[(The Most Wicked of Sins)] [Author: Kathryn Caskie] published on

Seven Deadly Sins #2

by Kathryn Caskie

In The Most Wicked of Sins , the second romance in Kathryn Caskie's Seven Deadly Sins series, readers meet Ivy Sinclair. She must marry to please her father, but trouble ensues when she's jilted and hires a rakish actor to impersonate her beloved marquess.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Regency Romance, Family

Paperback

First published September 29, 2009

About the author

Kathryn Caskie has long been a devotee of history and things of old. So it came as no surprise to her family when she took a career detour off the online super highway and began writing historical romances full time.

With a background in marketing, advertising and journalism, she has written professionally for television, radio, magazines and newspapers.

Kathryn lives in a 200 year old Quaker home nestled in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family, her greatest source of inspiration.

Reviews

[Suzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Eğlenerek okudum kardeşleri çok sevdiğim için serinin diğer kitaplarında okuycam🤗

[Katie(babs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Ivy Sinclair comes from a large family, full of eccentric siblings. Since all of them have disappointed their father, he has sent them on their way to fend for themselves. Unless they can turn their lives around for the better, he will disown them. Ivy has one month to get her act together or she will be disinherited. In order to get into her father’s good graces again, she must show him that she has matured and is ready for marriage. She sets her eye on Lord Tinsdale, but Tinsdale’s affections seem to have moved onto another. Ivy has no choice but to play dirty and make him jealous. She will invent a gentleman who will compete with Tinsdale! The only place she can find this perfect man is at the Theater Royal.

Dominic Sheridan is coming out of the theater where his friend is employed as an actor. As he exits the stage door, he bashes in the head of a beautiful young woman. Ivy is thrilled to have met Dominic, even in this most unusual fashion. She assumes he is an actor and after kissing him, she asks him to join in on the farce by becoming the Marquess of Counterton. Dominic knows that the act Ivy has planned could get him in trouble. If only she knew who he really is. But Dominic finds Lady Ivy to be an appealing sort of woman, so he decides to give this façade a go.

Dominic and Ivy’s mock relationship is so well done that everything Ivy has wanted is nearby. She has Tinsdale eating out of the palm of her hand, but Dominic continues to lay his devotion on a bit too thick, to the point that she is not sure if he is acting anymore. Soon Dominic wants the real thing with Ivy and when their lie begins to unravel, Ivy may have no choice but to admit defeat and look to Dominic to save her.

The Most Wicked of Sins is the second book in Kathryn Caskie’s Seven Deadly Sins series about the Sinclair siblings who must turn over a new leaf. This is a witty and fun regency tale where two strangers slowly fall in love with one another. The fun is watching Dominic control Ivy, even though she is not aware that it is actually happening.

There is a bit of a mystery regarding Dominic’s true identity that may come as a pleasant surprise to the reader. Ivy’s sisters and brothers also bring some funny, lighthearted moments, which add to this tale. The Most Wicked of Sins is a hoot of a read and a lovely romance that will keep a smile on your face until the very last page.

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there was nothing about this book that made it special and I found the "Seven Deadly Sins" theme cliche, it was a pleasure to read. This is the kind of romance novel that makes you sigh with happiness when you finish the last page, the type of novel that is truly a delight to fans of romance. The couple doesn't argue the entire time. In fact, the only arguing was the female protagonist's, Ivy's, arguing with herself and her emotions. This is quite refreshing among the endless stream of novels where the couples are always butting heads and arguing to the point that I want to rip my hair out.

The only problem I had was Ivy's behavior. I have read so many historical novels where the women act as free as the women today. It's irritating. If those women really acted that way, then they would be complete outcasts of society no matter what their status or money. I am also sure that the menfolk would simply not allow such behavior.

The male protagonist, Dominic Sheridan, stole my heart away. He was sweet and endearing to Ivy, that it grabbed my heart strings. At first, it was amusing to watch the two's playful banter, and then watch how their behavior changed so subtly when the two began to fall in love. It was cute.

I actually liked the light-hearted feel of this novel so much, I rented the other two currently published.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I quite enjoyed the premise of this one. Girl wants to win back guy so she hires another guy to impersonate a lord. It turns out that the other guy is actually the lord for real. First guy turns out to be icky, and she falls in mutual love with the second guy. This is not really that spoilery for anyone who has ever read a historical romance.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. This is one book I just wanted to be OVER. I kept reading it because I'd waited so long for it from the library, and because once I'd committed to it I felt I just needed to finish (that reading goal keeps taunting me with its "You're 6% behind" comments). It wouldn't have been too bad if the main charscters just hadn't acted so stupidly. Honestly. Ivy's plan was inane from the start. Nick had about a million opportunities to tell Ivy the truth (Okay--slight exaggerstion. At least three excellent chances. But it felt like a million, trust me.) The whole "Seven Deadly Sins" thing was all a bit too much--really? Their names just so happen to coincide with their sins? Maybe their parents should have rethought their sytem of nomenclature--buy a baby names book maybe?

I started with the second book because it's the only one my library had available digitally. I probably won't be looking for one or three, though. Or four through seven, if it comes to that.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not interesting so far...I forcing myself to finish it. I've finished...blah

[Sevgi · Rating 3 out of 5]

#kitapyorumu
🌸
▪
Leydi Ivy Sinclair ve kardeşleri Londra'da "Yedi Ölümcül Günah" adıyla tanınmaktadır. Ivy'nin günahıysa Kıskançlıktır. Babası onu ve kardeşlerini evden atmış ve kendilerine çekidüzen vermezlerse mirastan pay alamayacaklarını söylemiştir. Ivy de babasının gözüne girebilmek için babasının seveceği ve uygun bulacağı Lord Tinsdale'la evlenmeye karar verir. Fakat Lord'un aklı başkasına kaymıştır. Bunun için zekice bir plan yapar. Kıskandırarak Lord Tinsdale'yi geri kazanacaktır. Esrarengiz Counterton Markisi'nin yerine geçmesi için bir aktörle Dominic Sheridan'la anlaşır. Fakat bilmediği birşey vardır. Aktör sandığı kişi Counterton Markisi'nin ta kendisidir. Ve işler hiç planladığı gibi gitmez.
▪
Kitap konusuyla güzel ve akıcıydı. Bir oturuşta bitecek bir kitap. Sadece tek kusuru zamanlar çok hızlı geçti. Bir bakıyorum akşam olmuş, bir bakıyorum hemen yarın olmuş. Bu yönden biraz sevemedim. Ama onun dışında eğlenceli diyologlarıyla çok iyiydi.
Karakterlerin arasındaki çekim hissediliyordu.
Kardeşlerle bayıldım. Hepside kendince bir parça eğlenceliydi😁Bazılarını özellikle bekliyorum😍
Bazı yerlerde Ivy'e o kadar kızdım ki 😒Sinir etti beni😁
Ahh Dominic, onu çok sevdim 😍Ben yerinde olsam Ivy'nin yaptığıyla küplere binerdim😁Sadece sonlardaki bir olaydan dolayı Dominic'e çok kızdım. (Spoi olur söylemiyorum.)
Oralar beni çok sıktı. Yanlış anlaşılmalar ve birbirleriyle konuşmamalarını göz devire devire okumamak mümkün değildi. Ve sonlar sanki aceleye gelmiş gibiydi.
Yine de kitabı severek okudum, hemen bitti. Tavsiye ederim ❤😍💙💜💗
🌸
#aşkesiri #kathryncaskie
#pegasusyayınları #yediölümcülgünahserisi ##kitapyorum #kitaptavsiyesi

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, Goodreads seriously needs to upgrade their rating system!!

I was indecisive either giving this 3 or 4 starts, I really enjoyed the concept of the book about 7 siblings driven out by their own father for their scandalous behaviors and named The Seven Deadly Sins. I watched an anime before called The Seven Deadly Sins, and I was instantly eager to read this (although it took me quite a long time to pick up the book from my shelves LOL).

Anyways, I really like the fact that Ivy wasn't the shy type and she initiated the first kiss and kinda surprised Dominic. Can you guys imagine, you suddenly just got kissed by a stranger out of the blue?! Also, all of Sinclair's siblings were very supportive and fun, I really love them all!! However, I feel like Ivy and Dom's chemistry was lacking. I wanted to feel Dom's jealousy when Ivy tried to get Tinsdale affections man, but somehow I felt like he was cool with it, so where the hell was the romance?!

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Ivy Sinclair is certain she is about to receive a proposal, and thus make her way back into her father's good graces, when another woman turns his head. Desperate, Ivy concocts a scheme to win back her erstwhile beau--hire an actor to impersonate a newly ascended Marquess and use his attentions to secure her marriage proposal.

This is one of those overly convoluted schemes that fall perfectly into place while turning everything on its head. Just like others in the series, it's a light, fun read, but don't expect too much from the story. Just sit back and enjoy the ride with all its twists and turns.

[Valerie Columbia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the opening quote in the book and a few of the quotes throughout the book were good too.
Loved the theme of the 7 siblings who are the 7 deadly sins - shunned by their father until they reform their lives.
I plan on reading more books from this series
📚🤓😊😊😀

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable Regency Romance! The characters were fun to follow, and it was a quick read. A "fluffy, feel-good" read. I do plan to carry on in the series.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems to be disjointedly written. The beginning was funny but the hook was given up early on. After that, the story seemed to just plod along. Too bad!

[Jada · Rating 3 out of 5]

idk if this got me out of my slump or made me realize i was never in one

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2-5 stars.

This was my first time reading anything by the author, and it was great! I loved the whole Sinclair family - each sibling being guilty of one of the seven deadly sins. Long story short, they have all been basically cut off from their father, the Duke of Sinclair and the richest man in Scotland. They can only rejoin the family fold if they change their wicked ways. This book was Ivy's turn, and her sin is Envy.

I loved her plot to get her father-approved potential husband back, after he stopped courting her in favor of another woman. Even the way she went about everything was not completely unbelievable. Many people try to make former love interests jealous, or use the interest of other people to draw attention. Of course they generally do not hire an actor, but that is what makes it so fun.

I really loved that Caskie did not go the obvious dramatic route in order to add some angst to the book. (Read the spoiler if you want to know what I'm talking about - although it's pretty obvious) When Dominic finally told Ivy that he really is the Marquess, it could have become a very drawn out problem. The way Caskie handled that seemed more realistic to me. Of course Ivy felt hurt and betrayed, but she had her little freak out, and then calmed down and went to Dominic. I even understood why Dominic did not tell her who he was - he was enjoying himself with the insanity of it all, and wanted to see where it was leading. He never was not going to tell Ivy, and he never really purposefully mislead her. The whole thing added some drama to the story, but did not draw it out for ages like so many other romances do with their "misunderstandings." And I'm quite vocal about my hatred of the ridiculous misunderstandings. They are just too unrealistic for me to get into, and just mean that there is no communication whatsoever between the h/h - which then makes it hard for me to believe in their "true love." Okay - end of rant.

The one reason I am leaning more towards a 4 1/2 star rating is that it is never explained why Ivy is so desperate to gain her father's approval. It is acknowledged several times throughout the book, but never really explained. The only thing that I could come up with is that she just does not want to be cut off anymore, but do not think that is it. It was obviously an emotion-driven need, and maybe it was because her mother died when she was so young.

For those of you who are sticklers for the cover matching the character's descriptions, this book will not disappoint. They actually got the red hair right! That almost never happens! Plus, the male cover model is perfect for Dominic.

All in all, this was a really fun read - and although you know how the book will end, you never know exactly how.

[Sandy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued with Ms. Caskie’s series when I got hold of the first book, just liked the idea of it. Seven brothers and sisters allowed to run wild when their mother dies, and after causing such havoc to be named after the Seven Deadly Sins, their father decides to put his foot down: shape up or lose family and all that goes with it. Two books in, the sins have been wickedly represented.

Lady Ivy is next in line when her father, the Duke, wields the family axe, warning her if she isn’t betrothed by the time he’s in London next, she will be cast out. Thirty days is all she’s got to make sure her future is safe. That future lies with Lord Tinsdale, a man who is about to propose, she’s positive. But the next thing Ivy knows is her envy is flaring when her almost husband-to-be throws her aside and showers his affection on the newest beauty in town.

Her only recourse, according to Ivy, is to make Tinsdale jealous so he’ll return to her and secure her future. Hatching such plan requires just the right man to do the job, thus she hires an actor from the local theater when her sister spies one who should fit the bill. Handsome and doing his profession justice, Ivy is immediately attracted to the pretend Marquess Counterton, but she must keep her eye on the eventual prize.

Intrigued by this fiery-haired woman and the game she’s playing, Nick goes along with her ruse to see how far she will take it. After all, posing as one of the nobility is illegal, but it seems the woman is determined to follow her plan through no matter the cost. Halfway through the game, however, Nick begins to play for himself and what he wants with Ivy. He’s sure she feels the same, but she also feels she has to protect him because she doesn’t know the truth that will set them both free to allow them to be together.

I’m enjoying this series thus far. It’s fun and the moral of the story isn’t preached at you but you still get the drift of the pitfalls of the most wicked of sins. I like the family dynamic between the brothers and sisters, each knowing their time will come while still being very supportive of the one who’s in the hot seat currently. While the meeting between Ivy and Nick in this book is rather trite, it still works and is an enjoyable read. I look forward to rest of the series.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Ivy Sinclair really intrigued me. Her character toed the line of propriety so many times that I found my self doubting that anyone in that time could have acted that way. Kissing in the park!!!! Just grabbing and kissing an "actor" without verifying who he is and whether he would agree to your ridiculous plan. I found it difficult to believe that a maid, albeit a 22 year old woman would be able to act in this manner without any repercussion. However, outside of the scholarly and historical conflicts. I found the character funny due in part to her obliviousness. Dominic Sheridan, was an adorable character. He was a handsomely charming marquess, but also a countrified marquess who does not know how to waltz. Caskie did a great job in describing him and creating the scenes. I can definitely picture Dominic laughing at Lady Ivy and her siblings as they fight over who should have him after Lady Ivy is "finished with him". All in all the book was a good book especially since it gave you a antagonist in the form of an annoyingly chuvanistic Lord Tinsdale. Lord Tinsdale, a lord who has to wear shoulder pads beneath his jacket and the recipient of Lady Ivy's affections, decided to transfer his attentions from Lady Ivy to another because he felt that Lady Ivy was not meek enough for him. However when Lady Ivy appears to be in love with Dominic Sheridan, he renews his quest to claim her as he is convinced he can tame her. What an idiot!!! Rest assured he is dealt with accordingly. Definitely and enjoyable read...especially the waltz scene.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Note: I received a free copy of this book through the firstreads program**

Ok, so the premise of this book is little outrageous. Lady Ivy Sinclair hires an actor to play the Marquess of Counterton to win back the attentions of her previous suitor. What she doesn't know, of course, is that the man she's hired is in fact the real Marquess of Counterton.

The book jumps right into this plot and all you want to do is shake Ivy and tell her this is A Bad Idea. Bad Idea plots drive me nuts. They're just so frustrating and predictable. Luckily once things get rolling there's less focus on the Bad Idea and more on the couple's antics in Society. There could have been more development with their relationship, but with the plot the author picked that may have delved into something more angst-ridden, which I'm pretty sick of. Keeping this book light-hearted and fun was the right way to go.

Definitely an improvement over the first in the series, and I hear the next one is even better. Looking forward to it. 3.5 stars.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Ivy Sinclair is in her father's cross-hairs. She and her six siblings are known as the "Seven Deadly Sins," referencing the fact that their father let them run wild after their mother's death. If Ivy can't find an appropriate man to marry, she's going to be cut off. The Sins are used to living well and the thought of going without is untenable. Unfortunately, the perfect man, the man that she's had on her hook, is being dran to another woman. He's no longer circling Ivy. How can she get him back? Jealousy. But how to make him jealous? With another man. The new Marquess of Counterton is not known to the ton, nobody really knows the man. So Ivy decides to hire an actor to impersonate the Marquess and make her more desirable to her ex-beau.
Dominic Sheridan bumps into Lady Ivy as she is entering the theater district, trying to find her actor. Of course, I'm sure everyone can guess the kicker at the end of this story, but it's still a fun read.
Errors: p. 61 - Lord Counterman instead of Counterton

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I only gave this three stars, but let me say that I really do love this series. I do recognize, however, that she doesn't actually do a very good job of building a relationship between the characters. They go from "hello" to "love you" pretty quickly with not a lot of believable interaction in between. So you have to just go in knowing they will fall in love no matter what is missing. I enjoy her stories for the characters themselves, even the secondaries. They have such amusing quirks, and little traits that make them appear to have more depth. She does have a problem with bringing things up then not addressing them again ever. Emotional outbursts, quick decisions, etc. For example, at one point Nick wants to teach Ivy a lesson about humility but he never mentions that again. Just one line about it then nothing. I guess my suggestion would be to read it with a light eye. In other words, don't look for too much beyond entertaining people.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of The Most Wicked of Sins from the Goodreads early review program.

The Most Wicked of Sins by Kathryn Caskie is a witty and charming read. The two main characters compliment each other nicely. Ivy Sinclair is a hoot. She's clever and her schemes were just hilarious. Nick Sheridan is the perfect gentleman, but he knows how to make Ivy forget the whole point of her slightly silly and definitely underhanded scheme she dragged him into. Good thing one can always atone for their sins.

I read this book on the 8 hr. plane ride to Hawaii over winter break and I had the hardest time trying not to giggle at Ivy's antics and reasoning for her scheming. There wasn't much wickedness to the novel if you know what I mean, but the characters and their charade made up for it. I hadn't read the first book and I haven't read the third one that was recently released, but I just might have to now.

[Bry · Rating 2 out of 5]

What this book suffered from the most was PREDICTABILITY. Yes, its a romance novel. Yes, the couple are going to get together. Yes, they are going to have some kind of issue that tries to prevent them getting together. But it still doesn't have to be predictable! The Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas proves that.

I guess it didn't help that the entire plot is spoiled for you thanks to the family tree printed at the very BEGINNING of the book. Even if it weren't for that though I still figured out the guy's "secret" identity by page 25. I still had 325 pages to go. Hell the lead female didn't figure it out till the last 50 damn pages. That was a lot of time for me to be annoyed that she hadn't figured it out too.

Despite all this - I enjoyed that characters for what they were and all their predictable ways and that is why I read the 2nd book in this series and will read the 3rd! LOL. What can I say - these books are total fluff and escapism at its best.

[Cecilia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Between the whole Scottish accent thing, and the clobbering-the-reader-over-the-head with the so-meaningful names, and the immaturity of the characters (really? you think the whole imposter thing WON'T have long-term consequences? AND your whole family is going along with it? Are they all developmentally delayed?), it was a hard slog to get about halfway.

But then there was the ridiculous scene with the rival being given a sweet tart that has some sort of fishy glaze on it (because the particular stereotype, I mean character, who cooked it is such a terrible cook, har har).

And then my heart sighed. Because I just knew. This was supposed to be hee-larious. And it really wasn't. So, I give up.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivy wants to please her father by marrying the 'perfect' gentleman, so she'll be able to return home. But the attentions of her gentleman have drifted from her to another woman, so she'll use her own sin (envy) to lure him back to her.

The events in this book were all very coincidental, but I didn't mind it at all. This book was just a fun and relaxing read. It sometimes made me laugh out loud because certain things were very comical. It was wonderful to see the love between Ivy and Nick grow and became more mature.
I was happy to read that, although there was some confusion and hurt, there wasn't a major drama after Nick's confession.
I'll certainly be reading the other books in this series.

Read for the 1st time: 22/12/2012
Read for the 2nd time: 08/06/2015

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fun, seriously. How could it not have been with a woman and her family are considered teh seven deadly sins, and she in particular is associated with envy. Her name is Ivy, and she envies a woman named Miss Feeny who steals the show and becomes the belle of the season. The woman stole her man and she plans on getting him back by hiring an actor to impersonate the Marquis of Counterton, a man no one knows but carries enough weight in society to possibly make Miss Feeny and her man jealous. Well Dominic may have come out of a theater, but he is no actor, he's the actual person she wants impersonated. Funny incidents follow, with envious and steamy moments too. Ivy wishes to save the man she's fallen in love with, even if that means marrying the man she tried to snare first.

[Lita Bouquard · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmmm 2nd book in a series that I thought would be spectacular. I still love the premise of 7 siblings- each with a biblical flaw- envy, lust etc. Ivy has been warned by her reformed alcoholic father that she must marry in a month and stop bringing shame to the family name. When the man she has almost brought to task suddenly drops her Ivy plots a convoluted scheme to win him back. She hires an actor to woo away the girl who now has the attention of her intended. Ivy and the actor find themselves attracted and she learns her lesson in the end. Not a horrible book and I will probably read the next but so far book 1 & 2 have left me wanting more- not sure what but The Most Wicked of Sins falls short.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book here on Goodreads and found the time to read it last week.
This is the first book from Kathryn Caskie I've read. Ivy - or Envy - as her sin goes... is an interesting character with lots of spunk. If you're a die hard historical lover, you might get irritated with how this heroine acts. A Lady of this time might not do everything Ivy managed, but who knows? Nick is yummy and more than a little amused with the heroine, which works for why he twists his life in knots to stay with Ivy.
Overall, I liked the story and would recommend it to those who want a light historical read.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much better than the first book in the series. Maybe I feel this way because I fell in love with Dominic Sheridan myself! I thought he was a funny, lovable character and his scenes with Lady Ivy were very cute. I loved the part where Felix tried to teach Dominic how to waltz! I wasn't sure after the first book, but I will now be looking forward to book three in this series.

[Cathiecaffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome visiting this family again! I re-read the first book in this series before this one (its not required, but I guarantee if you read this one, you'll want to go back and read the first in the series, TO SIN WITH A STRANGER. This will be a 7 series books of brothers and sisters all cursed with one of the 7 Deadly Sins per their father, from Scotland where they are sent to England to change their behaviors! (Which they don't! Delightful reads!)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5* This book started very slow and because of that I had a hard time getting into it, but after a while it did finally catch my interest. It was about on par with the first one (the first started better, but this one developed the romance better). I am glad that Sterling and Isobel made an appearance, even if it was just a small one. I am still a fan of this series and am looking forward to the next book.

[ChloeLeeNH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very entertaining book and chuckled out loud a couple of times. It was quick and fast moving and you could really tell there was an attraction between the h/h... you didn't even need to hear it from all the other characters which you did anyway LOL :)... will keep on with this series...