ARC Review: What a Wallflower Wants [Bad Boys & Wallflowers, book 3]

Title:       What a Wallflower Wants [Bad Boys & Wallflowers, book 3]
Author:   Maya Rodale
Rating:   ★★★
*Unedited ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

I have mentioned in my review of The Wicked Wallflower that Maya Rodale has become one of my go-to authors. Sadly, with my reading of the second book in the series, my enthusiasm was somewhat dampened. But ever the optimist, I told myself, maybe the third book will be better!

In the third novel in Maya Rodale's charming Wallflower series, London's Least Likely to Be Caught in a Compromising Position finds temptation in a devilishly handsome stranger . . .

Miss Prudence Merryweather Payton has a secret.Everyone knows that she's the only graduate from her finishing school to remain unwed on her fourth season—but no one knows why. With her romantic illusions shattered after being compromised against her will, Prudence accepts a proposal even though her betrothed is not exactly a knight in shining armor. When he cowardly pushes her out of their stagecoach to divert a highwayman, she vows never to trust another man again.

John Roark, Viscount Castleton, is nobody's hero. He's a blue-eyed charmer with a mysterious past and ambitious plans for his future—that do not include a wife. When he finds himself stranded at a country inn with a captivating young woman, a delicate dance of seduction ensues. He knows he should keep his distance. And he definitely shouldn't start falling in love with her. When Prudence's dark past comes back to haunt her, John must protect her—even though he risks revealing his own secrets that could destroy his future.

Maybe it's the fact that it's an unedited proof when I read it. This experience has made me become wary of ARCs, to tell you the truth. I am very enthusiastic about reading a series, and I'm supportive of several books, especially if you managed to catch my attention with one book. But reading an unedited proof just challenged my love for the story.

Grammar-wise, I didn't find much fault with it. My problems were with the writing and flow of the story. The writing felt disjointed and jarring. I felt like the story didn't flow as smoothly as I expected it to. But again, since this is an unedited ARC, I'm hoping that it will be thoroughly edited before its release.

Another part I didn't like about What a Wallflower Wants is the really bad case of insta-love. It was like oh there's a damsel in distress. Oh, the damsel in distress is alluring. Oh, I think I'm in love with the damsel. And I was like...*crickets*. Whut?

However, the characters are its redeeming quality. I liked Prudence, and how she pushed herself to survive. Her reaction to what happened to her was very realistic. I especially liked John Roark's protectiveness. I never had a big brother, and I only experienced having 'brothers' in the form of friends during college. My experience with overbearing protective men came from them, though, and I think it's perfectly lovely. Hehe. The twist about John Roark was unexpected, but not so surprising, though.

I feel really bad about giving a not-so-positive review because I was so excited to request this from the publisher, via Edelweiss, and Maya Rodale has got me excited with her first book in the series. But that's my take on the unedited ARC of What a Wallflower Wants. But since The Wicked Wallflower was so thrilling, I'm still holding out hope that with editing, the book can still be improved before its release.

How about you, blogger? What do you do if you requested an ARC and didn't enjoy it as much as you thought you would?