Wicked, My Love by Susanna Ives
There was a lot to love in this one. Isabella was my kind of woman. She was smart - especially with numbers, they just make sense and she's a financial genius! She's also quite awkward socially - you can't be good at everything. But her social awkwardness is fun. She has accepted it and moved on with her life (mostly). It's just a part of what makes Isabella - Isabella. Watching her discover some hidden parts of herself and find some new confidence was great to watch.
Randall started off as your typical historical hero. He was handsome, titled, wealthy, and fairly smart. And he was always bumping heads with Isabella. When they go off on their great adventure together to save the bank, he realizes there was so much more to her than he ever realized. Their constant bickering was fun with a bit of flirtyness under it all. It would have been very easy to take this too far, but the author balanced it very well and it really served to bring out some of their personality.
As the pair race to save the reputation of the bank and themselves, they drift from the standard historical book. They find themselves in situations where they both would have been ruined socially if anyone had even a hint of what was going on. I particularly enjoyed the hay pregnancy (it makes me itch, too) and the grand escape from the bad guy's house.
The situations (like the bickering) toed the line of being too far out there, but was just enough and spread out that it worked brilliantly! I loved the quirkiness and unique vibe the author brought to the story. Everything adds up to make an historical romance that I won't soon forget.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
