Title: Wretched
Author: Emily McIntire
Publication: April 16, 2022
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre: Romance
Pages: 306
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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Evelina Westerly has always been the bad guy. As the brains, brawn, and botanist behind her family’s drug empire, she’s her father’s ruthless secret weapon. With her days divided between perfecting her greenhouse, seeking revenge for her sister’s murder, and putting a gun to the head of anyone in her way, Evelina doesn’t have time for anything else. Especially not for love. After a one-night stand with a gorgeous man at a nightclub, she’s sated her urges and is back to her criminal ways. That is, until that same man shows up as the new Westerly lackey…under a totally different name.
But Nicholas Woodsworth’s real secret is much more dangerous than an alias. He’s an undercover DEA agent, and he’s hell-bent on destroying the drug trade that devastated his family. When he realizes the youngest daughter of the Westerly empire is the same woman he’s been fantasizing about since that night at the club, attraction wars violently with disgust. Evelina embodies everything he’s against, and he’s been sent here to be her downfall. Yet the more they learn about the darkness in each other’s hearts, the more alike they seem, and when hatred turns to something more, Nicholas will have to decide whether he can love a wretched woman, even if it means bringing both of their lives to ruin.
REVIEW:
WARNING: GRAPHIC SEX SCENES AND GRAPHIC VIOLENCE
I purchased the first book in this series a little bit ago and really enjoyed it. It was a retelling of sorts of Disney. Hook got Wendy in the end. It was dark, twisty, and steamy. This is the 3rd book in the series, and while it’s the third one it is stand-alone and you don’t have to worry about not reading the other two books. I was excited when I found it once again on Audible and was able to listen to it. I will say I have perfected the poker face while listening to them in mixed company for sure.
Nicholas is a DEA agent who is on a last hurrah before he has to go undercover with a drug family. Evie is out at the same bar in disguise so to speak with a blonde wig instead of her darker hair. They catch each other’s eyes and have a quickie in the bar bathroom. They are unforgettable to each other. Imagine each other’s surprise when Nicholas shows up at Evie’s drug family as a jewel thief. Only she doesn’t know he is a DEA agent and he doesn’t know that she is the brains and botanist behind the flying monkey drug. Oh my gosh this book is steamy and spicy on a scale of 5 peppers it is a 6. Like looking around you to make sure no one can hear the book even though you are A: home alone and B: listening on noise-canceling headphones. I love that there was a suspense factor as well that adds to the storyline that isn’t just boy meets girl, boy screws girl and boy falls in love. There is just more to it.
The book is well written. It kind of has you on the edge of your seat as Evie is a massive naughty girl/badass/bat shit crazy. Some of the stuff she did had me gasping because that is not normal. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. It has a storyline that has Evie struggling to be a daddy’s girl, but no matter what she seems to do he just doesn’t give her the time of the day. Nicholas has an inner struggle that he has to ride that grey area since he is a DEA agent. He can’t intervene per se but he loves her and loves all that she is despite who she is. The storylines are well-written and flow well with each other. I finished the book and found that I wanted more. I didn’t want the simple ending that they gave their story. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series, don’t forget this series is standalone and can be read separately.
