WHEN SHE WAS WICKED by Anne Barton

PUBLISHER: Forever, 2/2013
GENRE: Historical romance
SETTING: England, 1815
AUTHOR SITE: link
MY GRADE: C

SYNOPSIS: A dressmaker in London's busiest shop, Miss Anabelle Honeycote overhears the ton's steamiest secrets-and (occasionally) uses them to her advantage. It isn't something she's proud of, but the reluctant blackmailer needs the money to care for her gravely ill mother. To make up for her misdeeds, Anabelle keeps to a firm set of rules:

Never request payment from someone who cannot afford it. Never reveal the secrets of a paying client. Never enter into any form of social interaction with a client.

Her list keeps her (somewhat) honest-until she encounters Owen Sherbourne, the Duke of Huntford.

Not only does Owen nip Anabelle's extortion plans in the bud, the devilishly handsome Duke soon has the sexy seamstress dreaming of more than silks and satins. With Owen Anabelle enjoys pleasures she never imagined. . . until a scandal from the past resurfaces. Now her rules could mean his family's ruin. Owen's searing kisses carry the promise of passion, but how will he react when Anabelle's most devastating secret is finally revealed?

MY THOUGHTS: This review contains spoilers. This was a disappointment. Both Owen and Anabelle are very likeable. I love that Anabelle wasn't raised wealthy and actually had a paying job. I was enjoying the book a lot until the plotline got taken over by Owen's sister, Rose. That subplot was uninteresting to me. From what I've heard and read, the only time someone stops speaking completely is a child that's been molested, not some teenager who caught a parent cheating. It's ridiculous.

I think the extortion plot could have gone on much longer before Owen found out it was Anabelle. Some interesting things could have gone on with him while trying to find out who the culprit was. In a nutshell, he found out it was her days later, invited her to live in his home to create dresses for his sisters, began a sexual relationship with her then the storyline disappeared. It was just Anabelle, Olivia, and Rose hanging around the house doing nothing. Then the Rose-not-speaking mystery was solved. Really nothing went on with the main couple. I just don't think this was a good, believable story at all.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.