Review: 5 Wickedly Perfect Stars
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 12, 2014
Ok, I am a HUGE fan of Ilsa Madden Mills. As soon as I finished her debut novel Very Bad Things I was harassing her about what was coming next. VBT was one of my top 5 reads of 2013 and i wasn't sure how she was going to top it, but she DID! Very Wicked Things exceeded my expectations. It was so different from VBT, yet I fell in love with her writing even more. Ilsa covered a very difficult topic in this story with great care. Very Wicked Things is a beautifully written, emotional, and powerful story of finding light in the darkness and always keeping hope.Cuba Hudson: heartbreaker, football star, sexy, rich, and a liar. Cuba Hudson is viewed as an icon at Briarcrest Academy. He's got the looks, the wealth, and the social status that makes every girl want him. He puts a smile on his face everyday, but does what the world see match what he feels inside?"Money hides a world of pain"Cuba has been through enough heartbreak to last a lifetime. My heart hurt for him. He blames himself for some tragedies that struck his family and he cant let go of that blame, for fear that he will do it again. But then he meets Dovey, and she was his light."If i can have her, there'd be no reason to fear the dark"Dovey is a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Born into a life of poverty, she has a father that is MIA and a mother who prostitutes herself, leaving Dovey alone without food or heat for days at a time. In her cold lonely apartment complex, she meets Sarah, the ballet teacher. They develop a close relationship and Dovey quickly becomes focused on ballet knowing that it would be her ticket out of Ratcliffe. She ends up at Briarcrest Academy on a scholarship, where she meets Cuba Hudson. Cuba and Dovey really hit it off, despite their different social statuses. Dovey was hesitant because she needed to focus on ballet and Sarah, who became ill with Alzheimer's, but Cuba had other plans for them and just wouldn't give up in his pursuit. The two fall hard for each other..But when i see Cuba, if there's such a thing as a soulmate...he's mine. It hurts to breathe without him..Dovey's life quickly spirals out of control with some shocking twists that will leave your mind spinning. She needs to do what she needs to do to keep her friends and family safe, and she will stop at nothing until it's done. All the while Cuba pushes her away for fear of hurting her.I wasnt sure if we would get a HEA because Dovey and Cuba had both been through so much. Their story was heartbreaking to read. This book was darker than VBT but extremely well written. I cried for both Cuba and Dovey, several times. The characters were well developed, making me feel as if I was right there with them, experiences their struggles. The story was paced perfectly, with some curveballs thrown in that will leave you shocked. And of course, book three was set up brilliantly! I really hope it's about Sebastian!I highly recommend this book. I gave it 5 stars and I am anxious to find out more about book 3. And for my fellow VBT lovers, have no fear...Nora and Leo make a few cameo appearances in Very Wicked Things! Well done, Ilsa!!!