I'M ONLY WICKED WITH YOU

An unexpected interlude turns antagonists into allies—and lovers—in Regency England.

In the third addition to the charming Palace of Rogues boardinghouse series, Lady Lillias Vaughn butts heads with American merchant and aspiring politician Hugh Cassidy. Hugh is in England to locate the runaway daughter of his mentor, and Lillias is temporarily lodged at the women-run rental property with her family while their grand home is under renovation. From their first encounter, the two headstrong protagonists are like duelists, with every scene a battle against each other and their attraction. But Lillias is also secretly grieving thwarted hopes, and Hugh is trying to reconcile his pull to her with his dream of a biddable helpmate who will aid his political ambitions in New York. As their fiery interactions start to compete with Lillias’ yearnings and Hugh’s plans, a moment of indiscretion forces the couple into facing their true desires. Then a third plot turn leaves their choices hanging in the balance. Though tonally nimble and similar to Mary Balogh’s novels in its layered meditation on loss, sacrifice, and mature desire, the story valorizes American classlessness and freedom against British hierarchy and constraints in a way that strikes an off note. Yet Long’s distinctive metaphor-rich style is a treat, a visual and textural tapestry that expresses the characters’ emotional lives through their senses. She suffuses the prose with images of fire and musical reverberations, distilling into them the erotic affection, sensual banter, and crackling chemistry that arcs between the combatant lovers.

You’ll be seduced by this fake-engagement romance set at the London docks.