3 stars - I liked it

This was a blend of a spy novel and a murder mystery. Daisy is a sleuth who is sent undercover in David Blackwood’s, aka Bishop, home to determine a wife’s infidelity. Bishop is known as a scoundrel but the truth is he is just a man trying to help women out of unhappy marriages. Daisy and Bishop have an instant connection that makes it hard for each of them to do their jobs. I enjoyed watching Bishop realize he was in love with Daisy. I also liked that he actually respected her abilities to do her job, even if he struggled with his fear of her being in danger. Daisy was an interesting heroine because she ignored society’s rules and made a name of herself as a sleuth.

While I enjoyed this book, I did find it a bit slow at times. I definitely feel like the detective storyline was more of the focus than the actual couple at times. This was still an enjoyable romance and story but a bit different from what I was expecting for one of the Chessmen.

Trigger warnings: death of parent from drug use referenced; abusive father referenced; death of mother by potential murder referenced;

Any book by Lorraine Heath is generally guaranteed to be a delight, and The Counterfeit Scoundrel is no different. This book adds to the LHEU (Lorraine Heath Extended Universe) and follows Bishop, one of the Chessmen from back in The Duchess Hunt, as he has fake affairs with women to help them secure divorces. But everything goes sideways when Marguerite "Daisy" Townsend, an inquiry agent, infiltrates his house to find proof of one of his "affairs." And of course, Bishop can't keep his eyes off of her.

Bishop and Daisy have a spark from the very first, and the longing in the first part of this book is top notch. They circle around each other, both knowing the other is off limits... until they aren't. And that's when sparks really fly. On their own, both characters stand strong, with Bishop the very picture of a Respectful Gentleman (TM) and Daisy a smart and enterprising lady detective who felt honestly more modern than many historical romance heroines. Add in to that intriguing backstories - and a few surprises - for both of them, and their story was engaging and fun to read.

As always, it was fun to see characters from books past wander through, especially the Chessmen, who got more time to shine in this book and left me excited for future installments in the series. Daisy's family, too, brought love and drama to the table.

For me, the main stumbling point of this book was that the inciting incident felt a bit like it came out of nowhere, causing the story to take a bit of a sharp turn. The book righted itself quickly and was once again a good time from there on, but I still couldn't help but feel like there was a bit of choppiness during the transition.

All in all, though, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see the rest of the Chessmen fall in love!

4.25/5

This reviewer supports the HarperCollins Union. I've read and written a review, but won't be uploading it here or on any other platforms until the HarperCollins Union has a fair contract.

This book was so much fun to read. There was steamy romance, adventures, a private investigator, and a man too good for this world. Honestly, I think Bishop has taken my standards to a new high. He’s motivated by the pain he witnessed his mother face as a child and has taken the responsibility on himself to make sure other women don’t suffer as his mother did. While striving to keep his secrets from coming out to the ton, our heroine Daisy has the mission to figure him all out. I loved the interactions these two had. You could feel the tension in every scene, and when they finally get together, it’s just such a delight. Overall, I was left incredibly happy after reading this one. Also, this book has one of the best epilogues I have ever read.

I’m glad to have had the chance to end my year with this book, and I can’t wait for the book to come out next year for everyone else to enjoy. I am definitely excited to meet the rest of the Chessmen in the upcoming books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this e-ARC.

Once again, I have no idea how Lorraine Heath keeps writing such wonderful romances. I call her a goddess, and I mean that 100%. She has knack for spinning off side characters and giving them a wonderful story and purpose. This series, The Chessmen, revolves around the Duke's (from the last series), best friends that we've previously read about. The three men in this series are Rook, Knight, and Bishop. This book is Bishop's story.

I'm not going to lie, the mistaken identity trope is not a favorite of mine. I spend too long wondering about the inevitable fallout when the MCs discover their ruse. Thankfully, Heath doesn't prolong the inevitable. I don't think it's really a spoiler to say that they find out each other's identity relatively early, I think around the 40% mark? This helped me like the characters even more. Bishop is my fave kind of hero: a rake on the outside, a heart of absolute gold on the inside. Because I'm more hero-centric when I read romances, it's pretty rare for me to like a heroine, but Heath delivers, of course. Come to think of it, I've loved the last four heroines she's written. (Nobody else has ever done that to me,) In this novel, Daisy is an undercover investigation owner. She is hired out by men to see if their wives are cheating on them. I loved how independent Daisy was, but at the same time, she was vulnerable in a believable way. She acknowledges her faults, enjoys her passion, and is sex-positive. She doesn't spend the entire time debating in her head if she should sleep with Bishop. She wants to, and he wants her, too. End of story. That's refreshing to read in a historical romance.

Going undercover as a maid in Bishop's house because she has been tasked with spying on a wife of a customer, Daisy looks for any evidence to support her investigation. In the process, she becomes quickly attracted to Bishop, but thinks he's a scandalous rake who sleeps with married women (because she sees tons of them going in and out of his house..) There is, of course, a reason behind Bishop's actions, and when it is revealed, you just want to take Bishop and hug him and love him even more.

There is a villain/mystery plot, and it actually surprised me who it was and the plan they were plotting. I LOVE a villain/mystery plot in a historical romance, and this one was written very well. I was engaged with the mystery, and enjoyed finding out things along with Bishop and Daisy. Their relationship is complicated, but in a good way. To me, that makes it more realistic. They both say stupid things, hurt each other, judge each other, etc., so it's never one-sided. In fact, at one point, Bishops worries about her going out alone, and she remarks that she can take care of herself. When she winds up in some danger later, she thinks to herself, "Huh. Bishop was right. Now look at me." If I'm being completely honest, that was the best part of the novel for me. She acknowledged that he was right, and at the same time, admitted that SHE isn't always right. I loved that. The "defiant heroine who never admits she needs help" gets really old, and I'm so glad Heath wrote it in a different way.

I only have two minor complaints about the novel (and these could just be "me" things):

1. Bishop realized she was a detective waaaaay too easily. Like, so easily that it made me laugh. It was very unrealistic. Also, their meeting should be categorized as "insta lust/love" which bothers me. Once again, super unrealistic.
2. The first half of the book dragged by pretty slowly. I was VERY excited that in the second half, the pace quickens and we start getting exciting action. That first half could have been a lot shorter.

Overall, of course, this book is absolutely wonderful. Heath never writes a bad romance, and I would recommend this book to anyone (especially those who love her books). I can't WAIT until the next book in the series!

**A huge thank-you to Avon Publishing and NetGalley for a free copy of this book to read and review.""

For best results, keep chocolates within reach.

Steamy, engrossing, and emotionally resonant, The Counterfeit Scoundrel delivers a full and satisfying reading experience. The epilogue alone is one of the most heartwarming, beautifully written scenes of all time. The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction promises to be yet another enthralling and unmissable series by the incomparable Lorraine Heath.

Bishop is now my favorite Lorraine Heath hero (please don’t tell Griff)! I mean, you know he's a keeper when he says, "Don't reward me for doing what was right." From his philanthropic efforts on behalf of women in abusive marriages, to his fierce love and protectiveness of Daisy, I was swooning and sighing for this man! Outwardly, he exudes scoundrel vibes. But is he truly a scoundrel? Bishop is a wonderfully complex character who’s haunted by his mother’s death. I was touched by how he honors and remembers his late mother through flowers. Bishop has a jaded outlook on love and marriage after witnessing his mother’s heartbreak in his youth. That is, until he’s forced into “contemplating a daisy.”

Daisy is a smart and skilled private investigator. I found her immensely relatable. Her vulnerabilities, too, resonated with me. Moreover, I admire her for pursuing her dreams instead of succumbing to the dictates of society. Although she doesn’t see herself as a beauty, Bishop’s intent gaze on her makes her feel seen. Daisy, however, is determined not to repeat her mother’s mistake of falling for a scoundrel. But as she digs deeper into Bishop’s affairs, she discovers that there's more to him than meets the eyes.

Gosh, I loved their teasing banter and the early sparks and tension between them. The romance was deliciously sexy and emotionally satisfying–just the way I love it! There is a hilarious scene involving chocolate glaze! There is also love in the air for secondary characters. Personally, it’s always a bonus when secondary characters get their HEAs. Additionally, there’s a murder mystery that kept me guessing. The revelation was a surprise for sure! Lastly, I was deeply moved by Daisy and her aunt’s relationship. It was so beautiful and emotional.

Lorraine Heath doesn’t shy away from addressing hard issues in her books. The Counterfeit Scoundrel is no exception. It sheds light on the difficulties of obtaining a divorce in a historical context, especially for women. I always appreciate the fascinating history tidbits.

I absolutely loved The Counterfeit Scoundrel! I cannot wait for The Notorious Lord Knightly! Greedy me was also salivating at the thought of future books when Daisy’s cousins were introduced.

Much gratitude to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with an e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love that most of Heath's books take place in the same time period with characters showing up in other books. In this book we have a hero and a heroine who have been damaged by their parents. I know this happens a lot in historical romances, but this book has 2 very plausible back stories
There is a historical note at the end that explains the British divorce laws and also how there were many books written about female detectives in Victorian times that they were probably based on some actual people.
This book is not only a romance but a.murder mystery solved by Daisy, a Private Inquiry agent as she helps to save her client Blackwood from being the main suspect. There are some surprises along the way.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this EARC. Heath is one of my favorite authors, and I look forward to the next book in the trilogy.

What a great start for the new series. Bishop and Daisy are both scared to love due to past experiences. They come together to help solve a mystery and prove innocence. In the process they learn to love each other. It is such a sweet romance.

What a great book! The plot was refreshingly different from so many others of this period.
Bishop is a known rake, often having affairs with married women that lead to their divorces. Daisy is a private investigator, hired to confirm if Mr. Parker's wife is indeed involved in an affair. When Daisy gets employment in Bishop's household in order to spy on him, things just don't add up.
Love the characters and all their back stories. While I don't want to give too much away, the plot moved smoothly from scene to scene, and the ending was great. This book had it all - romance, mystery, murder, and a bit of action. Highly recommend the book. and series, although this could be read as a stand alone.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm obsessed with everything Lorraine Heath writes. She has never done me wrong and she is my go to historical romance author recommendation. I will continue to convince people to read her with every breath I take. This one was so fun to me with Bishop's work and how that directly impacted his relationship with Daisy. I so enjoyed the small secondary characters storyline of reconciliation as well. This one is sort of insta love which I do not normally love, but like I said Lorraine Heath can do no wrong.

I love Lorraine Heath and was so looking forward to reading this new book. While the beginning was a bit tough getting into, I really did end up enjoying this one. I would have preferred if it weren’t insta love and that the focus was solely on the romance aspect. The ending was fantastic and made me cry.

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

The Counterfeit Scoundrel is book 1 in the new Chessmen: Masters of Seduction series. I think it's off to a good start. David Blackwood is doing a good dead for good reason, but it comes with a high price. He's rich enough that he doesn't care what the Ton thinks or says about him and it's all bad. His parents marriage has warped him, kinda like PTSD & he's determined to help other women trapped with absolutely no way out but adultery Daisy Townsend is a unicorn, a female detective. Although in the notes the author says it wasn't too out of the ordinary, women were useful because no one would suspect them of spying or even holding a job. She's good at what she does, even going undercover. Making her own way in the world, having a job, making money, having independence is important to Daisy and feeds her determination to give her clients the best of her services she can provide. I like her very much.

#Netgalley #TheCounterfietScoundrel #Chessmen #LorraineHeath #Avon #Harper'sCollins

Lorraine Heath is perfect for when you want a historical romance that really hits all the notes of the genre. THE COUNTERFEIT SCOUNDREL, first in a new series, is like a gender-swapped EASY A for the Victorian era; Bishop is known amongst the ton for having affairs with married ladies...except he doesn't actually have them. Rather, in honor of the memory of his mother, who died trapped in an abusive marriage, he fakes the affairs so that the women can secure divorces. But the fake scoundrel isn't prepared to have real feelings for Daisy, an inquiry agency posing as a maid who has been hired to catch him in the act. THE COUNTERFEIT SCOUNDREL is charming in its intrigue as these two characters dance around each other, each hiding secrets but certain the other is hiding things as well, delighting in the game as much as in the partner.

✨Pour some chocolate on me✨

If you’re looking for classic Lorraine shenanigans, a murder mystery, and a hero covered in chocolate, look no further. I’ve enjoyed the “fake rake” plot before and The Counterfeit Scoundrel was no exception.

Bishop pretended to have entanglements with women to get them out of untenable positions in their marriages. Daisy was an undercover PI intent on confirming an affair Bishop was “having.” Daisy becomes a maid in Bishop’s household and, obviously, there was instant attraction between the two.

Bishop was so stressed because he refused to be attracted to a servant…but it was also lust at first sight. He also had absolutely no idea what to do with emotions. Daisy’s jealousy was delicious and wow I love her so much. Shame him with chocolate, queen!

There was also a lovely second-chance side romance that occurred in the first half of the book. While the main romance was swoony and filled to the brim with tension, I definitely wanted at least one more sex scene. The love scenes were just a bit short and lackluster. I loved the chocolate scene, but even that could’ve been dialed up a notch.

While The Counterfeit Scoundrel is a little bit forgettable and not my favorite by Heath, I’ll still reread as it has charm and scenes that will stick with me! And of course I cried during the epilogue. I can’t wait for the rest of the Chessmen to be brought to their knees! The scenes when they were all together and making fun of Bishop were some of my favorites.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Daisy and Bishop bought the steam and the heat. The Ton didn’t know what happened or what hit them when Daisy called the sinners out. I love the sentimentality of the story line. The romance was very charming and refreshing. The slow romantic progression was just right for the story. I thought that the entertainment of the story did a great job of maintaining my attention in the book. The characters were intriguing and fun to read. The multiple characters I thought were correctly added to the book and introduced in easy way to were the reader was able to understand their participation in the book.

This one didn't quite meet the heights of my favorite Lorraine Heath books, which was a bit of a disappointment, especially since the Chessmen were so anticipated after The Duchess Hunt. I think what this book missed most was a sense of internal and external conflict that kept the characters apart. Instead, their romance feels more like a footnote than the actual meat of the story, which was a bit of a disappointment.

I really enjoyed both of their backstories, they were each tragic and spoke to why the two find such comfort in each other but those reveals come after a lot of instant fascination from both of them based on nothing really. There's the hint of why they can't trust each other because of how they initially meet but Blackwood doesn't seem all that disturbed by it for more than a few pages.

In addition, there's not really much to say about the "mystery" element of the story. It's pretty straightforward and doesn't have real impactful ramifications for either character. In fact, for a while towards the end, Blackwood almost feels secondary to the plot.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 🌟’s!

📝 tropes: fake identity, workplace rom, private investigator heroine
🌶 spice: 2/5 (there was chocolate)
❌ CW: divorce, miscarriage, domestic abuse, murder

finished this in one sitting bc LH never disappoints with her addicting plots! like always, the premise/characters/action of Heath’s books are so unique and entertaining, it’s so hard not to enjoy every second of it! for this one, it follows our heroine Daisy, undercover as a housemaid for one of the Chessmen, Bishop Blackwood! it’s definitely insta-lust/love from the moment Bishop sees her delivering tea to him and their sparks fly so hard throughout the rest of the book🤩

the secrecy/spying and deceiving character objectives was very much like a chess game.. there were so many layers, so many suspects, and just overall super fun to decipher everything from each MC’s POV. the hero and heroine themselves were wonderful characters, with depth and haunting pasts.. i really enjoyed Bishop’s occupation of helping women get divorced from their awful husbands 🥰 and in the epilogue, *SPOILER START how he was able to make a safe haven for them named after his mother, a victim of domestic abuse😭 *SPOILER END. speaking of the ending, y’all those last 10% pages WERE SO EMOTIONAL OMGGG.. between Daisy’s aunt stuff and the wedding scene and him coming to grovel at the ball.. like i was a wreck man.

overall, i really enjoyed this one but definitely was missing ~smth~ that would’ve given that extra star rating boost. still recommend it thooo!

some random moments i loved:
- when she poured the bowl of chocolate on top of his head CACKLING AS SHE SHUD LMAO
- subsequently: “I couldn’t believe when you dumped the chocolate on my head. I might have—“ Fallen in love with you then.”
- i was rooting so hard for the Parkers.. UGH THE ANGST OF THEM

There are so many wonderful hidden gems in Lorraine’s book. I love that all her characters are connected and they occasionally appear in other novels. This is a wonderful start to a new series involving the chessmen. The story is about bishop who is helping women in unhappy and abusive marriages escape during a time where women did not have much power or control over their lives once married. The heroine has been hired to investigate bishops interactions with a man’s wife. It was a great read and a very sweet story

David Blackwood preferred to go by the name Bishop to distance himself from his father. Bishop had a scandalous reputation as a man who enjoyed affairs with married women. The reputation was unearned because he pretended to have affairs with women who wanted to divorce their husbands. The laws at that time required a man to have only one reason for requesting a divorce whereas a woman was required to have two. A husband wanting a divorce due to infidelity was quicker and easier. Bishop felt that if his mother had been able to get out of her abusive marriage, she might have been alive.

Daisy Townsend worked as an inquiry agent. A husband suspected his wife was having an affair with Bishop and hired Daisy to provide proof of the affair. Daisy had herself placed as a maid in his household in order to get the needed information. Daisy was raised in gentile society and had an uncle who was an earl. Bishop noticed that Daisy was was much more refined than the other maids in his household. The more time he spent in her presence, the more a of mystery she became to him.

I enjoyed this novel very much. Bishop was an easy character to like. He wanted to help those who were in need of leaving a untenable situation and was willing to sacrifice his reputation in the process. He saw it as a way to get back at his father and a way to honor his mother's memory. Daisy was very likable as well. She was raised by a maiden aunt after her parents died. Once she was able, she carried out her plan to make her own way in the world. She felt she offered skills that were needed and did not bow to society's restrictions on unmarried women. It was fun to read about their interest in the other. I did tear up a bit during a sweet and tender scene at the end . I will not spoil it, but it brought about a perfect ending. There was some moderate spice in this novel for those interested in that type of information. This was the first book in a trilogy and I look forward to continuing the series.

I received an e-ARC for The Counterfeit Scoundrel and want to thank Lorraine Heath, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book.

Lorraine Heath is one of my favorite authors. I love every one of her books. This one is an admirable addition to several series, actually, since it’s related to Once Upon a Dukedom, as well as her previous series. I strongly recommend that people read her previous books because, first of all, you will love them, and secondly, you’ll hear more about these characters that make up the Chessman. Plus you will get excited when you hear mention of the Twin Dragons, Dodger’s Drawing Room, the Fair and Spare.

This one tells us more about Bishop, who appears to be the biggest rake of the bunch. He is well known for breaking up many a society marriage because of his very public affairs with married women. But as you know from the book description, he’s actually not bedding these women. He is freeing them. But nobody knows that, which is why Daisy is working undercover in his household. They are immediately on a collision course because they are so attracted to each other from the beginning. But they are at opposites because her job is to find dirt on him. And then one of the husbands dies. And she’s the only one that can help him.

On top of all of this, Bishop is terrified of love because he believes love is what killed his mother. But you know this is a happily ever after, so somehow, he is going to have to make the journey to love. And it’s a delightful adventure to be part of.

As always, I love the redemption arc even if, as in this case, he’s a good guy to begin with. And I love a smart, savvy woman. If you agree with this, you will love this book, and will be on pins and needles waiting for Knight’s story. All of Lorraine Heath’s books are 4 1/2 to 5 star reads out of the gate, and this one does not disappoint that record.

For the record, you don’t have to read all of her books to understand this one. You will need to have read her previous series, Once upon a Dukedom, though. And you will be happy you did.