Wicked Beautiful: Wicked Games, Book 1

This was yet another great read from J. T. Geissenger. After having her heart broken as a teenager, Victoria changes her identity and reinvents herself from a mousy no one to a confident, beautiful, self-proclaimed 'B' (use your imagination for what it stands for) with the help of hackers and plastic surgery. She makes a fortune empowering other women to embrace their inner 'B' to get what they want and to make no apologies for who they are. She is anti-relationship, settling for flings. When she goes with her food blogger friend into a top notch restaurant, she's completely floored to find that Parker, her ex, is not only living in her city, but is a highly successful entrepreneur with a string of investments and charity ventures as well as still being the drop-dead gorgeous heartbreaker he was in their teens. Without recognising Victoria due to a variety of reasons, Parker is up for the challenge she presents and pursues her, knowing straight away that he wants her in his life. However, the hurt both have suffered from their past puts a wall between them that Parker wants to break through. Victoria, on the other hand, uses her unknown identity to go after something much bigger: her revenge on the man who not only broke her heart, but was the chain reaction for a wrecking ball demolishing her life.I love how Victoria embraces the 'B' word and makes no apologies for being a strong, independent woman who owns her attitude. She plays the game and has made a successful writing and public speaking career off letting other women join in, too. She's forthright and borderline mean in some of things she does and says and I loved it, especially the little doses of reality and humour she dropped. The speeches and advice Victoria gives in this book were fabulous and I love that Geissenger has written yet another confident female lead that isn't a pushover. Gems such as 'I have heels bigger that his ****', 'The word aggressive is commonly only used in reference to rabid dogs, savage dictators, or a woman with an opinion' and 'There are few things less attractive than a woman who's a turncoat to her own gender' had me firmly on Team Victoria.Parker was hot and steamy, taking an active role in chasing Victoria. He showed vulnerability, willing to take a chance on love again and determined not to let this opportunity pass him by, believing his past love to be dead and wanting to finally move on. If I wasn't familiar with this author, I might have been feeling a bit stabby towards Parker as we're given the impression that he dumped Victoria without a word, after which she found out she was pregnant. If this has your blood boiling, hang in there because there's a decent explanation and Parker was likable for me throughout the entire book. He was a nice guy who made no secret of the fact that he'd lost the love of his life. There are some moments between them that are deliciously intense with great intimacy. If you're into dominating and possessive male leads that aren't gross tools, you should like Parker. He's alpha and takes charge in the bedroom, but was happy to be a partner to Victoria in everything else without being a pushover himself. Considering her Queen B role, the author did a great job balancing the strong personalities of the main characters. The secondary characters were also good and added to the story without taking it over.The story embraced a bit of instalove with a twist as they technically had met and been in love before but was also a second chance romance with a happy ending. Due to Victoria's secret former identity there was, of course, some angst and over the top plot elements throughout the story, but this author has such a great balance of good writing, great humour (especially sarcasm), drama, romance, witty banter and dialogue that it didn't worry me, nor leave me rolling my eyes.You can pretty much guess that with a hidden identity and the two former lovers meeting there's going to be some unbelievable moments, but it wasn't cheesy and you'll be able to make your own pretty accurate predictions about where the story's going to head. There were a couple of moments where Victoria, an extremely intelligent individual, made a couple of rookie errors when carrying out her act of revenge that I thought were a bit clumsy and out of character for her, but apart from that the plot went smoothly for me. The other point I'd highlight is that Parker's backstory was a bit extreme in a couple of parts and my eyebrows starting rising up, but I'll get over it because in the scheme of things, it didn't annoy me enough to take off a star.Overall, it was an entertaining read which is why J.T. Geissenger is a favourite of mine. While the story was over the top at times, it was a solid romance that was written well and had all the things I love in a story. I need to take a leaf out of Victoria's book at start writing a 'Hate with Every Fibre of My Being' list to add people to ;)

Another incredible book by Geissinger that I couldn't put down. Fun banter. Excellent story. Fun characters. I read so many parts to my s.o. because the main couple talks like us.Story 4/5Complexity 3/5Spice 4/5Did I find the story slightly predictable? Yes, but not in a way that made it unenjoyable. The spice was consistent and fun, but nothing too hot. I call it Tuesday Morning Spice (TMS). A welcome bonus, but not something to write home about.I do wish the epilogue had more, but that's okay. It just means I'll have to read the next book in the series.

Every book I have read from J.T. is just absolutely amazing. This book is by far my favorite. After every chapter, I had to continue to the next one. It was very difficult to go to bed because I had to keep reading. Can’t wait to read more!

Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse NuttallTo say I howled with laughter and was shocked to the core would be putting it mildly. What a gem of a read. My emotions ran riot in this tragic comedy-cum-love story with a difference. How on earth was I going to tackle this review would become a personal challenge. Never in a million years could I have wished to come across such an original storyline. Feeling sorry for the male protagonist who I might add, just happened to be the topping of a delicious cream pie... and regardless of his drop-dead lickable physique, just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In spite of the fact that he was in his domain, his safe haven and owner of the fashionable new restaurant, this player ruled par excellence. Both of the main characters crossed paths there and both are curious to find out who is who. Parker has a fleeting sense of deja vu, Victoria instantly recognises an old flame from her past causing no amount of mixed feelings. It was joy to read a story with so much angst and had me guessing throughout. And it's not an easy feat hiding your Kindle under the sheets in order not to disturb one's better half either. But I managed to and didn't put it down until the last page.Quote: Victoria ~ "It's Victoria to my friends. To you, Mr. Maxwell, it's Ms. Price."What Victoria Price has in mind is beyond cruel, but then again, she is the Queen Bitch. She uses her talent to perfection in a successful business selling 'bitchiness'. Her books are snapped like hot cakes, she lies like a trooper and the word guilt isn't in her dictionary. She wants vengeance with a capital V and will stop at nothing until she gets it. Tabitha, her personal assistant, dear friend and one of the few who know her boss' true story, is extremely good at her job which not only does she take seriously, but also gives Victoria her undying devotion. Discovering Victoria's nemesis' weaknesses will keep Tabitha on her toes and at times, I couldn't believe what lengths she was prepared to go to protect Victoria's secret. But this loveable soul with no dress sense whatsoever, slightly crazy... well, you'd have to be if you worked for someone so demanding, is also highly intelligent. Although I loved to hate the leading lady and some scenes made my blood boil, I just couldn't turn the pages quick enough. Why? Because I wanted to know what made her tick; how her modus operandi was going to affect her personally. However, as I read on, my opinion towards this hard-hearted person who preaches women's rights for reasons to be told, changed one hundred and eighty degrees. By now my worries became ten-fold. Would she be able to come out of what she had thought to be cannily construed...unscathed? Chapeau to the author here. The character development is quite incredible.Quote: Victoria ~ “You, my friend, are about to get royally screwed.”Playboy and philanthropist extraordinaire, Parker Maxwell is a man with the minimum of friends and lives for work. Having suffered in silence for years for his behaviour towards the one and only woman he'd ever loved, he has no plans to fall again. So why he becomes obsessed with one of the most elegant women he has ever set his eyes on intrigued me no end. I kept having little chats with him; alas, my words weren't what the author had had in mind for him. I loved his dry sense of humour, his debonair ways and hot in the bedroom, he most certainly is. But my heart broke into smithereens for this adorable man who had no idea that the player he thought he was, was not at all. Receiving the end of a cruel hand turns into what I had said before. A tragedy. So when I thought all had been lost, this story abounding in twists and turns has that glimmer of hope in a tunnel of lies, deception and reprisal.Quote: Parker ~ “You never fail to amaze me. When you let down your guard, Victoria, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.”Much to my delight, the secondary characters were outstanding. Victoria's best friend, Darcy, is larger than life in every aspect, and Kai Fürst, Parker's chef, had me in fits of laughter. Aside from Bailey who I didn't care for much; okay, she had her moments, I just couldn't find fault in this read which flows at an incredible pace. The ending had me in tears so get a hankie or two ready. Now then, the epilogue is amazeballs and made me incredibly happy. This book is definitely a must and believe you me, if you want a diverse one, this is for you. Bravo Ms. Geissinger.Quote: Darcy ~ “He's lucky I swore off chefs or I can guarantee I'd be making his skinny ass sing tonight.”ARC kindly received by via NetGalley for an honest review.

✔️ Dual POV (Victoria x Parker)✔️ Contemporary romance✔️ Set in NYC/Texas✔️ Tropes: Hidden identity; revenge; secret babyFor me, this book was probably a case of incorrect expectations. This is the first non-mafia romance I’ve read from J.T. Gessginer, and I was honestly expecting it to be another mafia romance from the cover.Victoria is set on destroying Parker’s life — but first she has to get close to him. Very close. The reader doesn’t learn why Victoria is set on revenge until more than halfway through the book. Until then, the plot felt incoherent and un-engaging. Some of J.T. Gessinger’s signature spicy scenes felt out of place in this non-mafia romance, and just didn’t work for me in this setting.Once the plot heated up, and the pieces fell together, the story was fast paced and fun.

Victoria is absolutely mean, and an awful character. And the final twist was so unrealistic. I liked 'Burn for you' that was the reason I bought this one, got to say I do regret a little bit.

First of all, thank you J.T Geissinger as I have been trying to find some original romance stories for a long while and on Saturday I read the blurb of Wicked Beautiful and decided to give it a go. And I loved it from beginning to end. I am a huge fan of second-chance romance (Persuasion by Jane Austen is one of my favourite novels) and I also love stories with heroines who change identity. So it's no wonder that I enjoyed this story so much. I immediately liked this strong and inspiring heroine, Victoria Price. Her 1st speech was really inspiring. I love all the scenes with Parker, the way they interact and their love scenes are beautifully written. Their story was an emotional rollercoaster. The book was beautifully written. The author managed to make me wonder about how their relationship could continue. I also love the other characters, Victoria's and Parker's friends and co-workers.I' ve just one minor issue, it's the fact that Parker didn't recognize Victoria' s voice or her Southern accent. It's difficult to change a voice. Even after many years of separation, Parker should have recogized her voice. And also her eyes but I guess that's ok for that, as she used to wear glasses.But all in all, it's a great romance.

Beautiful story, well written. Lot's of surprising turns. Now I really need to read all of her books!! It's addictive!

The heroine was awesome, so was the friend/assistant, whose story I cannot wait to read next ! The hero wasn't bad either as he wasn't the typical a-hole type. The story itself was nicely written with moments of laughter, sadness, shock and intrigue ! Seriously, a very well written book with the right amount of steamy scenes :)

Yet another amazing book by J.T.Geissinger... I must admit, when I first started reading, I wasn't sure if I was getting into it, but I knew that J.T always delivers fantastic books, and before I knew it, I was deeply involved in the lives of these amazing characters.I can't wait to read the next book in this series.