Tuesday, June 28, 2011

How to Seduce a Scoundrel-Vicky Dreiling

How to Seduce a Scoundrel
Vicky Dreiling
Forever, Jun 28 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780446565387

In 1817 a rake of the first order the Earl of Hawkfield is shocked when his best friend the Duke of Shelbourne Tristan Gatewick asks a favor of him. Marc Darcett would do almost anything for Tristan, but he feels put out when requested to serve as guardian to the Duke’s sister for the season. Tristan explains that his mother will be with him while caring for his bed-ridden pregnant wife Tessa (see How to Marry a Duke) and the females in Marc’s family are with his Grandmamma who suffers from heart palpitations.

Lady Julianne Gatewick is attracted to Hawk, but assumes her regard is unrequited until he dances a waltz with her during the opening ball of the season. However, he busted her bubble when he simply walked away from her; making her the target of the whisperers. Julianne abetted by bodacious Lady Hester writes the outrageous A Lady’s Guide to Enticing Unrepentant Rakes. She heeds her own advice to trap Hawk who arrogantly tells the rookies to stay away from her. As her temporary guardian he escorts her around town and sets the rules for her season’s behavior, but she laughs at him except when he kisses her. SAs hawk falls in love but one dark secret keeps him from handing in his guardian hat to replace it with adoring husband hat.

This is a fun How To … Regency romance as a scoundrel’s code of conduct is broken once he dances a waltz with his friend’s sister. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Shelbourne asks Hawk for a favor and never looks back. A subplot involving a young lad adds poignancy to an entertaining historical.

Harriet Klausner

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