The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander

Historical Romance

Goodreads Summary:

"In this dazzling new novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander welcomes you to Millworth Manor, a delightful English country estate where love is always perfectly at home…

For Winfield Elliott, Viscount Stillwell, finding a prospective bride always seemed easy. Perhaps too easy. With three broken engagements to his name, Win is the subject of endless gossip. Yet his current mission is quite noble: to hire a company to repair his family’s fire-damaged country house. Nothing disreputable in that—until the firm’s representative turns out to be a very desirable widow.
Lady Miranda Garrett expected a man of Win’s reputation to be flirtatious, even charming. But the awkward truth is that she finds him thoroughly irresistible. While Miranda resides at Millworth to oversee the work, Win occupies her days, her dreams…and soon, her bed. For the first time, the wicked Win has fallen in love. And what began as a scandalous proposition may yet become a very different proposal."

The Importance of Being Wicked is another wonderful story from Victoria Alexander.  Since Winfield Elliott’s three previous engagements play a big part in the story reading the novella Lord Stillwell’s Excellent Engagements (see my review) will add to your enjoyment of the story.

Winfield Elliott is a really great character.  He was a bit wild in his youth but he has changed into a very responsible man but because of his three broken engagements his reputation does not match the man he is today. He is very conservative and feels that a womans place is in the home.

Miranda Garrett started working and doing architectural drawing when her husband was alive.  She was the better architect of the two and when he died she continued his work keeping his architectural firm alive.  The fact that she is doing most of the work is a secret.  Usually she does not oversee a job but the job for Winfield requires her to oversee.  They start out as less than friends.

I loved the way Win and Miranda gradually became friends and then more than friends.  Miranda’s secrets and Win’s broken engagements are a big part of the tension in the story.  Seeing how each responded to the secrets was very satisfying.  As anyone who reads a romance knows at the end there will be a HEA.  It is the journey to that ending that makes the difference between a good or a not so good story.  The Importance of Being Wicked has a great journey making it a very good story.

Zebra published The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander in 2013.

I received an ARC of The Importance of Being Wicked from Netgalley.