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Wicked and the Wallflower
(The Bareknuckle Bastards #1)
by
When Wicked Comes Calling...
When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She's seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won't accept a marriage without it.
The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain...
Bastard son of a duke and king of London's dark streets, Devil ...more
When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She's seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won't accept a marriage without it.
The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain...
Bastard son of a duke and king of London's dark streets, Devil ...more
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Katherine
That story is The Day of the Duchess, #3 in the Scandal & Scoundrel series.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards, #1)
Well, I mean, obviously I like it.
I'm thrilled to tell you that WICKED & THE WALLFLOWER is finished and ready for bookstores -- and coming your way June 19, 2018!
This is a new series -- spun off of all my other series (you'll see the Fallen Angel and the Singing Sparrow again!) -- set in Covent Garden and featuring my Bareknuckle Bastards--three siblings who run a variety of businesses (some more legal than others) in the dark corners of London.
I'm so excited for you to meet the first of ...more
I'm thrilled to tell you that WICKED & THE WALLFLOWER is finished and ready for bookstores -- and coming your way June 19, 2018!
This is a new series -- spun off of all my other series (you'll see the Fallen Angel and the Singing Sparrow again!) -- set in Covent Garden and featuring my Bareknuckle Bastards--three siblings who run a variety of businesses (some more legal than others) in the dark corners of London.
I'm so excited for you to meet the first of ...more
really unlike the other historical romances i’ve read! in a good way 🥰
Jul 20, 2020
Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Chelsea by:
Izzy
This was an absolute DELIGHT. I'm so glad I finally got around to trying out Sarah MacLean!!!
...more
I didn't like Felicity and barely tolerated Devil/Devon, the only bright spot in this story was actually, Ewan/Marwick. Sorry.
...more
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Felicity Faircloth is clinging to the edges of respectability and she is tired of it. Deciding to show her former friends that she is just as good, if not better than them, she tells a little white lie and claims she is betrothed to the Duke of Marwick.
Devil has never been respectable and doesn't care. What he does care for is a childhood pact, one the Duke of M ...more
Felicity Faircloth is clinging to the edges of respectability and she is tired of it. Deciding to show her former friends that she is just as good, if not better than them, she tells a little white lie and claims she is betrothed to the Duke of Marwick.
Devil has never been respectable and doesn't care. What he does care for is a childhood pact, one the Duke of M ...more
This was a cute little romance. I'm not sure it's the bestest thing I've ever read, but there's definite potential for the rest of this series. To be honest, I was just hoping this wouldn't suck.
It didn't.
It's a fluffy romance & I'm basically easy to please.
So Devil is this bad dude who runs London's underground with his brother (Beast) and his sister-not-really-sister (<--that's a whole nother story). Obviously, they're bad but not evil. I mean, otherwise, we couldn't really root for these peo ...more
It didn't.
It's a fluffy romance & I'm basically easy to please.
So Devil is this bad dude who runs London's underground with his brother (Beast) and his sister-not-really-sister (<--that's a whole nother story). Obviously, they're bad but not evil. I mean, otherwise, we couldn't really root for these peo ...more
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
When you start a book by one of your favorites you expect great things. When I started Wicked and the Wallflower I felt a tiny bit let down by Sarah MacLean. To be honest, the first half of the book I struggled - while I loved Felicity and Devil, it dragged in parts and I was afraid that it would be like that all the way until the end. I feared that it would be my first low rating for Ms. MacLean. Until I came to the middle of the story and all of a sudden it went from ...more
This has had me well and truly stumped for a review—when a book goes from almost being a DNF to outstanding then it’s no easy task. I think the most important point to get over is that Wicked and the Wallflower was worth the perseverance, because whilst the first half was a little drawn out, what it leads to was exceptional.
Felicity Faircloth, you are not what I expected.”
I’ve only read one other Sarah MacLean novel, The Day of the Duchess , and having loved it along with being introduce ...more
Felicity Faircloth, you are not what I expected.”
I’ve only read one other Sarah MacLean novel, The Day of the Duchess , and having loved it along with being introduce ...more
3 stars - Historical Romance
This was okay and the audiobook narrator was great. But there were definitely some things that bugged me.
*Overused historical romance tropes...The revenge plot and dark, devilish hero paired with a plain-jane spinster heroine have been done before and better.
*Very repetitive...I lost count of how many times the words/phrase “moth”, “flame”, and “moth to flame” were used. And the hero, Devil, called the heroine by her full name constantly. Seriously, he said “Felicity ...more
This was okay and the audiobook narrator was great. But there were definitely some things that bugged me.
*Overused historical romance tropes...The revenge plot and dark, devilish hero paired with a plain-jane spinster heroine have been done before and better.
*Very repetitive...I lost count of how many times the words/phrase “moth”, “flame”, and “moth to flame” were used. And the hero, Devil, called the heroine by her full name constantly. Seriously, he said “Felicity ...more
Sale Alert: Kindle Daily Deal 03Nov18 on Amazon for $1.99
Felicity Faircloth is a fairytale name to be sure, but she never thought she’d get her fairytale until the night she met a Devil.
In a world where women are a commodity to be sold off to the highest bidder and bargained with for alliances, money and prestige Felicity has found that the family she loves is plotting to marry her off to a Duke or anyone with money really to same themselves. She thought it her place, she wanted to help, but may ...more
Felicity Faircloth is a fairytale name to be sure, but she never thought she’d get her fairytale until the night she met a Devil.
In a world where women are a commodity to be sold off to the highest bidder and bargained with for alliances, money and prestige Felicity has found that the family she loves is plotting to marry her off to a Duke or anyone with money really to same themselves. She thought it her place, she wanted to help, but may ...more
3.5 stars
A fun, dramatic historical romance featuring strong, sassy women, gorgeous, brooding men, lock picks, smugglers and Dukes..
I started reading this at 1.30am on Thursday night, as I couldn't sleep, and was thoroughly entertained for a few hours! It was just what I needed after my last few books, which were quite dark!
I liked Felicity, she was clever, funny, sharp and unpredictable! The whole she's so plain, and everyone constantly telling her that did get a bit old though! Also how rude?! ...more
A fun, dramatic historical romance featuring strong, sassy women, gorgeous, brooding men, lock picks, smugglers and Dukes..
I started reading this at 1.30am on Thursday night, as I couldn't sleep, and was thoroughly entertained for a few hours! It was just what I needed after my last few books, which were quite dark!
I liked Felicity, she was clever, funny, sharp and unpredictable! The whole she's so plain, and everyone constantly telling her that did get a bit old though! Also how rude?! ...more
Jun 21, 2018
Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
historical-romance,
favorite-authors
4 STARS
Wicked and the Wallflower is the first installment in a brand new series that's sure to be a new addiction for me from one of my favorite historical romance authors. However, I've been sitting on my rating for this book for a couple weeks now, somewhat stumped in how to rate it. I was completely enamored with the story in the first 15%, then somewhere along the way it began to ...more
Felicity Faircloth was perfection—the first taste of it Devil had ever had. She tasted like a promise.
Wicked and the Wallflower is the first installment in a brand new series that's sure to be a new addiction for me from one of my favorite historical romance authors. However, I've been sitting on my rating for this book for a couple weeks now, somewhat stumped in how to rate it. I was completely enamored with the story in the first 15%, then somewhere along the way it began to ...more
"So many doors are closed to all but a fraction of us. Why should others be the ones to decide which doors are for me?"
I'm like this | | close to awarding this a five but there was one bit at the end there I didn't quite love. I still might come back and round-up though. However.. this is hands down my favourite MacLean to-date. I'm perhaps not as well versed in her stories as I should be but I've dabbled in the starter books of two different series and completed the one that this one off-shoots ...more
I'm like this | | close to awarding this a five but there was one bit at the end there I didn't quite love. I still might come back and round-up though. However.. this is hands down my favourite MacLean to-date. I'm perhaps not as well versed in her stories as I should be but I've dabbled in the starter books of two different series and completed the one that this one off-shoots ...more
On kindle sale today Feb 7th 2021 for USD $1.99
(Tropes: Spinster, Mistake Identity, Forbidden Love, Class Difference, Opposites Attract)
This book was incredibly hard to put down, and the family dynamics between the 3 bastard brothers and sister (all subsequent books of course) was quite fascinating and I will definitely read the rest.
The 2/3 are the strongest, and at times it is a tad melodramatic, but trust me..just go with it.
*****
There had been a time when he might have been the duke. Whe ...more
(Tropes: Spinster, Mistake Identity, Forbidden Love, Class Difference, Opposites Attract)
This book was incredibly hard to put down, and the family dynamics between the 3 bastard brothers and sister (all subsequent books of course) was quite fascinating and I will definitely read the rest.
The 2/3 are the strongest, and at times it is a tad melodramatic, but trust me..just go with it.
*****
There had been a time when he might have been the duke. Whe ...more
March 2019: I just really love this book. I don’t think I could add anything to my review because I still feel the same as I did when I read it last year. I love Felicity and Devil so much and I really need to see them in the next book of this series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 2018: Well, I was in a weird mood slash slump sort of thing when I started this book and it was literally the perfect thing.
I love love loved Felicity and Devil. She’s sassy and picks locks and he’s a marshmallow with a gruff exte ...more
~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 2018: Well, I was in a weird mood slash slump sort of thing when I started this book and it was literally the perfect thing.
I love love loved Felicity and Devil. She’s sassy and picks locks and he’s a marshmallow with a gruff exte ...more
Are we there yet...?
I liked Wicked and the Wallflower but to be honest, it dragged for me. It took me way too long to get through this story and I normally devour anything Sarah MacLean writes. I think my biggest problem was that I never really connected with the characters. I thought the heroine was a ninny, the hero not as tough/strong/intimidating as I was told, and the villain a little insipid. Harsh, I know, but I needed more from them. I just didn't feel part of this story and never felt a ...more
I liked Wicked and the Wallflower but to be honest, it dragged for me. It took me way too long to get through this story and I normally devour anything Sarah MacLean writes. I think my biggest problem was that I never really connected with the characters. I thought the heroine was a ninny, the hero not as tough/strong/intimidating as I was told, and the villain a little insipid. Harsh, I know, but I needed more from them. I just didn't feel part of this story and never felt a ...more
3.5 stars
A man called Devil turns out to be a mostly honorable scoundrel, meanwhile a shunned wallflower suddenly finds herself no longer concerned much about propriety when faced with freedom. I liked the banter between the two main characters, but the 'setting you free because I am not worthy of you' trope is uninteresting and illogical considering at that time she would be set free...to be alone and shunned by everyone she knows and thrusting her entire family into poverty. Gee, thanks?
Also ...more
A man called Devil turns out to be a mostly honorable scoundrel, meanwhile a shunned wallflower suddenly finds herself no longer concerned much about propriety when faced with freedom. I liked the banter between the two main characters, but the 'setting you free because I am not worthy of you' trope is uninteresting and illogical considering at that time she would be set free...to be alone and shunned by everyone she knows and thrusting her entire family into poverty. Gee, thanks?
Also ...more
Title: Wicked and the Wallflower
Series: Bareknuckle Bastards #1
Author: Sarah MacLean
Release date: June 19, 2018
Cliffhanger: No
HEA(view spoiler)
Men raised in the dark will do anything for light. She wondered if he realized how much she wanted to explore the darkness.
Sarah MacLean thrilled me with this first installment in the Bareknuckle Bastards series! It's one of those books that you greedily consume, then slowly sigh in contentment after turning the last page. After that ...more
Revenge plot between two brothers turns sour when one falls for the tool of that revenge!
Felicity, the wallflower, has been chosen by Devil as a tool to thwart his brother's plot of getting a heir, but almost since the beginning Devil is intrigued by the seeminly plain woman.
As the time passes he is more and more attracted to her. She's not plain at all! On the contrary, she's very much smart and intelligent and challenges his in unexcpected ways!
I liked both Felicity and Devil, but also Grace a ...more
Felicity, the wallflower, has been chosen by Devil as a tool to thwart his brother's plot of getting a heir, but almost since the beginning Devil is intrigued by the seeminly plain woman.
As the time passes he is more and more attracted to her. She's not plain at all! On the contrary, she's very much smart and intelligent and challenges his in unexcpected ways!
I liked both Felicity and Devil, but also Grace a ...more
***2.5***
Well. This is a Sarah MacLean misfire, imo. I suppose it had to happen eventually. Honestly, I thought it would happen with Haven's book, but no, he won me over.
Devil, however, did not.
I really like Felicity. And for most of the book, I sympathized with Devil, and liked him. But when she threw herself at him for the 294857378945th time and he crushed her and pushed her away, I was fucking done.
This book is 100% Felicity making herself vulnerable, Felicity trying to win over Devil, Felic ...more
Well. This is a Sarah MacLean misfire, imo. I suppose it had to happen eventually. Honestly, I thought it would happen with Haven's book, but no, he won me over.
Devil, however, did not.
I really like Felicity. And for most of the book, I sympathized with Devil, and liked him. But when she threw herself at him for the 294857378945th time and he crushed her and pushed her away, I was fucking done.
This book is 100% Felicity making herself vulnerable, Felicity trying to win over Devil, Felic ...more
This was my first Sarah MacLean book and I can definitely see why she is so popular!
Even though this is the first in a "new" series, MacLean has this habit that I hate where she populates all her books with couples from previous works. It makes it hard for me to skip or jump in because I hate feeling like I'm missing something. That is very much the case in this one because Felicity has been a marplot in at least two other stories and her twin was the hero of another.
My hit/miss ratio with MacLean isn't very good and this one will tank it further. All the contrivance to setup t ...more
My hit/miss ratio with MacLean isn't very good and this one will tank it further. All the contrivance to setup t ...more
*3.5 stars*
Wicked and the Wallflower took me over a month to finish, and it has extremely mixed reviews from my friends, so I'm as surprised as you guys are to report that I actually really liked it.
I read the book in paperback, which is not the format I reach for most of the time. I put this one down for a couple of weeks at a time, sort of forgetting about it, only to be extremely engrossed once I picked it back up.
I had some issues, mainly with the name "Devil" being a distraction and some ...more
Wicked and the Wallflower took me over a month to finish, and it has extremely mixed reviews from my friends, so I'm as surprised as you guys are to report that I actually really liked it.
I read the book in paperback, which is not the format I reach for most of the time. I put this one down for a couple of weeks at a time, sort of forgetting about it, only to be extremely engrossed once I picked it back up.
I had some issues, mainly with the name "Devil" being a distraction and some ...more
Rounding up from 4.5. I really enjoyed this. Def fills that regency romance itch.
Well, it's been out for a month and has nearly 450 reviews and an average rating well over 4. Time to give this author a try.
Lady Felicity Faircloth has fallen out of favor with the ton as an aging wallflower. One evening she escapes the mockery of her former social set to a dark room where she encounters a voice from the shadows. Soon after the mysterious voice appears at her home in her bed chambers offering her a bargain with the Devil. He will make Felicity irresistible and land her a Duke f ...more
Lady Felicity Faircloth has fallen out of favor with the ton as an aging wallflower. One evening she escapes the mockery of her former social set to a dark room where she encounters a voice from the shadows. Soon after the mysterious voice appears at her home in her bed chambers offering her a bargain with the Devil. He will make Felicity irresistible and land her a Duke f ...more
Hear ye, hear ye: I've got my first Sarah MacLean book under my belt, and I'm never going back.
I jokingly described Wicked and the Wallflower to friends as the 19th century equivalent of John Tucker Must Die meets She's All That (with a dash of dastardly villainy), and I loved it.
Admittedly, the first quarter of the book took a second to get into (hence why it's 3.5 stars for me), and I didn't really know how to feel about Felicity at first, but once I adjusted and the pace picked up, I was sold ...more
I jokingly described Wicked and the Wallflower to friends as the 19th century equivalent of John Tucker Must Die meets She's All That (with a dash of dastardly villainy), and I loved it.
Admittedly, the first quarter of the book took a second to get into (hence why it's 3.5 stars for me), and I didn't really know how to feel about Felicity at first, but once I adjusted and the pace picked up, I was sold ...more
Sarah MacLean's new Bareknucle Bastards series is off to a strong start with Wicked and the Wallflower. It's a passionate and intriguing tale of three brothers who're bound by the secrets of their pasts.
“You don’t need lessons in fire. You are an inferno.”
Wicked and the Wallflower is about the first brother, Devon, known as Devil to everyone—friends and enemies alike. Devil immediately captures the attention. At the start of the book, his only goal was to uphold a promise from his pa ...more
Well. That was extremely disappointing. Wicked and the Wallflower was so bland. The only thing that stands out from this book is the pink dress on the cover.
First of all, what an unrealistic premise. I don't ask for realism in my romance novels, but this one just felt like the author was reaching. I've come to expect better from Sarah MacLean.
The pacing of this story is off and the romance is slow to develop. Despite the slow development, there is little to no emotional depth. The author tries ...more
First of all, what an unrealistic premise. I don't ask for realism in my romance novels, but this one just felt like the author was reaching. I've come to expect better from Sarah MacLean.
The pacing of this story is off and the romance is slow to develop. Despite the slow development, there is little to no emotional depth. The author tries ...more
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Rating-3.5
I rated in four stars, but I might notch it down to a three. Still processing this read.
Not my favorite of SM.
RTC
Rating-3.5
I rated in four stars, but I might notch it down to a three. Still processing this read.
Not my favorite of SM.
RTC
This was a free short story that you get when you sign up for Sarah MacLean's newsletter.
It's a really clever scene that shows two previous series' heroines playing cards when the Bareknuckle Bastards walk in.
It's fun and it's really just a neat scene. I liked seeing everyone interacting and having a good time. I love the concept and I wish more authors would offer something like this. Interconnecting series are always great, and having a scene where you see all the characters having a good time ...more
It's a really clever scene that shows two previous series' heroines playing cards when the Bareknuckle Bastards walk in.
It's fun and it's really just a neat scene. I liked seeing everyone interacting and having a good time. I love the concept and I wish more authors would offer something like this. Interconnecting series are always great, and having a scene where you see all the characters having a good time ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unapologetic Roma...: MacLean, Sarah // Wicked and the Wallflower | 1 | 25 | Jan 19, 2021 07:32AM | |
| Nothing But Readi...: MacLean, Sarah-- Wicked and the Wallflower informal buddy read starts June 23, 2018 | 35 | 173 | Jul 22, 2018 09:59AM |
Readers also enjoyed
New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. A romance columnist and co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates, her work in support of ...more
Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. A romance columnist and co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates, her work in support of ...more
Other books in the series
The Bareknuckle Bastards
(3 books)
Articles featuring this book
When two complete opposites meet—one who believes in soul mates and one who doesn’t—will they fall in love despite their differences?
A nod...
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“No kind of ordinary; I think that might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
—
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“When you are ignored by the stars, you wonder if you might ever burn bright.”
—
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