A review of The Lord of Scoundrels written by Loretta Chase in 1995.
With all the hoopla over the Brighertons by Julia Quinn I thought I’d review one of my very favorite historical along those of Quinn’s Regencies. Boy, oh, boy! This is one of my favorite books of all time. Great hero, heroine, story, humor, romance, angst. Perfect although I really didn’t want it to end.
Chase created two of the most memorable characters I’ve ever read in the romance genre. Quite often in a romance I fall in love with the hero. Usually, I, at least, lean towards one lead character more than the other, but that didn’t happen with this one.
The characters where equally well-liked Their banter was hilarious. It was one of the best things of this book. Our hero, Sebastian, Marquess of Dain, is a half-Italian man of unconventional appearance who has been shamed since childhood on account of his unattractive nose and flighty mother who abandoned him as a little boy to go live with another man. Our heroine, Jessica is a spinster considered by many to be a bluestocking who is firmly on the shelf. In her shoes, wouldn’t you rather be a rich wife to a Marques?
I loved this story. While Dain was absolutely an alpha male, Jessica stole it for me. I loved her strength and determination. The fact that she was always one step ahead made me smile. The chemistry between Dain and Jessica is better than any other romance I’ve read, (well, besides the chemistry in Torc’s Salvation by Melany Logan) and I’ve read countless stories. Oh, and I’ve read books much more sexually explicit. The love scenes are not at all that descriptive.
Jessica Trent is one of the best heroines I’ve read of all time. Seriously, this girl is a queen. She’s sassy, and smart. Best yet, she wasn’t afraid to call Dain out. Jessica was the best and the perfect heroine for Dain.
I really enjoyed this book. Sebastian, tortured, shunned by his father. Jessica, sweet, independent, proud. The story is exceptionally well written and deserved the half dozen awards it won. Chase gave readers the kind of romance with scenes that will linger in memories long after finishing the satisfying happy ever after.
Melissa Combs 