It’s hard to beat the Wickeds and the Whiskeys when it comes to hot, strong, protective marshmallow men. Tobias Riggs does it though, he’s right up there with them all. This is especially obvious because the protective nature of the Wicked brothers comes out to play big time in this story and they drastically overstep, causing a huge rift in the family when Madigan calls them out on their behavior.

Tobias made a mistake in his past while trying to protect a loved one. It has made him an even bigger marshmallow, he is so very careful about keeping his temper under control in all situations. It’s not that he’s no longer overprotective, but he knows the ramifications of letting those feelings get the better of him and he’s a better man for that restraint. It’s no wonder Madigan falls head over heels for the guy. Although they do have a rough start, their chemistry cannot be denied for very long.

While I adore this author and this series, as well as the bigger Love in Bloom series, there is often too much trying to explain the back story of some characters that make the text clunky. It’s always nice to catch up with old characters from past stories, but not at the expense of the flow of the current story. I know a lot of that is to help readers who are new to the Love in Bloom universe, but in my opinion, the oversharing could scare away new fans. The main character of one book can be in a group of people without the reader having to know who each person is in the great scheme of things. It is causing me to downgrade this story’s rating a bit as I felt it got in the way.

Other than the rambling that was not needed, this story is amazing. It has a ton of heat and excitement but also gives so many aspects of what family means and how we can love our family and not like them at times. Madigan has to set boundaries with her brothers and cousins and Tobias has to forgive himself and try to make amends with his sister. Both need to learn how to share things they find shameful to find the trust needed to sustain the love they have for each other.

You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.

The Wicked Truth takes us back to Bayside and the Wicked family. This one focuses on Madigan (Mads). While working a singing gig one night, she meets Tobias who insults how she sang a song, but she's still intrigued by him. Even though they initially try to stay apart, they keep thinking about the other and soon are in a relationship. But Tobias is hiding a secret that is bound to come out. What will happen when Mads brothers blast the secret wide open? Will Mads ever forgive Tobias and her brothers?

I love Madigan and how almost everything she does is for the well-being of others and not herself. Even when she felt betrayed by Tobias, she still worried about his well-being. And while Tobias should have told Madigan his secret, he was right about the type of relationship they had at the time. I love how protective and loving the whole family is and how they just folded Tobias and his family into theirs. Of course, they fight like all families do, but they do it out of love and it really shines through in these stories.