I'm Only Wicked With You: The Palace of Rogues

Written by Julie Anne Long

Narrated by Justine Eyre

USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long continues her Palace of Rogues series with a brand-new romance about an ambitious American and a headstrong British heiress.

He’s the battle-hardened son of a bastard, raised in the wilds of New York. She’s the sheltered, blue-blooded darling of the London broadsheets, destined to marry a duke. Their worlds could only collide in a boardinghouse by the London docks...and when they do, the sparks would ignite all of England. 

 
Nothing can stop Hugh Cassidy’s drive to build an American empire...unless it’s his new nemesis, the arrogant, beautiful, too-clever-by-half Lady Lillias Vaughn. The fascination is mutual. The temptation is merciless. And the inevitable indiscretion? Soul-searing—and the ruination of them both. Hugh’s proposal salvages Lillias’s honor but kills their dreams for their futures...until they arrive at a plan that could honorably set them free. 

 
But unraveling their entanglement inadvertently uncovers enthralling truths: about Lillias’s wounded, tender heart and fierce spirit. About Hugh’s stunning gentleness, depth, and courage. Soon Hugh knows that as surely as he’d fight a thousand battles to win her...the best way to love Lillias means breaking his own heart. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063044135

Julie Anne Long

USA Today bestselling author and Rita® Award winner Julie Anne Long’s books have been translated into eighteen languages, nominated for numerous awards, and have appeared on dozens of “Best of” lists. NPR named her Pennyroyal Green series as one of the Top 100 romance series of all time. She currently lives in Northern California.

Reviews for I'm Only Wicked With You

[Andrea Author · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lillias is an earl's daughter. Hugh is a self-made American. They've got nothing in common—except both are haunted by a yearning that won't let them be still. In the quiet hours when everyone else in the boarding house is asleep, they encounter each other night after night. Challenging conversations lead to an irresistible attraction. But what they're feeling isn't love, and a future together is impossible. If they're discovered, they could both lose everything.

This novel is shockingly good, perhaps the best I've read all year. The plot is fresh and original and wholly unexpected. The characters are complex and deeply explored. The romance is passionate and emotional, the banter witty and fun. The world building and recurring themes make this book resonate with the reader, pulling them into the story and never letting go until the very end.

This is the third novel in the series, and I recommend reading the books in order. While this book can stand alone, you can't fully appreciate the recurring characters and the world of the boarding house otherwise.

If you listen to audiobooks, I highly recommend this one. Justine Eyre is one of my favorite narrators, and she does a great job with the American accents.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great book from one of my favorite historical authors in this series that differs from the usual just enough. American Hugh Cassidy is staying at the ladies' boarding house while he pursues the missing daughter of his employer. Also staying there is the family of Lady Lillis Vaughn who was driven out of their townhouse by an escaped snake. If you'd read the first two books in the series, you know the recurring characters who also live in the boarding house and their backgrounds.It's a fun story with a hero and heroine fighting the attraction between them while thinking they're in love with someone else. This leads to lust more than love at first but finally settles into mutual respect and admiration (and love). Lillis is an independent lady and Hugh suits her perfectly. It was nice to read a reversal of the usual American heiress traps British nobility trope.