"Wicked Becomes You"

"Wicked Becomes You"
by Meredith Duran

Source: provided by Sarah at Pocket Books

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:

I wouldn't even begin to a do a detailed summary of "Beautiful People", because I want this review to be spoiler-free. But this story is about a handful of strangers all mixed together in some juicy Hollywood scandals. Some are already divas fully immersed in the Hollywood culture, others are reluctant newcomers to this dazzling world. There's never a dull moment in this one and I flew through all 400 pages!

There are so many characters and all of their lives become intertwi...more Alex Ramsey, reckless and carefree rogue, feels responsible for his best friend's murder. He tried to honor his friend by promising to look after Richard's perfectly nice sister, Gwen Maudsley. Most importantly, Richard wished for Alex never to corrupt the "nicest girl in London", Gwen, with his roguish ways. So Alex always kept far from her, traveling to distant countries at every chance. When Gwen is jilted at the altar for a second time, Alex realized it's time to take a more active role in caring for Gwen. On a journey together to recover Richard's ring, Alex realizes what a handful Gwen will be after she vows to stop being so downright nice.

Meredith Duran really excels at the subtleties of love and life. She can write about one small action or short phrase and it has such a deeper meaning. Also, Duran can really paint a picture of the setting, I truly felt like I was running through the Moulin Rouge and le Chat Noir with Gwen and Alex. Her writing style is unique and if you haven't read anything by this author, I suggest you do so as soon as possible!

I loved Gwen's character at the beginning of the book. She wasn't just a nice girl, she calculated ever single action and word to be perfectly polite and nice. Alex was the only one who recognized how much strength and dedication it took for Gwen to be "the nicest girl in London." I was fascinated by Gwen's journey of learning to loosen up, that a misstep here and there was perfectly ok and made life worth living.

I wanted to know more about Alex. I was interested in his childhood asthma, but it wasn't dealt with very much. I also wanted to know more about his fierce love and dedication to his siblings, even when they treated him poorly. I liked Alex's cool, calm exterior, always letting rumors and insults bounce right off his back. But I wanted to see more of what laid underneath the surface.

The romance between Gwen and Alex never really caught fire for me. Sure, they liked each other, but I never really saw fireworks between them. They were missing that special spark needed to make them really star-crossed lovers.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 2/5 (unfortunately, there weren't really any)
Setting: 5/5 (Moulin Rouge and le Chat Noir, need I say more!?)
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line: Meredith's writing is mesmerizing, and I enjoyed the subtleties of the story much more so than the overall picture. I loved Gwen's journey to find out that it's ok to not be perfect all the time.