Wicked and the Wallflower (Bareknuckle Bastards #1) by Sarah MacLean

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I thought I’d been reading a lot of good books lately, but Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean has me realizing they were all trash!  Just kidding, of course.  But seriously, I’ve read Sarah MacLean’s work before and even that pales in comparison to the insanely amazing, spell-binding novel that is Wicked and the Wallflower.

Blurb:  When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a husband, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees to his suspicious terms—on one condition.  She’s seen enough to the world to believe in passion, and won’t accept a marriage without it.

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 in an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.

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.

Review: I get so unbelievably excited when I read a historical romance novel where the woman is the aggressor.  So often they play the innocent, doe-eyed female bending to their hero’s desires.  But here we have Felicity Faircloth, a woman who is happier exploring the underbelly of London than conversing with her upperclass peers.  She was a most refreshing heroine.

And can we talk about Sarah MacLean’s writing?  Because it’s amazing.  The vocabulary she uses, the way her characters converse so naturally with one another, the banter… it’s honestly like poetry, but better because I’m not exactly a fan of poetry.  I could just read her character’s dialogue forever.

And the plot is amazing!  It’s the first book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series so much of the book was setting up the background but wow, what a dark, twisted story we have the pleasure of reading about.  It was so spectacular, so unique.  I am obsessed.  The thought of having to wait to find out what happens to the rest of the Bareknuckle Bastards is utter torture.

The chemistry between Devil and Felicity is so intense that I actually had to stop reading a couple times to catch my breath.  Reading about their love for one another was like experiencing it for myself.  This is a book you will reread over and over again simply to re-experience the earth shattering sensation of their romance.  Could two characters be more different, yet so similar?  So utterly perfect for one another?  Probably not.  There were times I was questioning who was the really wicked one?  Because Felicity was no innocent flower waiting to be discovered.  She took what she wanted.  Demanded it.

Any fan of historical romances will enjoy Wicked and the Wallflower, but know what you’re getting into.  It’s not a light and fluffy tale of love with a hint of scandal.  It’s something else entirely.  You’ll sink into it and not realize you’re drowning until it’s too late, there’s no coming back from this book.  It’s out June 19^th and trust me… you’re going to want to get your hands on this.