Customer Reviews

Never Trust a Scoundrel (Avon Romantic Treasure)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Grace Banbury's life hasn't exactly been normal for a young lady. She's 24 and unmarried, she was rejected by a man she loved, and now it seems that her mother, an inveterate gambler, has lost their two houses through gambling. Grace's mother has disappeared and when Grace discovers the house has been lost to Mr Daniel Throckmorten she is horrified to discover he has also won the right to marry her.

Fortunately for Grace, Throckmorten doesn't want to marry her - or anyone else for that matter. However he does want a new mistress and eventually they find themselves in a wager; if he can tempt her to be his mistress within two weeks, he wins; if she holds out against his seductive charm she will be allowed to have a family heirloom, a rather special violin.

And so the story continues in what seems like an oft-trod direction. Man tries to seduce woman, woman is very tempted but tries to resist. Grace decides to try to redeem Daniel whose family have been rather scandalous in the past, Grace's gambling-addicted brother appears from time to time, there's another minor plot about someone who wants to marry Grace, but most of the attention is on Daniel and Grace.

The story feels rather lightweight most of the time with Grace able to behave in a most unlikely manner in a world when women were closely chaperoned. We see the story through both Grace's and Daniel's eyes and there are few surprises along the way. It's a reasonable enough read but didn't stand out in any way and towards the end the story was dragging a little too much for this reader.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2008

I agree with Harriet Klausner that it was a wonderful concept and everyone's character was true to the plot except Grace's. I kept thinking, "Can't she see what everyone else sees or will think of her?" After everything she's been through- losing her father at such a young age, having to save the family estate from her gambling addicted mother's devastation, raise her brother only to have him follow their mother into a gambling addiction too, having a sleazy ex-suitor taking her innocence and then discarding her, and then to find out her mother lost her, their homes, and a prized violin that was supposed to go to her eventually in a card game- she should have been much more angry, upset, mature, and leery of everyone around her.

Instead she still tries to help her brother and save the estate by making a very indecent wager with Daniel, the man who won her and didn't really want her or her homes in the first place. All he wanted was the violin. And in the end tries to save Daniel too. Huh? The author keeps having her say that she's worried about herself and her reputation but then has her behaving just the opposite.

Grace's character keeps making stupid decisions and acting totally immature and naive and just plain stupid to the world around her. It's like the author tries to have Grace seem worldly but instead she comes off as this stupid country miss that doesn't have a clue of what she's doing, but keeps doing it. And where was her anger and wariness? Could she just shed everything that had happened in the past as if it didn't traumatically affect her? I kept thinking if her reputation gets ruined- she has it coming! It's Daniel's worldliness and maturity, her brother growing maturity, and her friend's care and all their love- and just pure dumb luck- that saves her in the end. I truly think if the author had put the appropriate strong, mature female character into this book it would've been very, very good. Too bad it wasn't Grace.

In 1845 in a game of cards, Lady Banbury assured of her hand raises the stake by anteing up her daughter. However, to her chagrin, Daniel Throckmorten takes the pot, which includes the virtue of Miss Grace Banbury.

Grace is stunned as not only is this out of character for her prim and proper mom; she lost to a noted rake whose family is always embroiled in scandal. However, Daniel may be amused by the affair, but he will never force a female into his bed. Instead his plan is to seduce Grace so that she voluntarily graces his bed. Grace assumes she can ignore his seduction and regain her freedom, but Daniel's kisses are hard to resist as she has fallen in love with the scoundrel who keeps raising the ante.

The "introduction" between the lead couple is a wonderful unique concept (unless you're Grace) that brings a distinct freshness to the nineteenth century tale of the romance between a rake and an innocent. Daniel and Grace prove to be much more than the stereotypes as they gamble on love while the eccentric support cast especially her gambler of a mother and his out of control family enhance this entertainingly brisk early Victorian romance.

Harriet Klausner

Grace Banbury has been betrayed by her mother who has not only lost all their possessions in a gambling frenzy but has also gambled Grace away to the winner, Daniel Throckmorten. To try to save herself and her brother, Grace challenges Daniel to another bet. If Grace can resist Daniel's seduction for 2 weeks, Grace will receive a valuable violin that will save her from poverty and disgrace. But resisting Daniel is another matter!

I have two minds about this book and couldn't make up my mind why this was until I read the other reviews of it. I love the premise of the story and Daniel is really hot. The change in him from heartless rake to caring, loving man is electric - he could give me a bath any time! The problem with this book is Grace. It is like Gayle Callen could not decide how she should be - the redeeming innocent or damaged woman of the world. I think this would have been a much better story if Callen had empathized the 'damaged woman of the world' aspect of Grace's character, so that Daniel's task of winning her trust and love would be so much more meaningful.

Having said that, I look forward to seeing how the series goes.

The beautiful Miss Grace Banbury has not only been the beauty, but the brains in her highly dysfunctional family of gamblers and has always found a way to get her brother and mother out of their waging messes. But this time, her mother has done the ultimate insult and has not only gambled away the family's homes, property, and a priceless violin, which is one of Grace's most important possessions, but her along with it! The handsome Daniel Throckmorten has always turned everything he touches into gold and has a knack for recognizing a good gamble and business deal that will pay off well, but he discovers the shock at winning the beautiful Grace, especially when he is in the market for a new mistress. Upon seeing her beauty and intelligence, he is taken with her and his feelings begin to somewhat soften. How can he keep up his image of being a scoundrel and rake that has kept his image of success within society in business and bed going if he turns soft on Miss Banbury and allows her to win the wager?

Suddenly Grace finds herself in a position that she never thought she would be in: a wager with a scoundrel no less! If Daniel cannot seduce her into his bed within two weeks she will lose all, but most of all she wants the priceless violin so that she can sell it and save her brother. And this is indeed a sacrifice, because Grace loves music and that violin, but she loves her brother Edward more and wants to save him before he becomes as bad as her mother, has no property and will never find a wife. As Daniel begins his seduction of Grace he begins to see her beauty is more than skin deep. And as Grace feels her passion weakening and giving into Daniel, she realizes that it is the violin and music that is between them more than the wager, and that this scoundrel is really a gentleman. Desire blazes and mysteries are uncovered regarding Daniel and Grace's family. When Grace discovers Daniel is training Edward in how to choose good business deals that pay off other than gambling, she soon begins to realize that maybe a scoundrel can be trusted, but most of all both Grace and Daniel realize that all along the wager is not as important as family and love.

Gayle Callen in her usually sensual style has written another romance that is about a rake, rogue and/or scoundrel that romance readers love to hate and end up loving even more! Once again Ms. Callen has written another book that readers will absorb and lose all track of time. She cannot write fast enough!

If your looking for a book with a lot of hot sex scenes, then this isn't the one for you. But if you love a good romance in which the hero and heroine fall in love, give this one a try, and when they finally get to the sex, it is pretty hot, just not a whole lot of it. I enjoyed it and cared about the characters. They were all appealing and this was an enjoyable read. 4.5 Stars

I didn't like either of the heroes. The story was over the top and totally unbelievable. I don't like novels where the whole story takes place at balls and other society events. They lack imagination. And the ending was rushed. I'd like to know at least what happened to her mother. She simply disappeared. Well, I have to say I liked the part where they went to the Vauxhall gardens. And the sex scenes were hot and steamy. But that just wasn't enough to redeem this book.

I loved this book.
Grace, is such a strong character I really felt for her. Through no fault of her own her life was turned upside doen. In a moment of anger she challenges ine of the people responsible.
Daniel is not as he seems. The longer the two are around each other the more they learn about themselves.
The ending was not what I expected but I had to admit it had style.

Grace Banbury is horrified to learn her mother used her as a wager in a high stakes card game. The winner of the game is ready to claim his prizes which also include her family homes and her father's prized violin.

A member of one of the tons most scandalous families, Daniel Throckmorten didn't play to win Grace, he only wanted the violin. When the beautiful Grace challenges the well known rake to a wager, Daniel is intrigued. If she wins, she will have enough funds to secure a future for her brother and herself. If Daniel wins, Grace will become his mistress. All Daniel has to do is seduce the resisting yet irresistible Grace.

He had me from the very beginning. Daniel Throckmorten is a mouth-watering temptation of a man. Although he descends from a scandalous family, he is a man of honor and that is his most attractive feature.

A sensually heated romance, Never Trust a Scoundrel is scrumptious. Gayle Callen has created a passionate love story. The secondary characters are especially interesting and will hopefully feature in future installments of this scandalous series.

Annmarie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Daniel Throckmorten wins a violin,two homes and wife all in one card game. While check on his new London home he finds Miss Grace Banbury. She doesn't know that her mother sweeted the pot with adding her to it mix. Daniel and Grace set-up a wager - if she can resist him for 2 weeks she gets the the violin and if she looses his gets a new mistress. Also nice visit with the characters of 'The Viscount In Her Bedroom'. Finished it in one day - not alot of work done that day! Enjoy!

Looking forward to the next book of this series Never Dare a Duke, Due out January 2009