This is the first book I've read by Ms. Bright. It was an ok read for me. I liked Claire, but I had hoped her superb memory recall would have played more of a role in the story. Colin was a different sort of hero and I did enjoy the adventure in the book. This wasn't a super fast read for me. I found myself putting it down numerous times. Not sure if I'll read anymore books by this author.

Soooo, it was a fun afternoon read for sure. If I'm honest, this book deserves 3,5 star, not a 3.

There were a lot of things which I liked very much, but almos always there were something attached to these positive things, which made it a one time read. I'll try to explain this, because it probably seems messy and incomprehensible.

POSITIVE side:
Lady Claire is not a usual pale and helpless english lady, with tragical background. No, she's loved, she has money, she is brave, maybe too brave and reckless for her father's taste, and she has a very precise memory. Claire remembers everything. I really loved this about her, that she had a condition, which made her a little bit unpopular amongst the other ladys, but she still had friends.

NEGATIVE side:
The author introduced this condition very early, so we already got a lot of information about it in the beginning, but why? This wasn't an important quality. She didn't need this memory to look for the hidden treasures. She only needed some reading. What I want to say, that beyond her little bit awkward social appearances, this particular attribution was pointless. I wanted this to be important if the author has already told a lot about it.

POSITIVE side:
I liked the thinking of Colin. I did not fall in love with his character but that's ok. In the beginning he loved the idea that Claire is different, that she's smart and adventurous.

NEGATIVE side:
After they begin their arranged treasure hunt, he became sooooo protective... he basically feared that poor Claire will break in the fresh air. I get it, she's noble, her father want him to oversee her and protect her from an already safe treasure hunt but she's not made of egshell. I just wanted him to remain himself after he started this with Claire. I wanted him to support her, and be glad that both of their passion was the same thing, but nope... here he comes... Mr. Overprotective.

All in all, I liked this book, but it was a one time read for me. The treasure hunt, the historical and the cultural elements made the setup fresher. I liked the personality of the characters, even if they made me frustrated sometimes. The dynamic was there, but the emphasis wasn't.

This book was so much fun! I've been on a bit of a romance binge at the moment, and Wicked with the Scoundrel was the perfect addition to it. As a lover of archaeology, it was cool to see it represented, even if the practices at the time were far from ideal (thank you authors note for mentioning that). The romance was so sweet. I love how Claire set out to seduce him, and Colin fell right into her trap. She may have been innocent, but her confidence shined through.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Wicked With The Scoundrel by Elizabeth Bright is the third book in her Wicked Secrets Series. Each book is written as a stand-alone but characters from the other two books are also in this one.
Colin Smith the natural son of a viscount is an adventurer and explorer, he has returned to England after an absence of 10 years to sell some of the artifacts he has collected and to find a sponsor to support a new expedition to Egypt. Lady Claire Harrison is the daughter of a Marquess and when she meets Colin it’s love at first sight, he however is very aware that he is not for her and needs a little convincing. Lady Claire is an interesting heroine because she has a photographic memory and is I think with her lists a bit on the autism scale, that Colin not only accepts her but comes to love her exactly as she is makes this a very enjoyable story to me.
Quite Steamy, Publishing Date February 11, 2019 #NetGalley #WickedWithTheScoundrel #ElizabethBright #EntangledPublishing

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Wicked with the scoundrel tells the story of a woman who grows up sheltered and wealthy but dreams of adventure which she finds on the form of a nobleman's bastard son who has just returned to England from egypt. I loved the strength and originality of the heroine and I love how deeply the hero falls for her. This book was really fun and look forward to reading the other books in this series.

This was such a cute and funny historical romance! Wicked With The Scoundrel was less angsty and fluffier than the first two books in the series. The tone of the story worked so well with the main characters, especially Lady Claire, who is such an unusual romance heroine. Lady Claire has an eidetic memory – she remembers everything and the only way she can process her memories is by creating ordered lists. Many people find her unusual and so did Colin – but he loved her all the more for it. I was a little unsure about Colin at first because he was severely (and understandably) prejudiced against aristocrats. He had trouble accepting the fact that he liked Claire, but I love how he gradually fell in love with her. Claire is such a unique, quirky, loveable, and endearing character and Colin easily saw her for the woman that she is.

The whole treasure hunt part of the story was unreal and far fetched, but it worked out really well with the kind of story that Ms. Bright was trying to tell. However, it did feel as if the relationship moved forward a little too quickly. I was initially worried about Colin’s overprotectiveness because it’s such a common trope that many historical romance authors use as a barrier between couples. Thankfully, this trope took an unexpected turn, mostly because of Claire. I should have known it would turn out differently because Claire herself is such a unique heroine. I was pleasantly surprised by how things turned out in the end.

I also LOVE the secondary characters, especially Nate and Wessex. The entire scene with the men teaching Colin how to dance killed me with laughter. That being said, I do feel that Claire’s family wasn’t as fleshed out as the other secondary characters – they felt like wallpaper characters even though her father had a couple of important scenes. I find it strange that we didn’t even know she had a brother until 83% of the book. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and I am SO excited for the next book!!! I have waited for Eliza and Wessex’s book for soooo long!!! I can’t wait!!

Colin Smith is getting ready to dock. Colin has not seen England in 10 years .Deb is his business partner. Colin had left England at age 16 .He is the bastard son of a discount and a lady's maid.He had traveled through Egypt and India.Colin says there is no such thing as an adventure in England. I didn't feel an connection to the characters.

I loved Colin and Claire's story!!

Colin has come to London to sell some of the relics he has acquired in his travels. He has a distain for the ton as he is the product of a lord taking advantage of a housemaid. When he meets Clair, he thinks she is like all the other woman of the ton and takes an instant dislike of her.

Claire is smitten by Colin upon meeting him and devises a way to spend time with him as well as giving him an income that will make him acceptable to her father. As they spend time together, Colin's feelings for Claire change, but will the stations to which they were born get in the way of their HEA?

I loved watching Colin and Claire come together!! Claire was so quirky (loved all her lists) and the interaction between to two was such a joy to watch!

I'd not read anything by Bright and since this was book 3 of the series, I read the previous 2 before reading this one and I loved them too!! I think that definitely added a lot more to the story as you meet Claire and several other supporting characters to this story that way. I'm so excited for the rest of the series (at least I'm assuming there are more, LOL)!!! Definitely pick up this series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Synopsis
Colin Smith, treasure-hunting adventurer and bastard son of a viscount, is back in England...much to his dismay. There's nothing he loathes more than the rich, hypocrites of his father's class. So as soon as he can sell off a few trinkets, make some money and say a quick hello to his poor mother, he's getting the hell of the country again.

Except Lady Claire Harrison, the spoiled but lovable daughter of a wealthy marquess, rather abruptly falls in love with him. Colin wants nothing to do with her but Claire is formidable. She's ridiculously intelligent with an eidetic memory and the word "no" isn't in her vocabulary. She is determined to win him over and what better way to tempt him to her side than by enlisting his help in finding a famous local treasure...the Cleopatra Emerald.



My Thoughts
Having never read anything by Elizabeth Bright before, I went into Wicked With The Scoundrel without any expectations whatsoever. But every so often you try a new author and hit the jackpot.

This is pretty high praise coming from me, but I found Bright's writing style to be very reminiscent of Eloisa James's earlier books. Think the Duchess in Love series or the Essex Sisters. Not necessarily in content but in tone. The narrator's voice was ever-so-slightly distant from the action and it allowed for such a delightful infusion of irony.

However, it did take me a minute there to pick up on that deliberate irony. Which is why it also took me a few chapters to take a liking to Claire. Some of her behavior is kind of ridiculous. She's naive and reckless and spoiled...and yet damn if she's not also adorable. It was smooth sailing once I realized that I was supposed to find Claire a little over-the-top silly. And, yes, she is silly. But she is absolutely ONE-THOUSAND percent herself. Ultimately, I loved her.

As for Colin...he surprised me too. There were some true moments of vulnerability and honestly from Colin that went deeper than romance. Fear of exposure. Fear of loss. He nearly ruins his relationship with Claire via his desperation to keep her in a bubble, free from harm. But he learns that acting on that desperation is actually, deep-down...selfish. Heavy stuff but I was totally there for it.

I adored this book. I'm such a fan of smart heroines, and for all her naivety, Claire was more than a match for Colin. When it came down to it, she wasn't afraid to fight for not only the adventure she craved, but the man she loved. I'm going to go back to get the first two in the series, because although they're not required to read this, I loved the characters and the writing so much. I look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Bright in the future.

Colin Smith has returned to London to sell off some treasures from his latest adventure. While he is there he intends to find another rich member of the ton to help fund his next trip. Colin has the perfect man in mind, but getting past his daughter might be an adventure in itself.

Lady Claire falls head over heels for Colin the moment she hears his tale about crocodiles. She longs to travel and Colin would be the perfect candidate for a husband. All she has to do is win him over. That is how Claire comes up with the plan for them to find a long lost treasure in Bath. Both are in way over their heads.

Author Elizabeth Bright's WICKED WITH THE SCOUNDREL is a pleasurable read. I devoured it in one sitting. I loved Claire's spirit and enthusiasm. Colin has no idea what he is for. She is just the challenge he needs. Unfortunately, things fall flat toward the end for me. I would have liked to see Claire and Colin ending already on one of their adventures together, seeing the sights and discovering new things. I give their story 3.5 stars.

This was a very sweet, adventurous romance. Collin is back from sailing the world in search of treasure and adventure escaping his illegitimate status in London. But he finds himself back home in the hopes of exchanging his loot for cash. He meets the shy, naive Lady Clair who finds herself in love with him the moment she hears he's seen a live crocodile. She convinces him to take her on a treasure hunt for cleopatras emerald and despite his reservation he strikes a deal with her father to give her the adventure she seeks.
I really liked Claire's character because she didn't seem clingy or helpless. She helps him find the true treasure and her inquisitive nature captivates Collins attention. Collin finds the acceptance and love he needed in Claire despite her wealth and status. The sweetest moment is when he asks her to marry him after they made love and she replies for him to return to her when the world is open for him and he still chooses her. Awwww... So sweet.