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Wicked Tales & Wild Romances

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Step into a sanctuary of Wicked Tales & Wild Romances, where we explore the most captivating corners of dark fantasy and heart-tugging rom-coms. This is more than just a reading log; it’s a collection of Curated Chronicles for the Modern She-Wolf who isn’t afraid to get lost in the shadows or fall for the monster. ​Whether it’s a slow-burn magic system or a spicy contemporary trope, every story here is chosen to be Wildly Devoured.

  • Escaping the Duke

    The Secret Crusaders Book 1

    By Melanie Rose Clarke. Pub Date 6/17/2021

    5*. Best Enjoyed when you want a funny HR romp. 

    Priscilla Livingston is a daughter of a duke and is also, secretly, a crusader for social justice, working behind the scenes and within her means to find the secrets of the nobility who are less than amenable to vote for causes that would better the less fortunate in society in the House of Lords. She then poses as Lord P and writes letters to the Duke of Bradenton to share the secrets she finds, which he uses to further their mutual causes. Unfortunately, her father has put a stumbling block in the way of her progress: He wants her to find a husband by the end of the season.

    Edward Hawkins, the Duke of Bradenton, is also a crusader for the people. However, when he expects that his somewhat anonymous confidant, Lord P, may be putting himself at great risk, he becomes determined to sus out his companion’s identity so he can offer protection. While trying to catch Lord P in the act at a ball hosted by a dangerous member of the nobility, he instead stumbles across Priscilla. As Edward gets to know her, he finds a feisty, compassionate and secretive woman that stirs feelings in him like no other woman has. 

    Unfortunately for Edward, he is not on Priscilla’s list of eligible husbands. She feels that if she were to wed him, he would want to own her and she cannot allow anything to get in the way of her social justice causes. Even as she develops feelings for him, she knows that she cannot give in to them. 

    However, as Edward begins to close in on her secret identity, things start to get a little dicey, and soon it’s not just her causes at stake, but also both of their hearts. 

    Oh my word. So funny. Clarke is an amazing author and the way she writes the internal dialogue of her characters is absolutely fantastic. I honestly loved this book and found myself laughing out loud at times.

    Edward is my favorite kind of curmudgeon HR love interest. I pictured him with the large build of Luke Evan’s Gaston and the brooding sexiness of Mr. Darcy. Priscilla is funny, strong, and all heart. Their banter was fantastic and the various settings in which they interacted only helped the plot and pace. I will definitely be picking up the next books in The Secret Crusaders series. I highly recommend this book if you need a pick-me-up!

    Thanks to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review!

  • Pleasures of the Night

    Book 16 in the Distinguished Rogues Series

    By Heather Boyd. Pub Date 7/6/2021

    4.75*. Best enjoyed in a private setting…unless you’re into that voyeuristic sort of thing. 

    He’s an heir to a dukedom. She’s a spinster with a secret. 

    Ball at the Hofburg by Wilhelm Gause

    Thaddeus ‘Teddy’ Berringer is one of many men who have a long wait until they inherit their birthright, but Teddy isn’t wanting it anytime soon. However, that doesn’t stop the Duke of Exeter from encouraging Teddy to find a bride and settle down, something that Teddy also is not in a hurry to do. 

    Eugenia Hillcrest is in her mid-twenties, which makes her a spinster and wallflower in the eyes of society. Eugenia has no real care of what society thinks. Beneath the heavy mantle of social convention lies a sensual wildflower who is not afraid to ask for what she wants. 

    When Teddy finally speaks to Eugenia at a ball thrown by her younger sister and marquess-to-be, Sophia, he becomes intrigued with the eldest Hillcrest. That only grows as Eugenia puts forth an indecent proposal that Teddy is all too willing to accept. 

    As the lovers grow more fond of one another, Eugenia knows that she will eventually have to let Teddy go. She has no desire to bed and wed him, even as she begins to give him pieces of her heart without realizing it. What she doesn’t expect is to almost lose him to a husband of her own! As secrets are brought to light, Eugenia and Teddy must come to terms with the worst case scenario, which also may mean losing what they didn’t even know they wanted most.

    This was a good one. It was very sensual with well-described love scenes that would make even the most seasoned of HR readers a little hot under the collar. There were definitely a few things I would have liked to see more of, like when Teddy bought Eugenia a particular gift that would have added the perfect kink to round out the erotic aspects of this book. I’m not sure why she stopped before that part, but it was still great with a lot of hot scenes and heart-bursting romance. That’s what we all ask for in a good HR, right?

    Overall, the plot was very strong, the auxiliary characters were well fleshed out, and the story was the perfect wallflower and scandal trope. I absolutely loved the characters and I am so excited for the next book in this series because they all deserve a story of their own! I may even go back and read the first 15 books of the Distinguished Rogues series!

    Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this review. 

  • LAKE’S EDGE

    BY LYNDALL CLIPSTONE. PUB DATE SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

    3.5*, Best enjoyed on a dark and windy fall day.

    Violetta has protected her brother, Aerin, since the death of their parents during a plague when she was only six. Since that point, Aerin has experienced night terrors which manifest a dark shadowy power, and Violetta has stood in defense of him against their abusive adoptive mother. That is until the day of Tithe, when Aerin’s powers reveal themselves in front of the Lord of the land, Rowan Sylvanan. Rowan—known by the locals as the Monster—shows up at their small cottage later that night and threatens Violetta and Aerin into coming with him to his estate, Lake’s Edge. He needs Aerin’s power to help break a curse brought upon him by the Lord Under. However, Rowan doesn’t explain what started the curse nor what this will entail. However, the threats are enough and Aerin agrees, as long as Violetta is allowed to accompany them. 

    Unbeknownst to all around her, Violetta is familiar with the cruel Lord Under in ways she is reluctant to reveal. 

    When they arrive at Lake’s Edge, the estate—and Rowan—are not as the rumors have told. As Aerin works to help end the curse with the instruction of Clover, an Alchemist, Violetta and Rowan grow closer. Rowan has been afflicted by the Corruption that threatens the land and each day more and more of this Corruption begins to take him. Will Aerin and Clover be able to stop the Corruption from taking all they have grown to love, including their new-found family? Or will Violetta have to make another deal with a dark entity that held her hand so long ago?

    The book was pretty good, although I would have liked more description. At times it felt very vague, like I wasn’t getting a good picture of what was going on and I’d have to re-read parts to understand what I was reading. I think it could have used another edit and some fleshing out, but I was still pleased by the story itself. Hopefully this will be done before the book is released in November. 

    This also ends on a decent cliff hanger that really makes me wonder where this is heading. It is slated to be a series and I’m very curious as to what the next book will reveal about all of the characters and what will happen to Violetta—spoiler, mayhaps? Although it was a little lacking, the story really is good enough that I want to hear what happens next.

    Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an impartial and honest review.

  • Survive the Night

    By Riley Sager

    5*****. Best enjoyed on a summer evening when you need a good thriller to chill your bones.

    It’s 1991 and Charlie may be in the car with the person who killed her best friend. She really doesn’t know. She suspects, but sometimes things go a little differently in her head, like the night Maddy was killed. She sometimes sees movies, something she’s been doing since the death of her parents, where everything becomes stylized and a screen drops in front of her vision, creating a scene straight out of a film noir or classic Hitchcock picture. She has no idea what the identity of the man in the alley or if he was even real. Charlie still blames herself. She never should have left Maddy alone that night, regardless of their fight. Now Maddy is dead, stabbed to death with her tooth removed. 

    Everyone knows that the Campus Killer murdered her best friend, but no one knows who it is. All Charlie knew was that she needed to get away from Olyphant University, even if it meant leaving her boyfriend Robbie behind. She can’t live with the memories and the movies of Maddy coming back. Plus, how does she not know if she’s next? What if the killer knew she saw him?

    Now, after accepting a ride share from Josh, the man in the driver’s seat of the Grand Am and the person she is slowly beginning to believe could be the guy who killed her best friend, Charlie needs to figure out if there’s a way out and if she even wants one. She suspects that she won’t make it back to Ohio in one piece if she can’t figure it out.

    I love almost everything Riley Sager writes. In Survive the Night, he keeps you guessing until the very end as to what the real and true danger is. Charlie’s movie episodes are also a huge help in keeping the plotline moving through. The majority of the book you are wondering what is real and what isn’t. Is he really in the car of a killer? Is it all just a movie? 

    I truly loved it. I was able to finish it in only a few days. Highly recommend!

  • Brindille

    By Frederic Brremaud

    4*. Best enjoyed when you need to dive into some beautiful art!

    Brindille is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a girl who suddenly finds herself in a small forest village with strange creatures and no idea how she got there or anything about her past. However, it seems that some very dangerous beings are after her for some reason and they are quickly eating away at the magical wood in their pursuit of her. 

    With the help of her wolf companion, can Brindille figure out a way to save the world around her and also figure out how she came to be there? 

    As with most graphic novels, the story is important, but the illustrations are what move it along. The premise of the story is very interesting and the end was entirely surprising, and it makes you want to reread the entire thing to see what you missed. 

    Thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the early copy in exchange for this review. 

  • In the Forest of the Lost and Found

    By KD Van Brunt, Pub Date April 8, 2021

    3.5* Best Enjoyed when you’re in the need for a story about a city girl surviving the wilderness

    Allysa Baylor, the daughter of a world-famous director, wants to go as far away from her family as possible this summer, hopefully to France with her boyfriend. Ever since her mother died in a car accident, she has blamed her troublesome younger sister, Grace, for the accident and has done everything she could to not be around her for longer than necessary. Unfortunately, her famous dad has planned a one week middle of nowhere Canada trip with her, her sister, her brother, and her grandfather. The only thing keeping her on that trip outside of buttering up her dad in order to go across the Atlantic, is her little brother Nick, who she adores. She knows she would be letting him down in a major way if she didn’t go with.

    However, when her dad and stepmom aren’t able to make it on the trip, the three siblings are sent with their grandfather to a very remote cabin by float plane, which the siblings are not at all prepared for. When their check-up flight fails to show up halfway through the week, and Alyssa spots a massive almost prehistoric-sized bear on the other side of the lake, they all begin to get concerned. It’s not until their flight back to civilization is a no-show that the family realizes that they may be in far deeper trouble then they ever could have imagined, and when their supplies begin to dwindle, Alyssa realizes that she may be the only one capable of trekking the hundreds of miles of woods in order to find help. 

    I always enjoy a good survival story. At first, I had no idea where the author was going with this. Alyssa is a mostly cold rich girl with very little in the way of actual character at the beginning—and what character is there is vastly unappealing to me. However, her journey into the wilderness begins to change her and we get a more in-depth view of her past that explains a lot of her aloofness. The survival itself is pretty interesting and intense. There is also the dark, overarching enmity she has with the prehistoric-sized bear tracking her every move that keeps the pace of this one at a good clip.

    The ending is very abrupt and super unsatisfying which is why I didn’t give full stars, but the book is still worth it to see the character build-up that Alyssa and her siblings experience during their months of survival in the woods. 

    Thank you to ARS Fabula and Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. 

  • SMALL FAVORS

    BY ERIN CRAIG, PUB DATE JULY 27, 2021

    5*****. Best Enjoyed when you need a slow burn mystery-thriller!

    There are things in the woods that mean the people of Amity Falls harm. At least, that’s the superstition. The edges of the forest are lined with bells and are meant to ward off these beings from town. However, it has been many years since their small village has seen any sign of the creatures that exist in the dark beyond the pines, and the stories have been slowly edging toward superstition. That is until the winter supply run goes terribly awry and the only thing left of the group is a terrified horse in the town square sporting large, claw-like gouges from a huge, unknown animal. 

    Ellerie Downing, the beekeeper’s daughter, questions what could possibly have made this happen and the town is divided. Is it really just large, ferocious wolves that peer out of the woods at night with silver eyes? Or is it the creatures? And who is this mysterious boy that showed up one day and refuses to give her his name? Why are people suddenly beginning to show up in their isolated village? 

    However, The most pressing question on everyone’s minds is how are they going to survive the winter when every attempt at survival seems to be thwarted? 

    Suspicions soar as something sinister overtakes the town. Are basic instinct and long held grudges causing the townspeople to sabotage their neighbors or is something more sinister occurring? And can Ellerie convince the town to start taking the old tales seriously before it’s too late?

    Craig is an amazing author. This book is the kind I love. Is something supernatural going on or is there a logical explanation as to what is happening? Plus the small town suspicions, mystery, and survival aspects are everything I want in a book. The only thing I had a tough time with was the ending, but it’s because it feels very abrupt. Otherwise, everything else is fantastic and I absolutely swallowed up every last honey-sweet bite. 

    Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

  • When a Duke Loves a Governess

    by Olivia Drake, Pub Date 7/27/2021

    3.5 Stars.

    Tessa James dreams of owning her own millinery shop where she can create beautiful hats for her patrons and not the monstrosities that she helps with at Madame Blanchet’s. However, when she and Blanchet have a falling out, she must come up with a different way to make her dream come true. She hears of a position in the Duke of Carlin’s home as a governess to his unruly 5 year old daughter, Lady Sophy. Lucky for Tessa, she knows how to handle young girls with difficult temperaments. Perhaps she can use this opportunity to find her father, who appears to be of noble blood, and demand a loan from him. However, first she needs to tell a few white lies in order to convince the Duke to hire her on.

    Guy Whitby has just returned from four years traveling the world collecting botanical samples after the death of his late wife, a trip cut short by the passing of the previous Duke of Carlin. Since his return and subsequent adjustment to his position, he has gone through many, many governesses due to his daughter’s temperament. When Miss James shows up to apply for the position, he is reluctant to hire the pretty miss who doesn’t seem to have any references to speak of. However, hearing her tale, he decides to give her a chance.

    As Sophy takes to Tessa, Guy finds himself taking to her as well. She is unlike the usual women who travel in his circles of society and she lights up when he talks to her of his travels. As they strain against their obvious chemistry, events turn dangerous as a thief destroys Guy’s study in the middle of the night. Tessa and Guy find themselves in an interesting position as truths are revealed and the Carlin Curse appears to become a real possibility. Can Guy and Tessa figure out what’s really going on before everything is upended? Or will they find themselves permanently unrequited?

    I enjoyed this read. It had many delicious passionate scenes and plenty of intrigue. However, there were a couple of loose ends and the perspective seemed to change from paragraph to paragraph. The ending, although somewhat satisfying, felt very rushed and unfinished. I would have liked a little more detail or an epilogue. Nonetheless, it was a fun ride!

    Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

  • One Thing Leads to a Lover

    By Susanna Craig. Pub Date April 6, 2021

    ***** 5 Stars. Best enjoyed outdoors in the garden or curled up in your library.

    I think Susanna Craig is going to be a part of my auto-buy list from now on!

    Amanda Bartlett, the young widowed Countess of Kingston, has been living a dull life up until the day she brings home a package that is supposed to be a gift for her son, but turns out to be a cryptic French cookbook. This cookbook turns out to be of some interest to British intelligence.

    Enter Major Langley Stanhope, aka The Magpie, a master mimic in the spy game. Stanhope is sent to retrieve the mysterious volume from Amanda, which could lead to the recovery of a fellow missing spy. However, when the volume goes missing, Stanhope and Amanda find themselves in a rather dangerous situation and Stanhope must use all his skills to keep Amanda, her family, and himself from the enemies that would do whatever they can to get it back.

    As the danger grows and Amanda and Stanhope work together, they find that their hearts may be on the line as well.

    I absolutely LOVED this book! The first in this series was great as well, but I honestly thought this one was even better. I am so excited for the next book in the Love & Let Spy collection!

    The characters were very well thought out and the setting jumped straight from the page. I found myself very emotionally invested in the couple and the fate of Amanda’s children at the hands of their appointed male guardian, a boring man whose eyes were also set on Amanda and who was a huge part of the conflict.

    Seriously, Craig, I am sincerely looking forward to the next installment!

    Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy in exchange for this fair and honest review.

  • NAMESAKE

    BY ADRIENNE YOUNG. PUB DATE MARCH 16, 2021

    5 STARS. BEST ENJOYED on a warm, breezy day. Preferably near the ocean, but at least we can pretend!

    Fable was really good. Like, so so so good.

    Namesake was amazing.

    What an emotional and adventurous ride! It starts where Fable left off, and there are so many feels and the plot and story moves at such a clip that there was not a boring page in it for me.

    Namesake takes the stakes from Fable and raises them higher. It picks up with Fable on the Luna, the ship of Saint’s sworn enemy, Zola, who wants to use Fable’s gift to bring in a huge haul of dredged gems. Fable is given the reigns to a hastily built crew of dredgers from Jeval, including Koy, who has been out for Fable’s blood. In order for Fable to get back to her beloved Marigold and the crew that has become her found family, she must work herself to the bone to reach the quotas demanded of her. However, despite Fable’s Zola has other plans for her involving the most powerful gem merchant in the sea…

    Namesake brings us beyond the narrows and deeper into the characters. Honestly, I think this one was better than Fable, and that’s saying something because Fable was one of my favorite reads last year.

    Also, the ending? Let me just say I cried. A lot. And I’m sure if I ever re-read Namesake, I’ll do it again.

    Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of Namesake in exchange for this fair and honest review.