Genre: Dark Romance/Retelling
Published: April 19, 2022
Pages: 282
A woman can be great, and terrible too.
Evelina Westerly has always been the bad guy. As the brains, brawn, and botanist behind her family's drug empire, she's her father's ruthless secret weapon. With her days divided between perfecting her greenhouse, seeking revenge for her sister's murder, and putting a gun to the head of anyone in her way, Evelina doesn't have time for anything else. Especially not for love. After a one-night stand with a gorgeous man at a nightclub, she's sated her urges and is back to her criminal ways. That is, until that same man shows up as the new Westerly lackey...under a totally different name.
But Nicholas Woodsworth's real secret is much more dangerous than an alias. He's an undercover DEA agent, and he's hell-bent on destroying the drug trade that devastated his family. When he realizes the youngest daughter of the Westerly empire is the same woman he's been fantasizing about since that night at the club, attraction wars violently with disgust. Evelina embodies everything he's against, and he's been sent here to be her downfall. Yet the more they learn about the darkness in each other's hearts, the more alike they seem, and when hatred turns to something more, Nicholas will have to decide whether he can love a wretched woman, even if it means bringing both of their lives to ruin.
Evelina Westerly has always been the bad guy. As the brains, brawn, and botanist behind her family's drug empire, she's her father's ruthless secret weapon. With her days divided between perfecting her greenhouse, seeking revenge for her sister's murder, and putting a gun to the head of anyone in her way, Evelina doesn't have time for anything else. Especially not for love. After a one-night stand with a gorgeous man at a nightclub, she's sated her urges and is back to her criminal ways. That is, until that same man shows up as the new Westerly lackey...under a totally different name.
But Nicholas Woodsworth's real secret is much more dangerous than an alias. He's an undercover DEA agent, and he's hell-bent on destroying the drug trade that devastated his family. When he realizes the youngest daughter of the Westerly empire is the same woman he's been fantasizing about since that night at the club, attraction wars violently with disgust. Evelina embodies everything he's against, and he's been sent here to be her downfall. Yet the more they learn about the darkness in each other's hearts, the more alike they seem, and when hatred turns to something more, Nicholas will have to decide whether he can love a wretched woman, even if it means bringing both of their lives to ruin.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book, borrowed from my library. This is my honest review.
The Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie when I was a kid, so I was thrilled when I realized that's what this book was based on. My favorite part of the storytelling is the way bits and pieces are just subtly slipped in, a name here, a place there, tying this modern tale into the classic story. I also love how the lines between good and bad characters are twisted and blurred from the source material.
The story is told from dual POVs, so I saw the obvious misunderstanding and conflict coming from a mile away. That also meant I was a little annoyed when it happened because some very simple communication would have prevented the entire problem! But it wouldn't be a romance without some easily avoidable misunderstanding...and yet this one wasn't entirely unavoidable.
The narration was well done. I like when male/female POV books use different actors for those POVs like this one did. And when they were doing the opposite gendered voices, they didn't come across as caricatures.
Overall I give Wretched 4.1385 out of 5 stars. - Katie
Emily McIntire is a #1 New York Times, and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author whose stories serve steam, slow burns, and seriously questionable morals. Her books have been translated in over a dozen languages, and span across several sub-genres within romance.
She's been featured on outlets such as Good Morning Chicago, and in Cosmopolitan.
A stage IV breast cancer thriver, you can find Emily enjoying free time with her family, getting lost in a good book, or redecorating her house depending on her mood.
Instagram: @itsemilymcintire
Facebook Group: The McInCult
Tiktok: @authoremilymcintire
X: @authoremilym
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