This one grew on me. I didn’t immediately click with the plot, but by the halfway point I was invested. Nora is a smart, unconventional heroine whose talent with invention makes her stand out during this time period, and Rook’s moral rigidity that isrooted in a need to escape his father’s disgrace definitely made for an interesting tension. Their romance though evolved naturally, and some scenes (especially the ball) were memorable. Nora’s family drove me a bit crazy, though, and some background knowledge from prior books is almost necessary to fully understand the stakes. Still, I really liked the emotional payoff and character growth by the end. Lorraine Heath die hard fan all the way.

I thought this was a great read. Lorraine Heath is a beloved author of historical romance, and there's a good reason for it. I highly recommend this.

I will read literally anything Lorraine Heath writes. She is a cornerstone of the historical romance genre!

The Chessmen series as a whole is a fantastic historical romance adventure, but I especially loved In Want of a Viscount.

Our MC Lenora is inventive and secretly adventurous. She is on a mission to save the family business, a beloved memory of her late father. Her brother and mother could care less, but she's bound and determined to save her father's legacy. While visiting a club for women, she is offered an opportunity to kiss a stranger. She decides to take a chance and gets more than she bargained for when she ends up kissing Rook, who is filling in for an employee at his brother's club. Sparks fly, but they part--never thinking they'll see one another again.

We know where this goes. Of course they see one another again, and that spark of passion is still intense. It leads to lots of spice and plenty of tension, which--wow. I truly loved the plot and the characters were very well thought out, but I wouldn't expect less from Heath.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I did like this, but I think my tolerance for parents in the vein of Mrs. Garrison has decreased to less than zero and that did have an effect on my feelings overall (even if I did find her fate in the epilogue to be extremely fitting). Obviously Rook's father was also an even worse person, but since he was basically off page the entire book, it somehow mattered less. His medical condition also rendered him not an active threat, I guess. And one of the best parts of this for me was Rook trying to right the wrongs of his father by supporting his half siblings.

I like that Heath's books are so interconnected, but sometimes I do think I miss details if I haven't read all of the books with characters featured in the one I'm reading. I haven't done any of the Sins for All Seasons series, and I don't think I really missed out on much here but I do think I should go back and read them at some point. Hoping for some of the characters mentioned here to come up in future books. Maybe especially the inspector we met at the end.

liked this book a lot on its own and as part of a series. The lead male is very well drawn and very layered. Heath is always good at this

In recent years, I find myself craving escapist romance books stuffed with fluffy, swoony, and dreamy moments. In Want of a Viscount is a fun, flirty, and sexy romance that had me smiling and happily immersed. I savored each page, each kiss, each romantically intimate moment between Rook and Nora. Lenora is a heroine after my own heart. Smart, vulnerable, and unconventional. She’s an inventor. Lenora’s enthusiasm for typewriters evoked fond memories of my own childhood—my first experience with my late father’s typewriter. The blooming romance between Rook and Nora right from their first meeting is a winner for me! Both Nora and Rook are selfless characters who deserve all the happiness. Additionally, Rook’s revelation near the end made me admire him more. There was some unpleasantness in the form of Lenora’s selfish mother and brother. Furthermore, Rook’s father’s misdeeds were disconcerting to read. But none of that dampened the romance for me.

I dearly hope Lawrence will get his own book.

I'm a little disappointed with past Stacee for taking so long to read this one.

I loved Nora and Johnny. They're both so smart and considered odd and I really enjoyed these two finding their way. Nora's family deserved to be kicked repeatedly and I'm a bit disappointed that she never stood up to them.

Plot wise, it was good. They're together most of the time and have several open conversations, which is always a favorite of mine. And let's not forget getting to see several of the Trewloves again.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this series and I can't wait to read what's next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

This book is Heath at her best. I really enjoyed the main characters. Leonora is pretty unique as a historical romance heroine, very smart with the brain of an engineer-inventor and absolutely devoted to her family business, not for the money but for her passion in understanding how things work. She’s never really thought of herself as desirable or as a person with desires, until she meets Rook. And wow does Rook fall hard for her. He’s very much her defender but not in a toxic way, and he also realizes she doesn’t really need a defender. He’s enthralled with everything about her including her insatiable curiosity about mechanical things. And their chemistry is fantastic. I also really enjoyed all the characters from this series and the Sins For All Seasons series that play subtle roles in the story, though I do think this can be read as a standalone.

Lorraine Heath has been my go-to author for regency romance for as long as I can remember. How she continues to please and come up with new characters, I have no idea but I absolutely love it! I can't wait to read more!

In Want of a Viscount is the 3rd novel in The Chessmen Series, and like the other two books in the series, I adored this one as well.

Leonora is an American visiting England with her brother and mother to acquire investors for their family's factory back in the States. She is more intelligent than everyone and has decided not to get married. Leonora (rightfully) believes a husband would stifle her creative and inventive nature. Since she's never been kissed, she goes to Elysium for the kiss she assumes she'll never get otherwise.

And here comes my sweet baby Rook. John Castleton, the Viscount of Wyeth, is at Elysium to see his half-brother Aiden. His brother convinces Rook to help him by assisting a woman who has requested "just a kiss." He obliges and becomes obsessed with Leonora, like a good romance hero.

Thus begins a whirlwind romance during which Rook is impressed and intrigued by Leonora's inventive brain, which is thrilled by seeing how mechanical things work. The other men Leonora interacts with are bored and/or intimidated by how smart she is. When Rook accurately deduces that she's trying to figure out how a roulette wheel works, he tells the owner of the gaming salon they are at to let her dismantle one so she can understand how it works. Be still my heart.

I loved so much about this book, but I would just recommend that you read it.

Lorraine is one of my favorite historical romance authors. She was also one of my firsts too! I really enjoyed the characters, the story, and how they always find a way to HEA! The feels and journey are everything! I can’t wait for the next Lorraine book!

He just can’t keep his lips off of hers. And MMC who refuses to become his father and a FMC who wants to make her father proud. Very strong and independent FMC, while her mother and brother try to bring her spirits down she tries to fight back to make her father’s company succeed even if he left it to her brother. A great book I could not put down.

Such a good end to a fun trilogy! I love Lorraine and everything she writes. Her romances are deep and thoughtful.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lorraine Heath has written some of my favorite historical romances. She is literally prolific, and her talent at weaving together a wonderful story full of romance and intrigue is unmatched in my opinion. As much as it pains me to say this, I did not like this at all. It just lost me, and it could be that I haven't read any of the others in the series, so I wasn't attached to any of the characters. The heroine to me was just dull, I am sort of wore out on inventor heroines who are resourceful and intelligent. Bluestockings. Normally, I don't mind them, but lately it's just not my thing. I think me not liking this is just because of the type of books I had been reading at the time, and it was so similar that it didn't feel new or fresh, and left me feeling less than excited. Maybe if I read it again, then I would feel differently.

I'm in the minority on this so don't take my word for it.

As always, Lorraine Heath feels classic but fresh. In Want of A Viscount is well written, with characters that are likable but still believable. I’ve liked other books written by Heath more than this one, but overall I did really enjoy reading. 4/5.

I enjoyed this one, the instant chemistry between Leonora and Rook was so fun! It was refreshing to have such an enterprising heroine as well!

Leonora and Rook’s scandalous romance inspires a spark of adventure that sends them to each other. Great read for the beach and highly recommended.

Not our favorite Lorraine Heath. Love her and had a lot of expectations for this series but so far it hasn’t been as good as what we’ve seen from her in the past. Will obviously keep reading whatever she writes tho!

3.75 ⭐️/5
2.00 🌶️/5

One thing about a Lorraine Heath book is that there’s gonna be angst. The beginning started off light and seemingly low stakes but as the story progressed so did the angst. Rook’s father was awful and Leonora’s mom was the worst. I loved how out of everyone Rook was the one who wholly believed in Nora, and was just smitten by her. I absolutely loved the character of Rook’s mom and her story just broke my heart.

I grew a bit frustrated when it was obvious to everyone except Rook and Nora that Rook was in love with her. I loved the inclusion of Rook’s siblings out of wedlock in the storyline. Definitely felt the insecurity of Nora, the sweet summer child. There was a grand gesture but was it too little too late?

If you like historical romance, Lorraine Heath, dual POV, angst and interconnected standalones.