So Wicked is a standalone bad behavior novel by author Melissa Marino. This is the first book I have read in the bad behavior series, but that was perfectly fine because though there might be characters overlap if you read the books in order, each one acts a standalone novel.

So Wicked is a great read if you are looking for a forbidden relationship trope. Here we have a best friend and the friends ex-wife. Talk about dangerous haha. I enjoyed So Wicked, but something was holding me back from completely falling head over heels for any of the characters. I think that is the reason why I didn't rate it higher than 3 stars. Overall this was a good book, but it didn't knock my socks off. Hard for me to pin point exactly why that is.

I really loved this Melissa Marino story. The hero was alpha and the heroine was sassy. I felt they were well matched and I look forward to more from this author in the future. Full review to follow shortly.

4 stars

I really enjoyed reading So Wicked, it was one of those books you didn't want to put down.

The writing is well done, Alexis and Marshall were complicated characters that grew on me, they were entertaining and the chemistry between was smoking!

Overall, So Wicked is a good addition to the Bad Behavior series and I highly recommend it.

*A big thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy*

So Wicked takes place some time after the events of book two, it follows Aaron's best friend and business partner, Marshall, from Chicago to California opening a brand new bar. Marshall's idea to make the place stand out and be unique was to offer desserts that complimented the drinks he never expected the genius baker who made the delicious confections (I have to admit I would love to try some of them) is none other than Alexis, formerly known as Lexie, Aaron's ex-wife who abandoned her infant daughter. I didn't know what to expect with Alexis but her story when she finally comes out and admits everything to Marshall is so emotional and heart wrenching, she did have a good excuse but it could have been handled differently. This one is probably one of the easiest reads of three and Marshal is definitely the sexiest.

Once Marshall and Alexis get over the initial shock of oh god it's you and the anger that was there, they find themselves trying to ignore the attraction. Marshall has been attracted to her from the beginning but out of respect for Aaron's feeling on Lexie he never made his move. Even now his business relationship, brother like friendship with Aaron is keeping Marshall from acting on this attraction. Alexis has grown so much since she first meet Aaron and Marshal. Alexis is surprised to find the clean cut college boy has turned into a tattooed foul mouthed bad boy. Alexis liked Marshal before but now she finds him down right irresistible. Alexis however is dealing with not only her feelings for Marshall but also trying to overcome the guilt of her past. Only when they give in to each other do they both start dealing with it. Marshal however never told Aaron that Alexis was here let alone started a relationship with her so when he does show up unexpectedly tempers flare and harsh words are spoken.

Overall, as emotional as this book is it's probably one of the most emotionally grown up books with how they reacted and dealt with the problems. I liked that.

So Wicked is a tale that begins in irony and ends with forgiveness. Alexis and Aaron share a common thread. Alexis' ex is Aaron's best friend. Alexis is far from perfect. Her past is littered with the ghosts of her mistakes, but despite actions to the contrary, everyone deserves a second chance. She's still trying to earn hers. Aaron represents her worst fears and her greatest temptation. He's seen her at her worst. Judging and hating Lexie, doesn't stop him from, wanting her. Can he forgive her past, so that they can build a future?

Ms. Marino accomplished an epic feat. She took a character that was beyond redemption and reinvented her into a woman of strength. Her flaws were great, but her determination to become a better person made for a courageous, rocky and taboo filled road. So Wicked shows the bravery of two strong women. Gifted author, Melissa Marino for triumphantly winning over a skeptic like me. Lastly, Alexis for facing he demons and healing her soul.

So Wicked chronicles the romance of a truly forbidden couple, an ex-wife and best-friend, and the destruction she left behind when she fled.

The interesting part of both of these characters is how much they have changed in the years since they have last seen each other. Both abandoning high paying business oriented jobs and chasing their dreams, they feel they can see pieces of their old selves in each other but are so different then who they were. These differences allow each of them to look at the one in a new light, and their attraction to the new versions of themselves cannot be contained. Sure there is an attempt to stay loyal and not hurt others, but when thrown into situations where one reacts and not thinks, these two act on feelings and desires. As a reader, I didn't fault them for this or for chasing what make them happy.

This plot line is intriguing. Alexis causes a lot of damage when she flees, and realistically Marshall should want nothing to do with her. Business dealings, however, force his hand, but watching them both struggle with their feelings while trying to respect and honor the past is difficult, leaving the reader torn between wanting these two to go for it and holding back, similar to that of the characters. Readers will appreciate how the author develops the story and resolves it. She gives Marshall and Alexis their HEA while also honoring the other characters and the ending she gave them in previous books.

I found So Wicked to be well-written, engaging, and unique in the angle of the story she took. She is definitely an author I would read again, and this story is definitely worth a read.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the Blurb of So Wicked I just knew I had to read this story ,so when I got the chance to read this book early I was so excited and I dived into this story as soon as I possibly could and I loved it!

In this book we follow Alexis and Marshall and lets just say when these two meet again its not love at first site with hearts and rainbows , you see Alexis left her husband ( well now ex husband ) and her child six years ago and Marshall is her ex husband best friend so to say that this makes things complicated is putting it mildly, however Marshall is opening up a new bar and Alexis is a baker who makes excellent baked goods with alcohol in them so they put aside there difference for the most part and work together ,however as they closer and closer that attraction brewing between these two becomes something that neither of them can ignore . I love the romance in this book, there where so many times where I would be swooning over these two , it was sexy , it was fun and at the same time heartwarming.We got moments between them that made me want to fan my self and at the same time we also got to see them open up to each other and be vulnerable and I loved that .I felt that Melissa Marino wrote a perfect story for these characters , I love how everything came full circle , I love that everyone got the happiest ending possible . This book was just so so wickedly good( do you see what I did there? lol )

So Wicked was a sexy , emotional , heartwarming contemporary romance and I cannot wait to see what Melissa Marino writes next .If you love all these things in your stories I suggest you pick up a copy as soon as possible .

Received in exchange for a honest review.

I so wanted to not like Alexis but dangnabit I couldn’t She was fiesty, snarky, smart and fun. After what she did to Aaron and Delilah you want to growl at her. She messed up Aaron. but as we learn things aren’t always as they seem and in this book we see what really was going on.

Marshall is Aaron’s bestfriend and at one time was friends with Alexis so when she ends up coming into his bar to do business it was a shocker to say the least. I loved the initial reaction he had. He was understandable in his growliness. Overall though Marshall is a great character and so loyal and caring. He fought his feelings for Alexis from the beginning due to his friendship with Aaron. so when he finally does give in to the attraction and feelings for Alexis you know he didn’t do it lightly or without knowing that Alexis was more than a quick romp in the sheets.

Seeing the conflicted feelings of both Alexis and Marshall for each other was endearing. It shows the respect for the past and Aaron they have. It also shows they have grown since last seeing one another. It didn’t help their disposition with others but it does show their maturity. What I loved is we got to see the thoughts of both through the author writing in both their POVs. We see them be conflicted and work through it. We see the indecision of Alexis and how scared she was to open up to Marshall and we see how hard it was on Marshall to keep Alexis from Aaron.

The story had some fun snarky moments. Some great banter and really seductive moments. It shows us the deep bonds of friendship and how serious feelings must be to risk it all. We see the story of second chances and finding the one you are meant to be with and fighting for that. Marshall and Alexis are both strong stubborn characters who grew in the story and who loved one another fiercely. This is their seductive and alluring story and how Alexis finally comes to peace with her past and lets Marshall in and finds love and a future with him.

so wicked is the most emotional of the bad behavior novels, in it marshall rawlins, aaron's best friend, and alexis bell, aaron's ex-wife meet again in san diego when alexis's bakery is unwittingly contracted as the baked goods supplier for ginger, marshall and aaron's new bar. marshall is unbelievably pissed to see alexis again, especially since she seems to be doing so well and all he can think of is aaron's heartbreak and the fact that delilah is growing up without her mother.

but there's always been another side to that story. and alexis lives with the consequences of her choices daily. the most salient is that if she had stayed with aaron she would have killed herself. she believes that being out of delilah's life is the best way to keep delilah safe. even if that feeling is completely irrational and untrue, it's alexis's reality.

at first, marshall isn't willing to see that alexis might have had her reasons for leaving. but this deep-seated attraction to her is an inconvenience that doesn't seem to be dissipating. and the more he finds he can't stay away, the more open he is to hearing alexis's story. when he does finally listen, he understands even if he doesn't really agree. and when he gives in to the attraction that has sparked between them, he makes the choice that he's not going to tell aaron. after all not only is he betraying his best friend by becoming friendly with his ex, he's making it even worse by sleeping with her.

aaron will be their biggest crisis. both marshall and alexis are adults who know exactly what they are feeling. they've experienced loss. they've made impossible choices. they've survived. and so when they fall in love, it's for keeps. together they'll keep their doubts and their crazy at bay. as always, communication is key. and both marshall and alexis are upfront and plainspoken, which makes them perfect for each other.

this series closes out on a high note. and manages to redeem alexis in a way that really works. her choices might not seem fathomable, but at the same time you get it. she didn't leave aaron and delilah behind because she didn't love them or she didn't care. she left them behind because she had no choice. because the alternative would have been worse.

I read the first two books in the series but I couldn't force myself to continue. It's nothing against the author but her writing style isn't for me. I don't think it would be fair to read this book and possibly give it a low rating when I had mixed feelings about the other two books. Thank you for allowing me to receive review copies of each books.

This has to be the best book so far in this series.

I absolutely loved Marshall and Alexis. I can't say I loved them from the beginning though. Without giving away the story, Alexis is hiding from her past and the things that she is hiding from hit me hard at first. You read about some of these where it is generally not the heroine. However, I could not be happier that I gave this book a chance. From The moment Marshall and Alexis interact I knew j was going to love them. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are, but I couldn't wait to see how these two made it through the challenges.

This is an emotional, steamy, funny, and sweet story. I simply could not put it down. There is no doubt that Marshall and Alexis are my favorite couple. I can't wait to see what's next.

~ Jessica

Marshall has undertaken opening a new type of bar in San Luis Obispo, along with the much talked about sweets from a local baker being the focal point of new drink and dessert pairings. Unfortunately, when finally coming face to face with the baker he has entered into business with, he couldn't be more shocked at who walks in the door.

Alexis has completely changed her life since Marshall once knew her. Once a high powered investment banker, wife and mother, she left her entire former life behind and had never planned on revisiting it again.

With an unwanted and crazy attraction pulling them, Alexis and Marshall are wary of each other, and their old wounds have a way of popping up again and again.

I enjoyed this book. The writing was fantastic and the premise of the story was interesting and different. It has to be incredibly difficult for the author to build Alexis' character into someone you want good things for, but she definitely grows on you within the chapters of the story.

I wasn't feeling the attraction between Marshall and Alexis all that much, but the story itself kept me entertained and the characters themselves were very real and dealing with some deep issues, that it did not detract much from the story as a whole.

This was a deep, well written read, about redemption and starting over, and I loved how the characters come together in the end for a satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

How the author figured out how to make a character who we all disliked ... likeable shows real talent. She paired her with the unlikely past Best man of her wedding and business partner of her ex!
Both main characters were looking for a new start in business and each held the key for the other...
Deal with the Devil anyone...
But in the end it all came together with each of them realizing then belonged together.

The Bad Behavior series is a thought-provoking, emotional and romantic series, and Melissa Marino is an very talented author. Her writing truly gives life to the feelings and emotions on the pages, and the reader becomes a part of the story experiencing everything along the way. So Wicked is tough for me to read, but this is testament to Ms. Marino's ability to make fiction feel like reality. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I haven't read the other books in this series. This is a standalone but from reading the reviews of the other books you definitely get to to know some of the characters before reading this book. That being said it's obvious that Alexis was made out to be a villain in the other books. It's an interesting premise for sure and not one I've ever read before. The synopsis does not give the emotional level of this book justice. I wasn't expecting such a deep story. As a mother, I struggled with it at times. In the end, I thought it was a great story. The heroine goes through things in her life that I will never have any experience with and for that reason I tried to be understanding. I know I'm being cryptic but I don't want to give anything away. I feel like you can either love or hate this book. I ended up loving it. Everyone deserves a second chance and their own happy ending even if it may not be traditional. If you do take a chance on reading this book, just go in with an open mind. It's worth it! There's amazing chemistry between Alexis and Marshall even though it's forbidden. There are great secondary characters that bring a necessary and refreshing lightness to a pretty heavy plot.

So Wicked was a great second chance story with some forbidden romance thrown in. I loved the whole book and was surprised that the author was able to make us see a different side to Alexis and love by the end. I truly enjoyed this book and I hope to read more of this author's work in the future.

Alexis leaves Chicago behind hoping for a quieter life, one with little drama and no trouble lurking, but she soon learns that her wish, may come with some complications. Complications in the form of a sexy forbidden business man, who knows all her secrets, but also may hold the keys to her success as a baker. Even though he knows her past he is still willing to make her an offer, one that is sure to test boundaries and lead them down a path of trouble. Now she must decide if the success she craves is worth the trouble...

Marshall Rawlins moves across the country to try his hand at running an upscale cocktail bar, but he needs to find that extra special little thing to set him apart from his competitors, and when he discovers these boozy little treats he knows they are just what he is looking for, but the problem is he would have to make a deal with the devil in order to get them. The devil being his best friend and business partner's ex-wife Alexis, he despises the woman, but he knows her treats are too good of a thing to pass on, so he makes her a deal full well knowing it could lead him down a path of trouble. And once the deal is made, the sparks start flying and these two find themselves involved in a forbidden affair that neither one is ready to walk away from...

I had my reservations about this one, mainly the making the villain a likeable heroine part, but I have to say it didn't take me long to come around and start to see her in a different light. Knowing her history I wasn't sure I would be able to let go of my distaste for her, but she found a way to sneak past my defenses and redeem herself, and by the end I found myself in her corner. The more I learned about her the more I began to understand her previous choices, and began to see a woman very deserving of a second chance, and without giving too much away I will just say I was pleased with how it ended. I highly recommend this one, it's a story of second chances with some forbidden romance mixed in here and there, and it made for one heck of a literary escape!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

So Wicked is book #3 in the Bad Behavior series by Melissa Marino. I actually started with book #2, So Screwed and absolutely 100% fell in love! The series has everything, fun, drama, sassy woman, hot as hell men, you get the picture. I’ll be honest though, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to read this story. How do you take the one woman who has been made to be such a god awful person in the previous books and make her LOVABLE???? AND on top of all of it, add in Aaron’s best friend, Marshall??
Well, Melissa Marino, I have to say that you wrote them FLAWLESSLY.
Alexis has moved from Chicago to escape the husband, child, job she left behind because of her demons. Alexis now has a successful bakery that she absolutely adores and that has given her soul a bit of peace with her past. With a new cocktail bar opening up in the area, Alexis will be working with them to provide her pastries to pair with the drinks.
Marshall is the owner of the cocktail bar and best friend of Alexis’ ex-husband Aaron. He had no idea who was running the bakery business he is now partnering with and is not too happy about it when he finds out it’s Alexis. However, Marshall knows her pastries are a fit for his business and chooses to keep Aaron, who is part owner, out of the loop for the time being. He’s just not sure how all it will work, especially when she’s the one who destroyed his best friend. For years. How do you get over that?
When Marshall and Alexis first meet after all these years, I really wanted to continue to hate her. I mean, she up and left her family! Her child! But when the demons start to show up again, I felt nothing but pure empathy for Alexis. The way Marshall just couldn’t fathom what she did and why and the way he spoke to her, while I understand completely, it utterly broke my heart. Everyone has a story to tell regardless of what you believe or have heard. When Alexis told hers, I broke. It was the most gut wrenching thing I have read and no longer was she the evil woman from the past. She was just a woman, trying to make a life for herself.
Will Alexis and Marshall be able to work together? Can this attraction between them be something they can act on with their past? What happens when Aaron finds out about them?
This was one of the best series I have ever read, hands down. I just cannot say enough about this story. The way everything played out, the demons that were unleashed and the ending? Get your Kleenex ready. It’s beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of!

I first have to give mad props to the huge ladyballs it took for Melissa Marino to even attempt this book. To make someone who's been villainized because of her behavior in previous books lovable? That takes talent, folks. Major talent. I honestly wasn't sure how I'd feel about reading this. I texted Melly about five minutes after starting an all caps question about her choice of love interest for Marshall. I mean..Marshall, Aaron's best friend. His brother from another mother. And Lexie. The ex-wife. The one who walked away from both Aaron <i>and</i> Delilah when she was a baby. How could I even begin to like her, let alone adore her? Melissa made it happen. She worked her magic. She created a wonderful story about two people who were just plain meant to be together, despite the huge odds stacked against them. I was so happy with their growing romance, with the conflict, and with the very sweet ending. I can't wait to see what Marino has in store for readers next!!

How can Marshall end up with his best friend's ex who left him and their daughter? I don't care the excuse she has, it is not right. I was so looking forward to this book too!