Week in Review

Author: Sarah Maclean
Title: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
Release: January 29, 2013
Series: Rules of Scoundrels #2
Reviewer: Noa
Source: Edelweiss/publisher

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Lady Philippa Marbury is . . . odd The brilliant, bespectacled daughter of a double marquess cares more for books than balls, for science than the season, and for laboratories than love. She’s looking forward to marrying her simple fiance and living out her days quietly with her dogs and her scientific experiments. But before that, Pippa has two weeks to experience all the rest–fourteen days to research the exciting parts of life. It’s not much time, and to do it right she needs a guide familiar with London’s darker corners. She needs . . . a Scoundrel She needs Cross, the clever, controlled partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, with a carefully crafted reputation for wickedness. But reputations often hide the darkest secrets, and when the unconventional Pippa boldly propositions him, seeking science without emotion, she threatens all he works to protect. He is tempted to give Pippa precisely what she wants . . . but the scoundrel is more than he seems, and it will take every ounce of his willpower to resist giving the lady more than she ever imagined.

The second book in Sarah Maclean’s Rules of Scoundrels series pairs previous HeroineRead review Here) Penelope’s sister Lady Phillipa Marbury with Cross… And whoa, what a pairing it is. I will admit, I do love heroines that are brainy and bespectacled, especially one like Phillipa who is just completely endearing and fun!

Phillipa is a scientist, she’s also a young woman about to make a very good marriage to Lord Castleton, in a time when making a good marriage is really the most important thing a woman could do. But the scientist in her is having problems accepting the unknown aspects of marriage…the marriage bed to be exact and so, as a scientist she decides research is needed. Research in the form of Cross, one of the four owners of one of London’s most exclusive gaming hells.

Since her own fiancé hasn’t shown any interest in the physical side of their relationship she decides she needs to be “ruined” – secretly of course, so that she can better understand what goes on between a man and a woman.

Which brings us to Cross – the ginger haired (yay!!!!) co-owner of the Fallen Angel (the Marquis of Bourne, Phillipa’s new brother in law is another…), he’s known as a legend in the bedroom, which makes him the obvious choice, no? Cross has his own dark past, and while he finds Phillipa intriguing, he is not willing to go down that road.

What follows is a wonderful, poignant and completely awesome and endearing love story that made me *squee* with happiness quite often…

I am a complete sucker for stories where the hero shows the heroine just how incredible she is and makes her realize that she is worth a lot more than she gives herself credit for. And of course, in return, Pippa might just help Cross realize that he is worthy of love, and deserving of happiness.

Sarah Maclean just knows how to write her characters. Cross and Phillipa are just luscious; they are funny, sympathetic and never boring and every scene between them sizzled. The secondary characters in the story were wonderfully written and made me want to know more (ooh!!!! do I have questions about co-owner Chase!!!) but they remained secondary characters and didn’t overshadow the main plot.

I also loved that Maclean didn’t make Castleton (the slightly boring fiancé) out to be “the evil one”. In fact, Maclean kept well away from the paper-cut out “baddie” and that just made the story better.

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover was just perfection. It’s one of those romances that makes you smile and ok, giggle and then makes you start counting the days to the next installment in the series.

Another winner from Sarah Maclean who is definitely on my “keeper” and “automatic buy” lists.

Noa first fell in love with books when she discovered 100 acre wood and its inhabitants. To this day, the last pages of “The House at Pooh Corner” make her cry. In a good way. From“Calvin and Hobbes” to “The Iliad and the Odyssey” and lets not forget “Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes”. Biographies, mysteries, history books and romances all have a place on her bookshelves. Who needs furniture? This 29 year old singleton’s dream is to invent the zero-calorie chocolate. But until that day arrives, she tries to create sweet confections with whatever chocolate she can find. An MA in conflict studies (need a mediator?) means Noa loves a good debate, especially when she wins. If she were in charge, books would be free for everyone.

Doll Noa

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