*An ARC was given in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the writer and the publisher for the opportunity to read this.* 
 (This is actually a 3.75 star-rating, but as a personal rule, I round down.) 
 Take Elizabeth Hoyt's talent in writing steamy scenes, Lorraine Heath's ability to play on the readers' emotions, and combine them with Liz Carlyle's courage to explore sensitive themes, and you will get A Whisper of Desire. This complex and multi-layered novel is definitely the most ambitious I've read this year. Danger, grief, love, passion and perversion all spiral together into one big ball of dark sensual energy that will either enthral you, or suffocate you with its intensity. I can imagine some readers DNF-ing this, crying "Abandon ship!" by the middle of the book, and I don't blame them. It takes a lot of tolerance, strength of will, and open-mindedness to brave through all the emotional punches and twists that Ms. Bronwen Evans gives out in the story. And believe me, she does not hold back. 
 The story's hero, Maitland Spencer, is part of the Libertine Scholars, a group of young men renown for their intelligence and sexual appeal. Aptly called the "Cold Duke," Maitland is aloof, extremely analytical and pragmatic to a fault, always striving to be in control of his emotions all the time. I'm sure we've all encountered that hero who's all disciplined and taciturn but loses his cool when it comes to the heroine. And I'm sure that it's easy to categorise Maitland in this way, but that wouldn't do him any justice at all. He is a much more complex character than he appears. In fact, as you dig deeper into his persona, you'll see the truth that he hides so well under his facade of control: the broken soul of a man tormented by the demons of his past. Consumed by his fears, he is a victim in desperate need of saving. 
 And that is just what our heroine is set to do. Strong when it counts and equally pragmatic, Marisa is everything Maitland needs. She refuses to be set aside whenever he starts to detach himself from his feelings for her. She shows him what love really means, bearing her soul in a way that forces him to face his past. I had doubts about Marisa at first, but my respect for her grew with every problem she faced. She is graceful under pressure, and I love her for that. 
 There is no doubt in my mind that Maitland and Marisa are meant for each other. They're the perfect companions, and even more so in the bedroom. 
 Oh, the sex. Just like everything else in the novel, the sex is intense, explosive and just downright sinful. I said this once in the comments, and I'll say it again: this book has the dirtiest sex I've ever encountered in a historical romance novel. Man, this isn't just a whisper; it's a whole damn gale of desire that blasts you in the face and knocks you senseless. 
 I like how Maitland and Marisa's sexual relationship evolves throughout the story. What starts as dirty and wild sex turns into something more beautiful and sweet. You can really see them making love once they get into terms of their feelings. Sigh. 
 You know, when I got to the 45% marker, I remember saying something about wanting to dedicate a shrine to this book and do some major pagan worshipping to it. I really, really meant it. That is, until I encountered a bomb shell that almost made me DNF this book. I was totally unprepared for it. 
 You see, there are three main twists to this story. The first twist, which is encountered halfway through the book, is just really downright "twisted" (sorry for the bad pun). It involves Maitland, and I can say that this may very well be the make-or-break point in the entire novel. I was tempted to stop, but I was too invested in the story to do so. Again, like I said in the first paragraph of this review, I won't blame people for doing so. But I just really wish you give Maitland a chance to clear things up. Whatever may have happened in the past is very well justified once you learn more about what happened. 
 The second twist involves Marisa, and all I can say about that is this: 
 I'm not sure if I want to applaud or throttle the writer for doing something like that. It was really so unexpected that I could not stop myself from sobbing like a lunatic. 
 The third twist is the weakest, and felt totally unnecessary. As if Maitland and Marisa didn't have enough on their plate as it is. I didn't like that they couldn't even take a breather from all the drama for a while. I mean, please, just let them rest. They deserve a break. 
 I also have a similar issue about the ending and the epilogue. I was really bothered by the one big loose end, and the fact that they didn't get the HEA they deserved. I mean, okay, it's sweet and all but I think Maitland and Marisa deserve more than that. This is the main reason why this isn't a 4 star book. 
 Overall, I really, really, really loved this. BUT I wouldn't recommend this if you're not at all comfortable with heavy drama, and with sensitive topics like sexual abuse, emotional torture, sodomy (no, Maitland isn't gay) and perversion (no, Maitland isn't the one perverted). I applaud Ms. Bronwen Evans for attempting something so ambitious and complex. While the story really did struggle under its own weight at some parts, I personally feel like she pulled it off. Reading this is a torture that I will gladly repeat over and over and over again.