This book started out with so much promise. I read the first two chapters and loved them. The hero helps the heroine out of a jam and we learn a lot about him as he is also protecting his uncle and son. A great beginning. Unfortunately the book becomes a mess after that. Too many plot lines that go no where and secondary characters whose plotlines are dead ends. I kept hoping the book would return to the strength of its beginning. Such a disappointment... ( )

Wicked Earl Seeks Proper Heiress ( The Husband Hunters Club #5) by Sara Bennett is a February 2014 Avon publication. I as provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Although Lady Averil is a member of The Husband Hunters Club she has managed to keep from naming the man she wants to marry... until now. Her fellow club members have had enough of her excuses and insist she start naming names. Eventually, she confesses an attraction to Rufus Blainey, the Earl of Southbrook. The Earl is dark and mysterious, having done something that cast him out of the upper crust of society. He also bears a scar on his face that is rumored to have been the result of a duel.
When Averil and her cousin need help with the home they run for women in crisis, Rufus volunteers. One evening, Averil follows the private detective she hired to find her sister into an unsavory gambling establishment following a promising lead. She runs into Lord Southbrook who is there to locate his young son who had followed his Uncle James there under the guise of keeping his uncle out of trouble. When Rufus learns that Averil is seeking her long lost sister, he agrees to look into the matter for her. But, James has another suggestion for Rufus. The beautiful Lady Averil is about to come into a large inheritance. Rufus is in dire straits money wise and his castle is in a sad state of disrepair. If Rufus were to marry Averil all his troubles would be over. After a battle with his conscience, Rufus knows James is right. He just can't get comfortable with the idea of marrying Averil for her money.
The more time Averil spends with Rufus the more she likes him. She learns about his first marriage the blame placed on him by her family. She adores the Earl's son and is very grateful for the help Rufus has offered to the home and in helping find her sister. But does the Earl feel the same way about Averil or is he simply doing what is best for his fortune and his son's future? Will Averil ever locate her sister?
This regency romance is a quick easy read. I liked the characters, all of whom had a flaw in their characters. Averil was distrustful after her mother left her, Rufus of course had a terrible marriage and was cast from society, James has a gambling issue and can't keep his mouth closed. Averil's cousin is also conflicted as rumors are started about him and he finds his reputation on the line. The secondary characters are also very important to the story as some are good and some are not, some are innocent and some naive.
While this novel is a standard historical romance with the usual misunderstandings and angst, I sitll found myself absorbed in the story . If you are looking for a traditional regency romance this one should fit the bill for you.
Overall I will give this on a B- or 3.5 stars ( )