Wicked Pickle

Wicked Pickles #1

by J.J. Knight

Girlfriends, I’ve really done it this time.

I’m a bridesmaid at a bachelorette party, minding my own business at a local bar after doing six shots of Fireball, when I realize I need to pee. In size small Spanx.

I’m a large.

While I wrestle with my white-spandex belly-smasher in the only bathroom, I’m holding up the whole bar from relieving itself.

When the broody, tatted-up owner breaks down the door, thinking maybe I’ve alcohol-poisoned myself into the afterlife, my drink-addled brain decides to revisit the karate I learned around third grade.

But I misfire my karate kick and hook a thigh around his waist. Then, the sexy rock skull chains hanging off his belt snag my Spanx.

We’re stuck.
Junk to junk.

My best friend, the bride, holds back the bar room paparazzi and promises to snip us apart on one condition:

This hottie biker bad boy has to be my date at her wedding.

Friends, this is the start of one wicked love story.
—
WICKED PICKLE is a romantic comedy about a down-on-love, dumpling-loving bridesmaid who ends up taking the outcast member of the Pickle family deep into the belly of the biggest Pickle wedding this side of the Mississippi.

Diesel’s story is part of the Top 100 bestselling Pickleverse, and includes the wedding of Rhett and Bailey from Juicy Pickle, but truly, you don’t need to read any of the other books before this one. You can start your crazy adventure with the Pickle family right here.

Genres: Contemporary, Amazon, Rom Com, Romance

300 pages, ebook

Published July 18, 2025

About the author

JJ Knight is the Kindle All-Star and USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedies and sports romance. She’s a fierce mama bear for all the humans under her care: biological, adopted, and those in need of mom hugs. Her books portray characters who learn to push through hardship to find love and belly laughs. For more information visit www.jjknight.com.

THE PICKLEVERSE OF BESTSELLING ROMANTIC COMEDIES:

- Big Pickle: Secret Boss
- Hot Pickle: Brother's Best Friend
- Spicy Pickle: Fake Engagement
- Second Chance Santa: Pickled Holiday Rom Com

- Royal Pickle: Marry a Prince in 7 Days
- Royal Rebel: Princess and Guard Secret Love
- Royal Escape: Secret Identity Princess

- Tasty Mango: Billionaire and Single Mom
- Tasty Pickle: Billionaire Opposites Attract
- Tasty Cherry: Boss and Intern

- Juicy Pickle: Stranded on an Island
- Salty Pickle: Surprise Baby
- Hold the Pickle: Unexpected Roommates

- Wicked Pickle: Bad Boy Biker Bar
- Tricky Pickle: MC Club

ROM COM DUETS:
- The Wedding Confession
- The Wedding Shake-up

- Single Dad on Top: Billionaire Surprise Dad
- Single Dad Plus One: Billionaire Secret Baby

ROM COM STANDALONE:

Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance: Sunshine-Sunshine Work Besties to Lovers

- The Accidental Harem: Yup, what it says. It's...a lot. I went nuts.

SPORTS ROMANCE SERIALS:
Grab individually or in boxed sets.

COLT AND JO
- Uncaged Love 1
- Uncaged Love 2
- Uncaged Love 3
- Uncaged Love 4
- Uncaged Love 5
- Uncaged Love 6

COLT'S FRIEND PARKER AND MADDIE
USA Today bestselling series
- Fight for Her 1
- Fight for Her 2
- Fight for Her 3
- Fight for Her 4

JO'S BROTHER HUDSON
- Reckless Attraction 1
- Reckless Attraction 2
- Reckless Attraction 3

Reviews

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story Overall

This book was a little bit different than her previous pickle universe books. A couple shades outside rom-com but with Rom-com elements.

I read this first on her patreon and loved it as it was being released chapter by chapter BUT once I got to the actual book my brain shut down and wouldn’t engage fully until I got past the part I was re-reading for whatever random reason.

All that said I really liked their story, I liked how they slowly let their family back in to some degree.

And I really liked how Symphony and Diesel were opposite in some ways but alike in others.

The epilogue was so adorable also!

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual I read most of this book through the author's newsletter and Patreon. And then as a Patreon subscriber I was able to get the full book before it was available to buy. Of course I didn't get a chance to finish it until I was on my cruise this month, but I finished it up quickly once I had a chance to sit and finish it up. As usual I enjoyed this fun rom-com from one of my favorite authors. This was the first kind of bad boy MC from the author, but he still fits into the whole Pickleverse family since he is a cousin. The author did a great job taking him to that dangerous point without going too far over. But it was extremely steamy! And from the very beginning almost! I had a little problem towards the end when it seemed like Diesel and his brother kind of gave in all of a sudden to the family coming in and doing what they didn't want to be done with their own bar. That's part of what kept me with a bit lower score for this one. It just seemed like a sudden reversal of what they'd been staying away from their family for. Other than that I loved all the characters and seeing another branch of the Pickle family. As Diesel has a brother and sister, and according to the author this is a new series branching off, I assume we'll be getting their stories next and I can't wait!

[Claudia, Cmarie927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't escape! Everyone's a Pickle!

Having enjoyed all in the Pickle-verse so far, Diesel's story was another fantastic read.

I enjoyed my time with these characters and loved how Diesel and Merrick Packwood carved out a life away from the family. Not every "Pickle" wants to be one, something Uncle Sherman doesn't always understand.

The chemistry and connection between Symphony and Diesel was steamy and entertaining, and I loved watching them navigate to the HEA.

Best to read this in order for optimal enjoyment, but this can be a standalone, and then you can go back and fill in.

I can't wait for more from this talented and creative author!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not like the JJ Knights Pickle universe books, this is romcom with a bit more! If you love that bad boy biker riding guy then this book is definitely for you to read. I was hooked the minute Diesel came into the book. I couldn’t put the book down, you definitely won’t be disappointed if you read this. This could be read as a standalone. You don't have to read any of the other pickle books, (but you should read them because they are all so good too!)

Wicked Pickle is definitely not your typical pickle book. You have the two main characters Diesel and Symphony, Diesel is the tattooed bad boy biker and also a military guy. He is part of the Pickle family but he has separated himself from the family. Him and his brother Merrick open up a biker bar in Florida. Symphony and her best friend who’s getting married are celebrating her upcoming marriage, they end up going to The Leaky Skull (Diesels and Merricks’s bar) because her best friend threw up all over herself so they went in to clean up. There Symphony spots the most handsome guy in there, Diesal. Symphony has to go to the restroom, they all realize that she has been gone for a while and the line is starting to stack up for the restroom, so Diesel himself goes to see what's the problem. There he sees Symphony having a clothing problem, she got her hands stuck in her spanx she was wearing. Without thinking Diesel takes out his knife and cuts her free, lets just say this is where everything starts with them two. Her best friend invites Diesel to the wedding where he has no idea that she is getting married to a Pickle. If you wanna find out how that ends up going you have to just read Wicked Pickle. I'm not going to spoil it for you.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying I laughed to the point of tears throughout this book. Ms. Knight has given us readers a hilarious, well written RomCom with characters that this reader couldn’t help but love and root for. Diesel and his brother, Merrick, own the Leaky Skull - a biker bar. It’s there he first meets Symphony. In fact when she hilariously gets stuck in her body spandex while in the tiny bath-room, it’s Diesel that comes to her rescue. But in doing so, the chain on his wallet/belt gets stuck in the spandex causing them to be stuck in a very precarious position or as Symphony calls it “Junk to Junk”. When one of her friends then tries to help, she ends up blackmailing Diesel to being Symphony’s date to her wedding. From here the laughs just keep coming as not only do these two complete opposites have electric chemistry that will have you sighing and laughing (trust me for these two it works - lol) but they also end up in a major Pickle Family fiasco that you don’t want to miss out on.

I haven’t read prior Pickle Universe books, and luckily they can all be read as standalones, I know I’ll one-click more of them, as I fell in love with Ms. Knight’s Pickle Family.

2 Thumbs Up and 5 Stars

[Tammy Moldovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wicked Pickle

I enjoyed this bad boy, opposites attract romance but it was not my favorite in the Pickle universe. It had a mix of sweet, humor, and real life issues and was super spicy. Symphony is a grad student in political science. She is feisty but a bit insecure. Diesel co-owns a biker bar with his brother. He is a “Pickle” but has been hiding from the family, wanting no part of them. While Symphony is out for her best friend’s bachelorette party, they end up in Diesel’s bar and Symphony has a wardrobe malfunction which results in Diesel being blackmailed into being her date for the wedding. Unfortunately, the groom is one of Diesel’s cousins which he does not realize until he runs into his parents at the wedding. Thus starts the push-pull journey from a ONS to a fling to their HEA with lots of family drama in the midst. I am a big fan of this author and the Pickle universe couples and their stories but I had trouble connecting with these characters. I just did not feel their relationship or connection. It seemed all spice with very little swoony romance. So this was just a meh read for me. 3.5 stars

[Sarah Poulton-Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love the Pickle-verse. Diesel and his brother Merrick are on the outskirts of the Pickle family having packed up and enlisted to strive for independence away from the Pickle ways. They have their own remote biker bar and live life separate to the wider family and all its far reaching business enterprises. They are happy with their isolation and freedom. Until one evening four drunken women stumble into their bar and their Pickle-freedom is compromised.

This book is a fun, steamy, flirty, easy read. Diesel falls so hard for the studious Symphony despite her bargaining with him to get him to accompany her as a plus one to a wedding. A very Pickle-y wedding. She upends his life but in the best possible way. Their chemistry is heated and passionate and little dirty. Symphony isn't intimidated by him or his bad boy-ish ways.

If you love a good laugh along with your spice and romance, you cannot go wrong with a JJ Knight Pickle read.

[Kari Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Symphony agreed to attend her friend’s bachelorette party the evening is filled with twists and turns. They now find themselves in a biker bar, a place so outside of their comfort zone, but it doesn’t end there when a clothing mishap has her requiring the assistance of the bartender and it ends with a little coercion that has him becoming her date to the wedding.

Diesel and his brother Merrick have their bar, and they don’t require anything else from the Pickle clan. Their lives will never be the same after four women infiltrate their world and the combination of humor and hijinks show him what he doesn’t know was missing from his life.

Diesel and Symphony were a hoot from the situations they found themselves in to the heat between them and to the secondary cast of characters who bring their own brand of mayhem to the story which only makes it more enjoyable.

[Dana zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biker stud

Besties end up in the wrong kind of place but needing to clean up the light weight drunk, and things get worse when the bar owner has to barge into the small bathroom to avoid a lot of trouble, Symphony meet Diesel, opposites really do attract, blackmail, wedding, family members not wanting to ever see again, their chemistry is combustible in everything they do, can he learn to trust his family he's avoided for years, she has no family, growing up in the foster care system, but she's got her besties, Sherman Pickle is a force of nature, wanting to fix everything for his family, again I will recommend this book and entire series, absolutely love them, and Diesel and Symphony are heating up the pages, steamy sexy couple you hope can beat the odds, JJ Knight has done it again, thank you for another great story, Dana Zamora

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
Filled with heat, fun, and a great girl crew, a hot MMC who finds himself drawn to a feisty, clever woman who matches his tastes in so many ways. Diesel and Symphony are like magnets, and, while neither are seeking any entanglement, they have an undeniable spark.
I have enjoyed the visits to the Leaky Skull and its customers, the craziness that besets Marietta once under its roof and a couple of fireballs under her belt, the insanity of restrictive underwear, all providing laughter and joy. Vicky's put downs are epic!!
Good, entertaining read, which I have enjoyed, though I felt that some of the book didn't quite settle, such as the involvement of Uncle Vernon and his in/out interference which was, at times so insensitive. But I have laughed, which is always a gift. 💖💖💖💖

[Jessica Kallhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, LOVE me a curvy girl romance, and throw in a bad boy while we’re at it??? This book was such a win, and I can’t believe I’ve never read any of the other Pickle Universe books, but I’m thankful this reads great as a standalone!

Diesel is a ‘bad’ boy, who owns a bar with his brother. Then I’m stumbled Symphony and her girlfriends! They definitely don’t fit in, but they love the biker bar vibes and can’t stay away. I caught myself giggling and enjoying this book so much!! It was such a cute, quick read.

Definitely will catch me reading some more Pickle Family drama!

[ReadonReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diesel and Symphony’s story starts off with some epic times and a large amount of laughter on my end. Symphony and her friends end up at this dive bar celebrating a bachelorette party, but the trouble she finds herself in is quite embarrassing and yet when Diesel is the one that saves her night, she knows there something between them. Diesel and his brother have stayed from away from the Pickle limelight and craziness that comes with it, but when he attends the wedding with Symphony it was almost too good to be true and things seem like a set up. The chemistry is there, the tension in spades, but they come from worlds and Symphony is determined to find out if there is more there. I did find the way her friends behaviors were a tad odd since they seemed to be meddling or plotting ideas without Symphony knowing or acting out of pocket for themselves and it made me distrust them some. This book was a wild and hilarious ride with so much steam and I was here for it all.

[Wanda Compton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a bachelorette party ends in a biker bar

The scene in the bar bathroom is hilarious. After that it seems each chapter is an extended sex scene. I got a little over and almost quit reading. It finally picked up and got on with a story. The bar owners Diesel and Merrick have a family who are controlling which is why they haven't been home for ten years. Symphony and her friends are finishing grad school and ready to pursue their cart. Their night in the bar has repercussions in all their lives. This is a good series with characters who are very different.

[Sherri Lupton Hollister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spicy and Sweet (my favorite kind of pickle)

Symphony has no idea how she and her bachelorette friends end up in a biker bar but when the bride blackmails Diesel to be her date it’s the beginning of a spicy adventure. Everything is fun and games until Diesel’s family interferes. Was he just a passing fling or could they create something lasting? This was a fun and surprising romantic adventure. Opposites attract, and sometimes, they help you become the best version of yourself.

[Lisa Golnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot!!!!!

This book was Hot and Crazy!!!! Proper young ladies in a Biker Bar perfectly normal right? Not even on a good day!!!! Chaos times 50!!!! Flash your money maker at crowd of Bikers and all he'll will break loose!!!!! Diesel is hot and sexy every woman wouldn't mind climbing the tree!!! Symphony is a beautiful name but with a high Tolerance for liquor is in her favor. LOL!!!! I can't wait to read about what comes next!!!!
Happy Reading Everyone

[Cindy Fong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming, funny story. Diesel and Symphony's story is recommendation worthy. This is my first story in the Pickleverse but won't be my last. The Pickle family is hilarious. Diesel and Symphony are so different but the attraction is strong and instantaneous. This is a steamy, opposites attract story that will have you giggling throughout.

[Read.Review.Repeat Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming, funny story. Diesel and Symphony's story is recommendation worthy. This is my first story in the Pickleverse but won't be my last. The Pickle family is hilarious. Diesel and Symphony are so different but the attraction is strong and instantaneous. This is a steamy, opposites attract story that will have you giggling throughout.

[Valerie Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like all the crazy Pickle books

This author is comic relief , a little drama and funny sexiness all wrapped up in one. The author has made each character and book uniquely different and I can’t stop reading about them. This book was a different side, a little raunchy but the female balanced it out into a romantic relationship even the man didn’t see it coming, well done

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have had real potential but it just lacked depth, the character Diesel suggests issues with family a big deal is made but there seems to be no actual issues named. The characters lacked chemistry, I didn't feel that the soicy scenes had any passion but it could just be for me the characters didn't jump.off the page they remained very much 2d with no real charm.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Diesel and Symphony. The book had humor, heat and heart. I liked the way their relationship developed. The storyline was good and I loved the characters. I would love to see Merrick get a story. Overall it was a good read I finished in a couple of hours.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

JJ Knight has, once again, delivered an engaging romance that I was very happy to read! Symphony and Diesel had sparks and a steamy path to their HEA. JJ Knight always makes me laugh multiple times through her books and gives her readers leaving her readers wanting the next book!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle unlimited

For a honest review in my own words on a book I read. This was a fantastic story. I love how diesel and marrick both got away from the pickle clan ,but after meeting Symphony and her friends things get really interesting.

[Sandy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

not a pickle

Just when you think there can't be more pickles they are back. This is another light hearted fun read. Can't wait for the pickles to continue. Once a pickle after all

[Derryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went in blind for this book. It was really sweet and the characters were great. I'm not sure how they forgave Bailey so quickly though, maybe I'm just petty that way.

I'll definitely read more from this author!! Was a nice surprise find!

Spice level: 🌶🌶.5

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked Pickles

I love JJ Knight/Deanna Roy's work. This book is expanding the Pickle family in another direction. Even if you haven't read any of the Pickle books, you should still be able to enjoy this story. It was a delight to read!

[Christa Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book

Took me awhile to warm up to this book. I was halfway in and was about to go find something else to read but I wasn’t going to let it get the best of me. Turned out to be a good book just took awhile to get the story going. Enjoyed the story.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book!!

I can’t say enough about how the chemistry of this book was just fabulous. There was never a dull moment throughout the book. I am so looking forward to the next book that I’m headed over right now to get it. Enjoy

[stephanie huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining

[Fizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just fun

The Pickle books are always entertaining. I enjoyed this one a lot. No depth or profound message . No slapstick comedy. Just a fast fun read.

[Casey Pipkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

MADE ME SMILE

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. A hot ex military guy with tattoos runs a bikers bar…heck to the yes. Oh and he’s artistic! The sex was hot. The angst was low.