seriously romantic: so wicked by melissa marino

so wicked is the most emotional of the bad behavior novels, in it marshall rawlins, aaron's best friend, and alexis bell, aaron's ex-wife meet again in san diego when alexis's bakery is unwittingly contracted as the baked goods supplier for ginger, marshall and aaron's new bar. marshall is unbelievably pissed to see alexis again, especially since she seems to be doing so well and all he can think of is aaron's heartbreak and the fact that delilah is growing up without her mother.

but there's always been another side to that story. and alexis lives with the consequences of her choices daily. the most salient is that if she had stayed with aaron she would have killed herself. she believes that being out of delilah's life is the best way to keep delilah safe. even if that feeling is completely irrational and untrue, it's alexis's reality.

at first, marshall isn't willing to see that alexis might have had her reasons for leaving. but this deep-seated attraction to her is an inconvenience that doesn't seem to be dissipating. and the more he finds he can't stay away, the more open he is to hearing alexis's story. when he does finally listen, he understands even if he doesn't really agree. and when he gives in to the attraction that has sparked between them, he makes the choice that he's not going to tell aaron. after all not only is he betraying his best friend by becoming friendly with his ex, he's making it even worse by sleeping with her.

aaron will be their biggest crisis. both marshall and alexis are adults who know exactly what they are feeling. they've experienced loss. they've made impossible choices. they've survived. and so when they fall in love, it's for keeps. together they'll keep their doubts and their crazy at bay. as always, communication is key. and both marshall and alexis are upfront and plainspoken, which makes them perfect for each other.

this series closes out on a high note. and manages to redeem alexis in a way that really works. her choices might not seem fathomable, but at the same time you get it. she didn't leave aaron and delilah behind because she didn't love them or she didn't care. she left them behind because she had no choice. because the alternative would have been worse.

**so wicked will publish on may 7, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press in exchange for my honest review.