First off, I love the word scoundrel. It’s awesome and its use abounds in romance novels. So Miss Hillary is an incorrigible red head who is head strong and witty. She captures the eye of one of the most notorious scoundrels, Lord Andrew Forrest (who’s a super hottie, duh). Anyway, he pursues her thinking that she is just another of his many conquests, but realizes that her quick wit and fiery passion are enough to pluck him from a life of debauchery and deposit him into a happily married life. They face a bit of uncertainty and resistance from their families, but ultimately make a perfect match. A very sweet, cute read. This one didn't blow me away, but it was very sweet and I liked it. But... it was more of a fluff read. One that you enjoy while you read but forget after it's done. I was initially drawn by the blurb, which stated that for once a rake was bedded and left by the *woman*. I kept waiting for that to happen but it was not what I was lead to believe.Lana and Andrew started out very engaging. The stereotypical rake, Andrew read more as a caricature of the rake stereotype and was kind of one dimensional. I had higher hopes for Lana as she seemed spirited and independent. She was determined not to wed without love, but it was slightly hard to feel sorry for her not having found a husband after being out for only two years, being an heiress with a fortune and having a loving, fun family and friends. In fact, I was rooting for her *not* to marry as she had everything a girl could want and still be happy. I was encouraged by her initial disdain for Andrew, seeing him for the shallow playboy he was, but she soon proved to be all kinds of different tropes. She fell under his spell and alternately pushed him away while encouraging his attentions. In fact, this book had so many historical romance tropes, that I was starting to tic them off as I encountered them and even guessing ahead of time where I'd find them. I was not disappointed. After falling into bed with little to no protest from Lana (which was very unbelievable considering her station and the current society), Andrew finds himself in love with Lana and seeks to truly court her and convince her to marry him. His attempts to court her were sweet and endearing but seemed like such a radical change, I didn't completely buy.Abruptly, toward the end, we have a twist thrown into the story which jarringly created a conflict. Which was really the only conflict in the entire plot. I kept waiting for something to happen at the beginning and middle but kept getting Lana's jealousy and Andrew's fumbling and then they'd make up. Which occurred several times. Enough that I was a bit done by the whole process by the 3rd time. Added to that the sudden conflict and I was ready for them to finally marry so it'd be over. I did like the supporting cast but again, the one dimensional stereotypes plagued them all. The angry, slightly crazed mother. The angry brother. The perfect friends/in laws. The is-he-is-he-not crazy quasi suitor. The sad former widow lover. I think this is coming over as harsher than I intended but as I write this, I am thinking of all the things that I wanted this book to be. The premise was so intriguing, I bought this book on the blurb alone. I kept waiting for it to get better and I was briefly lead on by the fun, sweet dialog between Lana and Andrew at the beginning. But then it kinda stalls for me and runs into "meh" territory. I know that this is Ms. Grace's debut, and it shows, so I'm not completely done with her yet. I'm willing to give her next book a try and I'm hoping that as she matures as an author, her stories and characters gain more depth. This was more of a 2.5 for me but I'm willing to round up to 3 for the potential that I could see.Read on my Kindle. No formatting or editing errors found.
Do You like book Alçak Adam (2000)?
really good. loved the opening with lana's knickers. can't wait for the next one. ♠
—Caitlin
Didn't even get halfway through. The heroine was way too cutesy for me.
—miller
Luved this book cant wait to read the others from the series... lol
—priyakorivi
Refreshingly original twist on a typical regency romance, loved it
—mruiz
