Book Review: Wicked Becomes You

This was the third Meredith Duran book I've heard. I read her first book, Duke of Shadows, after hearing so many gushing reviews. But I wasn't crazy about it. Duran continued to get so much praise that I decided to try again with Written On Your Skin. Again, I just didn't connect. There was something about her writing and her storylines that I found... confusing. I always felt like I was missing something, like there was more there to the story, but for some reason it wasn't getting across to me.

Well, finally, after Wicked Becomes You, I can relate to why Meredith Duran gets so much praise in the romance genre. This book is simply a great genre book. It follows the basic formula, but at the same time, it feels original. And the characters are just plain likable.

The heroine, Gwen, was born to a very wealthy merchant family. Her parents wanted Gwen and her brother Richard to be able to move around in high society, so they essentially farmed out their children to ensure that that occurred. Gwen devoted her life to being the perfect young lady, and finding a titled man to marry and start her own family with. After her parents and brother die, she's left as the heiress to a $3 million pound fortune (in 1890, at that). It would seem that any number of fortune hunters would be all too eager to marry her, except that she's been left at the alter not once, but twice.

Alex, Richard's best friend, always saw through Gwen's act. (Basically he saw that it was an act, even when she didn't.) For that and other reasons, he's long been somewhat attracted to her. But because he works in trade, he's rarely at home. He is home in London to witness Gwen's second jilting, however. And he's there when she proclaims that she's done being the good girl.

The plot doesn't sound all that original, but it works, mostly because it's all believable. Gwen's actions and motivations are particularly believable. And the story moves from London, to Paris, to Monte Carlo, and back to London. Along the way a real relationship develops between Gwen and Alex.

Mostly I liked this book because I liked the characters. They were flawed, but not too flawed. And they are both simply good people. It didn't rock my world, but it did provide a nice day of entertainment. I do believe I will give Duran's other book a try now.