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Lorimer Family & Clan Cameron #5
Wicked All Day
Miss Zoë Armstrong is beautiful, charming, rich --- and utterly unmarriageable. So, while she may be the ton's most sparkling diamond, her choice of husbands looks more like a list of London's most unsavory fortune hunters. Since a true-love marriage seems impossible, Zoë has accepted --- no, embraced --- her role as society's most incomparable flirt and mischiefmaker ... until in one reckless, vulnerable moment, her future is shattered.
Stuart Rowland, the brooding Marquess of Mercer, has been part of Zoë's extended family since she was a child. As dark and cynical as Zoë is lively, Mercer has always known they would be the worst possible match ... until his scapegrace brother Robert does the unthinkable, and winds up betrothed to Zoë. Now, secluded on Mercer's vast estate to escape a looming scandal and the ton's prying eyes, Zoë and Mercer may find that a dark obsession has become a tempestuous passion that can no longer be denied ...
Stuart Rowland, the brooding Marquess of Mercer, has been part of Zoë's extended family since she was a child. As dark and cynical as Zoë is lively, Mercer has always known they would be the worst possible match ... until his scapegrace brother Robert does the unthinkable, and winds up betrothed to Zoë. Now, secluded on Mercer's vast estate to escape a looming scandal and the ton's prying eyes, Zoë and Mercer may find that a dark obsession has become a tempestuous passion that can no longer be denied ...
421 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 22, 2009
60 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
Liz Carlyle
46 books847 followersDear Readers,
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art. But if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot." I have never tried to create art, but I do try to tell one heck of a good story. Yes, I try to write with a hot iron, while the heat of the story is in me. And I try, always, to entertain my readers.
Regards,
Liz
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art. But if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot." I have never tried to create art, but I do try to tell one heck of a good story. Yes, I try to write with a hot iron, while the heat of the story is in me. And I try, always, to entertain my readers.
Regards,
Liz
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
February 21, 2010
Does this book ever suck the big one from start to finish and god knows I really tried to like it because it came well-recommended and seems to have made some best of 2009 lists. I don’t know how that could happen when everything and the kitchen sink appear to have been thrown in and the h/h are barely together throughout the novel. Maybe the reader is more forgiving if they read the other books in the series I don’t know.
Stuart and Zoë have known each other since childhood. She’s good friends with his brother Robin. Stuart tries to “fix” a bit of a “mishap” between the two and eventually realizes that he’s really loved Zoë all these years. Sounds good right? Well you’re wrong. It’s so convoluted with this that and the other that when you’re done reading you’re mighty glad it’s finished.
This is supposed to be a love/hate story and it is to a certain point, but it’s hard to get a feel for this romance when you’re 150 pages in and the h/h have barely said boo to each other and nothing really happens until around page 190. That’s some serious filler there. It’s presented as background info but you keep wondering when the story is going to start. The tension building is a complete mess, so much so that when the h/h do get together (which is only sporadically) it’s not believable and I for one wasn’t feeling the “love”. The steam is steamy in some parts but the emotion is missing.
None of the main characters are likable which makes this book drag and drag right to the bitter end. Zöe is TSTL one time too many. Really she’s just a flighty spaz that the author tried to make look like someone who’s carefree but she does one stupid thing after another and rarely thinks before she acts. You can have an adventurous, risk taking heroine but she can’t be an idiot and Zoë is unfortunately just that :-/ Carlyle tried to make her appear like she’d matured at the end of the book but it’s tough to buy because it was all so sudden. As for Stuart, he’s so stuffy it’s suffocating. Yeah opposites attract and all but there’s no way these two could’ve believably gotten together. He puts her down way too much and some parts I thought were unforgivable. He needed to be kicked to the curb and she needed to move on. She also keeps trying to change him which got old. Then there’s dumbass whiny Robin. Yet another one who needed a wake up call. His friendship with Zoë is light and fun but then became tiresome.
If infidelity in romance novels bothers you then steer clear of this book because it happens more than once and between different characters. I can’t say that it bothered me but it made the heroine look cheap that she could fall in and out of bed just like that. I can accept that in a contemporary but it doesn’t seem to work as well in a historical. One of the secondary characters also does some cheating even though he regrets it big time but again it just doesn’t work the way it’s presented because he was going on and on about his great love for his mistress –so why cheat then buddy? This just seemed more like an attitude for a modern day read than a historical. The hate between the h/h feels very forced especially from the hero. I can see a hero who fights against his feelings but here the author was trying too hard to get the message across that he didn’t like the heroine.
There are too many sub-stories in this novel which is frustrating and the author takes too long to get back to the main story. The men are also criers, a bit too emotionally fragile for me.
I can’t say I liked the writing style either. The sentence structure is unnatural at times as if the author is trying to insist that she’s writing a regency –get it slow reader (!) Some sentences just didn’t flow properly because of the weird syntax or choice of vocabulary. If the reader starts noticing something like that then there’s a problem.
A lot of patience is needed to get through this book. The print is tiny, the narration is dense at times and the plot just doesn’t move. 2.5 stars is about all I can give it and Liz Carlyle gets crossed off my list of authors for good. Complete waste of time :-/
Stuart and Zoë have known each other since childhood. She’s good friends with his brother Robin. Stuart tries to “fix” a bit of a “mishap” between the two and eventually realizes that he’s really loved Zoë all these years. Sounds good right? Well you’re wrong. It’s so convoluted with this that and the other that when you’re done reading you’re mighty glad it’s finished.
This is supposed to be a love/hate story and it is to a certain point, but it’s hard to get a feel for this romance when you’re 150 pages in and the h/h have barely said boo to each other and nothing really happens until around page 190. That’s some serious filler there. It’s presented as background info but you keep wondering when the story is going to start. The tension building is a complete mess, so much so that when the h/h do get together (which is only sporadically) it’s not believable and I for one wasn’t feeling the “love”. The steam is steamy in some parts but the emotion is missing.
None of the main characters are likable which makes this book drag and drag right to the bitter end. Zöe is TSTL one time too many. Really she’s just a flighty spaz that the author tried to make look like someone who’s carefree but she does one stupid thing after another and rarely thinks before she acts. You can have an adventurous, risk taking heroine but she can’t be an idiot and Zoë is unfortunately just that :-/ Carlyle tried to make her appear like she’d matured at the end of the book but it’s tough to buy because it was all so sudden. As for Stuart, he’s so stuffy it’s suffocating. Yeah opposites attract and all but there’s no way these two could’ve believably gotten together. He puts her down way too much and some parts I thought were unforgivable. He needed to be kicked to the curb and she needed to move on. She also keeps trying to change him which got old. Then there’s dumbass whiny Robin. Yet another one who needed a wake up call. His friendship with Zoë is light and fun but then became tiresome.
If infidelity in romance novels bothers you then steer clear of this book because it happens more than once and between different characters. I can’t say that it bothered me but it made the heroine look cheap that she could fall in and out of bed just like that. I can accept that in a contemporary but it doesn’t seem to work as well in a historical. One of the secondary characters also does some cheating even though he regrets it big time but again it just doesn’t work the way it’s presented because he was going on and on about his great love for his mistress –so why cheat then buddy? This just seemed more like an attitude for a modern day read than a historical. The hate between the h/h feels very forced especially from the hero. I can see a hero who fights against his feelings but here the author was trying too hard to get the message across that he didn’t like the heroine.
There are too many sub-stories in this novel which is frustrating and the author takes too long to get back to the main story. The men are also criers, a bit too emotionally fragile for me.
I can’t say I liked the writing style either. The sentence structure is unnatural at times as if the author is trying to insist that she’s writing a regency –get it slow reader (!) Some sentences just didn’t flow properly because of the weird syntax or choice of vocabulary. If the reader starts noticing something like that then there’s a problem.
A lot of patience is needed to get through this book. The print is tiny, the narration is dense at times and the plot just doesn’t move. 2.5 stars is about all I can give it and Liz Carlyle gets crossed off my list of authors for good. Complete waste of time :-/
August 17, 2019
This one just didn’t work for me. I’ve previously enjoyed some other books from Liz Carlyle but this one is just not my thing.
The main issue is probably the plotline that I find really hard to get into and even harder to enjoy. I don't even think I can say what the problem is exactly, what I didn't like. It's probably a general impression. I feel like all problems result from the fact that the characters behave incredibly stupid. And instead of solving them in some simple understandable way, they are getting deeper and deeper into a series of foolish actions. And that always makes me roll my eyes.
However, the characters themselves are fine. Carlyle did a good job. If it wasn't for this idiotic storyline ... I could fully appreciate the complexity of the characters. Unfortunately, I couldn’t.
This is probably the first Liz Carlyle’s book that I did not like to such a degree. Maybe it's more my problem than the book itself because I'm still not able to fully determine what I had such a big problem with.
The main issue is probably the plotline that I find really hard to get into and even harder to enjoy. I don't even think I can say what the problem is exactly, what I didn't like. It's probably a general impression. I feel like all problems result from the fact that the characters behave incredibly stupid. And instead of solving them in some simple understandable way, they are getting deeper and deeper into a series of foolish actions. And that always makes me roll my eyes.
However, the characters themselves are fine. Carlyle did a good job. If it wasn't for this idiotic storyline ... I could fully appreciate the complexity of the characters. Unfortunately, I couldn’t.
This is probably the first Liz Carlyle’s book that I did not like to such a degree. Maybe it's more my problem than the book itself because I'm still not able to fully determine what I had such a big problem with.
January 18, 2025
3.5 stars. Zoe Armstrong's story, the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Rannoch, from My False Heart. She has grown up playing with her distant cousins, the charming rogue Robert Rowland, and his more serious older brother Stuart, the children of Jonet Rowland from A Woman Scorned. The three of them are all grown-up now, except that emotionally it seems that none of them are fully mature yet. Through the twists and turns of the story, each of them really grows up, but with plenty of growing pains along the way.
Zoe struggles to accept society's attitude towards her. Illegitimate, fully acknowledged by her marquis father, but confused about her place in the world. She has become a bit of a tease and a heartbreaker., never sure of the motivation of the men who flirt with her, and she rarely takes them seriously. But when she and Robert are found in compromising circumstances, they are forced to get reluctantly engaged. The hijinks proceed from there......
The story turns into a bit of triangle, never my favourite trope. At least it's clear who she's going to end up with (Stuart, of course). But along the way, all three of them behave badly at times, and were sometimes hard to like. I found the story dragged a bit in parts, and also felt a bit repetitive sometimes. Fortunately, I'd read the other books in the series so I knew the background, and who all of the secondary characters were. I think that trying to read this as a standalone could potentially be a bit confusing and less satisfying.
So I was happy to revisit and read more about characters and a world I have really enjoyed from Carlyle's other books, but this particular one wasn't my fav from the series. Still worth reading, but I couldn't give more than 3.5 stars, as it did move too slowly at times for me.
Zoe struggles to accept society's attitude towards her. Illegitimate, fully acknowledged by her marquis father, but confused about her place in the world. She has become a bit of a tease and a heartbreaker., never sure of the motivation of the men who flirt with her, and she rarely takes them seriously. But when she and Robert are found in compromising circumstances, they are forced to get reluctantly engaged. The hijinks proceed from there......
The story turns into a bit of triangle, never my favourite trope. At least it's clear who she's going to end up with (Stuart, of course). But along the way, all three of them behave badly at times, and were sometimes hard to like. I found the story dragged a bit in parts, and also felt a bit repetitive sometimes. Fortunately, I'd read the other books in the series so I knew the background, and who all of the secondary characters were. I think that trying to read this as a standalone could potentially be a bit confusing and less satisfying.
So I was happy to revisit and read more about characters and a world I have really enjoyed from Carlyle's other books, but this particular one wasn't my fav from the series. Still worth reading, but I couldn't give more than 3.5 stars, as it did move too slowly at times for me.
September 25, 2009
I have a love/hate thang with Liz Carlyle.
LOVED her first 2 books - My False Heart and A Woman Scorned. In fact, one of the reasons I read this bk was because the Stuart and Zoe are children of the H/Hs in those books. I would recommend that you read those bks first before tackling this one.
On the other hand, later bks like The Devil You Know and Two Little Lies were wallbangers. I almost gave up LC for good after reading those. A common school of thought on LC - and one that I share - is that LC is not what she used to be. In terms of technical skills, she CAN be one of the best historical writers working today. She writes formal, rich, character-driven novels with deeply flawed characters. However, I almost never list her as one of my favorite authors because her bks rarely come together into a totally satisfying read for me. . . .
Such is the case with WAD. There are a lot of things in WAD that are on my instant hits list: H/H who know each other from childhood and Hero Pining. Unfortunately, as often happens with bks with this setup, I dont see where Zoe and Stuart fell in love. That is always a big sticking pt with me. Second, after the villain coming back from the dead, LC employs two of my least favorite Soap Opera tropes to move the story along. One of these tropes, I hated so much in this book that I never got beyond it. Third, I was less than enthralled with the spoiled, mischievious Zoe in LC's last novel: Tempted All Night and my opinion didnt change with her own book.
So . . . while WAD was okay, it was not as good as LC's last 4 books. Perhaps you have noticed the number of bks I mentioned connected to this novel (and I didnt list all of the connected bks either)? WAD is more for the hardcore LC fan. LC will not always explain all the relationships from previous bks to a new reader. She might info dump or she might just expect you to know all the particulars. Zoe and Stuart are called "cousins" throughout this bk but they are actually distant cousins BY MARRIAGE and dont have any blood ties between them.
Grade: B-
Sensuality: PG-13 (not one of LC's hotter bks)
LOVED her first 2 books - My False Heart and A Woman Scorned. In fact, one of the reasons I read this bk was because the Stuart and Zoe are children of the H/Hs in those books. I would recommend that you read those bks first before tackling this one.
On the other hand, later bks like The Devil You Know and Two Little Lies were wallbangers. I almost gave up LC for good after reading those. A common school of thought on LC - and one that I share - is that LC is not what she used to be. In terms of technical skills, she CAN be one of the best historical writers working today. She writes formal, rich, character-driven novels with deeply flawed characters. However, I almost never list her as one of my favorite authors because her bks rarely come together into a totally satisfying read for me. . . .
Such is the case with WAD. There are a lot of things in WAD that are on my instant hits list: H/H who know each other from childhood and Hero Pining. Unfortunately, as often happens with bks with this setup, I dont see where Zoe and Stuart fell in love. That is always a big sticking pt with me. Second, after the villain coming back from the dead, LC employs two of my least favorite Soap Opera tropes to move the story along. One of these tropes, I hated so much in this book that I never got beyond it. Third, I was less than enthralled with the spoiled, mischievious Zoe in LC's last novel: Tempted All Night and my opinion didnt change with her own book.
So . . . while WAD was okay, it was not as good as LC's last 4 books. Perhaps you have noticed the number of bks I mentioned connected to this novel (and I didnt list all of the connected bks either)? WAD is more for the hardcore LC fan. LC will not always explain all the relationships from previous bks to a new reader. She might info dump or she might just expect you to know all the particulars. Zoe and Stuart are called "cousins" throughout this bk but they are actually distant cousins BY MARRIAGE and dont have any blood ties between them.
Grade: B-
Sensuality: PG-13 (not one of LC's hotter bks)
November 22, 2009
Wicked All Day tells the story of Zoë Armstrong and Stuart Rowland, the Marquess of Mercer. Zoe is the illegitimate daughter of Elliott Armstrong, the Marquess of Rannoch and Stuart's parents are Jonet Rowland and Cole Amherst of A Woman Scorned. You can read Elliott's story in My False Heart.
Zoë Armstrong is resigned to her fate as an "unmarriagable" woman because of her illegitimacy. At 23, she has had marriage proposals, but mostly from men looking to cash in on her dowry. Caught in a compromising position, Zoë finds herself engaged to be married to a distant cousin, Robert Rowland. She and Robert (Robin) have been best friends for much of their lives, but they don't have romantic feelings for each other. Not only that, but Robert's brother Stuart (Mercer) finds himself in the difficult position of admitting that he does have feelings for Zoë but he waited too late to express them. To further complicate matters Robin is in love with someone else. Talk about a love triangle! Or maybe this would be a love square? Not sure...anyway...
Zoë was a spoiled, coddled little rich girl who had been given everything that she had ever wanted. Even so, I couldn't help but like her. She had always dreamed that she would marry for love, but no matter what she did, her father wouldn't let her ruin herself by refusing to marry Robin. As the book progresses, we see that there's much more to Zoë than first thought. Her character develops throughout the book until even she is surprised at the compassion and strength that she finds within herself.
Mercer was a great hero. Strong, dependable, and steadfast, he was the exact opposite of his brother Robin. Mercer was always looking out for those around him, so it was exciting to see when he decided to throw caution to the wind and take what he wanted. In this case, that was Zoë. I love watching the strong, silent type crack! It might be a bit off-putting to see Mercer and Zoë together in light of the fact that she was engaged to his brother, but in the context of the story, it wasn't that big a deal to me.
This was a really enjoyable read from an author who is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Zoë Armstrong is resigned to her fate as an "unmarriagable" woman because of her illegitimacy. At 23, she has had marriage proposals, but mostly from men looking to cash in on her dowry. Caught in a compromising position, Zoë finds herself engaged to be married to a distant cousin, Robert Rowland. She and Robert (Robin) have been best friends for much of their lives, but they don't have romantic feelings for each other. Not only that, but Robert's brother Stuart (Mercer) finds himself in the difficult position of admitting that he does have feelings for Zoë but he waited too late to express them. To further complicate matters Robin is in love with someone else. Talk about a love triangle! Or maybe this would be a love square? Not sure...anyway...
Zoë was a spoiled, coddled little rich girl who had been given everything that she had ever wanted. Even so, I couldn't help but like her. She had always dreamed that she would marry for love, but no matter what she did, her father wouldn't let her ruin herself by refusing to marry Robin. As the book progresses, we see that there's much more to Zoë than first thought. Her character develops throughout the book until even she is surprised at the compassion and strength that she finds within herself.
Mercer was a great hero. Strong, dependable, and steadfast, he was the exact opposite of his brother Robin. Mercer was always looking out for those around him, so it was exciting to see when he decided to throw caution to the wind and take what he wanted. In this case, that was Zoë. I love watching the strong, silent type crack! It might be a bit off-putting to see Mercer and Zoë together in light of the fact that she was engaged to his brother, but in the context of the story, it wasn't that big a deal to me.
This was a really enjoyable read from an author who is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
April 13, 2025
Book I Own. HR: Tropes: Regency Romance,Rom Com, Extended Family and Friends, Forced into Marriage, Erotica,
MC's Zoe Armstrong, illigitimate daughter of Marquis of Rannoch, Elliot Armstrong & Stepmother Evie, H Robin cousin compromised her and forced to marry her, older brother Stuart Marquess of Mercer falls head over heels for Zoe.
When Zoe was little, before her father married Evie, she stayed with her cousins Robin and Stuart and their mother Jonet and Stepfather Cole Amhurst(Minister). She knew she was illigitimate and always felt less than. While Robin was comforting her they got carried away and almost made love but stopped. Unfortunately they were caught in a compromising situation and Robin was forced to ask Zoe to marry him. They all go to Greythorpe, Stuart's estate for a house party to celebrate the upcoming nuptials between Robert( Robin) and Zoe. But what about the attraction between Zoe and Stuart. Will Robin be saved?
Lorrimer/Clan Cameron Couples
1. My False Heart - h Evangeline & Elliot Armstrong, Marquis of Rannoch (7 yr old Zoe)
2. A Woman Scorned - h Jonot Rowland & Cole Amhurst (Stuart Rowland, Marquis of Mercer, Robert Rowland)
3. A Woman of Virtue - h Cecilia Lormier & H David Branthwaite, Viscount Delacourt (David is a brother to Jonot)
4. A Deal With the Devil - h Aubry Montford & H Giles Lorimer, Earl of Walrafen (Giles is Cecilia's Stepson)
5. Wicked All Day - h Zoe Armstrong & Stuart Rowland, Marquess of Mercer (Zoe is Elliot & Evie's daughter & Stuart is Jonot and Cole's son)
***************************************************
MC's Zoe Armstrong, illigitimate daughter of Marquis of Rannoch, Elliot Armstrong & Stepmother Evie, H Robin cousin compromised her and forced to marry her, older brother Stuart Marquess of Mercer falls head over heels for Zoe.
When Zoe was little, before her father married Evie, she stayed with her cousins Robin and Stuart and their mother Jonet and Stepfather Cole Amhurst(Minister). She knew she was illigitimate and always felt less than. While Robin was comforting her they got carried away and almost made love but stopped. Unfortunately they were caught in a compromising situation and Robin was forced to ask Zoe to marry him. They all go to Greythorpe, Stuart's estate for a house party to celebrate the upcoming nuptials between Robert( Robin) and Zoe. But what about the attraction between Zoe and Stuart. Will Robin be saved?
Lorrimer/Clan Cameron Couples
1. My False Heart - h Evangeline & Elliot Armstrong, Marquis of Rannoch (7 yr old Zoe)
2. A Woman Scorned - h Jonot Rowland & Cole Amhurst (Stuart Rowland, Marquis of Mercer, Robert Rowland)
3. A Woman of Virtue - h Cecilia Lormier & H David Branthwaite, Viscount Delacourt (David is a brother to Jonot)
4. A Deal With the Devil - h Aubry Montford & H Giles Lorimer, Earl of Walrafen (Giles is Cecilia's Stepson)
5. Wicked All Day - h Zoe Armstrong & Stuart Rowland, Marquess of Mercer (Zoe is Elliot & Evie's daughter & Stuart is Jonot and Cole's son)
***************************************************
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2010
After reading Seton's review, I realized I picked up a book in the middle of a "sort-of" series... "sort-of" because reading the previous books isn't required, but it would appear I missed out on a lot by not having read the previous books.
Pet-Peeve # 1: Spoiled, bratty, whiny, self-pitying, occasionally TSTL heroine. OMG, I just wanted to smack Zoe around throughout this book! I didn't like her AT ALL.
Pet-Peeve # 2: Robin (hero's brother and part of the love triangle) was sort-of cool until the engagement and then I wanted to smack HIM around too. Yes, I get it - he's in love with another woman, boo-hoo. Maybe you should have thought of that before fooling around with someone else, stupid. Argh.
Pet-Peeve # 3: The love begins before the book does... I think. Childhood friends without the benefit of getting flashbacks to see this love bloom... Eh.
This book could have been so good, but the Peeves just kept knocking the stars off the rating. Too bad.
First (and probably last) Liz Carlyle book.
Pet-Peeve # 1: Spoiled, bratty, whiny, self-pitying, occasionally TSTL heroine. OMG, I just wanted to smack Zoe around throughout this book! I didn't like her AT ALL.
Pet-Peeve # 2: Robin (hero's brother and part of the love triangle) was sort-of cool until the engagement and then I wanted to smack HIM around too. Yes, I get it - he's in love with another woman, boo-hoo. Maybe you should have thought of that before fooling around with someone else, stupid. Argh.
Pet-Peeve # 3: The love begins before the book does... I think. Childhood friends without the benefit of getting flashbacks to see this love bloom... Eh.
This book could have been so good, but the Peeves just kept knocking the stars off the rating. Too bad.
First (and probably last) Liz Carlyle book.
December 27, 2009
I was disappointed in this book. I thought the story could have been intriguing and fun to read but sadly two of the main characters were so dumb that it make the whole thing unpleasant. I loved the hero of the story and thought his character was very well developed and full of depth. Unfortunately the heroine and the younger brother spent 99% of the book being selfish and stupid and I just couldn't make myself care about them. I would have much rather smacked them and told them to grow up! By the end of the story I felt that the older brother (the hero) would have been much better off if he'd have just snuck out the front door never to be seen again.
I think that the book could have been wonderful and there were pockets of some really great moments. Too bad there were huge sections of stupid to balance them out.
I think that the book could have been wonderful and there were pockets of some really great moments. Too bad there were huge sections of stupid to balance them out.
August 24, 2012
Fena değildi,tadımlık bir kitaptı benim için.Bayan karakteri anlayamadım bir türlü,aynı şekilde hem erkek kardeşi hemde baş karakteri de:)Size iyi şanslar benden daha çok seversiniz umarım:)
February 6, 2018
Ne kadar da inatçı, bir türlü kendine güvenemeyen bir ikili... İnsanı çileden çıkartacaklardı neredeyse.
June 29, 2019
Konusu bildik aski inkar eden bir erkek ve ele avuca sigmaz muhtesemlikteki kadin uzerinden ilerliyor. Tek farki ilk defa 'gayrimeşru' bir durumla karsilasiyor olmam. Sonunda coxuklari olacağını ogrenmek isterdim kitapta durmadan bir engelmis gibi gözüktüğü icin. Onun disinda pek degisik gelmedi ve yularida bahsettigim gayrimesru durum durmadan vurgulandigi icin biraz romantikligi yoketmisti.
December 21, 2009
Perfect! Everything that a romance should be, in my opinion.
June 29, 2015
2.75 stars rounded up to 3
October 20, 2020
This just feelt like it draged on an on for 400+ pages. Didn't find the romance interesting or fun to read
July 29, 2016
This was a pretty boring book. The real clincher of this book is that I just found myself very unsympathetic towards the main characters. it must have been a combination of unlikable characters and the fact that they weren't really written well. There was something hollow beneath their description. They just don't feel like well-rounded characters. They also didn't seem interesting. Zoe came across as spoiled and Robin was just so immature. Stuart is the stable character but it comes across as filling a role than his personality trait.
One of the worst parts of the book is the dragged out melodrama that is Robin. There is a saga devoted on how he is drinking himself to oblivion because of his impending marriage to Zoe. The majority of the book is how miserable they feel towards what they have to do and honestly, it is solved in minutes when Zoe breaks the engagement. There is so much to do made out of this issue when it is solved in a short amount of time. Yes, I felt myself unsympathetic to their plight not only because I didn't like the characters but because the conflict is being blown up. She didn't have a problem ruining her name so I don't get why they went into hysterics about being forced into marriage.
There is also a history that might make this book better. As a standalone book, this book is pretty bad. I was looking forward to that ignored child and how she came to be only to find out she grew up to be spoiled. She was mature as a kid but so immature as an adult. Reading this book alone was a bit confusing because there were so many characters introduced that really didn't make an impact in the story.
I'm only going to do a short summary because I didn't like the book. Zoe and Robin got caught in a compromising situation. Stuart and his ex mistress saw. Stuart would have kept his mouth shut but his mistress is vindictive and could hold it over their head. Zoe and Robin have to marry. Robin is in love with his mistress and she dumped him after being treated poorly. Robin drinks himself and no longer takes care of himself. Zoe feels bad. Zoe and Stuart get together. Robin gets into an accident and Zoe couldn't formally break the engagement. Robin recovers, engagement is broken, his mistress returns after a letter from Zoe, Stuart solves the problem of his ex mistress by threatening her back, her husband recently inherited the dukedom and she wants to get back to his good graces, Zoe and Stuart get together. Oh, Stuart's ex mistress lied about being pregnant with Stuart's baby to continue his financial support.
One of the worst parts of the book is the dragged out melodrama that is Robin. There is a saga devoted on how he is drinking himself to oblivion because of his impending marriage to Zoe. The majority of the book is how miserable they feel towards what they have to do and honestly, it is solved in minutes when Zoe breaks the engagement. There is so much to do made out of this issue when it is solved in a short amount of time. Yes, I felt myself unsympathetic to their plight not only because I didn't like the characters but because the conflict is being blown up. She didn't have a problem ruining her name so I don't get why they went into hysterics about being forced into marriage.
There is also a history that might make this book better. As a standalone book, this book is pretty bad. I was looking forward to that ignored child and how she came to be only to find out she grew up to be spoiled. She was mature as a kid but so immature as an adult. Reading this book alone was a bit confusing because there were so many characters introduced that really didn't make an impact in the story.
I'm only going to do a short summary because I didn't like the book. Zoe and Robin got caught in a compromising situation. Stuart and his ex mistress saw. Stuart would have kept his mouth shut but his mistress is vindictive and could hold it over their head. Zoe and Robin have to marry. Robin is in love with his mistress and she dumped him after being treated poorly. Robin drinks himself and no longer takes care of himself. Zoe feels bad. Zoe and Stuart get together. Robin gets into an accident and Zoe couldn't formally break the engagement. Robin recovers, engagement is broken, his mistress returns after a letter from Zoe, Stuart solves the problem of his ex mistress by threatening her back, her husband recently inherited the dukedom and she wants to get back to his good graces, Zoe and Stuart get together. Oh, Stuart's ex mistress lied about being pregnant with Stuart's baby to continue his financial support.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2011
I'll start by saying that I'm a huge LC fan I've read practicly all her books and loved most but sadly this one was not one of them .. I didn't like it at all it was boring empty and far too long for the plot not that the plot was that interesting and did I mention boring?? Lord , I was skeeping pages and pages and didn't seem to have missed Much the caracteres were depointing at best and irritating and annoying otherwise . Zoe was a big faillure to me I mean I used to like her in ther other LC books she seemed refreshing but in her own book she came as a spoiled childish pathetic shrew she was so out of caractere she was supposed to be wild and dangerous and strong willed but all I could see was a self pitying selfish childish sorry mess I mean seriously no self repecting strong women would accept marring someone whom she doesn't want and who clearly doesn't want her she was so inconsistent I hurt reading her monologe she was ashamed she kissed mecer but kept right ondoing it how she knew robin was in love with another but still clinged to him it took him a near death accident to make her take a decision .she is seriously one of my least fav heroines so far .
Mecer , well I have conflicting feeling about him I liked him but he got on my nerves sometimes he was the best written caractere in the book and I just hoped he realized his feelings for her earlier .
Robin, well he was an aweful load of crap , he irritated me the most he seemed so immature and idiotic and not that sure of him self I mean if you love someone why in god's green earth would you go and kiss and grope some other women !!!!he was cheering her up ???well I cheer my friends up when they're feeling down but I never kissed anyone of them so far !!lol he was seriously pathetic in all his self rightous self pitting anger .
The plot sucked plainly speaking , the story was so shalow and predictible i almost didn't finish the book no LC intereting mystery subplot or stong second caracters nothing to keep you turning the pages but the faint hope that the story will somehow pick it self up .
The only bright spot in this book was LC writing style wish I love I certainly missed the witty dialogues from the previous books of the series but it was okey even if the pacing was wrong. LC managed to make it number one on my " bad story good writing" list .
It certainly is my least fav book from her so far which is a shame because I really do like her books .
Mecer , well I have conflicting feeling about him I liked him but he got on my nerves sometimes he was the best written caractere in the book and I just hoped he realized his feelings for her earlier .
Robin, well he was an aweful load of crap , he irritated me the most he seemed so immature and idiotic and not that sure of him self I mean if you love someone why in god's green earth would you go and kiss and grope some other women !!!!he was cheering her up ???well I cheer my friends up when they're feeling down but I never kissed anyone of them so far !!lol he was seriously pathetic in all his self rightous self pitting anger .
The plot sucked plainly speaking , the story was so shalow and predictible i almost didn't finish the book no LC intereting mystery subplot or stong second caracters nothing to keep you turning the pages but the faint hope that the story will somehow pick it self up .
The only bright spot in this book was LC writing style wish I love I certainly missed the witty dialogues from the previous books of the series but it was okey even if the pacing was wrong. LC managed to make it number one on my " bad story good writing" list .
It certainly is my least fav book from her so far which is a shame because I really do like her books .
August 21, 2012
Seviyorum bu yazarı Yanlız Benim Ol kitabınıda sevmiştim bu kitabınıda sevdim. Zoe'yi zaten o kitaptan bayağı merak ediyordum.
Kitapta en beğendiğim şey ailelerin tutumu oldu. İki tarafın aileside mükemmeldi ya hele ki Zoe'nin üvey annesine bayıldım malum Zoe gayri meşru ama Evie kendi çocuklarından ayırmamış ve kızın hep iyiliğini düşünüyordu genelde bu şekilde olmaz işleyiş o yüzden ayrı bi güzeldi.
Romanın bütün kahramanları çok iyiydi gerçi. Kızımızın en yakın arkadaşı Robin Robinin abisi Mercer küçükken bu ikiliyi özellikle Zoe'yi çok koruyor halada öyle malum Zoe yaramazlıklarıyla pek meşhur gayri meşruluğunu da var tabii meşhur olduğu:D Mercer'i seviyor ama onu ulaşılmaz buluyor.
Kızımızın babasıda Zoe'yi evlendirmek istiyor kızımızda taliplileri istemiyor Robin ile üzgün bir anında yakınlaşıyorlar kütüphanede abisi ve metresi tarafından basılıyorlar. Sonra mecbur evlilik kararı alıyorlar. Robin'in sevdiği başka biri var Zoe ve Mercer desen onlarda birbirini seviyorlar aslında ama belli etmiyorlar birde Mercerin metresi hamileyim diyerek bela oluyor falan ilişkiler işler bayağı karışık yani
Okuması keyifliydi diğer kitaplarıda çıkar inşallahta okuruz
Kitapta en beğendiğim şey ailelerin tutumu oldu. İki tarafın aileside mükemmeldi ya hele ki Zoe'nin üvey annesine bayıldım malum Zoe gayri meşru ama Evie kendi çocuklarından ayırmamış ve kızın hep iyiliğini düşünüyordu genelde bu şekilde olmaz işleyiş o yüzden ayrı bi güzeldi.
Romanın bütün kahramanları çok iyiydi gerçi. Kızımızın en yakın arkadaşı Robin Robinin abisi Mercer küçükken bu ikiliyi özellikle Zoe'yi çok koruyor halada öyle malum Zoe yaramazlıklarıyla pek meşhur gayri meşruluğunu da var tabii meşhur olduğu:D Mercer'i seviyor ama onu ulaşılmaz buluyor.
Kızımızın babasıda Zoe'yi evlendirmek istiyor kızımızda taliplileri istemiyor Robin ile üzgün bir anında yakınlaşıyorlar kütüphanede abisi ve metresi tarafından basılıyorlar. Sonra mecbur evlilik kararı alıyorlar. Robin'in sevdiği başka biri var Zoe ve Mercer desen onlarda birbirini seviyorlar aslında ama belli etmiyorlar birde Mercerin metresi hamileyim diyerek bela oluyor falan ilişkiler işler bayağı karışık yani
Okuması keyifliydi diğer kitaplarıda çıkar inşallahta okuruz
April 8, 2013
I loved this one to bits, even if it took me some time to warm up to the heroine. Zoe, our heroine, is wild because she's been spoiled by her father to compensate for her illegitimacy. However, she goes a step too far when she gets caught in a compromising posion with her childhood friend Robin Rowland, and they are forced to be engaged and set out on a visit to his family home. One problem - Robin is in love with someone else. Wait, that's a minor problem - the real problem is that Zoe can't help but want Robin's older brother Stuart (whom she's also known from childhood), and the reserved, proper Stuart can't help but madly want her back. Ooops. A delicious, angsty, shippy, supremely romantic ooops. I have to confess since we've seen all our leads as kids in some earlier books, it's a little weird to read about steamy makeouts, but Zoe/Stuart are ridiculously and awesomely angsty-hot together.
March 8, 2010
This book was really amusing and a good read. It cheered me up in my bad mood today.
The story wasn't so special: a young lady caught in a not so lady-like situation with her best friend, a young lord. The force from the parents to marry and the older brother of the young lord which is the true love of the young lady.
The story went on fast, no details too much and the characters really were loveable. Zoe was wonderful, Robin a typical youngster and Mercer simply wonderful. ;) The knight in a shining armour.
It was the first book by Liz Carlyle I read and I think I'll read some more by her. :)
The story wasn't so special: a young lady caught in a not so lady-like situation with her best friend, a young lord. The force from the parents to marry and the older brother of the young lord which is the true love of the young lady.
The story went on fast, no details too much and the characters really were loveable. Zoe was wonderful, Robin a typical youngster and Mercer simply wonderful. ;) The knight in a shining armour.
It was the first book by Liz Carlyle I read and I think I'll read some more by her. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2011
I usually enjoy this author's books and this displayed Carlyle's excellent writing. I enjoyed the story and was caught up in the character's plight. However this book was perhaps over-written. It was too descriptive and too long winded, at 421 pages, for a story that would have been better told in 300 pages. There was no mystery subplot, as there is in many of her books, so the story was about Mercer and Zoe untangling themselves from their complications to be together. I'm not sorry I read it and a Liz Carlyle book is better than so many others but it wasn't one of her best.
December 28, 2020
Do not buy this strange book!
This book could not have been written by Liz Carlyle!! Could NOT!! It was written by a newcomer to romance and it was AWFUL! BORING! UNDEVELOPED! The worst I’ve ever read by ANY ROMANCE AUTHOR ... no less the marvelous Liz Carlyle. Was she ill? Addled? Having a breakdown?
Something happened here but not romance.
I waited fir Mercer to come out and be his true self and sweep up Zoe! Never happened. Zoe is a silly idiot child anyway.
I vote it the worst!
This book could not have been written by Liz Carlyle!! Could NOT!! It was written by a newcomer to romance and it was AWFUL! BORING! UNDEVELOPED! The worst I’ve ever read by ANY ROMANCE AUTHOR ... no less the marvelous Liz Carlyle. Was she ill? Addled? Having a breakdown?
Something happened here but not romance.
I waited fir Mercer to come out and be his true self and sweep up Zoe! Never happened. Zoe is a silly idiot child anyway.
I vote it the worst!
September 25, 2009
A Must Read for fans of Liz Carlyle! Some of the scenes in Wicked All Day are amongst the beautifully written in romance that I have read, especially the scene between Robin and his stepfather. Still at times the story seemed to sag under Stuart's charater. Although it wasn't perfect, it is a great read.
*The story is great on it's own but will be enhanced if you have read at least My False Heart and A Women Scorned.
*The story is great on it's own but will be enhanced if you have read at least My False Heart and A Women Scorned.
September 16, 2013
I don't re-read books often, but I thought I'd go for a sure thing to make long-haul air travel less tedious. And it worked. This book is about the children of characters featured in earlier stories, so they're young and perhaps more foolish. They get into a sorry mess and then get untangled in a satisfying way. Not sure why this one clicks best for me out of all the Liz Carlyle books I've read, but there you go.
February 9, 2017
I love Liz Carlyle's writing but I did not enjoy this book. I was looking forward to reading Zoe's story, but this was difficult to endure. It is odd, there is no epilogue, since this is the last in the series and the H/h don't finalize things until the end. On the plus side, It was good to revisit characters from the previous novels. 2 to 2.5 stars
June 9, 2011
Ah, another author to add to my short list of writers who do historical romance refreshingly well. Wicked All Day contains thorough, deeply welled characters embroiled in realistic hardships. I was tempted to tears of sorrow and tears of joy. And that, for me, is the indication of refined talent.
January 27, 2012
Just as good as I expected! I re-read it immmediately just to enjoy it all over again. I was heartbroken for Zoe and Mercer and so glad when they got together. And very happy for his brother too. These stories are so well - interwoven I am in awe of the author, Liz Carlyle. Another triumph.
July 11, 2016
This book could not keep my attention.
June 21, 2020
Good! I loved zoe. She was such a strong, funny hr. I like that h has loved her for so long. Wish I had known it #5 in the series.
May 20, 2015
A good read filled with angst and mellow drama.
March 22, 2021
Good god what a mess! I have read every Liz Carlyle before this book, in fact I read them all in order and so just couldn’t wait to read about Zoe and Stuart. Zoe! My favourite Marquess’s daughter from the Carlyle world.
I don’t know where to begin with my disappointments- there were so many.
I will start off by saying I love Carlyle and I was completely invested in this world she had built. I have loved reading about the many characters and their interactions among all the books. So, I felt like I knew most of them. In this book though, those same characters were reduced to ridiculous caricatures. I kept thinking, “what happened?”
Firstly, the story development is a jumble of words and thoughts. It was all muddled up and made me dizzy. The writing here felt as ditzy as Zoe’s head. I kept wondering if Carlyle was rushed or drunk while creating this. This is essentially a story of two people who have known each other since childhood and have never realised the importance the other holds for them. It’s also an unpleasant triangle- Zoe and Robert get caught (by Stuart!) fondling one another and are then forced to get engaged- after which Robert goes from being a roguish fun-loving friend to unpleasant surly fiancé towards his betrothed.
Then we have unlikable characters who sadly, stay that way. It’s the strength of a good storyteller that can take someone who the reader dislikes and portray them as someone worth rooting for by the end. It didn’t happen here. None of the three main characters behaved or said anything that made me want them to have a happy ending.
Let’s start with Zoe. She is Rannoch’s adorable illegitimate daughter who we first come across in My False Heart. We read of her and the Mercer boys being playmates in other books, we see her as a sparkly mischievous young lady in the book before this one (Tempted All Night) and I thought that by the time it’s her book, we will see some maturity, some depths to her past upbringing (regardless of being a marquess’s daughter she was still the abandoned child of a dancer and that has to effect your personality somehow) and perhaps how she and Stuart will come to recognise their feelings and grow as people. There is none of that. Zoe was unbelievably childish, irresponsible, and made stupid mistakes. I was constantly irritated with her. She and Robert go about kissing each other in dark corners at carefree parties, and afterwards when she’s unhappy with Roberts behaviour, she ends up sleeping with Stuart. This did bother me. I don’t care how Robert behaved, ‘Stuart my man, she’s your brother’s fiancé’! and why is no one worried that her attitude is going to get her butchered by the ton?
Then there are the boys. I am writing of them together because I read of them like that throughout the books. One was never too far from his brother. Stuart was always the more responsible one and Robert the reckless scamp. We had glimpses of that as children from their first book, A Woman Scorned.
Stuart is supposed to be the hero of the story. But he behaves badly towards Zoe, constantly putting her down. He is stuffy and arrogant. And ok, I get why he’s hard on Zoe, I had a low opinion of her too- but how can love develop that way? There has to be something deeper than sexual attraction. I just never bought their happily ever after. Regardless of my irritation with how he treated Zoe, he was still the most developed person and out of the three, I liked him the most.
Robert, I hated! Like Bentley (The Devil You Know ), he seemed to be on a path of self-destruction and I thought he would get his own book. Failing that he at least should have had a better story than as a spoiled selfish little shit who disappointed everyone around him from his parents to his mistress. There was an incident between Robert and a young lady at a house party when he’s eighteen (Hunting Season) and I thought that was going to be his wakeup call to behave less thoughtlessly- also how can you not grow up with Cole Amherst as your stepfather!? Really, where was his growth? And if he is never going to get that, then why give that impression in the final chapters when he reunites with his love. There’s no happy ending there in my mind. He will be taking his wife for granted within months. I keep thinking it would be better if Carlyle just kills of Maria and gives Robert another new story!
And the last character in this book that I found unforgivably changed was Elliot, Zoe’s father. What. The. Hell. This is the great Rannoch. The formerly dissolute wild and powerful marquess, who while tamed- was not entirely civilized by his Evangeline. In this book, he is reduced to an unhappy OLD PAPA. His beloved daughter has been compromised. When that happened with Frederica his first reaction was to hurl a statue through his window.
“MacLeod- I want my horse,” he snarled. “And I want my knife. And I want my whip. And I want them now.”
One feared for Bentham’s life. What did Robert get? A few grunts and glares across the dinner table?!? The Rannoch I knew would not stand for the way Robert treated Zoe. He would have stuck his sword up the boy’s ass and made sure that there were smiles, flowers and love poems spouting from his lips. Or at the very least one tiny punch. I kept waiting for something! The fact that all Rannoch did was grumble offended me. I love him. I wanted to see the rage and fear he could invoke for his eldest child. To be denied that was to erase the character we read of in his own book.
If people think Wicked All Day will appeal to hardcore LC fans, well- it won’t. I can’t recommend this book to anyone. I would ask that you actually not read it and instead pick up her other ones, My False Heart or A Woman Scorned which is about the parents and so much better. Read the Rutledge series!
Do give Liz Carlyle a chance with them and forget this was ever published. I know I do!
I don’t know where to begin with my disappointments- there were so many.
I will start off by saying I love Carlyle and I was completely invested in this world she had built. I have loved reading about the many characters and their interactions among all the books. So, I felt like I knew most of them. In this book though, those same characters were reduced to ridiculous caricatures. I kept thinking, “what happened?”
Firstly, the story development is a jumble of words and thoughts. It was all muddled up and made me dizzy. The writing here felt as ditzy as Zoe’s head. I kept wondering if Carlyle was rushed or drunk while creating this. This is essentially a story of two people who have known each other since childhood and have never realised the importance the other holds for them. It’s also an unpleasant triangle- Zoe and Robert get caught (by Stuart!) fondling one another and are then forced to get engaged- after which Robert goes from being a roguish fun-loving friend to unpleasant surly fiancé towards his betrothed.
Then we have unlikable characters who sadly, stay that way. It’s the strength of a good storyteller that can take someone who the reader dislikes and portray them as someone worth rooting for by the end. It didn’t happen here. None of the three main characters behaved or said anything that made me want them to have a happy ending.
Let’s start with Zoe. She is Rannoch’s adorable illegitimate daughter who we first come across in My False Heart. We read of her and the Mercer boys being playmates in other books, we see her as a sparkly mischievous young lady in the book before this one (Tempted All Night) and I thought that by the time it’s her book, we will see some maturity, some depths to her past upbringing (regardless of being a marquess’s daughter she was still the abandoned child of a dancer and that has to effect your personality somehow) and perhaps how she and Stuart will come to recognise their feelings and grow as people. There is none of that. Zoe was unbelievably childish, irresponsible, and made stupid mistakes. I was constantly irritated with her. She and Robert go about kissing each other in dark corners at carefree parties, and afterwards when she’s unhappy with Roberts behaviour, she ends up sleeping with Stuart. This did bother me. I don’t care how Robert behaved, ‘Stuart my man, she’s your brother’s fiancé’! and why is no one worried that her attitude is going to get her butchered by the ton?
Then there are the boys. I am writing of them together because I read of them like that throughout the books. One was never too far from his brother. Stuart was always the more responsible one and Robert the reckless scamp. We had glimpses of that as children from their first book, A Woman Scorned.
Stuart is supposed to be the hero of the story. But he behaves badly towards Zoe, constantly putting her down. He is stuffy and arrogant. And ok, I get why he’s hard on Zoe, I had a low opinion of her too- but how can love develop that way? There has to be something deeper than sexual attraction. I just never bought their happily ever after. Regardless of my irritation with how he treated Zoe, he was still the most developed person and out of the three, I liked him the most.
Robert, I hated! Like Bentley (The Devil You Know ), he seemed to be on a path of self-destruction and I thought he would get his own book. Failing that he at least should have had a better story than as a spoiled selfish little shit who disappointed everyone around him from his parents to his mistress. There was an incident between Robert and a young lady at a house party when he’s eighteen (Hunting Season) and I thought that was going to be his wakeup call to behave less thoughtlessly- also how can you not grow up with Cole Amherst as your stepfather!? Really, where was his growth? And if he is never going to get that, then why give that impression in the final chapters when he reunites with his love. There’s no happy ending there in my mind. He will be taking his wife for granted within months. I keep thinking it would be better if Carlyle just kills of Maria and gives Robert another new story!
And the last character in this book that I found unforgivably changed was Elliot, Zoe’s father. What. The. Hell. This is the great Rannoch. The formerly dissolute wild and powerful marquess, who while tamed- was not entirely civilized by his Evangeline. In this book, he is reduced to an unhappy OLD PAPA. His beloved daughter has been compromised. When that happened with Frederica his first reaction was to hurl a statue through his window.
“MacLeod- I want my horse,” he snarled. “And I want my knife. And I want my whip. And I want them now.”
One feared for Bentham’s life. What did Robert get? A few grunts and glares across the dinner table?!? The Rannoch I knew would not stand for the way Robert treated Zoe. He would have stuck his sword up the boy’s ass and made sure that there were smiles, flowers and love poems spouting from his lips. Or at the very least one tiny punch. I kept waiting for something! The fact that all Rannoch did was grumble offended me. I love him. I wanted to see the rage and fear he could invoke for his eldest child. To be denied that was to erase the character we read of in his own book.
If people think Wicked All Day will appeal to hardcore LC fans, well- it won’t. I can’t recommend this book to anyone. I would ask that you actually not read it and instead pick up her other ones, My False Heart or A Woman Scorned which is about the parents and so much better. Read the Rutledge series!
Do give Liz Carlyle a chance with them and forget this was ever published. I know I do!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews