Historical
Wickedly Ever After
By Dottie
Jul 1, 2009 - 11:45:02 AM

Athena McAllister lost her parents when she was ten.   Raised by her grandfather Mason Royce, the Baron Penhaligan, she lacked an education in the art of feminine seduction since there was no feminine influence in her home. Athena thought she had been in love twice. Both times, the men in question looked beyond her for someone prettier. So, now at the age of twenty-eight, she is considered beyond marrying, but she cannot help the feelings she has for Calvin Bretherton, an earl.  However, she is afraid to make a move after her past experiences.  With several strikes against her: age, red hair, being podgy, Scottish, insubordinate and having no knowledge of artifice and coquetry, she needs help. Therefore, Her Grace, the Duchess of Twillingham, a friend of Athena’s grandfather agrees to sponsor her in Society and help her find a suitable husband.  With Athena’s limited funds, the duchess is even going to support her through it.  The duchess gives her a book to read, Countess Cavendish’s Feminine Excellence or Every Young Woman’s Guide to Ladylike Comportment. Though she resists, she finally reads it.

Captain Marshall Hawkesworth has been on duty on his ship for fifteen months straight with no rest for him or his men.  Since Marshall would not ask for a furlough for himself and his men, the Admiral gave them one, telling Marshall to go mourn his father with his mother and sister.  With the death of his father, Marshall has become the Marquess of Warridge.  However, he was never fond of titles of nobility.  To him, they implied undeserved honors.   Marshall returns home with plans to arrange a marriage for his sister.  She was the one who nursed their father during his long illness. Their parents did not have a happy marriage.  Though his captain suggested that Marshall look for a wife for himself, Marshall doubted that he would try very hard.

The duchess does the impossible and manages to get Athena engaged to her dream man Calvin Bretherton, Lord Stockdale, but the same night of the engagement, Athena finds him in an extremely intimate position with Lady Ponsonby, the daughter of a former brothel owner, in Lover’s Lane.  She cannot abide his disloyalty, so she breaks off the engagement before it really even starts.  Later, after much thought she decides to open a finishing school for women like herself to prepare them to become wives.  During the day, the school will teach art, literature and keeping gentlemen entertained at the dinner table.  However, at night, they will teach the art of seduction, the literature of Eros and keeping gentlemen entertained under the dinner table.  So she purchases the Pleasure Emporium, a former brothel and borrows money from her grandfather.  Within a month, she and her best friend Hester opens Countess Cavendish’s School for the Womanly Arts.  Since Countess Cavendish’s book is such a hit with the ton, she uses the name, hoping to draw more students. 

One of her students is Justine Hawkesworth, the sister of Captain Marshall Hawkesworth.  Marshall had managed to arrange a marriage between Justine and Herbert Stanton.  However, when Herbert sends a note calling off the wedding, questioning her morality and her character, Marshall blames the school.  When he appears at the school, the headmistress Athena mistakes him for someone applying for a position, giving the name of Mr. Marshall.  As he fills in as a lecturer on several subjects, including the sensual art of kissing, the two are drawn closer together.  Athena also has a newspaper reporter trying to bring to light everything that is going on at the school.  Will the reporter end up closing down the school in disgrace?  How will she feel when she finds out that Marshall is not who she thought he was?

WICKEDLY EVER AFTER is a scrumptiously sensual and delightfully witty historical romance.  Though Marshall is an upright captain, he shows his lighter side as he fills in at the school and he is astounded by the subject matter.  Normally, one would see Athena’s lighter side, but as headmistress, she tries to show Marshall her sterner personality.  I absolutely loved this story.  It is the first one I have read by Michelle Marcos, but I plan to remedy that situation.  Brimming with mystery, humor, witty repartee, an interesting plot, charismatic characters and intrigue, this book is a winner!  I look forward to reading Ms. Marcos’ future works as well as those she already has out.  I highly recommend WICKEDLY EVER AFTER to anyone looking for a terrific read.