stand up for herself. I’m not so sure about Douglas, the Earl of Darkwood, he was quite happy to use others to exact his revenge, even though they had nothing to do with his accident and the aftermath. He did redeem himself although he still remained arrogant. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yes, another fairy tale retelling. I am sorry. It is a weakness of mine. Lord Darkwood’s Revenge by Jennifer Wenn is a spin on Beauty and the Beast. Lord Darkwood, Douglas, is part of the wealthy nobility and is engaged to the beautiful Annabelle. His cousin is jealous that he is the heir to the wealth and tries to murder him. Fortunately for Douglas, he does not die. But he is left with scars that scare his fiance away and she marries his cousin instead. Ten years later, Douglas has hidden away in his manor, thinking about revenge. He invites Annabelle’s sister, Wendy, to live as a companion to his elderly Aunt in exchange for paying off all her father’s debts. Her parents are quite too eager to be rid of her. Well, as the story has it. Wendy is kind and slowly tries to break down the walls that Douglas has built around himself. However, jealousy, greed, and danger complicate matters.

Sigh. Where to begin? If you are looking for a quick, simple read then this is it. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, but I struggled with this one. First of all, I did enjoy the constant suspense. It felt like there is never a moment of peace. It will keep readers on their toes. Although, the parents. Dear God, those parents. I hated them. That is the point, I know. But I hated them so much that I almost stopped reading the book. Annabelle is awful too. Again, that is the point. But they were so bad, I cringed. I loved Wendy. She is unsure but strong. She is what makes the book. That and the servants. They made me smile, gave me hope for the book. That is my absolute favorite part.

Now. Douglas. Oh, temperamental Douglas. He is prone to mood swings and is ashamed of his looks because of his scars. Sounds like the beast, right? The only problem… his scars are no big deal!!!!! Everyone tells him, he looks fine and that they can barely see the scars. But no. No one knows how he feels. He sees a monster. This was painful to read. I just wanted to reach into the book and smack him. Come on, man! Get. A. Grip.

Now, that being said. Douglas and Wendy falling is love is both steamy and heartwarming. I love the fact that they both find solace in finding someone that truly cares for them.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. It is good! I still enjoyed the book and Beauty and the Beast fans will enjoy it too. There are just a couple of things that I could not ignore. Be sure to check it out when it is released on April 17th!— The cover is absolutely stunning!

Thank you to the Author, NetGalley, and Wild Rose Press for a copy of the book!

A decade ago, Douglas Scott, the elusive Lord Darkwood, survived a horrendous accident that left him with both physical and emotional scars. Abandoned by his beautiful fiancée Annabelle at his darkest moment, he turns his back on society, embracing a hermit lifestyle. However he buys up all of Lord Russell's debts & gives Annabelle's father the option pay by the end of the week of let your younger daughter Wendolyne become the companion to Douglas's sickly, bedridden elderly aunt. Used as a servant by her parents, Wendy easily adapts to a similar role at her new home, slowly awakening the once grand manor.
Thrown together, the beast learns to yield and the mouse learns to roar, and Douglas and Wendy find themselves warming to each other—to the point of flames. But danger lurks. Douglas's accident was an unsuccessful murder attempt, and the murderer returns to finish what he started.
I felt uncomfortable reading the start of the book as I disliked everyone but Douglas, then the book moves forward ten tears & I found it hard to like Douglas but did really like Wendy. I did wonder should I continue to read with such horrible characters but if I start a book I do like to finish it & I was intrigued by how, apart from the obvious Douglas was to have his revenge. I must say I’m glad I did continue as the more I read the more engrossed I became, talk about a slow burner! Whilst I liked Wendy at times I could have shaken her & yelled’ how many more times', her family was vile & I would have liked to have found out what happened to them. Overall I found this to be a compelling read & found myself routing for Douglas & Wendy
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

What can I say about this book, except... For me there was not enough romance and too much revenge and money talk.
It was fine story but somehow I could not grasp the chemistry between the leaders.
I tried, and no matter what I did, I could not get into that book at all. Due to that fact I am giving 3 out of 5 rating.

Lord Darkwood's Revenge by Jennifer Wenn. The Wild Rose Press, 2019.

In this story of extremes, the very young Douglas, Lord Darkwood, lives in a perfect world with a perfect fiancé, Annabelle. When Douglas refuses his gambler cousin’s demand for money, his cousin causes a carriage accident where Douglas is so seriously injured that his Annabelle leaves him. The story picks up ten years later. Douglas has an agenda of revenge with Wendolyn, Annabelle’s younger sister, just one item on it.

Although the writing style suits the genre, reading this book was a series of stops and starts for me. The book’s plot is that of a fairy tale, with situations and characters that are so far at the “bad” end of the scale that they are distracting. The story is not at all believable. Historical details are sparse. I finished it but can not say I enjoyed it.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Lord Darkwood's Revenge via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I started to read this book I didn't think I would like it. It is an old story about money, murder, revenge, and love. However, I found myself drawn to the characters and I at times felt bad for them. The two main characters are Douglas and Wendy. Douglas is a wealthy title holder in England while Wendy is a commoner with crappy parents. Someone tried to kill Douglas but he survived. His original plan was to use Wendy in his plot for revenge but he starts to care for Wendy. This book definitely has a Beauty and the Beast vibe. All in all I really did like this book even though the ending did seem rushed. i will look forward to reading the author's next book.

Lord Darkwood, Douglas is betrothed to Annabelle. She is beautiful and everything he could want in a woman. Anthony, his cousin is a gambling rakehell who wants only money from Douglas. He refuses to give him anymore money. He knows that it will only cause more harm. There is a terrible accident where Douglas is almost killed and scarred for life. Annabelle is disgusted by Douglas and breaks off her engagement. Douglas thinks he is so disfigured that he turns into a recluse, not seeing anyone. Annabelle marries Anthony who has not changed his ways. Douglas, Lord Darkwood has bought up all of Annabelle's fathers' gambling debts and threatens to ruin him, if he doesn't give him what he wants. He wants Wendolyne, Annabelle's younger sister. She has been acting as cook and maid to her family since they lost all their money. Her family basically sells her to Douglas. He promises not to compromise Wendy, but the attraction is there and it turns into more. Wendy's family is still trying to sell her to the highest bidder. When Douglas figures this out, he realizes his feelings and that he is not a monster. Is it too late? Will Wendy be married to someone else or dead before he finds her? I loved this story. It is something like Beauty and the Beast with the beast not a beast. Secrets come out and the ending is perfect. I received this book from Net Galley and Wild Rose Press for a honest review. I voluntary read this book.

I couldn’t read past the first chapter because I prefer a clean romance. I was surprised to find that this definitely isn’t one. Thank you to net galley for the book.

Ten years have passed since Lord Darkwood's terribleaccident. Time to take revenge on his ex-fiancée and her family, and so he 'buys' the younger sister, Wendolyne Russell, to act as a companion to his aunt.
Although overall an enjoyable story, I could have liked more revenge and less romance. I also didn't really care much for the two main characters as a couple, and some of the other characters seemed to have been too extreme.
A NetGalley Book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The opening of the story had me thinking that Anthony was going to turn his life around for the love of Annabelle. I certainly was wrong. The "Beauty and the Beast" overtones were definitely there, but with a few differences. Wendy is a strong heroine with a difficult family, who discovers her own strengths. The other characters inhabiting the manor add to the story. I especially liked Quentin and the cook.

Any chance for a book about Nathan? I think he deserves to find his own happy ending.

i was not sure of this book when I started reading, seemed much too heavy hearted. . But, thank goodness, I have this quirk about reading a book till the end, I would have missed out on a great book otherwise. I may not have cared about them in the beginning but I sure did as I kept reading. This book creeps up on you, I remember thinking as I kept reading that I was so glad I'm a very fast reader, I would just bull my way through it and be done with it. By the last paragraph I was like, No, it can't be over, I want more of them. This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last.. Thank you Netgalley

Douglas at one time had it all. He was wealthy, was titled, and had the most beautiful woman as his fiance. Then it all changed overnight. Unbeknownst to him, his cousin tried to kill him to inherit it all, and although the carriage accident didn't kill Douglas, it left him scared in the face, which made the shallow fiance leave, and crushed him mentally. Especially when she married the cousin who tried to kill him. The book then jumps 10 years, and Douglas comes up with a way to get revenge. He orders the former father-in-law to his house, and tells him either he pays his huge gambling debts or give him his younger daughter. Needless to say, the daughter is sent right away. Douglas want to hurt the family by hurting the young woman, but things change when he gets to know her. Wendy is everything her sister wasn't, and she soon becomes friends with all in the house, including grumpy old Douglas. I enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling, and the characters were good too. Could have been condensed a bit though, as I skimmed a little here and there. Also, at the end it would have been interesting to know what happened to her family. Other than that, I highly recommend this book.