Not Wicked Enough

Reforming the Scoundrels #1

by Carolyn Jewel

When Lily Wellston heads to the Bitterward Estate to comfort her widowed friend Eugenia she certainly does not have romance in mind. In fact the playful but level-headed Lily is amused to no end when, en route, a gypsy gifts her with a beautiful medallion, claiming it will ensnare the romantic desires of a stranger.

But Fate has other plans in the form of Eugenia's ruggedly handsome brother, the Duke of Mountjoy. One day at Bitterward and Lily can't deny the sizzling attraction between her and the roguish duke. Nothing can come of it, of course. She's not looking for entanglements and he's practically engaged. But whether it's her outgoing nature and the duke's outlandish ways sparking off one another; or the mysterious gypsy medallion working "magic"--hearts are stirring in the most unexpected and wicked ways...

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, British Literature, Adult Fiction

310 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 7, 2012

About the author

Carolyn Jewel was born on a moonless night. That darkness was seared into her soul and she became an award winning and USA Today bestselling author of historical and paranormal romance. She has a very dusty car and a Master’s degree in English that proves useful at the oddest times. An avid fan of fine chocolate, finer heroines, Bollywood films, and heroism in all forms, she has two cats and a dog. Also a son. One of the cats is his.

Reviews

[Rachel (BAVR) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Full disclosure: The main reason I read this book is because the blurb revealed that the hero is named the Duke of Mountjoy. Throughout the book, his given name is never revealed. He's just Mountjoy. Mountjoy. Call me immature, but I couldn't resist some good Mountjoy action.

SUMMARY:
Lily Wellstone, an independent heiress, travels to Bitterward Estate to visit with her recently widowed friend Ginny. On the way there, she encounters a gypsy king who gives her a magical love medallion. Naturally, upon her arrival at Bitterward, the first person Lily meets is Ginny's older brother, the poorly dressed but super hot Duke of Mountjoy. The two of them immediately develop a flirtatious banter and start to screw around like brazen hussies. Good times. But Mountjoy's practically engaged to another woman, and Lily has vowed never to love again. Will all of their mounting be for nothing, or will that mounting lead to joy?

Not Wicked Enough is one of those rare books that includes its title in the text of the story. During one game of verbal foreplay, Lily asks Mountjoy if he thinks she's too wicked. Little Mountjoy (that's a euphemism for his penis) prompts him to respond that she isn't wicked enough. Thank you, Carolyn Jewel, for making the connection, even if "wicked" is among the Top 10 Most Overused Words for HR Titles, right up there with rake, rogue, sin, scoundrel, and seduce.

Lily is a pretty awesome heroine. I'm used to hating Regency heroines, so she really came out of left field. She isn't a blushing virgin, so I didn't have to put up with any of the blushing virgin wangst. She's fun, energetic, and good-natured, and I fully understand why Mountjoy A) wanted to put his Little Mountjoy in her and B) ultimately fell in love with her. Even better, she's discreet! She understand the dangers posed by forming a liaison with the duke, and she keeps a proper distance, just as you would expect a mistress to do back in the day. Granted, she totally boinks her best friend's brother, which some might consider indiscreet, but her actions made way more sense than 99% of Regency heroines these days. So good for you, Lily!

Mountjoy, aside from having an epic name, isn't as much fun as Lily, but he makes up for it by being adorably vulnerable at times. He's honorable (if you ignore the fact that he's screwing his sister's best friend), dedicated to his title and tenants, and really likes the smexytimes. He grew up on a farm before learning he was so close to the title and still dresses like it. There's some cute banter between Mountjoy and Lily about her becoming his valet.

Although the characters are stand-up people, not a lot happens in the story. It's more of a character study than anything, and I love characters. But honestly, in my old age, I need more action. There are only so many smutty lover's trysts I can read before I get bored and start praying for a sword fight. So I wasn't particularly thrilled with the storyline. The magical gypsy love medallion is only faintly alluded to in the story, and it could have been used for some freaky stuff. However, I enjoyed the characters enough to give this book 3.5 stars. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll round that up to 4 stars for the Goodreads rating.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

She looked up at him, and said, "Am I too wicked, your grace?"

"My love, if I may be honest—"

"Please."

"You’re not wicked enough."

I picked up Not Wicked Enough by Carolyn Jewel late one night, just intending to read one chapter before I went to bed. But I became so enthralled with the hero and heroine that I could not put this book down. We have two people with exquisite chemistry and such witty banter that I was charmed throughout the entire book.

Our heroine, Lily Wellstone, is a very wealthy lady who is extremely stylish and proper, at least on the outside. When she shows up at the Duke of Mountjoy’s house to visit her dear friend Ginny (who is the Duke’s sister), she is at first taken aback by this imposing duke, but the challenge invigorates her.

Lily stayed where she was, meeting his gaze without blinking or looking away. According to the terms she’d set for herself, she could not move while he trod on her shadow. The thought made her smile.
The duke didn’t look away either. Nor did he smile in return. The effect was … bracing.

Mountjoy learns she is not only beautiful, but she is quite the character. She flirts with him and has a very sharp sense of humor.

It takes him quite awhile to figure her out.

"Do you have ghosts here?" she asked.
Good Lord, he hoped she wasn’t serious. With that innocent face of hers, he couldn’t be sure. "Not to my knowledge," he said.
"You ought to consider it."
He was at sea. One moment he was convinced she was a helpless sort of female, none too bright, the next that she must be daft. Or intelligent beyond what her sex typically allowed a man to guess.

Lily’s love of her life died on the battlefield, and she really isn’t looking for another mate. She is happy in life when she visits to cheer up Mountjoy’s sister, who is grieving over the loss of her husband. Lily likes to have everything arranged, from her friends to the food on her plate.

Mountjoy was brought up on a farm and, as a shock, was handed the title of duke through a messy family tree. Although never expecting to have this position, he took it on seriously and has always tended to his duties. He may not dress necessarily proper, but his manners and behavior make him a very respectable duke. While not engaged, everyone assumes he will marry family friend Miss Jane Kirk and, out of duty, he plans to. But when Lily lands on his doorstep, he just can’t let her go, no matter how hard he tries.

A couple of things really stand out in Not Wicked Enough. First of all, the chemistry between Lily and Mountjoy jumped off the page in Chapter 1 and continued to the end. Lily is so unapologetic for her flirtation and her attention to the smallest details, yet she is extremely friendly and warm and truly cares about Mountjoy’s sister and her well-being. She is very secure and confident about who she is — so when she has the chance to flirt with the very attractive Mountjoy, she goes for it. She is very wicked and unashamed in her actions, and I loved it. And while they have a wonderful build-up of sexual tension, the sex scenes are so erotic and lengthy, they just added to the high sensuality of the book. There are these little moments, such as the following one, where they are having a somewhat normal conversation, and then Carolyn Jewel puts in just a sentence or two, that lights the whole page on fire.

"Tell me your adventure." The side of his finger brushed her bare shoulder. Neither of them acknowledged the contact. Not yet.

They have such a witty banter that I quite enjoyed. They tease and flirt so much that you can’t help but smile as they do it. As he is not engaged to Jane Kirk yet, he isn’t necessarily cheating on her, although it does give him pause a few times. I didn’t have any problems in regards to Jane or how her character played out.

There is a bit of conflict surrounding Lily, as her mother married below her station, so therefore her mother’s family practically disowned her after she was married, leaving Lily with little family. When Lily’s aunt leaves her a great fortune, this also causes conflict, as many of the other family members don’t think Lily deserves it. Someone from her past reunites with Lily and causes her some distress. Honestly, Mountjoy and Lily’s relationship overshadowed this conflict, so I wasn’t heavily invested in how things played out with it.

Not Wicked Enough is full of great chemistry and very sensual love scenes and is, dare I say, a very wicked book indeed. I highly recommend it.

Rating: A-

[Izzah ꒰紅葉を期待 ಇ Duchess of Cabria꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sensual but not romantic

The beginning of this book as well as the premise of this book is very captivating. Heroine comes from a humbler background, had a first love (and lover) in her youth that died in the war. She is now an independent, unmarried woman of means thanks to an inheritance. It made for the perfect formula for 'he falls first' and woos her. Yet it sort of missed the mark at the end.



࿔*:･ The heroine

She did not feel about him the way she’d felt about Greer, and he had no deep feelings for her, either. They could flirt in this way that was not innocent and have no fear of unwanted entanglements.

This book starts their relationship based on lust. I didn't hate that because, as per the quote, there's not even a hint of insta-love.

The heroine's previous love wasn't just 'an infatuation' or 'it's never felt like this before, not even with X'. She did love her first love and has spend the last 10 years mourning him.

However, she's a very vivacious and sensual and she's reached a point where her physical needs are overriding her emotional lethargy. I also like that she cared about fashion and her looks because, let's be honest, it was a form of entertainment. With no technology, how else are you going to keep yourself occupied?

The ash pink bodice would look delectable when she sat on that Prussian blue sofa.

Thinking about how you would look at a specific location at a specific activity is just another way to kill endless leisure time.

I also liked there aren't any secret heart flutters when the affair starts. She very honestly only wants the hero physically at the beginning.

“Yes. You’re horrible.” She rolled her eyes. “I shan’t fall in love with you, your grace.”  

“I don’t expect you will,” the duke said in a soft voice.

She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Her heart had died with Greer. “You won’t fall in love with me, either.”

“No.” He laughed. “Given our mutual defects in respect of our hearts, tell me, what would you like to happen between us?”

He hadn’t Greer’s easy manner or his passion for history or his flights of fancy. Not his way with words either. The duke did not and would never love her the way Greer had, and she would never feel about Mountjoy the way she’d felt about Greer. She would always have that place in her heart where Greer still lived, and all the joy and happiness and the black despair of his loss remained locked away there. Safely guarded.

Where the book started to lose me was the romantic progress. It was almost non-existent. After a while, you kinda need those 'secret heart flutters'. We get this at 50%:

Tonight, he would be the perfect lover, if things went that far, this man who made her heart race for the first time since she’d lost Greer.

But also this right after

Clothes that make others think, here is a man worth knowing.” She touched his cheek. “Because it’s true. Not to mention, you might have more success with Miss Jane Kirk if you dressed the part of a duke.”

We don't really see any romantic progress at all and until like around 90% they are both considering marriage to other people.

The love seemed to come almost reluctantly, as if the author was annoyed she had to end this romance with... romance.


࿔*:･ The hero

The hero is stick in the mud. He's boring and dresses horribly. Everyone around him has declared he should marry a neighbor and he's dragging his feet but is willing to do it because he can't seem to care much either way.

What's annoying is that, while his attraction to the heroine increases, he keeps shutting himself down with things like

He had no business chasing after a woman who did not want what he did from life. Tomorrow, he thought. He would offer for Jane tomorrow,

At one point, he found himself in a crowd that included Jane Kirk. He should get his proposal done with. Invite her to stroll with him, and tell her he hoped she would consent to be his duchess.

That second one happens at 73%! I kinda need the romance to kick in by then but he still thinks the heroine will be a momentary obsession.

When he finally shows signs of not wanting to let her go for good, the heroine gets a marriage proposal. You'd think that would be the jolt he needed but no.

He wanted to be selfish and tell her to stay the hell away from Fenris, but he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right.

why. the. hell. not.?!?!

This is the time to be selfish, to tell her how you feel you dolt.

I’m not going to marry Fenris,” she said.  
“I’m not going to marry Jane.”

Well, isn't that a joy to know... at 95%!


࿔*:･ The steam

While this book is arguably bordering on erotica just by the sheer number of steamy scenes, I don't think the book is vert erotic.

The prelude to their encounters as well as their foreplay was drawn out and sensual but the act itself and the culmination were shorter and vaguer.


࿔*:･ Final thoughts

I don't know... I liked the historical background and their initial interactions, but the romance was lacking and while the build up of tension and foreplay were exquisite, the culmination was lackluster. I felt as if the author was edging us.


╭── ⋅ ⋅ ──────────────── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮
. .┊𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆
. .┊➛ 𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆: 90
. .┊➛ 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆: Title starts with N
. .┊➛ 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔: 30/100
╰── ⋅ ⋅ ──────────────── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts like hers were not appropriate for a lady. Her father had once told her she'd been born wicked, and she suspected he was right. What proper lady, never married, took a lover, regretted nothing, and dreamed of taking another?

If you enjoy Historical Romances featuring heroines who are not shy, virginal misses, then this book will be right up your alley. The heroine, Lily, is a delightfully self aware heroine. She looks delicate and innocent, like someone you need to protect, but her mind is quite sharp. She flirts and tosses around innuendos without ever losing that innocent mien. I quite enjoyed the hero’s initial uncertainty about her awareness of the undertones to their interactions. She is also cheerful and fun to be around. She easily pulls the hero’s sister (her friend) out of the gloom she had fallen into with the death of her husband, and charms the reluctant Mountjoy.

This is a very character driven romance. There is a bit of a subplot involving the heroine’s fear that a distant relative has arrived to wrest her inheritance away, but it was quite obvious where that was going, and it wasn’t headed toward an actual conflict. The author did manage to surprise me with the development between Lily and the relative toward the end, but I was pleased to see that the situation didn’t become too sticky and that my initial assumption about his interest in their little group was still correct. I know that such an intense focus on the main romance, to the exclusion of all else, is not for everyone, but I quite enjoy it. I am an unrepentant emotional voyeur, and I love the intense focus on a burgeoning romance. ;)

The story setup is very simple, and in the hands of another author it could have easily strayed into boring territory. Lily comes to visit her friend, Eugenia, to pull her out of the gloom she’s been in since her husband died. She meets the hero, Mountjoy, and sparks fly between them both. Mountjoy was a farmer who became a duke through a convoluted line of succession. He is a hard working man who has come to love the lands that he is responsible for. Although he has been the duke for quite a while, he hasn’t bothered to assume some of the more frivolous trappings of the nobility, like new clothes. He doesn’t care about entertaining or impressing anyone, so why would he need new clothes? But I think he also refused to change because he secretly didn’t want anyone to forget who he was or to think that he was putting on airs.

Mountjoy is probably going to marry a girl named Jane. He hasn’t proposed or courted her, but everyone assumes he will, and he doesn’t see a reason why he shouldn’t eventually propose. Eventually being the key word. Lily and Mountjoy are very attracted to each other and neither has a problem with it. The only real concern for Mountjoy is what will happen with his sister’s friendship with Lily when they eventually end their affair. This initially holds him back, but every nighttime encounter between them—Lily has always had insomnia, so she’s always up and about at night, giving her an easy way to spend time with him alone—pulls them tighter and tighter together.

For her part, Lily has no problem starting an affair with Mountjoy, other than a few worries about being disloyal to her feelings for her first love, Greer. We didn’t get a lot of information on Greer, so it was easy for me to brush off this concern. At one point Mountjoy said something to Lily that perfectly summed up my thoughts. I liked this indication that the author was fully aware of how Lily’s concerns were coming off to the reader. It made me have more patience with Lily. He said:

"Don't settle for marriage without at least respect between you. You can't live like that. Not you, Lily. I know you loved Greer, and I believe you'll never love another man the way you loved him. But does it follow that you can never love? Does a parent love only one child? A child only one parent? May we love only one friend? You, Lily, you of all people must have love in her life. Genuine love from a man who understands the wonderful eccentricities of your mind. Accept nothing less."

So if I enjoyed this book so much, why is it only a B instead of an A? It’s because of something I can’t put my finger on. I may have had a few irritants here and there in the book, like never knowing the hero’s name or the way Mountjoy’s connection with Jane became a non issue (it seemed like too easy of a shortcut for such a skilled author), but they were easy to ignore when compared to the charm of Lily and Mountjoy together. But what I can’t get over is the distance I feel toward this book. Just like with the last book I read by this author, Scandal , I enjoyed the story, enjoyed the characters, and can see the author’s skill, but I just don’t feel it the way I should. I don’t click with the story and it drives me batty that I can’t figure out why. So I, unfortunately, can only enjoy the story, not love it.

Favorite Quote:

"What are you thinking?" Mountjoy asked.

She could not remember a time when any man had made her so relentlessly aware that she was a woman. The man made the back of her knees positively weak. "Nothing."

He laughed, and her belly tightened. "Wellstone. The day you are thinking of nothing is the day the world ends."

*Review posted on Fiction Vixen*

[willaful · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The most interesting aspect of this story is its heroine, who's the type of character more often found as the other woman in historical romance -- not the evil kind, but the elegant, confident, sexually aware, discreet, not-the-marrying-kind kind. Although Lily has actually only had one lover, she's always had something of a rebellious, "wicked" soul -- or so her disapproving father thinks -- and she definitely knows what she likes. When she goes to visit her friend Ginny, who's grieving over the loss of her husband, she finds that her friend's brother is very much to her taste; Mountjoy, a farmer unexpectedly turned Duke, is built and utterly gorgeous.

Mountjoy finds Lily very much to his taste as well, though he has excellent reasons for resisting her: it would be a tremendous breach of hospitality to seduce his friend's sister, and then there's Jane, whom everyone expect to be his duchess. But despite their efforts, somehow the two inevitably seem to wind up alone and doing very wicked things to each other. Here's Lily after one steamy encounter:

"When she could think again, she opened her eyes and saw Mountjoy standing over her, one hand on her belly and the other resting on the outside of her thigh, and his green, so green eyes watching he. 'What a shame,' she said, and she actually did mean every word, 'that we cannot be lovers.'"

We see more of this romance from Mountjoy's point of view, because he's far more emotionally open than Lily is. Still committed to the man she loved and lost, Lily is willing to give and accept physical pleasure but nothing more. I would have liked to see a little more emotion on her end, but Mountjoy's confused yearning made the story romantic, as well as sexy.

I enjoyed the interplay of the characters: Lily is always attempting to get Mountjoy to wear better-fitting, more attractive clothes, and even dreams about him hiring her as his valet, which leads to him frequently addressing her by only her last name. (There's a bit of a woo-woo element with shared dreams, apparently caused by a gypsy necklace.) It's a cute bit of intimacy, historical style. But I found the plotting uneven. Things kept happening which I expected to be important, and then they weren't, or then maybe they were. The inappropriately gothic overtones of many of the proper names -- Bitterward, High Tearing, Lord Fenris... and let's not even get into "Mountjoy" -- added to my confusion. I felt led in different directions and puzzled by feeling that I didn't know what the story was supposed to be about.

So overall, though an enjoyable read in many ways, this wasn't quite the winner it might have been. There was some very effective sequel baiting with a starchy character who's clearly experiencing unrequited love, and I will definitely hope to seem him completely unstarched in the next book.

[seton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade: B-

Series: #1 in the Romancing the Rake series (that's what it's referred to in the bk)

Sensuality: R

Altho different from every other CJ HR I have ever read, there were many things to like about NWE. I was reminded of one of those nice, light Mary Balogh romances between friends like A Certain Magic where nothing much happens except a lot of droll conversation. Only amped to Lord Ruin level of HAWTNESS. Yowza! Lily, an over 25 yr old heiress, is unapologetic about her sensuality which I thought was fab.

Mountjoy, our 28-29 yr old hero (what a great name! . . . . if this was a Dara Joy campfest, that is. I kept on calling him "Almond Joy's got nuts / Mounds don't") is most appreciative. He is also a mensch. Very likable. I say "like" a lot because it's a lukewarm word and this novel is missing that certain something.

While the dialogue was amusing enough, it lacks the verve that a Loretta Chase might bring and it goes without saying that few have Austen's keen, biting observations. Just goes to show that writing a country house party romance is not as easy as one thinks. All the smex didn't distract me enough and by the eighth time Lily's thoughts reverted yet again back to fashion, it felt like padding. Still, overall, a nice pleasant read.

[Anna (Bobs Her Hair) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Wicked Enough is a gratifying treat to the senses as the characters seduced each other’s body and mind. Lily Wellstone and the Duke of Mountjoy are refreshingly well-adjusted, sensual, and quick-witted characters. Their romance was sexy, emotional, and charming.

Lily Wellstone travels to Sheffieldshire, England to visit her young widowed friend Eugenia at the Bitterward estate. The Duke of Mountjoy is the first to greet her. They exchange double entendres and appreciate the other’s wit. As Lily rejuvenates Ginny’s spirits, Mountjoy and Lily quietly explore their attraction. There isn’t any confusion regarding their expectations. The duke is practically engaged and Lily knows she will never marry. Neither expects their hearts will become engaged.

Lily’s character is a breath of fresh air. She’s fanciful, sensual, kind, and quick-witted. Her confidence in her intellect, sexuality, finances, and social status differentiate her character from other historical romance heroines. Lily is not a woman in need of saving. She is not without vanity and is aware of her charms. At one point in the story, she seems obtuse but the author allows the reader to infer their own interpretation of Lily’s mindset.

Mountjoy is given his own unique traits. He’s a former farmer who inherits title of the Duke of Mountjoy when he was nineteen. He accepted his responsibility with maturity, and takes care of his tenants and family. Mountjoy is a rustic man. He’s definitely not a dandy. This is book one of Reforming the Scoundrels series, but this hero is not a scoundrel of any sort. He does get reformed in a delightful way.

The sexy times are hot! My heart was pounding and my toes curled. The title of this book is well-chosen. I’ve read this book twice, and the characters were just as captivating the second time as they were the first. This story does not contain any villains, love triangles, big misunderstandings, nor gratuitous sex. It does contain endearing characters, a sexy romance, an enjoyable story with the sweetest gesture of love, and a happily ever after ending.

My Grade: B or 4 stars

Not Wicked Enough ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. This is my first ARC!!!

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up.
Our MCs are horny for each other from the outset and have lot of sex. Most I read in awhile. The plot beyond their relationship evolving into marriage is like warm at best.
I like both Mountjoy and Lily but I skipped over a lot of other fluff.

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

Caution: This review is mainly rant! If you loved this book and not fond of snarky rants, no need to continue. If not, please proceed...

OMG, where the hell do I start about this book? I don’t know for sure. Because I follow CJ in FB, I know she’s a wonderful person with a super sense of humor and so, this is very painful for me. So far, I’ve found that her books tend to be hit or miss with me. I had a really hard time with Not Wicked Enough. I didn’t like, just about everything of this book: the plot (which was pretty much non-existent), the characters, mainly the H, Mountjoy and h, Lily. The plot was confusing because I couldn’t make the a to z and a lot of the times ended up re-reading paragraphs just to understand if I’m reading the sequence correctly. And WOW, Lily, she was something! She annoyed the hell outta me, don’t even ask about Mountjoy! *sigh*

Lily comes to Bitterward, the Duke of Mountjoy’s country estate, to see her good friend, Eugenia or Ginny, Mountjoy’s only sister. Ginny’s husband, Robert died quite sometimes ago and she’s been in mourning ever since. Her mourning was about come to an end. Nothing about how Lily and Ginny met or their life before Bitterward was explored, unless it’s from Lily’s words. Now, Lily is an heiress herself, a beautiful woman but a spinster. Her one true love, a soldier named Greer died in the war. Even though it’s been almost 5 years, Lily has decided she won’t ever marry or replace Greer in her heart with anyone else. Being an heiress makes her vulnerable to all sorts of money grabbers too. Lily’s money came from one of her great aunts. Her maternal and paternal families have some squabbles going on since before her birth. Lily’s maternal grandfather and uncle are the Dukes of Camber. Since Lily’s father was of a lower status, they disowned her mother for marrying him. Lily’s father is the sort who holds grudges forever, and so, he never forgave them. I’m not sure why but the man isn’t even charitable to his daughter. He came off as an immature, selfish a-whole, so I kinda guessed why Lily was the way she was. Genes and all that. Thankfully, we never meet him but only by mention. So, Lily’s great aunt, who cared for her mother, left all her properties including Syton House, to Lily, making her this hugely wealthy heiress. Her father was unhappy about this too, as was her maternal uncle, the Duke. Lily has always been worried about Camber’s attorney coming to grab her inheritance, because it was supposed to have been gone to Camber and eventually to his only son, the Marquess of Fenris.

Lily isn’t a virgin. Fine. I don’t want a virgin heroine always, not necessary, even in HRs. CJ tried to portray her as an independent woman, with vivacious personality, witty and charming etc. But all I saw was an empty vessel who’s impulsive, irrational, shallow and yes, selfish to the core. Her fastidiousness about her appearance I found exceedingly annoying. She chose gowns of some color that would flatter her complexion with her surroundings, FGS!! But at first I liked her, until I begin to see she’s not as smart or witty as she was said to be. All words, but her actions never really supported any of those. I started to feel uncomfortable when in the first scene, she fell in lust with Mountjoy and wanted to shag him. Right there and then. This could’ve been fun actually but then, it wasn’t... Oh well, I read on...

Mountjoy, whose given name is NEVER once uttered in this 300 something pages novel, was living in a farm until he came into the title very suddenly and unexpectedly. He was an orphan already. Mountjoy took care of his sister Ginny and brother Nigel, took care of all the responsibilities of a Duke as well and it certainly hadn’t been easy to ascent from a farmer to a Duke, just like that. It’s been around 9 yrs. since he’s ascended the title but still, he doesn’t give a sh*t about the social conventions. He doesn’t like to mingle with people, go to parties and balls. He doesn’t like London, unless he has to be present on some political endeavors or to shag his current mistress (whoever it is at that moment). Even though he’s handsome and all that, Mountjoy doesn’t like to dress up like a lord should. He prefers comfort rather than fashion and so, most of the times, the linen of his shirt is frayed or the wool on his coat faded. It was the only thing that I found interesting in Mountjoy, but Lily took that away as well when she began to get her influence on him. Funny thing was, even though Mountjoy was said to have been 28/29, somehow the way he was portrayed, I ended up imagining him somewhere in his late 30s or early 40s. No idea why.

So, they met and he shows Lily in, he can’t move his eyes from her butt... As they are talking, I got to learn that Mountjoy is almost engaged to a local girl. Nothing official yet but it seems like the opinion has been established that he’ll marry her. Everyone, including Ginny thinks that he loves this girl, Jane. But, on the course of the story, I saw he doesn’t even talk to her other than the polite formalities. Jane isn’t even comfortable around him. So HOW they formed an important opinion such as this, I have NO idea. We also meet Ginny herself. She’s somewhat subdued at the moment, but opinions are that she used be a vivacious sort and was very happy in her marriage. I liked Ginny, whatever little was said about her. There is Nigel too, who was also present at Bitterward. He’s a charming fellow, who immediately starts flirting with Lily, though Lily’s mind was already occupied with his older brother and his ‘lovely’ body.

(Seriously! She called him ‘lovely’ so many times, I had no idea how to react. How does a man look ‘lovely’? She even called his d*ck ‘lovely’. )

So, from the first page starts Lily and Mountjoy’s so-called ‘dance of seduction’. It didn’t bother Lily at all that he’s almost engaged, that that Jane comes to visit them often. Eventually, she’s in friendly terms with Jane, all the while thinking of shagging Mountjoy. I DID NOT like this and my opinion of her started going down. Nothing much was happening, except for their boring, pretentious banters and that freakin’ ‘dance of seduction’, which either annoyed the hell outta me or bored me to sleep. After some dancing here and there and poking some innuendoes towards one-another, they finally step into the part of shagging. Mountjoy knew that this is wrong in so many levels; one, Lily was Ginny’s close friend. Then, he was already engaged. But of course, nothing mattered. He broke off with his last mistress a few days ago, so an affair with Lily for the time she’s here is the most convenient option. Lily, on the other hand, only wanted a d*ck (oops, am I being too wicked?). She missed Greer’s, it’s been a while and Mounjoy is a big man, so she knew she’ll enjoy his as well. And he was perfectly willing to give it to her, so why not? After all, she’s soooooooooooooooo f*cking wicked, that even her father calls her wicked!!!! She slept with her dead fiance, and gave Mountjoy a great head in their first encounter... woohoooooooo!! Wicked, OH SO WICKED!!!



(The amount of time CJ spent trying to emphasize the word WICKED and in making us believe that Lily is, indeed, very very wicked, that by the time this book ended, I started hating this word. Why was this forced attempt FGS?? If she was given some BRAIN and a little likable PERSONALITY instead, I would’ve admired her better!!)

I didn’t find anything sexy about this affair. I didn’t like how every time they talked, the talks about Mountjoy’s ex-lovers would intrude their conversation and that Lily seemed to enjoy talking about them. Huh?? I didn’t like that he was thinking how Lily would soon join the ‘cadre’ of his mistresses... I mean, seriously dude? *barf* I skimmed through most of the sex scenes and their really odd conversations during sex. *blank stare*

By the time I was a bit more than halfway through, I was hoping for a miracle. I was hoping that this might soon improve. Lily might show some emotions and Mountjoy something, anything that I can begin admiring in him.

To sum up my reactions so far:

Hmm, both Lily and Mountjoy start making moves on each-other in various ways, kisses, fondlings, showing secret erotic room which later becomes their trysting place. (DUH!!)... Pass!

Hmm, Lily’s endeavors to dress Mountjoy as befitting his station. There were some banters and wagers between them about this, which ultimately lead to sex after their affair started. PASS!!

Hmm, there was the talk of a medallion, which some gypsy prince gave to Lily (*big eye-roll*) and it supposed to have magical power: to unite lovers forever or something like this. Magic? Where was the magic in Lily and Mountjoy’s lust-filled communication? I saw NADA. So, Pass!!!

Hmmm, Lily does this digging in some areas of Bitterward, because she saw some dreams that intertwines with Mountjoy’s (though they didn’t yet know they were having the same dream). It was apparently about finding some treasure and a work of the medallion. Trust me, the whole thing had NO connection to the actual story, neither any actual importance. I have NO idea why CJ even entered this part. I only ended up having an example of Lily’s impulsive behavior... ‘Ooh, want to dig up your property because I think there’s treasure, so gimme the shovel’. Mountjoy was only happy to give his permission. Do I even have to say Pass???

That miracle never arrived, alas!

Soon, against his better judgments, Mountjoy becomes more than enamored of Lily. Sex was sex, but he begins to have twinges and flickers on his left side every time Lily walked into a room. Oh she’s so purrrfect in everything and she’s so good in bed... he’s positively swooning over her!!! It has been... how long? I don’t think much more than a few weeks, fewer since they began their affair but he was already half way in love with her. But Lily kept farm in her conviction. NO ONE will replace Greer in her heart, no matter what, even though she also finds Mountjoy’s presence exhilarating, sex amazing. She might or might not feel something, but she’s not giving him even the benefit of doubt. It’s like she just wanted to torture Mountjoy on her whim.

In some of their outings and the balls given by other people, we meet Fenris. Lily discovers how her cousin looks like for the first time. Then, it’s revealed that Fenris was also Robert’s very close friend and vehemently opposed his match to Ginny. Because of this, Ginny and her family doesn’t like him at all. Ginny actually hates him as strongly as possible. Fenris, though very handsome, according to them, is a prude, very sure of his noble birth, always acting accordingly. He even taunted Mountjoy for being a farmer, when he first came to his title. So, all in all, Fenris is a villain of sort. When he begins to show up in various places, Lily thought that the man was after her for her inheritance. Maybe wants to remind her of it? But, it was also quite apparent that Fenris mostly seeks out Ginny and not Lily. His eyes only follow her and not Lily. Lily and he make an awkward sort of introduction, as he, for the first time in his life, saw his cousin as well.

We begin hearing Mountjoy’s growl from the towers of Bitterward every time Fenris came close to Lily in the later parts... and sometimes, to Ginny. Garr-rwarrrr-grrrr!!!



Mountjoy, by now, begin to become delusional by the need to make Lily his. But Lily was as vague as ever, always sidetracking him or his words. He made a fool of himself once or twice and Lily set him in his place. ‘You’re only my f*ckbuddy for the time fella, so know your place, okie??’ <-- is what about sums up Lily’s reaction to him. But Mountjoy is determined to show her that he’s in love. It didn’t matter if she returns his love, he has to have her in his life… Even if it’s as his mistress. Lily actually turns him down when he proposes marriage but is perfectly happy if they can somehow dodge the Ton and keep shagging each-other discreetly. It doesn’t matter when Mountjoy married, she’ll help him cheat on his wife. Who cares as long as she gets that ‘lovely’ d*ck of his!!



(It’s all karma, I tell you Mountjoy. You made your bed, now sleep in it. You deserve the suffering, you moron!! *shrugs indifferently*)

As if CJ thought this whole mess won’t piss me enough, she creates another mess soon. Fenris finally finds out a convenient time to meet Lily. Mountjoy’s absence was what he was looking for and he succeeds. Upon hearing, Lily becomes worried about this meeting. Has he finally brought the papers to grab her inheritance? Turns out, no. Fenris is very nice, and wants to mend this rift between their families any way possible. Then, as they talk, Fenris proposes her out of the blue............ Ookie. Hmmmm, and then, Lily is considering his proposal. WHAT????????? Mountjoy is in shock and hurt by her decisions but he’s supportive of this. He wants all the best for her but he also wants her to marry for love. Lily thinks... you know what she thinks?? She thinks that because Fenris is family (apart from her father), she ought to marry him... and she’d eventually grow to love him. OMG, really b*tch? When Mountjoy has already asked you to marry him instead, when he’s confessed of his feelings, may be not in words but in other actions... when you KNOW you feel something special for him and all the while you gave him this impression that you’d NEVER marry or love? Now you think this way about Fenris and you deny Mountjoy, citing you and he are ‘good friends’????

F$*(W))E*w09e8r8e0—qwe($*%(W)#)@##$**$!!!!

I was SO BLOODY F*CKING PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Selfish b*tch!!

(Lemme take some times to put myself together...)

.
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There was also another very convenient plot of getting Jane out of the way, by making her pregnant by Nigel. Apparently he’s been in love with her for a while and they’ve been at ‘it’ too, though throughout the story I saw NOT A SINGLE sign of anything between them. Then again, none of the secondary characters really had a voice or prominent roles. No wonder I was bored.

You know the rest. 2.5 stars.

Next is Ginny and Fenris’ book, Not Proper Enough. Lily passed on the stupid medallion to Ginny... now, I'm scared.

PS: ‘Fetching’ shall never be the same for me ever again.


Photo courtesy of evilqueen112

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an absolutely charming romance this book is! Here are some of the high points for me:

~~Lily Wellstone is the type of friend we all love to have--kind, generous and loving. She arrives at her friend Eugenia's home to help her overcome the loss of her husband and is able to draw Eugenia out of her sadness and start to smile and live again. While doing this, Lily attracts the attention of Ginnys brother, Mountjoy, but as Lily believes she lost her one true love in the war, she thinks she will never love again but is tempted enough to start a hot (!!) affair.

~~The Duke of Mountjoy never expected to be a duke, he was just a farmer raised with his brother and sister by his aunt and uncle until a long lost lineage line gave him the dukedom. He has grown as comfortable with his new life as he can and it shows in his dedication to making the land and tenants happy and prosperous but it has short sighted him a bit to his sister's grief and more of what society expects out of a duke. The arrival of Lily opens his eyes--and heart--to his surroundings and helps him get a closer bond with his sister. Mountjoy is practically engaged to a neighboring woman and knows it is his duty to marry Miss Jane but he just can't get the alluring Lily out of his mind. He believes a quick affair before he proposes will cure his lust.

~~The attention to detail of the fashion in this book was wonderful! Lily is a fashion plate and takes great care and pleasure in making sure she is exquisitely dressed for each occasion and I loved how Ms Jewel wrote out all the delicious details. I adored how Lily was just flabbergasted that Mountjoy had no qualms about looking anything less than perfect. Mountjoy dresses for comfort, not fashion and it shakes all of Lily's sensibilities and it was a delight to see Mountjoy slowly come around on his thinking of tailoring and clothing choices. Perhaps being fashionably presentable as a duke isn't such a bad thing after all?

This was my first Carolyn Jewel book and what drew me to want to read this book was the stunning cover and having read the book now, I appreciate the detail of the cover so much more but I also loved the story. The beginning started out a bit slow but once it got going for me, it was wonderful! The dialogue between Lily and Mountjoy was stiff and proper when around family but when they were alone...phew, smokin! I adored, absolutely adored, how Mountjoy grows to call Lily Wellstone. That is just so sweet and personal to me. Oh, and the ending. Sigh. You can feel the love between Lily and Mountjoy and the last chapter left me with a huge smile and happy sigh so big that I immediately read it again. Romantic to a T. Overall, a entrancing romance that will leave you happily satisfied and looking forward to the next story in the series! I know I can't wait for it! 4 stars

I won an arc of this book from Carolyn Jewel, thanks!!

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is right on the cusp of five stars. Perhaps it should be five stars. I go back and forth. On the one hand: holy hot sex between two interesting characters Batman. On the other: slightly too long, not clear enough obstacles between the h/h. So I've settled, somewhat harshly, on four stars because really I loved this. Lily, Lily LILY. An opinionated, clever, sexual, non-virgin and yet somehow completely time appropriate and not anachronistic for all that. And Mountjoy. Eeeshk, LOFF him. Love that he chased after Lily and their were demonstrable changes in his character. Together they were wonderful and flirty and hot and brilliant. I like that there was no overblown backstory or mystery. However, Lilly's 'I'll never love again' trope felt underdeveloped (but why Lily when Mountjoy is hot and awesome?!) and Mountjoy's inability to express himself never felt quite developed enough either. Perhaps it was all too subtle for me. Still great though. And the sex: oh boy. I'm off to immediately read the next one in the series.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duke of Mountjoy? Duke of Cornball, more like it.

Seriously though, MOUNTJOY.

[Kelly22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.50 to 3.00 Stars - Regency/Historical Romance

Lily Wellstone, a wealthy heiress reaches Bitterward, the home of her friend Ginny, a widow. She finds herself in the receiving end to her friend’s brother, a stern yet sharply handsome Duke of Mountjoy, at the entrance hall, who appears to be a man with rather unappealing attire for his station.

The Duke of Mountjoy is a somewhat disapproving gentleman with a striking pair of green eyes and owning a mind hinting a concealed yet substantial sense of wit. He appears to be serious and is frightened generally by others (except Lily) just as a duke like him should be. Although he is not betrothed, everyone expects him to eventually propose to one shy Miss Jane Kirk in near future. But one disclosure to Lily’s playful repertoire of words, being a rather solemn and tight-lipped man himself, he experiences a stab of unwelcomed lust for his little sister’s remarkably flirtatious friend.

Lily was besotted to Greer, a deceased soldier, whom she destined to marry once. She gave up her virginity to him before he went for the war and died. Now, even 5 years after his death, she still believes she will never love again. Upon her arrival, she discovers her friend has isolated herself from everything termed enjoyment since she has been mourning her husband’s premature death. Lily decides to spark up her spirit and hence makes it ONE of the vital assignments during her stay. But, amidst of all, she is very much conscious of the physically virile duke who makes her carnal inclination for a man once again on the rise. Hence, another assignment, such as, discounting the sharp bite of lust for the gorgeously built duke, rapidly becomes quite imperative at the moment.

Now, Lily firmly believes she will never love anyone but Greer. Mountjoy is on the brink of proposing the young Miss Jane. As a gentleman of the realm he should never ever have carnal thoughts regarding his little sister’s unmarried friend. As a houseguest to her best friend, Lily should never ever think of crossing any line with the forbidding elder brother of the manor. But what happens when desire sparks? Can propriety and sense of decorum ever help two people to stay apart and prevent from reaching out for their most coveted pleasure which is only embedded in their unison?

Not Wicked Enough has charming characters, consisting of a restrained yet sexy hero who proved to be quite a surprise and a bright endearing heroine full of life. It’s solely one of those steamy storyline of ‘opposites attract’ with exciting dialogues. All the same, I felt the book was forgettable, and lacked a proper intensity. The settings were authentic and beautifully narrated, but the plot didn’t move much and was extremely undistinguished, making the book to be rather tedious and lengthy and at times simply shouted for energy. As a result, the love story wasn’t convincing and perhaps didn’t make sense due to absence of momentum throughout the book.

But, the opening few chapters, the witty banters among the two leads and their erotically steamy love episodes throughout might help the book to stand out to some extent while reading it.

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this novel for free, I won it through a Goodreads giveaway. I feel terrible rating it two stars since it was given to me in hopes of a good review but I just can't honestly rate it any higher.

I am so not the right audience for this novel. I applied for it in the Goodreads giveaway because the resume given there gave me the impression that humor was at the first plan in the novel and that the main character was a novelty, somewhat original and unusual in the historical novel genre. I do enjoy some historical romance, hey I'm a Jane Austen fan after all but I need content and all the ingredients that will lend a strong semblance of life to the story and the characters. I didn't find it here.

There is so much lace, silk and things that glitter that I somehow lost sight of the characters. It felt as if the author felt she needed to demonstrate how much she knew about the times she was writing about, that she, at times, gave too much room to that and not enough, for my taste, to the human aspect of the novel. I never felt involved.

I was hoping for an original character and a novel full of humor, I got a bold character sure enough, but I have to admit that I didn't find anything endearing about her, in fact from the first few pages I disliked her. We are told multiple times, either by the narrator or by other characters that the main character is an intelligent woman, but we are shown just as many times, if not more, that she is a shallow person. We are told that she is strong and doesn't feel the need to stand behind a man that would protect her yet, we are shown a woman who pretends to faint not to have to face a man whose intentions she doesn't really know about. That character is full of contradictions, we. readers, are told certain things but the actions of the character always suggest otherwise. Contracdictions in a character something enrich that character, showing the complexity of the human nature but it is not the case here.

In my opinion, it's not completely bad but it would have needed a lot more work. Less attention to which dress would look good while sitting on a particular sofa and more attention to who the protagonnists are as unique individuals.

[N.W. Moors · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this before, and I'm downgrading my stars a bit. It's still a good book, but there isn't much story. Instead, we get a lot of steamy sex scenes, which is fine, but I wanted a bit more conversation between the hero and heroine than dirty talk.
Lilly comes to visit her friend, a recent widow. She was in love once with a soldier and vowed never to love again. But her friend's brother, the Duke of Mountjoy, wants to have a short-term affair which is fine with Lilly. Mountjoy plans to marry a neighbor once he gets around to asking her, a woman who'll make a perfect duchess in his mind.
I like Ms. Jewel's books a lot, and this one is fine, but I wish there had been more of a storyline.

[Limecello · Rating 2 out of 5]

More a C/C- type grade?

The characters were very likable and the scenes very hot - and I am DESPERATE for the secondary character's story - Fenris and Ginny - this fall! But Lily and Mountjoy?

There was very little plot - which I'm fine with as long as there's character or relational development. But it didn't seem Mountjoy and Lily had anything beyond the physical. In fact both want a strictly physical fling. And then there's time and all that.

I do plan on re-reading it though to see if there's something I missed/ I was just "off" the times I read it.

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buddy read with Madu

DNF:
I don't like either hero or heroine, I don't like the 2ndry characters or all their interactions. The writing seems nice and all I just can't get into this book.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounding down

I wanted to like this more than I did. A few things prevented this from being a higher rating:

1) Not at all a fan of the medallion/magic thing. Some nameless Rom (of course, not the term used for him in this book... :| ) gives her a medallion and it's all magic because they're so exotic. Eye roll. It's so othering. I don't care if it's historical romance. Stop doing this!!

2) "Wellstone." Enough said.

3) ...fetch used in a very odd way???

4) Lily was kind of frustrating at some points, like especially toward the end when she gets mad at Fenris when he's obviously trying to be nice?? I don't know. It bothered me.

5) There are a lot of things that happen like, in the background (a whole relationship I guessed correctly) that could've been explored more. And Lily (despite #4) is an interesting heroine who has some ideas about independence and children and such that are never explored and that's a lost opportunity.

I did quite enjoy other parts of the book. Just not sure I'll be reading this one again. The next book, though--enemies-to-lovers with unrequited love(!!!)--is jumping to the top of my TBR pile!

[Viktoria]

dnf @32%

This book has a specific atmosphere and as far as I've read, it keeps up all through. Although for some reason I couldn't really get into it, even when I tried it in a great mindset for it. It has kind of a gothic feel to it, which is really enjoyable.
I really loved the gypsy fortune-telling aspect and the eerie dreaming and talisman - but for some reason all in all, this novel did not work for me.

Do give it a try if the blurb interests you, this novel is well-written and probably will be a good read for a lot of people. It also has some hotness also in the part I've read - good one actually.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I thought that the book started out a little slow. But I understood that reason. I believe that because a lot of the character information was given. I also think that the reason was to make sure the readers understood everything there was to know about each character. As I read more and more of the book I began to fall in love with the main two characters. Their chemistry was exciting to read it unfolds.
Miss Lily is a kind and compassionate woman who loves her friends dearly. She has arrived to visit her dearest friend, Ginny. She is the type of person who does not want to fall in love or have children. She is completely content with her life the way it is. She does not have to answer to anyone. She does believe in true love. However she thinks she lost him to war.
Mountjoy, the Duke, does not dress to fit his station. He was a farmer’s boy until a lawyer found him about his linage. He is also Ginny’s oldest brother, who has neglected his sister. A fact that was pointed out by Lily herself.
When I got through the halfway point of the book, I was completely in love with Mountjoy and Lily. I found them quite entertaining. I thought that is was funny to read that no matter what was going on they always found a quiet area of the house to grope and kiss each other. Even if most of the kissing was being done in the middle of the night. I keep imagining a servant interrupting them, but that never happened. I also wondered what was going to happen when Ginny found them out.
I loved the way that Lily and Mountjoy talk to each other. While they are in the company of others, they are completely civil to each other. There are even times where I thought that they hated each other. When they are alone with each other, they are the completely opposite. They end up being extremely friendly with each other. The majority of their conversations happen when they are alone.
I thought that it was funny that every time they were intimate in someway, one or the other would say that they couldn’t continue what they were doing. It was also said that they would not fall in love with each other. But clearly was what said had the exact opposite effect.
Most of their intimate times, Mountjoy blamed it in the gypsy medallion Lily wore. I think it only enhanced what they were feeling for each other.
When Mountjoy tried to convince Lily to stay, was the best part of the whole book. He said that he would shower her with all the jewels and clothing she desired. When she asked him what he would like his reply was practical. He wanted clothing that fit, a horse to ride and a new carriage. I thought that was a lovely gesture on his part. He wanted her happiness more then his own.
I loved how Mountjoy proposed to Lily. It shows that he would do anything to prove that he was in love with her. The best part was the end of the book; the passing of the gypsy medallion to Ginny. I cannot wait to read the next book. September is a long way off.
This book has all of the elements of a great historical romance. It is funny, entertaining and the right amount of romance. Carolyn Jewel has written another amazing novel. Her style of writing entraps you from the beginning of the book to the very end.
I whole heartily recommend this book to every type of reader. This book captivates you from the beginning to the end.

[Pamela / SpazP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews
This is my first Historical Romance novel… and sweet fancy cheeses, I loved it! First things first, screw the plot. There was one, and it was entertaining enough, but mostly I just loved wondering how Lily and Mountjoy are going to eventually find their HEA. From the first moment Lily meets the Duke, it is so freaking hot. She has pretty much given up on ever loving again; and he is a farmer at heart who has found himself in his position of Duke, to be married to someone suitable for his position in society; yet neither can ignore their smoldering attraction to one another and thank gods for us, they don’t! From their very first encounter, I was fanning myself with my hand. As their encounters occur throughout the vast Estate and their attraction only grows, I could not put Not Wicked Enough down!

One thing that initially intimidated me is I am completely ignorant to the fashion and clothing descriptions of the time period. I had to look up so many fashion terms in the dictionary. I have 0 experience with historical romances. What the hell is a caveat -looks up in dictionary-. A banyan? -back to dictionary – OK why does he have lozenges on his coat? -dictionary- I started to grow a complex that I needed to turn in my girl-card because I know so little about these fashionable terms, but it was fun. I have since learned that what I experienced in this novel was a period called Regency England. Well, I’m hooked, especially with my latest addiction to Downton Abbey.

As touched upon earlier, I have to say that this really was some of the most beautiful and consistent tension in a Romance novel I have ever read. I loved how hero and heroine would say one thing in the name of decency, yet it would be immediately followed by a naughty statement on what they were really thinking. Their flirting was awesome, and the witty banter between the two kept me thoroughly engaged. I was tickled by the fact that the Duke was a terrible dresser and could give one fig about how his clothes looked. Although it kept me busy looking up terms in the dictionary, the descriptions of how his clothes fit and the colors versus the other men’s from Lily’s perspective had me giggling out loud. It was thoroughly endearing, and further so with Lily giving him so much grief over it, leading to her eventual intervention in upgrading him. >Cue Beyonce’s ‘Upgrade U’ song here<

If you are looking for a really steamy romance, look no further! Not Wicked Enough totally delivers. I’m definitely going to be coming back for more with Carolyn Jewel’s next Seducing the Scoundrels novel, Not Proper Enough, released on 9/4.

[W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Wonderful book. Carolyn Jewel's writing was really something. She writes in this reflexive and introspective tone, which if not done well, distances the reader from the story (but she does do it well in this one).

The heroine, Lily, is a wealthy spinster. She was in love with a soldier who had died in a war. The main hero, the Duke of Mountjoy (I don't know his first name... Lily usually calls him Mountjoy, and if his first name was mentioned, I completely missed it), came into his title when a distant relative died. Lily is beautiful and has this joie de vivre. As a heroine, she was interesting, had many layers, and was not too stupid to live. A couple of things did bug me though. The first was she had given her virginity to Greer, her fiance, previously, but suffers no consequences. This part was quite vague, though it was implied they did not use birth control, so we don't know how much experience Lily has. She was discriminant, but had a very liberal view of sex. . The second was that there was a lot of text dedicated to her looks and beauty, and it seemed a tad bit excessive.

Mountjoy was an interesting hero. We're led to believe that he was good looking if not exactly handsome, and has no trouble getting women into his bed. He doesn't know how to dress appealingly - which drives Lily insane. He was a refreshing hero, having no particular aversion to marriage or love and has no major traumatic back story (I can't recall the last time that happened in a romance novel!). When someone else proposed to Lily, he did not like it, but did not attempt to control her or her actions. He didn't give up, but his way of fighting for her did not include bashing others, figurative and literally .

When Lily and Mountjoy began falling in love, it was wonderful and believable. It took them a while to realize they were in love, but once they did, there were no major upsets, communication issues, or "big event" that forced their hands.

The sex was somewhat graphic and happens fairly often from the middle of the book towards the end.

Overall a sweet story. The only reason I did not give it five stars was because I felt it was a little longer than necessary. The book did not need about 20% of it in the middle, especially that random part about treasure hunting .

Definitely recommended.

[Ns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Wicked Enough was a charming read. The heroine, Lily Wellstone is witty, funny and unconventional. She easily catches the hero, Mountjoy's fancy and fascination. They make an interesting pair. The majority of the story takes place at Bitterward Estate, where Lily goes to comfort her widowed best friend. She not only brings her friend out of her gloom but adds a spark to the place and the Duke's heart.

The story is a tad on the slow-paced side and I wished their surroundings expanded beyond the estate more. However, the witty dialogue, interesting situations the characters finds themselves in (often with Lily leading the charge) and rich descriptions helps make up for it. The Gypsy medallion with its claim of magical properties adds a nice touch to the story.

Mountjoy isn't really a rake, rather he scoffs social conventions and is careless with his appearances, though he does his duties well. Lily adores ruffling his feathers and their moments together are never dull. I liked Lily and considering her sad past and want of a family, she doesn't let life get her down. She's lively and joyful.

The ending was adorable and so romantic! Up next is Ginny and Fenris's story which sounds interesting.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

There is a happy nexus of author/genre/reader that I seem to hit with Ms. Jewel's historicals. I highly enjoyed Scandal and Indiscreet and was looking forward to trying her latest. This is a straight historical even thought the blurb mentions something about a magical Gypsy medallion...I thought that would have a bigger role in the novel than it did since it was emphasized in the blurb on the ARC I read.

Lily was a wonderful heroine. She was a good friend, a playful lover, and a fashionplate. I loved the descriptions of her ensembles and quite agreed with her as to how important it is to dress for the occasion and the decor! The hero, Mountjoy, showed growth through the book and was not hesitant to acknowledge Lily's influence on those changes.

The dialog was wonderful and in the words of Lily...

"Best yet, he was indulging her love of words and play, a patient man. Thoughtful."

This could so describe Ms. Jewel and her effort here.

[MaryReadsRomance · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Heat / Romance: 3 1/2
Plot: 2 1/2
Characterization: 3
Setting: 3

"Widowed" young wealthy heroine - friend of Hero's Sister. Experienced wealthy older male (early 30s) looking to marry soon - to someone else.

Loads of sexual encounters between the H&H - with an emphasis on oral encounters. A bit too much, too soon, and too gritty for the historical timeframe for a lady and gentleman and for my personal tastes.

Even consistent plot but just not terribly exciting with no real external conflicts and a focus on sexual encounters and interpersonal relationships.

Recommend Carolyn Jewel's The Spare and Scandal for more romance (love and angst); and heroines with more depth of character and morals.

Series continues with Reforming Scoundrels #2 - a trend of which I wholeheartedly approve as this allows for more depth and tying up lose ends as that was one criticism of her earlier works.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings, some excellent writing, some good characters, just didn't jell in the end.

Male lead: Duke of Mountjoy, the unexpected Duke, gained his position after a series of deaths, has no intention of marrying, rough around the edges.
Female lead: Lily Wellstone, dedicated spinster, independent woman, beautiful and desirable.
Other characters: Eugenis, Mountjoy's sister, probably appearing in the next book in series, bereft after her husband's death.

Lily polishes the duke's appearance and manners, gaining his trust. Mountjoy convinces Lily that married life would suit both of them.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always have an issue with heroes/heroines who I feel are too modern for time period in the book. I liked both the hero and heroine but for whatever reason, the heroine didn't ring true to me. I did enjoy a scene at the end where the hero climb a ladder to declare his love for the heroine. Great romantic gesture.

[Issa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likable characters, I especially liked Lily and found no fault with Mountjoy. In fact I liked him more than most dukes I read about, but the story didn't grab me the way book two did. I can't put my finger on why though. I liked it but am unlikely to read it again.

[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars – Historical/Regency Romance

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly hot and passionate.