I love a feisty female character, and Pip fits the bill. She wants to experience life, and only wants Xander to show it to her. Xander has had a hard life and doesn't want to get the infection his friends have, love. Pip, has other ideas. This is a steamy and heartwarming book, that I couldn't put down!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cheesy and fun read, perfect for a slow Sunday. It works fine on it's one. But works far better if you have read the previous books.

I enjoyed this historical! I loved that Pippa was trying to contain her scandalous inclinations but just couldn’t commit to a wallflower’s fate. I also really liked that Macaulay came from working-class London but had his own relationship to the aristocracy to protect. Overall, this book had a great dynamic between its main characters and is a great take on the friend’s younger sister/brother’s friend trope.

Just eh. The banter was 🤌🏽 and the tension 😮‍💨 it’s just forgettable even with a slightly unique plot.

*a "luvely 4.5 out of 5 stars*

UMM THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!! This was my first time reading anything by Tracy Sumner, so I had no idea what to expect... whether I would like the writing style; fall in love with the hero; save quotes from the book that I felt were hot af or super sweet/tender, etc... The Wicked Wallflower did just that!

I love an age gap when the hero is older than the heroine cuz it's obviously hot, but the fact that we had older hero AND brother's best friend made me drool. It's just hot. Macauley and Pippa had superb chemistry and I was simply ENTRANCED the entire time I spent reading this luvely gem (Macauley refers to her as "luv").

He was so broody and delicious and she was like pink lemonade she was so sunshiney. And the fact that knew she wanted him and felt awkward but wasn't afraid to attract his attention to her bodice from across the room made me love her character so much more because MOOD. She wanted his sexy ass and she was gonna get it.

*The only reason why this book lost .5 stars is because I wanted just a little tiny bit more during the sex scenes. They had so much chemistry and I felt like the steam, though hot, did not fully capture their hotness and horniness for each other, if that makes sense.*

Also, I simply adore when a hero tells the heroine how to touch herself and feel pleasure, so naturally, this quote owns me now:

"Remember when I told you to touch yourself here," he breathed, teasing her swollen nub with a flick of his tongue. Then he sucked hard, nearly bringing her to her knees. "This little wonder" - he flicked again - "is the key to your pleasure." OMIGOD.

This was the first book I've read by Tracy Sumner but it definitely won't be the last. Actually, once I finished this one, I went back and read the first two books of the series as I wanted to not only read them but also get a better picture of all of the characters. With that said, I think you could read this as a standalone but I recommend you actually read the first two books as you'll have a better idea of who some of the secondary characters are as well as some of the backstory for our main characters in this book.

Phillipa (Pippa) Darlington and Xander Macauley are the main characters and I really enjoyed their story. This is a class difference trope so you have two characters who are drawn to each other - Pippa is a lady and Xander is common born but connected to the Ton via his friendship with Pippa's brother and Tobias Streeter.

As Pippa and Xander spend more time together, they learn more about each other and find themselves drawn to each other more and more, despite Xander doing his best to keep her out of his world. I loved how their relationship evolved. There's banter and the build of the inevitable romance and I loved every bit of it.

If you haven't picked up this series yet, definitely do - I love how Sumner has developed all of the characters so far and look forward to what comes next with this group!

Regency romance books typically follow similar plot lines and it is difficult to find something new. Wicked Wallflowers by Tracy Sumner certainly keeps to those traditional themes but does so in such a beautiful way that you will not mind one bit. This is the third novel in The Duchess Society series and I had no problem following the story despite having not read the first two novels.

Philippa Darlington, our heroine, is very venturous and hopelessly in love with her brother's best friend, Xander Macauley. Xander, our hero, may be deemed a rake by society but he is anything but a rouge. Xander and Phillippa come from very different backgrounds but Sumner does a beautiful job weaving their stories together into a beautiful love story.

McCauley is a self made man full of good intentions. He knew 2 years ago that Pippa was trouble and looking for trouble. He had her followed knowing her brother and others in the nest were busy with their growing families.
Some McCauleys secrets come back to haunt him when he realizes
A he’s infatuated with Pippa
B she’s a dukes sister also his business partner
C he’s too old and tarnished for her
When things get out of hand with Pippa flaunting the rules and running wild very far from Mayfair things get very interesting.
We see a glimpse into their loneliness and that these two are made for each other. When secrets come to light and Xander McCauley is as sprung as his friends he made fun of! Well he will need a grand gesture to win Pippa back after pushing her away again. Does the guy from the slums get the girl?
Maybe this time the girl gets the guy!! Bravo!!! Couldn’t put it down!!!

Once again, Tracy Sumner has created my new book boyfriend! Xande Mccauly is everything you want a hero to be (I won’t list them here because we know what those traits are). Pippa is fearless,, needs a purpose in life, and does not recognize her all the things she has going for her. This makes for a great romance with all the feels. 5 big stars.

Amy: I ADORED this book. It has reluctant love, naïveté, burning love scenes and a happy ending. Tracy Sumner really captures the schemes and dangers facing a woman of marriageable age, and stitches them into this wonderfully crafted tale of two people who may or may not be right for each other, but certainly share a spark. Their banter, their sarcasm and their discovery of each other is magnificent as it unfolds. The lesser characters of this book also shine with interest, like Theodosia, lord Stanton, Dash, and Necessity Byrne. Plus, if you were wondering how the other members of the Duchess society were fairing, you get glimpses of them too!

I love historical romances and I was ecstatic to have been approved for this one. Sadly, the writing style, while appropriate for that particular period setting, did not work for me. I found it difficult to understand and this took away from my enjoyment of the story. I am sure the book is awesome as witnessed by the many reviews on Goodreads and Instagram that convinced me to request it in the first place. Sad that I couldn't enjoy it more.
All the best to the author.

This book was definitely hard to get acquainted with at first. The characters were a bit messy and the story was a bit forced to start. However, as the story unfolded, I found myself caring for both Macauley and Pippa. I could not for the life of me figure out which character was Pippa's brother and which one was just the friend. However it was a sweet slowish burn that I did enjoy. The line "This could be a match made in hell but a marvelous match just the same" was too perfect. There were lots of good lines and left me with a smile on my face.

I always like a Tracy Sumner novel as her heroines defy convention, and this 'wallflower ' more than most. Especially as that is just her disguise as she wants to opt out of society and the marriage mart. And have adventures, in the seedier or naughty parts of London. She especially wants to know what men get up to at the events and in the clubs that Ladies are not invited to.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: Third person perspective, fairly evenly split between hero and heroine


Should I read in order?
You probably don’t have to – these two spend a lot of time together with minimal time with the other characters from the series, but the series is really good and does flow together. At the very least, maybe read the prior book, The Scandalous Vixen, because the heroine here is in that book in a scene with Xander (It’s the story of this heroine’s brother). If you walk into this book alone you might feel like the story started without you.

Basic plot:
Pippa pretends to be a wallflower because she knows she never wants to marry. She aspires to do more with her life than simply get married, especially when the man she craves is off limits to her.

Give this a try if you want:
- Age gap (older hero) – they are 10 years apart but it’s talked about quite a bit – he needs spectacles for dim light reading and the heroine refers to him as having ‘advanced age’ ;)
- Friend’s little sister – Xander and Pippa’s brother have been friends for a number of years
- Class difference – heroine is the sister of a duke, hero is a commoner
- Heroine nurses hero back to health
- Later Regency time period (1826)
- Unrequited love feel (both pine for each other
- Heroine pursues hero (it’s definitely mutual, but Xander is more hesitant than Pippa)
- Hero that’s a decent amount taller than the heroine
- Higher steam with a bit of a slow burn feel - steamy at the end

Ages:
- Heroine is 22, hero 32

My thoughts:
I love how Sumner titles her chapters (example, Chapter One reads “Where a hero decides he must act to save the heroine”). I remember seeing authors do this years ago and I feel like I never see it anymore.

The first scene of this book, where Xander goes and basically rescues Pippa from a potentially dangerous situation is so perfect for setting the tension. I just loved it, the little touches, the longing, the wanting, the descriptions of our characters, I could just picture them so clearly here. And from here on out it just got more wonderful.

Can I just say my toes absolutely curl when the hero calls the heroine “luv”???? Every. Time!

Xander came from nothing in the rookery and has built through hard work everything he has. He still has such a strong sense of what is right and wrong and is very protective of Pippa, though he fights hard to not dirty her with his hands. He’s opening an exclusive club called The Devil’s Lair and Pippa desperately wants to see the opening.

Pippa was fun! She has no problem going after what’s important to her – she wants more out of life than to just be a wife. She is envious of what Xander can accomplish as a man, and without the ties of her level of society. She also has no problem chasing Xander – he’s definitely a participant but he repeatedly tries to do the right thing and leave her alone.

There was a lot of things I found sweet and romantic between these two. That sweetness combined with some serious steamy and emotional scenes made this a wonderful read to me. The fact that Xander keeps trinkets from her, close to him, was so cute. I also really loved the proposal at the end. This is definitely one of my favorites of the series, though I think I liked book 1 (The Brazen Bluestocking) a bit more, just because I prefer when the hero pursues. Still I loved this story!

Thank you, NetGalley and WOLF Publishing for the chance to read and review this!

The wicked wallflower is a decent regency romance. I liked our main man Xander more than a lot of other men in romance novels; he's fairly memorable and has a decent personality. I already feel like I know who Theo is going to go for in the next book, but I guess I'll have to read it to be sure.

Loved reading the engaging and enthralling romance story. Whenever Lady Philippa Darlington sees Xander Macauley, she becomes more and more attracted to him. Xander knows he is not good enough for Pippa and tries to fight his pull toward her. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written with a riveting storyline, and a must read love story. Can't wait to read the next book in The Duchess Society series!
I just reviewed The Wicked Wallflower by Tracy Sumner. #TheWickedWallflower #NetGalley
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The Wicked Wallflower is a fun and engaging Regency romance based on rather unconventional characters. While not the first title in the series, it wasn’t difficult to catch on quickly. Also contains definite staging for at least two sequels. Contains steamy scenes and profanity.

Oh Pippa and Xander, I have been waiting for your story and it was everything I hoped it would be! I love how he tried so hard to stay away from her, but he just can't. He is drawn to her and to protecting her from trouble she constantly finds herself in. They have the best romance; her pining and his stubborn, holding back from her is just too good! When he finally sees Pippa from a real woman with big dreams to change the world, or at least London, he is taken aback and loves her even more for it.

The Heroine
Lady Philippa Darlington is bored. She grew up with just her brother, the Duke of Leighton, but now he was married and had children. She should be more fulfilled with family and friends surrounding her, but she was restless. She has no intention of getting married so decides to get through her first Season as a wallflower hoping no one will notice her. She wants her life to be more meaningful than to be a debutante, get married, bear children and be a wife.

The Hero
Xander Mccauley is the last of his friends to remain single and he has NO desire to fall into the Parson’s trap! He has clawed his way out of the East End rookeries and built a fortune and a name for himself. He is about to open up a new gaming hell with his friends, which is to be the crowning jewel of his many business endeavors. He has been in infatuated with Pippa for years and, when she comes to make her debut in society, he takes it upon himself to have her followed and protected from trouble.

The Steam
Their passion was a long time coming, so it made the steamy scenes even hotter. But they definitely couldn’t keep their hands off each other once they opened Pandora’s Box.

Tropes
Historical Romance, Regency Era, Gaming Hell, East End London, Rake Hero, Tortured Hero, Illegitimate Hero, Best Friends Sibling, Working Class, Bluestocking Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Childhood Crush, Unrequited Love, Class Difference, Age Gap Romance, Carriage Steam, Dirty Talk

A fabulous third addition to the series - this romance was beautiful to watch blossom, with a perfect ending. Loved it.

Two stubborn characters cross paths."I don't want to get married" and then "I don't want to get married either"
Well, any lover and frequent reader of Historical Romance knows where this is headed. But we have a fun time with the witty banter and tension the two soon-to-be lovebirds engage in.
I love dialogue-heavy stories , as that is the best way to get to know the characters as they get to know each other.
There is just enough description to set the time and -place without being overly developed, taking us away from the story at hand.