Wicked Becomes You

As romances go, this is absolutely one of the best I have read, and I have read way too many. It just seems like 99 out of a hundred are just plain trash, but this book is pure treasure! I agree with another reviewer than this writing is on par with Judith Ivory, who is one of the few truly talented romance writers out there. I am a hard sell, so the fact that I fell in love with Alex and I actually like Gwen is impressive. The subtle detail on her writing made the characters vivid and the intimacy sensual. It was just the right mix of hot and sweet. Maybe I could have asked for a little more heat a little sooner, but I wasn't disappointed by the end. It was not corny, and there was tension and chemistry without anyone abusing each other - which is hard to do. Someone else mentioned that the storyline was not new or inventive. I agree, although bohemian France isn't all that common these days. The fact that it is typical further illustrates what a great writer Duran is. And I have to say that her last two books, which were more unusual in terms of plot, did not impress me so much. In my opinion this book has elevated Ms. Duran to an elite level of romance writing. It's a club very few authors seem to belong to these days. Wish there were more like her and I can't wait for the next one.

I was a bit leery when I started this book. My first Meredith Duran book was The Duke of Shadows and I absolutely loved that book. I couldn't wait to read the next two, Bound by Your Touch and Written on Your Skin. I did enjoy them, but I never had any connection to the story. I felt very removed from the characters and their issues. When this came out I hesitated, but in the end I bought it anyway. I am so glad that I decided to! Once again I felt that connection that immerses me in the story and makes me become invested in the characters and their relationship. When the story opens you might think that Gwen and Alex are an unlikely pair. However, as the story progresses the author shows us more and more of their layers and we realize just how perfectly they do fit. Alex and Gwen have a sizzling chemistry between them. What's even better than that is way they develop into friends. I'm so glad that the author made them meshing personality-wise just as important and their sexual chemistry. There were some great scenes in this book, and some excellent banter between the protagonists. While trying to explain this book to a friend of mine I realized how cliched and trite it sounds to explain how Gwen decided to live for herself and stop trying to be so nice after she's jilted for the second time. I realize that the good girl gone bad seems like it's been done a million times before, but that's not how this storyline came across at all. It's not a story of Gwen going bad and starting to hang out with a rake, it's a story about Gwen growing up and dealing with her issues and learning who she is as a person. Along the way she falls in love with a man who is so much more than his surface personality would suggest. I loved the scene toward the end where everyone was gathered in the library (trying not to give spoilers). I loved watching Alex try to deal with all his assumptions turning out wrong. I felt bad for him but also found it rather humorous. I sympathized with them both but was also kind of proud of Gwen. Toward the end when I found out why she did that I was kind of surprised. That wasn't what I thought the issue was, but oh well it still worked for me because it made sense. I highly recommend this book, but I do have to admit it wasn't perfect. The whole situation with property was kind of a letdown. At the end when everything was figured out it still didn't seem that intelligent to me. I guess I just expected that to make a bit more sense.

Gwen is a sweet girl that everyone loves. When she left once again standing at the alter alone, she decides she's done playing ms. nice girl and will instead be a bad girl. Alexander decides to help Gwen with her personality transformation. The problem is Alexander is smitten with Gwen and doesn't want her to change anything about herself. The two become extremely close and in the end they both end up learning very important lessons from each other. Wow. I thought that the plot sounded good which is why I agreed to read this book but I ended up loving it more than I thought I would. Any romance lover should read this book because the writing is breath-taking.

WICKED BECOMES YOU is a fabulous read and I cannot recommend it enough. You know those books where you find yourself going back and rereading paragraphs or sentences and grinning stupidly and foolishly despite yourself? That was me with this book! This is my first Meredith Duran, though I own two others by her and just haven't gotten around to reading them yet. April 27 was a blockbuster romance day - both for contemporary and historical - and I'm not sure why I decided to start off with Duran's book, but I am **so glad** I did (though she ruined me for the others)!! I am a longtime historical romance reader and this book truly has it all. My only fear about writing my opinion about this book - and thus a glowing review - is that when a person's expectations are so high they're almost invariably disappointed, and I want everyone who reads this book to enjoy it as much as I did ... Oh well, because I just have to share ;-) - especially since after a number of bad new romance releases, I seem to have miraculously stumbled upon a lucky streak with Sarah MacLean's Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, Anne Gracie's The Perfect Rake (which isn't new, but was to me), and now this utterly delightful read that is definitely joining my all-time favorites. THE PROS: (I haven't written any cons, so don't bother looking for that section) The leading characters were fantastic - complex, perfect together though believable, presenting one another with a challenge, and two of my favorite leads of all-time. The tension between them was charged, the chemistry sizzling, and the banter absolutely a delight to read. There were many, many scenes and exchanges that had me literally laughing out loud (and even now bring a smile to my face) and the historical backdrop was detailed (without being overwhelming), authentic, and vividly described. The twists and turns were unexpected, keep you on your toes and unsure, yet don't overshadow the main feature of the hero and heroine's relationship and also don't seem obvious contrivances by the author (well ... I mean, taking into account that you are reading fiction of course - and historical romance fiction at that!). The little surprises that Alex and then Gwen spring at the end, which prolong our wait for their HEA, only made the story better IMHO. This is one of those books where you wish there was a sequel that continues the main characters' story so you can encounter and enjoy them again. OUR HEROINE AND HERO, Gwen (23) and Alex (28): These two characters were so wonderful, which in this case was completely essential, since it is really a character-driven book. You wouldn't think so, because there are other plots going on, questions lurking in the background, the story moves from London to Paris to Nice to Monte Carlo, etc. However, when it comes down to it, this book is about one woman discovering that she is not who she has been trying to force herself to be for so many years; it's about one woman actually liv

I've read all her books, and I still can't help being surprised at how GOOD the writing is. Her characters are intelligent, real, and absolutely made for each other. The dialogue is fantastic, and her heroes are tortured, but without the useless whining found in most romance novels. If you haven't read Meredith Duran, you are seriously missing out. Absolutely the best book I've read since - well - her last book!