Scoundrel of My Heart by Lorraine Heath is the First book in the Once Upon a Dukedom Series.
I am a big fan of Romance books and I found this one to be a page turning read. I will be looking for more books from this author.

Scoundrel of My Heart is the story of a headstrong young woman determined to marry to secure her inheritance, and the completely unsuitable man she falls in love with, despite both of their best intentions.

Lady Kathryn Lambert is twenty-four and still unwed. The only child of an earl, Kathryn must marry well, both to secure her future, and her inheritance. Kathryn’s grandmother left her a cottage by the ocean, under the condition that she marry a titled gentleman by her twenty-fifth birthday. This proviso was inspired by her grandmother’s general disdain for second sons and spares, whom she believed to be dissolute and useless.

Lord Griffith Stanwick is just such a second son, and spends his nights at the gambling tables trying to make his fortune. Any profit he manages to make he squirrels away for investment, for his dream business: a club where second sons and wallflowers can mingle. Despite being entirely overlooked by his father, Griff wants to make something of himself.

Kathryn and Griff have traded barbs for years. Kathryn has decided that her best hope to marry before her birthday is the Duke of Kingsland. He has offered the unmarried ladies of the ton a challenge: they must write him a letter enumerating their virtues, and he will choose the best of the letters and make the writer his wife. Kathryn asks Griff for help writing her letter, and both begin to unearth the deeper feelings they have been keeping buried.

But (alas!) there can be nothing between them; Kathryn must marry someone titled, and Griff knows he doesn’t fit the bill. When the Duke begins to court Kathryn, it seems like a done deal. And then, Griff’s father, a duke himself, is accused of (and later executed for) treason. Griff and his brother are thrown in the Tower of London and stripped of their property, and even when they’re finally set free, they are estranged from all they have previously known. Griff and Kathryn do not see each other again until he is finally able to open his establishment. Kathryn is furious with Griff, as he made a small fortune off a wager regarding the duke’s selection of her as his intended. Not yet formally engaged to Kingsland, Kathryn goes to give Griffith a piece of her mind, trying to deny that he is in possession of her heart.

The relationship between Griff and Kathryn develops beautifully, and the obstacle between them is understandable. Aside from the potential loss of a meaningful inheritance, Kathryn has social status to lose in a future with Griff. Griff is also very understanding of that, and I really loved how respectful and thoughtful he was of Kathryn. They’re both clever and they have great rapport, but the mutual respect that they develop really sells them as a couple. I found the romance to be very compelling, they have great chemistry.

My biggest issue with this book is the plot. A good, old-fashioned conditional inheritance is a great plot device, but this book has a lot of plot devices. One: Kathryn’s inheritance. Two: the letter campaign duchess hunt. Three: a fall from grace due to treasonous activity by Griff’s father. There’s also some business about Griff’s older brother getting himself into danger which feels completely unnecessary, and in short, the book is overstuffed with plot.

Another issue with the story is the pacing, which starts out fairly even and then gets rickety pretty fast. The first few chapters are very well-paced, with events flowing quite naturally. Then it’s completely all over the place, with the passage of time an afterthought to the contrived plot point at hand. Another issue lies in character development: after the abrupt change of Griff’s circumstances, he naturally evolves a lot, we don’t really see any change in perspective from Kathryn. Her circumstances are also greatly changed, but her development remains stagnant until she and Griff cross paths again. The character of the Duke of Kingsland is a plot device and not a person for a great deal of the book; perhaps seeing more of him could have really sold the tension. There is a great ending, which is followed by an entirely unnecessary epilogue.

Scoundrel of My Heart has a fun couple at its center, but the rest of it’s a mess. The love story is pretty good, and I did root for the couple, but the plot was convoluted and bloated. To put it plainly, it was just too much.

Lady Kathryn needs to marry a man with a title in order to inherit her grandmother's cottage near the water. Lord Griffith Stanwick is a second son and therefore not the man that can help her. But he is the only that makes her heart melt. What can she do but follow her heart. Griffith reminds me of a bit of Simon from Bridgerton. He is willing to do anything to help Kathryn get the match she needs.

HJ Top Pick!

Scoundrel of My Heart is the first book in the new Once Upon a Dukedom by Lorraine Heath. We met the hero Lord Griffith “Griff” Stanwick in his sister’s book Beauty Tempts the Beast which is part of the Sins for All Seasons. I was so glad to see him get his own book and a happy ever after. This is one of my favorite historic romance authors and I always look forward to her books. This one did not disappoint at all, it flowed smoothly and was full of emotions. It was a “best friend’s brother” troupe which can be monotonous, but the author pulled it off beautifully with all her plot full of twists and turns.

Griff was the second son of the Duke of Wolfford’s and as the spare, there were no expectations for him. He was mostly ignored by his family and had no purpose in life except to be the backup in case something happened to the heir. He felt drawn to his sister’s best friend Lady Kathryn Lambert since he saw her the first time and tried to keep his distance by constantly irritating her. After his father is found guilty of treason, his life in society was lost. The Stanwick family lost everything, and they found themselves living in poverty. He finally scraped enough money together to start the club of his dreams, The Fair and Spare. A club for the second sons, wallflowers, and others who have been overlooked by society. He was never able to get Kathryn out of his thoughts even though he knew he could never have her.

Kathryn loved her late grandmother’s seaside cottage and to inherit it she had to marry a titled gentleman. As it happens, the Duke of Kingsland is looking for a bride. He places an advert requesting daughters of peers to write to him and tell him why he should consider them. Kathryn had a hard time writing a letter and finally decides not to write a letter, but secretly Griff writes the duke a letter recommending her. Meanwhile, Kathryn and Griff have come to know each other better and Kathryn starts to doubt her idea of marrying for her beloved cottage. However, Griff and his family disappear when his father’s disgrace becomes known. When Kathryn hears of Griff’s club, she rushed to him to confront him about the wager he made involving her. She must decide what is more important, marrying a man with a title to acquire her beloved cottage or convincing the man she loves to marry her.

I adored the characters which had depth and were interesting. I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books and series. We also got introduced to some new characters that I hope to see in future books. This was an incredible book, and it started the series off with humor, romance, suspense, twist and turns, and amazing characters. Hopefully, we will finally find out what the oldest Stanwick sibling has been doing that was so dangerous in the next book.

Kathryn must marry a titled gentleman to get the cottage that she adores. Unfortunately the man she loves, doesn't have a title. But since he doesn't seem to share her feelings, she allows herself to gain the attention of a duke.

Griffith lost all standing with Society when his father was found guilty of treason. His life is now in a more dangerous part of the city. But when Kathryn comes back into his life, he is not ready to give her up again.

Can these two find their way back to one another?

I adored Kathryn and Griffith's story!! After reading Beauty Tempts the Beast, I was wondering if we would learn more about Althea's siblings and Heath did not disappoint! I really like that Heath took us back in time to see the Trewlove family before their fall from grace as it gave us more background information to see how far the characters have come. We also see the relationship that Kathryn and Griffith has before they were separated.

I'm excited to see what Heath has in store for Kingsland (the duke that Kathryn turned down), which is the next book in the series.

Lorraine Heath is one of my new historical romance obsessions. I first read Beyond Scandal and Desires from her Sins for All Seasons series and looooved it. I’m a sucker for a series that follows siblings and has angst, drama, steam, all the good stuff!

I picked up Scoundrel of My Heart knowing it was a spin off from Sins for All Seasons, but not realizing it happens before and after the last book in that series. It definitely works as a stand-alone, but reading just made me want to go back and finish the other series!

I love a romance with a hero that pines for the heroine. And damn did this story have that! Lord Griffith Stanwick has been in love with his sisters best friend for...a while, but he knows Lady Kathryn Lambert must marry a titled gentleman to gain her inheritance. Not the “spare” son.

Oof, I loved these two together. The banter! The pining! I swear ever Lorraine Heath I read I fall more in love with her storytelling and characters. I think this story set up the Once Upon a Dukedom series so well. It made me so excited for The Duchess Hunt after briefly meeting those characters.

Scoundrel of My Heart was a big win for me, and I cannot recommend it highly enough! Five stars!

So wow I loved this! It had the perfect amount of longing, fun and sweet moments, and also a surly scoundrel who stole Kathryn's heart! I loved Griff a lot! I loved who he was, and what he brought to the story! I also adored Kathryn a lot and I thought she was so headstrong and I adored her snark! This was my first book from Heath, and she really did a great job getting me attached to the story, and the characters. I'm super excited to read her previous books, along with her future books! I can't wait to dive in! Overall I highly recommend this book and this author! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I loved the characters, the romance was awesome, and the plot was super well written! I highly suggest reading Lorraine Heath, and I again can't wait to check out her other works!

Scoundrel of My Heart by Lorraine Heath
Rating: 5-stars
Summary:
Lady Kathryn wants a cottage and must marry a lord to get it. Griff, her friend’s brother and second son, just will not do. They both have feelings for one another but feel it just cannot work for a variety of reasons. Griff is accused of treason and striped of his status. Kathryn gained the attention of a Duke that she did not really want. Finally, Kathryn wakes up and realizes she would rather not marry and lose her inheritance than marry someone other than Griff. Enter their happily ever after.
Details: Lady Kathryn, 24 years old, desperately wants to receive her inheritance from her grandmother, a cottage by the sea in Kent. This is her happy place, where she feels most herself and has many fond memories of time spent at the cottage with her grandmother. The catch is that to receive the cottage, she must marry a lord before she turns 25 years old. The Duke of Kingsland has taken out an advertisement in the paper asking women to write to him about their qualities and why they would be his perfect duchess. Lady Kathryn tries to write him a letter.
Enter Griff, Lord Griffith Stanwick to be precise, the second son a duke. He has always been the spare and while everyone assumes he is womanizing and drinking his days away, he is also saving money to purchase and open a club for others like him: second sons, merchants, ladies considered to be wallflowers. His club will be a place where people can come and get to know one another, for companionship or more (it is up to them) but he wants a place for people like him to not take the back seat to an older brother, diamond of the first water, etc.
Kathryn is best friends with Griff’s sister, Amelia, so they often see each other and interact. Griff has been in love with Kathryn forever and she likes him too, although it usually manifests in them teasing and picking at each other. Griff will not do anything because he knows Kathryn wants to marry a lord, not a second son.
Kathryn asks Griff for help to know what the Duke would want in a wife and he obliges, even as he comes to realize how much he wishes he could have Kathryn for himself. Just as Kathryn is considering if she wants the Duke or Griff, Griff’s father is arrested, along with Griff and his brother, Marcus, for treason. In short, the Duke is executed while Marcus and Griff are left with nothing and striped of their status. Griff must work on the docks to survive and support his family.
Griff finally save ups the money to purchase the club and it becomes quite successful. Kathryn discovers the club and storms it, demanding to know why he wrote the letter to the Duke and to figure out the chemistry between them. The Duke has yet to propose, and she is given a lot of latitude to do as she pleases as her parents have fallen in love after nearly 30-years of marriage and are quite ignorant of what is really going on.
Griff is still convinced that Kathryn would be better off with the Duke as he can offer her many things Griff cannot, so he tells Kathryn he has no interest in marrying and he never said he would offer for her. She goes home devasted and while trying to pack to head to the cottage said Duke stops by to come to terms with her father and propose. Kathryn asks him some pointed questions and ultimately turns him down, deciding she would rather not marry if it is not to the love of her life, even if that means she will lose her precious cottage.
The Duke pays Griff a call to inform him Kathryn has turned him down. Griff gets her parents to share where she has gone and before going to her blackmails her cousin (who will inherit) to grant her the cottage as a birthday gift, no strings attached. Griff finds her at the cottage but before he can propose she proposes to him. He tells her about the cottage and all’s well that ends well.
Overall opinion: I really enjoyed this book. When Ms. Heath first throws the treason plot into the story I was a little taken aback. Surely this was not necessary? I changed my mind a few chapters later as she took the story and ran with it, showing how it helped Griff grow into a man, albeit one who is now scarred physically and emotionally. There was ample steam between the leads, and both were characters you could relate to and love. There are also enough storylines left unsolved for you to be eager to read the next book, Kingsland’s story. (And, what happens to Marcus?!) If you are looking for a great Regency read, look no further!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What did I love about this book? EVERYTHING!!! It is an intoxicating story of an exhilarating romance between two enemies Griff and Kathryn. I enjoyed their characters so much. Their dialogue with each other had substance and I never got bored. Their personalities were loving and vibrant and the ending was just blissful, so very blissful. A must read. I highly recommend it.

I devoured the Sins for All Seasons waiting with baited breath until I could grab myself a copy of each book hot off the press so to speak. The two brothers intrigued me from the get go and Ms. Heath has done full justice to her story to Griff and Katherine's story.
Katherine is Althea's friend and has the opportunity to meet Griff many a time while visiting her friend but does not find anything too likable in this spare brother who is second to the dukedom after his brother. When their circumstances change, Griff is even more out of Katherine's milieu since she is bound to marry a duke in order to gain control of her fortune and most importantly a beloved property that once belonged to her grandmother.
The new Griff that she meets is different and enticing. He understands her needs and helps her meet her ambitions but things have changed between them. Their interactions have taken on new meaning and despite all their attempts to resists they find themselves falling into a spell.
Another winner for Ms. Heath. I truly enjoyed how their story worked out and loved the opportunity to catch up the various Treweloves.

This miscommunication trope MUST. END.

There was quite a lot of telling and not enough showing in this one. From the very beginning we know that the hero is in love with our heroine and yet we stand back for a good 60% until anything is initiated. Yes, the reason behind the hero’s distancing is kinda cute, but really??? You can’t just tell her you at least like her and have her decide for herself what she wants?? We could’ve avoided this!!

Perhaps maybe I’m just not a slow-burn fan, but seriously, it just didn’t have to be this long. Also, the pacing was off at times and threw me.

HOWEVER, let me just appreciate that epilogue really quick because it was THE absolute sweetest, most romantic, just overall best epilogue I’ve read in a book EVER and now I’m a mess all over again.

This book is delicious soap opera goodness of the best kind.
It's the basic trope of best friend's older brother, but it goes beyond that into tortured hero and familial obligations territory while keeping the leads dead set on denying their feeling for each other. So much fun, tension-filled banter to enjoy.
Lady Kathryn Lambert knows what she wants but is held back by her family's experience, opinions, and expectations. Lord Griffith Stanwick is the ignored second son of a Duke that betrayed the crown and sunk the family into disgrace. They grew up together. They fought like crazy. They both hid how attracted they were to each other until a change in circumstances and a Duke in search of a wife made them both realize that finally accepting their feelings might actually lead them to the happiness they'd always chased.
It's very closely related to an earlier Heat novel (Beauty Tempts the Beast) because the heroine in that one is Griffith's sister and Kathryn's best friend, but you can easily enjoy this without having any knowledge of the other book. Although it is as fantastic as this one and I highly recommend checking it out.

Extremely happy thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the read!

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

Scoundrel of My Heart, by Lorraine Heath, is available in booksellers on 3-30-2021. This is the start of a new series, Once Upon A Dukedom, but does update us on characters from another series, A Sin For All Seasons. New characters mix with people we knew from before but it's still a stand alone love story. Griffith and Kathryn are likeable and have such great chemistry, when they let it shine. Kathryn is believable as a young lady trying to get what is rightfully hers and keep it. Finding the right husband is the key but it's harder than you'd think. Griffith is a big sympathy hole for me. I fell down it and kept going. This poor guy couldn't catch a break if you hit him in the head with it. One of the worst things that could happen to a titled family is the crown taking everything away & then no one will touch you or help you. You're tainted. How the 3 siblings survive is a heartbreaker. Ms Heath skims over some of what could have been horrific. Not exactly what we want in a romance so she was wise in her choice. This was a truly enjoyable read for me, even if I did cry.

#LorraineHeath #ScoundrelofMyHeart #OnceUponADukedom #ASinForAllSeasons #romance #historicalromance #netgalley #Avon

Lorraine Heath continues to hit the mark with her books time and time again! I love the trope of "I have to get married or lose it all." This time it was our heroine who has to marry to keep the inheritance left to her by her grandmother. The trick is she has to marry a titled first son. Our hero...not that guy! Not only is the he second son of a Duke, well....you will just have to read to get more than this. If you read Beauty Tempts the Beast, there is a tie in from that book. You dont have to read that one first, but if you do, it makes this one so much better! I loved both the hero and heroine. They were perfect! Such a fun, swoon worthy romance! Highly recommend!

Sandy M’s review of Scoundrel of My Heart (Once Upon a Dukedom) by Lorraine Heath
Historical Romance published by Avon 30 Mar 21

You’d think after all these years of reading romance I’d learn to trust my favorite authors. Sometimes I slip, though. Sometimes secondary characters who don’t pull me in during one book totally surprise me when chosen for their own story. Thus is the case with the brothers of Althea Stanwick, heroine of Beauty Tempts the Beast, last book in the Sins for All Seasons series. But Lorraine Heath is one of the best in the business and I should know better than to doubt her, even the tiniest bit. Lesson learned.


Griffith Stanwick is a second son, ignored by his father before that man’s traitorous behavior was revealed in BTtB last year. While his sister has married well and is very happy, Griffith and his older brother, the current shamed duke, are still living hand to mouth, working hard both for coin and to find who else was responsible, along with their father, in a betrayal to the Queen. Griff has plans, however. Stockpiling his gambling winnings, his future will see his dream of a club for second sons, wallflowers, merchants not welcomed in society, and others of that ilk.

Lady Kathryn has known Griff since they were children. She feels he’s always been condescending and sarcastic whenever they’ve interacted. Little does she know that’s only because his feelings for her are more than they should be and because she’s destined to marry a duke. Suddenly things between them have changed and Kathryn is seeing a different man, which Griff is, having now worked the docks and seeing a darker side of London and life. Knowing he can’t ever have her, Griff helps her endeavors to land a duke, and while Kathryn needs to marry well for reasons of her own, she can’t get that blasted scoundrel out of her head.

As these two become more and more entwined in their lives, they still stay their respective courses to get what they want in the end. Of course, there’s something they want even more than their dreams, and it almost seems they won’t get their happily ever after. Despite their desire to do what’s right by the other, their hearts will have the last say, no matter what anyone else believes. As usual, I love these characters Ms. Heath has given readers, which is the main reason I should never doubt her talent. I also love that we get caught up with the Treweloves from the previous series, all of which shows Griff what he can have, even from the wrong side of London.

It’s not necessary to read the Sins for All Season before you start here, but I would highly suggest that you do. They’re just wonderful stories, and while previous characters in that series are seen in this book, it adds an extra layer if you’ve met them before. I’ve probably said it in reviews before, but Lorraine Heath can do no wrong in writing romance. So where the heck did my doubt even come from? Another lesson learned.

Grade: A

Scoundrel of My Heart, the first in a new series by Lorraine Heath, was a delight to read! The book follows Griffith Stanwick the second son of a treasonous Duke and his sister's best friend Lady Katherine Lambert. An unlikely romance unfolds as he tries his hand at business in order to better his current situation and Lady Katherine sets out to marry a titled gentleman to secure her inheritance. This book is tangentially connected to Heath's Sins For All Seasons series as Griffith is the brother of Althea Stanwick, the heroine in Beauty Tempts The Beast, and Katherine is her best friend. To my delight, the entire Trewlove family makes an appearance as well! Great for new Lorraine Heath readers as well as longtime fans. I really look forward to reading more in the series!

If you read Beauty Tempts the Beast you were introduced to our leads, but reading it isn't necessary to fully appreciate this wonderful story.

Both our leading characters are so strong and determined and brave that your are rooting for them right from the start. You crave their happiness, you cry for their pain, you mourn their loss, and you cheer at their HEA. Lorraine Heath is an author I've been reading since 1994 and she is one of a very few authors who is on my always buy list. Whenever one of her books come out, I read it, period, stop. They are all unique, very well written with in depth characters, passion, love, and just a phenomenally great story

I highly recommend this book. Read it as you will not be disappointed.

I just reviewed an ARC copy of Scoundrel of My Heart by Lorraine Heath from NetGalley and am volunteering an honest review. #ScoundrelofMyHeart #NetGalley
https://www.netgalley.com/

Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? There were enough heavy hints about Griffith and Kathryn in Beauty Tempts the Beast to have me wondering "what if" when it came to them. I'm so happy that they got their own story and that it was as passionate and engaging as I hoped it would be.



As a second son, Griffith lived a life of irresponsibility and vice. All he had to do was exist and he was essentially rewarded for it. Then his family falls from grace and Griffith has to sink or swim. I was concerned that he was going to have a "poor me" attitude throughout the book but while he did have the "I'm not good enough for her" vibe happening, it wasn't enough to make me dislike him. I can say that Griffith's fall from good society seemed to bring out the best in him. He wasn't a spoiled, entitled aristocrat by the end but a self made man who was more than worthy of the woman he loved.


Kathryn was a surprise for me. I didn't think anything about this character was particularly note worthy, but she grew on me. She's one of those characters that a reader has to spend time with in order to see what makes them special. She's practical but not to the point of being unwilling to embrace change. She understands just how far she can push society's boundaries and she works around them as best as she can in order to be her own person. She's subtle about it which I appreciated. But I think one of her most endearing qualities though is her love of the cottage she's willing to marry a titled man she doesn't love for.


With Scoundrel of My Heart being the start of a new series for Lorraine Heath, there's a responsibility to set up the rest of the series which can slow down other aspects of a book. The romance between Griffith and Kathryn is a bit of a slow burn, particularly when it comes to the physical part of their story. There's a lot to unpack since this is a new series, characters to introduce, future plots to set up, etc. so I can see where something had to pay the price. So while I wasn't too thrilled with how slow the romance and the build up took, especially since Griffith and Kathryn already had an established connection, I will say that by the end I was very happy with how things turned out between them.


Of course, since Kathryn was engaged to a duke it wouldn't do not to give readers a hint of him as a character right? Well the Duke of Kingsland seems like a good man, in spite of everything, he deserves his own story and happy ending.


As much as I loved the book as a whole I do have to say that the time jump could have been handled a bit better. It was a bit jarring and for first time readers it may be confusing to understand the connection between Griffith, Althea, and the Treweloves.


Click It or Skip It? Click it. The issues I had with Scoundrel of My Heart were minor compared to my enjoyment of Griffith and Kathryn's story.

So many feels. I devoured Scoundrel of My Heart yesterday. Now I'm going back for a slow savoring of this swoon-worthy romance between two characters who completely captured my heart. You don't want to miss this one.

Full review to come.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Posted 30 March 2021:

If you follow my reviews you know how much I loved Lorraine Heath's Sins for All Seasons series, especially the final book, Beauty Tempts the Beast. I was intrigued by the glimpse readers were given of heroine Althea's brothers, Griff and Marcus, in that book and happy to hear Heath planned to write stories for them but, to be honest, I doubted she would be able to surpass my love for Beast and Althea. Boy, was I wrong.

This book is about as close to a perfect read as I could want. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Exquisitely written, beautifully nuanced, each word, look, and gesture conveys depth, intent, and a full range of emotions. Griff and Kathryn showed me anger, devotion, joy, retribution, love, hopelessness, and yearning - oh my gosh, the yearning - so clearly and so deeply that I couldn't help but feel their emotions to my core. Heath gives us fully developed, multi-layered characters who continually evolve throughout their journey. I adored them. I want to be friends with Kathryn. I want to dance with her on the beach and bask in the glow of her joy. And Griff. There are so many scenes I'd like to quote to highlight the ways in which he captures Kathryn's heart - and mine - but each reader should have the opportunity to discover those on their own. Suffice it to say, he's set the new standard for my book boyfriends.

And then there's the duke, the character who most surprised me in this book. I was prepared to heap my full disdain upon his head. I mean, really, the man actually placed a notice in the paper inviting women to submit applications detailing why they should be chosen for the position of his duchess. Plus, he was standing between Griff and Kathryn. But, the Duke of Kingsland holds his cards close to his chest and I was very pleased with the twists his character arc took, especially as pertains to my favorite couple. He's up next as the hero of book two and I cannot wait to discover what Heath has in store for our single-minded, workaholic duke and his uber-efficient secretary, Penelope Pettypeace. The Duchess Hunt will release September 28, 2021. I already have it on pre-order.

If you enjoy historical romance, Scoundrel of My Heart is a book you won't want to miss. Both Griff and the book are in the running for my favorites of 2021.

Top Dish - 5 Star Review

**Mild spoilers ahead (small summary of the book)**

Ok, before I start the review, I have to mention: Lorraine Heath is an auto-buy for me. She's never written a book that I didn't love. Her stories are intricate and moving, passionate and poignant. She never fails to deliver on those qualities. The first book in her newest series, Scoundrel of My Heart, continues the tradition of Heath doing what she does best: creating a beautiful love story while exploring the flaws of her characters.

This book follows Griff Stanwick (brother of Althea from Heath's last novel) as he attempts to prove himself as a second son, the "spare." He intends to open a club specifically for spares and unmarried women, to relax and enjoy a fun environment that they would normally be be denied (because they aren't titled, or the first-born male in the family.) However, before he can attempt this, his father gets arrested for treason (he's not a good man), and he, Althea, and his older brother, Marcus, must flee to the slums of London, since they have no money or homes. This is where the previous novel actually picks up (with Althea's story in Beauty Tempts the Beast). Scoundrel of My Heart is set before and after Althea's story. To make a long story short, Griff succeeds in opening his club and is able to reenter society.

Now for our heroine's backstory: Lady Kathryn Lambert is the good friend of Althea, and the story starts out with the events before Beauty Tempts the Beast. She is the frenemy of Griff--they verbally spar but ultimately enjoy each other. Also, he's been head-over-heels for her for years. It's so adorable to hear his thoughts of her. He tells her his plan to open up a club, and his enthusiasm moves Kathryn. They begin to get close to each other and then BAM: Griff goes on the run due to his traitorous father. They are apart for TEN. WHOLE. MONTHS. Normally I'm not a fan of a time hop, but in this instance, it's for a good reason. Griff goes from a slightly pampered second son, to a rough and tough club owner with fighting experience and an attitude to match. It's actually a very believable transition. Heath does a good job of showing actual growth in Griff.

By the way, during this time, Kathryn has become engaged to a duke, but it's not a love match--she needs to marry a titled gentleman to inherit a beloved home, a cottage in Kent. Without Griff, Kathryn tries to move on from the growing affection she felt for Griff, but she never quite succeeds.
Long story short: Once he's back in the picture, they finally declare their love, Kathryn leaves the Duke (he's the hero of her next book!), and she ends up being given the cottage by a relative. They love a wonderfully happy ever after. Heath is the QUEEN of epilogues, and she doesn't disappoint in this novel. They always make my cry. They're beautiful.

Now for the things I loved about the novel, and the things that were a little irksome (although there was very little of that. It's Lorraine Heath.)

Things I loved:

1. Griff--OMG. He is ADORABLE. I have a soft spot for second and third sons--they tend to try harder--and Griff is the perfect one. Lightly pampered and lacking real direction, life events force him into a situation that makes him tough and hard--and violent. He's always been an adorable scoundrel, but after the ten months away, Griff is now a scoundrel with some weight to him, some character development. And it does him a lot of good. He matures into a man worthy of Kathryn. And that's all he's ever wanted. My personal catnip in a romance--contemporary or historical--is when the hero is absolutely gaga over the heroine from the beginning. Like, a take-a-bullet-for-her kind of way. And buddy, is Griff protective and in love with Kathryn. It's a beautiful story to see play out. He is sexy, vulnerable, protective, loyal, and in love in a BIG way. He's the perfect book boyfriend, especially if you like your heroes with a heart as big as an ocean. I ADORE him.

2. Kathryn--What a refreshing heroine! I get tired easily of the women who don't seem to understand the world around them, and a lot of times, they come off as extremely naïve. Don't get me wrong--I know that it's historically accurate to portray them that way, but it doesn't matter. I love a tough heroine. My favorite thing about Kathryn is her absolute desire to do whatever the hell she wants. She doesn't question her sexuality or her desire for Griff. She wants him almost from the beginning, and it's such a feminist thing to see. She's smart, knows her desires, and forces Griff to realize all of things that life has to offer. She loves him unconditionally.

3. The plot--Without giving too much away, let me say that Heath has created an interesting start to her new series. Getting out of the London slums--with the Trewlowe family in the last series--is a refreshing change of scenery. The combination of the rough and tough with a burgeoning society is going to make for an interesting series.


Some things I'm not sure about:

1. The lack of info about the time hop--This is technically a stand-alone novel, but honestly, if you haven't read her last series, you're going to be pretty lost. It's kind of confusing. Because of this, I'd highly recommend reading the last series--particularly the last book. The time hop in this novel is rushed over, and it attempts to explain everything in just a few pages. If you didn't read the last series, you'll more than likely be lost.

2. Her love scenes--Heath writes a beautiful love scene, but it's over halfway into the novel before we get to it. Despite the intense attraction and affection on both sides, it's a slow burn. I just wanted to give readers a heads-up.

Overall, Heath once again crafts a beautiful plot with an intense and passionate love story. Her characters are always multi-dimensional and full of life. Griff is such a wonderful book boyfriend, and Kathryn will makes you proud to be a woman. You won't regret starting this series--and then do yourself a HUGE favor and read every other Lorraine Heath novel. You won't regret it.