Customer Reviews

Scandalous Lord, Rebellious Miss (Harlequin Historical)

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

 

 

Charles Alden, the wicked Lord Dayle, is valiantly attempting to reform his reputation as a rakehell of the first water. All he needs is the perfect, entirely appropriate, bride to cement his new and reputable place in the government. Things are going well until a scandal sheet prints outrageous (and untrue) news of his supposed exploits and an unexpected friend reappears in his life.

The childhood friend is Sophie Westby, a free spirit and most independent young woman. She has grown into a tempting beauty, but is entirely the wrong sort of woman for the reformed Charles. Sophie is delighted to find Charles again, but he has become stodgy and stiff. She cannot resist ruffling his feathers and uncovering the man she knows him to be.

The hero and heroine of Marlowe's tale leap off the page, fully three-dimensional. The dialogue and prose and both delightful. Sophie is (most unconventionally) an interior designer and views the world through the eyes of an artist. Charles is steady, pragmatic and tempted to revisit his wild side in a most convincing and natural way.

Deb Marlowe's narrative style is ideally suited to the Regency period. It is lightly dusted with Regency terms and lush historical detail. The research for this novel, particularly the details of interior design and the politics of the day, were obviously well-researched but are used only as needed. The story unfolds at a nice pace and the reader is compelled to turn the pages.

This is a stunning debut book from an author who will be a star in the world of Regency romance. I highly recommend Scandalous Lord, Rebellious Miss.

Deb Marlowe's debut book, her Golden Heart Winner, is a real treat. Her heroine, Sophie has gumption and a career of her own despite the "tons" best attempts to foil her. Her hero Charles, tortured by a past he cannot get clear of, is everything a woman desires. Sophie's part in her nemisis, Miss Ashford's charity ball, is delightful and quite original. I found it easy to relate to the insecurity Sophie must feel as a woman with "brains" in England at that time. Bravo! Miss Marlowe!

Lots of fun but emotional too. I really like a strong heroine and Sophie did not back down. Charles tried to fool the world but she never let him get away with it with her. And with her help, he was able to heal.

A really fun and unusual ending too. I enjoyed the ride!

Don't get me wrong - this is not a bad book, but it isn't a really good book, either. The main characters just did not ring true to me, especially the heroine. Charles, I could understand - he spent his youth on outrageous pranks, drinking, and women. Then his older brother was killed in the war, his father died soon after, and he is suddenly responsible for his widowed mother and younger brother, as well as all the other responsibilities of the viscountcy. Oh, and there's a scandal to live down. So, exit carefree and careless Charles Alden, and enter sober, hard-working Viscount Dayle. Things are going well until someone starts spreading scandalous lies about him. He decides he needs a staid, respectable wife to prove to the ton that he has changed. Enter Sophie Weston, who has come to town to develop a career as a furniture/decor designer. Unconventional for the times, to say the least. She thinks Charles is faint-hearted, mean-spirited, and pluck-less; he thinks Sophie is impetuous, opinionated, and always in trouble. Sounds like a recipe for a spirited relationship, but it just never comes together that way - at least for me. Sophie is too often thinking only of how his actions affect her, and trying to change him without first trying to understand him. Charles I could like and understand, but Sophie was far from being the woman who 'comforts his battered spirit', as the back cover says. She could, however, make him laugh, which I guess could partially qualify. but I was disappointed in the lack of understanding she often displayed. I won't give away any more details, except to say that it has an ending that has some Keystone Kops elements that are very entertaining.

I know why this won the Golden Heart: the writing is fantastic! The dialogue sparkles and the characters are very well done. I have read a lot of Regencies and this one was such a breath of fresh air.

I have rarely read a heroine who delighted me more! This book made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes; that's hard to do, and that's what makes a book a keeper for me.

Well done, Deb Marlowe! This book deserves awards!

Loved it! The characters were complex and lovable, and different from the kind you usually see. Great story!

It is really rare for me to start a book and not finish it. This book was just very trite. I did not care about the characters and it seemed that this book was just a rip off of other romance novels.