Wicked and the Wallflower

Why did I wait so long to read a Sarah MacLean book?

The only possible answer is because I’m a dingbat.

This book is everything I wanted and more. Witty dialogue, a man you can fall in love with, and a leading lady who is strong, independent, and most importantly-interesting.

Loved, loved, loved it.

This story is surprisingly entertaining. I didn’t expect much when I started it, but the story pulled me in entirely. The writing is totally engaging and the world building is awesome. The story is never boring and quite unpredictable. And there’s so much going on apart from the main love-story. I always enjoy being surprised by a storyline, and this one has many twists and turns. Some questions are answered in the book, but it’s clear that I’ll have to read the next installments if I want the full back-story.

I don’t read very much historical romance nowadays. I used to, but it’s a rather difficult genre since it requires so much research to be believable. So, too many of historical romance stories are either silly, clichéd or obviously based mostly on whatever the author has learned from costume dramas on TV. Also, it’s really hard to write historical romance with contemporary characters. Because really, even though some cave-manly behavior might be sexy, no woman alive wants loverboy to be a chauvinist pig. MacLean however, manages quite beautifully to create characters that appeal to my 21st century, feminist self without them feeling out of place in a story set in historical London.

The entire novel was very well written, and I was especially impressed by the way the character development was described. Both Felicity and Devil evolves and grows in the most natural manner. There’s none of those, all too common, noticeable leaps in development that always makes me cringe and pulls me out of the story. MacLean is really talented that way.

If I have to name one thing about this read that I had a hard time with, it would be the chosen name of the main male character. To have him called Devil is just ridiculous. It could perhaps work in certain situations, but having Felicity call him Devil almost throughout the entire book gives the entire read a level of silly that could have easily been avoided by using some other name.

Anyway, I really recommend this book for those who are looking for historical romance with a pinch of naughty. But I must stress that it’s only just a pinch. Which of course is disappointing as heck. I mean, everything is better with a good helping of sexytimes.
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Wonderful book but I love all of her books. I just bought digitally than realized I had already purchased on paperback and had finished it. I really liked premise.sorry the time and money you invest in it!

Enjoyed this book very much. The main female character was great and the main male character was wonderful. would definitively recommend this book.

Very good book with fascinating characters that kept me hooked from beginning to end. Felicity is a twenty-seven-year-old woman who appears to be firmly on the shelf. She went from having glittering possibilities to being stuck on the fringes of society thanks to a couple of poor decisions that nobody will let her forget. As the story opens, Felicity is verbally attacked by those who used to be her friends. Felicity wants nothing more than to get back to being part of the in-crowd once again and show up those who have treated her so badly. Her mouth gets the better of her, and she claims to be engaged to the Duke of Marwick, even though she has never met him, and knows that when the truth comes out, she’ll be Finished Felicity for sure. What she doesn’t expect is a late-night offer of help from a mysterious stranger.

Devil is the bastard son of a brutal and manipulative duke, one of three brothers and a sister. In a childhood pact, the brothers swore that they would ensure that there would be no heirs to their father’s line. Now one brother, Ewan, who brutally acquired their father’s title, has broken that pact and is looking for a wife. Devil is determined to thwart Ewan’s plans, and Felicity is the perfect tool for him to use. He promises her that he will help her land the duke, while at the same time intending to sabotage the engagement to prove to Ewan that he won’t get his way. Devil has no thought for what his plans would do to the girl in question.

I loved both Felicity and Devil. Though Felicity seemed to be a typical empty-headed society miss at first, it doesn’t take long to see that there is more to her. I liked seeing her lay down her own conditions with Devil. She also isn’t content to sit back and wait for him to take action. She has a very unique talent that she regularly uses to invade his space. She has a sharp mind and isn’t afraid to use it, which sometimes gets her into trouble. Devil is a man who made my heart ache. He had a terrible childhood but has made a place for himself, with his brother and sister, as the king of Covent Garden and head of the local crime ring. Though Devil is a hard man who rules his kingdom with an iron fist, there is also another side of him that, though not precisely soft, shows a depth of caring for the people around him. It is especially evident in the treatment of his “employees.”

I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the relationship between Felicity and Devil. The connection is there from the moment they met, though both try to ignore it. Felicity is intrigued by Devil and takes every opportunity to spend time with him. I loved her first appearance in his world, his shock at how she got there, and her refusal to back down. Devil’s reaction is priceless, as is his trouble in figuring out how to deal with her. As Felicity found herself drawn deeper into Devil’s world, her outlook underwent some significant changes. I loved seeing her take a good look at the life she was trying to get back to and realize that it was no longer what she wanted. I loved seeing her confidence in herself grow the more time she spent with Devil, and discover that he and the Covent Garden life was what she wanted. All she had to do was break down his walls and get him to let her in. Devil was in trouble from the minute he met Felicity. He was fascinated by her and increasingly reluctant to inflict the inevitable hurt that his plans would cause. He was dismayed by the protectiveness he felt for her, suspecting that it will cause him greater problems with his intentions for the duke. He fought hard against his feelings for her, convinced that he is unworthy of her because of who and what he is. The dialogue between Felicity and Devil spotlights their connection and their growing feelings and emphasizes the attraction that continues to simmer and bubble between them. I ached for them both when the truth came out and was glued to the pages to see how they would find their way back to each other. Their big moment together was fantastic and perfect for the two of them.

The revenge portion of the story was well done. There is enough of the backstory to show why Devil goes after Ewan, with details revealed piecemeal through the book. The parts involving Ewan and Grace are particularly intriguing and leave me with many questions about what is between them. The tension built slowly as Devil helped Felicity in her desire to captivate the duke, while at the same time planning his part. There were also some questions as to whether Ewan is somehow involved in the trouble that Devil and Whit are having with their business. The confrontation between Devil and Ewan at the end was intense and did not go the way I thought it would. I loved Felicity’s part in it. There are still unanswered questions, and I can’t wait to see what is in the next book.

The secondary characters in the book were vital to the story, too. There are Devil’s siblings, Whit and Grace/Dahlia. Whit is quiet but intense. His relationship with Devil is close, and their business is successful because of it. I enjoyed seeing him try to keep Devil focused on the plan, yet also support him in his love for Felicity. There were some funny moments between them because of it. I loved their sister, Grace. She is a strong woman who has made an interesting life for herself. I look forward to her story because of it. Nik was another strong and independent woman. I especially enjoyed seeing how the men respected her. My least favorite characters were Felicity’s family. They were incredibly selfish, looking to Felicity to sacrifice herself so that they can maintain their position in society. Her brother was perhaps a shade better because he at least felt guilty about what they were doing. He redeemed himself a little bit at the end.

I read this months ago but I keep thinking about this hero, Devil! Rarely does this happen. Sarah MacLean wrote such a strong character that I couldn’t help but root for him. I can’t wait for book 2 of Barenuckle Bastards. I purchased my own book and I’ve already preordered book 2!

Sarah MacLean is an author that I reread. Her books are funny and I love her characters so much. The Wicked and the Wallflower is no exception, and a fantastic start to a new series. Read this book and do yourself a favor and preorder the next one.

Sarah MacLean is an auto buy author for me and I’ve read everything she’s written. This is another fantastic read. She never disappoints!

Darker than I expected, but riveting!

I needed a book to take my mind off some troubling issues and this book fit the bill. Reading before bedtime sent me to sleep with wonderful dreams. No one writes historical romance better than this author. I love how she brings two damaged characters together in an unusual plot where they end up saving each other. I particularly enjoyed the description of London’s Covent Garden-terrific historical research. Buy this book, it’s a keeper.