A Lorraine Heath novel is always a grand and exhilarating mystery.

The Notorious Lord Knightly (The Chessman #2) may not have a body on the floor and a pistol wielding villain, but the expertly woven twists and conflicts make this a dramatic page turner.

When Miss Regina Leyland is left at the alter by her dashing love Lord Knightly, she is left to pick up the pieces of her heart and shattered reputation. As her scandalous book-based revenge plot brings him back into her life, Regina is forced to consider forgiveness and a second chance for a man who may not be a first rate scoundrel after all.

Heath is a master at bringing deep, fraught external conflict to the page without overshadowing the internal conflict of the characters. The emotions and the love story remain the primary focus, the goal in this genre, and their feelings and secrets are laid bare in heart-wrenching ways.

Knight and Regina were painted into a corner by circumstances out of their control. In a second chance romance, the success of the first part of the story relies on the believability of those external forces which shoved these two people apart. The conclusion hinges on the character’s emotional work to right those wrongs, gain forgiveness, and atone to their beloved.

The Notorious Lord Knightly succeeds on both those counts, giving the reader a thrilling ride to the why of how the split happened and delivering a beautiful moment of reconciliation.
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– The Chessman: Masters of Seduction is a spin off series from The Duchess Hunt, Book #2 of the Once Upon a Dukedom series. As such, we see the Duke of Kingsland and Penelope Pettypeace, his Duchess, again. While The Chessman series can be treated as a standalone, The Duchess Hunt has one of the best historical heroines in recent years and is a strong recommended first read.

– The delightful Trewloves of the Sins for All Seasons series also make an appearance.

– As with all Lorraine Heath books, don’t sleep on the Author’s Note at the end. There’s always some fascinating little piece of history which finds a way into her stories and this one is particularly important in the age of book banning we find ourselves in yet again.

Spice Level: 2/5, open door, expert-level steamy
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Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date June 27th, 2023.

✨ second chance
✨ angst
✨ revenge plot
✨ secret romance/erotica author heroine
✨ class diff
✨ hate to love

❌ CW: parental abuse/abandonment, patriarchal bullshit
🌶 spice: 1.5/5

i am having such a fun time with this series omg! this 2nd book in the chessmen series follows Lord Knightly and the jilted bride he left at the altar, Regina Leyland. Miss Leyland has been publishing their erotic and romantic past through her stories, making speculation and whispers arise among the Ton .. including catching the attention of the notorious Lord "K" himself! when they both meet head to head, the undeniable tension and angst of all that they've shared resurfaces, no matter how much Regina refuses to succumb to it.

you gotta love a second chance rom... Lord Knightly's clear love for her throughout all these years just SHINES through the pages; treating her with kindness even tho all he gets is her ire and hate, giving her horses, meeting in the gardens like they used to... sigh. their tension and angst of the past and present is palpable and makes for an irresistible read!

really recommend this series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher Avon for the e-ARC via Netgalley. Releases June 27, 2023!

This was a good page turner. Both Regina and Arthur Knightly were still in love 5years later although Regina was still angry about being left at the alter and Knightly was full of guilt over the incident even though he felt he had no other choice.

I did enjoy this escape into a very romantic novel. If at times the melodrama was a bit over the top it all played into the scenario of lovers who were estranged but destined to be together. Ms. Heath has created a heroine who is strong and practical and a hero who is compassionate and selfless. The love scenes sizzle and the secrets are what keeps us glued to the pages when we should be getting some shut eye. This is book #2 in the Chessmen series, but it is a standalone novel with the other chessmen making appearances.

This is part of a larger series but works as a standalone.

Our heroine and hero, Knight and Regina have a meet cute at a gambling establishment where we learn Knight left Regina at the alter. She loathes him for this for good reason. As the story progresses we learn why he did this and it wasn't because he didn't love her. We also learn her secrets and why his betrayal stung so much.

This was a very emotional read of what is usually a modern trope but deftly handled in a historical.

I found this to be an enjoyable book. I thought the premise was intriguing and I always enjoy reading a Lorriane Heath book. The characters were well developed and I thought the story was excellent. I would recommend to others and cannot wait for Rook's book.

Okay, so I will try HARD to review this without spoiling it. Because there are twists and turns and surprises in this delightful tale in the Chessmen series.

So we remember Knight from a previous series, Once Upon a Dukedom, in the second book, the Duchess Hunt, which is about King. I consider that the official start of the Chessmen, but technically, the first book was Bishop's book, The Counterfeit Scoundrel (which is also an excellent book).

We knew something was up with Knight, because he mentions a mysterious woman, who we now learn to be Regina Leyland, illegitimate daughter of a Lord who has not only recognized her, but has raised her to be a lady in all but name. Reggie and Knight were betrothed once, but something went wrong and he literally left her at the altar. And now she LOATHES him. I mean, HATES the man.

So this book is the WHY and can they overcome it to be together. Clearly, Knight is still deeply in love with her and, as you'll see in the earliest part of the book, she can't stop thinking about him, even though she's trying to find another titled gentleman to wed.

Because there are so many possible spoilers, I cannot tell you much more, but I can tell you this: you never finish a Lorraine Heath book disappointed and this book will not break that record. This is a high 4 to 4-1/2 read that will prevent you from putting it down. I've actually read it twice since I got the ARC, and loved catching things that I missed the first go round but that became clear once I knew what was what.

As I said, this will not disappoint. And you're going to love Knight and Reggie so much. But I'm also SO READY for Rook's book!

p.s. Like I said, MAKE SURE you read the second book in the previous series, Once Upon a Dukedom, which introduces the wonderful Chessmen.

The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath is the second in Heath’s Chessman series, and it’s honestly one of my favorites of her books. I’ve read 25 Lorraine Heath books and this one ranks in the top 5, which is a high compliment since Heath is excellent on principle.

I’m a big fan of second-chance romances, but many authors don’t execute them well since there aren’t definitive reasons why the main couple ends up parting in the first place, and no real resolution when they reunite. In other words, they don’t actually address their issues, and their conclusion feels hollow. However, this book doesn’t fall into those pratfalls. It makes complete sense why Knightly and Regina fell in love and why they fell apart, and the sacrifices they made individually and together that earned them their happy ending.

Another element that I really enjoyed in this book is that Knightly and Regina act like adults. They’re circumspect about their decisions even when it comes to having sex, which feels much more organic and realistic than just jumping into bed the moment they reunite. They have a lot of issues to work through, and I appreciated that they openly communicated before becoming sexually intimate, despite the fact they’d of course already had sex in the context of their prior relationship.

Also, I often really can’t stand the inclusion of children in romance novels (CC: Sarah MacLean) since I think they can be twee to the point of being saccharine, but Arianna is genuinely likable and makes complete sense in the context of the rest of the novel and Knightly and Regina’s characterization.

Something about Heath’s work is that she really adapts as a writer to the changing times without sacrificing what made her work so engaging in the first place. I feel like a lot of romance writers who got their start after 2015, even when they are writing historicals, struggle to incorporate modern themes without coming across as jarringly anachronistic, and Heath seamlessly changes with the times but still retains her original charm and skill as a writer.

Lord Knightly is being plagued with questions as to whether he is the notorious Lord K written about in the new novel taking the ton by storm. Knightly quickly figures out that the only person who could have written the anonymous book is Regina, the woman he left at the altar five years before. Regina is happy with her book’s success, but is frustrated that it has brought Knightly back into her life. The pair are still deeply attracted to one another, but she is still mad at him for his actions five years prior and he, while filled with remorse, has secrets of his own and cannot commit to anyone.

This was the book I didn’t know I was waiting for. Having read the other books I knew this book was coming but I was not ready. Lorraine knows how to write a book. A less skilled author would not have been able to make all the secrecy, promises, and betrayal work, but oh boy did it work. I stayed up until past midnight to finish the book because I could not put it down. It was a romance where I knew the HEA was coming but there was enough obstacles and tension I was still nervous for how the book would turn out.

I loved loved loved both Knightly and Regina. Both were very complicated characters that I couldn’t help but love. Both were very distinct characters with clear motivations. I loved that in all their interactions i could feel the longing, melancholy, and heat. I also enjoyed the side characters. I loved that Regina’s daughter was a four year old that acted like a four year old but was never on page long enough to become annoying. I loved seeing characters from not just the Chessmen series, but the Sins for All Season series (seriously it is taking all my restraint not to go back to the other series now).

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lorraine Heath never disappoints in delivering memorable characters, engaging plots, and her distinct style of depicting love in its highs and lows. The Notorious Lord Knightly is no exception, and this is a five star read.

Second chance romance, one of my favorites tropes, + Lorraine Heath, one of my favorite historical romance authors = perfection. “The Notorious Lord Knightly” seems like a return to form after the first book in The Chessmen series, which was great but not a personal favorite, and “The Return of the Duke.”

Regina and Knightly are both appealing main characters. They are mature and make difficult decisions, and Regina’s revenge book is really the only source of pettiness, which is deserved given Knight's betrayal. The promised angst was delivered; you couldn’t help but feel the depths of Knightly’s longing and guilt. Between this and “A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction,” it’s a great time to be a second chance romance fan.

I loved how its about a woman who wrote like a book about a lover she had that ruined her or just left her and called him a rake. You can tell during the book she goes to meet him again and they have a dance and he remembers who she is and then she tells him her secret how she wrote this book and how she hates him. Because he ruined her and she loathes him doesnt want to see him again but the whole time over all she has a surprise child who could be his, he is very very handsome but the whole time she said all that to him she really underneath it all loves him and wants him. His name is Knight and her name is Regina. This is from the chessman series and I just loved all the angst from this book between them. This is the man who of course left her at the alter she was so mad at him and could she even find happiness with him?

You can tell how much passion there was between them and still is after all that.

This was a joy to read.

100% opinions are my own.

Another masterpiece from Lorraine Heath. I was anxiously waiting the 2nd of the Chessman series and she did not disappoint. Knight and Regina love story is one filled with angst and joy. I loved Knightly, he became one of my favorite MMC. He loves Regina from the moment he sees her. He will do anything to protect the love of his life. Regina who has always live on the edge now struggles with the attention given to her. They have to learn to trust each again.

Lorraine Heath delivers yet another deeply emotional historical romance with The Notorious Lord Knightly. A second chance romance with an attempted revenge plot that goes wrong. 5 years ago the Earl of Knightly falls head over heels with Regina, the illegitimate but acknowledged/adored daughter of an Earl at her debut ball. After a passionate courtship he proposes to the love of his life but on the day they are to wed he learns a dark secret about himself and is forced to make a horrible choice that results in him jilting the woman he loves in order to protect her, breaking both of their hearts. 5 years later Regina pens a scandalous anonymous romance book that has everyone speculating who the mysterious Lord K might be. She writes the book in an attempt to ruin him but when they are threatened and forced to reconcile for appearances sake, the passion ignites once again and secrets are revealed. Can they find their happy ending and get over the heartbreak from their past?

One thing I adore about Heath’s books, not only are the characters well developed where you as the reader ache for them to be happy but she always brings in interesting history and weaves in complex social issues of the time into the story. I always feel like by the end I’ve gained valuable knowledge in addition to reading a deeply heart wrenching romance that I can’t put down until I get to the HEA.

I am also a HUGE fan of how in almost every book I’ve read of hers, she manages to bring back past main characters from other series and secondary characters from recent and not so recent books into the story as well as places such as clubs and shops and hotels. She’s created a whole world and as a reader I love being immersed back into it with every new book!

Heath really delivered her A-game for this one!

This is a second chance romance between a jilted bride and the man who left her at the altar. I really enjoyed the romance this time around. The romance is hot and full of drama! There were secrets and attraction. betrayal and revenge, plus redemption for both characters. I liked that Regina and Knightly both grew as characters since their time apart. It made them seem more like real people. All of this made for a very exciting, unputdownable story!

Would recommend if you enjoy second chance romance, a ton of drama, fake dating, slight enemies to lovers and steamy romances.

Gahhhh! This was such a great book! I had a hard time putting it down at bedtime. Regina is head over heels in love and she thinks her man is also. Unfortunately he decides he'll not marry. Her heart is broken and she seeks revenge. Lots of high and low points in this story but they all come together wonderfully. Can't wait for the next one in 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 a big Lorraine Heath fan, and while the 1st book “The Counterfeit Scoundrel” wasn’t my favorite BUT this book brought the LH punch to my emotional heart.

The secrets, betrayal, and redemption were deep and captivating. There was plenty of tension with loads of second chance romance chemistry and steam.

I would absolutely recommend this book because I loved the characters so much, which is why I am giving it a 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

Quite fabulous! A complete surprise after the disappointing start to this series.

Second chance romance with lots of secrets and pining. Both leads show strength and growth over time and reconcile with appreciation for their choices and challenges. Would absolutely recommend, but as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

QUEEN LORRAINE HEATH! No one does it like she does. I do not want to say things out of rash recency bias, but this may be a new top tier favorite Heath book. She writes plots like no one else, unique but not zany. Per usual with her books I had no idea how this one would come together and I love that feeling while reading, I feel the struggle that these characters are facing. Throw in a cute kid and a dog and I am sold.