Customer Reviews

A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I really do hate to be so harsh, but a little bit boring is an understatement. I barely finished this book. I almost gave up twice. The dialogue between the characters was witty for all of five minutes and then it was just tedious. There was practically no build up to the consummation. I admit to getting frustrated with books that take the entire story for just a kiss. This book was the complete opposite and I found myself liking this scenario even less than waiting until the end of the book for a mere kiss.

I find myself puzzled by reference to the "wicked" or "steamy" sex scenes. While I admit they were not boring, I would not use these words to describe them. If you want wicked or steamy, read Stephanie Laurens, Liz Carlyle, Sabrina Jeffries, or Lisa Kleypas to name but a few.

I agree with another reviewer's advice. Do not buy this, borrow it. Better yet, save yourself some time and don't bother.

A Little Bit Wicked by Victoria Alexander is the first of this series. Four men make a wager to see who be the last man married. The first man to go down is Gideon Pearsall who falls for the Widow Lady Chester. I don't understand the bad reviews - very funny, romantic and great love story. Can not wait for the next book of the series What A Lady Wants (2) coming out January 30th!

I couldn't even finish this book and I have enjoyed other Victoria Alexander romances. I just didn't think there was anything romantic about this book, at least in the first half or so that I was able to get through, and that took effort. Maybe it got more romantic farther along but I didn't care to keep reading it to find out. I've read many a book where the main characters don't share their first kiss until the last page but they are interesting reads to get to that kiss. This couple starts having sex really early on in the book and there still wasn't enough interesting story line to get me to the end. We all know how romances end but you still want a good story, whether it's a comedy, mystery, intrigue, dramatic, a little of everything, etc...and this book just did not provide the plot. It got two stars because I made it about half way through, I guess I will reserve one star for books I stop reading after the first chapter. I chose to write this review because I don't not finish many books and so I wanted to throw out a warning, at least borrow this one and don't buy it...

that I've read. Her style can be a little slow. This book was different because of the leading lady and lord. They were together because they wanted to be instead of some silly contrived plot that brings them together (i.e. have to get married to gain an inheritance, something about a silly list, trying to marry money or trying to marry a title, etc.). They met at a normal sort of gathering instead of in the middle of some sort of crisis/rescue. Both were attractive people instead of some strange mismatch. Also I liked the heroine's different sort of background and that she wasn't an innocent virginal sort. She was smart,strong and fun and lived her life. I really liked the hero's confidence and humor. It did take the heroine a while to sort through her past and take a chance but there has to be some sort of suspense and at least she had good reasons to be careful.

I'm a little confused by some of the other reviewers comments regarding the love scenes being "steamy" and "HOT, HOT, HOT". Sorry, but "A Little Bit Wicked" was BORING! From the get go, I was thrilled to realized that our main characters, Judith and Gideon, were so forward with each other that you're under the impression that you're not going to have to wait long for some excitement between these two. Unfortunately, by the third chapter I was yawning and bored to death with all of the conversation...between Judith and Gideon...between Gideon and his aunt...between Judith and her best friend...everyone is talking here and THAT IS IT! Don't get me wrong, by the end of the book, you COMPLETELY understand what these two see in each other because all they do is TALK ABOUT IT! There's not a whole lot of confusion like you get in other romance novels, you know, the whole "someone's got a secret that could change their lives forever" kind of thing. That premise gets a little old, I'll admit, but at least it might have added something interesting to think about. Instead, you're left wondering how, with all of the talking going on in this story, Judith has somehow managed to leave out the details of her former husband's death, which, in the end, although you're thinking it's some big mystery that's leading up to a huge climax, turned out to be a little boring, too. Several times in the story I thought, okay, finally, here's where it's going to get juicy...a seemingly "mad" sister-in-law creeping around...a scheming ex-wife...a meddling aunt...but no! Those story-lines go no where except another conversation! It actually took me two weeks to read this book because I agonized over picking it back up several times, but I kept hoping it was going SOMEWHERE! Instead, I'm going to attempt to read the next book in the series, mainly because I've already bought it and don't want to waste my money, but I certainly hope it's an improvement over "A Little Bit Wicked" and will restore my faith in Victoria Alexander. Definitely borrow this book, don't waste your money!

I have to agree with the reviewer who didn't care for the dialogue. While it was an enjoyable enough read, all the bantering back and forth did become rather tedious. And while I found a certain amount of chemistry between the two lead characters, I didn't feel it was really enough. However, it was fun to read how the perfect, arrogant, society stud, who was using the widowed lady for nothing but sex, fell in love with her.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very light read without the mystery, intrigue, and suspense you find in many romance novels of its type. I actually enjoyed the break from that. This story focused solely on the couple and how their loves grows from a sexual relationship to one of love and admiration. A Little Bit Wicked isn't the most "exciting" read in regards to having a lot of twists and turns. But, if you're looking for a simple romance novel that doesn't boggle your mind or make you think too hard, this is a sweet story. When I read this, I'd just finished several novels with lots of plot twists and developments. So, this book gave was a nice break from all of that. If you're looking for a break from all the "extras" we often see in romance novels, then you'll enjoy this novel.