Holly‘s review of A Hellion in Her Bed (The Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 2) by Sabrina Jeffries

Furious at his grandmother’s ultimatum to marry or lose his inheritance, Lord Jarret Sharpe wagers his luck—and his heart—at the card table against a most unlikely opponent.Mired in scandal after his parents’ mysterious deaths, notorious gambler Lord Jarret Sharpe agrees to tamely run the family brewery for a year if his Machiavellian grandmother rescinds her ultimatum that he marry.


But the gambler in him can’t resist when beguiling Annabel Lake proposes a wager. If she wins their card game, he must help save her family’s foundering brewery. But if he wins, she must spend a night in his bed. The outcome sets off a chain of events that threatens to destroy all his plans . . . and unveils the secret Annabel has held for so long. When Jarret discovers the darker reason behind her wager, he forces her into another one—and this time he intends to win not just her body, but her heart.

I adored the first book in this series, The Truth About Lord Stoneville, and couldn’t wait for the next installment to come out. Unfortunately for me, I’m in the same boat again. I adored this novel and can’t wait for the next to come out. If only Jeffries would write faster!

Annabel is in a bind. Her father’s brewery isn’t doing well, thanks in large part to her brother’s constant drinking. She knows she can bring new business in if she can just get her foot in with the India trading. But to do that she needs help. So she goes to the only person she thinks might be willing to help. Jarret’s grandmother. Unfortunately, she’s ill and Jarret is running the brewery in her absence. Annabel has heard all about Lord Jarret. She knows he’s a gambler and a rake, but she’s desperate. So she makes a bargain with him – if she can beat him at a game of cards, he’ll help her family brewery. If not, she’ll sleep with him. But Annabel isn’t telling Jarret the whole truth about why her brother’s brewery is in trouble, or about her own past.

Jarret isn’t happy about being manipulated by his grandmother into running the brewery. It had been his dream once to take it over, but she’d sent him to school instead, and now he prefers making his living at the gaming tables.  When she falls ill he’s left with no choice, but he lets her know he’s taking it over on his terms, not hers. Even so, he isn’t a complete idiot. Forming a partnership with a brewery that’s in trouble isn’t a good idea. Why, then, can’t he stop himself from making a bargain with Annabel? And following through when it’s over will be his pleasure….and hers.

I loved  both Jarret and Annabel. Jarret may play the part of inveterate rake, but inside he still feels like a lost boy, with no one to turn to and no direction in his life. As a child he knew he’d inherit his grandparent’s brewery and that’s where he wished to spend all his time. When his grandmother forced him to Eton instead, she broke something fragile between them, though she didn’t realize it at the time. He just desperately wanted somewhere he fit in, somewhere he belonged. As a child, the brewery was that place for him. As an adult, it’s with Annabel. His willingness to open himself to her was wonderful, especially after he finds out her secrets.

Annabel was strong and caring, and my heart broke for her after learning her secret. I completely understood why she kept it from Jarret, though it was hard to read about at times. She’s a caretaker, willing to put herself in precarious situations if needed to take care of those she loved. She wasn’t stupid about it, though I would say she was a bit reckless at times. The bargain with Jarret was a calculated risk, one she didn’t think about too hard before making. I liked that she realized later how wrong she was to make the bargain, but knows she’d probably do it again – as long as it was Jarret she was betting against. I also liked that she was willing to put herself out there for him.

Annabel’s secrets played a huge role in the story. There were two major ones that she guarded closely, though one wasn’t quite as deep and dark as the other. As I said above, I totally understood her reasons for not telling Jarret that her brother was a drinker, though I did struggle with the other one a bit. I don’t want to spoil it, but I think she should have been more honest sooner about her brother. I know why she kept it a secret at first, but she should have opened up sooner.

I really liked Annabel and Jarret together. They had strong chemistry and just seemed to fit together. They were able to lean on one another and draw strength from each other. I loved that each brought out the best in the other. 

I really enjoyed the secondary characters. Because much of the book is spent at Annabel’s home, we don’t see as much of Jarret’s siblings as we did in the first book, but when they were around I really enjoyed them. I also liked Annabel’s family and some of the brewery employees. Even the kids were well written.

Overall this was another excellent entry in the series. I’m just disappointed we have to wait so long for the next installment (How to Woo a Reluctant Lady, 1/11).

4.5 out of 5

The series:

This book is available from Pocket Star. You can buy it here or here in e-format.