Writing a whole ass book to take a man down? I love the dedication!
This was yet another fun romp in the Chessmen series from Lorraine!

Lorraine Heath never disappoints! This second entry in The Chessmen series is one of a bride having been left at the altar who ultimately seeks her revenge by writing a steamy anonymous novel leaving little doubt who the villain actually represents. But neither Regina nor Lord Knightly have ever really stopped loving each other, and how they find their way back together is a journey well worth taking. Highly recommended.

The best part of this book was the snippets of the scandalous book that the FMC “anonymously” published about the MMC. This was because (1) it was a heck of a lot of fun to see the characters’ reactions and (2) it was a unique way for the reader to get flashbacks into the MCs’ initial relationship.

Second-chance romances can be difficult to hit just right and in this case, the miscommunication trope didn’t work for me as the main plot device. It weakened relationship with little indication that it would survive long-term. While I was disappointed in the reason for jilting the bride, I was actually quite upset over the quick resolution to the issue. It, along with the MCs actions throughout, was too illogical.

Steam: 🔥

The Notorious Lord Knightly is book 2 in the Chessman series by Lorraine Heath and while part of a series, I thought this could easily be read as a standalone.

The main characters are Regina and Knightly and this fits nicely into the second chance romance trope. I enjoyed both characters as Heath did a great job of setting the stage with their backstory and tying that into who they are now. I thought the character development was well done and I love that Regina had the strength and willingness to put the story all out there on her terms. Of course, she has to scramble a bit but that only means she and Knightly truly get a chance to see who they are now and what that means for each of them. For Regina, there's a very fine line between love and hate and despite what was in their past, she has to decide if she can trust him again.

If you're looking for a new historical romance to pick up, consider this one. I always enjoy Heath's stories and this one hit the mark.

Lorraine Heath is an absolute must read historical romance author in my eyes. Heath's writing is beautifully eloquent, her characters are clearly drawn, the pacing is on point, and the romance is beyond swoon-worthy. Heath has a way of centering a romance, swiftly drawing the reader in, and keeping us guessing on how this romance with come to fruition. The Notorious Lord Knightly is a beautiful second chance romance, that features a single mother, and a bit of a class difference (the heroine is an illegitimate daughter of a lord). If you are looking for a beautiful romance between two people who truly love each other despite of past hurts, then look no further than this recent release from Heath!

Lorraine Heath is a true master at her craft. Her writing is elegant and the way she crafts words is stunning and appears effortless. Heath can clearly illustrate what love feels like through her words, she beautifully weaves her words to express longing and passion. Her characters are rich, relatable and understandable. I adored Arthur, the hero, he is swoonworthy and such a cinnamon roll. Watching him love Regina from afar and fall head over heels for her daughter broke my heart. I love that he is so consistent in how he sees Regina, how he respects her and how he only wants what is best for her. I found Regina to be such a strong and wonderfully independent heroine. I love how she takes her life in her own hands and I love watching her fall back in love with Arthur. The depth of their feelings are so beautifully explored through their interactions, the care they show the other, and the understanding and trust they have and are rebuilding.

The chemistry and tension sizzles between Arthur and Regina, and Heath builds the sensuality of their relationship steadily throughout the novel. I love that we get insights into their past relationship through the Novel inserts (written by Regina) at the top of each chapter. This gives the reader a clear understanding of the sweetness of first love, the sensuality of first romance, and the trust of a young and innocent relationship. Because we have these small insights, Heath can slowly rebuild their relationship before they reenter into a physical relationship. Their relationship at every stage is so romantic and endearing.

The Notorious Lord Knightly is an absolute must read in my eyes! If you are a historical romance lover, if you are a Lorraine Heath lover, then you absolutely must do yourself a favor and read this romance!

Middle lagged a bit, but overall an enjoyable HR for me.

The way Knight and Regina untangled their past full of hurts and miscommunication was beautiful and satisfying. (Knight left her at the alter right before their wedding.) There is a reason, but I actually wish it was more of an internal reason instead of an external conflict. It was out of his control, mostly, and I think the story would have been that much more compelling if the reason for the betrayal was more straightforward.

(I recently read "Not Quite a Husband" by Sherry Thomas, so that may be influencing me, I admit. The reasons for hero being a jerk in that story are more fraught and less straightforward, which I appreciated.)

Anyway, Regina's child, who she has to keep secret since she was born out of wedlock, was a tender part of the story for me. Regina wants her daughter to have the best life possible, and because she herself was an illegitimate daughter, she knows how difficult it may be for society to accept her.

I was so disappointed with the last Chessman book that I had a bit of anxiety when I first started this one since Ms Heath is one of my favorite authors. I’m glad to say the that I’m right back to loving this series and really enjoyed the story of Arthur (Knightly) and Regina. Even though the mystery of why Knightly jilted Regina was fairly easy to figure out I liked the journey getting there. Both of our MCs have baggage that is none of their fault Regina is the illegitimate Child of an Earl and his actress mistress. Although raised with love and support from her father, she has never been accepted into society. Knightly was the spare until his beloved brother died in a riding accident when they were young and his father never got over the fact that he would now inherit the title. When Knightly and Regina first meet at her coming out ball it’s love at first sight and all seems perfect until Knightly jilts her practically at the altar. The book opens 5+ years after occurrence and with the talk about going about town about who is the mysterious writer of a salacious “memoir” with a character by the name Lord K that everyone assumes is Knightly. Did Regina write this book? And Why. What unfolds is a beautiful reconnection and 2nd chance love story of two people that were meant to be together but were forced part by choices that should never have had to have been made. I really, really enjoyed watching these two fall back in love and finally get there HEA. I was kindly given a ARC of this book by NetGallery for my unbiased review

As always, I’m in awe of Lorraine Heath’s world building, of her ability to write wonderful, realistic characters and to make me love them to bits!
First of all, let me say that this book has all the tropes that I personally dislike most, starting with second chance (I won’t reveal the other, because it would be a spoiler). Nonetheless I’ve been following this series and the previous one from the very start and I wouldn’t have missed this book for the world! And I must say that the author made an awesome job at captivating me and at making me forget my dislike, albeit temporarily (ha ha). The “trick” of the Anonymous’s book bits at the beginning of each chapter is a stroke of genius! But the angst! So much angst that I thought I couldn’t bear it! Thankfully the HEA is guaranteed or I would have died reading it!
So, on to the last Chessman. I’m sure the book will be a treat like the previous ones!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Lorraine Heath. Knightly and Regina are both such amazing leads. Their story is written with characters who have passion, depth, and wonderful dialogue. Their chemistry made the page sizzle and come alive to the point I was hooked from page one. The plot flows seamlessly and it's full of humor, passion, pain, and love, a love so deep and complete that our leads compliment and grow together.

The Notorious Lord Knightly is easily 5⭐/5⭐, I totally recommend this book.

I just reviewed The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath. #TheNotoriousLordKnightly #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this second chance romance. I loved how the hero Knight wanted to make sure the heroine was getting what she deserved by giving her gifts even when she didn’t notice. However my favorite part about this book was the discussions about romance books. It definitely added that extra bit of feminism that I really appreciated. I was more interested in the feminism in this book than the romance, however I wasn’t disappointed in the romance.

Once again, Heath has hit it out of the park with The Notorious Lord Knightly. LH draws you in from the very first page, making this book very hard to put down.

This book combines two of my favorite tropes - fake dating and second chance romance. The book centers around two characters who are both harboring secrets-one about family and the other about their identity. The hero is an Earl with a pristine reputation. The heroine is an illegitimate daughter who is also a budding romance novelist. They pretend to get back together to salvage their reputations, only to fall in love at the end.

LH knows how to write a swoon worthy hero who will do anything to protect his mother and the woman he loves. LH takes the reader to next level escapism by making the hero so amazingly perfect - think Rege-Jean Page in written form. I also love the fact that LH wrote a romance novel that features a romance novel writer as the heroine - how meta 👏🏽

Main point: run out to buy this book, you will not be disappointed!

⭐️🔥I Absolutely loved this story although I am not surprised at all as Lorraine Heath literally can’t write anything but amazing stories!🔥⭐️

This is book two in her “The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction Series” and it is set in London during the late 1800’s - if you haven’t read book one of this series you can read this story as a standalone although I always recommend starting with the beginning. If you have read “The Duchess Hunt” which is book two in Heath’s “Once Upon A Duke Series” then you will have previously met The Chessman - and now we watch them all “fall to their Queen” just like all the other pieces in the great game! Again, you don’t have to have read any other books to fully enjoy this story.

So one of the things I absolutely love about Heath’s writing is you can never really be sure your first impression of a character is going to be right and while you know there will be a happily ever after the reader is never 100% sure how the two main characters will get there! These two factors make Heath’s books highly entertaining page turners that are packed with romance and passion!

The MCs in this story are two that have met before … Arthur, Earl of Knightly and Miss Regina Leyland … in-fact 5-years prior to this story Knightly left Regina at the alter, If that doesn’t quite intrigue you enough Regina went after revenge and attempted to ruin Knightly by revealing a secret; However, this plot backfired and leads her to back to Knightly for help. What more could a romance plot ask for?? I know, how about the revelation from Knightly about what really happened on the fateful day 5-years prior. Is the explanation enough? This will be a highly personal response for each reader and the entire story evokes very strong emotions.

This book has it all including deep betrayal, life lessons, anger, mistrust, secrets, characters that are perfectly imperfect and make decisions they come to regret, chemistry, falling in love (again), unrepentant passion and a heroine who isn’t afraid or ashamed to give into desire, sex, an exploration of mistresses versus wives in the nobility and the purposes of both, and of course a happily ever after! ❤️😍 Let’s not forget the perfect epilogue!!

The tropes included in this story are jilted bride, Unexpected Title, Hero Falls First, Ruined, Secret Job, Second Chance, Secret Baby, and fake romance to real.

I can highly recommend this book. I can’t wait for the next book of the series!

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 3.5 Flames 🔥🔥🔥 | Top Contender for 2023 🏆🏆


📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from Avon and Harper Voyager publishing via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. Reviews are cross-posted to social media, goodreads, and blog. 🦄
@avonbooks @HarperCollins
⭐️When possible reviews are cross-posted on the following:
✔️Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/jaime-loves-romance
✔️Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2577266404
✔️IG https://www.instagram.com/alphabookclub/
✔️Twitter @alpha_book_club
#Bookreview #MustRead #ReviewbyJaime #RomanceBooks
🦄

The Notorious Lord Knightly. Well this story was totally not what I expected to be. I don’t know if it’s from the overwhelming joy of a father connecting with his child or the steamy hot spring express, that the main characters graciously shared with their readers? Let me just say that it was a lot from both points. This story is amazing.
I think that you should take sometime to read this book. It touches on so many levels. The ones that stands out the most to me are one’s confidence and the willingness to sacrifice one’s own happiness to see the one you love safe, happy and possibly in love. The plot is truly amazing and such a joy to read. Of course Arthur and Regina’s goals didn’t move in the same direction of the plot.
Through a lot of upheaval and hard issues started to be addressed that’s where the good times begins with some fun under the sheets. The issues that I thought were good page turners are when the family drama, and past regrets are addressed by some characters that Arthur and Regina shared their emotions with. Then there were some adversaries that Arthur wanted to kill on sight. Good versus evil is always a great page turner for any book. These moments are exciting as well.
The entertainment comes when Arthur and Regina spar between each other endlessly. Could this be because the two have so much venom for each other or are there secrets that they withhold from each other? Are these secrets to hard to share and can they find a way to share them? The narrative is clear and simple to read. You will not find words to stumble over or the need to look up for definition of meaning.
The details and descriptions are explained very well. Giving you some wonderful visuals to expand on your imagination. The passion and romance fans the flames that ignite so much gratification from one lick of a man’s tongue. I give this book two snaps and a, Arthur can your tongue come out and play? Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Another amazing title by my favorite author. This series continues with mystery and suspense as the previous book! I love that Lorainne creates amazing real-life-like characters! I loved the heroine, she was so devilish and thirsty and knew how to get revenge! Well done to you! girl!

A second chance romance. He left her on the day of their wedding five years before. She went off to the continent to lick her wounds. Now she's back in town, looking for a perfectly respectable husband. And she's also the anonymous author of the scandalous book that's the talk of the town... and it's based on her time with him.

Honestly, I dragged myself through this book a bit. They MCs have a strong connection, but both have their reasons for resisting it. I'm trying to put my finger on what didn't click for me. At no point was it swoony to me. The character that I had the most feelings about, the FMC's half-brother, didn't come across as fully formed (though he's barely a secondary character). I also felt very bad for the potential perfectly respectable husband. He's a cinnamon roll, and I hope Lorraine gives us a peak at a happy ending for him in the background of a future book.

I do appreciate that the FMC was angry, and embraced that anger, and acted on that anger. She was no wilting flower. She was also exceedingly brave, to step up in difficult situations.

Perfectly serviceable, but a miss for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked this book, second in the series and looking forwrad to the next one, and want to go back and read the book with King and Penelope too!

FINAL DECISION: This book is a second-chance romance with emotional depth. Lorraine Heath skillfully weaves a tale of love, regret, and redemption. While not without its flaws, the book offers an enjoyable reading experience.

THE STORY: In the midst of London society, an anonymous author releases a book that ignites widespread speculation about the true identity of the notorious "Lord K." The Earl of Knightly, revered by the ton, becomes the primary suspect in being the enigmatic Lord K, causing Miss Regina Leyland's world to crumble once again. Having been left heartbroken when Knightly abandoned her at the altar, Regan hoped never to speak with Knightly again, but this book brings him back into her orbit. Knightly, consumed by fury at finding himself at the center of scandal and gossip, confronts Regina, suspecting her as the author behind the book. However, as he delves deeper, he discovers that Regina has undergone a profound transformation. No longer the naive woman he once knew, she has become a strong and independent individual who refuses to be submissive to any man. Knightly and Regina find themselves caught in a whirlwind of genuine emotions and intense passion that resurfaces between them. Each has secrets that, when revealed, threaten any potential for a new relationship between them.

OPINION: This book presents an engaging tale of second-chance romance within the backdrop of scandal and society in London. The story explores the complicated history of Regina and Knightly and the consequences of a scandalous book written by Regina herself.

The chemistry between Knightly and Regina is evident throughout the book, and the narrative effectively switches between past and present, offering glimpses into their previous relationship and their current reconnection. These flashbacks provide valuable insights into their deep love and the pain Regina experienced when Knightly abandoned her at the altar. The author succeeds in revealing Knightly's motivations, adding depth to his character and portraying his regrets with authenticity.

Knightly, as a tortured hero, evokes sympathy from readers. He endures Regina's anger and acknowledges his wrongdoing, making his redemption journey all the more compelling. Regina, too, is a strong and multifaceted heroine, torn between her love for Knightly and her lingering resentment. The emotional tension between them adds layers to their evolving relationship.

The novel shines in its portrayal of Knightly and Regina's interactions. Knightly's realization of his mistakes and his determination to make amends create moments of emotional intensity. The characters' hidden secrets, if shared, would reveal the vulnerable aspects of their hearts, heightening the stakes of their relationship. The gradual development of their romance is skillfully executed, culminating in a satisfying conclusion.

The seamless transitions between past and present contribute to the narrative's effectiveness, allowing readers to fully understand the depth of Knightly and Regina's connection. The structure maintains good pacing, propelling the plot forward and keeping the reader engaged.

In the midst of its strengths, I personally found some aspects of this book to be unsatisfying. One particular issue was the handling of Regina's secret and the continued decisions of the characters to withhold crucial information from each other. This pattern of deception throughout the story became increasingly frustrating and strained believability at times. Moreover, while the book delves into Knightly's reasons for breaking Regina's heart, I personally struggled to fully connect with or accept his motivations, which diminished my overall enjoyment of the story.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are a few appearances by characters from prior Heath books which are enjoyable for fans of the Heath-verse, but don't distract from the story for new readers.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE NOTORIOUS LORD KNIGHTLY is the second book in the Chessmen: Masters of Seduction series. This book can be read as a standalone, and it is not necessary to read the first book in the series to appreciate this one.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

This is the second installment of The Chessmen series. Follows Lord Knightly has left his fiancee Regina (who is illegitimate) at the alter. Regina then turned in an anonymous writer depicting Lord K and a steamy love affair. Lord K confronts Regina if she is anonymous. Chapters appear in a few past and present (of 5 years) so we learn more what happened and how they come to meet again. Sparks fly again and there are a few surprising secrets along the way. I can't wait to read the next one.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and for a revenge plot done well and Lorraine Heath’s newest achieves one of those very well and the other one to varying degrees of success.

The FMC of the book, Miss Regina Leyland, has forever lived her life on the outskirts of the English nobility. Born as a result of the extramarital love affair between an earl and an actress, she had never been welcomed into the folds of her father’s other family or into London’s most exclusive ballrooms or drawing rooms. However, things had changed after her father had insisted on a season for her and she found herself in love with and engaged to the Earl of Knightly. However, when he shows up on their wedding day only to tell her he cannot marry her, she finds herself once more at the bottom of the London social stratosphere, humiliated, hurt, and abandoned.

Cut to 5 years later and Miss Leyland now harbors multiple secrets.

She is the anonymous author of a titillating new book that lays out in sordid details the beginning and end of her tumultuous and ill-fated relationship with Knightly. Though she doesn’t name him explicitly and takes fictional liberties with aspects of their story, there is enough there to make the whole of London society wonder exactly who this story is about and who wrote it.
She is a single mother, hiding her illegitimate daughter from public scrutiny, determined that her own child should not grow up forever relegated to the outskirts of society like she herself had been. She wants legitimacy and acceptance for her daughter, all the things she never had. And to that end, she’s hunting for a husband, titled and venerable enough to allow her and most importantly her daughter respect and acceptance into the highest echelons of London’s society.
I loved the second chance romance aspect of this book. At first, Knightly is very much the cad, leaving Regina at the altar with nary an explanation as to why beyond the sudden opinion that they just wouldn’t suit. She is left in tears, heartbroken and humiliated, and even though he makes it clear to all that she is the one who called it off, it is she who bears the brunt of the consequences while he is congratulated for having made a fortunate escape. The true explanation for why he did what he did comes much much later in the book and while I won’t spoil it, it is not a huge shocker. The signs are all there and it is also evident from Knightly’s actions in the present day that he clearly still loves Regina.

The book cuts back and forth between the origination of their relationship to the moment he ended their relationship to the present day, five years after their aborted wedding, when Regina is trying to exorcize her past and her memories of Knightly, while also attempting to secure acceptance and legitimacy for her daughter.

If there is a weak spot in the book, it’s the revenge aspect of the plot. Regina writes the book to find the closure she never got from her relationship with Knightly but also to seek vengeance on the man who broke her heart but never paid a price for it, never seeming to suffer a single ounce of consequence for his actions. The book is meant to make society question the identity of “Lord K” and put Knightly in the indefensible position of having to answer for his past behavior. And while there are some in society who make it clear to Knightly that he is not to come near their daughters, the book doesn’t do much in the way of making Knightly a pariah as much as it blows back on Regina. As the anonymous author, it’s actually Regina who is at risk of facing greater consequences. Her father, formerly her protector, is dead, and his son, the new earl, makes it his mission to reveal Regina as the anonymous writer of this torrid book, thus enabling him to revert the trust their father set up for Regina back to him. A revenge plot fails if the person seeking revenge has more to lose than the person they’re getting revenge on.

One of the things I found interesting about this book is the way Lorraine Heath addresses the issue of the actual book within the book, My Secret Desires, A Memoir. There are parallels to current times with a group of self-serving, privileged, and powerful men blustering loudly about the improper nature of this book and trying to have it banned and the anonymous author brought to justice for writing such filth. However, there are more supporters, mostly women but also a few men, all of whom have read the book and judged it harmless, a titillating tale of a woman’s sexual awakening at a time when women were given zero autonomy over their lives, sexual or otherwise.

One other minor complaint I do have is that I wish there had been more of a grovel scene when the truth is revealed or even leading up to it. For much of the book, Knightly essentially manipulates Regina into spending more time with him under the guise of helping her land a respectable husband. And while his intentions to help are genuine, there’s a self-serving aspect to it that diminishes the altruistic nature of his intentions. And when the truth is revealed as to why Knightly refuses to marry Regina on their wedding day, I just wish he’d expressed a little more remorse about his actions and how they impacted Regina. (Though, I suspect this is more of a “your mileage may vary” situation, I just need the grovel to be deeper and it just wasn’t in this book).

Overall, I really liked the two characters, definitely loved Regina and the way she stood her ground and protected herself and her daughter. I wished for a little more in the way of groveling from Knightly but the romance was solid, the sex scenes were hot, and the HEA was well-earned.

What would you do if your fiance(e) left you at the altar?⁠
⁠
As this book opens, Regina Leyland has apparently decided that the best revenge is writing a thinly-veiled roman-a-clef about "Lord K" (IRL name: Lord Knightly). She lays it all out there: he seduced her, made her feel like he understood her, made her trust him completely - and then abandoned her. ⁠
⁠
So far, so good - we're all in. But now Regina is back in town where Knightly has felt no ill effects from his bad behavior. And for some reason, when he tells her that they should pretend to be on cordial terms (it's better for her reputation or something? We're not sure we follow the logic...) she agrees. Sure, she says "no" a lot, but he's kinda pushy and she just caves, time after time. ⁠
⁠
Look, second-chance romance is hard for us any time, and under these specific circumstances, we needed to see some real groveling, some real understanding of how Knightly hurt her, before she would ever give in to any of his "requests." We have some spoilery things to discuss, so we're putting them below - if you've read the book, we'd love to hear what you think!⁠
⁠⁠
SPOILERS:⁠ The logic of both characters seemed extremely lacking. This ended up as a secret baby romance. We get that Regina was royally pissed (justified!) when Knightly left her. We don't get why she didn't tell him they had a kid, or at least come clean when he met their daughter. Her whole character arc is that she never wanted to raise a bastard, and she's just gonna do it anyway? What's her plan?? And when she finds out his reasons for ghosting her - she thinks he's EVEN MORE NOBLE THAN BEFORE? Why couldn't HE tell her? We're begging you, romance couples: just have a chat now and then 😭
⁠
⁠This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.