A scandalous incident that got Sophie Brightwell and her three closest friends expelled from finishing school has led the otherwise shy Sophie to become infamous amongst the ton. That just means that her and her friends need to employ more…unconventional methods to find themselves a husband. And their targets? Rakes.

Does anyone else find that with certain genres they are less likely to explore and find new authors? This is definitely the case for me, and historical romance is one of the genres where I rarely read outside the authors I know and love. Which is why I found myself picking up How to Catch a Wicked Viscount. I had never read Amy Rose Bennett and I liked the sound of the blurb – adore wallflower and rake pairings! – so I picked it up. Sadly, on this occasion it didn’t work for me.

I am very much a character driven reader. I will continue to read, and enjoy, a book if I love the characters even if the story line isn’t great. However, if I dislike or I am disinterested in the characters I find a book very hard to read, even if the plot is fantastic. The latter is what I found with this book. The plot was okay but I found I was completely disinterested in either the hero or heroine. I found them both a little insipid and immature.

It feels like a harsh judgement, but I found the heroes behaviour to be akin to a randy teenager throughout most the book and the heroine was just very…young. I also didn’t really feel the romance between them. It felt more like a case of lust; they wanted to bang each other’s brains out as they were both physically attracted to one another. Where was the actual romance? The deeper more emotional connection, as much as I tried to, I just couldn’t see it.

I probably won’t read on in this series. I didn’t enjoy the writing style and none of the characters that were introduced intrigued me enough that I would continue reading on to see their story. If I want to read a story about a quartet of wallflower friends helping one another find a husband…I’m just going to reread the masterpiece that is the Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas.

I have been meaning to give feedback on this book for the longest time. I love a good historical romance novel. The ton is always looming. What's a girl to do? Look for a husband. That's what. This book had moments of fun and laughter and love.

Sophie Brightwell never thought that she would be able to live down her expulsion from the prestigious Mrs. Rathbone's Academy For Young Ladies Of Good Character.
And the most dire social consequences of that expulsion for not only herself. But her family as well.

So, when her best friend and fellow expellee from Mrs. Rathbone's. One Lady Charlotte Hastings, writes to her parents requesting Sophie's companionship for the coming London season. Some three years later. She and her parents are overjoyed at the prospect. She, that she will finally be able to escape the isolation and public censure of Nettlefield Grange. And spend time with her beloved best friend.
Her parents, at the prospect her finding someone suitable to marry.

The one thing that neither could ever see coming. The one possibility that no one ever considered.
That Sophie could ever...
Would ever...
Fall in love with Nathaniel Hastings, Viscount Malverne.
Shameless rake, tortured veteran of Waterloo, and her best friend's brother.

Nathaniel Hastings is a man haunted by his past.
His time as a solider at Waterloo. His guilt over the death of his older brother and mother. His complex over his difficulties with reading and writing.
All reasons to look for a means of escape.
A life of debauchery and frivolity of the lowest order.
A life fit for a rake.
A life that he must now give up at his father's behest.
In order to become a responsible, respected, and very married member of the ton.

How To Catch A Wicked Viscount is a wonderful second chance romance. And the debut new of a wonderful series.
Shy, bookish, and very sweet Sophie Brightwell is the perfect understated heroine.
And her relationship with Nate is far more about her bringing him out of his shell. And proving to him that he is worthy of love in spite of his failing and his past.
This is a light read that flies along at a good clip. Making this very easily a one-sitting read.
The romance is very intimate, and builds as the friendship and trust deepens between Nate and Sophie.
This is a book for the quiet girls.
Standing as proof that sometimes all true love requires is that one speak softly, listen well, and carry a big heart.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Books for providing the review copy on which this unbiased review is based.

Historical Romance can be really hit and miss but overall I enjoyed this book! It was romantic and sweet and moved at a good pace.

After an indiscretion at school that leaves Sophie and her three best friends with a reputation for scandal, she never expects to be accepted back into polite society. But when Charlotte discovers Sophie in a compromising situation with her rakehell brother, Nate, she offers Nate a deal: If he helps Sophie to catch a rake with a heart of gold for a husband, Charlotte won’t tell their father that he’s compromised Sophie. But Sophie finds that all she wants is Nate — a man who’s sworn he’ll have nothing to do with love and marriage.

In general, How to Catch a Wicked Viscount was a lot of fun, particularly if the “I am supposed to be helping you find someone else but in the meantime we are falling in love” trope appeals to you. (As forced proximity tropes go, it’s low on my list; but I love forced proximity across the board, so even an un-preferred version of it is enjoyable to me.) I love that Sophie’s part of a network of lady friends who all support and love each other, no matter what — they’re all treasures and gems, and I would like them all to find love. While some of the sex prose gets a little purple (is there a special term for that? sex prose that’s overdone?), it’s brilliant to see an unexperienced heroine who’s still able to identify what she wants and go after it. I loved her for being the initiator of most of the couple’s sexual encounters.

However, for a generally sex-positive book, How to Catch a Wicked Viscount has a weird little interlude to introduce Nate. He and his rakish friends are breaking into the Astley house to steal the underwear of the famously, I guess, slutty?? Countess of Astley — which I already don’t love — and then she catches them and propositions them. Nate thinks “he wasn’t going anywhere near her unless he was wearing a sheath” and then when his friend does decide to stay for sex, they remind the friend to wear a condom too. I couldn’t tell if this was meant to be a pregnancy thing or a disease thing, but it made me uncomfortable, and it was hard to come around on Nate as a character after that. Because: Ew.

A charming start to a new series! I adored the close dynamic between Sophie and her friends, and the romance was captivating. It did feel like some of the conflict became a bit repetitive, but overall the overarching plot sets up a fun set of sequels and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for future installments.

Reformed rakes make better husbands! Myth or fact?

So we have a plethora of interesting characters and situations in this first of the series "The Disreputable Debutantes".
Four young women who'd been sent down from an exclusive ladies school for behaviour that did not fit with the school's ethos.
Of course Society gossiped about it and they did have to rusticate as it were for three years.
Now these disgraced debutantes are determined to take matters into their own hands as they work their way back into the social arena. Not for them the pale aspects of Almanacks. They are making a list of Rakes and are determining to to find a husband in hitherto unlooked for areas.
It helps that one of their number Lady Charlotte Hastings, has a brother, Nate Hastings, the Viscount Malverne, who's a throrough rake. His friends appear to be handily listed as well. Well they did all fight in Waterloo and they seem to share an inability to put those times behind them. What better way to conquer the ghosts that to be confirmed Rakehells!
Deceptively shy Sophie Brightwell has come to have a season with Charlie, under the auspices of Charlie's aunt. And Sophies heart seems to have settled on Charlie's brother. The getting there is laced with some racy moments with Nate being disturbed by his attraction for Sophie and his dissatisfaction when others seem attracted to her.
For all this, the story didn't quite meet its promise. A quick read. It's memory doesn't linger.

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

There are so many parts of this book that I liked! The bookish main character, the friendship among the debutantes, the older brother, the expulsion from the ladies’ academy, the friends-to-lovers trope, the characters, the secondary characters, the hook for the next books in the series. I LOVED IT ALL! I am in a historical romance series mood and this book definitely hit the mark for me. Sign me up for the rest of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of this book.

I loved the premise for How to Catch a Wicked Viscount. A group of friends get kicked out of a ladies academy for drinking and reading disreputable material. Sophie and her friends are all banished completely from society, which is kind of a problem since they are all expected to make their debut and find a husband (as one does in historical England). The situation is more dire for Sophie Brightwell because her family's financial circumstances aren't all that great and one of her stepfather's acquaintances is making his interest know. Sophie is not impressed and instead dreams of publishing her children's novel and saving her family that way. Since publishing a novel will be tricky from the country, its a lucky thing that Sophie's friend, Lady Charlotte, invites her to town. Even better since Charlotte just so happens to have an attractive, rakish brother. Chances are that Sophie might just get to publish her novel and find a husband.

While the whole setup for How to Catch a Wicked Viscount was great, I personally felt that the story was lacking something. Sophie and Nate (the rakish brother of the friend) had a kind of tepid romance considering that they were "in love" by the end. Nate's this rake figure and suddenly Sophie makes him change his ways, and I gotta admit, I didn't really buy it. What was so special about Sophie? Not to mention, I'm rather tired of romances that market the ladies that came before the heroine as somehow not good enough. This doesn't exactly put the hero in the best of lights. I know that many romances have this same setup where the heroine is "special", I just feel that many others do this better, especially in painting a stronger picture of the hero and heroine's growing relationship.

Considering that I prefer my historical romances with much stronger character development, its clear that How to Catch a Wicked Viscount was just not for me. I read a lot of historical romance and this one struck me as a bit dated and simplistic.

Sophie Brightwell and her three best friends at Mrs. Rathbone’s Academy for Young Ladies of Good Character have been caught in the act! With the headmistress snoring away, the girls dabbled in drinking, smoking, and looking at suggestive literature. When their delighted giggles become louder and louder, they are soon discovered, and expelled in disgrace and sent home. With their reputations besmirched, Sophie has little hope of making a good match, and wallows in the country for three years. When her friend, Charlotte, who is one of the other disgraced young ladies, invites her to spend the season at her home in London, Sophie jumps at the chance. Perhaps by now the talk will have died down, and she can find a suitable match. Sophie, however, can’t control her reaction to a most UN-suitable match, Charlotte’s older brother.

Nate Hastings, Viscount Malverne, is feeling a most unwelcome attraction to his sister’s houseguest, Sophie. Living in close proximity to the lovely young lady is going to test his willpower to the max. Nate definitely has a wicked streak, and has tested his father’s patience to the breaking point with the scandalous antics he and his friends regularly indulge in. Still, Nate draws the line at seducing innocents, so he’ll have to keep his desires in check though he can’t help but flirt with Sophie. When a night of too much alcohol befuddles his brain, he ends up in a compromising situation with Sophie, which prompts his sister to blackmail him for her silence. Nate will have to escort them both to ton events, throwing him into even closer proximity to Sophie, who is becoming more desirable to him by the moment.

Nate is a charming man, one who flirts and flatters as easily as taking a breath. Though on the surface he appears to be simply a young man enjoying all the benefits of wealth and privilege, he does have some serious issues. A childhood tragedy and being a soldier have caused Nate to feel unworthy to be loved, and unwilling to love anyone else in order to never feel the devastating pain of loss again. Though his affection for Sophie grows, and seeing other men want her drives him crazy, he can’t consider making a future with her. Sophie has fallen in love with Nate, and decides to be bold and try to capture his heart, only to be rejected, albeit, as kindly as he can.

HOW TO CATCH A WICKED VISCOUNT is a steamy romance, which I think will especially appeal to readers who enjoy a more lighthearted story. I particularly liked that Nate didn’t try to lie to Sophie, but told her that he desired her, and gave her the reasons he won’t pursue her. Sophie was also very upfront about her feelings, and I love that she respected Nate’s decision, and never tried to force him into marriage, which she easily could have done. This book number one of the DISREPUTABLE DEBUTANTES series is an engaging and enjoyable read, and I look forward to the upcoming installments. Will the three young ladies be matched up with Nate’s rakish friends? One of them in particular needs some serious reforming…

3.5 stars

What happens when a disreputable debutante sets her eyes on the wicked rake that is her best friend's brother? A lot of fun!

Sophie and her three friends get kicked out of deportment school for their one evening of wicked behavior. It causes the ruination of their reputations, and Sophie finds herself in a predicament. Fast forward a few years, and Sophie finds herself in London with her best friend for the season. It's Sophie's chance to make amends to her family and save them from debt by marrying, and marrying well.

There's just one problem. The man she has her eye on? He doesn't want marriage; he's a disreputable rake; AND her best friend's older brother.

The blurb was too delicious for me to pass up. A group of women forming a secret society and taking the ton by storm as they plot for ways to marry--and rakes, at that? I also loved that there are as many of Sophie's friends as there are of Nate's (although, it could be argued that it's too coincidental).

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this one. It starts off a little slowly for my tastes, but once everything is under way I couldn't stop reading. Sophie is shy and sweet, but she's also up for anything, and more than ready to learn all the secrets of pleasure. That's actually what I loved most about this book. That our shy Sophie was the main instigator in almost every aspect of intimacy where Nate was concerned--from the physical to the emotional. I admired the heck out of Sophie. Nate may be more experienced, but Sophie definitely displays the most courage in going after what she wants and making no apologies for it. For that alone, I want to re-read this book.

Nate was a good match--and co-conspirator--for Sophie as well. He ends up being blackmailed by his sister (I can't wait for Charlie's book!) into chaperoning them about town and helping to find Sophie a husband, in particular. But of course, his eyes are on Sophie, too, and watching her promenade with others and be out of reach irritates him to no end. I liked how he didn't lead Sophie on even if his hot-and-cold was frustrating as heck.

There were a few moments the characters acted OUT of character, and I wondered if the ending would have happened quite that way. The speech also felt a bit formal, at points. That was all minor, however.

This is a rollicking fun and charming historical with a slow burn, friends-to-lover, best friend's brother romance. A tale where the innocent Miss Brightwell is as wicked as her gun-shy rogue of a match.

Highly recommended!

I haven’t been this surprised and delighted by a historical romance in a long time. HOW TO CATCH A WICKED VISCOUNT was fun, sexy, and thoroughly engaging. This is the first book in a series following four young debutantes in the aftermath of getting kicked out of their finishing school. Sophie, our heroine, is from a relatively poor family and getting kicked out of the school was devastating. Three years later, she is still dealing with the aftermath when Charlie, her friend who basically got her kicked out, asked her to come to London. While there, she is reintroduced to Charlie’s brother, Nate, Viscount Malverne, a devil-may-care rake.

It’s hard to put my finger on what made me enjoy this book so much. There was a different and sexy tone that kept me engaged throughout the whole story. Ms. Bennett did a great job investing me in both Nate and Sophie as individuals. Nate was fun, a little wicked with an edge, and Sophie was quiet and innocent while still being adventurous and likable. Together, Nate and Sophie had lots of fun sexual chemistry. Their forced proximity moments (they had to live in the same house) had me grinning with glee, and I was so emotionally invested by the end of the book I actually cheered at the HEA.

I think my favorite parts of this story, besides the delicious best friend’s brother romance, was that I can tell this is going to be a great series. I loved learning about which of Nate’s friends will end up with each disgraced debutante. I also appreciated that the trouble the girls got into seemed realistic for the time period. The fact that their scandal had long and lasting consequences was a fantastic plot point.

What made me take off one star was the, frankly, clunky beginning. It’s challenging to introduce a series, so I understand. But it took a few chapters for me to really get all the characters and the plot straight. Also, Nate’s personal conflict was resolved WAY too quickly. I wanted more fireworks (or something) when he finally realized he could be with the heroine. Especially because he made Sophie (AND ME) suffer for so long.

Overall, this was a fantastic start to a new series. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for an interesting take on a classic trope.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

Sophie Brightwell believes she is doomed to spinsterhood when she and her three friends, Lady Charlotte “Charlie” Hastings, Olivia de Vere & Arabella Jardine are expelled from Mrs. Rathbone’s Academy for Young Ladies of Good Character and are dubbed the Disreputable Debutantes.

But three years later, things begin to look up when Charlie invites Sophie to join her in London as her companion and Charlie’s Aunt Tabitha, Lady Chelmsford decides to sponsor both girls for the season, she has also offered to help Sophie get the children’s book she has written published. And if all that was not enough, it also enables her to see Charlie’s older brother Nathaniel “Nate” Hastings, Viscount Malverne again – she met him three years ago and has harbored a tendre for him ever since.

Nate is restless and his escapades have become increasingly scandalous, to the point where his father, the Earl of Westhampton has put his foot down and demanded that Nate make some serious changes in his life, he also closes Malverne House and forces Nate to move back home. His first night home, he runs into Sophie in the library, he is enchanted by her and but deems her off-limits. But it doesn’t stop him from flirting with her the next day at Gunter’s.

Later that night, a very drunk Nate returns to his father’s house and mistakenly enters Sophie’s room and climbs into bed with her. They are discovered by Charlie, who blackmails him into helping Sophie find a match or she will inform their father of the incident and he will be forced to marry Sophie himself.

As far as debut novels go, this was better than most and the author clearly has taken the time to learn the genre and has done her research. The book is well written, but a bit predictable and slow in the middle, there are also quite a few storylines going that either lead nowhere or just didn’t seem relevant to the story. The characters were likeable, the “idea” of the story was fun, the love scenes were steamy and I was elated that the author included an epilogue. I think this author has a lot of promise and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an e-ARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the Publisher.*

This review will post on The Blogger Girls on August 27th, 2019.

2.5 stars

How to Catch a Wicked Viscount is the first book in Amy Rose Bennett’s newest series “The Disreputable Debutantes”. I have been slowly falling in love with M/F historical romance this year, after years of making it one my least favorite romance genre. So, I want to expand my reading catalogue. Bennet is a new-to-me author, and this being first book, I thought it was a good place to start.

Unfortunately, I found How the Catch a Wicked Viscount to rather bland – both in characterizations and in storyline. It started interesting enough with Sophie Brightwell – along with her three other friends – being expelled from Academy for Young Ladies of Good Character because they were caught doing “bad things” (they only drank a little and prepared themselves for some ‘naughty’ readings). Then in the next chapter, Nate Hastings, Viscount Malverne, were also being written into newspapers (the article didn’t name names but everyone knew!) that he had been stealing lady’s undergarments 

I just felt that the author didn’t dig deep into layers of shy Sophie and supposedly wicked Nate. They didn’t spend enough time to get pass of physical attraction – in fact, I thought Sophie spent more pages with her friends, as well as Nate. Sophie had crush on Nate, and I felt that her love to Nate was just an extended infatuation.

It was too bad because Sophie was writing children’s book on the side, and I believed that Nate also had “layers” in him, living with nightmares after Waterloo. 

This book clocks more than 300 pages, and it is already far too lengthy for me to enjoy.

This book is perfect for fans of Julia Quinn's The Bridgerton's series. This book was a delight to read. I loved the steam and the chemistry between the characters. I am looking forward to book 2 in the series. I love the friendships of this group and I can't wait to continue in this journey.

This was a nice book. I enjoyed it while I read it very much. However, it is ultimately totally forgettable. It has been a couple of week's and I can barely remember the basic plot.

Series: The Disreputable Debutantes #1
Publication Date: 8/27/19
Number of Pages: 352

I loved this book for what it didn’t have as much as for what it did have! I didn’t have to suffer through page after page of angst and internal navel-gazing to get to the romance. I did get a lovely romance with wonderful fully-developed characters that I came to really like. The writing is excellent, the pacing is just right and the epilogue is lovely. The introduction of characters who will be gracing the pages of future books in the series wasn’t overpowering to the story as is sometimes the case in first books of a series. These future characters were introduced naturally and we learned as much about them as we needed to know for this book.

Sophie Brightwell and three friends – Lady Charlotte (Charlie) Hastings, Arabella Jardine, and Olivia de Vere – were expelled from Mrs. Rathbone’s Academy for Young Ladies of Good Character and caused a scandal they still hadn’t lived down three years later. What was their transgression? They were caught sampling liquor, cigars, and perusing risqué prints – simply because they wanted the knowledge. No decent hostess will invite them to any ton events and they are now pariah’s to society.

For Sophie, it might have been her family’s last chance at salvation. They were deeply in debt to Baron Buxton who lived next door and he was pressuring them for payment. If they cannot pay, they may have to forfeit their home and land. It would also mean that there would be no future at all for Sophie or her step-sisters. They have hung on in the three years since the scandal, but just barely and Sophie’s mother is afraid that the odious baron is pressuring Sophie’s step-father for her hand in marriage. When Sophie receives an invitation from her friend Charlie to spend the season in London, they leap at the chance.

Finally, after three years, the three friends are reunited in London and they all know that finding a husband won’t be easy. So, they decide that maybe the men they seek out should be men who are also on the fringes of good society. Good men, but rakes. The ladies meet and make a list of the men who meet their criteria – good men, caring men, not men who are truly debauched. Charlie adds most of the names to the list because she knows of them because of her brother who would head the list, but isn’t interested in a bride.

Nate Hastings, Viscount Malverne, heir to the Earl of Westhampton, and his three friends – Gabriel Holmes-Fitzgerald, Earl of Langdale, Hamish MacQueen, Marquess of Sleat, and Maximilian Devereaux, Duke of Exmoor – all served together under Wellington and fought in the battle at Waterloo. All have lived the life of an unrepentant rake since they returned from the wars and none of them have any desire to marry. Their exploits are constantly in the scandal sheets.

I loved Nate and he and Sophie were perfect together – he just had a really, really hard time seeing that. He was in constant denial and it ate at him. Sophie was a realist. She accepted that she loved Nate, but when he just wasn’t interested in marriage and wouldn’t admit to loving her, she did her best to move on and find someone new. When she did, it made Nate really jealous, but he still wouldn’t admit his feelings. So, a woman does what a woman has to do.

It is a lovely read with fun characters and does a great job of setting up the characters for future books – there’s also a nice excerpt from the next book included.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/08/02/how-to-catch-a-wicked-viscount-by-amy-rose-bennett/)

My Rating: 4 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


________________


Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Medium burn

Relationship dynamics: The Viscount Rakehell (H) / The Scandalous Untitled Lady (h) ; elements of the Love Triangle

Sexual content: Some; both “on-screen” and explicit

Triggers: Adultery (not by H or h)

Grammar/Editing: My ARC had a few typos (one on a date – 1820 instead of 1818, which caused some alarm and confusion), missed words, and incorrect word choices that I hope will be corrected in the final, published version.

Review: This is a fairly well-written and moderately paced book. The historical setting is well-researched, including frequent references/visits to historical establishments that are often mentioned in the Regency subgenre. One thing that is fairly frequently mentioned that doesn’t generally feature in Regency novels is historical contraceptive methods, which was certainly a fascinating topic to research-fact-check.

Nate and Sophie are a lovely pairing in this novel: Sophie has had a tendre for Nate since they met and Nate is a charming fellow with all of the rakehell characteristics you would expect in a Regency novel. Sophie is hopeful and forthright, but undemanding, and Nate tries his utmost to be cautious with her, though he fails in the face of temptation. Denial of feelings features heavily in this novel, so if this does not appeal to you, do beware. The supporting characters are very well-developed – both entertaining and interesting. The next books in the series are very well set-up in this book: we know exactly who the scandalous heroines will be and have a list of the potential heroes with whom they may be paired.

Gunter’s Tea Shop Ice Cream version: Mostly sweet, sometimes sour, but with a punchy finish, this book treats the reader to an ultimately satisfying reading experience.

Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton's series will enjoy this series! I kept getting the same feels while reading this book! I immensely enjoyed it! It definitely has more steam compared to Bridgerton and I'm excited to see where this series goes.

Our heroine, Sophie Brightwell has to figure out a way to pay for her family's debts. She catches the eye of Nate Hastings who is her friend's older brother (Lady Charlotte). Sophie needs to find a husband and quick and Nate agrees to help her out. But that isn't until he starts to have feelings for her that he fights.

“She wasn't a princess and her life wasn't going to be a fairy tale. And the sooner she embraced that harsh reality, the better.”


I couldn't put this book down! Like I mentioned, I really enjoyed this book and I really look forward to the next book(s) in this series! Sophie was such an amazing character; I love that she was a writer and something that wasn't really accepted at that time. Nate is a very interesting character with very intriguing past.

“"Now come here, my love. Let's do something that's really scandalous."”