This is my first Robyn DeHart, but it won’t be my last! Iris Bennington is a Lady Avenger, and her next target is the newspaper publisher Merritt Steele. He is just such a *bad* influence on the young men of London’s aristocracy, first and foremost her brother. Reformation isn’t an obvious task, of course, and its fun to watch Iris and Merritt’s relationship develop.

Merritt Steele loves a scandal and the more illicit the better and he knows that every writer envies his knowledge of the well to do and his paper that he built from the bottom up proves how in step he is with his readers. By a wicked turn of fate Merritt is now part of the group he is so enamored of trashing all this has done is make him more determined to prove he cares little about society and what they think. However, Lady Iris Bennington does have an interest in what he is writing as it is turning her beloved brother into a cad, something she worked very hard to avoid happening. Iris was forced to care for her brother from an early age when other girls were making a coming out she chose to stay in and do right by her family. When pushed with a decision of substance where her brother is concerned Iris chooses to confront the villain and after that nothing was ever the same for either of them.

Being a woman in good standing Iris assumed Merritt would see the light and stop his ridiculous articles about how men should behave but Merritt views life from a different angle so what it takes to stop him is nothing short of a confrontation. Both Iris and Merritt want something the other can provide and the bet that comes from this meeting of great minds is, to say the least scattered like dried up leaves. Iris will prepare Merritt’s sister for polite society while Merritt will teach Iris to be a man about town. Neither likes the venture but both know they will not back down. But what a surprise for Merritt when a certain skill set of Iris’s presents itself, and just like that another adventure is started on Merritt’s part to discover why is it that Iris is so good with self-defense. No mere maiden is she, no Iris is very accurate with her ability to draw down an aggressor and Merritt must know why.

Yet what Merritt discovers turns out to be more hurtful than helpful in their relationship which both deny they are having. Iris wants privacy and the right to live her life as a respected, independent woman while Merritt by his own profession is destined to destroy that with the wisp of an ill written word. Even though his innuendos are veiled and his source anonymous the hurt brought down upon Iris is unforgiveable on his part and trying to make amends may not happen and then what does he does with the love he has accumulated for her and the uncontrolled desire to not live without her existence in his life.

Great writers develop characters with charisma, storylines that keep readers entranced until the end, a few twists around a turn, and always with romance a love that you can feel to your toes. Robyn DeHart does all of this and adds one more element that takes her writing to the expert level, a deep seeded love for the written word. Ms. DeHart understands the depth of her ability and ensures her readers know that she is writing every word she puts in every sentence on every page with love and conviction.

Although I really enjoyed this book and the journey of Merritt and Iris on their HEA, I didn't understand the main premise of the book. The entire book is based on a wager where the heroine wants the hero to stop printing his Gentlemen articles so that her brother will stop being dissolute and he challenges her that he can make anyone into a gentleman. Towards the end of the book, I didn't really get the point of the wager as no one won anything.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I believe this is in a series and it is not a stand alone. The first chapter had me interested but the confusing introduction of the heroine, Iris, set a bad tone for the rest of the short story. I did like Merritt but just when I would gain interest in the couple a there would be a new element of the story that appeared out of nowhere and had no connection to the characters. It all seemed rushed and disjointed.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a new book in a new series by a new author to me. Merritt runs a Scandal paper and is now an Earl. Iris is a lady of the town who wants to save her wayward brother. When these two meet sparks fly. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two I just wish that Merritt would have been better. He was such a jerk to her and just didn't deserve her. I would be interested in more from the author.

Lady Iris Bennington lost her parents young and had to assume the care of her brother, the Earl of Nickerson, and managing the estate. Merritt Steele was a merchants son, he started at the paper on the bottom and worked his way up until he could buy it, which he did.
The characters are charming, they are very loyal to their friends and family. The descriptions help the story come alive for you. The plot is excellent with a few twists and turns. I really loved this tale of a woman who thought she was a spinster but there was more. Her best friends were fun and they were all young. The author did a marvelous job of keeping everything together and making sense. The book moved smoothly and kept your attention.
I received this book from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

What a good book. I loved how bold the lead female was. The interaction between the two was great.

Maybe 3.5 stars

Lady Iris Bennington has been caring for her younger brother for years and recently he has begun to sow his wild oats with a vengeance. Iris has tried everything to reign him in but nothing is working. When she discovers that her brother is following advice found in a scandal sheet on how to be a proper gentleman, she is outraged and sets her sights on the publisher.

Merritt Steele, the Earl of Ashby is the owner and editor of the Daily Scandal, the scandal sheet running the series on how to be a proper gentleman. Merritt has been successful with his paper and was happy living the life of a wealthy merchant, but his life was upended when he learned that he had inherited the earldom. Merritt doesn't have a lot of respect for the "upper class" and uses his paper to poke fun at them. But his younger sister Lucy, desperately wants to fit in the ton and Merritt will do anything for her - including making a wager with Lady Iris.

The story was short and cute, but the wager was not as entertaining as I had hoped and slipped into the utterly ridiculous. I liked Iris and Merritt, they both want love, but have both been hurt before and therefore fight the feeling tooth and nail. But on the downside, I felt that Iris forgave Merritt (and her brother for that matter) way too easily, at the beginning of the story she is portrayed as a strong, take no nonsense woman and by the end she came across as a bit of a pushover. I had hoped for more.

Publisher's Description:

Iris Bennington is furious when she discovers her younger brother is following the instructions found in the acclaimed advice columns on How to be a Gentleman. The so-called “advice” is more likely to turn her brother into a scoundrel than a true gentleman. Iris decides to locate the author of the columns and confront him.

Merritt Steel, the Earl of Ashby, cannot help but be amused by the slip of a woman who comes calling. Unwilling to let such a delightful potential conquest go, he proposes a wager: bring him anyone off the street and he can pass them off as a gentleman. It’s a bargain she readily accepts—but with a twist.

Their bargain proves to be a greater challenge than either anticipated. Merritt finds it near impossible to keep his hands off Iris, and she begins to see the undeniable appeal of ungentlemanly behavior…

My Thoughts:
This was a very engrossing and enjoyable read. The length of this read may be the only distracting factor. It just wasn't long enough.
Iris has discovered that her younger brother has been reading articles in a gossip paper to learn how to be a gentleman of the ton. He is gambling and carousing and if given the opportunity would likely have them in dire straights.
Iris will not have that so she decides to confront the man responsible for the articles.
Merritt was not born into the aristocracy but due to the untimely deaths of several relatives he has inherited an unwanted title. Despite his new circumstances he decides to continue his ownership of the newspaper. He also intends on continuing to write columns for said paper.
Imagine is surprise to find a slight young woman demanding that he cease writing his columns.
A wager between Iris and Merritt results in an astounding end with a scandal in the making. Since Merritt doesn't believe in love and Iris refuses to marry without it what will become of these two unlikely lovers?
I gave this short read 4.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3.75 of 5.0 flames. The intimacy between our couple is palpable and her heated.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Merritt Steel has worked his way up to editor and owner of London’s most popular newspaper, the Daily Scandal. He believes his stories reveal the true character of the aristocracy, his sudden, unexpected, inheritance making him the Earl of Ashby makes him vow never to fully join their ranks. His intensions are shaken by his encounter with a brave, spirited lady, Iris Bennington, who is furious with his influence over her younger brother. Amusing and gentle Victorian romance.

In return for this ARC, I promised to give a fair and honest review. Well, wasn't this a different type of story and I can't help but feel confident that there will be a further linked book. I hope so since I cannot wait to follow up with Lady Lucy and see who is "Lady X". Very good read that I am sure you too will enjoy.

This was not a good read for me. The "brother is ruining himself and the sister must step in to save him" is an overused storyline and should only be done if the author is good enough to revamp it. Otherwise, all I'm left with is an overwhelming urge to re-read "Lord of Scoundrels." In this story, the dissolute brother came home drunk once. This is enough to make our heroine spin into a whirlwind of despair before settling on a course of action: to confront the editor of a series of articles that were influencing her brother. The editor, our hero, is a self made man who was owner of the gossip rag long before he stumbled into an Earldom the year before.

He refuses to help her until he realizes the advantage he has with a "on the shelf" (all of 25...Sigh...) lady needing his assistance. Because he has a problem too: a sister who suffers from the disease of not being born an aristocrat. I don't really know what is wrong with her, because like the brother, she is not described very well. But our hero needs her to be saved so he makes a wager with the heroine: tutor his sister in the arts of a lady and he'll take anybody the heroine presents to him and turn him into a man. If he wins, the articles stay. If he loses, the articles get pulled.

I'm going to stop there. Because the wager was just so stupid. It's not a wager if there isn't skin in the game on both ends. The author tried to make a twist by having the lady offer herself in lieu of a man, but that just made it more confusing. Did the heroine want to win? Or lose? And how, oh how were they measuring the damned bet?! Like everything else in this novel: it was just too vague. There is real potential here. The heroine has some spurts of inspiration with her desire to teach women to be able to physically handle themselves. The hero is an earl who runs a newspaper- that's just absurd enough to catch my interest.

I like my absurd stories to be so over-the-top they're making me laugh and squirm with delight. I like my realistic stories to be truthful. This one fell short of either.

Merritt Steele owns and runs a newspaper & then he finds that he’s inherited an earldom but being the Earl of Ashby won’t curtail his newspaper column.
Iris Bennington is furious when she discovers her younger brother Jasper is following the instructions found in the acclaimed advice columns on How to be a Gentleman. The so-called "advice" is more likely to turn her brother into a scoundrel than a true gentleman. Iris decides to locate the author of the columns and confront him.
Merritt, cannot help but be amused by the slip of a woman who comes calling. Unwilling to let such a delightful potential conquest go, he proposes a wager: bring him anyone off the street and he can pass them off as a gentleman. It's a bargain she readily accepts but has her own terms.
An entertaining read the chemistry between Merritt & Iris is apparent from the start & only increases throughout the book The pace of the book is good & the plot although straight forward held my attention all of the way through. I hope Agnes & Harriet have their stories as there are still tasks to complete. Merritt isn’t exactly a scoundrel more a hard-headed businessman. Iris is a lady but finds it increasingly hard to behave like one around Merritt. I thoroughly enjoyed the book & look forward to more from the author

I enjoyed the story of Merritt, the H, and Iris, the h. I liked how caring the h was to those she loved. She took on such a difficult role at such a young age and I felt for her in regards to her problems with her brother.. Her membership in the Virtue society was also a highlight as it was nice to read about it women who possess skills that a "normal" woman of the ton wouldn't have. Besides the strong female h, I liked the steamy romance between our main characters. The H, who was arrogant and selfish in the beginning, grew up throughout the story and I liked his character growth. Also, their path to a HEA had some angst, but I like some angst in my reads. I'm looking forward to the next story, which I hope is about Rand and Lucy!

I received a copy from the publishers in via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Merritt Steel, the Earl of Ashby, never expected to inherit the earldom. He was happy running his newspaper and publishing the sordid scandals of high society.
Iris Bennington is dismayed to discover her beloved younger brother is following advice on ‘how to be a gentleman’ from a scandal rag. When Lady Iris confronts Merritt in regards to the column that is being run in his paper, he sees an opportunity for a wager.
This was an enjoyable read. I loved the character of Iris. She was not your typical society miss and was resigned to being a spinster utterly devoted to the care of her younger brother.

The Scoundrel and the Lady is a very cute story around Lady Iris Bennington and Lord Merritt Steele. I'm not sure I'd call Merritt a scoundrel but he's definitely not your usual kind of earl. He only inherited his earldom in the last year from a distant relative. He was not raised in society and had never expected to inherit. Instead he had been living as the editor of a scandal rag that he is quite proud of. When Lady Iris confronts Merritt in regards to a column that is being run in his paper, he sees an opportunity for a wager. He is in need of someone to help tutor his sister to be presented to society and sees Lady Iris as someone who might be able to help. Additionally Iris is hoping to have Merritt makeover someone into a gentleman in order to show him that his column on being a gentleman is ill advise. There's a little flimsiness in the premise of the wager so don't look too carefully. Luckily the characters are enjoyable to read. The story is a quick read and moves along at a good pace until the end which things wrap up rather quickly. With more time and development to the story it could be even better. Overall though, it was enjoyable and has set up other characters for their own stories.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Scouhdrel is a newspaper owner who accidentally becomes an Earl. When a Lady's brother takes his lighthearted advice too seriously, an interesting wager changes both title characters. Very readable.

A merchant’s son, a newspaperman and an earl…all the same person. Iris is furious with her brother for living the life of a “gentleman” (drinking and gambling to excess) until she finds out why he thinks it is okay. As with most newspapermen, Merritt is looking for the next big story and refuses to give up writing and publishing his articles. But what Iris’ brother does not understand is that the articles are not meant to be “words to live by”. Both Merritt and Iris are great characters and their bargain to stop Iris’ brother and help Merritt’s sister gets them into all kinds of trouble with each other. Great interaction, just enough angst and throw in a reference to The Brotherhood of the Sword make for a great story.

Set up for the next story, but whose will it be and who is the mysterious Lady X?

This is a well written historical romance. I used to read a lot of them and now I am more selective. I enjoyed this story but I felt it was an okay story. If you are really into historicals you might like it more than I did.

The hero, Merritt writes a scandal sheet and everyone knows he does it. Though he is a serious writer and double check his facts. Then one day he finds out he is the new earl and so he has to go out in society. My issue with this plot point is that it just didn't seem realistic that anyone would accept, even an earl who is a gossip reporter. You'd think all the invites would stop coming. But he is fairly popular.

The heroine, Iris is part of a group called the Ladies of Valour and they try and stop crimes and do good for other women. Iris is concerned about her brother who is a fan of Merritt's. He agrees to help her if she helps him with his sister, Lily and bringing her out to society.

And thats how they get to know the other. I did enjoy the story. I just had a hard time with Merritt being a scandalmonger and still being accepted by society and even invited to events.