Win comes into his own story having already put his years of debauchery and womanizing well in the past; however his reputation has a serious black mark that he cannot seem to lose no matter how many years have passed. Winfield’s infamy stems from three failed engagements, all of which he took the social blame for even though each of the partings was initiated by the fiancé. Where Win’s mistake was in each engagement was that he never allowed his heart to select the woman, choosing instead women who filled a certain need for him at the time or women that Win was certain he could eventually fall in love with if given enough time. Unfortunately with the failed engagements all hanging over his head, Winfield has been saddled with the very broad reputation of being “wicked” without having many of the pleasures that come with that stigma. When Win’s family’s manor home is gutted in a fire, it falls to him to arrange for an architectural firm to handle the rebuilding. The company chosen is Garret & Tempest, a smaller firm that has been building a name for themselves for reliable work as well as strong designs. When the representative of the company travels to Fairborough Hall to survey the retrofit work, Win is surprised to meet Lady Garret, a widow with a very formidable attitude towards the work and Win himself.
Miranda Garret unexpectedly became a widow at a young age and in the three years since her husband’s death has been doing whatever was necessary to keep his business alive. In dedicating herself to the work Miranda’s personal life has been on hold to the point where even her closest friends and family have seen that she has been merely existing in her life rather than living it. The Fairborough contract becomes the perfect showcase for Miranda to expand on the reputation of her company by designing a manor home suited for the Victorian age rather than locked in the past. Miranda is certain that she can get the job done, but her biggest challenges on the project come from her interactions with Lord Stillwell, a man who both intrigues and infuriates her with his slightly misogynistic ideas about a woman’s role in a family and in society. Miranda walks into the job expecting the worst in Winfield, yet the more she gets to know the real man under the “wicked” reputation the more she starts to question her own motivations for hiding behind her own reputation of “widow.”
There were many interesting ideas just under the surface of the plot that I enjoyed seeing in a romance book. The rights of women is something that I tend to take for granted in 2013, yet for a woman of 1887 it is completely scandalous for her to even think about holding a job or wanting to vote. I liked that while Miranda is progressive about keeping her business after her first husband’s death she isn’t campaigning in the streets for Suffrage. She is honest with herself in wanting the firm as a forum for her talents, but there is another part of her that is content with some of the status quo. There is also the flip side of the coin in Winfield’s embracing the traditional ways and in wanting things to remain unchanged against the innovations that were coming fast and furious in the Victorian age. I am glad that Ms. Alexander didn’t make Win completely adverse to change, but I liked how he is cautious about them. Just these small traits for both characters showed that they were multi-dimensional which can be something lacking in other books on the market.
Where the book may have fallen a bit short is in the chemistry between Win and Miranda. I could believe that the characters were falling in love, but how they went from strangers to friends to lovers was a staid movement within the story. From their earliest exchanges almost to the very end of the story, their burgeoning feelings for one another are played very subtle as both Win and Miranda are wary to put their hearts out on the line or to trust the other with all of their innermost secrets. The passion is definitely there if you look for it; however most of the time it is shown through their conversations or arguments about their differing ideologies. I think what Ms. Alexander was hoping to show was a grown-up love; one where the characters aren’t completely driven by lust but more from feelings that can grow from the interactions with a partner equal in intelligence, age, and emotional maturity. I would have liked just a little more of the immature kind of love that can sometimes lead a character to make silly decisions, but keeps you turning the pages to see how it all will work itself out.
The Importance of Being Wicked was an engaging story to me, with characters that I would be happy to know in real life, as well as a relationship that one could believe is a match between equals. With the Historical Romance market becoming flooded with average books, I’m happy to recommend this story as an example of the genre done right.
~Reviewed by Sara
Book: The Importance of Being Wicked
Author: Victoria Alexander
Other books in the Millworth Manor Series: What Happens At Christmas, Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements
I love Ms. Alexander's stories. I have read many of them and look forward to reading many more :)
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