The Counterfeit Scoundrel by Lorraine Health did not disappoint! I devoured this book and could not put it down.
The main characters Bishop and Margarite "Daisy," have an electric first encounter. Daisy is an undercover spy who immediately captures Bishop's attention by pretending to be a maid in his household. Her mission is to catch him in a compromising position with her client's wife. Things don't go according to plan as sparks fly between them. The task becomes compromised when Bishop is accused of murdering one of his paramour's husbands. As their attraction grows into love, Daisy does everything she can to clear his name.

I enjoyed this series' start and can not wait for the next book!

Thank NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so much fun! Much better than Lorraine Heath’s previous book. There was still a lot of inner dialog, but at least us wasn’t heavy on negativity. I love the background of the h/h; lady detective and secret good guy make for such fun characters. I look forward to continuing the series.


Thank you to Lorraine Heath and the publisher for the arc via Netgalley.

I’ve been reading historical romances since high school and this was my first Lorraine Heath book. I’ve seen her name pop up plenty of times at various book sales, but I’ve never felt an inclination to pick up her work. Imagine my surprise when I totally devoured The Counterfeit Scoundrel and I’m eager to read more of her catalog. The characters were dynamic, they had electric chemistry, and I was eager to see how their story would progress. I understand this is a spin-off series, but this was easy to follow as this was my inaugural Lorraine Heath novel. The Counterfeit Scoundrel had excellent pacing and it was fully immersive. Throughout my entire reading experience, I couldn’t help but picture Bishop and Daisy as Lumiere and Fifi from Beauty & the Beast considering how they were both obsessed with their respective maids.

The Counterfeit Scoundrel featured a unique plot where both love interests beheld juicy secrets for the sake of their community. A romance between a maid and her employer could have raised issues over their class disparity, but luckily Daisy was secretly a noblewoman in disguise. She was very graceful and there were thankfully no power struggles. There were plenty of heated gazes whenever these two shared the same room, but the reader always knew of Daisy’s true identity. I’m sure this was unintentional, but every single reference to Daisy the Maid had me thinking of Downton Abbey too. If you’re familiar with the show, you absolutely know that our boy-crazy scullery maid wouldn’t think twice about starting an affair with her employer.

My very small complaint was that it went on a tad too long and I began to lose interest. Other than a dip in my attention, I was thoroughly entertained. I can’t wait to read more of Lorraine Heath’s bibliography and see what else these Chessmen: Masters of Seduction have in store. Hopefully there isn’t a hunky bachelor who shares the moniker of Pawn. That’s not romantic or tantalizing at all! I may be imagining things, but it seems like the person responsible for The Counterfeit Scoundrel is moi!

I adore a Victoria London world created by Loraine Heath. This book was no exception. Bishop has vowed to never marry after watching how his father treated his mother. Many woman are in marriages that are unkind and unsafe for them. Bishop is happy to assist any of unhappy woman by pretending to have an affair with them so their husbands file for divorce. A man can divorce a woman on the grounds of infidelity but woman cannot file for divorce for men cheating. Crazy times!

Daisy is a spinster and a sleuth. Hired by a gentleman to get proof his wife is cheating with Bishop, she takes a position in Bishop’s household. As she works to uncover Bishops secrets, she can’t help but fall in love with him herself. When Bishop is accused of murder he turns to Daisy to help him find out the truth of what really happened.

This is just a fun, quick read that will have you cheering for love.

Wracked with guilt because he couldn’t save his mother from his fathers abuses, Bishop now helps the ladies of London stage affairs with him so they can receive a divorce. Daisy is hired by the husband of one of the women to pose as a maid and spy on the household so she can confirm the affair. Daisy and Bishop are instantly attracted to one another and he sees through her ruse. When the husband of another one of the women dies Daisy and Bishop must work together to keep the blame from falling on Bishop.
As a licensed private investigator I can tell you that Daisy is really bad at her job. She did not blend in and let herself get distracted while on the job. That being said I really liked Daisy as a heroine. She was independent and stood up for herself. Bishop, like all historical romance heroes, needs therapy and to work out his mommy issues. I’m not a big fan of insta-lust as a trope but it didn’t bother me too badly in this book. I greatly appreciated that the mystery, while present didn’t take over the whole book. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although the first book in a spin-off series, this story of Bishop and Marguerite/Daisy can easily be read as a standalone. While this one took me longer than usual to become invested in the hero and heroine's romance, Lorraine Heath's wonderful characterization of both primary and secondary figures eventually won me over. As always, I look forward to the next entry.

“He provided an alcove where troubles could be set and, when picked up once again, wouldn’t feel as heavy.”

A very caring hero makes this mystery sweet.

This is at times a dark and twisty mystery! However, through it all our MCs are refreshing. Bishop isn’t just helping battered women- he’s considerate and caring to them. It almost made me tear up. Marguerite is feisty and determined. They make for a fun combination!
I also loved the side characters, especially the aunt. Her story and relationship with Marguerite are lovely.
A couple negatives. Not to be dramatic but the non serif font on the cover is horrendous and I hate it. This did drag in places, and I think it would be more enjoyable if it was slightly shorter.
Overall though I would recommend this mystery, as long as you check out content warnings first because there is a fair amount of abuse discussed.

Star Rating: 3.5/5
Tropes: Instalust,
CW: Death, drug use, abuse

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Anytime I finish a new book by Lorraine Heath I am left with an empty void in my heart, longing for the next in the series. I adore the Victorian London world she has created and the memorable recurring cast of characters. I was intrigued by the Chessmen after reading The Duchess Hunt (which is one of my all time favorites) Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of The Counterfeit Scoundrel, I couldn’t put it down!

He goes by Bishop, or as the gossip rags call him, Blackguard Blackwood. He has scandalous affairs with married women which lead to divorce! Marguerite “Daisy” Townsend was born into the nobility but eschews societal expectations by working…as a female detective no less! One of her clients has him investigating his wife’s alleged infidelity and she takes on the position of house maid in Bishop’s home. The moment they lock eyes, sparks fly. These two…it’s fire 🔥 from the first moment they are on the page together. He quickly deduces she is a sleuth and not in fact a maid yet he plays along, teasing her, flirting with her, and she gives him a run for his money. When she discovers his affairs are not precisely as they seem, her feelings for him go from majorly attracted but very skeptical because he is such a rake to completely smitten. The can’t deny the chemistry and give into to one another. When he is suspected of the murder of one of his “paramour’s” husbands though, Daisy is who he turns to to help James Swindler of Scotland Yard solve the case and clear his name.

Lorraine Heath writes her books with the perfect balance of explosive chemistry, clever dialogue, and yearning that make that moment when the two main characters FINALLY get together absolutely explosive! Fans of Miss Scarlett and The Duke and Heath’s previous novels will swoon over this book. I’m highly anticipating the rest of this series.

First, I want to give a big thank you to NetGalley and Avon HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I’m generally a big Lorraine Heath fan. Her books are always so deep to the point of drawing tears, filled with tension, and loads of chemistry and steam.

While “The Counterfeit Scoundrel” did deliver on those things it took a lot longer to get there then it normally does with one of Lorraine’s books.

I generally like an insta-love story but for some reason, I struggled with this one more than usual, and I think it had to do with the general pace of the first 40% of the book. But after that, the book really does turn a corner and the tension really builds and weaves into a beautiful story that had me tearing up at the end.

Bishop, a counterfeit cad, is wicked smart as he is described physically. One of my absolute favorite lines from him: “Too often I think people pretend to be what they believe the other person needs or desires. They choose harmony over honesty. I think it leads to a quiet misery.”

Margarite “Daisy” is a cunning and intelligent sleuth who captures Bishop’s attention while taking on a position in his house to catch him in a compromising position with the wife of one of her clients.

But things get messy when you meet under false pretenses, and they get even messier when Bishop is accused of murdering one of his paramour’s husbands and needs Daisy’s help to make sure he’s proven innocent.

Overall, I really liked this book, but I do think I would have loved it if the beginning was a little stronger which is why I am giving it a rating of 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because the ending really does punch you in the feelings.

3 Stars!! This is a new spin-off series, ‘The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction’ and it was entertaining, if a bit cheesy at times, and can be read as a standalone. ‘The Chessmen’ consist of Rook, Bishop(this books main character), Knight and King, who was the main character from ‘The Duchess Hunt’ which was the 2nd book in the ‘Once Upon a Dukedom’ series. The main characters in this book are Bishop and Marguerite/Daisy. I thought it was sweet bordering on creepy how much Bishop misses his Mom and the things he does because of his love for her. Honestly, I love my Momma more than life itself too, she’s my best friend, but Bishop came off as being a bit obsessed with his Mum. Daisy was sweet and a strong lead female. A few twists and surprises I didn’t see coming that kept me reading this book. Right when I thought the book was wrapping up, something happens and the book picks up again. All in all, an okay read.
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

It’s a delight to begin the Chessmen series after Kingsland’s appearance in “The Duchess Hunt,” which was one of my favorite historical romances of late. With “The Counterfeit Scoundrel,” here starts the tale of another cunning man, Bishop, and his independent, uncommon love interest, Daisy/Marguerite. A Lorraine Heath book always spells angst, and this latest is not lacking, although perhaps it doesn’t rise to the heights of “The Duchess Hunt.”

Bishop is admirable and holds a progessive view of women, while Daisy is a fierce force carving her own path, so they are quite likable. Their mutual declaration of love is slow to build, although the sparks between them are not. I look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Bishop is a lady's man. One affair after the other. One husband hires a woman sleuth to catch his cheating wife. The sleuth finds more than a cheating wife. Another husband ends up dead. Bishop is the main suspect.
This was a very entertaining story. I hope Lorraine Heath turns this book into a series with Bishop's friends.

Daisy and David are immediately drawn to each other in The Counterfeit Scoundrel. Daisy has gone undercover as a maid to prove that David is having an affair with a married lady, but things go awry when a murder occurs, and their mutual attraction causes conflict for both. Racy, entertaining and well written, this is one to read if you enjoy historical romance.

The second installment of The Chessman by Lorriane Heath is simply perfection. Secrets abound, people are not who they say they are, and the plot is rich with family angst. All things that make her books unputdownable for me.

David Blackwood, the BISHOP of the Chessman vows to never marry and does everything he can to keep the scandal sheets printing- mostly having affairs with married women.

Or is he really?

Daisy Townsend, orphaned aristocrat, is making her way as a private detective – or as Victorian England called them, Inquiry Agents. She’s been hired to provide proof of an alleged infidelity of an aristocrat’s wife. She wheedles a job in Bishop’s home to catch the woman in flagrante delecto.

And she does….or does she really?

As I’ve said, there are many secrets in this book that keep mounting.

Told in her fabulous writing style, this hero is for Heath’s best to date. I’ll leave you to read it for the spoilers – because I hate giving them away. Suffice it to say the road to happiness in this book is long, twisted, and rewarding.

It goes between bishop and daisy. Bishop is the main character who tries to help ladies with divorce and Daisy is an investigator who is hired by a husband to prove his wife is having an affair. She gets a job as a maid in Bishop’s household. When she first meets bishop there is like a insta love attraction between both characters which I don’t really like I like my stories to have a bit of slow burn to them. Slow writing and angst when falling in love. There was like fatherly issues with the characters and bishop had this motto where he doesn’t want to fall in love but eventually does.

I loved the ending and how there’s a real love afterwards and what he says to her towards the end makes me turn to jelly.

Hmm, I had mixed feelings on this book. Basically the beginning portion was a bit weak and cringey for me, but it got stronger as it went. Not my favorite but ended up being ok. I mostly struggled with the Insta-lust and Insta-love, both characters were rather melodramatically obsessed with each other pretty much at first sight which is bad enough in normal instances but even worse here because of the particulars of the scenario of their first meeting. Not my favorite, but if you like Insta love and Insta lust, you might enjoy it more than I!

Lorraine Heath has delivered another wonderful story. Bishop helps women who want a divorce by pretending to have an affair with them. Daisy is an investigator who is hired by a husband to prove his wife is having an affair. She gets a job as a maid in Bishop’s household. There is an instant attraction.

There are different storylines happening at the same time. The heroine is strong. The hero wanted to show himself as a rake but that is not the case. I highly recommend this book. I couldn’t put it down until I finished it.

The Counterfeit Scoundrel is the first book in the series Masters of Seduction series that is tied to the Once Upon a Duke series. I love The Duchess Hunt that is a part of the other series. I have read that book a several times. The Counterfeit Scoundrel is a pleasing book to read, but I found myself setting it down several times and wanting to finish it so I could move on to another book. If you love a historical romance with a little mystery, working class, and a hero who stands up for women then this book will be right up your alley. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

Most interesting part of this story was the historical references after the end. Explaining changes in divorce laws in England and that women actually were detectives.