Customer Reviews

Your Scandalous Ways

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Loretta Chase is one of my favorite authors and I'm convinced that her Lord of Scoundrels is the best romance ever written. But this one comes close to that lofty ideal.

After a scandalous divorce, Francesca Bonnard has remade herself into a wealthy and highly sought after courtesean. But she is playing a dangerous game with her ex-husband that will have deadly consequences.

James Cordier, a younger son of the Earl of Westwood and working one last assignment for the government, is longing to go back to England and finally lead a normal life and find a normal, innocent wife. All their expectations are about to be shattered.

James and Francesca are two of my all time favorite characters. The banter between them is delicious and it's so refreshing to have a hero and heroine who do not conform to the typical romance standards, but who, at the same time, are throughly engaging. There's just enough of the secondary characters to give the story some light hearted moments and some gravity, while not taking anything away from the real story.

If you are looking for something out of the ordinary and very well written go out and get Your Scandalous Ways.

i will answer my own question and say, in this instance, yes she can. My first reaction on reading the blurb, was oh boy, let's play spies and hookers again -- it seems a cliche by now to investigate the intimate sexual lives of men and women by glamorizing the life of a prostitute. Of course, so that ordinary non-whores can identify with her, she can't be someone from the lower classes who was born into this life, is uneducated and has never been exposed to any other options - so our heroine is the divorced and disgraced wife of an English lord. This was my first major disappointment with this book; I wanted to know more about the marriage that landed her in Venice as the city's most sought after working girl, but this aspect of the book was quite sketchy.

On the plus side, the book is set in regency Venice, which is a new locale, and Chase is an excellent prose stylist, so it wasn't painful to read. On the minus side, the plot is completely routine, the subsidiary characters seem as shadowy as background images on a TV screen, and it just wasn't very new or interesting or credible. I found myself forcing myself not to skip towards the end.


To anyone wanting to try Chase for the first time, I'd say give this one a pass and read the Carsington family series which begins with Miss Wonderful.

I can see there are mixed feelings about this book, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I thought it had suspense, humour and romance, and I really liked the idea of the two damaged people coming together. I would have liked to have a little more angst, which would have tipped it over into 5 stars. And I would have liked Francesca to have a little more angry when she found out about James' betrayal. But over, I would recommend this book.

This book is another fun read from Loretta Chase. Not all of her books have the humor and witty dialogue found in Lord of Scoundrels or Lord Perfect, but this one does! I absolutely loved these characters, they were emotional yet intelligent and I wanted to see how these two forceful personalties would come together. And for those ladies who found this book boring, I don't know what you were reading, because this book is too fast paced to be boring, as some claim; and I love a woman who can overcome adversity and rub it in the face of those who tried to keep her down!

I was pulled in by the attraction that both fought for each other. I loved that James kept watching out for Francesca even though he was exasperated by her. Both characters have personalities that are too strong to be boring and there are some twists that keep the story from being formulaic.

I have re-read this book several times and every time I love it. It is like watching a favorite movie. So, don't miss it by listening to the nay-sayers! If you like Loretta Chase, you will like this book!

I've become a fan of Loretta Chase and I've always appreciated the character development...the humor and depth and interactions. For some reason, I'm not feeling the same character development in this book. It is still a good read, but not one of her books that I'll be reading again and again. I'm a little disappointed. I'll still be eagerly waiting for her next book...

Like just about everyone else who's reviewed this book, I usually enjoy Loretta Chase's novels. And kudos to her for trying something as different as a prostitute and a spy. Unfortunately, the idea of the book is more compelling than the book itself. A sluggish read with lackluster secondary characters and repetitive bickering between the hero and heroine made for a disappointing read from a usually wonderful author. Better luck next time, Ms. Chase.

I must admit up front that seeing Loretta Chase's name on a book cover means I will buy it. I've read and enjoyed them all, but my favorites are LION'S DAUGHTER and (becausse of the hero Ismal) CAPTIVES OF THE NIGHT. YOUR SCANDALOUS WAYS reminds me those books. Don't get me wrong - I did enjoy the Carstairs family series (I would run off with Rupert in a heartbeat). It is, however, Chase's non-traditional heroines and heros, in settings beyond London's Beau Mond, which intrigue me.

In YOUR SCANDALOUS WAYS the heroine Francesca has been divroced by her cad of a husband who hopes she will sink into oblivion. Instead, she recreates herself as a fabulous and famed courtesan based in Venice. Because of some shady doings by her ex-husband,the hero, James (a Regency era James Bond) is assigned to seduce from her some incriminating documents. Having spent the last decade seducing wicked women on behalf of the Crown, James wants out of the business but is stuck with this assignment.

The dialogue and dalliance between these two witty and world-weary characters is vintage Chase. Clever and comic disguises, endearing secondary characters and the exotic locale all add nuance to this wonderful read. I am looking forward to Chase's next book, due out in June.

Take it from an avid reader of hundreds of romance novels, this book is wonderful. Francesca is scandalous, but lovable and funny. And what can I say about James, except that he's perfect. I loved his strengh and sense of humor. Add in his curly black hair, Italian love words and perfect body and he makes it to the list of my all-time favorites. This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend.

James Cordier is a historical replica of James Bond, and he pulls it off quite well. He is extremely handsome, resourceful, athletic, intelligent, hilarious, etc. Francesca Bonnard is not your typical heroine, as she is a famed courtesan and divorcee. But the characters go well together, and neither one overwhelms the other. Their witty banter made me laugh aloud, and there is plenty of action in this book as well. Steamy, witty, and a very good book overall.

Not 5 stars because the female lead is not my favorite type of heroine. Great book overall, though.

Really liked this book. Both lead characters were strong, dark and acted like adults. Also enjoyed the secondary characters and back story.