This is Rook's story in The Chessmen series, in which Viscount Wyeth meets his match in an American inventor and businesswoman, Leonora Garrison, who along with her mother and brother have come to England in search of investors to keep the family business going. The attraction between them is immediate and intense, although neither really is looking to get married. Lorraine Heath's historical romances are always a pleasure to read.

I loved this book, and it is definitely the best of the series! I have been waiting for Rook's story, and it is a doozy! There are so many things to love, we get to see all the Trewloves!
Heath's other series that overlaps with this one. Plus, our heroine is a brilliant American who has come to England to find investors for her TYPEWRITER! There are so many reveals in this story, and I don't want to give any spoilers, but suffice to say, John more than makes up for his evil father and will make the Earldom respectable again.
This is also another clueless man who takes FOREVER to realize he is in love. This book makes me want to reread every book again!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest review and I highly urge you to read both series!
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This was a lovely addition to the Chessmen series, and a lovely ending to the story. I received an ARC for each of the books in this series, which was such an honor because Lorraine Heath is an incredible writer. I was absolutely titillated by the Chessmen after reading The Duchess Hunt.

Leonora is too smart for her own good--for the era--and needs to find investors in her family business without revealing she's the brains of the operation while her mother attempts to marry her off. Rook wants to remain above reproach with a sterling reputation because his father was a seriously bad guy--many such cases in HR.

I love pretty much anything Lorraine Heath writes, and this was no exception! There is just something about a historical romance with a buttoned up love interest who becomes completely undone by the unconventional heroine that hits all the right notes for me! I loved the slow burn and low angst HEA in this one.

A brilliant inventor, Leonora takes over running her family manufacturing business after her father dies. She travels to London with her mother and brother to find investors for her new machine that can type. Rook is attracted to her because, unlike many of the debutantes, she is direct and shows her intelligence. They both have no intention to marry at this time, however they discover love has no timetable. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon for my honest review.

I was really mixed on this one! I love the pairing of an American industrialist Dollar Princess with someone with a title, but this one had a lot of cliches that didn't really work for me.

Nora had a pushy, borderline abusive parent. Her mom is manipulative, crass and awful in pretty much every way. I don't mind a character like that if it serves the narrative, or if we get more characterization that makes it make sense. Nora basically knows her mom is the worst, but she idealizes her father, even though he left her idiot brother the company. Everyone in Nora's family sucks, so I'm glad Rook sees this and wants her to have better. His romantic gestures work for me, and I like them together. I also like that Nora is a brilliant inventor and has all of these interests, and how quickly and easily Rook sees and accepts that about her. He loves her mind, which makes them easy to root for, even when neither feels able to make that commitment.

As to Rook, I like him but a lot of his story didn't work for me at all. I like his commitment to not fathering bastards and being a dick like his dad, but I am very tired of the "my bloodline ends with me" guys. I like that for the most part he is a man of his principals, and I love his relationship with his mother and his sibling(s). I do think his realization about marriage and children should have come earlier- I feel like the thoughts he has about not being like his dad are the thoughts of a much younger man. His trauma is very real, but some of it should be resolved as we go through the story, not all at once. A slow change over time would have been more gratifying for me as a reader.

Another great read by Lorraine Heath! The female protagonist is self possessed and intelligent. Imagine that in this genre where the women are often held to a standard of decorum and shall we say, decorative limitations? Their male counterparts must be titled and wealthy? This author is one of my favorites because she develops characters and stories that exceed my expectations based on the norms of Historical Romance without overkill. Strong women need not be bombastic or "fiery" (blech!). And the best of men are mostly the strong silent type who can hold their own in the world and the bedroom. I'm off to revisit more from Lorraine Heath!

What a fun way to end the Chessmen saga, not with an explosive bang, but with an intense slow burn that hits all the right notes, even getting a chance to revisit the Trewlove family (who are a favorite of mine from Lorraine Heath's other series).

If you're in want of a book with heavy conflict, this is not that read, but if you're a fan of reading a romance develop between two people who are equally as brilliant as each other and mesmerized at the idea of meeting someone who reflects that, this is your book. I loved Leonora and Rook so much. They're both weighed down with the reputations of their fathers, which both pushes them to achieve and forces them to hold back in equal measure. They are instantly intrigued by each other but there's always something lurking in the background that keeps them apart. Leonora's desire, not for a husband, but for an investor really worked for me. She was curious about romance, open to the possibility but her primary focus is towards her business, which makes her a perfect match for the investment minded Rook.

I loved getting to see how Rook's family factored into the narrative on this one, and I will always be happy to see the Trewloves making their appearances. For those who love the Chessmen, this book features their friendship somewhat the least but I didn't really mind that. They're always there for each other but primarily this book was about Rook, his family, and Leonora.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not a bad book but not great either. I didn't feel any tension or conflict - there was literally nothing keeping these two from just getting married so drawing that out fell flat for me.

I've enjoyed all of the stories in this series. Four men who, while titled, have made their own way & own fortune through smarts and a bit of luck. Each has also found their individual way, it was completed with a good woman to love and stand by his side. Rook, Johnny Castleton, Viscount Wyeth, is the last of the group still single and no prospects on the horizon. Rook is complicated, more so than the other men in the group. His family history requires a flowchart and will also involve characters from other books. Tied together nicely but a complicated family tree. An odd American lady, of age & not a silly debutante, turns out to be his match. Leonora, Nora, is a businesswoman first and only. She has a goal for her family's company even though it doesn't mash with others plans & hopes. It makes sense that she & Rook would attract each other, neither is a rake or whatever a female rake would be. Business, propriety, family, these all help to bind them together. An attraction that turns into flames is what keeps them together. An enjoyable end to an enjoyable series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed and ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#InWantofaViscount #LorraineHeath #Netgalley #TheChessmen:Mastersof Seduction #Avon #HarperCollinsPublishers

In Want of a Viscount gave me everything I love in a historical romance! From the GORGEOUS cover, to the characters and the romance, I couldn’t put it down.

With her signature flair for scandal and seduction, Lorraine Heath brings The Chessmen stories to a captivating close with the tale of a feisty American heroine and the estimable Viscount who is unable to resist her charms. “In Want of a Viscount” vividly brings the Victorian-era to life, immersing readers in the glamour and intrigue of the American dollar princesses versus London high-society.
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Ambitious heroines with professional aspirations outside the bounds of historical society is a hallmark of Heath’s writing. The Chessmen leans even harder into the story of powerful men falling helplessly under the spell of convention-bucking women with the shrewd and sharp Penelope Pettypeace, private investigator Daisy Townsend, successful author Regina Leyland, and “In Want of a Viscount’s” engineer and inventor Lenora “Nora” Garrison.

We meet spirited American heroine Nora on the night she has ventured to Aiden Trewlove’s clandestine ladies’ club in search of man to kiss her. For fans of the “Sins for All Seasons” Heath series that features the Trewlove family, it comes as little surprise that Aiden is up to hi jinx - this time in the form of sending in his brother, the charismatic Viscount Wyeth, aka “Rook”, to take on the smooching assignment.

What neither Nora or Rook could predict, however, was that brief encounter sparks a desire for each other that will upset both their plans. As fate reunites the pair again and again, they find themselves torn between the yearning of their hearts and the responsibilities they carry.

Heath is a master at crafting characters with depth and complexity. Nora is a strong and determined heroine, fighting for her place in her family's legacy and business, while Rook, with his painful past, is determined to right the sins of his monstrous father.

There is something quite beautiful in reading a romance where the basis for the attraction is not just momentary lust, but a deep respect for the other partner and a friendship. All of the Chessmen are drawn to the character of their heroine, but the trust and friendship between Rook and Nora most closely resembles the extraordinary love story of King and Penelope from “The Duchess Hunt.”

The journey Rook and Nora take first as strangers with a secret, to genuine friends, and eventually to soulmates is so satisfying in contrast to the glut of enemies to lovers stories in the marketplace right now.

I especially appreciated the way Rook demonstrates his love for Nora by providing her experiences where she can exercise her curious mind and her mechanical prowess. He may not see arranging the opportunity for Nora to take apart a roulette wheel or see the inner workings of Big Ben as actions of love at the start, but showing her that he both sees her and likes her ambitious nature sets the stage for a highly believable happily ever after.

Heath once again proves why she is a New York Times bestselling author, delivering a tale that left me eagerly anticipating her next series.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication Feb 20, 2024.

Lenora is such a strong woman. She’s dismissed by her mother, was overlooked by her father in favour of her brother in their business. In spite of these circumstances she has been the backbone of their family. Now they come to England looking for new investors for an exciting new project. The four horseman are interested, and Rook in particular takes a great interest in Leonora. In fact, he alone sees her for the first time in her life.

Their romance is conducted in the shadows and it’s explosive. But when they are caught, their new relationship is severely challenged.

This story was a great ride. Loved the whole thing.

I really wanted to love this book and while Lorraine Heath is always excellent in terms of objective writing style, I really found the plot and characterization lacking compared to her previous work, including the book right before this one, <u> The Notorious Lord Knightley</u> which I LOVED.

The thing is, the protagonists, Nora and Rook, just didn't seem to have anything in common and I simply didn't understand why I should root for them to be together. I always say that compatibility isn't about shared interests, it's about shared values, and simply put, I had no idea what either protagonist valued, in friends or romantic partners, and what made them tick so to speak.

The sex scenes were like, okay, but nothing to write home about, and I think the issue is that the sex seemed very formulaic because the characterization just really didn't hit for me. Sure, there's the actions themselves and it's all very methodical but I almost felt like the sex read as perfunctory, which is the last thing you want from a romance novel.

In general, what frustrated me the most about this book is that there's always at least one "OMG" moment in a Heath book, and this one just didn't have it. But, since Heath is objectively good in terms of form and function, I'll still give it two stars.

this one took a bit for me to get into. i didnt fully believe the chemistry until about 60% through the book. although i was fully in love with rook, i felt like i wanted more from him. i didnt realize there were other previous books in the series so that could be why i didnt feel his story was as in depth as i hoped but i definitely enjoyed the spice!!!

This one was just okay for me. Whenever I read a Lorraine Heath, I wonder if it will be a hit or a miss and this one pretty much a miss. The book is told from alternating points of view of the h & H but always in the third person. There was way too much time spent in the characters heads and not spent on their actual interactions. I did like the concept of a inventor female main character. The male lead was unfortunately one of my least favorite tropes, the man who doesn't want to turn into his father, which of course means he will never marry. Forgettable.

2 🌟's

... a really hard miss for me 😬 i need a bit more angst/conflict in my romances and unfortunately, we didn't really get that until the end.. so essentially i was just bored and skimming the entire book .. which is saddening because i abso loved and had so much fun reading book 1 and 2 :/

alas.

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

The Chessmen series is the only one I've read by Lorraine Heath, and this one reminded me that I need to catch up on her back catalog, because I really love the female main characters in this series. This entry in the series (the last of the Chessmen, I think?) features Leonora (Nora) Garrison, an American who has come to England with her brother and mother in order to secure investors for their family company. Her brother is technically the owner, having inherited it from their father upon his death, but Nora is the brains behind the whole operation, having even developed a prototype "writing machine" aka typewriter. What Nora doesn't realize is that finding investors is not her mother's or brother's priority - they want her to marry a wealthy, titled Englishman. In her late 20s, Nora has been content to be a "spinster" in order to help her brother with their company, though she decides to take advantage of her relative anonymity in England to sneak into a secret club and seek out her first kiss. Rook, the Chessman with the best reputation (because he has spent his whole life trying to avoid becoming his philandering father) happens to be the one who gives Nora that kiss, only to be shocked soon after to see her again during a potential investor's meeting. I liked that Nora was so independent but not closed off, and I loved how smart she was, and I thought Rook was a really interesting male main character - so different from the usual rakes. A solid historical romance.

This was not one of my favorites from Lorraine Heath, although it was a very solid historical romance.

A big plus? You get a full cast of characters from her recent series (including the Trewloves from the Sins for All Seasons series) since Aidan Trewlove is brother to Viscount Wyeth--Rook, in the Chessman series. Aidan, who owns the ladies' club Elysium, ropes Rook into kissing an American who is visiting Elysium and--after a bit too much absinthe--has decided to procure her first kiss. Rook reluctantly agrees, only to encounter the utterly compelling Leonora Garrison. Leonora is the brains behind an invention she and her brother have come to London to shop to investors--investors like the Chessmen. Of course, when Rook gives Leonora her passionate first kisses, she little imagines that she will encounter him over and over as a possible investor in her brother's factory. And Rook, who has spent much of his life trying to avoid living down to his libertine father's awful reputation, finds that he is unable to resist temptation for the first time.

Lorraine Heath always writes her characters well, yet I felt a bit underwhelmed by this one. Perhaps it was because the plot was a bit repetitive and predictable? Usually, I find myself underwhelmed when authors skimp on the characterization in favor of a rollicking plot, but here, a bit more action would have been welcome.

That said, an average Lorraine Health novel is better than 75% of the historical romances you could pick up. I enjoyed both characters, and Leonora is unique in that she's a natural engineer--a bit of female STEM representation to enhance this Victorian novel. Not unusual in this series, though, is that she is celebrated by her love interest for her intellect. King, Bishop, and Knight all did the same with their future wives, which of course makes us love them all the more.

I'm guessing this is the end of the Chessmen series, so if you haven't met Rook's friends already already, I'd go back and read The Duchess Hunt (so, so good) to start with King's story.

This is the third installment of the Chessman series, however my first read of the series. I do plan on going back to read the first two, however this can be read as a standalone.

One of the things I loved about this book was the strong female character, Nora. Determined and smart, but still bound by the limits of society and a title chasing mother.

Rook strives to be the epitome of a gentleman and strong morale character all his life but finds that harder to do once he meets Nora.

This is a slow-burn (picks up after 60%) with not a lot of angst. There is also open-door scenes but spice level is about 3/5.

I can’t wait to read the previous books!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.