Customer Reviews

Love with a Scandalous Lord

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Lydia Westland is living her dream, albeit at the expense of her step-grandfather's impending death. Lydia is in London, her stepfather's homeland, a far cry from her home in Fortune, Texas. She's rather overwhelmed by all of the pomp and circumstance, but is bound and determined to enter society and find a suitable, respectable husband. Lydia is immediately intrigued and attracted to her stepfather's half-brother, Rhys Rhodes. When Rhys agrees to teach Lydia all the rules of living among the ton, neither expects the lessons will affect their hearts, as well as their futures.

Rhys Rhodes does not consider himself husband material. Circumstances from the past, a guilty conscience, and the fact that he has very strong feelings for Lydia keep Rhys in constant turmoil. Ten years older and much more worldly than Lydia, he decides the best thing he can do is find her a suitable husband. When his father dies and Lydia's family returns home, Rhys sets out to do just that. After all, as the new Duke of Harrington, his title should carry weight in introducing her to society. Never having known love, Rhys is convinced that Lydia will be much happier with someone else than she could ever be with him.

I was at first put off by Rhys, who seemed more of a cad than hero with his constant lusting after Lydia, but as the story unfolded, I found him to be one of Ms. Heath's most tormented, tortured, and sympathetic heroes to date. Ms. Heath slowly peels away layer after layer, making for a slower paced book than what we are used to from her, but it works extremely well for this story. I found myself almost in tears in a number of places toward the middle and end. Lydia Westland, the stepdaughter of Grayson Rhodes, from A ROGUE IN TEXAS, has one foot in childhood, the other in adulthood. When it comes to fighting for her man, however, Lydia is all woman.

LOVE WITH A SCANDALOUS LORD is very sensual, filled with depth of emotion and characterization. I highly recommend this latest offering from Lorraine Heath as another of her powerful stories destined for the keeper shelf.

Many of the reviewers for Lorraine Heath's "Love With a Scandalous Lord" believe she should go back to writing about Texas. I am a fan of Lorraine Heath's and this story is the first story I've read from her where the setting was in England. I'd say, it was an okay story. I enjoy reading stories in various settings. But I prefer her other books to this. I just found some of the characters really annoying and can't believe in their reasons and rationale for the way they act. For example, Rhys the hero in the story just didn't click with me. Okay, I know how most romance stories go. The hero's some tortured soul with a bad boy streak with the nobody-loves-me outlook and the heroine is the nurturing oh-so-understanding type, the martyr. Rhys was just so into his "I-don't-deserve-anything-I'm-a-horrible-person" mode most of the story, that it got a bit tedious. Once it was revealed why he was feeling the way he did, I felt like saying, "Geez, for crying out loud!" If he felt that awful why did he have to live up to his "self-made" reputation? As for the heroine, Lydia, her child-like manner of extreme innocence just left me rolling my eyes in dismay. How could she be so naive? She acted as if she was locked up in a convent before she came to England. I mean she admitted in the story that there were boys back home that she associated with, i.e. kisses, courting, etc. etc. So how could she be "that" naive with men and "what goes on between a man in a woman"? And her dream to be a Lady and mesh in England's high society was over taxing. "A dreamer" she was dubbed. She was bordering on "stupidity". I understand how she wanted to see how the other half lived, but puhleeze! She was practically an ambitious social climbing, wanna-be. As for Rhys' mother. She was a cruel woman. Imagine her telling him she wished to God that it was him that drowned instead of his older brother? Then at the end she explains why she had treated him cruelly for years, a very weak and stupid reason at that. But this seemed to satisfy our hero. All in all, the story was okay. I enjoy Lorraine Heath's books, but this one has left me in limbo as to whether or not I liked the story. Maybe if there were some humor to the story it would have been more of an enjoyable read. But this won't prevent me from reading more books by Ms. Heath.

Wow! What a fantastic love story! I read this book in one day, I literally could not put it down.
Rhys is one of the most compelling characters I have encountered. He is handsome, passionate, sensual and strong, and at the same time vulnerable, tormented, lonely and in great need of love. What woman can resist a combination like that in a man? His desire to protect Lydia even at the cost of his own happiness made my heart melt, while Lydia's confidence in their love and its capacity to overcome any difficulty and forgive anything made me feel proud of her. She is a very believable heroine, with a very tender soul and a great capacity to love and understand. I could sympathize with her because for the most part she reacted like I would have done in her circumstances.
I have enjoyed this book throughly, but my favorite scenes are when they are in the garden and he realizes that she is barefoot and her feet are cold and he rubs them so tenderly, and the scene when he plays the piano with such sensuality. I could almost "hear" the music in my head! Oh, and of course, at the ball, when instead of turning her back on him like the rest of the world was doing, she goes to him and takes his hand regardless of the consequences.
A completely delightful love story and a well written book, were the author touches deep and delicate themes with great taste and masterful ability.

Lydia Westland is determined to make her trip to England, her 'season' a dream come true. When her step-father Grayson is called back from Texas to see his dying father, Lydia accompanies him, fantasies of ever-so-proper and ever-so-handsome English noblemen sweeping her off her feet. London is a long way from Fortune, Texas, but Lydia is accompanied by multiple ettiquette books and a heaping serving ot Texas confidence, but none of that seems quite enough when she meets her step-father's much younger half-brother, Rhys, Marquess of Blackhurst and soon-to-be Duke.

Rhys can't ignore the instant attraction he feels toward this beautiful and energetic Texas woman, but neither can he deliver what she so clearly is looking for and so obviously deserves. She should have her season, her moment of glory. Any connection to him will eventually doom her. Even as he kisses her, he tries to hold her away. When her first ball in London results in disaster, Rhys resolves to a devil's bargain to bring her what Lydia needs and deserves--a bargain that will put her forever beyond his reach. She can have her season, her social success, but she can never have him.

Author Lorraine Heath brings her emotionally rich characters and situations from Texas to England in LOVE WITH A SCANDALOUS LORD. Set in the 1880s, England is in the midst of its transformation from aristocracy to democracy, and the proprieties remain critical. A woman can still be ruined and a career in business, bastardy, or inappropriate sexual adventures can still destroy a man's standing in society. Lydia is a charming heroine, with appealing Texas spunk. Rhys is damaged and dangerous--with skills in lovemaking that would set any woman's heart on fire, and that, in fact, have sent too many women into his arms.

I absolutely loved this book. One thing I really enjoyed was the fact that the sparks were there between Rhys and Lydia from the beginning. Their attraction to each other and the building intensity is nearly palpable in this great love story. Rhys' redemption through Lydia's love will make you laugh, and maybe even cry. It's the Rake-Virgin plotline, but Heath weaves a fine tale fraught with emotions that absolutely brings the characters to life.

Brief Synopsis:

Rhys Rhodes summons his illegitimate half-brother, Grayson Rhodes, who is currently living in Texas with his wife, children and stepchildren, back to England. Grayson and Rhys' older brother has died, and their father is now on his deathbed, leaving Rhys to inherit the title. Accompanying Grayson on the trip to England includes his eldest stepchild, twenty-year-old Lydia. Lydia is enamored with English society, and determined to fulfill her dream of having a Season in London where she may just find a nobleman to love.

Immediately, Rhys and Lydia are drawn to each other, but Rhys resists the attraction due to Lydia being his step-niece, the fact that she is 10 years younger than he, and her innocence combined with his jaded worldview.

As the story progresses, Lydia realizes she is in love with the cynical Rhys, and begins to pursue him. Rhys tries to avoid forming a relationship because of his dark and scandalous past as a male escort among the ladies of society, as well as the fact that he slept with his now-deceased brother's wife, who later committed suicide. Rhys blames himself for his brother's wife's death, and his self-loathing and bitterness haunts him. Lydia's honest, no-nonsense approach combined with her vulnerability and innocence forces Rhys to confront all of his demons.

As Lydia quickly realizes, the Society that she so wanted to be a part of can be very cruel. When told by Rhys and her friends to publicly cut him at a ball in order to save her own reputation which was at risk, she refuses to do so and instead walks to Rhys and curtsies in the crowded ballroom amongst hushed spectators, thereby destroying any further hopes of being accepted by the nobility.

While trying to spare Lydia from being tainted from his dark past, Rhys ends up being saved by the innocent woman he strove to protect. They marry, and begin the process of restoring Rhys to "polite" society.

Awesome, wonderful story.

Even though I felt the relationship between Lydia and her uncle-by-marriage was a little off putting at first, it grew on me and was soon forgotten. Even though Lydia was this incredibly naive 20 year old and I never could figure out how old Rhys was so the whole relationship felt a bit like cradle robbing, I eventually brushed that aside. Even though it was annoying that Rhys kept pushing Lydia away with no real explanation why, yet couldn't keep his hands off her, I still became engrossed in their relationship and was rooting them on. Even though I found Rhys and Lydia way too good to be true and the amount of crap they were willing to put up with for each other a bit unbelievable, I still enjoyed the story. Until I got to the ending....

Romance novels are notorious for endings that are happily ever after, this book certainly follows after that. From the very beginning of Love with a Scandalous Lord we are made aware of a deep dark secret that Rhys has and is the reason why he cannot be with Lydia. This secret is what pushes the plot along, it is why the characters do what they do, it is the DRAMA. The secret is eventually revealed and in my opinion is a big one. All of his hesitancies and hem and hawing, and decision making over his and Lydia's future are justified. The secret was BIG, especially in that era and culture. There is no way that this secret could be just brushed aside with a shrug after it was made public. I eagerly awaited how the hero and heroine would find a solution. Well..... nothing happened. Really, nothing happened. An entire book of dragging this secret to light and it was resolved in a few sentences. Actually nothing was resolved, because the hero and heroine didn't do ANYTHING. It was like a fairy tale ending. Love conquers all and only the right prevail and a lot of other nonsense. There is no way with that secret being revealed that there wouldn't have been life altering changes. Instead there was just a perfect ending, a perfectly implausible unexplained perfect ending.

An ending where all wrongs are righted, enemies are reconciled and find love, horrible selfish things done are pushed under the rug, quaky parental and child relationships are now marvelous, the entire ton forgives and supports, there are no consequences for stupid things done, men forgive their wife's lover, and fathers say nothing about their daughters marrying their uncles, even if by marriage. Wow, what a fantastic land Lorraine Heath has created, just in time for the wedding too!!! Everything is resolved to perfection and without any nasty explanations of HOW! This ending is ludicrous!!! I was expecting Rhys and Lydia having to move away and start a new life away from all the gossip, which would really show how much they love each other. Instead the "rumors regarding his past had begun quieting"(p364). Yeah, I guess Rhys' secrets are just too boring and 19th century aristocracy are so understanding, and everyone's ultimate goal is to see Rhys and Lydia happy.

Love With a Scandalous Lord was a great read and one I could not put down until the incredible stupid, perfect ending. Its going in the give-away pile.

Somehow by the end off this highly implausible romance the characters stole my heart.... Perhaps is was because of Lydia's temperament not to fall prey to allowing Rhys' ridiculous circumstances to destroy her happiness- of course Rhys was pretty charming himself.

It took me a while to read this book unlike all of her others. This book was really lacking in a way none of Ms. Heath's other books have. I didn't feel the emotion in her writing this time and I never really felt much at all for the hero except just getting tired of him putting himself down all the time all throughout the book. I sorta felt like this book was rushed and not as much thought put into it or perhaps too much. I have been reading Lorraine Heath books for about two months now because I am so hooked on them. They are so moving and emotional and really tug on the heartstrings. But this one didn't even feel like it was her work. It was missing a lot for me. I really enjoyed the presence of Grayson and Abbie from "A Rogue in Texas". That was an excellent and engaging story that I absolutely loved. But this one I am afraid really lacked in those areas. It is really the only one I have read so far of all her books that I didn't feel something and was a bit glad when I finished it. It had a nice ending as hoped but it was a long road getting there. I did like it for the most part but like I said..it was really lacking in emotion and intrigue. Sorry Lorraine but the next one I read after that was wonderful (Texas Destiny). I am sure every great author has a not-so-good book once in a while. They are only human.

This is a story of two unlikely people falling in love -at first sight. A twenty year old Texas beauty and a scandalous Marquis. She knows what it is to be loved all of her life and he has never (well almost) known love. So because of his 'dark' reputation and because he loves her so much, the Marquis decides to sacrifice himself for love and do everything to insure that she finds someone else to marry. Of course she sets out to do the exact opposite and try to convince him that she loves him unconditionally -secrets and all.

The hero is really a pathetic character, going on and on...and on about how he doesn't deserve the heroine's love. The heroine on the other hand refuses to give up despite the hero's callus treatment. I just couldn't believe the hero's reasoning for protecting the heroine from himself. With that said -why did I give it 4 stars? Simple, the hero just grew on me. He was just so vulnerable and sad (no alpha male here) and wore his heart on his sleeve. Boy! He REALLY needed a HUG! Its nice to sometimes read about a hero willing to give up everything -and I mean everything- for the woman he loves.

Although slightly annoying at times, this book totally tapped into my 'sappy' side. Major AWWWWWW factor for me at the end.

Another in Lorraine Heath series that I though was particularly touching. The heroine is charming, innocent, and funny. The hero is darkly troubled, a bit too serious, and far from innocent. The ending was a great one.