I got this ARC from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

This is only my second book by Vivienne Lorret and I have to make sure that I am read more of her stories ASAP! Something that I loved is that even though the first book I read is connected to this one, I did not realize it because the story was not overpowered by side characters.

In this story we get Leo, undisputedly a wicked rake, and Prue, a young woman who's fall from grace has left her exiled to the country. With Prue's return to London these characters continue to bump into each other and with every encounter their attraction grows.

What I enjoyed the most about the book was that neither of the characters tried to change the other was or wished that they weren't the person that they were. Both characters accepted the other as they were and reading them falling in love made me wish the book was twice as long.

Prue was a bit naïve and a lot impulsive but it is still very easy to root for her and she was not annoying in the slightest. Leo, even for his rakish ways was also very easy to root for but a lot the problems that they faced would have been solved easily or never happened if he had been more willing to be open and honest with Prue.

The only thing that I did not like about the book was that the way the first few chapters were structured. There is a prologue that actually happens a good bit into their relationship and then the first couple of chapters are told out of order until the reader catches up to the prologue. Nothing in the book would have changed if she had told it in order. Another thing that I did not like is that in some parts I felt that it was overly wordy but that didn't happen often and didn't take away from the story at all.

The premise of the story was cute, and Leo and Prue had great chemistry and witty banter. Still, I struggled to get through the middle of the book. It seemed to get a bit repetitive. I understand that they are the main characters of the book, but I felt like too much time was spent ruminating on their thoughts, especially when it is the same thought again, and again.
Overall, the book was entertaining, and was easy to follow, even with it being part of a series. Speaking of which, the cliffhanger at the end was very enticing

Although I haven’t read any other books In this series, I wasn’t confused at all. I believe there are a few crossovers between characters mentioned in previous books, but if you want to read this as a stand-alone it’s perfectly fine. Anyways, this book was very well written and contains constant banter between the two main characters (which we’re all suckers for). I found the romance super fun and heart-warming, perfect to pick up when your ready to swoon. Overall, I had a good time reading this book, at times the pacing felt a bit slow which is what docked a few stars for me.

Have you ever read a book, one that you really enjoyed, and then discovered that it was part of an established series that you’d never come across before in all your internet searches for new reading material? That’s what happened here. And it was a wonderful surprise, as now I have three books to read also 😍.

This was such a great story, it took and held my attention, and had me rooting for the MFCs plight and the progression and furthering of her relationship with the MMC.

This was my very first book by Ms. Lorret and it definitely won’t be my last. I am already planning on catching up on the three previous titles and I’m looking forward to reading much more of the author’s work.

In How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart, Prue Thoroughgood, a ruined woman shunned by her family, wants to retrieve several heirlooms that she feels rightfully belong to her. Unfortunately, her awful stepmother has control of them and has gambled much of it away. So, Prue resorts to larceny and attempts to steal back her treasures. But when all seems hopeless, an arrangement with the Marquess of Savage offers Prue everything she wanted – her heirlooms, her family cottage, and a peaceful life out of the public eye.

Savage has sworn off love and vows no one will ever win his heart. However, he is surprisingly intrigued by Prue from the moment he meets her, and when she appears at his doorstep, he makes her an offer that’s impossible to refuse. Prue agrees to become his mistress for four months in return for his help, but will four months be enough for this couple?

Prue and Savage are great protagonists, and they have definite good girl/bad boy vibes. She is an innocent ruined from a kiss, and he is a scoundrel notorious for his sexual prowess and stream of mistresses. Though they seem quite different, they are alike in many ways, and their relationship is filled with chemistry from their first unconventional meeting.

Prue learned from her family and society that she was unlovable, replaceable, and unworthy. Savage learned from his that he was unloved and unwanted, and further relationships destroyed his faith in love and trust. They both are alone in many ways, and they have put walls around their hearts. When they enter this contract, neither hopes to find love or more than a brief connection. But they quickly realize that this is more than a passing fling, and both must face their fears and feelings.

I like how Prue and Savage slowly grow to understand each other, and I love how understanding and patient Savage is with Prue. He is way more sensitive and selfless than he admits! Prue has been traumatized by past experiences, and the way that he cares for her and shows her what it feels like to be cherished is swoon-worthy. Prue, in turn, makes Savage see that she likes him for him, not for his wealth or social standing. This is new for both characters, as their past relationships were not based on respect, care, or admiration. Even when Savage acts overbearing, it’s clear he is passionate about Prue and is determined to do right by her. I also love how oblivious they both are about how deep their feelings run. Neither has experience with being in love, and their cluelessness leads to some fun and some frustrating scenes for both of them.

Though Prue and Savage don’t have the support of love of their respective families, they both have people in their lives that care for them. Prue’s loyal friends and Savage’s friends and employees are all fantastic, and they are more like family than friends. I like how these characters help Prue and Savage see what they want in life and help them attain it. They are often the voices of reason when Prue and Savage can’t see past their own swirling and conflicting emotions.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It’s fun and sexy, and there’s a little bit of intrigue as Prue and Savage work to retrieve her heirlooms. Though this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, and I think readers of sexy historical romance will enjoy it. Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and Avon for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

How to Steal a Scoundrel had me hooked from the beginning of the page to the end. The story is funny and heartfelt. Leo and Prue meet in unconventional manner, with Leo rescuing Prue on a country road, from an overly friendly dog. They banter, of-course, and go on their separate ways later. A month goes by and Prue finds herself rescued by Leo again, and this time she can not help but turn to him for help. He offers her 4 months of being his mistress and in return he will help her take back her inheritance from a father who disowned her and stepmother hell bent on selling her prized possessions.

Overall, I loved this book and will probably pick back up and reread again. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart follows Prue Thorogood, who after being utterly ruined by a man has decided to never marry, but instead to reclaim her deceased mother's inheritance in order to fully settle into life as an independent woman. On her way back to London, she meets Leo, Lord Savage, a man known for having a different mistress every four months with no intention of ever settling down or being with one person forever. Leo makes Prue a proposition that he will help her reclaim all of her mother's possessions in exchange for four months with him.

This was my first Vivienne Lorret book but it definitely will not be my last. Leo and Prue's relationship develops slowly and naturally, both of the characters being realistic and fun to read. The interplay between the two of them makes you completely understand why they both find exceptions in each other and the way society treats both of them is very complex and interesting. I was at a slight disadvantage with some of the side characters because I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. Highly recommend it for anyone who loves historical romance!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart by Vivienne Lorret
Prudence Thorogood was ruined in her first season and discarded by society and her family. She resolves to steal back her inheritance that has been flippantly disposed of by her step mother. When Lord Savage offers a way for Prue to retrieve her inheritance, she reluctantly agrees, even if it means she must agree to be his mistress in exchange. Prue realizes in the course of this unusual relationship that she may be getting in over her head. And Lord Savage realizes he may have a heart, after all.

How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart was everything I want in a historical romance: spicy (🔥🔥🔥🔥/5), charming witticisms and glorious tropes (forced proximity, miscommunication, taming of the untamable). I loved Prue’s character, and truly believe she is uniquely her own. I loved watching her unfold and grow. It’s a five star for me!

What a delightful, snappy, sexy read! I devoured this book in two sittings. The fun, free, and tender relationship between Prue and Leo was so fun and smart, and it had just the right level of steam.

We finally find out what happened to Prue! After 3 books with her friends and Prue secluded in the country we get her story. Her father has disowned her and taken the inheritance left by her mother because she is ruined. She meets our hero and is offered the position of mistress. After declining in order to try to secure her inheritance through larceny she finally relents. She decides to give up her friends in order for security.

Leo is a reprobate without a heart (my favorite kind!). He has short term mistresses with clearly defined rules. He is a product of a father who took all he wanted without thought to anyone's feelings and a mother who abandoned him as a baby.

Of course his heart is in there and it just took Prue to unlock it. I loved seeing these two get to know one another and reveal their vulnerabilities. Prue knew her time would end in heartache and Leo tried to keep his usual heartlessness in tack. I am so glad that they got their HEA.

And, oh my goodness, that epilogue. I can't wait to see what happens.

Wow. Have me and this book been on a journey together.

First, it should be noted, that there’s a dog on the cover. And it’s not like the bunny in the field on the Minx by Julie Quinn cover. It’s very clearly put on there in a drawing room clinch cover. Making it seem like the dog is a big part of the plot. Because why else would a dog be sitting on the heroine’s train while she’s trying to kiss the hero in a drawing room? So my expectation was similar to the expectation when I read How Sweet it is by Dylan Newton. There’s a little doggie on that cover who is a big part of the meet cute and shows up being cute throughout the book.

That is not the case.

In fact, a DIFFERENT dog plays part in the meeting of the hero and heroine and the Pekingese on the cover is only briefly mentioned throughout this book.

Was I distracted needlessly waiting for this dog throughout the book?! Yes. But, I think I let it consume me too much. If I hadn’t seen the cover, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But just the fact that the dog is ON THERE made me think he should play a bigger role.

Anyway, moving on from the dog…

I liked this book. I don’t usually like mistress tropes but I liked this one. There were some unexpected things that happened and a whole mess of drama that I was reeling from a little bit to try to understand. (Just WHY was the ton so freaking rude and diabolical?!)

Leo is your classic rake with trust issues and Prue is your classic fallen from grace debutant who just wants to live her life. She’s a little surprising in that she decides to be Leo’s mistress? But I had a lot of respect for her to realize she hasn’t got much else going for her and take advantage of Leo’s generosity. How sweet that he’s willing to pay so much for her…? Okay, the mistress trope is so weird, but I liked that Leo is as respectful as a scoundrel could possibly be, even though he was a bit dense at times to not realize his true feelings.

I love Viv Lorret’s writing. It’s always a beautiful regency feel that I loooove.

Thank you Avon for the ARC. Review is my own.

A notorious scoundrel. A ruined debutante. A long, slow slip-slide into love. What's not to enjoy?

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart is the fourth book in a series, but it stands alone without issue, particularly on the merits of its lead characters. The chemistry between Prue and Leo is top notch from the very beginning when Leo "rescues" Prue from a wayward and overly friendly sheepdog. I loved watching their relationship bloom from banter to attraction and finally to love, particularly because neither one of them was even remotely prepared for it.

In fact, this book had all sorts of fun tropes. Passion lessons. An arrangement - and ultimately, marriage - of convenience. A "heartless" scoundrel who turns out to have a very big heart indeed. And on top of that, there was a scavenger hunt element as Prue sought to reclaim various pieces of her inheritance; that particular side plot brought about some of the most random and hilarious moments of the book, making me literally laugh out loud more than once.

On occasion, I found Leo's whole "thing" (i.e. being a man who keeps mistresses for an exacting four months and no longer) to be a bit much, and I felt that the Marlowe-Giselle-Leo triangle of the past was a bit odd and contrived. But ultimately, these were small complaints in a book that otherwise kept me engaged and enjoying myself from the first page to the last!

4/5

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart was a wonderful historical romance. I thought it was well written, entertaining and loved the characters. Prudence knew what she wanted. And Lord Savage was a sweet heart. He wanted to protect Prudence and his heart. I loved the story. It's part of a series so I have to check the others out. I received an ARC copy from Netgalley. Thanks!!
#HowtoStealaScoundrelsHeart #NetGalley #AvonBooks #HarperVoyagerUS

While I really enjoyed the rake hero that was the lone big bright spot for me. This was an average historical romance with good writing, but off pace...sometimes to slow and sometimes weirdly fast. I am intrigued by this series and will be looking to read more Vivienne Lorret in the future.

Thanks Netgalley for a arc copy of this book for a honest review

I loved reading
How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart. To be honest I haven't read many of work but what I have read I have enjoyed each book I have read by
Vivienne Lorret. This book was so delightful I can't wait to own a copy. The cover is beautiful 5 star read




Happy Reading Lisa 📚

Immediate Reaction: Vivienne Lorret has quickly become one of my favorite auto-buy authors! I think I have read every book in her backlog. I loved this book! It gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings.

The spoiler-free summary: After being ruined, exiled, and disinherited from society and her family Prudence Thorogood decides that enough is enough, she is going to go out and steal back all the important family heirlooms her father disposed of instead of giving to her. When Lord Savage gives her an indecent proposal she refuses immediately but desperate times call for desperate measures. What she did not anticipate was falling for her temporary hero.

All the things I loved:

Lord Savage: I was really hoping this delicious heroic man would get his own story after seeing him in The Rogue to Ruin (Go read it. Run, don't walk! Read that entire series!)
The way they fell in love. It was slow and gradual. I could feel myself falling for him too!
There is something amazing about a rake falling for his girl that I will never get sick of.
The writing: Viviene Lorret is a fantastic writer. I was still reading this book at 2 am because I just didn't want to put it down.

The things I didn't love:

His nickname for her. Eak
The pacing felt fast at times and sooo slow at other times.

Final Thoughts: Buy it, read it, listen to it, or borrow it from your local library (mine was an advanced reader copy from Netgalley). I hope you love it as much as I did.

If I am not mistaken, this is the last book of the series and I really did enjoyed it. It is a classic historical romance with the whole "bad" boy falling in love with the "nice" girl but it really worked. I would recommend it to other romance lovers.

I went down a Vivienne Lorret rabbit hole and never came back out. I discovered the author in a holiday anthology which led me to this series. She is a phenomenal Historical Fiction writer! Special thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the sneak peek into her newest novel. It was so, so good!

Pru Thorogood is marching her way out of the country after being spurned by one of her best friend’s intended. On the road, muddy, bedraggled and fighting for her luggage from a drover, a carriage stops to help her out. Inside, Lord Savage and his latest companion. The banter is hilarious, their relationship witty and smart. Pru is determined to make her own way in the world without any help, and Savage is determined to help. She’s resorting to larceny to recover her lost inheritance; he is the new accomplice.

Every character jumps off of the page, including Savage’s house staff who intervene in an attempt to save Pru’s innocence. Pru is a perfectionist after living with an overly critical father and step-mother. Savage guard his heart with contracts and codicils. They work so well together, if only they can put aside the walls they’ve built. Savage is the perfect juxtaposition of society scoundrel who keep his word, protects and build up Miss Thorogood until she can believe in herself. The villains are downright villainous–their plot was over the top cruel. So many twists and turns in their plan, with one constant– a love match that steals the scene and comes unexpected to both parties. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Content and trigger warnings: Adult content, poisoning, death in childbirth, abusive guardians, assault.

Vivienne Lorret continues her series of funny, heartfelt reads with this latest installment. Leo is partly a typical jaded rake (due to much pain and betrayal in his past), but also a total sweetheart. You can tell right from the beginning how completely he's gone for Prue, and how much he secretly wants a companion in life who truly cares for him. I love a hero who's all in for the heroine (even if he doesn't recognize it), so Leo really won me over. Prue started out in a place of pain and shame, but even then we see her strength as she decides to seize life for herself. I loved watching her blossom through her relationship with Leo, embracing all the parts of herself that others never appreciated or tried to quash. The villains were truly villainous, the plot fast-paced with a few twists, and the characters the same brand of charmingly quirky that we've seen from other books in the series. I'm excited for Meg's book next, and hope that Phoebe gets a future book, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart by Vivienne Lorret is a historical romance novel and the fourth book in the Mating Habits of Scoundrels series. I have not read any of the other books in the series, but that was not an issue for understanding the setting and side characters (many of whom it seemed were from the previous three books). The general conceit of the plot was unique and clever and the main characters, Prue and Leo, were generally likeable. However, their non-physical chemistry didn’t seem to be fleshed-out well, which made the mid-book plot twist seem implausible. I had some issues with the pacing of the second half of the story but, in sum, thought that it was a quick and enjoyable read.