"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' 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!"
(from the publisher)
my thoughts:
Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels is a hugely popular novel, often topping the list of polls at the #1 spot for all-time favorite romances. Naturally, I wanted to see what all the buzz was about, and now I understand what sets this book apart from all the other conventional romances.
The core of the story is a beauty and the beast theme....with lots of suprises! Not sure I'm a fan of everything that happened in the plot, but it sure was a book like no other.
Jessica Trent is a refreshingly unique character and I enjoyed her from the start. Although she's a spinster, it's not for lack of beauty or brains. She's just been busy being smart and sensible in handling her family's financial affairs as well as raising her insipid brother and a passel of male cousins. Having a really-cool-grandmother as her confidante in matters of men, Jessica is very frank about sexual matters and is completely unashamed of her instant attraction to.....Sebastian, the Lord of Scoundrels!
Sebastian Ballister, on the other hand, is Satan personified. Deeply wounded by his abandonment as a child and the torture he experienced at the hands of bullies, he's hidden his pain by wearing a protective armor. He revels in his reputation for debauchery and fully expects the world to quake in fear when he bellows. He views women as strictly entertainment for his depraved amusement and discards them at will...until a pert little woman named Jessica walks into his life and makes his world wobble on its axis.
These two characters take the reader on one of the most maddening and unusual journeys I've ever experienced in a romance....it's funny and sexy and, at times, shocking; I lost count of the times I said, "Well, I didn't see THAT coming!" Expect the unexpected in this entertaining romance!
4/5 stars
Title: Lord of Scoundrels
Author: Loretta Chase
1995
Avon Books
357 pages
genre: historical romance
10 comments:
I loved this book so much! Loved Jessica and Sebastian together - and her nitwit brother! LOL! The whole Scoundrelseries is very good. The Last Hellion, which is the book after this one is very good too and her brother is in it as well!
The brother! Talk about a loser!
I wonder, do any of the other books have a storyline that features her grandmother more? She was fun and a real modern-thinking, liberated woman and I was hoping she would have a larger part in the story.
I haven't read the rest of the Scoundrel series, but like you, I was curious about the hype for this particular book - I loved it!
Hi Patti -- I like that Loretta Chase gave Jessica the upperhand in so many instances, which was a nice departure.
I totally loved your review of this one and am now opening up my Amazon page to see if this is available on my Kindle..please let it be there! Ha! It is there for 6.99 going on my wishlist!! thanks for an awesome review of a book that I would never have read without your help!!
Hope you enjoy it, Staci! They make quite a couple! :)
Sounds good, you guys. I haven't been reading much romance lately, but this might get me back into the fold. Once I find a spare moment, that is.
I've got Julie's recommendation of, I think, a book titled THE SPARE but this one sounds good too.
I'm adding it to the list. :)
In the old days I used to read romances with the same reckless abandon as I devoured potato chips. My favorite still being a little Harlequin Regency by Mary Balogh: LORD CAREW'S BRIDE.
A lot of the books I read I forget, but not this one.
Have you read it Joanne?
Hi Yvette -- I haven't read a ton of Regency romances....I'm very new to the genre (in the old days, before graduate school, I devoured the gothic romance genre (Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, etc....). I have heard of Mary Balogh, and will have to look up the title you mentioned....maybe I can find it on ebay. As we speak, I am packing and getting ready to leave for NY and plan on stopping by the romance writers of america signing -- hoping to come home with a bag full of goodies! :)
Thanks for the recommendation!
ooohh, this sounds good! Adding it to Mt. TBR. Thanks for stopping by today :)
I do love a good plot twist or three. :O)
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