Sweetest Scoundrel

Since I was first introduced to Hoyt as an author earlier this year I have find it incredibly hard to fall in love with her stories. If you have yet to be introduced to the author yourself allow me to tell you that the author pens beautiful, breathtaking romances that will remind you of a gentle fairy tale.

The title of the book describes the story well, “sweet.” This story is a charming romance that is not too heavy and yet certainly easy on the eyes. The romance was present throughout the book and that is what I savor the best about Hoyt as an author is that each time she manages to deliver her readers with a new romance that is as alluring as a spring bloom.

However I think the plot in this book was a little dry around the edges. The beginning was much slower than what I was expecting and the plot never really found its own rhythm. So the plot in my opinion needed to be vastly improved and so it was a good thing that the romance was so well written.

Lastly I rarely ever comment on sensual scenes because each author has their way own way of writing such scenes and yet I feel like historical, heated moments have went straight into the world of contemporary. I was disappointed to have found this in this book as well as the author herself rarely ever does this flaw. Yet, I am beginning to see it more and more in historical-romances and I am not all thrilled by the detail as I consider sensual nature to reflect the tone of both the actual book as a whole and that of the romance. So I am hoping this flaw does not continue into the new year.

For my respect for the author and for her wonderful writings of sweeter romances I would recommend this book.

No great scoundrel is ever uninteresting. – Murray Kempton

Asa Makepeace is anything but uninteresting. He is loud and proud of Harte’s Folly – a pleasure garden, theater, and opera all in one for Georgian London to enjoy. Asa’s love of theater earned him the wrath of his father and distanced him from his siblings. Although Harte’s Folly burned down (presumably in a previous book in the series), Asa has a new sponsor (and fellow scoundrel) to help rebuild – the Duke of Montgomery.

The Duke tasks his half sister, Eve Dinwoody, to manage his financial investment in Harte’s Folly. Asa is aghast to be audited … and Eve is aghast to find Asa in bed with the opera singer. Yet Eve takes her job seriously to please her brother, the only person who cares about the mousy bastard of his father. She is soon drawn into the theater world, taking an interest in the dancers’ welfare, participating in the rehearsals, and even rescuing a mangy dog despite her fear of dogs. Along the way, Eve appreciates Asa’s passion for the arts. She blooms into a confident woman who realizes she wants more from life than simply relying upon her brother. Likewise, Asa allows Eve into his cynical heart. She inspires him to reconnect with his family (characters in previous books) and see that he can have a life other than the theater.

SWEETEST SCOUNDREL is my first entry into the Maiden Lane series. Somehow, I missed the previous eight books. Still, I was able to read SWEETEST SCOUNDREL as a stand alone book – the focus is on Asa Makepeace and Eve Dinwoody. Hoyt creates two unique characters who give readers a different perspective of the Georgian Era; its not all about the London Ton. Asa reminds me of Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeake in Love – his quest for theatrical perfection intersects with his growing love for Eve. Does he have enough passion for both? Is Eve willing to share Asa with the theater world?

Hoyt adds extra drama and humor to the story with the colorful cast and tidbits about theater. Hoyt sets SWEETEST SCOUNDREL apart from other historical romances with steamy scenes in which Asa teaches Eve about pleasure. Finally, Hoyt introduces each chapter with an excerpt from a fairy tale which symbolizes the upcoming action in SWEETEST SCOUNDREL. This added bonus reminds me of the fairy tales Hoyt included in her debut, THE RAVEN PRINCE. Since then, Hoyt has written 15 full length historicals. It was a pleasure to read SWEETEST SCOUNDREL to see how Hoyt has matured as a writer and even have confidence to take a chance on extraordinary characters.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from Forever Romance.

enjoyed this one. I have to say that this installment was much better than my expectations. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, appeared as a villain in the previous books, so I couldn’t imagine how he would redeem himself in this one. And wow, it was a real surprise! He redeemed himself quite well, but not entirely, if you ask me. Nevertheless, it was a good thing he didnt abruptly or totally turn good because that might make his character banal, weak, and unconvincing somehow. Well, yes, I absolutely liked him this way!
I can say that Val was definitely a round character. He was raised by his sick mind father and cold-hearted mother. Throughout his childhood, his father instructed and forced him to do and think as a heartless and merciless person. The saddest part was that his father successfully put some twisted sense of morality into his only son. So, it was no wonder Val grew up to be a corrupt man. It was obvious he had a very complex personality. He believed he was an evilnot different from his father. Sometimesperhaps most of the timehe didnt really seem to know what was right and wrong, or how to distinguish right action from the wrong action. He only did what pleased himself. However, this ruthless man had a soft spot in his heart for his half-sister and he truly cared for her, of course, in his own odd way.
Thankfully, Bridget came into his life and brought out the best parts of him, which in fact, were rarely found!
Bridget Crumb became Vals housekeeper in order to help her aristocratic mother from being blackmailed by him. While she was in his house, Val secretly observed her and knew that she had a hidden agenda and that she was searching for something. Even so, he couldnt help but be attracted to her. She was strong, clever, bold, loyal, and most of all, mysterious. Whatever her secret was, she hid it well. But that didnt matter to him because he would stop at nothing until he found out who this woman really was.
The suspense part of this book was very well-written. I got a great deal of enjoyment and excitement out of it. What more could I ask for?
The romance between Val and Bridget was fantastic. The chemistrythe heatthe sexual tensionthe unmistakable sizzle of desire between themall was broiling! Hot, sexy, and romantic rolled into one!
All in all, this was an enthralling dark historical romance story. Recommended for fans of the genre.

I really like Elizabeth Hoyt’s writing – I started with the ‘Princes’ series and then began the ‘Maiden Lane’ series. Every plot is unique, the tension is palpable, the characters deep with interesting backgrounds. BUT – the last three books, Darling Beast, Dearest Rogue and now Sweetest Scoundrel have been way off the mark for me. This latest book, Sweetest Scoundrel, was so unlike her earlier writing that I ploughed through it,waiting and waiting to be caught up in her often nightmarish, intricate plots. It never happened. I liked both the hero’s and heroine’s characters and their interraction – but the sex scenes were unnecessarily graphic; I don’t need to have male and female genitalia described in detail. I also don’t know why the first ‘sex scene’ in the carriage was there – this is a 34 year old man, not a teenager, and a woman who, we know, has terrible issues from her childhood, asking for more explanations and demonstrations?? Please! Then we get a similar scene in the office; I really felt it was just there for titillation, not what I want from her books. There were a lot of other situations and actions that didn’t work – but I would be giving the story away if I remarked on them. Suffice to say there were plenty, and I didn’t like them.

The plot was so thin that I thought there must be more to come to flesh it out, but no, it plodded along and the villain was despatched neatly – and unbelievably. There was never any feeling of menace from him – and I think that is something EH has always written so well. Because I have so enjoyed the earlier books in the series, I will read the next one because we are already familiar with the hero, the Duke of Montgomery, and hope that the author pulls something better out of the hat. I believe that there are a further three Maiden Lane books in the pipeline, but I will have decide whether to read them after the next book is published.

Elizabeth Hoyt has created a wonderful backdrop for her Maiden Lane series and each book is a delight to read. Eve’s and Asa’s story is no exception. Asa is a really interesting, down to earth hero and at last we find out why he has been distant from his family for so long. He is driven by his passion for the garden at Harte’s Folly and the theatrical entertainments that he works hard to produce. As he falls in love with Eve, he has to come to terms with his past and re-order his priorities for the future. His sensitivity to Eve reveals depths to his character that contrast strongly with the brash, hot tempered man we encounter at the beginning of the book. As for Eve, she is also a delight. She is plain, illegitimate and deeply traumatised by events in her own past, but when she loves, she loves wholeheartedly. (Who else could be so devoted to such an amoral and mercurial brother as the Duke of Montgomery? Val’s book is next, thankfully, and I can’t wait to see how Ms Hoyt can make a hero out of such a character!) Eve’s journey is perhaps even more difficult than Asa’s, but she is a lovely, courageous woman and it is heartwarming to see her blossom as these two unlikely lovers reach out for their HEA. I thoroughly recommend this book as well as all the others in the Maiden Lane series.

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