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tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
Well-written and great setting, although large portions of it did feel a little bit like an excuse to romp through the seedier parts of Victorian Paris. However, it didn't quite click for me - I found the heroine to be one of those obnoxious "naive-debutante-yearning-to-break-free" who is utterly lacking in common sense (by all means, darling, let's trot around to brothels and flirt with complete strangers in the middle of a bar two weeks after getting left at the altar), and the chemistry between her and the hero didn't feel real. It was much more telling than showing there, and while we're told later in the book that the hero had been secretly yearning for her for yonks, those bits just felt kind of shoehorned in. The plot also wasn't... so much a thing. Threads were raised and dropped, and there were too many little mysteries/side-plots (Richard's ring, Richard's death, why Gwen's two suitors each bailed, the whole thing with the hero's brother and all the stuff surrounding that) for any of them to feel crucial to the flow of the novel.
bandherbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Gwen Maudsley, the "nice girl" of the Ton who did everything right and has a fortune to boot, has now been jilted TWICE. No more she vows. And who better than to show her what a woman with a fortune and a desire to be wicked should dream of doing than her dead brother's best friend and business partner, Alexander Ramsey, a confirmed scoundrel.
But, Alex is loathe to change Gwen, but once she crashes his plans in Paris he can't help but become her tutor, while using her for his own secret mission to find information.
SO MUCH burning pining hidden by meanness. Whew. The train ride was super duper sexy wow. Alex is such an asshole but Duran brought me around.
Definitely a slow-burn, but with all the heat. I also loved the Paris to the Riviera setting.
My first Duran!
But, Alex is loathe to change Gwen, but once she crashes his plans in Paris he can't help but become her tutor, while using her for his own secret mission to find information.
SO MUCH burning pining hidden by meanness. Whew. The train ride was super duper sexy wow. Alex is such an asshole but Duran brought me around.
Definitely a slow-burn, but with all the heat. I also loved the Paris to the Riviera setting.
My first Duran!
diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
2.0
I could not decide if I should give this book 2 or 3 stars. In the end, I settled on 2 because it contains a lot of holes and things that I think in the end were unexplained. For example: at the beginning of the book, Gwen receives a letter from mysterious admirer and it is hinted that it is not the first one... I expected it was from Alex and that it will be later revealed but it is never mentioned until the end.
I liked Gwen as a character very much. She grows up in the books and realizes that to be happy you don't have to try to please everyone, just yourself. Alex on the other hand was one more of the unfinished things in this book. His love for Gwen is very unexplained, and I think that writer needed to add more details: why did he fall in love with her, how long, etc. I am not surprised Gwen did not believe him at once, I could read his thoughts and I was not convinced...
I liked Gwen as a character very much. She grows up in the books and realizes that to be happy you don't have to try to please everyone, just yourself. Alex on the other hand was one more of the unfinished things in this book. His love for Gwen is very unexplained, and I think that writer needed to add more details: why did he fall in love with her, how long, etc. I am not surprised Gwen did not believe him at once, I could read his thoughts and I was not convinced...
michellesantiago's review against another edition
5.0
First, I let me just say how much I love the cover of this book! When I got it, I spent a moment just admiring its cover--the lush purple color of her gown is so pretty and they even got Gwen's red hair right (getting small details like that correct on covers is always a plus). But pretty cover aside, I absolutely loved Wicked Becomes You (WBY)! This is only the second book I've read by Ms. Duran (the first being her debut book Duke of Shadows which I also really enjoyed) and now I want to read her other books. She has a talent for penning romances set in exotic places with interesting, multidimensional leads who makes you root for their happy ending.
Our heroine is Gwen Maudsley, the nicest debutante and also the richest with a fortune of three million pounds--both of which almost makes everyone forget that her family is of the merchant class. After Gwen's second fiance jilts her at the altar (the first fiance having done the same), she decided she is done with being nice and wants to experience life without the silly rules and restrictions of the ton. And who better to guide her than her late brother's best friend Alex, a younger brother of an earl and a businessman with a wicked reputation. Both Gwen and Alex were really likable characters and as the story goes on you begin to see that beneath the surface there is more to them than being "the nice girl" and "the rake," which makes this book an engaging read. On the other hand, the secondary characters weren't as strong as the leads but I can forgive the book that because I love Gwen and Alex so much. Their adventures takes them from London to Paris and Nice and even to Monte Carlo. I appreciate the varied settings of the book as it's not often I read a historical romance not set in London.
WBY is one of the best historical romances I've read this year and I highly recommend this book. Whereas DoS is dark and emotional read, WBY is much lighter (there were a couple of laugh out loud moments in this book) yet it doesn't lack the emotion. If you're looking for a well-written, lighter historical romance with a great hero and heroine, this is your book.
Our heroine is Gwen Maudsley, the nicest debutante and also the richest with a fortune of three million pounds--both of which almost makes everyone forget that her family is of the merchant class. After Gwen's second fiance jilts her at the altar (the first fiance having done the same), she decided she is done with being nice and wants to experience life without the silly rules and restrictions of the ton. And who better to guide her than her late brother's best friend Alex, a younger brother of an earl and a businessman with a wicked reputation. Both Gwen and Alex were really likable characters and as the story goes on you begin to see that beneath the surface there is more to them than being "the nice girl" and "the rake," which makes this book an engaging read. On the other hand, the secondary characters weren't as strong as the leads but I can forgive the book that because I love Gwen and Alex so much. Their adventures takes them from London to Paris and Nice and even to Monte Carlo. I appreciate the varied settings of the book as it's not often I read a historical romance not set in London.
WBY is one of the best historical romances I've read this year and I highly recommend this book. Whereas DoS is dark and emotional read, WBY is much lighter (there were a couple of laugh out loud moments in this book) yet it doesn't lack the emotion. If you're looking for a well-written, lighter historical romance with a great hero and heroine, this is your book.
emreadswhatshewants's review against another edition
5.0
This first half of this book is hilarious. And charming, adorable romance plus some action, what more could i want? I think I like the lighter quality of this book compared to Meredith Duran's other books.
jemcam's review against another edition
4.0
I love Meredith Duran. She is up there with Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas and Eloisa James in my list of favorite historical-romance writers.
jadeverbick's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thepinkfairy's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
gonturans's review against another edition
4.0
Meredith out here like “the mortifying ordeal of being known, huh” like stop being so LOUD
isabelisalright's review against another edition
4.0
Super adorable sweet adventure. I'm a sucker for a heroine finding herself and shedding the society standards so this was perfect for me. A really quick read if you aren't drowning in other tasks too!