Review: Very Wickedly Good!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2014
I adored Ms. Madden-Mill's first book in the Briarcrest Academy series, Very Bad Things. Nora and Leo had such chemistry and angst it was addictive! Cuba and Dovey are very different characters than those two. Dovey is dirt poor, and was raised (if you can call it that) by a drug addict mother and her father- well readers will learn all about him. She is at Briarcrest because of a scholarship opportunity due to her talent for ballet. This is her ticket out of the cycle of poverty. The landlord in the slum she grew up in, Sarah, is her dance instructor and guardian. She would do anything for her. Cuba grew up in a life of privilege and wealth. His father is one of the owners of the Dallas Mavericks. His mom has issues., huge issues. Cuba has so much guilt that he lives with, all of it is self imposed. Sex, meaningless encounters, alcohol and football erase that pain, even if it's for a few moments. He is a superstar on the football team, but his goal is to be a doctor.The moment Cuba sees Dovey doing ballet, through a window while he is at football practice, is a pivotol experience etched in his brain. He is drawn to her for some unknown reason, and he decides there and then, that he wants her in his bed, but not in his heart.There is the makings for a relationship with these two, but there are some outside forces that work against that and they are left with only bitter memories. Cuba makes some very poor choices, and ones that hurt and sting and scar.Maybe he'd fall in love with me and-I mentally slapped myself. Hold your horses, Dovey Beckham. This boy was wicked. One side of his mouth tilted up. "Ah, I shouldn't have said that. You're thinking dirty thoughts." "Am not."Dovey's life takes a dangerous turn and there is a moment in this story, when she has a choice to make that she chooses the only one that she sees opened to her. At that moment I hated the life that surrounded this girl, that she was reduced to doing something vile in order to survive. Life sucks sometimes.Does doing a wicked thing make you bad inside? I must believe it doesn't.I've been asked to keep this review spoiler free, and there are so many twists in this story, that there is little to be said that would not reveal a major plotline. VWT is darker and sadder then VBT. The characters in the first book certainly knew loss firsthand, but here the loss is utterly heartbreaking. These two suffer blow after blow and yet somehow, they go on. Dovey has a heart as big as Texas, and for someone who grew up with out love in her life, those she lets into her heart- she loves unconditionally. Cuba frustrated the hell out of me, the very person he needs most, is the same one he will not allow himself to have in his life. But the angst slut in me was quite satisfied with this one!I loved this story, and am looking forward to future books with the other characters."We've been through hell together, and we've come out on the other side. Older and wiser."