Book 25 of 2015

Willing by Michaela Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Willing (book one of The Namesaken Series) sounded sort of interesting by the author's description since it was about Jack the Ripper but I had my reservations about how much I would like it since the main character was a prostitute and to use the author's word, it was also "steamy". Not that I am a prude but I just don't enjoy books centering on aimless sex (smut books) and by the description it sounded like this could be one of those with Jack the Ripper thrown in so when one prostitute was killed, it gave a reason to change from one explicit scene to another. On the other hand, I have read books about prostitutes that were good so I took a chance on this one and I am so glad I did.

Constance is a prostitute and a well developed main character. She's intelligent and not a prostitute by choice but more so out of necessity due to her personal circumstances and the economy. When she is summoned by the wealthy, handsome, Lord Alisdair, she is treated like a queen and prepared for the ritual that takes place during the full moon. Constance always knew there was something special about her and it is after she is summoned by Lord Alisdair that this becomes obvious.

Lord Alisdair is also a main character and developed. He has some strange beliefs, rituals, and he believes Constance is the only one that can help achieve his goal of receiving the gifts of the Golden Rite. He is a bit of a mysterious character early on which lends to all kinds of assumptions of his true intentions. He almost seemed like the opposite of Constance: she is realistic, cautious, and down-to-earth, whereas Alisdair is confident, mysterious, and proper.

This fast paced story reminds me a little of the movie "Pretty Women" but add supernatural powers, a coven, rituals, deceit, murder, betrayal, romance and more. Another fascinating aspect to the story is it explains who Jack the Ripper was and why the prostitutes were killed which I never saw coming! I know this is fictional but the time, place, characters, and events make this story seem so real and had me turning page after page. As far as the 'steamy' parts in the book, they were explicit at times but done in a very tasteful ways. I also love the cover of the book, it is nice to see visually the style of gown and putting a face to a name even if Lord Alisdair is seen only in shadow (of course he is, it is that mystery about him). It was very well written and I only noticed one typo. I definitely recommend this book to adults.

*I received an ARC for my unbiased review.

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