A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Victoria Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 26, 2006

Who will be the last unmarried man standing?

No man in his right mind would want to get married, but every duke, earl, and viscount knows that a fellow must do his duty in the end. So four of London's most desirable gentlemen make a wager—the prize going to the one who remains unwed the longest.

Gideon Pearsall, Viscount Warton, thinks he has a fair shot at winning. After all, he's managed to enjoy the favors of many a lady while resisting the parson's noose. Even when he's stopped dead in his tracks by the most scandalous woman in all of London—Judith, Lady Chester—he vows to have her bedded but never wedded.

Beautiful, and more than a little bit naughty, Judith has always kept herself within the bounds of respectability, even while playing by her own rules. And the experience has taught her to avoid marriage. She has no desire to resist Warton's hot kisses, and his tempting touch is impossible to ignore.

But soon both Judith and Gideon can't help but wonder . . . is it possible to be a little bit wicked and still follow your heart?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestselling author Alexander returns to Victorian England for her latest, the promising kickoff to a four-book series. In 1854 London, four titled gentlemen make a bet: the last man to avoid the inevitable trap of marriage wins an expensive bottle of brandy-as well as his precious freedom, for as long as necessity will allow. The first to face his trial is Gideon Pearsall, Viscount Warton, who lost his heart years ago to a conniving woman who briefly married him to make another lover jealous. Gideon firmly believes he will never love again, and the new "adventure" he's begun with Lady Judith Chester is merely that-a chance for excitement, a quenching of desire. Lady Chester, for her part, feels the same. A widow whose former husband abused her in secret, Lady Chester simply wants to enjoy her freedom with a man who's merely bad, rather than controlling and cruel. But the wounds of the past have a way of catching up with the carefree lovers, conspiring to expose their real, raw feelings for each other. The rich characters in this first installment of Alexander's "Last Man Standing" series (wickedly similar to Stephanie Laurens's Bastion Club novels) make this a satisfying start, though one hopes for a little more action and passion in future installments.
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About the Author

Victoria Alexander was an award-winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and has never looked back. Victoria grew up traveling the country as an Air Force brat and is now settled in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two teenaged children, and a bearded collie named Sam. She firmly believes housework is a four-letter word, there are no calories in anything eaten standing up, procrastination is an art form, and it's never too soon to panic.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (December 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006088262X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060882624
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.

Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written twenty-four full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife--originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008--hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.

Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON'T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.

During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She's interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor's helicopter. She's covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter's school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She's never looked back.

Victoria is a former president of the Omaha Press Club and in 2009 was named an OPC Face on the Barroom Floor. A caricature portrait of her joined previous faces including presidents, sports figures and politicians in a tradition that began in 1971.

Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.

Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband, a son in college and a daughter working in film.

Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam, the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie has now taken on the position of loyal companion and is doing a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!

They live in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal--she has to.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing story with a dose of humor, March 9, 2007

By 

Maggie (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

The newest series by Alexander deals with the love stories of four confirmed bachelors who have no plans to get married anytime soon. The series starts off with this refreshing regency romance that tells the story of Judith and Gideon: they have both been in love and married before and, now in their early thirties, start what they both want to be a temporary affair, each intent on keeping their independence and avoiding marriage. However, they find that their attraction is stronger than anticipated and that they feel more for each other than just desire... as always, Alexander manages to infuse the story with a substantial dose of humor and with sympathetic characters who have a healthy dose of self-reflection. Warmly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A little predictable, but a fun and entertaining read nonetheless..., June 2, 2008

By 

Tringle "Steamy and Spice make every read nice!" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoy good historical romances. Something about being whisked away to another time and place and learning to live with all the customs of that era is rather appealing.

When I first picked up this book, I was quite intrigued by the unique boldness of the leading lady. The fact that Judith is a widow with no desire for yet another husband, and feels no need to ignore her physical needs/ desires, was interesting and ballsy to say the least. Although I had to admit that I didn't think the main character, Gideon, was as interesting as he could have been, the chemistry between these two was HOT HOT HOT!

The love scenes were scorching, and although the end was fairly predictable, who doesn't love a happy ending?! All in all, I would say this is another good read if you have extra time and want something that doesn't require too much time or effort.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Never warmed up to the leads, July 21, 2008

By 

Melissa (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm glad this book was given to me rather than me shelling out seven plus dollars for it. There was so little to like. Firstly, the leads seem so cold and calculating. They meet, decide to have an affair, have sex, lay down ground rules of no emotional attachments, and engage in bouts of lovemaking interspersed with some well meaning but interfering friends and relatives. There are also past loves popping up too.

I really thought both leads were boring and there was no real build up to their romance, no longing glances, no breathless interludes. I was tired of hearing Judith state how she did not need to ever marry again and that for her this sexual tryst was just a little interlude to pass the time and fulfill her needs. Ditto for the male lead, Gideon, although he seemed to be in touch with his feelings a little more than Judith.