Rarely do I find myself pondering the Devil’s attributes, but then, I did just finish Sarah MacLean’s newest novel, Wicked and the Wallflower – Hey! The Bareknuckle Bastards might encourage you to similar ruminations… A spinoff series of Scandal & Scoundrel (which is amazing btw), …Bastards has a similar flow, hello, same author, but admittedly, this new series, well, it’s better than amazing. Of course, in this first installment, there is foundation work, getting the reader grounded in the MCs who’s who club, but never fear, there is no extraneous padding. The reader will be knee deep in Mayfair, Covent Garden, pickpockets, and grand balls (not to mention instantaneous sexual tension – what I enjoy referring to as ST- not to be confused with STD, as that would be a whole other genre)!
You will glory in the immediate ST immersion surrounding Devil and Felicity’s tale! However, this is not a love story that follows the straight and narrow – MacLean drags you down quite a few twisty, cobblestone alleys 😏 before it’s over you’ll hope to meet Devil in a dark corner for a heart-to-heart chat (jk, totally meeting for a make-out sesh) or corner him in the shadows, take his walking stick, and bonk him on the head for hurting Felicity – it’s a toss-up!
I love finishing a book and thinking about the characters, did I prefer hearing the thoughts of one character over another – were they believable – did one character pull more emotions from me… The answer – both Devil and Felicity are captivating. The reader will despise the agony of Devil’s childhood and even though Felicity’s woes are not as horrific, men and women both can feel empathy for her plight. We have all in some fashion been ostracized or ridiculed and that is what I love most about Sarah MacLean’s writing – it’s the real stuff, the stuff one rarely likes admitting to others. It’s the full meal deal (drink and cookie included). Characters you will laugh and cry with – Legit storyline – Frustration that book 2 is a year away
Though I never doubted I would be entranced, it’s always welcome to start a new series that just makes the world seem a bit brighter. I have added the link to order Wicked and the Wallflower and also a link to preorder Brazen and the Beast. Thank you for helping to support my site by using them!! I hope you come back soon!