The Importance of Being Wicked (The Wild Quartet, #1) by Miranda Neville

Aug 21, 2012 Katie(babs) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-want-to-have-babies-with-the-book

Whenever I hear Miranda Neville has a new release coming out, I want to do the Snoopy Dance. She’s one of my all time favorite historical romance authors. Every single one of her books I’ve read have been extremely enjoyable, and for the most part her books end up on my keeper shelf. Avon has a great thing with Miranda and her latest release, The Important of Being Wicked, the first book in her Wild Quartet series. It’s a big shining star of awesome. The main reason is that Miranda has created a...more Whenever I hear Miranda Neville has a new release coming out, I want to do the Snoopy Dance. She’s one of my all time favorite historical romance authors. Every single one of her books I’ve read have been extremely enjoyable, and for the most part her books end up on my keeper shelf. Avon has a great thing with Miranda and her latest release, The Important of Being Wicked, the first book in her Wild Quartet series. It’s a big shining star of awesome. The main reason is that Miranda has created an engaging, worldly and simply beautiful, both inside and out heroine with that of the so-called scandalous widow, Caroline Townsend. How I wish more authors of historical romance would write a heroine like Caro. She’s a heroine of the first water, a survivor in a way, who can navigate through society and create her own waves. She also was married to man she loved deeply, and not once does she put down her marriage or her first husband even when she finds love again with the stuffy and self righteous, Thomas, Duke of Castleton. When these two meet, the sparks are explosive, but it takes some time before they can act on them, mainly because of Thomas who plans on courting and marrying Caro’s cousin, the meek Anne. But the moment Thomas and Caro meet, poor Anne becomes a second thought to Thomas because Caro consumes his every waking moment.

Caro has a very positive outlook on life although she barely has two pennies to rub together. She and her husband, Robert eloped when they were far too young and Robert loved spending money. After his death, he left Caro with nothing. Caro is trying her best to keep her head above water, but her friends and acquaintances use her kind nature and basically bleed her dry because they are spendthrifts as well. Plus, Caro is a proud woman who won’t take handouts. Since Caro’s parents disowned her, she has no one to turn to and may have to become the mistress to some snobby rich lord in order to survive. When Thomas finds this out, he takes it upon himself to save Caro, and in turn, their relationship changes drastically. Thomas puts caution to the wind and accepts Caro and her alleged nefarious ways. Now the hardest part is trying to keep his libido for Caro in check because he wants to wait until they’re married to be intimate. But since Caro wants Thomas desperately, and it’s been so long since she’s been with a man, she can’t wait. Caro is very tenacious. Thomas doesn’t stand a chance. As Thomas tries to keep his hands off Caro, some of her first husband’s friends are looking for a unique portrait Caro may or may not have that could be sold for a great deal of money. Thomas trusts Caro, but figures out she’s keeping some secrets. He’ll try his best to have her reveal them to him so they can build a future together without any more unneeded drama.

The Importance of Being Wicked has so much fun going on! We have an experienced heroine with Caro who doesn’t shy away from anything, and a beta type hero with Thomas who seems stuffy, but when Caro gets a hold of him, he lets out his inner hungry beast. Watching Thomas succumb to Caro is wonderful. There are times he walks into certain question situations regarding Caro that would make another man jealous or second guess what’s going on. Thomas listens to Caro’s explanations and accepts them because he trusts her. It’s so refreshing for a change not to have the over the top miscommunication trope found time and again in historical romances. The love scenes are well done and Thomas and Caro have this connection that I couldn’t get enough of. I loved how these two opposites attract and come together.

Any lover of historical romance, including Avon historical romance must read The Importance of Being Wicked. I ate this one up like an ice cream sundae and wanted more. Another winner from Miranda Neville.(less)

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Sep 01, 2012 Huma Rashid rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 19th-century, fiction, england, romance

The Importance of Being Wicked is the debut novel in Miranda Neville's new series about some rather badly behaved women. Caroline Townshend is a notorious widow, whose elopement at the age of 17 with a member of the ton caused quite a scandal. Her husband passed on about six years later, leaving her shackled with his gambling debts and a valuable Titian that she has hidden from her creditors and friends and refuses to sell. Caro is playing chaperone to her lovely cousin, Anne, and receives her s...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Diana N rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: avon-addicts, ebook, edelweiss, for-review, historical-regency

Rating: B-

I have to admit I am giving this story a higher rating not because I was full on enjoying it (I did, definitely a C+) but I was greatly impressed with the way the author portrayed the characters and their actions in this story.

Caro was a wonderful character to read about because she didn't do the expected. She wasn't one of the cookie cutter misses traditionally found in these romances. I do enjoy this traditional standard of historical romance occasionally. I grew up reading authors...more

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Apr 10, 2013 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

อ่านเล่มนี้ช้าไป เพราะดันไปหยิบเรื่อง The Second Seduction of a Lady ซึ่งเล่าเรื่องราวที่นางเอกในเรื่องนี้มีบทบาทไม่น้อยอยู่ด้วย แล้วเราดันไม่ชอบนางเอก (ซึ่งปรากฎตัวในเล่มนั้น) เอาเสียเลย ไม่ชอบมากขนาดไม่อยากอ่านเรื่องราวของเธอเลยสักนิดเดียว

โชคดีที่เราเป็นคนเปลี่ยนใจง่ายนะคะ เพราะพออ่านเข้าจริง คาโรไม่ได้เลวร้ายอย่างที่เราคิดว่า เธอเป็น (จากการอ่านเจอเธอใน The Second Seduction of a Lady) กระนั้นก็มีข้อเสียหลายอย่างที่ขัดใจแม่ยกพระเอกอย่างเราอยู่ โดยเฉพาะเล่มนี้ พระเอกน่ารักมาก ๆ

โธมัสอาจจะมีบรรด...more อ่านเล่มนี้ช้าไป เพราะดันไปหยิบเรื่อง The Second Seduction of a Lady ซึ่งเล่าเรื่องราวที่นางเอกในเรื่องนี้มีบทบาทไม่น้อยอยู่ด้วย แล้วเราดันไม่ชอบนางเอก (ซึ่งปรากฎตัวในเล่มนั้น) เอาเสียเลย ไม่ชอบมากขนาดไม่อยากอ่านเรื่องราวของเธอเลยสักนิดเดียว

โชคดีที่เราเป็นคนเปลี่ยนใจง่ายนะคะ เพราะพออ่านเข้าจริง คาโรไม่ได้เลวร้ายอย่างที่เราคิดว่า เธอเป็น (จากการอ่านเจอเธอใน The Second Seduction of a Lady) กระนั้นก็มีข้อเสียหลายอย่างที่ขัดใจแม่ยกพระเอกอย่างเราอยู่ โดยเฉพาะเล่มนี้ พระเอกน่ารักมาก ๆ

โธมัสอาจจะมีบรรดาศักดิ์เป็นถึงดยุคแห่งคาสเซิลตัน แต่ในตัวตนของเขาแล้วก็เป็นแค่หนุ่มบ้านนอก ที่มีความสุขกับการใช้ชีวิตเรียบง่าย แต่ด้วยหน้าที่ที่ต้องแต่งงานกับทายาทสาวผู้ร่ำรวย (ไม่ใช่เพราะเขาไม่มีเงิน แต่เป็นประเพณีของตระกูลที่ดยุคทุกคนแต่งงานกับทายาทสาว และโธมัสไม่เคยคิดว่า ตัวเองจะทำอะไรที่แหกกฎประเพณี) เขาจึงเข้ามาในลอนดอน และได้พบกับคาโร หม้ายสาวผู้อื้อฉาว คนที่แตกต่างจากเขาโดยสิ้นเชิง และยังเป็นอาของหญิงสาวที่โธมัสวางเป้าไว้ด้วย

นี่เป็นเรื่องความรักของคนที่แตกต่างกันอย่างสุดขั้ว โธมัสเป็นฝ่ายใสซื่อ เรียบง่ายในเล่มนี้ ในขณะที่คาโรรับบทหญิงสาวผู้เจนโลก (ไม่ได้หมายความว่า เจนในแง่ของผู้ชายนะคะ แต่เป็นแง่ความสมัยใหม่ของสมัยโน้นมากกว่า) แต่เมื่ออยู่ด้วยกัน ทั้งคู่ลงตัว

เราชอบคาแร็คเตอร์ของโธมัส เขาจริงใจ และยอมรับความรู้สึกตัวเอง ที่สำคัญไม่ใช่ผู้ชายที่ซับซ้อน เมื่อเขายอมรับว่ารักคาโร ก็คือรัก ความไม่เหมาะสมทั้งหลายของเธอก็คือ เรื่องปลีกนอกไม่สำคัญอีกต่อไป

เราใช้เวลาพักใหญ่กว่ารู้สึกดีดีกะนางเอกค่ะ ส่วนหนึ่งเพราะคาแร็คเตอร์เป็นเด็กสาวเห็นแก่ตัว เอาแต่ใจที่เธอปรากฎตัวใน The Second Seduction of a Lady รวมไปถึงช่วงต้นเรื่องที่เธอไม่ยอมรับความจริงถึงการที่ตัวเองอาจจะตัดสินใจผิดพลาดที่แต่งงานกับอดีตสามีที่ล่วงลับไปแล้ว แล้วยังรวมไปถึงการที่เธอทำร้ายจิตใจของโธมัสครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า

แต่ก็ต้องยอมรับนะคะว่า มิแรนดา เนวิลลล์เป็นคนแต่งที่เขียนเรื่องที่นางเอก "ร้าย" ได้เก่ง อ่านแล้วบีบหัวใจดีนัก โดยเฉพาะเรื่องที่พระเอกรู้สึกตัวว่า กำลังแข่งกับผีของอดีตสามีของนางเอก

โดยรวมสนุกค่ะ ดีกว่าที่คิดเมื่อคิดถึงคาแร็คเตอร์ของนางเอกที่เราไม่ค่อยชอบมากนัก คะแนนที่ 70(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-by-diane-guest-reviewer

In 1793, Carolyn Brotherton eloped to Gretna Green with Robert Townsend the heir to his father’s fortune and title. Six years after they eloped, Robert had gambled and squandered away his fortune on booze and women, leaving Caro in desperate straits. The only thing of value Robert had left her was a very valuable painting that he had purchased for her when they were first married. It had hung in their sitting room until he had died from excessive living and gambling and left her in terrible debt...more In 1793, Carolyn Brotherton eloped to Gretna Green with Robert Townsend the heir to his father’s fortune and title. Six years after they eloped, Robert had gambled and squandered away his fortune on booze and women, leaving Caro in desperate straits. The only thing of value Robert had left her was a very valuable painting that he had purchased for her when they were first married. It had hung in their sitting room until he had died from excessive living and gambling and left her in terrible debt. Caro could not bear to part with the painting because Robert had bought it for her as a wedding gift and said it reminded him of her with the red hair. Robert’s oldest and dearest friends badgered her about the painting, claiming he had lost the painting to them in a dice game, but she didn’t believe any of them.

Caro was noted for her many parties and dinners for her struggling artist friends, but despite this her cousin Anne Brotherton came to visit with her to get a feel for life in London. Soon after her arrival His Grace Duke Castleton, Thomas Fitzcharles arrived to pay suit to Ann and ask for her hand in marriage.

He had money of his own but needed to marry a bride with money and property in order to dower his twin sisters , who in a couple of years would be old enough to be presented and he needed at least 20,000 pounds for each of them in order to make good marriages. His came went out the window the moment he saw Caro. How could he resist her she was so full of life and merriment while Anne was shy and as quiet as a church mouse.

With Robert’s death had come a mountain of debts for Cara and she would bring nothing to the marriage but herself, whom he’d grown to love very much. Even though he told her often that he loved her, she never responded, because in her heart she felt she was being unfaithful to Robert. However, when she lost miscarried Thomas’s baby in miscarriage, he was there to take care of her in contrast to Robert who could not be found when she delivered a baby boy which lived only a few moments after birth. Robert never saw his son and showed no sorrow at all for the babe or for Caro. She finally realizes she truly loves Thomas and his family very much and finally gets past the sadness of the miscarriage of his baby. When he returns from London on business he didn’t explain to her, she was ready to give her love to him completely. The business he had in London was to retrieve the painting she had given to Robert’s friend to sell for her. It was being auctioned to the highest bidder, but the Duke simply told the auctioneer that the picture belonged to his wife and now it belonged to him and he hadn’t given consent for it to be sold. He now had a wife with a dowry and a woman he loved very much.

This book captivates its reader, is a fun easy read, and one that the reader will not want to put down until finished. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a light hearted historical romance.

Miranda Neville has researched the time period, art, etc. to make this a true historical romance novel. It makes for a good read and is one that very hard to put down. Kudos to Ms. Neville for a job well done.
- Reviewed by Diane(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 The Window Seat rated it 3 of 5 stars

I usually read books from an earlier time, about braw lads in kilts, but I tucked right in to enjoy some handsome men in pantaloons. This book is about a bohemian lifestyle before it really was “the thing” I think, an artist’s lifestyle and the group of “hangers on” that goes with it. It probably happened, but was named something else? I just associate it to the 60’s and 70’s of our generation, but this book takes place in 1800 England.

We first meet Caroline known to all as Caro, at the end of a...more

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Nov 22, 2012 CaroleDee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After happily devouring Miranda Neville's Burgundy Club series I was thrilled with the opportunity to read her debut of a spinoff series The Importance of Being Wicked. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried I could not enjoy it :(

I found the heroine, Caroline aka Caro, unlikeable. She idealizes her alcoholic/gambling addict late husband to excess. She acts irresponsibly towards the care of her innocent cousin. She lets her 'friends' treat her like a complete doormat. But the most damning thi...more After happily devouring Miranda Neville's Burgundy Club series I was thrilled with the opportunity to read her debut of a spinoff series The Importance of Being Wicked. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried I could not enjoy it :(

I found the heroine, Caroline aka Caro, unlikeable. She idealizes her alcoholic/gambling addict late husband to excess. She acts irresponsibly towards the care of her innocent cousin. She lets her 'friends' treat her like a complete doormat. But the most damning thing, to me, was she married Thomas,The Duke of Castleton, with great enthusiasm but it took months into their marriage and a great tragedy before she showed her true self to a man that she was supposedly completely smitten with. The whole thing was hard for me. Thomas is a wonderfully written respectable gentlemen, if not a bit stuffy (Caro actually refers to him as Lord Stuffy to her friends throughout the book!) He's absolutely in love with her and she keeps him, emotionally, at arms length for the first 250 pages of the book! I felt horrible for the man. He's 30 years old but reminds me more of a naive, sheltered teenaged boy. Caro's character reminded me more of the 'opportunistic female villain' of historical romances rather than the heroine.

Perhaps I'm being harsh because I did love the Burgundy Club so much, and my expectations were too high. I was expecting more of the previous series's formula of mystery, intrigue, and love. What I got was an unbelievable match, almost no drama, and an extremely unlikeable heroine :(

There were a few saving graces to The Importance to Being Wicked. The last 100 pages (when the 'real' Caro finally introduced herself to Thomas) were great. After she decided to stop acting like a rebellious child the relationship was finally believable and highly enjoyable to read.

Oliver, a 'starving artist' type that lives in Caro's carriage house, was funny and refreshing. His open and honest charm was a breathe of fresh air in contrast to the heroine's personality.

I'm just not sure if I can recommend this one. I'm hoping that Neville can bring back the spark in future installments of this series, until then I'll just reread the Burgundy Club series and try to stop hating Caro so much :)(less)

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Jan 20, 2013 CJ Patrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, historical-romance

Ok...I have read a books by Ms. Neville before. I don't remember them at all and only have 1 on my bookshelf. I keep telling myself that I need to reread it, but can't seem to. Anyhow, I bought this book based on the incredibly good reviews it received on several websites. It also had one of my favorite types of plots - Good, Normal Hero who falls for Bad, Notorious Heroine. (This is not to be confused with my all-time favorite plot of Bad, Notorious Hero who falls for Good, Normal Heroine).

Ms....more

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Dec 01, 2012 Babyfishmouth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, kindle

2.5 Stars

I was excited by the premise of this book. I love an "opposites-attract" story especially when it involves a starchy duke and a carefree heroine. This story, however, fell a little flat for me. The hero and heroine are definitely opposites but the attraction aspect isn't well explained or shown. It just magically happens that they suddenly are both having lusty thoughts about each other fairly early in the story. Even when I tried to mentally fill in the blanks on why they might be attr...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Carin rated it 4 of 5 stars

We first meet Thomas and Caro when Thomas comes to call on Caro's cousin Anne whom Caro is chaperoning. The spark between Thomas and Caro is immediate but they are so vastly different that neither thinks that the spark will go anywhere. Thomas is all about doing his duty to marry a wealthy heiress and Caro still clings to her deceased husbands friends and their comparatively wild lifestyle.

I loved Thomas right away he is the good boy who has a wild side hidden within and he also is willing to do...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Brandy Dorsch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: avon-addict

This was an ARC that I received for review. I am a fan of Miranda Neville’s books and this one did not disappoint. Caro Townsend is a widow who shocked the ton by running away at the age of seventeen and marrying a bad boy. Now that her husband is dead and left her almost penniless she is struggling to find her place. She brings her cousin, Anna, who is an heiress to love with her. That is how she meets Thomas Fitzcharles, Duke of Castleton. Thomas pays a call on the ladies because he is searchi...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Addictive rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was drawn in by the title….and of course the author. My interest was elevated by the premise, I’m always drawn to high born, stuffy lords attracted to courtesans, widows, or the like.
Caroline Townsend is a widow who has multiple debts thanks to her late husband who liked to gamble. She has in her possession a painting that if sold would most likely end her financial troubles but she won’t part with it since it came into her possession during one of the happier moments of her marriage.
Castle...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Layssa Hart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Saying I liked this story is probably a bit misleading given that there was much about it I did not like.

I loved the hero. He was a different kettle of fish to the Dukes we are normally introduced to, and he was this book's saving grace.

The heroine never quite came up to scratch for me. And on this score I should probably mention that it's important to me that the hero and heroine in any story should be people I would be pleased to have as friends. This heroine was someone I would have had no ti...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Terree rated it 3 of 5 stars

I usually read books from an earlier time, about braw lads in kilts, but I tucked right in to enjoy some handsome men in pantaloons. This book is about a bohemian lifestyle before it really was “the thing” I think, an artist’s lifestyle and the group of “hangers on” that goes with it. It probably happened, but was named something else? I just associate it to the 60’s and 70’s of our generation, but this book takes place in 1800 England.

We first meet Caroline known to all as Caro, at the end of a...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Elis Madison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: add-a-half-star, era-regency, he-loves-me-she-loves-me-not, like-the-author, part-of-series, romance-only-romance

K, so now we follow Caro, the 17-y-o dimbo from The Second Seduction of a Lady, who eloped with the barely-out-of-puberty lothario wannabe Robert Townsend. Anybody who had any life experience could see it coming, right?

Yuh huh.

Robert died a year ago—but not before gambling away his considerable wealth. Caro has been trying to keep it together by selling off everything that isn't nailed down (except the Titian they bought on their honeymoon, which she tells people she doesn't have). One unusuall...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

This book gives us two unlikely people to fall in love – a Duke, nicknamed Lord Stuffy, who while is no means desolate, would prefer to marry a rich heiress. And a widowed heroine who parties, doesn’t care for the rules of the ton, and because of her late husband’s debts, owes many people money. My main problem with this book is that by the end, I still wasn’t’ convinced these two had a love match or that they would live happily ever after…forever and ever.

Caroline Townsend, or Caro to her frien...more This book gives us two unlikely people to fall in love – a Duke, nicknamed Lord Stuffy, who while is no means desolate, would prefer to marry a rich heiress. And a widowed heroine who parties, doesn’t care for the rules of the ton, and because of her late husband’s debts, owes many people money. My main problem with this book is that by the end, I still wasn’t’ convinced these two had a love match or that they would live happily ever after…forever and ever.

Caroline Townsend, or Caro to her friends ran off at the age of 17 and married a wild ‘bad boy’ of the ton. After he dies and leaves her with debt, Caro consolidates and tries to live a fiscally careful life. She surrounds herself with good friends, including Oliver Breams, a struggling artist who falls in love every two days with a different woman. Caro is estranged from her own family, due to her running away to get married, so she considers her crazy, rambunctious friends her adopted family. Her cousin Anne is a rich heiress who has been good friends with Caro since she was young. When Anne’s guardians leave for business, Anne slyly arranges a stay with Caro in London.

Anne is being courted by Thomas, Duke of Castleton. Every Duke in this line has married well, as the Dukedom didn’t start with a lot of money. Thomas sees it as his duty to marry Anne, and same with her. But the problem is, Thomas and Anne don’t mesh. At all. Anne loves ancient history and artifacts. Thomas…doesn’t. He can’t keep his eyes off the vibrant Caro. He knows his duty should be pointing him in the other direction, but he can’t help himself. When another debt of her late husband’s gets brought up, Caro starts to truly worry about her financial situation. She has a priceless painting hidden deep within her house, that her beloved husband gave to her, and many are sniffing out that she might still have it. This painting is a reminder that her husband really loved her,before he became consumed with gambling and desperate not to part with it, she must find a way to keep the creditors at bay.

Thomas is dull. Lord Stuffy. The Duke of Stuffiness. He had a mistress before he met Caro and he didn’t even realize women could orgasm. Nor has he ever had oral pleasure. (apparently his mistress was dull too!). He is not really social nor light-hearted. He is a simple man, and he knows this. But he follows the rules of society, and never shirks his duty. But he meets Caro and he demands fun. She puts him into situations that makes him feel alive again. Which is all very good and dandy. Except as I said at the beginning, I was never fully convinced these two are a love match. I liked seeing Caro liven up Thomas’s life and Thomas be a solid rock for Caro. But, I just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. Eventually, there is lots of in the sheets action for these two, and while it was sexy, and I could understand the two of them being physically attracted to each other, the ‘forever in love’ part didn’t come through for me.

This book has cute moments. Especially moments between Caro and her friends. But overall, it is slow. I got tired of the painting storyline, as everyone keeps asking Caro if she has it and snooping around. While the book starts with Thomas trying to court Anne, they both quickly realize they don’t fit, and I liked that there wasn’t massive drama with this decision.

This has a cute start and I individually enjoyed Caro and Thomas. Just didn’t love them together.

Rating: C+(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Kimba (Caffeinated Book Reviewer) rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Importance of Being Wicked reintroduces heroine, Caro. It share with us her story and that of Thomas, Duke of Castleton. Caro is now a widow and in dire straits thanks to her departed husband’s love of the tables. While the first part of the book got off to a slow start, the second half swept me away. This is the first book in a four part series, dealing with badly behaving art collectors.

When the tale begins we met Caro and her posse of artist friends. She is beating the debt collectors fro...more The Importance of Being Wicked reintroduces heroine, Caro. It share with us her story and that of Thomas, Duke of Castleton. Caro is now a widow and in dire straits thanks to her departed husband’s love of the tables. While the first part of the book got off to a slow start, the second half swept me away. This is the first book in a four part series, dealing with badly behaving art collectors.

When the tale begins we met Caro and her posse of artist friends. She is beating the debt collectors from her door and getting ready to chaperone her cousin an heiress. The Duke of Castleton has set his hat on Caro’s niece to replenish his families coiffures, but Caro is determined she have a love match. Both the Duke and Caro are surprised by the attraction they feel to each other. Caro would never submit to the role of Duchess and Thomas needs to follow family tradition and secure his family’s wealth. The tale that unfolds was delightful and at times humorous.

Caro was a difficult character to connect to. While I admired her free will and sense of adventure, I had difficulty with her putting her cousin Anna in danger. She doesn’t handle her finances very well and her friendships border on dangerous. I do think Thomas makes her a better person, and aids her in growing up. I had to remind myself that she went from her controlling mother to her wild youthful husband. Thomas the Duke of Castleton was refreshingly innocent. He follows the rules and is a dutiful son. He is struck by Caro’s beauty and flirty personality. When it comes to the bedroom, he is surprisingly uneducated and it was an interesting twist to see the heroine teaching the hero! Anne the youngest of them was probably the most sensible and I really would like to read her story. Caro’s artist friends are over the top and fascinating. I loved some of them and hated others. We have creepy collectors adding to the mix, which drove the plot.

The tale unfolded slowly for me, and between my feelings for Caro and the pace, I really did not get swept away until about halfway. Once that occurred, I got caught up in the tale and loved watching the romance unfold. I had some issues with characters and flow, but overall felt this was a good start to a new series. I enjoyed the art culture and the seedy sides we were introduced too. I adored the “Stuffy Duke” (Caro’s nickname for Thomas) and would have liked a little more romance weaved into this lusty romance.
I want to thank HarperCollins/Avon for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer (less)

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Jan 01, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-regency, books-2012

This was a hard to read book as the emotions were a bit raw at times, especially when reading Caro's POV. Either she was flighty or she was covering up the real issues. Having read Caro and Robert's beginning in the earlier novella, I was prepared for Caro for the most part. With Robert's death, a bohemian-type life is what she has. Friends who are artists and hanger-ons. Into this walks Thomas, a Duke thinking of marrying her cousin Ann. He is staid, very upstanding and falls for penniless Caro...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, romance

I ended up with two books with the same title and this one got lost in the process. I just realized what had happened and now both have been read and reviewed.

I liked this story. It had two very interesting characters. Thomas and Caro are a good example of opposites who attract. They met when Thomas comes to court Caro’s cousin Anne. There is an immediate attraction between the two. I loved how Caro brought out the fun in Thomas and how Thomas made Caro feel safe. Trusting was hard for both but...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Nicky Penttila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sweet, sexy story with a wild-child heroine and her gang of impecunious misfits coming up against a big, stuffy, yet beta-style hero. Plot-wise, a lot of small, moving parts, as this is the first in a series and has to introduce characters and ideas galore. Even so, the main story takes its time and we get to watch Caro and Thomas travel an increasingly deep path to self-knowledge. Caro, especially, has a long road to travel in that department.

My favorite scene is near the start, when Thomas fir...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Karen Wheless rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another excellent book by Miranda Neville. I was a little wary when I picked it up because I’ve read so many books with this premise, but the author manages to put a new spin on a familiar story. “Wild child” heroines often come across as immature, but Caro’s back story is so well developed that her actions make sense based on her personality. I also enjoyed that neither the hero or the heroine had to completely change their personality to make the relationship work. My interest waned slightly i...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Caz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, disappointing, romance-regency, kindle

... or maybe 3.5 stars, if I'm having a good day!

A more appropriate – although less enticing – title for this book might have been The Importance of Employing some Common Sense, because there were times I really wanted to knock some into the heroine.

We first met Caro in the novella The Second Seduction of a Lady, which I enjoyed very much. During the course of that story she meets and elopes with Robert Townsend when she is just seventeen years old.

This books starts some seven years later; she i...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Really liked the beginning, cooled on it in the middle, it won me over in the end. This book engaged me less than her last two, which I loved, but I always find Neville smart and worth reading. One thing I love about her books is that her characters feel so real, and that falling in love helps them be their best selves. They are good for each other, good together. I loved the warmth and affection between Thomas and Caro. I was less interested in the lust, but I loved that for once their roles in...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for_review, historical

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C

Caroline (Caro) is a widow who’s dealing with her late husband’s debts and surrounds herself with friends to help ward off loneliness. She’s in possession of one painting that would get her a fair amount of money to help pay off some of the debts, but she’s reluctant to sell it as it holds memories for her of her husband and so it remains hidden and she lets everyone believe that she doesn’t know where it is, including her husband’s friends...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C

Caroline (Caro) is a widow who’s dealing with her late husband’s debts and surrounds herself with friends to help ward off loneliness. She’s in possession of one painting that would get her a fair amount of money to help pay off some of the debts, but she’s reluctant to sell it as it holds memories for her of her husband and so it remains hidden and she lets everyone believe that she doesn’t know where it is, including her husband’s friends who all want to get their hands on it. Caro’s not sure what she’s going to do since on a monthly basis she’s spending more than she’s earning and she’s nearly ready to trade her body to one man who was owed a large sum by her dead husband. But Thomas stops that and makes his intentions towards Caro known.

Thomas originally calls on Caro’s home in the hopes of asking Caro’s cousin to marry him. It’s the norm in his family that all the men marry women who will come with large amounts of money, and while Thomas isn’t hurting for funds, his father left his young twin sisters with no dowries, so he’s scrambling to figure out how to provide for them. His sights may have been initially set on Caro’s cousin, but he takes one look at Caro and can’t imagine wanting another. Caro is a free spirit, quick to laugh, make a joke and the life of any party. Thomas is more subdued, Caro calls him Lord Stuffy, but he’s a sweet man, and sweet on Caro.

I had a hard time warming up to Caro in this one. She’s a fun character, but I didn’t like her attitude toward Thomas. It’s not bad, but she certainly doesn’t vocalize her love for him until the very end. She also brings up her late husband around Thomas, way too much. He was her first love, she defied her family when she ran off with him, but he wasn’t perfect yet she still sees him that way in her memories. For as sweet, caring and understanding as Thomas is, he didn’t deserve to be reminded of her life with Robert so much.

The friends Caro keeps came off as taking advantage of her and her need to not be alone. She puts friends up in her home, hosts dinners and late nights that she can’t afford and when Robert’s friends come back, they don’t come across in the best way. They too just seem to want to use Caro for her knowledge on where this painting is, and I felt like Caro took too long to send them on their way, seeing them as another link to Robert. And I believe these friends along with Robert make up the art dealing quartet that the series is based around. I can’t say I’m all that impressed with the friends we meet in this story and I’m not sure how I’ll feel about reading their own stories in the future.

I did find Caro and Thomas’s sex scenes to be more on the tender side as Thomas gets some sexual education from Caro. He learns all about how to please her and she’s none too shy in showing him what she needs and wants. When this couple was together, in quiet intimate moments, I liked them so much more than when Caro was surrounded by her friends and not putting Thomas first in her life.

Caro and Thomas are the ultimate odd couple and I’m not sure that they worked for me. I really enjoyed Thomas. He’s an easy hero to like, who’s madly in love with Caro and sticks by her when a lot of other men wouldn’t have bothered. Caro is a harder heroine to like. She does come around eventually, I just wish she would have opened up sooner, and did the one thing he asked of her, put him first in her life and not everyone else. She finally does it when she realizes how much she loves him, it just came a little too late for me. There are some fun moments that made me laugh, however I’m still iffy about the friends in the quartet and whether I want to know more about them or not. The Importance of Being Wicked is a story with a hero I loved, a heroine who I liked in the end and an overall story that ended up being a good read.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 SidneyKay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-regency

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "You say eether and I say eyether
You say neether and I say nyther
eeither, eyether, neether, nyther
Let's call the whole thing off!
You like potato and i like potahto,
you like tomato and I like tomahto,
Potato, potahto, tomato, tamahto!
Let's call the whole thing off!
But oh! If we call the whole thing off,
Then we must part.
And oh! If we part,
Then that might break my heart!" - George and Ira Gershwin

The Importance of Being Wicked is the beginning of a new series by Miranda Neville. Of course, there...more "You say eether and I say eyether
You say neether and I say nyther
eeither, eyether, neether, nyther
Let's call the whole thing off!
You like potato and i like potahto,
you like tomato and I like tomahto,
Potato, potahto, tomato, tamahto!
Let's call the whole thing off!
But oh! If we call the whole thing off,
Then we must part.
And oh! If we part,
Then that might break my heart!" - George and Ira Gershwin

The Importance of Being Wicked is the beginning of a new series by Miranda Neville. Of course, there was the short novella The Second Seduction of a Lady, which was a prequel to this story. It is in this short story that we are introduced to Caro. At that time, she was 17 years old and had eloped. Actually, Caro was the best part of that short story. I found her fun, if just a tad bit peppy, peppy, peppy. And, if I had to really be around a young person that vivacious I would need some ear plugs or margaritas. However, I was looking forward to how Ms. Neville matured Caro.

And not I shall ponder. This book puts me in a reflective mood...see my eyes are downcast. My first reaction was that I really liked this story. It's a tale of opposites attracting, which, while not different from many standard romance yarns, seemed to have a bit more realism involved. It was written in such a way, that all the way through I kept wondering just how this couple would ever achieve their happy ending. Something else I liked was that about half-way through the book Caro and Thomas marry and instead of the instant HEA all of their differences were exacerbated. The struggle to make their marriage work is what pulled me into the book and had me rooting for them. I liked both of these characters equally. Caro was flighty, selfish, and her life decisions were hardly ever thought out. But she was such a dazzling person, it wasn't hard to understand how stuffy Thomas fell like a ton of bricks. Stuffy Thomas, on the other hand, was a product of his social standing. He was everything that was proper. He was so trapped in his aristocratic box that he couldn't be anything else but stiff. So, he was drawn to Caro like a moth to a flame. he was the more innocent of the two and when they were together the story worked. They balance each other out, and in the end that is the only way this type of marriage could work. The became better people. So, that part of the story really worked for me.

Now, there were a few things that didn't work for me quite so well. While Caro seemed to be this capricious person, she was also intelligent. So, I never understood why she kept her wastrel of a first husband on a pedestal for so long. In the of their marriage, things had pretty much hit bottom, but she had these blinders on when it came to him. Then there is the matter of her so-called "friends." I believe some of these "friends" are future heroes, so it will be interesting to see how Ms. Neville pulls these selfish, cruel, thoughtless men out of the hero hat. And then there is the art. I understand that art will be the continuing background for the future stories, but I am hoping it will be turned down a little because I found it to be a distraction from the main love story.

Overall, I liked The Importance of Being Wicked. I enjoyed watching the slow growth of Caro and Thomas as they became better people and thought that this was the best part of the book. I was biting my nails wondering how this mismatched couple was ever going to find their HEA. There were occasional modern anachronisms that kept cropping up, but I overlooked those. And, I'm really, really looking forward to seeing how Ms. Neville is going to fix the future heroes. I do recommend this book; it's a good read.
KaysBlog (less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Money has been tight for Caroline since the death of her husband Robert. The two eloped when she was just 17 and their seven years of marriage were a whirlwind of parties, fun, and artistic expression. Really, the only things of value she has left are her memories, her old friends, and the painting of Venus that Robert bought for her before he died. She sold everything else to pay off his debts, but allowed herself to keep the one painting that reminded her of his love.

Caroline is serving as cha...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Nita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, historical-romance, fiction, read-2012

The ludicrous combination of the stately court dance and the lively saltation of the common people was quite like the pairing of the Duke of Castleton and Mrs. Caro Townsend. Impossible.

Thomas, the Duke of Castleton, is looking to marry. His ideal mate is someone with lots of money. The men of his family have always married for money and he plans on following this tradition. What he doesn't plan on is falling for the poor cousin of the young woman he has set his sights on. Not only is she poor,...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: miranda-neville, historical-romance, edelweiss

Caroline Townsend is dealing with the death of her husband and trying to find a way to pay all the debts left behind and with her generous nature, she finds it hard to turn away her late husbands artistic, struggling friends. A bright spot is the arrival of her dear cousin, Anne who is coming to meet her potential fiance, Thomas, Duke of Castleton. It quickly becomes clear that this proper man, or Lord Stuffy as Caro comes to call him, will not suit for Anne and does not fit in with Caro's more...more Caroline Townsend is dealing with the death of her husband and trying to find a way to pay all the debts left behind and with her generous nature, she finds it hard to turn away her late husbands artistic, struggling friends. A bright spot is the arrival of her dear cousin, Anne who is coming to meet her potential fiance, Thomas, Duke of Castleton. It quickly becomes clear that this proper man, or Lord Stuffy as Caro comes to call him, will not suit for Anne and does not fit in with Caro's more carefree lifestyle...but the attraction between Thomas and Caro is there and hard to ignore. When Caro attempts to settle on of her larger debts, Thomas is there to sweep her away and this forces a change in their relationship. However, Thomas needs to marry for money so how can he throw away the chance to marry for money (Anne) for the chance to marry for love and passion (Caro)? Will he choose duty or love? Will Caro be able to find a balance for her feelings for Thomas, a balance between proper and free?

What a fun, sexy, enjoyable easy read! I really like to read a good book sometimes without major conflict, without loads of action and with feelings expressed without having to pull teeth and I felt Miranda Neville delivered with this one. Caro is a delight...free spirited, kind, loving and a wonderful teacher to Thomas about all things wicked! Thomas is the perfect, proper, stuffy gentleman who knows his duty but can see importance to learning all things wicked. I did feel like the story was a bit slow in the beginning but it really picked up for me half way through and I finished it in one sitting to see how it all played out. I think the reason it was a bit slow for me was all the other characters are introduced for the upcoming stories and it detracted from the romance blooming a bit. However, by the end I loved how the author weaved in just enough tidbits about the upcoming stories that I am very anxious for them now as they all look quite scandalous! I enjoyed watching Thomas go through a slew of emotions of his feelings for Caro but how he never backed down once he made up his mind, even when some secrets from his mothers past is revealed. Caro also stayed true to her feelings once she realized them and this was a nice surprise for me as I was worried she would be a bit flighty in that regard. And even though this is a very easy read, there is a touch of heartbreak that had me heart sinking that adds just a bit of drama. Art collecting isn't really my interest but it was touched just enough on without overwhelming the storyline. Overall, a smashing start to a new series that I thoroughly enjoyed. 4 stars

eARC provided by Avon Books via edelweiss
(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Juli rated it 3 of 5 stars

The beginning and end of this book were wonderful, but I admit to a rough patch in the middle. The two main characters were dishonest with each other longer than seemed warranted, and it made me question the strength of their feelings for each other. I didn't believe that either of them had reason to be so untrusting.

However, once they started being really honest with each other, the story worked for me; the ending was very satisfying, and I didn't have doubts about their happiness together.

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Dec 07, 2012 marieno rated it 4 of 5 stars

The 24 years old Caro is not the 17 years old one. Yes, she still doesn't care much for the ton and she still likes to have fun but she appears less flighty. Thomas a.k.a Lord Stuffy draws an analogy to Mister Darcy. He appears pompous and he's a litle bit akward with women. I admired Caro wish to stay authentic even if she wants to please Thomas.

The family intrigues were a crack in the story but I imagined Miranda Neville wanted to keep meat for her others Wild Quartet Series books.

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The Importance of Being Wicked (The Wild Quartet #1)

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