Regina (virgosun) reviewed Wicked and the Wallflower (Bareknuckle Bastards, Bk 1) on + 888 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I'm in this one for the long haul! An intriguing backstory and a group of bastard siblings were so fascinating that I absolutely want to read each of their stories. While I felt Devil's revenge strategy was a bit thin and Felicity was just this side of shallow, I did love the dark world he created and her clever talent for picking locks that seemed to land her in all kinds of trouble. Several scenes were pure gold; moving, romantic, and thrilling. (That he could tap his walking stick and call out into the night--staking claim--and everyone obeys his command, well, that's simply breathtaking. Yep, give me more of that.) Getting into Devil's head and heart, and seeing his vulnerabilities made this one a winner for me. 4 stars.
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
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.
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.
Diane K. (dmkay) reviewed Wicked and the Wallflower (Bareknuckle Bastards, Bk 1) on + 223 more book reviews
This is a good plot for a story, but Ms MacLean uses 100 words when 10 would have told the tale just fine. I finally skimmed through the book and skipped whole chapters - and still managed to enjoy the story. Only two stars. This could have easily been a 200 page book.
Joan W. (justreadingabook) reviewed Wicked and the Wallflower (Bareknuckle Bastards, Bk 1) on + 1726 more book reviews
Bravo! This is what a HR is all about.
A strong willed gel and a rouge that clash and spare and find love.
Great story, quick pace and lots of fun characters and dialogue.
First in a series and looking so forward to the next.
A strong willed gel and a rouge that clash and spare and find love.
Great story, quick pace and lots of fun characters and dialogue.
First in a series and looking so forward to the next.
Robin M. (robinmy) -
Devon "Devil" Culm grew up in the slums along with his two half-brothers. They were the Duke of Marwick's bastards. When the Duke failed to have a legitimate heir, he takes the boys out of the slums and pits them against each other in a competition to see who will be the next Duke. Ewan wins the title, while Devil and Whit run away with a girl they call their sister. Now as an adult, Ewan has taken over the title of Duke and is looking to get married. This enrages his brothers. They made a pact as children that they would end their father's line with no children. Now Devil has a plan...
A mysterious stranger who calls himself "Devil" enters Lady Felicity Faircloth's bedroom at night and offers to help her land the Duke of Marwick. Felicity doesn't know why he is making this offer, but it will help her get her family out of debt and herself a good husband. But the one thing Felicity wants is for her husband to feel passion for her. Devil promises her that will happen. But he quickly finds that he is the man who is drawn to Felicity, not his brother.
This is the first book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series. I enjoyed the story but it did take a while to reveal Devil's plan and the background story concerning the brothers. I really liked Felicity. She knew what kind of relationship she wanted and she went after it. Some of the scenes between her and Devil were priceless. I'm looking forward to reading the books about the other brothers in the future. My rating: 4 Stars.
A mysterious stranger who calls himself "Devil" enters Lady Felicity Faircloth's bedroom at night and offers to help her land the Duke of Marwick. Felicity doesn't know why he is making this offer, but it will help her get her family out of debt and herself a good husband. But the one thing Felicity wants is for her husband to feel passion for her. Devil promises her that will happen. But he quickly finds that he is the man who is drawn to Felicity, not his brother.
This is the first book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series. I enjoyed the story but it did take a while to reveal Devil's plan and the background story concerning the brothers. I really liked Felicity. She knew what kind of relationship she wanted and she went after it. Some of the scenes between her and Devil were priceless. I'm looking forward to reading the books about the other brothers in the future. My rating: 4 Stars.
