A Waltz on the Wild Side is book 6 in Erica Ridley’s The Wild Wynchesters Regency romance series, and it was such a fun read, just what I needed at the time I picked it up.
Erica Ridley is one of my favourite historical romance authors, so I was excited when I was approved for an advance copy of A Waltz on the Wild Side. I had fallen behind on this series, but as each book is a self-contained story, I had no issues picking it up after having missed a couple of the earlier books.
A Walk on the Wilde Side is not your typical Regency romance, in that many of the main characters are not peers of the realm, and this family in particular is mostly made up of found family.
The main characters are Vivian, an aspiring playwright and former slave from the island of Demerara, and Jacob an animal trainer, poet, and one of the infamous Wynchesters.
Vivian hates the Winchester family, even though she has never met them. But her view of them is challenged when she goes to them to help find her missing cousin, and she gets to know them.
Vivian and Jacob seemed like the perfect match to me. They suited each other so well, and the way Vivian fit in with the whole Wynchester family was just so perfect.
I love the way that Erica Ridley is able to address social issues in her regency romances, but include many humorous moments so that the overall story doesn’t feel like a lecture.
If there was one thing that felt out of place, it was the spicy scene near the end of the book. I have nothing against spicy scenes, I just think it wasn’t necessary in this particular story, and felt kind of shoehorned in. I don’t feel like it really added anything important.
That said, despite some of the heavier subjects, this was a relatively light, very enjoyable read. I recommend it to any lover of historical romance.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A Waltz on the Wild Side will be available on August 26 2025.
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