The Wicked Wyckerly

By: Patricia Rice

Narrated by: Eliza Jane Cornell

Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

NYT and USA Today best-selling author! Nominated for the prestigious romance Rita award!

John Fitzhugh Wyckerly has been the spare heir all his life, supporting himself with gambling and charm. The news that he's inherited the bankrupt title of earl of Danecroft shatters his indolent world. Even penniless, he's always paid his debts, but now the estate's creditors are closing in. He can fake his death and run for cover or accept overwhelming responsibility and find a rich wife - one who will also accept his illegitimate terror of a daughter.

On his way to find an heiress, he meets Abigail Merriweather, who is neither rich nor aristocratic, but she can tame The Terror and stomp cockroaches. Unfortunately she needs a wealthy, powerful man who will fight her father's executor and retrieve her four half siblings. When an unexpected inheritance falls into Abby's lap, she sets out for London to seek a lawyer.

Can Fitz charm his practical Abby into trusting him to save her siblings when it's doubtful that he can even save himself? And can Abby surrender reason and logic for the folly of love offered by a man who can have any woman he wants but insists he wants only her?

©2010 Patricia Rice (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Rice is a master storyteller. A wonderful blend of humor, pathos, adventure, and charm, this page-turner is book one in Rice's promising Rebellious Sons series." (Shelley Mosley, Booklist)

Finally

Would you listen to The Wicked Wyckerly again? Why?

I haven't been able to force myself to finish the last 5 or 6 books that I've purchased. I was ready to give up on audible. But The Wicked Wyckerly was well-written, witty, fun, and charming... I only wish there were more books like it on audible...

Patricia Rice has another winner!

The Wicked Wyckerly is the first book in the 4 part Rebellious Sons series. I haven't read the other books yet, but I loved this first one! Fitz the hero is arrogant and insecure, brilliant but uneducated, land rich and cash poor. He's a bundle of contradictions and all I can think is it must have been so much fun to write him!
A brand new earl, he inherits his fathers debts, which are crippling. The only way he can see to pay them is to marry an heiress. But on his way to London he stumbles across a practical country miss, Abby, who needs his help to recover her 4 siblings who've been taken from her and put under a male guardians "protection". How can Fitz help? He's enough troubles of his own!
During the process of rescuing the children, the estate, and falling in love, we become acquainted with Fitz' ( the Earl of Danecroft) friends. We will get to know them better in the next 3 books in this series. I can hardly wait!

One of My Favorite Books

If you could sum up The Wicked Wyckerly in three words, what would they be?

Funny Delightful Romance! This is the first book I have read by Patricia Rice and I'm looking forward to reading more. Although it is hard to imagine any others can be as good as this one.

What did you like best about this story?

Hmmm, hard to decide. (1) I really enjoyed the quirky characters of the hero and heroine and the way they each dealt with relatable life challenges. Which brings me to (2), the unique and funny situations throughout the book. I hate reviews that give away the story, so I won't go into details but Patricia Rice came up with some very funny scenes. And (3), the rest of the secondary characters, especially the children, servants and villains.

Have you listened to any of Eliza Jane Cornell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't heard any of Eliza's other performances but she does an excellent job narrating this book. I would definitely listen to other books she has narrated. She did a great job conveying the heroine's spunkiness.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I'm not good at coming up with tag lines so I won't even try. But it is a fun romantic comedy and would make a good film.

Any additional comments?

I'm glad I paid attention to the other reviewer who recommended this book. It is a delightful book that had me smiling through a lot of it. Filled with quirky, spirited characters facing some realistic situations (i.e., getting small kids to take naps), this has become one of my favorite Audible books. If you are looking for a fun, heart-warming love story, this is the book for you. There are several graphic sex scenes (which were probably on par with most romances) but they occurred well into the story (after the characters had come to know each) and I was able to skip past them without any detriment to the story. I am going to read more in this series, but it is hard to imagine they can be as fun as this book.

Bored me

This story felt to drag too long. It just bored me. The romance is not great either. The narration was monotone and with bad accent. Skip this one.

So good, Read it twice!

I loved this story... every word. so many ways to say I loved it... great characters, great narrator, good plots, compassion and passion for others as well as romance. such a special book.

slow start , but....

This one started out slow for me. Had to set it aside for a bit but once I picked it up again, it took off. Fairly good read, one I will probably revisit. Loved the character of John Wyckerly and his mischievous little daughter Penelope. Great story, funny and heartwarming. Abigail and John were perfect for each other.

Fun contrary journey of romance

Ivloved it. A good historical romance with alot of laughs, twists and turns and woes, and just as many smiles and laughs.

Interesting plot, but

The plot was interesting, but its resolution too neat and so something of a disappointment. Also, “Every fiber of my/her being” is a very tired phrase.
While the reader had a pleasant voice, her use of accent seemed contrived and was confusing. I did not know which one was forced. It would have been better without the shift to an Irish lilt for the heroine.

Plot showed promise initially but didn’t deliver

I didn’t feel any chemistry between the leads. The story shows promise initially but drags. The solution to the small mystery felt very dull. Overall a bit of a let down but I did want to know what happened in the end.

Loved it ...

Loved it the first time I read it and loved it the second time when I heard it.