Wicked at Heart

3.75 to 4 stars

I loved the characters in this story.

The hero, Damon, was wicked and not very likeable at first. He used intimidation as a weapon, but you soon discover that he also hides behind it, shielding the real Damon from being exposed for the tortured, abused and unloved little boy he'd been who'd grown into a lonely man.

The heroine Gwyneth was feisty and determined,and wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with Damon for the sake of her cause, even if it meant getting her hands dirty. She was compassionate and kind, and she saw Damon for who he really was and loved him despite his attempts to push her away. When he finally admitted his love for her and accepted her love in return, it was beautiful and sweet and brought a tear to my eye. Sigh I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again: I LOVE a story where a tortured hero finds healing and peace in the arms of a good woman who loves and accepts him for who he is.

I found the storyline to be very interesting, as it takes place mainly aboard a prison ship that Damon is the Captain of. So the theme is different than the norm and I quite enjoyed it. The author really sucked me into the world and with her creative writing, had me smelling the stench and imagining the horror of the prison ship and its unfortunate inhabitants. The vivid descriptions had me cringing and holding my breath, so kudos to the author for breathing such life and realism into the story.

There were a few things that bugged me, such as numerous POV; also overuse of certain words in certain chapters, but certainly nothing that kept me from ultimately enjoying the story.

“Wicked at Heart” is also light on steam. There is one love scene at the very beginning that occurs between the hero and another woman, one failed love scene between the H/h that is interrupted, and then one full love scene between the H/h. I prefer my stories to contain a much higher steam level, so that did knock my rating down some.

When I purchased, the kindle version was only 99 cents, and well worth the read at that price! Recommend, especially if you enjoy your stories more on the tamer side as far as steam level.