Something Wicked

Something Wicked has become, much to my surprise, my favorite book by Jo Beverley.

The reasons are all pretty much encapsulated in the premise: what's a Malloren *girl* like? How do you take all those super sexy on a man Malloren qualities and make them just as appealing on a female?

It's a voyage of discovery for the heroine, Elf, who is in the process of discovering that she really is a Malloren: that she has a taste for danger, that she has a cool head in a crisis, that when she falls in love with a man she will use her every wile and trick to win his love. Yep, that's right folks: Elf pursues Fort, the hero. And she does it with all the wit and grace her brothers wouldn't think of, but all of their dedication.

Fort is the perfect pair show more for Elf and the sex, ay yay yay - it is pretty spicy. Beverley's best for sheer titillation. Fort has a hard edge, a hint of violence, that saves him from being a startched-collar bore; he's really rather devastating.

Even though the whole Malloren clan has a role to play here, Elf & Fort definitely hold center stage - and that's saying something whenever Rothgar is around. It's a compelling, psychologically rich & super sexy romance. Thanks Ms. Beverley! show less

3.5 stars

The first half was really good and the second half had parts that fell apart a bit, with the hero acting a bit whiny at times. The heroine was just awesome though in her damn the torpedoes! attitude and after spending probably more time than I should in the regency era, this was a delightful fresh historical era.
The first two books in the series weren't my favorite but this book has re-energized me for the rest of the series.
Love the sibling relationships in these books!

This is the first Jo Beverly book I've ever read, so obviously I am writing this review based on its qualities as a stand-alone novel rather than part of a series. It was not hard to follow on its own, as the family story from other books was sumamrized here. It's not necessary to read the others, but perhaps this book would be more enjoyable if you have more of an interest in the Malloren family.

My favorite part of the book was not the romance between Elf and Fort, but the treasonous plot. I enjoyed that bit of mystery, but it was over too quickly, and the latter part of the book was lacking as a result. The romance between Elf and Fort was not believable in any way. Elf is obsessed with him and pursues him relentlessly. He is rude to show more her, and it angered me when he revealed intimate details to Rothgar. If he had a shred of concern for her dignity, he would have been more of a gentleman. He could at least have shown more propriety for a well-born lady. It was unforgivable, and I couldn't believe any self-respecting woman would continue to pursue a man who had treated her so horribly. It was hard for me to become interested at first, because I hated that Elf's friend Amanda constantly talked about wanted to sleep with men other than her husband. Their frank discussions regarding sexual desires seemed highly unlikely for the time period, and it made them both look neither well-born nor virtuous in any way. I prefer my heroine to be a bit more prudent and not some raging hormone willing to throw away her chances at a desirable future merely for one night of pleasure.

However, I do believe the book deserves 3 stars for the political intrigue and its beautifully accurate historical descriptions. You will feel transplanted in time, and in that regard, Ms. Beverly has been successful. show less

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! This was my first Jo Beverley book and I am looking forward to starting at the beginning of the series and reading the stories that are mentioned in this book. I thought the characters were interesting and there was a lot of action and intrigue!

Elf is a wonderful heroine. It's so understandable that she'd want a little adventure of her own--after all, she is a Malloren, too. And with all those Malloren males keeping watch... she had to jump at the chance to break free for a while--who knew when she'd get another one? And of course she's drawn to rascals--look at her brothers!

It's always fun to read about a couple who are each other's worst possible match. And of course, those wounded heroes are always favorites.

Throw it against the wall hated it.

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