Wicked by Bianca Cole

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My step-dad is as wicked as they come, and he wants to claim me. Three months after Mom married Remy Morrone, she’s killed by his enemy.
Leaving me at the mercy of my step-dad.
A cold, ruthless, and wicked man who decides I’ll make good money at auction.

I make a wish for Prince Charming to buy me and whisk me away.
And at a pre-auction dinner, I meet him.
Alex Vishekov is sweet and charming, and he vows to rescue me.

My step-dad doesn’t like it.
He keeps looking at me in the most primal way.
And then everything changes.
He calls it off and tells me I’m his.

Remy will have me, no matter how wrong that is.
I wished for my Prince Charming to save me.
Instead, I’m being claimed by my villainous step-daddy.
But perhaps I’ve got it all wrong.

What if the prince is actually the villain, and my wicked step-daddy is my knight in shining armor?

Wicked Words, Wicked Men, Wickedly Good Narration

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🩷💚❤️💙
Spice/Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂😁😛
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Duet Narration

Character backgrounds and Plot Summary

The story opens with Ella ten years in the past as she waits for her father to return before her twelfth birthday. She senses something is wrong the moment he leaves, not only because he has never missed a birthday, but because his promise to return soon feels like a lie she can already feel in her bones. Her mother forces her father to work for dangerous people so she can maintain her lavish lifestyle, and even she seems unsettled by his sudden trip. On the morning of Ella’s birthday, she runs downstairs and finds two police officers in the living room. They inform her that her father has been murdered and that her mother must go identify his body. Ella is advised not to go because his injuries are too severe.

In the present day, Ella’s mother is moving her to Chicago to live with her new husband, a man she met only days earlier. Ella is twenty-one, but her mother still controls her life because she acted as Ella’s agent when Ella published a hit novel and now controls all the money. Remy Morrone, the new stepfather, has five children, though only two of his sons, Luca and Leo, still live at home. Remy appears to be around forty, tall, handsome, and intimidating. His sons are also tall, handsome, and older than twenty-one. Ella worries they will not like her.

Ella tells her new family that she loves reading and is working on her second novel. They assure her she will get along with her stepsisters Camilla and Mia. Remy quickly shuts down her excitement by telling her that now that she is part of the Morrone family, she will behave like one. According to him, Morrone women do not write books. They focus on becoming good wives to the husbands chosen for them. Ella is shocked to learn that her mother never told her who the Morrones really are. They run criminal businesses, the same kind of people responsible for her father’s death. She is told she will be obedient and will marry whoever the family selects.

Remy recently recovered from cancer and married Ella’s mother Erin in Las Vegas. He did not tell his family about the marriage until Erin and Ella arrived at the mansion. The moment he sees Ella, he realizes he made a mistake. He is instantly attracted to her, and so are his sons. His oldest son Mossimo took over as don when Remy was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Although Remy offers to take back the position, Mossimo is thriving in the role.

Remy begins mistreating Ella because he fears that if he does not push her away, he will act on his desire for her. Erin changes as soon as she becomes his wife. She no longer shares his bed, frequently disappears from the house, and ignores his warnings about needing guards for her safety. When Erin is found brutally murdered in Las Vegas, Remy panics about what to do with Ella. He decides to auction her off in an arranged marriage to whichever mafia family offers the highest price. When the auction arrives, Remy cannot bring himself to let her go to Alex Vishekov, who presents himself as her charming savior. Instead, Remy cancels the auction and decides to keep Ella for himself.

Highlights

One of the strongest aspects of Wicked is its bold and taboo premise. The story does not shy away from forbidden romance and places Ella directly in the path of a morally gray stepfather figure whose presence creates constant tension. The themes of captivity, auction, and forced marriage give the plot a sense of urgency that keeps the reader engaged.

The moral ambiguity of the characters is another standout feature. The book challenges the idea of a traditional hero by blurring the line between villain and protector. The contrast between Remy and Alex Vishekov plays into the prince versus villain dynamic and encourages readers to question who truly has Ella’s best interests at heart. This psychological tension adds depth to the story.

The novel also delivers on genre expectations with fast pacing, emotional intensity, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Fans of dark romance with explicit themes, possessive antiheroes, and dramatic twists will find plenty to enjoy. Although part of a series, the book works well as a standalone.

Limitations

The same elements that make Wicked compelling can also limit its appeal. The taboo themes, especially the stepfather and stepdaughter dynamic and the extreme power imbalance, may be triggering or uncomfortable for some readers. The story embraces dark subject matter without hesitation, which can overshadow emotional nuance for those who prefer more grounded romance.

For me, the stepfather and stepdaughter dynamic was not as disturbing as the significant age gap. Remy is in his fifties, even though he looks younger, and Ella is twenty-one. That is a large gap, and even if he appears youthful now, time will eventually catch up to him. What truly bothered me was the use of the word “daddy” once their relationship turned intimate. That is something I strongly dislike, and it immediately pulled me out of the story.

Another limitation is the lack of realism in the emotional development. The relationships are driven by intense attraction, dominance, and survival rather than slow growth or layered connection. Readers who prefer slow burn romance or deeper emotional arcs may find the progression rushed.

The narrative also relies heavily on familiar dark romance tropes such as possessive heroes, captivity, and dramatic twists. While the inversion of certain archetypes adds interest, seasoned readers of the genre may find parts of the story predictable.

Narration

Performed by Teddy Hamilton and Michelle Sparks, Wicked is the third book in the series, with each installment featuring a different pair of narrators for each couple. The duet narration format enhances the experience and fits the dark tone of the story perfectly. Teddy Hamilton and Michelle Sparks are both exceptional performers. They handle multiple character voices with ease and deliver expressive, emotionally charged performances that elevate the material. Their work adds depth and intensity to the story and makes the audiobook especially enjoyable.

Final Opinion

Wicked is a bold, provocative, and emotionally charged dark mafia romance that leans fully into its taboo themes. It offers high tension, fast pacing, and strong narration that brings the characters to life. While the age gap, the stepfather dynamic, and certain tropes may be off-putting for some listeners, fans of intense, morally gray romance will find it gripping and memorable. The audiobook format, especially with this narrator pairing, makes the experience even stronger and is likely the best way to enjoy this story.

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