A Week to Be Wicked

I adored the main characters and their witty banter. I am not certain why I was not more immersed in this. An enjoyable read for sure but without that lovely tingly feeling I get with my very favorite romances where I can't stand to stop reading. I cannot identify a single thing about this I did not enjoy, 100% a worthy read. Still I found myself not really connecting with the speed at which Minerva found her inner power, sexual curiosity, and general confidence and with which Colin was utterly reformed. A high 3 star, closing in on a 4 but for me not quite getting there.

Colin and Minerva did not let me down. My only complaint is that this book seemed kind of long and drawn out. And I really don't see what either of them saw in the other. But at the same time, it was kind of sweet to see their love grow despite their differences.

In this tale, we see two side characters from the first book. Colin is Bram's cousin and Minerva is one of the 'spinsters' of Spindle Cove. All throughout the first book, Colin and Minerva are like oil and fire. But meaner. But when this book starts, Colin is desperately waiting for the release of his fund upon his marriage or 27th birthday and Minerva is desperate to get to a geological symposium in Scotland. So she suggest they fake an elopement so he can get his money and she show more can get to her symposium. It really is unbelievable what happens to them along the way and things don't turn out the way either of them expect.

This was a sweet, funny story of an unrepentant rake who needs to grow up and a shy bookworm with low self esteem who needs to learn to see her own value. There's drama. There's humor. And a whole lot of the unexpected. Still not quite a 4 star book, but we're getting closer.

And I always forget to mention the most unusual of characters! Last time, it was Dinner. This time ... Francine! Colin was so protective of 'her' :-) show less

I’m loving the Spindle Cove series, and Minerva and Colin’s book was a blast. Their week of adventuring was so playful, sweet, and unpredictable, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them. The premise was a bit implausible—as were some of the more extreme examples of Min coming out of her shell—but the characters were so sweet and the dialogue so funny, I just let myself be swept away in a delightful ride.
After reading Charlotte’s story (which crosses over to the Castles Ever After series but means I started Spindle Cove out of order) and seeing her older sisters already settled with the loves of their lives, I was eager to read their stories too. I loved Min’s honesty and forthrightness and Colin’s charm and show more vulnerability. Dare took the symposium plotline in a surprisingly realistic direction, and Colin’s line when he met Sir Alisdair was priceless. This would be a fun one to see adapted on screen. show less

Let me just give you the publisher’s blurb:

"When a devilish lord and a bluestocking set off on the road to ruin ... time is not on their side.

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be ... anywhere but Spindle Cove. These unlikely partners have one week: to fake an elopement to convince family and friends they’re in love to outrun armed robbers to survive their worst nightmares to travel four hundred miles without killing each other. All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

What they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend show more precious hours baring their hearts and souls. Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe ... just maybe ... everlasting love."

Fair enough, but the publisher really should have highlighted the paleontology angle, which was one of the book’s strongest points. Minerva is an accomplished amateur paleontologist who needs to get to Edinburgh to present her fossil discoveries to the Royal Society. So there’s a lot of travel by post-chaise carriage. But mostly there’s forbidden sex.

But don’t underestimate the narrative importance of the travel by post-chaise. Umberto Eco explains this in his short essay “How to Recognize a Porn Movie,” collected in How to Travel with a Salmon and Other Essays (1992; English translation 1994):

"[F]or the transgression to work, it must be played out against a background of normality. To depict normality is one of the most difficult things for any artist—whereas portraying deviation, crime, rape, torture, is very easy.

Therefore the pornographic movie must present normality—essential if the transgression is to have interest—in the way that every spectator conceives it. Therefore, if Gilbert must take the bus and go from A to B [or if Minerva and Lord Payne must take a carriage from Spindle Cove to Edinburgh], we will see Gilbert taking the bus and the bus proceeding from A to B.

This often irritates the spectators, because they think they would like the unspeakable scenes to be continuous. But this is an illusion on their part. They couldn’t bear a full hour and a half [or 384 pages] of unspeakable scenes. So the passages of wasted time are essential.

I repeat. Go into a movie theater. If, to go from A to B, the characters take longer than you would like, then the film you are seeing is pornographic."

This book was assigned by some pervs in my online book club with expansive tastes, but I think I’m the only one who read it. It’s kind of a dare-based book club. show less

Minerva Highwood is desperate to get to Scotland to present her earth-shattering geological findings to the Royal Geological Society. Even if she has to convince rake Viscount Colin Payne to pretend to elope with her so that she can make the trip. Of course, Colin isn't particularly keen on the idea of ruining the reputation of a young woman, even in the name of science. And their growing attraction isn't helping him keep to his own rules about the trip.

Another enjoyable historical romance from Tessa Dare. The book is a solid read, the romance is well-crafted, and my only complaint is that the book isn't as funny as I know Dare is capable of. Of course, Colin has some dark shadows lurking from his past which keeps the humour from show more getting too high-flying. I also appreciated that Dare was realistic about how Minerva would have been treated by the scientific establishment of the period, which made the book feel rooted. Enjoyable for those who have dipped their toes into Dare's bibliography but not a recommended starting point to sample. show less

Spindle Cove is a haven for women. A haven which is led by Susanna Finch with the goal of providing a safe place for those with delicate constitutions, overbearing family members, scandalous secrets or outlandish hobbies. There are few year round residents and even fewer male ones. Until Bram and his men turn up and are tasked with starting a militia. Although these books could be read by themselves, the plot makes much more sense having read the preceding books.

I really liked Minerva and Colin in the first book of the series. Every time they got near one another they were throwing off sparks and the banter was hilarious, the insults cutting and the rocks hard. And their book didn't disappoint. But I did feel like it was a show more rollercoaster of a ride. Colin could send you high but man could he take you low. My emotions were all over the shop - fluttery happiness, overwhelming disappointment and it was just this endless cycle til I didn't know what was going on. Colin was such an ass at times. But he didn't mean to be and that made it all the worse. Honestly that scene where Minerva is dumbfounded with the way she's believing he needs healing - I had no trouble believing any of it. That said, the roller coaster ride got a bit ridiculous towards the end. They seriously didn't get married on the steps of the Royal Geological Society - are you freaking kidding me? After everything she failed to make her presentation. I get it was supposed to be some affirmation of her commitment to their love or whatever but she already proved that by shooting Francine (Francine is the plaster mould of the footprint). I would've liked to see her get married, go present and wow them with Colin cheering on the side.

I loved how Minerva comes out of her shell over the course of the novel. She starts as this awkward lanky colt and blossoms into this confident, fiery woman who knows what she wants and feels confident enough to take it. I did think her naivety was a bit much with all her talk of science and that. I liked her intelligence and her interest in geology. The point of view changes to show what was happening back in Spindle Cove worked really well too and had me chuckling.

The chemistry between them was off the charts and the plot was a lot more action packed than I was expecting. There's a lot happening but it made for a very entertaining read. 4 stars. show less

A Week to Be Wicked
4.5 Stars

Light and fluffy but the dynamic between Colin and Minerva is what makes this book simply spectacular.

Both are able to see beyond surface appearances to the truth beneath each others' facades. Colin sees the spunky, feisty and passionate woman under Minerva's nerdy and awkward mannerisms while Minerva understands that underneath Colin's charming and rakish ways is a scarred and traumatized man in need of love. Their scenes together range from sweet to sultry to scorching hot and every moment is scintillating.

The plot is predictable but the "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" adventures are entertaining nonetheless (although Colin's exaggerated storytelling is over-the-top and, not surprisingly, show more comes back to bite him).

The reactions of the townspeople to the "elopement" are a little out of character in some cases and I was expecting more of a fuss to be made. Moreover, while the resolution is very satisfying, it would have been even better if Colin and Minerva had returned to Spindle Cove to face the music.

Kate and Thorne's book is set up nicely and I look forward to reading it soon. show less