Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean Series: , #1
Published by Avon on June 19, 2018
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency Era
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Length: 12 Hours and 40 Mins
Pages: 396
Format: Audiobook
Source: Self Purchased
ISBN: 0062692062
When Wicked Comes Calling...
When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She's seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won't accept a marriage without it.
The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain...
Bastard son of a duke and king of London's dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.
For the Promise of Passion...
But there's nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she'd rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil's carefully laid plans are in chaos, and he must choose between everything he's ever wanted...and the only thing he's ever desired.
*May Contain Spoilers*
Wicked and the Wallflower is the first book in the latest and newest series by Sarah MacLean…The Bareknuckled Bastards. I have no clue why I held off reading this book for so long, because WOW, I was impressed. This might be one of my favorite books that this author has written since her first trilogy. And I am so GLAD that I decided to try this book out in audio format because the narrator was just wonderful and she really added in the humor just right.
The Bareknuckled Bastards is a series that features around three siblings—technically there are four…but I am not sure if he is a villain or an anti-hero, this story didn’t really decide that factor for me but I don’t really like him so I am leaning towards villain. These four siblings were brought together when they were children, three boys, and one girl. All the boys were born on the same day, fathered by the same father but each had different mothers. They all came from less than ideal backgrounds, and then their father wanting his “heir” forced them to fight for the title. And the brother that won the title betrayed them all and now the three siblings joined forced, fought there way to the top and became known as the kings and Queen of Covent Garden and London’s underworld. All three of these siblings are such a HOOT. I mean honestly, each of these three was so intriguing, but I think the sister intrigued me the most. But their kinship towards each other is so heartfelt and you can see even though they are so badass in the underworld, they will do anything to protect each other.
When the brother that is a Duke returns to London against their previous agreement, looking for a wife, they know they must prevent this from happening. They made a vow when they were children, to not let their father have his “heir” after what he did to them and what he made them do to survive. Devil “Devlin” has come up with a plan, a plan that must work but it might involve capturing the attention of a woman that will change him and his world.
Felicity Fairchild is known as a wallflower, although she used to be part of a social circle until a scandal that wasn’t her fault got her in trouble and she found herself in a man’s bedchamber who refused to do the honorable thing and marry her. Which Felicity is very grateful for even if it has cast her into the shadows when she was once in the center of attention. But she would like to return to that world one day before she was cast out and betrayed by those she called “friends”. While out on a balcony, she meets a dark stranger, “Devil” who is temptation and witty and makes her laugh but stays hidden in the shadows. And out of a fit of anger, she declares to her “old” friends, that she is engaged to the Duke, well her life is about to go a bit crazy because Devil turns up when she least expects and makes promises to return her to the world she misses. Devil likes to do this on his own time table, but Felicity doesn’t work with his clock and shows up on his doorstep, picking his locks, shocking him and pleasing his siblings.
“You should not have come.”
She swallowed, refusing to let him win. “Why not?”
“Because it is dangerous,” he said quietly, sending a shiver of belief through her. “Because the rookeries are no place for pretty girls with a breathless anticipation of adventure.”
Devil doesn’t know what to make of Felicity, but she is the first woman to truly make him laugh and charms him in a way he has never felt before. But he doesn’t know what to do with this unpredictable woman who isn’t your typical wallflower you find among the Ton. She might not be a great beauty, but she has her own lovely appearance that is fascinating, her personality is passionate and creative and she is quite willful and independent and she is way more daring that he ever expects her to be.
Felicity has been betrayed by her friends, and her family wants to put her on the “marriage mart” to save them from financial ruin because of their own foolish plans and they don’t seem to care what she deserves….to have a marriage like her brother and sister in law have, one of love and affection. She wants to be wanted and loved. At first Felicity thinks she wants the world of Mayfair and ballrooms and soirees, but she realizes that she isn’t fit for that life….the life she truly wants is one with Devil in Convent Garden where he is in command of everything and everyone, where he lives in the shadows.
I always get a kick out of the heroes and heroines that this author writes, but I will say that this book still surprised me. And man…Devil and Felicity really surprised me, both of them really. I mean first off, Devil has a BAD plan, and you just know that from the beginning it’s going to backfire on him. I understand where he is coming from, and quite frankly in his world he isn’t used to dealing with people and women like Felicity who just come and go into his rookery whenever they please, picks his locks—-even the ones he thinks are unpickable, and makes him fall in love before he knows it….his brother and sister know it before he accepts it.
Let me tell you about passion, Felicity Faircloth. Passion is obsession. It is desire beyond reason. It is not want, but need. And it comes with the worst of sin far more often than it comes with the best of it
There are so many swoony moments between the two. And some really sexy moments that I guarantee will make you swoon. The sex scene on the roof was DELCIOUS….it was so well written and it might not be super explicit but so provocative and sensual.
Felicity Faircloth, you are not what I expected. ”
“You say that as though it is a compliment.”
“It is.”
“Will it still be one when I hit you square in the head with this candlestick?”
But Felicity, she really packs a punch with this book, because she is a fighter and when she realizes what she wants for her life, and realizes she wants Devil and his rookery and his secretive life, she wants that too and fights for it and really proves to Devil that he is important even when she learns the truth about what he keeps from her. She ROCKS y’all, she just rocked this book so dang well and she makes the perfect match for Devil.
I want to stay in your world. In the darkness. Beneath the stars.”
I do want to mention how well done the narration was done. First the accents were BRILLIANT, and she really handled the inflections of emotion flawlessly. And man the dialogue between Felicity and Devil was so witty and fun and I know part of that is due to the performance done. So BRAVO
Overall I found Wicked and the Wallflower to be a highly amusing romance that takes you from London’s ballrooms to Covent Garden, to making love on rooftops, a lockpicking heroine, an underground king for a hero and a sensual love affair that defies scandal and danger. AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED LOVE TALE!!!
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