What do you think?
Rate this book
Wicked Games
Feuding families, star-crossed lovers... let the fireworks begin!
Debonair and dynamic, millionaire Judd Harrington is back at Brockett Hall. With his socialite wife and family in tow, he’s returned from LA a glittering success. But as he stares across the valley at Lochlin Maguire’s beautiful country house, all he can think of is revenge.
Meanwhile Judd’s arch-rival has troubles of his own. Lochlin’s record label is losing major talent to an unknown competitor, his wife Tavvy is distracted and he can’t seem to see eye to eye with his son Shay. And, unbeknownst to Lochlin, his talented singer daughter Iris has fallen for irresistible racing driver Ace Harrington out in LA. Ace is under orders from Judd to break Iris’s heart. What he hadn’t bargained for was losing his own in the process. Can he go against his father's wishes? Or will Judd’s wicked games ruin love’s young dream?
Debonair and dynamic, millionaire Judd Harrington is back at Brockett Hall. With his socialite wife and family in tow, he’s returned from LA a glittering success. But as he stares across the valley at Lochlin Maguire’s beautiful country house, all he can think of is revenge.
Meanwhile Judd’s arch-rival has troubles of his own. Lochlin’s record label is losing major talent to an unknown competitor, his wife Tavvy is distracted and he can’t seem to see eye to eye with his son Shay. And, unbeknownst to Lochlin, his talented singer daughter Iris has fallen for irresistible racing driver Ace Harrington out in LA. Ace is under orders from Judd to break Iris’s heart. What he hadn’t bargained for was losing his own in the process. Can he go against his father's wishes? Or will Judd’s wicked games ruin love’s young dream?
448 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2010
10 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 31, 2011
This is Sasha Wagstaff's second book and I'm embarrassed to say even though I have her first book "Changing Grooms," I was so excited after hearing about this one, I decided to read this first!
Wicked Games certainly lives up to its name, although you aren't entirely sure why they are being played in the first place. You can get hints, but it just adds to the allure of the story.
Besides being enthralling, one of the best points is that all of the sex is written well and relevant. You can see the closeness between a couple or how wrong things are from the few sex scenes.
Now to get to the plot. There are a lot of characters and even though it may seem that one plot line has nothing to do with the other, they are all related. This book is extremely well written in that regard. Plus it has one of my favorite themes, "The Forbidden Lovers."
I loved the Maguires. And not all of the Harringtons were bad either. It was great to see characters and situations which had mostly shades of grey with a little black and white thrown in for comparison.
All in all, I'm not disappointed at all I decided to read this book first! I will definitely be reading "Changing Grooms" in the near future and her next release "Heaven Scent" is also on my tbr list!
Wicked Games certainly lives up to its name, although you aren't entirely sure why they are being played in the first place. You can get hints, but it just adds to the allure of the story.
Besides being enthralling, one of the best points is that all of the sex is written well and relevant. You can see the closeness between a couple or how wrong things are from the few sex scenes.
Now to get to the plot. There are a lot of characters and even though it may seem that one plot line has nothing to do with the other, they are all related. This book is extremely well written in that regard. Plus it has one of my favorite themes, "The Forbidden Lovers."
I loved the Maguires. And not all of the Harringtons were bad either. It was great to see characters and situations which had mostly shades of grey with a little black and white thrown in for comparison.
All in all, I'm not disappointed at all I decided to read this book first! I will definitely be reading "Changing Grooms" in the near future and her next release "Heaven Scent" is also on my tbr list!
July 9, 2011
Got fed up of real life getting in the way of reading this book. Felt like I lived in the village. Totally loved it.
August 8, 2012
After getting used to the many characters in the book I found this book intriguing, interesting & an enjoyable read.
A lovely story with lots of twists, secrets & love.
A lovely story with lots of twists, secrets & love.
March 5, 2022
Toen ik dit boek bij de kringloop zag staan moest dit boek mee. Eerder had ik een boek gelezen waar ik zoveel lol had om de personages, typetjes en situaties. Dat was in dit verhaal minder. Judd en gezin keren terug naar Engeland waar een familievete wordt uitgespeeld. Kinderen van beide gezinnen weten niet wat er werkelijk speelt en Judd heeft in elke situatie een slechte rol. Gelukkig weet liefde en criendschap elkaar te vinden.
Voor mij persoonlijk was de ziekenhuissituatie erg emotioneel. Het proces van in coma zijn (de hoop/wanhoop) en had ik ook graag nog veel willen zeggen. Helaas heb ik deze kans niet gehad en dat maakt het moeilijk om te lezen dat het ook zo anders had kunnen zijn.
Voor mij persoonlijk was de ziekenhuissituatie erg emotioneel. Het proces van in coma zijn (de hoop/wanhoop) en had ik ook graag nog veel willen zeggen. Helaas heb ik deze kans niet gehad en dat maakt het moeilijk om te lezen dat het ook zo anders had kunnen zijn.
Read
March 16, 2025Fabulous
Really good read, kept me interested. Good plot funny and moving,looking forward to reading another. Will read another Sasha novel soon.
Really good read, kept me interested. Good plot funny and moving,looking forward to reading another. Will read another Sasha novel soon.
July 16, 2010
Feuding families, star-crossed lovers...let the fireworks begin! Debonair and dynamic, millionaire Judd Harrington is back at Brockett Hall. With his socialite wife and family in tow, he's returned from LA a glittering success. But as he stares across the valley at Lochlin Maguire's beautiful country house, all he can think of is revenge. Meanwhile Judd's arch-rival has troubles of his own. Lochlin's record label is losing major talent to an unknown competitor, his wife Tavvy is distracted and he can't seem to see eye to eye with his son Shay. And, unbeknownst to Lochlin, his talented singer daughter Iris has fallen for irresistible racing driver Ace Harrington out in LA. Ace is under orders from Judd to break Iris's heart. What he hadn't bargained for was losing his own in the process. Can he go against his father's wishes? Or will Judd's wicked games ruin love's young dream?
I am a massive fan of a decent, sprawling summer bonkbuster such as those written by Jilly Cooper and Fiona Walker. I adore immersing myself in feuding families, glamorous locations, steamy sex scenes, pantomime villains... To me, it is a perfect way to break from all those serious novels I read. So, yeah, I love a good bonkbuster. Unfortunately this one wasn't. Not by a long way.
Don't get me wrong: the setting is perfect (the music industry, backed up by a little racing); there is enough double-crossing, spite and revenge to satisfy me; the men are gorgeous and the women irresistible. All the ingredients are in place for this to be a great piece of escapist ficton.
Yet I didn't like it. I didn't hate it either - I certainly read to the end, and wouldn't be completely put off trying another of Wagstaff's novels - but I just found it so lacking in excitement and intrigue. I'm not looking for massive twists in my bonkbusters - I generally know from the word go who will end up with who and (mostly) how it will play out as they get there - but Wicked Games plodded in a pedestrian manner from event to event without investing me in the characters.
In fact, this was one of the problems: despite the book being 450-odd pages, it is on the slim side for a bonkbuster novel (which usually stretch to 700 or 800 pages, if you think about the aforementioned Cooper and Walker), and Wagstaff packs in way too many characters to do justice to them all. The whole subplot dealing with Savannah - Judd's illegitimate daughter - is one that could have been the focus of the entire novel, yet it was rushed through in this book. Can you honestly say, having read the book, that you really cared about Caitie, Elliott and Jas? These three could have been stripped out of Wicked Games with no loss, allowing room to develop the subplots which were of interest. Add to that Jerry and Allegra and we'd be reaching a novel that didn't dart around so much like a gadfly, and could be enjoyed more thoroughly.
I will say that Wagstaff writes in a compulsive manner that I enjoyed, but I can see not being to the taste of everyone. It was rare that we stayed with any character POV for longer than a couple of pages, and this flitting backwards and forwards (with the requisite cliffhangers) kept me turning the pages feverishly, despite the fact that I didn't care too much for some of the characters. I knew that if I hit upon a character POV that didn't do anything for me, it would be a matter of moments before I moved onto one I would enjoy.
All in all, Wicked Games was not the best example of this genre that I've ever read. It was diverting enough during a bath, but I won't want to revisit these characters - unlike the iconic characters that bestride the work of Jilly Cooper. If you are looking for a tale of rogues and revenge, in the glittering world of media, then do yourself a favour and pick up Rivals by Jilly Cooper. I wouldn't really recommend this novel when there are better bonkbusters out there.
I am a massive fan of a decent, sprawling summer bonkbuster such as those written by Jilly Cooper and Fiona Walker. I adore immersing myself in feuding families, glamorous locations, steamy sex scenes, pantomime villains... To me, it is a perfect way to break from all those serious novels I read. So, yeah, I love a good bonkbuster. Unfortunately this one wasn't. Not by a long way.
Don't get me wrong: the setting is perfect (the music industry, backed up by a little racing); there is enough double-crossing, spite and revenge to satisfy me; the men are gorgeous and the women irresistible. All the ingredients are in place for this to be a great piece of escapist ficton.
Yet I didn't like it. I didn't hate it either - I certainly read to the end, and wouldn't be completely put off trying another of Wagstaff's novels - but I just found it so lacking in excitement and intrigue. I'm not looking for massive twists in my bonkbusters - I generally know from the word go who will end up with who and (mostly) how it will play out as they get there - but Wicked Games plodded in a pedestrian manner from event to event without investing me in the characters.
In fact, this was one of the problems: despite the book being 450-odd pages, it is on the slim side for a bonkbuster novel (which usually stretch to 700 or 800 pages, if you think about the aforementioned Cooper and Walker), and Wagstaff packs in way too many characters to do justice to them all. The whole subplot dealing with Savannah - Judd's illegitimate daughter - is one that could have been the focus of the entire novel, yet it was rushed through in this book. Can you honestly say, having read the book, that you really cared about Caitie, Elliott and Jas? These three could have been stripped out of Wicked Games with no loss, allowing room to develop the subplots which were of interest. Add to that Jerry and Allegra and we'd be reaching a novel that didn't dart around so much like a gadfly, and could be enjoyed more thoroughly.
I will say that Wagstaff writes in a compulsive manner that I enjoyed, but I can see not being to the taste of everyone. It was rare that we stayed with any character POV for longer than a couple of pages, and this flitting backwards and forwards (with the requisite cliffhangers) kept me turning the pages feverishly, despite the fact that I didn't care too much for some of the characters. I knew that if I hit upon a character POV that didn't do anything for me, it would be a matter of moments before I moved onto one I would enjoy.
All in all, Wicked Games was not the best example of this genre that I've ever read. It was diverting enough during a bath, but I won't want to revisit these characters - unlike the iconic characters that bestride the work of Jilly Cooper. If you are looking for a tale of rogues and revenge, in the glittering world of media, then do yourself a favour and pick up Rivals by Jilly Cooper. I wouldn't really recommend this novel when there are better bonkbusters out there.
November 11, 2014
Wicked Games is Sasha Wagstaff’s second novel. She made a good impression with Changing Grooms, which had pretty devious characters. As the title suggests in this book they can become quiet wicked. The story revolves around the families Harrington and Maguire. Judd is the head of the former and seeks revenge on Lochlin Maguire, who married Judd’s “true love” Tavvy. She and Lochlin live a happy life with their children Iris, Shay and Caitie, while Judd’s wife Kitty and sons secretly can’t stand him.
Against their will Judd moves his family from L.A. to Buckinghamshire, England. He starts a record company that should make an end to Louchlin’s Slamrock. To achieve what he wants he uses his mistress and ambitious PR-girl Darcy and son Ace. He orders him to win over Iris Maguire with his charms and then dump her. If he doesn’t Judd will end his career as a racing driver. Whether they like it or not Judd has everyone where he wants them.
Judd Harrington is relentless and therefore the perfect villain. As a reader you’ll feel no mercy for him – not even the tiniest bit. What I always like about Sasha’s books is the growth in her characters. In the beginning they’re too naïve, too ambitious, too much of something, but eventually they learn from their mistakes, which you don’t always see (in chick lits).
Sasha has written four books so far and three of them have been published in Dutch. I’ve now read all three of them. Hopefully the fourth book will also be published because I definitely want to read it!
Against their will Judd moves his family from L.A. to Buckinghamshire, England. He starts a record company that should make an end to Louchlin’s Slamrock. To achieve what he wants he uses his mistress and ambitious PR-girl Darcy and son Ace. He orders him to win over Iris Maguire with his charms and then dump her. If he doesn’t Judd will end his career as a racing driver. Whether they like it or not Judd has everyone where he wants them.
Judd Harrington is relentless and therefore the perfect villain. As a reader you’ll feel no mercy for him – not even the tiniest bit. What I always like about Sasha’s books is the growth in her characters. In the beginning they’re too naïve, too ambitious, too much of something, but eventually they learn from their mistakes, which you don’t always see (in chick lits).
Sasha has written four books so far and three of them have been published in Dutch. I’ve now read all three of them. Hopefully the fourth book will also be published because I definitely want to read it!
May 1, 2015
it is my first acquaintance with Sasha Wagstaff and i think it will be the last.the novel is hardly well written and i didn't get touched by the words.there are so many characters that you just get confused among the lines but in a very predictable way. the only thing that made me go through it is that i don't like half-read books.generally it's a one-star novel but the extra one is for Shay. he is so adorable *_*
November 28, 2016
Het ging op sommige stukken te vlug en soms was het erg voorspelbaar, maar wat een tof boek! Er waren erg veel personages en ik denk dat het ook met de helft minder had gekunnen, maar al met al kon ik het gewoon niet wegleggen!
Ik heb heel vaak gelezen dat dit het minst leuke boek is van Sasha, maar ik vind hem net zo goed als de andere twee!
Ik heb heel vaak gelezen dat dit het minst leuke boek is van Sasha, maar ik vind hem net zo goed als de andere twee!
Read
August 10, 2011B-O-R-I-N-G and ever so predicable. I guess it wasted some time on a boring day, but it was awful and not even particularly well written. Apologies to any fans of hers but I certainly won't be risking another one of her books.
January 18, 2018
I absolutely love this author, as I always know that when a read one of Sasha's books, I know that I'm in for a treat. Pure indulgence on so many levels, it's got everything.
If you haven't read a her books before, then I highly recommend that you do.
If you haven't read a her books before, then I highly recommend that you do.
August 20, 2011
Readable, but not as good as Heavenly Scent.
Really just ok as a chick lit easy read.
Really just ok as a chick lit easy read.
August 10, 2016
Really enjoyed the story
July 31, 2013
Lekker voor tussendoor; wel voorspelbaar
February 29, 2012
Predictable= boring
March 29, 2017
Wicked Games
Sasha Wagstaff is a brilliant author I have read four of her books there is something for everyone! When is your next book due out
Sasha Wagstaff is a brilliant author I have read four of her books there is something for everyone! When is your next book due out
August 15, 2017
Although the storyline was pretty good, and I did ultimately enjoy the book, it was kind of long. I actually had to put it down for a month or so about 2/3 way through, then resume.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews