Unwrapping: Review of THE WICKED WALLFLOWER by Maya Rodale

Unwrapping Romance came about because of something I read regarding a view on romance readers written by an already favorite author of mine, Maya Rodale. Well now my amazing muse has stepped up and created a new series that gives historical romance a whole new look, and future. I hope it will bring some former readers back to the fold because something tells me that Maya is getting ready to take us for a wild ride with THE WICKED WALLFLOWER as a most delightful introduction.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for THE WICKED WALLFLOWER:

Maya Rodale's captivating new series introduces London's Least Likely—three wallflowers who are about to become the toast of the ton…

Lady Emma Avery has accidentally announced her engagement—to the most eligible man in England. As soon as it's discovered that Emma has never actually met the infamously attractive Duke of Ashbrooke, she'll no longer be a wallflower; she'll be a laughingstock. And then Ashbrooke does something Emma never expected. He plays along with her charade.

A temporary betrothal to the irreproachable Lady Avery could be just the thing to repair Ashbrooke's tattered reputation. Seducing her is simply a bonus. And then Emma does what he never expected: she refuses his advances. It's unprecedented. Inconceivable. Quite damnably alluring.

London's Least Likely to Misbehave has aroused the curiosity—among other things—of London's most notorious rogue. Now nothing will suffice but to uncover Emma's wanton side and prove there's nothing so satisfying as two perfect strangers…being perfectly scandalous together.

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Emma Avery has spent three seasons in the wallflower corner and she sees no truly constant prospect for marriage before Lady Penelope’s Anniversary Ball. No graduate of Lady Penelope’s Finishing School for Young Ladies has failed to match a good marriage match and Emma was not in want of being the first. Of course, she wouldn’t be alone for it seems that her two best friends, Olivia Archer and Prudence Payton, are still unmatched as well. It helps not that each has been nick-named cruel monikers – London’s Least Likely to Cause a Scandal (Olivia), to Misbehave (Emma), and to Be Caught in a Compromising Position (Prudence). Emma despises her additional name given to her by her nemesis from school – Buxom Bluestocking – because of her love of reading. And so is the reason we find them sitting together in Emma’s bedchamber drinking far too much sherry after Lady Wrotham’s ball, which started the fourth season and drove it home that they were still among the wallflowers. The mischief begins - a letter is written in jest, tragedy strikes, the letter is lost, lost anyway until the contents turn up in the London Weekly. Emma awakes to find an announcement there that she is currently betrothed to Blake Auden, the Duke of Ashebrook, who happens to be the most infamous rogue in London, renowned for making women swoon with just a smile.

In need of some much-needed respectability, especially after a rather nasty affair regarding a set of twins, Blake Auden sees the bright side of this rather unexpected proclamation in the London Weekly of his betrothal to a woman he’s never met – well, rather to any woman at all. Blake is not the marrying kind. With a plan in mind, he sets out for Avery House to meet the woman to whom he is now publicly engaged.

Emma and Blake come together to protect reputations, build new ones, and compete for a fortune so that each may have their own happily-ever-after. Neither expected to discover that the happily-ever-after that each sought was with each other.

THE WICKED WALLFLOWER by Maya Rodale is a wickedly good time. Mischief and mayhem result when three, too smart for their own good, wallflowers indulge in an evening of drinking sherry and cause one of them to embark on a journey that will make her blossom into something far more appealing than a wallflower. Maya has a knack for creating believably smart, yet rebellious young heroines who manage to take the rogues on whom they set their sights by surprise every time. Emma is no exception. She allows Blake to chase her until he’s finally caught in her web of love. Secondary characters, among them Blake's Aunt Agatha, drive this story will delightful banter and create an environment that forces two personalities to recognize that they have more in common with each other than their peers. The Fortune Games are intriguing, imaginative, and for our couple, love inspiring.

I highly recommend THE WICKED WALLFLOWER by Maya Rodale to anyone who loves a story that intrigues, that manages to keep the reader a little off kilter as to what might happen, and to anyone who loves a wonderful, wickedly passionate, and romantically satisfying tale with a smiling happily-ever-after. I mean anyone – I recommend this one to those of you who aren’t partial to historical romances as well, for Maya has something splendid planned for contemporary readers and it all begins with THE WICKED WALLFLOWER.

Happy Reading Everyone!

THE WICKED WALLFLOWER by Maya Rodale, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links or cover below for purchasing information