Review: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Title: Lord of Scoundrels
Author: Loretta Chase
Genre: Historical romance
Grade: A-

Plot: Jessica Trent meets the Marquess of Dain when she’s trying to rescue her silly brother from the debts he’s gotten himself into. Sparks fly between Jessica and Dain, and, after a series of events, they marry, after which Jessica must try to heal Dain’s wounded soul.
Thoughts: The readers over at All About Romance have rated this book as the 1 best romance of all time, so I was expecting something excellent. And while I didn’t find the story perfect, and probably ended up liking it less because of the fact that it’s been heavily hyped, I really did enjoy it. Jessica is a sensible, practical woman who doesn’t let anyone, most especially Dain, push her around. She’s practical and smart, and I loved that about her. Dain, in the meantime, is actually the sensitive, emotional one, and I loved his struggles to come to terms with his past and his feelings for Jessica. The banter between them is sizzling, and the sexual tension is squirm-in-your-chair intense.

My only real nitpick about this book was that I wish Chase had drawn the secondary characters a bit better. They felt a little like members of stock character central casting. My only other gripe was that Jessica says she’s discussed sex in rather a lot of detail with her eccentric grandmother. At that point I shook my head and raised my eyebrows, because no, I don’t see that. My grandma is the last person I’d ever talk about sex with.

But apart from that, the story is wonderful, and I would probably read more Chase.