Series Review: Wicked White by Michelle A. Valentine

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Wicked White Series

Synopsis for Wicked White (from Goodreads):
After his mother dies, rock star Ace White—lead singer of the red-hot band Wicked White—is done with the celebrity game. The phony people, the meaningless one-night stands: he doesn’t want any of it anymore. Quitting in the middle of a sold-out tour, Ace sets out to find some place—any place—where he can be alone.

Aspiring singer Iris Easton’s life has never been easy. First, her mother walked out on her when she was a kid. Now she’s buried in debt, weeks after losing her beloved grandmother. When a mysterious and sexy new guy moves in next door, Iris can’t help but be drawn to his soulful gaze. She can tell there’s something from his past haunting him—something he’s not telling her.

Just as Ace starts falling for Iris, the media go on a worldwide hunt to find the missing rocker. Will true love conquer all, or will the truth be the very thing that tears the couple apart?

Series: Wicked White
Author: Michelle A Valentine
# of Books: 3 (Wicked White, Wicked Reunion, Wicked Love)
Book Order: Connected but Companion
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Music
Heat Rating: Toasty
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Date: June 23, 2015 – May 31, 2016
Source & Format: Netgalley–eBook Thanks Amazon Publishing!

**This post was originally posted as a Fresh Friday review of the first book of the series. It has now been updated to include the newest publications in the series.**

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

While High Fantasy novels are my current Young Adult trend, rock-star romances are definitely my New Adult trend. So when I saw this book on Netgalley, I just had to request it.

I have Michelle A. Valentine’s Black Falcon series on my Kindle but haven’t managed to read it yet. I know that her other rock-star series have consistently high ratings so I was looking forward to Wicked White. Good guy rock-star in hiding? Yes please.

What I Liked:

-The Communication-

Iris and Ace share an insta-connection, but one that is based on mutual attraction. While their romance develops fast, I feel like we had enough time to learn why these characters were suited for each other. They definitely share a lot of common interests, views on life and a shared comradery over a rough childhood. But what I liked most of all is that they communicated with each other and shared their thoughts and feelings about their relationship. It’s just so refreshing to read about characters who aren’t consumed by the need to “work” on their physical relationship and actually spend time trying to get to know each other. So while things happen at a faster pace, I felt like there was still a solid foundation for a relationship to start from.

(Of course the communication between them only lasts so long before it becomes a plot device but nonetheless, when it comes to initiating their relationship it’s great!)

-Character Growth-

What I liked is that these characters not only develop their relationship together but they also mature on their own. Sometimes I think New Adult novels forget about the “growing up” aspect of the genre. Ace in particular really grows up throughout this novel and I liked that. And I like that Iris doesn’t become solely dependant on him either. They had a great balance to their relationships that made you want to root for them.

What I Didn’t Like:

-Happy-Go-Lucky Plot-

Everything in this book just happened wayyyy to easily for me. Nothing ever met resistance for very long and that made it a little boring at times. I guess I’m just use to lots of over the top drama with rockstars because of the other novels I read so I wanted that flare and dramatics. The problem (it’s not really a problem, perhaps it is an “issue”) is that Ace is a genuinely nice guy who doesn’t like the way he is presented to the world. He isn’t some sauve jack-ass and that is A-OK, believe me. It’s just that he isn’t like your typical rockstar so don’t expect your typical rockstar situations.

My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:

I have no idea what the next book is going to be about. I have some suspicions but I really don’t think they are right. I’m definitely curious to see what is going to happen next in this series!

–December 7, 2015– Book #2: Wicked Reunion

Normally, I’m not a fan of second chance romances. They are a little boring and are often predictable (I mean, I think we all know how they are going to end). But I have noticed lately, thanks to Bad Romeo, that I enjoy ones where we get scenes from both the past and the present. It gives a bit more suspense to the story and pushes you to find out what really happened to split these two apart. This book is one of those cases!

I thought the story was much more compelling and addicting. I wanted to know what happened and it helped me to see why these two belonged together.

The only flaw I find with this story is how the reunion comes to be. I suppose I wanted more dramatics between the two of them when they finally reunite. I wanted sparks to fly (and they did) and I wanted the dramatics (and there definitely were some)–but I really wanted them to FIGHT for their relationship. It seemed like a lot of “you’re here and I haven’t stopped thinking about you so lets do this”. But that didn’t really come across to me on Jared’s part. I was really disappointed in how he just didn’t put too much effort in when all was said and done. And that sucks because I could see why they would work thanks to the scenes from the past; but in the present 5 years later, I just needed a little more convincing.

Regardless, I really did enjoy their story and their character growth. This story was completely addicting and had me on the edge of my seat, trying to find out what was going to happen next. Definitely my favourite of the two books so far!

–May 9, 2016– Book #3: Wicked Love

Wicked Love had a lot of potential but it just fell flat to me in the end.

Part of the issue was the maturity of the characters. Avery had so much potential to have some great growth (especially with her self-esteem issues) but she is stilted by her immature views that are never matured as the story progresses. I cut her some slack considering she is only 18 or so when the story starts but I scratched my head in confusion a few times with some of her thoughts and actions. Tyler was only slightly better but these two both lacked the ability to think two steps ahead, only seeing the immediate future and not thinking any further than that. It was really frustrating to read because the logic was screaming out at me as I read but they were both oblivious to it.

I also didn’t realize that a majority (~70%) of the story is actually the retelling of their past. It establishes their relationship which is a cute story but these two failed to impress me with their thoughts and actions. When I picked up the book, I actually thought that it would focus more on their reunion and only allude to the past as they worked through their struggles. The last 30% or so does focus on their reunion but things just happen too easily and without any resistance. Like in the previous novels, the “happy-go-lucky” attitude prevents these characters from really maturing and developing because they never face any true conflict. I was really disappointed in how everything wraps up and I wanted more drama–especially when there was so much potential for said drama.

While this was an enjoyable read to pass the time, I wanted more from it.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Wicked White 3.5/5 | Wicked Reunion 4/5 | Wicked Love 3/5

This book was a refreshing take on the rockstar world. I really like that it humanizes celebrities and reminds readers that they are people too. I enjoyed watching Ace and Iris grow together and grow up throughout the novel. And while I didn’t find the drama to be anything scandalously juicy, it still kept my interest the entire time.

Read if You Like: celebrities finding love, nice guy celebrities, don’t want over the top dramatics
Avoid if You: dislike happy go lucky stories, want more passionate romance and dramatics