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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Perfect Debut and a Perfect Gothic Regency Romance, March 29, 2010
This review is from: Too Wicked To Kiss (Zebra Debut) (Mass Market Paperback)
Too Wicked to Kiss by Erica Ridley
To Wicked to Kiss is Ms Ridley's debut novel and what a debut it is! If you are looking for the perfect Gothic Regency romance novel that has all the best elements of the genre, then this is one that will be a keeper. This is a book that has it all - a dark, brooding, secretive, dangerous and handsome male, a female with backbone, looks and brains, a bit of the paranormal aspect, secondary characters that you want to stab....repeatedly, a dark dreary, hidden passageway riddled manor house, heat enough between Gavin Lioncroft and Evangeline Pemberton our protagonists to steam the wallpaper off of your walls and a murder mystery! This will not be a book for you to read once and toss...oh no, this is one you may want to read over and over!
This book is filled with action, chills, and even has a bit of comedy relief with Susan one of the secondary characters and who will be starring in Ms Ridley's second novel due out in 2011 (Can't you write a little bit faster? Please!!!).
I wholeheartedly applaud this debut and can not wait until the next one comes out.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Winner Debut Book, March 4, 2010
This review is from: Too Wicked To Kiss (Zebra Debut) (Mass Market Paperback)
Erica Ridley's debut novel, TOO WICKED TO KISS is a wonderful addition to the gothic romance scene. And the title couldn't be more perfect. Just who is too wicked to kiss? Is it the hero, the darkly mysterious rumored murderer, Gavin Lioncroft? Or the heroine, Evangeline Pemberton, a strong, feisty runaway with a paranormal gift? Actually, it could also be anyone of the well drawn secondary characters because this book is just plain wicked. Wicked fun that is.
TO WICKED TO KISS has it all. A gothic romance filled with sexual tension, a touch of the paranormal, plenty of humor and a murder so tightly plotted you'll never be able to guess "whodunit". It's a true winner and I can't wait for the next in the series. Ridley is a new author not to miss.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very descriptive writing but mystery overshadows the romance,, May 8, 2010
This review is from: Too Wicked To Kiss (Zebra Debut) (Mass Market Paperback)
Too Wicked to Kiss starts out wonderfully with a spooky dark manor, a brooding hero and a supernaturally gifted heroine. I thought I would love this novel based on its beginnings, the tension between the leads is palpable but in the middle section of this book the romantic tension is lowered considerably.
Evangeline Pemberton accompanies her "friend" Susan and her manipulative mother to a house party outside London. The manor belongs to reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, a man thought to have killed his parents and is now shunned by his family and society save one sister who is also attending the house party.
Evangeline and Gavin are drawn to each other from their first meeting. Evangeline is conflicted as she has been brought to the mansion to help Susan trap Gavin into marriage, a plan she despises but she has nowhere else to go since her mother passed away.
Evangeline has the ability to see someone's past or future when she touches them, all except Gavin which mystifies her. When a murder occurs at the house party suddenly her skills are tested to discover the killer, however because she dislikes touching (she gets headaches) this gift is not used quite as effectively as one would imagine. There are several suspects and a goodly portion of this book is spent on trying to solve this mystery, taking precedent over Gavin and Evangeline's romance.
Evangeline is always uncertain around Gavin. She says some terrible things to him at first judging him by gossip and innuendo solely and quite frankly she is not all that supportive during his most heartfelt confessions. Gavin feels alone and he wants to confide in Evangeline but worries that she will reject him as his family has.
Evangeline is complex and also unwilling to face the truth; she has a tendency to downplay her feelings for Gavin. For his part Gavin is braver than Evangeline, at least when it comes to emotional commitment. He is a dark figure but also the most captivating character in this novel. The novel rates three stars, it's very descriptive (I could easily visualize the castle) but I felt that some of the emotional connection between the leads took a backseat to the murder mystery and Evangeline's character was not as memorable as Gavin's.
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