A Scot in the Dark
by Sarah MacLean
Synopsis:
Lonesome Lily Turned Scandalous Siren
Miss Lillian Hargrove has lived much of her life alone in a gilded cage, longing for love and companionship. When an artist offers her pretty promises and begs her to pose for a scandalous portrait, Lily doesn’t hesitate…until the lying libertine leaves her in disgrace. With the painting now public, Lily has no choice but to turn to the one man who might save her from ruin.
Highland Devil turned Halfhearted Duke
The Duke of Warnick loathes all things English, none more so than the aristocracy. It does not matter that the imposing Scotsman has inherited one of the most venerable dukedoms in Britain—he wants nothing to do with it, especially when he discovers that the unwanted title comes with a troublesome ward, one who is far too old and far too beautiful to be his problem.
Tartan Comes to Town
Warnick arrives in London with a single goal: get the chit married and see her become someone else’s problem, then return to a normal, quiet life in Scotland. It’s the perfect plan, until Lily declares she’ll only marry for love…and the Scot finds that there is one thing in England he likes far too much…
Review:
This book gave me all the feels!
In the beginning, when Lily realizes just how much she’d been betrayed by the man she thought she was going to marry? I very nearly cried. Oh, the poor girl–the Regency equivalent of having pictures you thought were private showing up online with the potential of going viral. Yikes.
Pretty much every time the louse who painted her portrait and planned to reveal it to the world opened his mouth to speak, I got more than a little rage-y. Just when I thought he couldn’t be more of an a$$, or that he wouldn’t go there? He. Did.
When something was revealed of the loneliness that Lily or Alec lived through in the past? My heart broke a little.
When Lily made a new friend (the Talbot sisters are back! Woot!) or took some steps toward getting herself past the craptastic hand her ex-lover (or at times, her current one–grrrrr) was trying to deal her? I wanted to cheer.
When Lily and Alec were together? Together-together? Heart. Melted.
When Alec left her? Over and over again? Rage-y feelings were back. This bit went on waaaay too long and is really my only complaint about the book. How many times does the heroine have to tell the hero that SHE CHOOSES HIM before it gets through his thick skull?
Which leads me to a favorite quote from the book, courtesy of Sesily Talbot, who really needs to get her own book soon:
“All men are addlepated imbeciles who deserve to be strung up by their thumbs in St. James Park and set upon by bees.”
Lily blinked. “That’s terribly creative.”
Sesily smirked. “I may fantasize now and then.”
Yeah, obviously Alec was doing his darned best to live up to that fantasy for a good chunk of the book. In between his flashes of idiocy, though, there was a whole lot of entertaining stuff going on–I love Sarah MacLean’s writing! And fortunately Alec’s head is eventually removed from his posterior just in time for the super-adorable HEA.
After which I couldn’t stop smiling. I may also have clutched the ereader to my chest and sighed just a little.
Bring on book three!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
