Loretta Chase - Don't Tempt Me

Spunky English girl overcomes impossible odds and outsmarts heathen villains.
That's the headline when Zoe Lexham returns to England. After twelve years in the exotic east, she's shockingly adept in the sensual arts. She knows everything a young lady shouldn't and nothing she ought to know. She's a walking scandal, with no hope of a future . . . unless someone can civilize her.
Lucien de Grey, the Duke of Marchmont, is no knight in shining armor. He's cynical, easily bored, and dangerous to women. He charms, seduces, and leaves them—with parting gifts of expensive jewelry to dry their tears. But good looks, combined with money and rank, makes him welcome everywhere. The most popular bachelor in the Beau Monde can easily save Zoe's risqué reputation . . . if the wayward beauty doesn't lead him into temptation, and a passion that could ruin them both.

Comment: Last month I've read the first book in the Fallen Women duology and it was the book I liked the least by this author so far. Nevertheless, already having this one I've decided to read it anyway because it would obviously be different, even though the focus was on yet another "fallen" heroine, theme I don't tend to enjoy but, you know, always hopeful authors do magic!

In this story we meet Lucien, the duke of Montgomery, and he is a well respected and admired man in society, but his life feels very lonely because he has lost his family. The person he admires the most is lord Lexham, the man who was friend of his parents and who helped him after each loss. That man also had a terrible loss, for during an ill-advised tour in the Mediterranean at a time of instability and war, his 12 year old youngest daughter Zoe was taken and he could not get her back. Throughout the following 12 years many young women came to him claiming they were his lost daughter but every time it was a deceit. Until now, when the "harem girl" as the press calls her, has showed up saying she is Zoe. Lucien decides to visit the Lexhams, clearly all in an uproar, to verify for himself, a duty he takes seriously as his obligation to the man he respects immensely but he is as surprised as everyone to see she is indeed Zoe... but she isn't the same childhood friend of before, she is changed....but isn't Lucien as well?

I did like this story better than the other one in the duology. That is simply due to the fact the main couple in this story is much more fascinating and compelling, which made the adventures they face easier to read and not as difficult to sympathize with, as opposed to the other book where I always kept a certain distance between what I was thinking and what the scenes supposedly would evoke.

Clearly, the main theme here is how Zoe, a very young girl at the time, was "sold" by servant and became part of the harem of the ruler of that region, since her white skin and blond hair were so exotic. Afterwards, she was given as a second wife to the ruler's son but somehow his illness stopped him from raping her as it would probably happen otherwise. For all those years, knowingly a caged slave, Zoe has plotted her escape and when the opportunity came, she used it and risked death to find freedom. That is how she arrived in England again, found her family who never forgot her but, of course, society is ready to label her s fallen for the kind of existence she was forced to have.

I actually thought we would have much more emphasis on this and perhaps Zoe would share a lot more than she does about her life in the harem. I can only guess this wasn't so to allow the author to focus things on the romance or on Zoe's adaptation to English society but the hints here and there about this experience sometimes feel a little too simple. Also, I should say the author's writing style is more along the lines of "amusing historical" so the idea was to let us see the characters face issues and reach happiness in a more unassuming way (as opposed to lots of drama, I mean).

The family and Lucien decide the best way for society to welcome Zoe again is to have the royals' approval, therefore Zoe will have to be presented to Queen Charlotte, who has recently lost a daughter. When Zoe is presented, somehow everyone sees in her the spirit and the courage so often seen in the deceased princess and that, apparently, helps Zoe being accepted, but before that, of course plenty of silly things happen to Zoe and Lucien and after each misstep and/or adventure, not only does the family need acceptance for Zoe more than ever, but Zoe and Lucien become even closer than they used to be as children, thus reinforcing their bond and current feelings. 

The romance is the most obvious trademark style of the author. Quirky characters doing things that probably would be seen by others as too crazy or unlikely but their personality and name dismiss a lot of the doubts. The more they interact, the closer they get, especially since it becomes clear their relationship would further help Zoe's place among the ton and at some point it becomes easier to assume they will be a married couple. Of course their romance is cute and adorable and with many moments where we can just know they had always been destined to be together.

Not a lot is discussed about their pasts and their losses but the author is very good at letting things be said in such a way, one just infers and understands things between the lines. After the protagonist marry and things seem to be finally over, in terms of how Zoe will have a place in society, I assumed perhaps the story would end but the author inserted another plot point and Zoe and Lucien further deepen their bond by uniting forces to deal with a certain domestic issue... I confess I don't remember this subject being part of many historical romances but it was an interesting addition for certain.

I liked this story but although it was so much better for me than the other one, it still didn't reach the almost perfection levels of the ones I adored. However, I feel much more confident in reading more and next year I will try to read another series by the author.

Grade: 7/10

Loretta Chase - Your Scandalous Ways

James Cordier is all blue blood and entirely dangerous. He's a master of disguise, a brilliant thief, a first-class lover--all for King and Country--and, by gad, he's so weary of it. His last mission is to acquire a packet of incriminating letters from one notorious woman. Then he can return to London and meet sweet-natured heiresses--not adventuresses and fallen women.Francesca Bonnard has weathered heartbreak, scorn, and scandal. She's independent, happy, and definitely fallen; and she's learned that gentlemen are more trouble than they're worth. She can also see that her wildly attractive new neighbor is bad news.But as bad as James is, there are others far worse also searching for Francesca's letters. And suddenly nothing is simple--especially the nearly incendiary chemistry between the two most jaded, sinful souls in Europe. And just as suddenly, risking everything may be worth the prize.

Comment: This is the first story in the duology "Fallen Women" by Loretta Chase and the 10th book total that I have read by her. By now I'm used to her style and vibe, so I was looking for to enjoy this one as well, but it turned out I didn't find this one as great.

In this book we meet James Cordier, the younger son in an aristocratic family who also happens to be a spy for the Crown. In his latest mission he has to apprehend a set of letters owned by the infamous courtesan Francesca Bonnard, who used to be married to an English peer but after their divorce she went to the Continent and has had quite a successful career there. Currently in Venice, in the company of princes and the demimonde too, James must get the letters for Bonnard is rumored to be a traitor and those letters his ex wife has could prove it. However, neither James nor Francesca would ever guess their personalities could be such a perfect match and James didn't think it would be this hard to go through one more job...

The simple idea of this novel has all the ingredients to be a good one, especially for those who like the adventures and larger than life characters in the author's work. Sadly, for me, I wasn't as delighted as I'd have liked because call me puritan, but Francesca's courtesan life was of no appeal to me whatsoever. Of course she doesn't remain so after she meets James and falls for him and vice-versa, but the vibe just wasn't there from the start and I couldn't concentrate on the plot, not being a fan of her occupation...

I might be unfair, after all Francesca chose her profession and she likes the current freedom provided by it but even though I don't wish she were an innocent, I just didn't find much to connect with her and her feelings for James as the story develop happen too quickly -she says so herself. Everything was happening in a flamboyant style, from the characters' actions to their lifestyle to how they would interact. The romance, which I always look for to see how it develops also felt too quick and convenient, considering how they met and the fact James was, at first, playing a role.

Some details were good, I liked the fact both James and Francesca were clever and had morals, even if those didn't pertain to what they saw as a job or as an entitlement to their position in life. James is a younger son but his family is well and at the end he even shares some information on some of them to Francesca, so apart from a sense of duty and adventure, I probably didn't pay attention as to why he had to be a spy.

As for Francesca, she is still a woman with dreams at heart and she is sensitive still despite her disappointing marriage, this obviously endeared her to me quite well, otherwise I might not have enjoyed the story at all, but I didn't like her as much as I imagined.

The romance could have been better, to me. I don't feel as interested in James and Francesca as individuals, so their relationship didn't feel as special either, compared with couples from other books. There were moments they felt like a caricature and not a possible real person. Of course this is fiction, that is the point, but for me part of the fun is to imagine them and what they do in my head and with these two it just felt like they were exaggerated versions of whom they wanted to embody.

Still, the banter between them provides good moments, some scenes were amusing and fun to imagine and the author's style is visible in practically every page. 

I wasn't too fond of the villain's POV, though. 

The descriptions of Venice and the places the characters saw or attended seemed realistic enough and as a whole, the elements surrounding the main characters felt as I'd expect from a book by this author.

All things considered, I feel a little sad this wasn't as magical to me as the ones I've loved by this author. I'll keep on reading her work, and hopefully it's just a one time impression.

Grade: 5/10

Loretta Chase - Last Night's Scandal

After surviving the perils of Egypt, Peregrine Dalmay, Earl of Lisle is back in London, facing the most dire threat of all: his irrational family....and Miss Olivia Wingate-Carsington. A descendent of notorious—but very aristocratic—swindlers, the delectable redhead has the ability to completely unhinge him, and a long history of dragging him into her scandalous schemes.
Olivia may be Society's darling, but she's aware a respectable future looms menacingly. And so when Lisle is forced to go on a family mission, she sees this as the perfect chance for one last adventure—even if it is with the one man in the world she can't wrap around her finger: but really, she only wants to help…
Which is why Lisle and Olivia find themselves in a gloomy Scottish castle inhabited by spiteful ghosts and craven murderers...and a shocking secret: the greatest peril of all may be burning within their own stubborn hearts.

Comment: This is the last installment in the Carsington brothers series, although none of the protagonists is a Carsington sibling. However, they are familiar characters, for they were an integral part of the plot on book #3, being the motivation behind some events. Olivia and Peregrine (now know as Lisle, from his title) were children on an adventure on that book but now, years later, they are grown ups and this is their romance, which tidily wraps up the series...

In this final book, Olivia and Lisle finally come face to face after so much time apart, since Lisle has been in Egypt for most of his life. The last time they had been together was five years prior, because of one of the many family events . Now the reason is the same, the birthday of the oldest member of their family, but neither is prepared to see in the other someone they only thought of as a childhood friend. Five years is a lot when so much physical changes occur and the reaction they both have confuses them. Still, they have been best friends since they were children and met on a museum and have been corresponding all these years, sharing each other's thoughts and cementing their friendship. However, are they ready to finally realize there's more than just friendship between them?

This is a fine last book in a series. It provides closure to several things, it tidies the loose threads one might have thought about while reading the other books and it allowed the reader to go on one last adventure with these characters. In fact, if there is one major critique I'd have about all the books - but especially so in this one - is the lack of scenes between family members. They only happened in the key moments and were not lengthy. I suppose many can say it wasn't necessary but I like the feel of united families caring for their members and would have liked to see it more often.

I believe that would have the cherry on top in this book, because the reference to this and that about one or two people just wasn't enough for me. I'd have liked to see more demonstrations of family love or, at least, in a more obvious manner. I understand the focus had to be on Olivia and Lisle but a bit more about how the others have been doing would have been good too.

The plot isn't too complicated, as per the author's style, there's adventure and confusing feelings running through our protagonists until they go past their own doubts and just admit they care for one another far more deeply than just the letters exchanging would have let them realize. There's a task Lisle feels he has to do, regarding a family state in Scotland, which propels the development of he plot but it was a nice touch that part of it involves a journey, so a romance on the road is a nice way to link who they are now with how they became friends as children.

I won't go into any details about it, but let it be said there are plenty of shenanigans, fun moments, silly scenes and some mild misunderstandings and pining. I suppose it's quite obvious fro the reader Lisle and Olivia would have to end up together but I admit the way things are written felt rather too strong in trying to convince us they had to be a couple, or that they could only ever be one. That should be easy, should be natural but we are sort of forced to see it that way. I think the scenes they share where we could see that are too often on the underdeveloped side, barely touching  the complex emotions they had to be feeling.

I guess this is what disappointed me a little here, I wanted their romance to be the perfect peak of the series, the best love story ever, with their history and family background, which has been set up practically since book #1. I wanted more deep conversations, more moments where they would see one another as how hey really felt, and perhaps that the sexual side of things would be delayed even more, so that it would be like a reward for all those feelings instead of another complication in the midst of all the confusing things they felt for one another. They are characters in their 20s, we are told they have dealt with proposals by other people (in the sense they could have been in relationships) but they behave like teenagers. I would have liked to see more emotional complexity, yes.

Nevertheless, despite the things I'd change, I still liked reading about them and how their personalities evolved from how they behaved when we met them, how they became good people, even among all the ridiculous situations they saw themselves in while going to Scotland and after being there. I'd say this book means more to me due to the sentimental value because of the whole atmosphere the author created than because of the romance, which I think could have been better.

Grade: 7/10

Loretta Chase - Not Quite a Lady

Darius Carsington is a spectacularly handsome rake with a rare intelligence and no heart, a man who divides his time between bedding loose-moraled women and writing scholarly papers. He finds society's "perfect darlings" exceedingly boring. But there's something intriguing, and not quite perfect, about faultless Lady Charlotte Hayward. He senses a crack under her polished surface, and finding it is a challenge he can't resist.
Lady Charlotte is so beautiful, charming, and gracious that no one has noticed what an expert she is at Not Getting Married. Early on, she learned a painful lesson about trust... and temptation. In the years since, she's devoted her life to being all she ought to be—and she's not about to let a man like Carsington entice her to do everything she shouldn't.
But the rules of attraction can easily overpower the rules of manners and morals, and sometimes even the best-behaved girl has to follow her instincts, even if it means risking it all.

Comment: This is the 4th installment in the Carsington series by Loretta Chase. I have had a good time reading these books but I should say this is more or less at the level I thought the first one was. Good but not as engaging the ones I liked best.

In this book we follow the story of Darius, the youngest son as he finally seems to grasp some stability in his life. As it happened with the others, he is unassumingly led by his father into happiness for he is given a choice of putting a propriety to rights or marry a heiress. This is how he meets Charlotte, the daughter of the neighbor to his new estate an their first meeting isn't the polite encounter one would wish for. They seem to clash at first but the more they get to know one another, the more in tune they become and the more they start admiring each other. However, Charlotte has a secret... could it be that their romance could be doomed fro the start?

As I have with the previous books, I liked these characters and I liked how they emotionally grow because of their shared experiences and because they become part of each other's lives. Like I said, I would put this book along the same lines - execution-wise - as the first. Meaning, I liked it but there was something missing to make it extra special, like I found books #2 and #3 to be.

I think my biggest issue with this book is that the romance, despite captivating, wasn't as romantic as I'd have liked. I can't exactly tell if due to the character's personalities or because the circumstances which made them interact weren't as smoothly inserted as thought happened in the previous two books. It just feels as if something isn't exactly right but I wasn't as fully engrossed in these two as I would have liked.

Darius is the youngest sibling and his story develops pretty much as the others, his father is an influent man and he wants his children to be settled in life. He makes a deal with Darius and that is how he is put in the way of Charlotte. I keep wondering how perfectly each sibling fell into his father's plans, after all, how could attraction and suitability be accomplished so hopefully, it's not as if the father could control how the relationships would go, but the reality is that it was precisely what happened. Darius is described as too focused on his studies and interests and womanizing, so not really husband material but of course we get to be aware of how incorrect this is when the matters the most...plus, we are given some insight into Darius' mind here and there and he does seem to be somewhat miscomprehended.

Charlotte, I should say, is the big focus of this novel. She had been mentioned in previous books as a potential suitor for Benedict (book #3) but nothing happened. We get to partially learn why for she wants to remain unmarried due to her big secret, which we are ware of from the start. I think she was a rather complex character but when we get to the end of the novel, some things just... I think the climax of this story wasn't as intense as it could, almost as if she self suffered for no big reason. I liked her personality, though, and I liked she and Darius made a complementary couple.

These two get to know one another well as the plot develops. They unite efforts to accomplish the improvement of Darius' new estate and they start sharing confidences. I think the idea they would be a good couple isn't the question and, in fact, I was glad they found each other, but everything felt rather easy and simple in how all the necessary details got to be in the right place so easily. I think the author thought about the overall idea of how this would play out but that special extra, the "magical" let's say so, flavor many of her novels ave, wasn't as obvious, or perhaps it just wasn't a conscious detail from her part to add.

I liked the book and I liked the (sadly, too few) references to other known characters, I liked how things worked out in the end, even though it wasn't as amazing as it could. I liked the fact the antagonist wasn't a villain per se, just someone with different views and goals. I wish we could have more on Darius' family connections and relationships... I suppose the next book might offer that since the main characters are known to us and the action will take place a few years down the road.

As for this one, it had good moments, good details, but it wasn't as deeply engrossing as I found other books by the author to be.

Grade: 7/10

Loretta Chase - Lord Perfect

Tall, dark, and handsome, the heir to the Earl of Hargate, Benedict Carsington, is known for his impeccable manners and good breeding. Benedict knows all the rules and has no trouble following them—until Bathsheba Wingate enters his life. Now, the two must embark on a rescue mission that puts them in dangerous, intimate proximity. Fortunately, Benedict is in perfect control—despite his mad desire to break all the rules. Perfect control. Really.

Comment: This is the third installment in the Carsington series by Loretta Chase, that I've been monthly reading, with the goal of finishing one book per month.

In this third story the focus is on Benedict Carsington, the oldest brother and the one who will inherit the earldom. Benedict was a curious and fun boy but with time and responsibilities, he has become a rather strict man, considered by many as perfect, thus being called that among the ton. He married but his wife died and he doesn't seem to be eager to repeat the experience, although he is aware he will have to at some point. He is very fond of his nephew Peregrine, whose parents don't give him much attention, and he is happy to help which explains why he is at the museum with a curious - but not overly talented in drawing - Peregrine as this story begins. That is where a girl addresses Peregrine and they seem to fail to agree on Peregrine's talents, and the noise catches the girl's mother attention and that is also how Benedict recognizes Bathsheba Wingate, a famous widow most families would not welcome. However, soon Benedict sees himself in the lady's company, in a fun adventure to rescue the children from danger...

If there is one thing I often imagine while I read this author's books is that she likely has a lot of fun coming up with some scenes and the shenanigans the characters o through. With some exceptions in the small number of books by her I've read so far, I can also say wat I admire the most in her characters is the fact they are al larger than life, able to do amazing things, adventurous but caring, more clever than they seem to at first and quick to fall in love with the right person. What's not to lie about them? Of course, all depends on the story...

This is another one of the titles I'll have good memories of having read it. As always, readers are prone to enjoy some books more than others but this one will be part of the ones that, although not the best for me, is quite close to be so. I liked the main characters and the way their relationship develops as they get to know one another better and I especially liked how Benedict's father ( a veritable matchmaker) says a few things at the end which certainly made me imagine all kinds of sweet scenes in my head on how these characters would be happy...

There are several romances "on the road" out there and this is one of them but between the author's style and the characters' apparent superficial descriptions which hide vulnerable but honorable personalities, I had a great time enjoying their journey as they went after the children and were falling in love at the same time, unlike other books where the travel is more a prop.Things here felt like they made sense and helped the reader have a better idea of who those people were. I should say there is also a certain flavor for fun and joy in this, which was welcomed but didn't diminish any seriousness from the most heartfelt and complicated issues they had to deal with, especially when it came to emotions and the expectations society had of who they were as individuals.

Benedict is a great hero, perhaps not as vibrant as Rupert (from book #2 in the series) but still someone I would like to know in real life, for instance. I felt his character was well fleshed out, like Rupert's, and a lot better than, say, Alistair (book #1), and I felt like it was easy to root for him and to wish he would find balance again in his life. The author did write things in a way that I was convinced he would be happy with Bathsheba.

Speaking of her, she is one of heroines who is judged by others without anyone really knowing her real self. I liked that she tried to have a honest life, that she worried about her daughter, that she felt the responsibilities she had were painful at times but she never gave up. I liked to see her softer side while falling for Benedict and her attempts to do the right thing for him but, of course, how much better they were together than apart.

The book was a positive one for me, perhaps not as strong as others because there were some moments where I struggled to imagine the way things happen would be the most likely or the most obvious. There were also some scenes which I wasn't to happy with how they were played out.

The end was sweet and romantic as expected, the epilogue cute but I confess I would like to see the family together celebrating the happiness of all the members, A few comments here and there on how they are doing doesn't seem like enough for me. Perhaps in the last book that might be more evident. Still, for romance readers, this has certainly to be a good bet.

Grade: 8/10

Loretta Chase - Mr Impossible

Rupert Carsington, fourth son of the Earl of Hargate, is his aristocratic family's favorite disaster. He is irresistibly handsome, shockingly masculine, and irretrievably reckless, and wherever he goes, trouble follows. Still, Rupert's never met an entanglement—emotional or otherwise—he couldn't escape. Until now.
Now he's in Egypt, stranded in the depths of Cairo's most infamous prison, and his only way out is to accept a beautiful widow's dangerous proposal. Scholar Daphne Pembroke wants him to rescue her brother, who's been kidnapped by a rival seeking a fabled treasure. Their partnership is strictly business: She'll provide the brains, he the brawn. Simple enough, in theory.
Blame it on the sun or the blazing desert heat, but as tensions flare, and inhibitions melt, the most disciplined of women and the most reckless of men are about to clash in the most impossibly irresistible way. 

Comment: This is the second installment in the Carsington Brothers series by author Loretta Chase that I've decided to read in the first months of the year.

In this story we embark on an adventure with Rupert Carsington while he tries to escape an Egyptian prison and his best bet is Daphne Pembroke, a widow who is fascinated by all things Egypt but who has been put aside in favor of her brother because it isn't accepted how much dedication and knowledge she should reveal. The truth is that behind her brother's public persona, it's actually Daphne who works and tries to decode the Egyptian's hieroglyphs and that puts them in a route of danger. Her brother Miles is kidnapped and Daphne's only option to go look for him is the Englishman in prison so Daphne pays for his release and they, along with their helpers, go on the pursuit of the people and the clues to rescue Miles back. Of course, during the journey they realize they love being with one another...

I can't decide what has made me sigh and be entertained the most, if the obvious delight the author had in creating this romp through Egypt or the fun but romantic way the main characters fell in love. Either way, I'd say these two elements were matched very well and the story was a pleasure to read.

I have now read several books by the author and her style is quite unique. I love how her characters seem to be larger than life and confident in their own worth as advocates for the things they believe in, even if when it comes to their personal feelings, things might not be as easy. But this is where the cleverness of the author comes to play, because by the end of the book, not only do I, the reader, believe the characters deserve their HEA, but they think that too, by the way they deal with comes their way.

Daphne is a wonderful heroine, she has that perfect blend of wanting to be independent and use her brain with the vulnerability her life has made her feel. I liked she wanted to do the things she liked, that made her happy even though that might put her role in jeopardy. It was very good to see the plot take place mostly in Egypt, where this certainly wasn't as difficult to hide/use to fit the plot as it would have been were they in England. 

I liked Rupert a lot too, he is as clever and passionate as his brother Alistair (from the previous book) but he does seem to be a little better in control of his emotions. I liked the fact he wasn't as easy to be duped by his need to help and to please someone as Alistair seemed to have done before his HEA and I liked how ingenious he was, even if he was hiding that from others. His emotional journey was believable because of his actions but let it be said the author doesn't spend too long in inner monologues and tells her stories as they move along.

This to say the author has a strong plot to follow in this book and all the scenes and information regarding Egypt culture, Egypt details and geography must be something the author knows well or studied well because if does feel seamlessly inserted into what the characters were doing.  I actually thought about certain parts of those Mummy movies and saw Daphne partially as Evey, so knowledgeable she was about all things Egypt of that time.

The romance between these two was very well done. It was slow but not so much that their feelings would come from nowhere. It was sweet at times, fun at others and always a sense they were a good team in all aspects. I was truly happy they were discovering one another and falling in love and who they trusted each other with the things they felt they were lacking from their past so they could grasp happiness as a team. I think the end was a little rushed for them as a couple, I'd have liked more scenes with them settled. I can only assume this is a trend through the novels though... for instance, close to the end we are aware of Alistair's happiness but we don't see him in this book so we don't really know how things are. I wish this was more important and visible from story to story.

The plot is filled with crazy scenes and almost unlikely scenarios but it works out in the big scheme of things. Daphne's brother Miles is not just a secondary character to fill a role, he is clever too on his own way and I was glad he was found and rescued. It is also to be expected the villains got their due and the loose points seemed to have been solved well enough.

As a whole, this was a very good novel, there are a few details which I'd change but all in all, it was a great fun to spend time with these characters.

Grade: 8/10

Loretta Chase - Miss Wonderful

Due to his history of expensive romantic entanglements, Alistair Carsington now has six months to find
either a useful occupation or a wealthy heiress to wed. To prove he is not an idle fop only concerned with sartorial pleasures, Alistair agrees to help his old friend, Lord Gordmor, by traveling to the wilds of Derbyshire to convince Gordmor's neighbors to support the nobleman's proposal to build a canal.
Upon arriving, Alistair, a famous war hero and eligible bachelor, finds everyone couldn't be nicer, everyone except for respectable, practical, spinsterish Mirabel Oldridge. The last thing Mirabel wants is for her tranquil little corner of England to be destroyed by a noisy, nasty canal, and she is prepared to use every weapon at her disposal--including her disheveled coiffure and unstylish wardrobe--to stop Alistair.

Comment: I'm tackling the Carsington series by Loretta Chase in the following months and this is the first book in the series.

In this story we meet Alistair Carsington, the middle brother of five, and the one who has no luck with love for all his relationships have not gone well. His father also gives him an ultimatum because of how much he spends: he needs to find a solution otherwise his younger brothers will not receive their allowance so he can pay Alistair's bills. This propels Alistair to accept his good friend Lord Gordmor's request to deal with the obstacles to build a canal in Derbyshire, which will help with the coal mines he owns. However, the biggest opponent to the canal is lord Oldridge...or to be precise, his daughter Mirabel. It's true Alistair knows how to seduce a crowd and a woman but Mirabel doesn't seem to affected, which is unfortunate, since Alistair himself falls rather quickly for her...

This author's style is quite peculiar. The situations described and the characters' actions are given to the reader with a very interesting style, one I admit I'm not always fond of, especially if it makes me confused as to what I'm supposed to understand from it. I would say the author has a certain taste for the ironic, for the intentional "read between the lines" style. It means not everything is always obvious between the characters' interactions and what they say. I can't tell if it's just the fact English is not my mother tongue so some things just pass me by when it comes to see through this or if the author has such a style that I just don't fully love.

This aside, it doesn't mean her stories aren't always fun to read. The characters, even among their flaws, are larger than life and their path always leads them into love and accomplishments. At least all the novels by her I've read so far have done so. That is also what I expected in this novel and I got it. Of course, thinking on what I wrote above, I should say some things were just taken for granted when it came to character's attitudes...it's not very much explained why they are that way, we just have to accept it and go with it. Perhaps the exception is the main couple but we do spend the majority of the time with them.

Alistair is a character who seemed quite a dandy, irresponsible and concerned about superficial things such as his clothes. The author was quite sneaky by letting the reader think him a snob and a silly man. In fact, he is a "war hero" and when he got to follow his thoughts, we realize there's much more to him. He still suffers of what we say now as being PTSD and he came home with a limp. The way he dealt with this was quite a point in favor to his character because with time I started to like him more and I was actually a little sorry for him, because appearances tell us he doesn't feel much support from his family even if he believes that to be normal.

Mirabel is headstrong and a believer of things done properly. She has also taken charge of her home and propriety because her father is often too distracted, a consequence of dealing with grief after her mother died. I could sympathize with her on why she felt the canal would not be a good option for the region and I liked how a solution for this was found. She often acts a little too severely but deep down she only wants to do things right and help those who need it.

As for their romance, there were some moments I doubted how suited they could be and I think a few more scenes where they actually talked seriously instead of by ironies or trying to get the better of one another, I'd be more easily convinced of their odds as a long term couple. Still, all the necessary things were there at some point to make them reach a HEA by the end. There's also a villain who plays a minor but key role closer to the end and that emphasizes how well they deserve happiness, even allowing for understanding each other's less appealing qualities.

As a whole, this was entertaining, not as addictive to me as other books by the same author were, but I'm definitely willing to read the other installments as well.

Grade: 7/10

Loretta Chase - The Last Hellion

Vere Mallory, the Duke of Ainswood, has everything--he's titled, he's rich, he's devastatingly good looking--and he seems determined to throw it all away. Disreputable, reckless, and wild, the last of the Mallory hellions is racing headlong to self-destruction...until a mind numbingly beautiful blonde Amazon knocks him off his feet--literally.
Lydia Grenville is dedicated to protecting London's downtrodden. Dissolute noblemen like Ainswood are part of the problem, not the solution. She would like him to get his big, gorgeous carcass out of her way so that she can carry on with her work. The problem is, Ainswood can no more resist a challenge, especially in female form, than he can resist the trouble she seems to attract.
If they can only weather their personal firestorm...
they might survive the real danger that threatens all they hold dear. 

Comment: This is the 4^th and last installment in the connected Scoundrels series by Lorraine Heath. Having really liked the previous story, as so many other readers had, I was hopeful this was also very enjoyable but I was ready to not be as dazzled. I’m very glad I was positively surprised by how much I actually liked this one too!

In this story we meet Lydia Granville, a very rebel but determined woman whose mission in life is to write about the misfortunate and the poor and especially the struggles and the harm done to women. Her work for a newspaper makes her lack of personal life something she doesn’t even think about, but that changes when she clashes against Vere Mallory, the duke of Ainswood, a man known for his libertine ways but who – obviously- hides fears and pain under the facade of cynicism and boredom.

As the two meet again and again, their attraction is only matched by their inner desire to help those who need and the duke is a surprising help for Lydia. But when those close to them are affected, can they truly join forces to stop something nefarious from happening?

I was more than happy with how amazing this story ended up being. I admit I was a little influenced by how much I liked the previous book and how much more accolades it had in relation to the other three books of the Scoundrels set, but I must say this 4^th one was a precious gem and I had a great time reading it too.

The story is filled with adventures and larger than life characters and situations that reminded me of those romantic movies where the main couple is both clashing and embracing after countless scenes where they reveal their love declarations through amazing little things such as battling someone who wanted to hit a child or defending a person who can’t fight the battle properly.

Vere and Lydia felt like this to me, they kept showing their huge hearts and emotions defending someone, by helping someone or by unmasking the ones who prey on innocents. They did suit as a good match, as a couple they worked very well for me. I was happy to see them interact and trust one another a little more as each chapter went by and they had tor ely on each other for some sort of clue or action.

Vere is a fascinating hero because he is one of those people hiding his emotions and softer feelings under a disguise of carelessness, of cynicism, of leisure without concerns. He is in pain; he doesn’t want to suffer so he plays the part of a libertine without really being malicious about it. I wanted him to be happy and although his actions towards winning Lydia over started with simple curiosity, I felt very happy indeed with the way they ended up together.

Lydia is a little more layered, I think. She went through a terrible childhood; she faced very difficult situations and a lot of heartbreak too. She could have turned into someone cold and strict or resigned but she is strong and a fighter for those who don’t have a voice. I’m very glad her relationship with Vere felt balanced and solid because they always saw one another as equals despite their backgrounds. There was something that compelled them to one another and I was very happy in how they progressed and became an established couple by the end of the book.

The plot hides some little surprised but to be honest, I was so enamored by how the romance developed, by how every scene with them was adorable and fun to read that the plot seemed rather secondary. There are things that could have been done better for certain. There are many characters too, some with their own POVs, and some plot holes were fixed a bit too conveniently but in the bigger scheme of things, this didn’t bother me at all.

I was having fun reading this book, I was able to sigh and think aww and hum at the right moments so any negative aspects passed me by without much concern.

Of course not everyone would have the same opinion but for me, this worked very well and I’m satisfied this ended up being a great read and a great end for the series.

Grade: 9/10

Loretta Chase - Lord of Scoundrels

Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain, is big, bad, and dangerous to know. No respectable woman would have anything to do with the "Bane and Blight of the Ballisters"--and he wants nothing to do with respectable women. He's determined to continue doing what he does best--sin and sin again--and all that's going swimmingly, thank you..until the day a shop door opens and she walks in.
Jessica Trent is a determined young woman, and she's going to drag her imbecile brother off the road to ruin, no matter what it takes. If saving him--and with him, her family and future--means taking on the devil himself, she won't back down. The trouble is, the devil in question is so shockingly irresistible, and the person who needs the most saving is--herself. 

Comment: This is the third installment in the Scoundrels series by author Loretta Chase. It's also one of the books more often placed in the top lists of best romances, of best historicals and best books by many romance readers. The fame of this book is certainly known to many people who enjoy being in "romanceland" which means, even aware that everyone has different takes on everything, I was very eager to be impressed by this book.

I'm absolutely marveled that I was!

In this book we meet Sebastian Ballister, marquess of Dain, a man who has had a challenging childhood and lack of affection from his father although he was eager to be cherished. He grew up learning he couldn't count on anyone so he became a very famous man for his wit and cold demeanor.

One day he meets Jessica Trent, the sister of one of the silly men who sometimes flock around him for his money and status.

She is unlike any other lady he met before. She is intelligent, fierce, witty and someone who can be at his level. Their interactions start as a means to get the upper hand on the other but, as time passes by, they both realize they found the right person and not even the obstacles in their way stops them from protecting and challenging each other until only happiness matters.

I'm very glad I loved this book. I can see it's really true how many people have labeled it as the best romance because I loved every moment of it.

I think the author reacher her full potential here and the writing, the pace, the whole plot worked out in such a perfect manner that it feels as if a puzzle whose pieces fit effortlessly.

The story isn't complicated in terms of plot. We have a man who has been told he wasn't good enough, he wasn't good looking, he wouldn't be loved and a woman who doesn't pity him and challenges him in all areas. The reason Jessica has to be so daring isn't just a matter of personality, she wants to protect her brother, so easily influenced by others, from becoming someone without a path in life.

The way she and Dain clash is both realistic and fun to watch, if one considers the fact she doesn't want her brother to be caught in the middle.

This gives all clues she is extremely clever and I really liked how likable and smart and caring she was because underneath all that daring persona, she did feel sorry for Dain over some things and she acted as best as she could to let him realize he was worthy of affection after all.

I think the author did a good job letting the reader be aware of all the little details that convince us they are a good pair and are caring for each other and falling in love.

Throughout the novel, some things come to light about - mostly - Dain's past. I really appreciated the fact nothing was taken into silly misunderstanding levels, nothing was done in a way to create a gap between them, to sever or damage the beginning of their relationship.

I think it was considerate how all the other elements, including the secondary characters, so perfectly fit what was happening and how everything helped to create the perfect atmosphere for Dain and Jessica to bond and to develop their quirky personalities around each other.

It does feel as if the author thought about every single word and how she could maximize what was happening in a flawless way.

Jessica and Dain talk, they slowly uncover parts of themselves to the other and I also liked the inner monologues they had and what they thought about the other one. I think the author did a great job in creating the right equal field in which they faced each other, she did great in letting us see how much chemistry they had and how perfect they were for one another, perceived flaws included.

I especially loved the fact Dain is a wonderful man under all his apparent negativity.

I think there was one or two situations I'd remove or change, there was one thing I could have done without but honestly, nothing in this book stopped me from enjoying the story, from enjoying these two falling in love and comparing to the other two books I had read, this one felt a lot more confident, precise, the pace worked out better, the characters much more appealing. I can't explain but it does feel the stars aligned when this boo was written.

I'll certainly re-read my favorite scenes often.

Grade: 9/10

Loretta Chase - Captives of the Night

When the intriguing Comte d'Esmond enters a room, women swoon and men gnash their teeth. The count is fully accustomed to this reaction and brilliant at exploiting it. What he isn't prepared for is Leila Beaumont. One look from her tawny eyes is dangerously captivating. How ... troublesome. Esmond can't afford the distraction of an entanglement, however passionate it promises to be. He's supposed to be working --- for the government! --- and his employers want Leila's corrupt and treacherous husband brought to justice. When the spouse, unsurprisingly and conveniently, gets himself murdered, all Esmond has to do is clear Leila of suspicion and proceed to the next assignment.
But not being hanged for her husband's murder isn't enough for Leila. She wants to learn the truth --- all of it --- from Esmond, a man who's been lying all his life.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Scoundrels series by Loretta Chase. I liked the first one enough to keep reading, even more so now that I have an idea of the author's style...although it does take some time in the middle for things to pick up.

In this second book, which takes place more or less ten years after the events in the first one, we have a daring and captivating hero who was one of the apparent villains in the first book. 

Ismal is now known as the French Comte d'Esmond, a man who is fascinating, alluring and mysterious enough that everyone feels they want to know him. In fact, Esmond is an agent for the king and has been earning his redemption that way but the next task ahead of him puts him, once more, in the path of Leila, whom he briefly saw years ago during another mission and whose fate he now learns he might have caused.

Leila has become an artist although her marriage with the man who "saved" her didn't go the way she innocently imagined. She is a hardened woman now but the comte is a man she simply can't seem to ignore, even when she realizes he is a spy.

Will these two be able to work as a team? Will the things they share unite or separate them?

It was very entertaining to read this book. The story is fast paced, filled with things happening again and again and the two main characters seem to unite efforts from a certain point on in order to solve quite a mystery. They are investigating who could be the person who murdered Leila's husband and that leads them to all kinds of places and situations while trying to understand who could have done it and, at the same time, they start to realize they are fascinated by the other.

The story has all the ingredients to work out and for the most part it does. I would just say that some of the plot moves do seem to be set on some coincidences and when those are removed, a few scenes don't seem to be as incredible. However, this is my own perception and it doesn't really affected how the story flows, it's just that I'd change a few things to my personal taste.

The plot is daring, not just the investigation of who murdered Leila's husband -  that isn't that out of the usual - but in how the protagonists got closer during that. I think the author was very clever in how she coordinated the several elements in the story and apart from the coincidences I've noticed, all the details worked out in a very structured way to lead to the final explanations. At some point, I wasn't yet certain of who could be the real guilty, but the reasons why were quite evident anyway. I just wasn't certain if the author wanted to surprise the reader with an unlikely murderer instead.

Plot aside, of course, the element that fascinates the most in this book is how the romance developed.

As a couple, the fun part is to see how each one thinks about the other and how through little details here and there we start to realize how deeply they care for the other.  I think this could have been done even better because we are privy to the protagonist's thoughts but they don't share everything... obviously to maximize the revelations at the end but to me, although things were done well enough, it would have been even better to let them get those conflicts out of the idea and the author could have focused the romance in their own appreciation of one another.

Esmond is really a great character to muse about. He wasn't likable at all in he first book and I wasn't certain how he could be redeemed. It did seem a rather radical change of heart from one book to the other in how he perceived his attitudes... well, I'm glad about it because he turned out to be a good hero in this book but he could have been even better.

Leila was a character that I liked too, how she evolved... the thing is, we don't have enough scenes between them that would explain a connection beyond the basics between them because they don't really talk or share serious things about their feelings. I think the connection is still there, through other things and by acting in regards to secondary situations but... I wish Leila could have been a little more consistent in how she acted with Esmond. It was not very believable for me how she could be in love if for so long she was attempting to not fall for his charms.

It does seem I didn't have such a good opinion on the book but like I said, it was an entertaining story to read. I liked how the characters interacted with the secondary characters, how their relationships were developed, I liked knowing secondary things that wouldn't interfere with the main plot but were, nevertheless, interesting to add to the whole picture and how the main couple reacted to some of those things.

When the story ended, I was just glad the main characters had found their HEA and that some other characters weren't guilty as the clues seemed to be pointing out to distract the reader.

Grade: 7/10

Loretta Chase - The Lion's Daughter

Esme Brentmore doesn't care that revenge isn't a suitable job for a woman. She's determined to avenge the murder of her beloved father, an enigmatic English aristocrat who lived in self-imposed exile. Honor demands that Esme let nothing and nobody stand in her way. That includes the handsome wastrel who's become entangled in her life, whose charm does not make up for his lazy and irresponsible character.
Having gambled away his entire family fortune, Varian St. George, Lord Edenmont, now lives by his wits and winning ways. A man who has always taken the path of least resistance — preferably in soft beds with willing women — he does not want to become embroiled in a mad quest with a hot-tempered and heavily armed redhead.
But forced to travel together through an exotic land, the mismatched pair soon discovers that friction can produce some very dangerous sparks ...

Comment: This is the first book I try by this author. I had heard many positive comments on another of her books, which is, according to GR, included in this series titled Scoundrels. The Lion's Daughter is organized as being the first and that is why I started with this one, from this series.

In this book, whose action mostly happens in what is now Albania, we meet brave young woman Esme, the daughter of a renowned British man who has dealings with the ruler of the Albanian part of the Ottoman Empire.

Her father Jason, known as the Red Lion for his red hair, which she inherited, is considered dead and Esme only wants revenge against the responsible and that puts her on the path of Varian, Lord Edenmont. Varian has lost his family's fortune and he lives from day to day, on the charity of others masking that charity with charm and congeniality. However, he is charged with taking Percival, the nephew of the Red Lion back to England for his father will pay him well to travel with the boy from Italy.

The problem is Percival had heard a conversation between his late mother and his uncle Jason and he thinks he needs to help his uncle, not knowing he would concoct a scheme to fake his own death.

Thus, Esme and Varian meet because of Percival, sparks fly but the situation is dire and perhaps they might not be suitable after all. Or are they?

The word that more often crossed my mind while reading was "confusion". Seriously, the little blurb I tried to present above? What a task because the plot is really difficult to summarize in a way a reader might understand. It's filled with exotic-type settings, shenanigans, adventure and many things that were amazing a few decades ago but that now really feel like a mess.

It's still possible to follow the plot but let me tell you there were scenes I just had to skim because it was making me confused.

I think this book is well inserted into the notion of "old school" and the cultural aspects might be a little too badly used if one were to look at it through politically correct eyes but if one can accept that notion (and the author has Albanian roots) and just focus on the story, then it's a crazy journey but filled with interesting elements. I think, though, the way some things were stressed out in detriment of others didn't really impress me. For instance, for me, it would have been better to focus the story on Varian and Esme's relationship when they arrive in England - I felt this was not exploited properly - instead of the amount of time it took them to go from one place to another.

I'd categorize this as a "road trip" romance because most of the romance is happening while they travel. I don't mind this in general but in this book it felt like the real action was being delayed because of the anticipation created in not knowing what would happen when Esme finds out her father is not dead or if the apparent bad guy would catch them.

I get the tactic but...well, I'm a romance reader and I wanted more of that.

It's not as if the romance is weak, in fact I think the author did a good job, considering the style of novels from the early 90s, but reading it now feels rather weird. I'm not bothered by the age gap nor by the fact they don't seem to have much in common. I can accept the oddness in their pairing as special and quirky but cute as well.

I just think when they reach an understanding on how they feel about each other, the small things related to their feelings (Varian's decision to be better because he has Esme to consider, for one) and their relationship are just a given. They talk and try to act on this but it felt as if they couldn't really evolve much besides the expected since the plot mess had to be addressed.

Esme and Varian are intriguing characters. I like peeking into their heads, I liked how the author developed their personalities and how they were put together, apparently opposites but who found something special in the other. I hope the next installment can show us them, I'd like to see or know how their HEA went on.

As for the plot, well, again what a mess but let's just say all ends well and the protagonist of the next book doesn't feel as weird as it did when I started this book and read the blurb for the second one.

All in all, a good enough premiere with this author. Now that I have an idea of what her style is like, I do have better hopes for the next books I'll want to try by her.

Grade: 7/10