Review: Lady Gone Wicked (Wicked Secrets, #2) by Elizabeth Bright

Lady Gone Wicked by Elizabeth Bright

Release Date: February 26, 2018 
Series: Wicked Secrets, #2 
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous 

Genre: Adult, Romance, Historical 

Source: ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

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Nicholas Eastwood is finally about to get everything he ever wanted. As a reward for his service to the Crown, he has been offered the title of marquess. All he has to do is stay scandal-free until the papers are signed. There’s just one problem: His ex-lover, presumed dead, is remarkably alive.

Adelaide Bursnell is determined to right her wrongs. She will be a dutiful daughter and loving sister. Most importantly, she must marry before her scandal catches up to her. Nicholas was once her ruin, but now he is determined to be her salvation. If he can find her a suitable husband, their shared past can stay buried.

But old temptations prove impossible to resist and scandal can never stay secret for long...

Each book in the Wicked Secrets series is STANDALONE:

* Twice As Wicked
* Lady Gone Wicked

Review: 

Last fall I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of Twice as Wicked, the standalone "prequel" to Lady Gone Wicked. While Twice as Wicked primarily focused on the blossoming relationship between Alice and Nathaniel, it also introduced the tumultuous, scandalous love affair between Alice and Nathaniel's respective twins - Adelaide and Nicholas. Therefore, when I caught wind that Lady Gone Wicked would focus on them, I couldn't wait to dive in. I hoped a happy ending was in store! 

The result? I did in fact receive my happily ever after; however, the story wasn't nearly as charming and addictive as its predecessor. 

My first problem involved Adelaide and Nicholas. From what I saw in Twice As Wicked, I figured I would have no problem loving them. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here. I found both to be rather bland. I knew that Adelaide was supposed to be strong, daring, and quick witted, but I just never truly felt it. She seemed more a woman who couldn't make up her mind. I especially couldn't stand how she strung Nicholas around. Yes, in some ways he did deserve it, but in other ways, she ended up being just as guilty as him. Nicholas I liked slightly more - there was something deliciously rakish about him - but again I just couldn't connect. He seemed very one dimensional, and I wish it would've have been easier to "feel" his feelings rather than just be told them.  

The plot in Lady Gone Wicked mainly focuses on Adelaide and Nicholas' reunion as well as their return to their respective families. At first, I found both story lines to be interesting. The first scene in particular held a lot of promise, and I also liked catching up with previous characters, but the more the book went on, the more I began to loose interest. I wanted more action, more passion, more tension - I wanted to feel, to be excited. Ultimately I wanted it to be more like Twice as Wicked. 

Overall, while Lady Gone Wicked does provide a satisfying conclusion to Adelaide and Nicholas' arc as well as Alice and Nathaniel's, it left something to be desired. Maybe I had too high of hopes considering how much I adored the prequel, but something here just didn't work for me. 

2 stars!!