I'm Only Wicked with You

3.5 stars<br /><br />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. <br /><br /><b> <i>But when Lady Lillias Vaughn had emerged into view from the dusty twilight of an unfinished part of the Annex at The Grand Palace on the Thames, he’d been struck dumb.</i> </b><br /><br />Picking right up where readers of the The Palace of the Rogues series left off in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2716783206?book_show_action=false&amp;from_review_page=1" rel="nofollow noopener">Angel in a Devil's Arms</a>, this third installment gives us the continuation of all that tension between two guests at The Grand Palace on the Thames inn. Lady Lillias is the daughter of an Earl staying at the inn with her family while her home is being searched for a snake her older brother brought home after winning in a poker game and a hole in the wall from her father who shot at said snake is being repaired. She's been the toast of the season but oddly seems cold and aloof and dreading a ball coming up in two weeks. Hugh Cassidy is an American who can't even trace his lineage beyond his grandfather and seems to being holding his true reason for being in England close to his vest. He finds Lillias smoking and tattles to her father, which has her punishment being grounded to the inn. There the more time Lillias and Hugh spend with each other the brighter the tension burns between them and speaking glances start to say a lot. <br /><br /><b> <i>Never had a silent conversation been louder than the one he was conducting with Lady Lillias Vaughn.</i> </b><br /><br />This is the third book in the series and after the first two, I was hoping we could move outside of the inn's walls, that doesn't happen here. The first half is solidly at the inn and the first 30% is fairly slow moving and we spend ample time with, albeit, old favorites like the heroines from the first two books and a handful of scenes with their counterparts, the ever contributing to the swear jar Mr. Delacourte, and sweet Dot. All characters that bring charm to the story but I found myself straining to break the leash to the inn and venture into new territory. Around 40% is when there is significant movement on the beginning's slow bringing together of Lillias and Hugh. I much appreciated how Long kept the historical feel in their tension; shielded conversations that are pointed and looks that burn in crowded parlors. This added to the tension and gave that sense of building snapping restraint to the two, which is the feeling I'm looking for when reading a historical. <br /><br /><b> <i>He met her eyes. It was warning, an apology . . . and, after a fashion . . . a promise.</i> </b><br /><br />Fifty percent is where I thought the story picked up more and we get our forced into engagement because of caught in flagrante delicto. At this point, the reader does feel the attraction between the two and while I wouldn't say the depth is incredible, these two don't know each other enough yet, it definitely feels hot to the touch; their chemistry isn't in question but it falls more on the lust side. Long has an incredible ability to deliver lines between characters that make you feel and this couple stood out from the world because they did snap and pop. But, I fear that at times they stood out so much was because the world wasn't as much there this time, the over-trodden ground of The Grand Palace on the Thames with it's many conversations in the beginning really had me chomping at the bit to be free. I found myself daydreaming about how cool it would have been to have the story moved to Hugh's home in America, the Hudson Valley. <br /><br /><b> <i>It was difficult to align the complicated things he felt with the proper words. So he said the truest thing he could, slowly and softly. “I should hate for any harm to ever come to you.”</i> </b><br /><br />Even though our couple is engaged at 50%, they still think they might be in love with other people into the second half of the story. Hugh is in England to find the daughter of his mentor and who he thinks he is going to marry and Lillias is devastated that her childhood friend might not love her the way she loves him. A plan gets developed by Hugh to help Lillias' friend realize his love for her and there is some nice emotional cracking by Hugh but Lillias spends too much time in her head with this. I wanted Lillias to stand-up and choose Hugh to take that control but their final coming together ended up feeling more flat because Lillias didn't make the move I wanted from her. <br /><br /><b> <i>Together they turned that kiss into something furious and desperate, a clash fueled by futility and the forbidden.</i> </b><br /><br />As always, Long gave me lines and emotions that hit hard, and a surprising one that hit me almost the hardest was Lillias' father saying this after Hugh is forced to offer for Lillias: <i>“You could do much worse than young Mr. Cassidy. I rather wish he was my own son.”</i>. It hit hard because Hugh doesn't have much family, lost his mother younger and his father and brother died in the war, and this English Earl saw the good man he was, made my eyes water a bit for Hugh. Other secondary characters like Lillias' sister and brother added some filler to the story and the standbys at the inn probably took up too much time in the beginning. Like I said, I think a different setting, especially if the Hudson Valley had been utilized could have really brought a sense of freshness and adventure to this story. The epilogue was longer and had a wrap-up feel enough that I do wonder if we are finally going to leave the main setting of the Grand Palace on the Thames, we also get a glance at Lillias and Hugh's happily ever after in America. As it was, the beginning was pretty slow but Lillias and Hugh's burning tension saved the second half for me. Their story was one of the difference between living a fine life and full life and I hope someday we can visit their children in the Hudson.

This book is out now so I have removed the spoiler tag. Hopefully you like it as much as I did!<br /><br /><i>You tend to use words like bludgeons, Mr. Cassidy.</i><br /><br />This is an accusation thrown to the hero by the heroine, but as a long-time fan of Long's work, it's one I would -- at times, at least -- hurl at the author. I would only mean good things by hurling those words, but they do describe how she can make us readers feel. Sometimes those feels come at us and the result feels like we were bludgeoned. Maybe that's a bit dramatic, but I can say that I haven't been too keen to pick up my next ebook because I am still getting over this one. I loved it simply put.<br /><br />The hero, Hugh, is a self-made American. He's got that raw manly sex appeal one might expect. Lillias, the heroine, is a beautiful, popular debutante, but she's having a bit of a rebellious streak that is somewhat inexplicable to her parents. Her aristocratic family has temporarily relocated to the "Grand Palace on the Thames" - the setting for this series - because they have a snake problem in their townhome. <br /><br /><br /><i>Fate was such a bastard. A rush of fury at feeling like its plaything. It had fitted him with an iron-clad sense of honor and presented him with the cruelest of temptations.<br />...<br />“You aren’t really winning either, are you, Mr. Cassidy, if you’re helpless to stop playing the game?”</i><br /><br /><br />Hugh and Lillias challenge each other and subversively dare the other to take the next step, which are all things Long does particularly well and themes I enjoy. Since they are both staying at the Grand Palace, there is forced proximity at play. The dialogue is riveting and the veiled discussions around Greek mythology are deliciously symbolic.<br /><br /><br /><i><br />“It’s just . . . I so very much wanted to feel something that wasn’t . . . what I was already feeling. Which was a bit empty, and lost, and miserable. And all I do when I’m with you . . . Hugh . . . all I do is feel things with my body that are so loud that everything else is muted.”</i><br /><br /><br />The attraction was potent and the resolutions satisfying. Since this is the third in the series, the Grand Palace has become a cozy setting with returning compelling characters. I thought this the best in the series. The series has hit its stride, and the romance in this one was really rewarding. I'm looking forward to what comes next.<br /><br /><br /><br /><i>Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.</i>

<img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1617198984i/31110820._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1617198984i/31110821.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1617199026i/31110825._SX540_.png" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><b>TITLE: </b> I'M ONLY WICKED WITH YOU<br><b>AUTHOR:</b> Julie Anne Long<br><b>SERIES:</b> The Palace of the Rogues #3<br><b>RELEASE DATE:</b> August 24, 2021<br><b>GENRE: </b> Historical Romance<br><b>THEMES &amp; TROPES: </b> Enemies to Lovers<br><b>RATING:</b> 4 STARS<br><b>CLIFFHANGER:</b> No<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1551289064i/27126359.png" alt="" width="300" height="77" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1551026930i/27112219._SX540_.png" alt="" width="400" height="97" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>So I'm gonna start with an admission: I'm not a big fan of the main characters of a story being in love with other people at the time they meet. It's so damn hard for an author to make me believe that all of a sudden they completely forget about the other love interest. But if somebody could make it work it would be Julie Anne Long.<br><br>The first 30% were a slower pace than I'm used to from this author but once I got past that I really started to connect first with the characters. Lillias's antagonism at the beginning felt a little childish but then I thought back to a time when I was that young and, honestly, I was probably just the same kind of brat. Hugh was dreamy, his thoughts about the headstrong young woman were so incredibly tender and affectionate and that started to shine through.<br><blockquote> <b> “Lillias . . .” She’d never heard her name said in such a way. It had facets; it fairly shimmered with shades of emotion. Wit and exasperation and tenderness and frustration. </b> </blockquote><br>Hugh and Lillias had a strong sexual attraction right from the start but they also were both carrying a torch for other people. I loved how it became more and more obvious that they held serious affection and liking for one another. That it would only a matter of time until they'd fall head over heels. So this part definitely worked for me. I felt that Lillias and Hugh understood one another from the base up.<br><blockquote> <b> "Nothing is like us." </b> </blockquote><br>I saw someone comparing this book to What I Did For a Duke and I concur. It does have that feel because like Hugh and Lillias Alexander and Genevieve start out as antagonists but it still doesn't feel as if JAL just repackaged the trope. No, it's a completely different story.<br><br>Julie Anne Long's writing is so breathtakingly and achingly beautiful. She truly is one of a kind. I also love the smart dialogues, the banter and the humor she always uses to make her characters multi-dimensional. I'm looking forward who Delilah and Angelique will host next!<br><blockquote> <b> “I thought love was meant to be an easy, peaceful thing, Lillias. But it’s like life itself. It’s maddening. And beautiful. And changeable and funny and passionate. It’s . . . like a Hudson River Valley sunset. Underneath all that fire and glory the sky is ever constant. It’s like you. For me, it is you." </b> </blockquote><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1617199066i/31110835._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

<b>I've given this a C+ at AAR.</b><br /><br />I reviewed this one jointly with my fellow <a href="https://allaboutromance.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> <strong>All About Romance</strong> </a> reviewer Evelyn North; she liked it a lot more than I did and gave it an A, whereas I couldn't go higher than a C+. I didn't care much for the heroine, and while I did like the hero, there's nothing worse tnan a romance in which you feel one half of the central couple doesn't "deserve" the other, which was where I ended up on this one.<br /><br />You can read our review <a href="https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/im-only-wicked-with-you-by-julie-anne-long/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> <strong>HERE</strong> </a>

This is the third entry in Long's Palace of Rogues series, which, in the first two books, has featured the romances of two women who buy a rundown building at the docks and turn it into a charming boardinghouse which, for some reason unclear to me, attracts even members of the peerage as guests. The first two books were lovely romances for those two struggling women and were quite romantic, humorous, well-written HRs. This third entry is well written but I found it less romantic (except for the last quarter of the book) and less witty and humorous.<br /><br />In this #3, two beautiful guests at the Palace of Rogues boardinghouse, one the aristocratic, perhaps somewhat snooty but definitely restless, daughter of an earl and one a pedigree-less American visiting England but with plans to return to America for a political career, have only one thing in common: their beauty. I suppose we are to think that the lust they feel for each other is really love, but it's really hard to see that love underneath all the repetitive description of physical attraction and the fact that there is nothing more to the relationship than antagonism and chemistry for most of the course of the novel.<br /><br />Little happens in the book and there are even minimal actual sex scenes, so that does allow for more pages to be filled by Long with developing love, but, for some reason, this is the least satisfying romance of hers that I've read in a long time. Not even the H and h realize that they are in love for most of the book and it was hard for me to see exactly why they should be in love.<br /><br />But, yeah, that last quarter of the book does show us a bit more romance and we occasionally get glimpses of Long's trademark talent for swoony affection and love. But that was not enough to counteract the rather crudely drawn and exaggerated contrasts between upper-class English and (supposedly) classless American ideals and values and way of life. A really superficial, annoying and simplistic presentation of this.<br /><br />Nice writing and excellent lust, however.

2.5 stars, rounded up because of some funny banter in the first half of the book. But overall, for me this book was a disappointment. There was very little plot - not much at all happened, really. It was more than half way through the book till the MCs actually kissed, or till there was an actual change of scene from the Grand Palace on the Thames. By this stage I was getting pretty sick of the Grand Palace and its quirky inhabitants. The rules which once seemed mildly amusing were starting to feel pretty silly, and I was rapidly losing interest in the romance as well. <br /><br />By the time things finally moved on, for me it was a bit too late to save this book. Perhaps if readers had been introduced to Giles somewhat earlier, rather than maintaining Lillias’ mysterious fear/grief till a good 2/3 through the book, as a reader I might have felt more involved, and cared a bit more. <br /><br />From this point, there were some plot points that didn’t really make sense to me, or convince. Some of Lillias’ confusing behaviours left me asking why. Why would you do that? I have to admit, I started to skim. By the time I reached the ending, I didn’t care that much about any of them, and the epilogue left me unmoved. <br /><br />Usually I like Ms Long’s writing. She still has a way with words and a lovely, smooth writing style. The characters had potential, too. I wanted to like this book. But for me, it was the plot arc that sadly let this book down. Bummer. Now I’m not sure whether or not I’ll read Bk 4 when it comes out. Maybe I’ll wait for some reviews before buying.

<b>2.5 Stars of Goodness, but not Greatness</b> <br /><br />So. I think... it was fine. I'm sort of between a rock and a hard place. Part of me wants to love this, but just can't. I genuinely love <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/20987.Julie_Anne_Long" title="Julie Anne Long" rel="noopener">Julie Anne Long</a>'s writing which is all effervescent wit and emotion and contradiction. Rarely are there sweeping, epic, melodramatic plotlines... it's usually a simple, isolated story about people falling in love. One of the qualities that I love most about JAL is that her characters are never cut and dry, simple to understand, or defined by a single quality. Even when I've hated her books (yes, there are a few... Lyon &amp; Olivia's finale in the Pennyroyal Green Series in particular) complex characters and complex writing still carry her work, in my opinion. This book is no different. It has vibrant characters, takes twists and turns, and the prose is constructed in that typically overwritten loveliness that is JAL. But where it falters is that it was far too top-heavy for my taste, and like I wrote in my updates, it felt like a carbon copy of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/8430098.What_I_Did_for_a_Duke__Pennyroyal_Green___5_" title="What I Did for a Duke (Pennyroyal Green, #5) by Julie Anne Long" rel="noopener">What I Did for a Duke</a> in every way that mattered. It is not that I take issue with that, it's a great book to take from, but I found it a massive, and likely accidental, risk seeing as how it is one of her most beloved books. <br /><br />Anyways, I digress. <br /><br />It's a story about a man and a woman whose meeting, a crackling battle of wits, acts as the catalyst for a reluctant but potent emotional and physical attraction. The heroine is suffering from unrequited love for her long-time friend. The hero has other plans for his life. It takes until <u>Sex Is Had</u> AND <u>The Last Moment Possible</u> for the heroine to be, essentially, forced to make a decision and chose her man.<br /><br />Hugh is delicious, 'Merican, No Family, Has Bear Stories, blah blah. Lilias is Beautiful and Spoiled, but inside Beats a Heart of Vulnerability. Yes, yes, yes. You get it. It’s all perfectly acceptable, but it all peters out by the end and it left me thinking, <i>"Oh, I guess that's it then..."</i> But of course the ending here was going to be lacklustre when none of the lead up was done quite as heart-wrenchingly, steadily, or as emotionally as <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/8430098.What_I_Did_for_a_Duke__Pennyroyal_Green___5_" title="What I Did for a Duke (Pennyroyal Green, #5) by Julie Anne Long" rel="noopener">What I Did for a Duke</a> or several works of hers from over the years... <br /><br />It all just felt like a less awesome (but not necessarily bad) version of <i>other</i> JAL tales. It made me think of and want to re-read her <i>other</i> books. And obviously that was not the goal here. Still, it was enjoyable enough and fun. Less steamy than her average, I would say, but a nice story nonetheless. <b>I'm Only Wicked with You</b> isn't likely to make you clutch the book (or listening device) to you bosoms and sigh, but it won't cause you to hurl anything against the wall either. And I guess there is comfort in confidently consuming mediocrity.

I’m really enjoying my time at the Grand Palace on the Thames. The people here are so interesting.<br />This story focuses on Lady Lillias and Hugh Cassidy. The tropes are enemies/lovers, fake engagement that isn’t really fake and forced proximity. <br />I can honestly say I wasn’t sure about Lillias at first, I didn’t quit like her. I’ve liked Hugh since the first book but I didn’t think Lillias was right for him. But when they started sparing I became intrigued. I thought their chemistry was great and when I got to know Lillias and her back story I liked her much better.<br />I loved the ending and I can’t wait to continue to the next story.

We absolutely loved the third entry in the Palace of Rogues series! <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/20987.Julie_Anne_Long" title="Julie Anne Long" rel="noopener">Julie Anne Long</a> may be one of the funniest writers working in romance today. She manages to balance her sly dialogue and situational humor without losing any of the sentimental romance we romance readers love. I'm Only Wicked with You is a perfect example of her strengths.<br /><br />Although the first two books focused on the proprietresses, this book branches out two of the boarders, Hugh Cassidy and Lady Lillias Vaughn. While we have read many historical romances featuring American heiresses in England, here we have an American man with no pretensions to nobility thrown together with a high society beauty. Lillias is suffering from a romantic disappointment, while Hugh's greatest desire is to complete his work in England so he can return to New York. They are immediately attracted to each other even as they realize their life goals and backgrounds make their chances for a permanent relationship very slim. When they are caught in a compromising situation, they have to negotiate their conflicting desires. Many romances use miscommunication as an easy way to foster conflict, but here, Lillias and Hugh's unwanted engagement forces them to be clear about their aspirations and expectations. <br /><br />Highly recommended!<br /><br />40-Word Summaries:<br /><br />Meg: Hugh’s a bear-fightin’, log-cabin-buildin’ American in London. Lillias is a diamond-of-the-first-water earl’s daughter. Their immediate attraction and enmity build to an explosive “performance” - with (unfortunately) an audience. They may avoid social ruination ... but their marriage will actually ruin their lives.⁠<br />⁠<br />Laine: Lillias is too sad to paint and it takes meeting Hugh to restore color to her life. When she's not sure if they really like each other but is definitely sure they want to make-out, she grows up so fast. ⁠<br />⁠<br />Natalie: In a shocking twist, Mr. Cassidy grows claws and Lillias and I think he is a jerk. But there is also a little gap between his body and his pants and, as Paris Hilton says, "That's hot." So he's forgiven.⁠<br /><br />This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

DNF 49%<br /><br />I just couldn't go on....