Entertaining and fast , with some romance and fiction/thriller thrown in. ( )

Loved this book,,cant go wrong with Teresa Mederios...cant wait till the next one comes out,,all ready have it on order.. ( )

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; Book release Aug08

My historical streak continues with “Some Like It Wicked” by Teresa Medeiros. I enjoy Ms. Medeiros’ writing and I also enjoy stories about Scotland (ah, brawny highlanders in kilts!), so I couldn’t put this one off for long. As I began the book, I was soon lost back in time in England, rooting for a beauty that refuses to give up on her hero.

Catriona is determined to find the brother who sent her off to England when she was just a girl; after her parents were killed by British soldiers in the Highlands. She’s also determined to ‘save’ clan and castle Kincaid and join her brother’s fight. Now that she’s almost 21, surely nothing can stop her. Well, except an uncle who’s determined to marry her off “for her own good”. So now Catriona must leave soon, and then she remembers her hero. The only man who ever stood up to her snotty cousin, the man who bravely saved his captain at sea, the man who is currently moldering in Newgate, Sir Simon Wescott. Surely if she saves him, he will fight for her cause.

Simon remembers her as soon as he sees her, the tomboy grown into a beauty. He’s no hero, but he’s also tired of languishing in Newgate prison. But he’s still a rogue and has no interest in being her hero. She offers her dowry and he’s tempted. But when he counteroffers with a demand for her body as well, he’s shocked and outmaneuvered when she agrees. At first he plans to leave as soon as he gets his money. But the more time they spend together, the more feelings she seems to be uncovering in him.

Catriona is so naïve it’s almost painful to read about the death of her dreams, one by one. She overcomes so much and suffers through disappointment and disillusionment again and again until finally, she gives up. It is, of course, at this point that her ‘hero’ comes through for her. I must admit that I don’t think this is Ms. Medeiros’ best story. The ‘hero’ really doesn’t redeem himself until the very end, and the steps he took to do so were way over the top which I found unrealistic. Of course, maybe I’m just jealous because I want to think a man would actually make a huge fool of himself in front of all his friends IN PUBLIC for a woman. But, I still have a difficult time believing that one. Ms. Medeiros’ ability to pull in interesting secondary characters shines here. Catriona’s brother exists through the entire book, yet we never meet him. The Kincaid clan as well, even though it exists only in Catriona’s imagination for most of the book, provides motivation for Catriona’s actions and her eventual unpleasant meeting with the reality of the clans’ situation. But the rest of book is really only about Catriona and Simon. It’s the push and pull between these two that infuses every one of their encounters with fire.

I did enjoy reading “Some Like It Wicked”, even if I think the resolution of the problem was high fantasy…this IS fiction AND romance. And those two factors are definitely present here. I am even looking forward to reading about Catriona’s brother and finally meeting him ‘in person’ in Teresa Medeiors’ next book, “Some Like It Wild” which is scheduled for release in March 2009.

Til next time
JJ ( )