Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
The only goal of tough-minded Jessica Trent is to release her dimwit brother from Sebastian Ballister’s harmful control over him as the infamous Marquess of Diain. She never anticipates wanting the haughty, immoral jerk. Jessica is forced to look for fulfilment when Daine’s shared passion puts them in a scandalously embarrassing and public situation. He was tempted, kissed, and then forced to restore his reputation by the minx—damn her! Lord Dain is eager to humiliate the obnoxious bluestocking and put her in a sensual predicament. And if it means getting married, then so be it, although Sebastian isn’t entirely sure he can resist the immense charms of the sensual, headstrong lady.
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
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Such a funny and heartfelt book to read. It frequently caused me to chuckle aloud. Sebastian and Jess both have ideal, fiery personalities. They had a chef’s kiss exchange. She is possibly the only person who isn’t terrified of him because she is strong, smart, and adept at handling him. One of my all-time favourite fictional characters is Jess. She and her grandmother are people I want to hang out with.
I was hooked by Sebastian’s prologue. I wish I could turn back time and let his impossible father see the light. It was inevitable that I would also love Sebastian because I can’t help but love damaged heroes. He is a broken, larger-than-life, passionate, and grouchy alpha who still has a lot of mending to do…
The writing in this book is far ahead of anything else I’ve read about HR. The fact that this book, which I found to be over 25 years old, has one of the best heroines I’ve ever read astounded me. I’ve read far too many contemporary historical romances with passive, frivolous heroines; Jessica is a badass, plain & simple. She is courageous and fierce, she knows what she wants, and she fights tooth and nail to achieve it. She can hold her own with any man, and she always succeeds. She is also smart and has a heart of pure gold.
Dain had a terrible past and was regarded as if he were literally devil spawn, ugly, and undesired. However, through pure willpower and a fiery temper, he rose up like Beelzebub himself to not only overcome his critics but to outdo each and every one of them. He is self-assured, clever, and capable, as well as greedy and manipulative, but of course, that is simply a façade hiding his suffering.
Dain does not enjoy losing, regardless of the situation, but Jessica is the devil’s match. Their battle royale was excellent, their banter was amazing, and their slow-burn romance (which started with the removal of a glove) developed between the battles.
The plot of the book, which was set in both France and England, has many twists and turns. Everything about it was excellent: the language, the locales and descriptions, the pacing, and the well-developed characters. I did realize that certain HR tropes have reportedly been around for a while. Along with the beauty and the beast motif, there are traditional misconceptions that stand in the way of love. However, this book tempers that with the constantly intensifying battle of wills between the two, which makes it seem natural for them not to have time to try to understand each other. In other books, I find it annoying that the only issues the characters face are simple self-doubt and lack of communication.
