Tag: Scoundrels

Guest Review: The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta Chase

Posted July 22, 2013 by Judith in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta ChaseReviewer: Judith
The Mad Earl's Bride by Loretta Chase
Series: Scoundrels #3.5
Also in this series: Lord of Scoundrels, Lord of Scoundrels, The Mad Earl's Bride
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: June 4th 2013
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 100
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Originally appeared in the print anthology Three Weddings and a Kiss (1995).

Gwendolyn Adams is about to propose to an earl. On his deathbed.

Gwendolyn Adams isn't shocked at being asked to save a handsome earl's dying line, even when she learns the prospective bridegroom is seriously ill and possibly insane. She's quite a good nurse, after all, and her family is famous for producing healthy male children. Those stories about his riding the moors half-naked on a pale white horse? Extremely intriguing—especially after she gets her first look at the gorgeous lunatic.

The Earl of Rawnsley wants only to lose what's left of his mind in peace and privacy. But his busybody relatives have saddled him with a surprise bride and orders to sire an heir forthwith. (And they say he's mad?) But with Gwendolyn, his health is returning, and his resistance ... crumbling. Is it possible that love is the finest madness of all?

This novella was originally a part of an anthology released in 1995 but has not been re-released to stand on its own. And stand it does.  It is not only an educational piece of history about the progress (or lack thereof) of the practice of medicine, of the ideas about insanity and about the practice of ascribing everything about the brain to madness if it was not understood by the medical profession.  In this case, the Earl is absolutely convinced, based solely on the word of his mother’s doctor, that he was destined to die the horrific death she experienced, with headaches that drove her to madness and which ended her life in an asylum.  There is serious concern on the part of the family that the Earl will die without issue, so they solicit the “services” of a young woman who they decide would probably die unwed anyway, so that she can marry the earl and become pregnant with his child prior to the madness setting in.  Gwyn was known as a very good nurse–kind, caring, solicitous, knowledgeable for her times.  What most had not taken seriously was her consistent and intentional study of the practice of medicine in the hopes of working with an established doctor and using her gifts to be a healer.

Society was not yet open to women physicians;  in fact, most doctors didn’t even wash their hands before surgery.  Yet Gwyn was not to be deterred and her willingness to marry the earl was also predicated on the fact that she wasn’t really convinced he was “mad” in the truest sense of the word.  She was a very forward thinker and her medical mentor was a man that didn’t always just “roll over and play dead” when it came to the conclusions that most doctors touted as solutions to medical problems.  Because of that, the earl’s life was substantively affected and the readers are gifted with a bit of mystery as to what really went on with the earl’s mother.

This is not a fast-moving novel and for some it will be just too slow.  As a reader who is open to many writing styles, I was okay with the pace of the story for the most part, but I admit to there being times when I turned a few pages of internal monologue–too much of that really bores me.

All in all, however, I did enjoy the book and think it will be a fun read for readers.

I give it a rating of 3.75 out of 5.

Scoundrels

three-half-stars


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Review: The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta Chase

Posted June 4, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta ChaseReviewer: Tracy
The Mad Earl's Bride by Loretta Chase
Series: Scoundrels #3.5
Also in this series: Lord of Scoundrels, Lord of Scoundrels, The Mad Earl's Bride
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 100
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Originally appeared in the print anthology Three Weddings and a Kiss (1995).

Gwendolyn Adams is about to propose to an earl. On his deathbed.

Gwendolyn Adams isn't shocked at being asked to save a handsome earl's dying line, even when she learns the prospective bridegroom is seriously ill and possibly insane. She's quite a good nurse, after all, and her family is famous for producing healthy male children. Those stories about his riding the moors half-naked on a pale white horse? Extremely intriguing—especially after she gets her first look at the gorgeous lunatic.

The Earl of Rawnsley wants only to lose what's left of his mind in peace and privacy. But his busybody relatives have saddled him with a surprise bride and orders to sire an heir forthwith. (And they say he's mad?) But with Gwendolyn, his health is returning, and his resistance ... crumbling. Is it possible that love is the finest madness of all?

Dorian’s mother goes mad when he’s at university. He has a hard life but eventually becomes an Earl. This means nothing, however, because he knows he’s slowly going insane, just as his mother once did. He sees things and has horrible, debilitating pain in his head. He’s only been given 6 months to live and he wants to do that in peace. His personal physician, who once cared for his mother as well, has agreed to give him all the laudanum he requires to get him through his final days.

Enter Gwendolyn Adams. She is a woman on a mission. She is determined to build a hospital where she has a say in what is done and how it is run. She needs money and Dorian has it. In a few months he won’t be needing it any longer so it’s a perfect match. It’s a bit less mercenary than that but it’s basically how it is. Dorian agrees against his better judgement and the pair are wed.

Immediately Gwendolyn tries to figure Dorian out. She wants to be a doctor but in that day and age women weren’t thought to have a brain much less trusted as doctors. She did study under another doctor though who she learned a great deal from and tries to figure out how to save Dorian if possible. During that time she falls in love with the man. He is kind and loving and their perfect for each other in bed. She actually does help him through a couple of episodes and he starts to feel better than he has in ages.

Because he falls in love with Gwen as well he knows he has to make her dream of a hospital happen before he dies – but that take longer than he thinks.

This was a great book. Here we have a man who thinks he’s a lunatic and a woman who gathers and studies medical information. You wouldn’t think that they would ever suit each other much less fall in love but they definitely do that. I loved the mix of the emotional and the analytical that Chase put into the story. It really blended well and made for an intriguing read. I almost wished that the story was longer as I was so into it. Definitely not to be missed.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Scoundrels

four-stars


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Review: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.

Posted December 1, 2007 by Rowena in Reviews | 10 Comments

Review: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.Reviewer: Rowena
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Series: Scoundrels #3
Also in this series: Lord of Scoundrels, The Mad Earl's Bride, The Mad Earl's Bride
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 1995
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
five-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

They call him many names, but Angelic isn't one of them . . .
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.
She's too intelligent to fall for the worst man in the world . . .
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!

I started this book not too long ago and I’ve finished it already and I’m not too happy about that, as a matter of fact, I’m downright pissed off with myself for finishing the book because, I wasn’t ready to part from these characters. This book was soooo good. I don’t think I had any gripes with this book, AT ALL.

Seriously.

I mean, right from the beginning of the book I was drawn to Dain’s character. When he was that lost little boy of 8 years, grieving for the mother he loved and wanted most of all, to see the scared little boy in the grown adult man made me yearn for him to find that someone that will give him what he so desperately needs…which is love. I was over the moon that Jessica was that woman. She was completely perfect for him, seriously perfect for him.

It was magic every time they were together before they got together, all the witty banter flying back and forth between them was so refreshingly cute and the bickering was such an entertaining way to get to know these two. I loved everything about their relationship, right from the beginning when they both hate each other (but not really) and up to the very end when they’re both utterly besotted with each other and totally in love.

My favorite line in the book is when Dain tells Jess how besotted he is with her and curst if he knows why.

This line:

He pulled away the glove, and at the first glimpse of her fragile, white hand, all thoughts of negotiation fled. “I don’t see how matters could become worst,” he muttered. “I am already besotted with a needle-tongued, conceited, provoking ape leader of a lady.”Her head jerked up. “Besotted? You’re nothing like it. Vengeful is more like it. Spiteful.”

“I must be besotted,” he said evenly. “I have the imbecilic idea that you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

OMGOSH, I frickin’ loved that line, I didn’t like what happened after that little bit of dialogue but I seriously LOVED it. I loved the names they called each other, the first kiss in the storm with him all half naked and following her after she stomped out of the room where he was with his cows.

LOL!

I’m telling you, this book was off the chains fantastic, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it. I enjoyed all of the characters, even the butthead characters that got on my hot damn nerves like Vawtry and Bertie…goodness, Bertie was one dumb ass of a character, don’t you think?

My favorite thing about this book though were the names Dain and Jess called each other, my favorite name that Jess called Dain?

A conceited clodpole!

Oh my how I laughed when I read that, all the insults Jess threw his way never ceased to crack me the hell up. This was a fun book, it was all things great and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

I loved the watch that Jess got for her grandmother, I loved the relationship that Jessica shared with her Grandmother, Genevieve and I hella loved when Jessica yelled at Bertie for being a dumb ass when he was trying to get the horses under control, oh man Jessica was the bomb.

Oh dude, and when she shot him? Holy hell, this girl be keepin’ it gangsta! When she went in there, calm as can be and whipped out her gun and shot that fool and then turned around without blinking and walked out like she was Billie Bad Ass, I was rollin’…dude, this girl has got so much nerve and I loved it!

This book was off the chains, ya’ll should totally read this book…one of the things that I worried about throughout the book was that Dain’s bastard wasn’t going to be dealt with but man am I oh so glad that things worked out for the best on that score, I enjoyed getting to know Dominick and to see him grow into the boy that he was at the end…and to see the way that his presence changed Dain into the father he didn’t have, how he changed Dain with Dain not thinking he could, how everything was just so instinctive and for Jess to trust in Dain to do the right thing, sigh it was just jolly lovely!

I LOVE THIS BOOK, if you haven’t read this book, what are you waiting for? FIX THAT PRONTO! GREAT GREAT BOOK!

Scoundrels

five-stars


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Guest Review: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Posted April 27, 2007 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 11 Comments

Guest Review: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta ChaseReviewer: Isabel
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Series: Scoundrels #3
Also in this series: Lord of Scoundrels, The Mad Earl's Bride, The Mad Earl's Bride
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 1995
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 375
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
five-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

DETERMINED LADY

Tough-minded Jessica Trent's sole intention is to free her nitwit brother from the destructive influence of Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain. She never expects to desire the arrogant, amoral cad. And when Dain's reciprocal passion places them in a scandalously compromising, and public, position, Jessica is left with no choice but to seek satisfaction...

LORD OF SCOUNDRELS

Damn the minx for tempting him, kissing him... and then forcing him to salvage her reputation! Lord Dain can't wait to put the infuriating bluestocking in her place—and in some amorous position. And if that means marriage, so be it!—though Sebastian is less than certain he can continue to remain aloof... and steel his heart to the sensuous, headstrong lady's considerable charms.

I really loved this book. It was soooo good.

First of all, Dain isn’t your normal hero. In the book he’s described as looking like Beelzebub. He’s called “big beak” and referred to as not very handsome and that’s how Dain thinks of himself. Which I found was different. Usually you get these handsome Brad Pitt looking guys. It’s not that Dain is ugly. He’s not. He’s just not like your normal hero.

Dain’s mother, the only person who loved him, ran off when he was young. His father was pretty much disgusted with him. Well, maybe not disgusted, just disappointed. His father had 3 handsome sons who died. So to have a not so handsome son, Dain, left daddy bitter. So Daddy dearest sends Dain away to school. Because he’s picked on, Dain learns to disguise his feelings by laughing things off and making witty remarks. He sounds as if he could care less. And he does. He has a front of being cool and collected. Until Jessica arrives.

You see, she wants her brother to stop hanging around Dain. Her family knows Bertie is an idiot. Dain knows he’s an idiot, so Jessica thinks he’s taking advantage of him. Which… I can’t remember why Dain befriended him in the first place.

Jessica and Dain have a love/hate relationship. However, they both realize they are attracted to each other. Which is nice. Most of the time the heroines deny the feelings they have for the guy. Not Jessica. After meeting Dain, she complains to her grandmother how handsome he is and how she feels something for him. Jessica is smart, feisty, and knows how to stand her ground with Dain. She doesn’t let him push her around. I love how Jessica spar back and forth with Dain. There is one incident where Jessica says she won’t argue with Dain. Which of course he doesn’t believe. After a month, Dain is desperate to have his Jessica back. He hates having a wife who listens and agrees with everything he says and does.

After getting caught in a compromising position at the ball, they are forced to marry. We get a glimpse of Dain caring for Jessica. He gives her a betrothal ring. He spent hours in a shop trying to find a ring for her. The jeweler gave Dain suggestions that made him want to vomit. A birthstone ring. A stone to match her eyes etc. Dain then finds the perfect ring and he knows the reasoning of picking it out is just as sappy as the jeweler’s. It’s a ruby for the girl who shed his blood (she shot him. You have to read it to understand) and diamonds representing the lightning that flashed when she kissed him.

As he waits for her reaction to the ring, he tries to tell himself he doesn’t care what she think. But he does. He really wants her to love the ring. We see even though Dain is the tough guy, all he really wants is to be loved. He is a sensitive person but not whiney sensitive. When Jessica gives Dain a birthday present, he’s shocked. He also treasures it and when asked to give his present up he refuses.

All in all I loved this book. The is much more to the story but you have to read it to find out. These are two quotes I love. There are many more, but these are what I have here at work.

Jessica to Dain:

I love these pet names,” she said, gazing soulfully up into his eyes, “Nitwit. Sap skull. Termagant. How they make my heart flutter!

Dain’s reaction receiving the invitation to a ball is too funny.

A part of his mind recommended he burn it.
Another part suggested he urinate on it.
Another advised him to shove it down Her ladyship’s throat.

Go read this book!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Scoundrels

five-stars


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