Review: Wicked Beauty: Wicked Inked duet, Book 1

@CandaceBlevins #MustRead #MustBuy

Wicked Beauty: Wicked Inked duet, Book 1 by Candace Blevins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I avoided all discussions, posts, and blurbs of this book because it is about Gavin.  Gavin is my favourite character in this series and world Ms. Blevins created.  I have been waiting for Gavin to find his "one".  Many may loathe Gavin for what he did to a main character, Kirsten.  I understood why he did it and maybe I'm just as messed up as he was because it didn't bother me.  In this book, my anti-hero starts on a path to finding the one.  This can technically be read as a standalone.  I recommend reading the original series first - Only Human.

I must say that I did find out right before I read this book who the one is for Gavin.  To say I fell off a chair would be putting it mildly.  I am not sure what it is with authors right now I'm reading.  They keep shocking me with their romantic pairings.  Is this the latest trend?  Have your readers gobsmacked and wondering what just happened?  Because that is how I feel.  Even after being warned, I am still in disbelief.

For those waiting on a Gavin redemption story, this is probably not going to satisfy you.  First because I do not believe Gavin needed redemption.  Second, this is not about Gavin earning the right to be loved.  This story is a spark for Gavin to finally feel something since his early childhood.  We already received a high level summary of Gavin's childhood and it was brutal.  This goes into a bit more detail.  Since I am already a huge Gavin fan, I'm loving him even more.

The dynamics between Gavin and the different characters in this book are interesting to see.  Both from his perspective and the others.  What I really liked about this book is how much I learn about vocations I would have never thought about.  We learn more about the theater and what it takes to bring a production live and how to keep a show running smoothly.  I'm impressed and my project management side glorifies in it and rolls around in glee.  I love learning about a world I have never thought of before and didn't know I would enjoy.  I love learning more about different secondary characters and seeing how they fit into the larger puzzle.

What I also enjoyed immensely is dipping a foot into another culture.  Ms. Blevins brings up philosophies and religion in ways that make me want to research and think about it.  Books that stimulate my mind and have me pondering about the religion of mathematics thrills me.  Yes, some of us math geeks enjoy this kind of stuff.  There are some books of Ms. Blevins that just speaks to me.  There are others that infuriate  me.  Some break my heart and I cannot be consoled.  This one, this is like a wonderfully sensual weekend with all my favourite foods, people, and location - enjoying each other's company.  This two part romance transports me away into a mind vacation that I didn't know I needed.  I am completely engaged in this story and whole vested in the outcome.  I cannot wait to read the second part of Gavin's story.  The twists and turns in this book along with the hard conflicts exemplifies Gavin's life.  

There is sex in this book and it's hard to describe.  I think it's a bit vanilla.  There are some hardcore SM scenes but not for Gavin's love interest.  So... I guess Ms. Blevins finally wrote a vanilla romance book where there is a lot of BDSM material going on.  Yes, I'm just as stumped as you are with my explanation.  This erotic romance is highly recommended to readers who love anti-heroes.

* I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.