Most books are neither good nor bad. They fall somewhere in the middle, and are best described as “okay” or “eh.” Too Wicked to Love is one of those books. There’s not much that’s disagreeable about it; it just lacks any spark that makes it stand out among the multitudes of historical romances on the shelves.

This book picks up where Tempting a Proper Lady left off, and the events of this book depend heavily on what happened in that novel. The previous hero and heroine are off on their honeymoon, leaving their friends and family to go off to a house party in the country. Even though Samuel eventually married another woman, his former fiancé Annabelle Bailey is still in danger from the man who kidnapped her. Sam asks his friend John Ready to be her bodyguard. John is not who he appears to be; seven years ago, he fled England and the shadow of the gallows to live in America, where he met his good friend Sam and adopted his new identity.

Annabelle may be under John’s protection, but she’s not the only one he has his eye on. Annabelle’s friend Genny Wallington-Willis is actually something of a thorn in his side. She keeps thinking the worst of him, but despite this they are each feeling an impossible attraction. It becomes clear, though, that John’s enemy and Annabelle’s would-be kidnapper is not done with wreaking havoc on their lives, and John may have to reveal his true identity to protect his nieces from a terrible guardian.

Without the events of the previous novel, not much of this book’s plot would make sense. As I did not read Tempting a Proper Lady, I spent a fair amount of time in vague confusion. It came together and wasn’t an insurmountable hurdle, but there certainly were moments that I felt disoriented.

While Genny and John’s relationship has passion, it isn’t particularly logical or, unfortunately, believable. While genuine affection does develop between them, it does so much after the declarations occur. Genny does some silly things, sometimes TSTL and sometimes understandable but all ill-advised. I still can’t get over the scene, though, in which she confronts John, believing him to be a thief, only to find that he is sneaking not jewels or silver but a kitten. A kitten, for God’s sake. A kitten he named Precious. This is one of those things that could have worked if the characters had acknowledged the ridiculousness of this but it was all done with a very straight face.

Despite the fact that this book has a lot happening — kidnapping attempts, lecherous guardians, secret identities, potential hangings, and a seven-year-old murder mystery — it all comes together into a story that is, ultimately, forgettable. Details got hazy much faster than usual, and even as I wrote this review I tended to mix it up with the book I started after. Don’t worry, I went back and refreshed my memory, but should that really be necessary within forty-eight hours of reading a book?

Too Wicked to Love isn’t bad, as I said earlier. It entertained me as I read it. But in the end, the “meh” factor outweighed the enjoyment factor.