Review: The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne by Jayne Fresina

This is the blurb on the back of the book "By night Ellie Vyne fleeces unsuspecting aristocrats as the dashing Count de Bonneville. By day she avoids her sisters' matchmaking attempts and dreams up inventive insults to hurl at her childhood nemesis, the arrogant, far-too-handsome-for-his-own-good, James Hartley.

James finally has a lead on the villainous, thieving Count, tracking him to a shady inn. He bursts in on none other than "that Vyne woman"...in a shocking state of dishabille. Convinced she is the Count's mistress, James decides it's best to keep your enemies close. Very close." This sums up the first few pages of the book. The story is much, much more than that little blurb on the back of the book.

Ellie doesn't spend much time being a thief or fleecing aristocrats in the book. That is sorta her backstory that we just know about more than we see in action. James Hartley is after the Count de Bonneville because his mistress has given the Count the Hartley diamonds and he needs them back. Hartley spends most of his time trying to find the elusive Count. Most of the story happens while traveling to their childhood home place.

Just thought I should let you know, if you are looking for a book like Connie Brockway's All Through the NIght, where the heroine lives in two different worlds - this isn't really it. This book is light hearted, hilarious in parts, and doesn't take itself too seriously yet finds an emotional depth that is refreshing and genuine.

I loved James Hartley. At first, I couldn't figure out his character. He has a lot of internal dialog going on that is blustery and feathery and seems shallow at first but then I realized his actions were deep, soulful and in contrast to what he says a lot of the time. As he puts it "Most people expected him to be full of charm twenty- four hours a day, and it was a terrible burden. As Grieves, his valet, had dryly observed: this was the dark side to being an Infamous Rake— the valet’s description, not his. But James was not in the mood tonight to chat and flirt with her. Whoever she was. The last thing he wanted was to entertain a strange woman and cheer her out of a bad mood or tears or a headache." pg. 2 Yet, he finds himself doing this often and is very good at being a good listener and partner. 

I loved the valet, Grieves. I really enjoy books where the valet has an influence in the hero's life and is more like a mentor and coach. What I like about Grieves is that somehow he does what he is supposed to do as a valet and yet somehow still gets his message across to Hartley without being insubordinate. One of my favorite parts is when Hartley supposedly loses his memory and thinks he's the valet. Grieves encourages his role to his maximum advantage. Quite funny.

I loved Lady Mercy Danforth. The child is bratty, speaks her mind and looks down on others. I loved it! We meet her as she is hiding in Jame's carriage trying to get him to run away with her to "Gretna's Greens." There are plenty of novels where the children are either perfect and know more than the adults in the book or they are serious/scared/shy characters that need to learn to trust. Mercy Danforth is neither of these, She shows a lot of growth in this book and it is fun to watch. 

And finally, I loved Ellie Vyne. Hartley calls her Vyne most of the time. Like he's quietly interoggating her each time he says her name. I really liked that he didn't call her lady or madam or duchess, etc. She was just Vyne to him for most of the book. Ellie has a super sharp wit and is a quick thinker. When Hartley finds her "in bed" with the Count, she is so smart and quick on her feet. Literally! She is also dedicated to helping her family even though they don't return the sentiment and see her as a drain on the good family name.

There is a lot to like in this book and depth in a short period of time. I liked all the characters and enjoyed the pace of the book. It didn't drag on and on yet it didn't rush developing the characters either. This is the first book I have read by Jayne Fresina and I can't wait to read her other works. 

The Wicked Wedding of Miss Ellie Vyne rating: 7 out of 10