Review : Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran

Title : Wicked Becomes You
Author : Meredith Duran
Publisher : Pocket Books
Genre : Historical Romance
ISBN : 978-1416593126
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : April 27, 2010
Rating : 4/5 Stars - Very Good

Description from Goodreads : 

She’s pretty enough to be popular, and Lord knows she’s rich enough for it. But what society loves best about Gwen Maudsley is how very, very nice she is. So when a cad jilts her at the altar—again—an outraged London brays for blood. Only Gwen has a different plan. If nice no longer works for her, then it’s time to learn to be naughty. Happily, she knows the perfect tutor—Alexander Ramsey, her late brother’s best friend and a notorious rogue.

Unbeknownst to Gwen, Alex’s aloof demeanor veils a very personal interest in her. He has no desire to see her change, nor to tempt himself with her presence when his own secrets make any future between them impossible. But on an educational tour through the glittering casinos of the Riviera, their friendship gives way to something hotter, darker, and altogether more dangerous. With Alex’s past and Gwen’s wildness on a collision course, Gwen must convince Alex that his wickedest intentions are exactly what she needs.

Review : 

Gwen Maudsley has always been considered the "nice girl".  If she's so nice, why do men keep leaving her at the alter?  When her second groom jilts her, it's the last straw, no more Ms. Nice Girl.  Gwen decides that maybe being naughty will get what she wants in life, and her late brother's best friend, Alexander Ramsey is the perfect man to learn from.

Alex has always secretly admired and longed for Gwen.  He can't and will not be the one to see her change her ways, as he's always enjoyed her just the way she is.  As much as Alex wishes to be with Gwen, he knows that he is the farthest thing from what she needs.  While traversing through the Riviera, they become a lot close than intended, and Gwen knows that Alex's wicked intentions are all she needs.

Like in most romance novels, man wants girl, girl wants man, they can't have each other, blah blah blah.  Yeah, that's exactly how this one sounds, right?  That's because it is!  This may sound like a bad thing to you, but to me, it's just the romance that I love.  Every once in awhile I need to stray away from the paranormal for a good romance, and what better romances are there then these?

While I liked Gwen from the get go, I didn't particularly enjoy Alexander's character.  Gwen was naive, and in all fairness, sheltered.  She aimed to please everyone around her, which in my opinion is not the way to having a fun and carefree life for yourself.  On the other hand, she also cared about what others thought, and wanted, and she was quite charitable.

As for the character of Alexander, from the beginning he drove me nuts.  While he was admirable for his lack of caring what the world thought of him, he was also quite the jerk.  Instead of being nice to Gwen for the little bit she knew of the real world, he had a horrible habit of judging her for it, and saying some rather stupid things.  If I were Gwen, I would have slapped him a good one.  Although I found him to be rather unpleasant, he did grow on me, and I found he was rather intriguing, and funny.

I love reading a passionate romance novel, and being surprised by little lines that make you giggle.  This novel was full of them, and I was constantly giggling during my lunch breaks at work, as well as smiling because I enjoyed the story so much.  I've been known to get a lot of funny looks, but by this time, I really don't care anymore.  I just want to enjoy my stories, regardless of whether I make myself look silly by sudden outbursts.

As far as I'm concerned, this was a great romance, and I can't wait to read more titles by Meredith Duran.  A few other titles you should look for by her are The Duke of Shadows, Bound by Your Touch, and Written on Your Skin.

Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy from Pocket Books for my honest review.

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