The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel by Jennifer McQuiston
Series: Seduction Diaries #3
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: September 27, 2016
Date Read: September 27, 2016
Source: Edelweiss
★★★★☆
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McQuiston continues her enchanting Seduction Diaries series as a bookish spinster and an unrepentant rogue unite to unmask a traitor.Every girl dreams of a hero….
No one loves books more than Miss Mary Channing. Perhaps that’s why she’s reached the ripe old age of six-and-twenty without ever being kissed. Her future may be as bland as milk toast, but Mary is content to simply dream about the heroes and adventures she reads about in her books. That way she won’t end up with a villain instead.
But sometimes only a scoundrel will do.
When she unexpectedly finds herself in the arms of Geoffrey Westmore, London’s most notorious scoundrel, it feels a bit like a plot from one of her favorite novels. Suddenly, Mary understands why even the smartest heroines can fall prey to a handsome face. And Westmore’s is more handsome than most. But far worse than the damage to her reputation, the moment’s indiscretion uncovers an assassination plot that reaches to the highest levels of society and threatens the course of the entire country.
When a tight-laced miss and a scoundrel of epic proportions put their minds together, nothing can stand in their way. But unless they put their hearts together as well, a happy ending is anything but assured.
Mary has spent her life safely tucked away with her books. She goes to London to spend time with her sister who is in the later stages of pregnancy. When she seeks the safety of the library at a crowed event, her life takes a sudden turn and not only is her reputation destroyed but she has overheard an assassination plot. West is scoundrel known for all of his ill deeds. When he sees the lady from the garden go to the library during the party, he follows her. Now he must deal with the ramifications of tarnishing the reputation of an innocent while trying to figure out the assassination plot that they overheard.
The characters in this book were great. Mary had a lot of spunk and was not at all afraid of saying no to others. I loved how she seemed so educated on just about every subject just from reading about it. West was fun. He didn’t make apologies for his prior behavior and owned up to everything when questioned. He seemed like he was actually a much more caring man than he showed through his behavior. It was really nice watching his character develop throughout this book.
I ended up really liking this pair as a couple. West treated Mary with a lot of respect and honestly valued all of her opinions. I didn’t feel a lot of chemistry between them at the start of the book but as their relationship developed so did their chemistry. I loved how each of these characters seemed so much stronger together than they did apart. There was enough heat in some parts of the book to keep things interesting.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance. This is the third book in the Seduction Diaries series but it really can be read perfectly fine as a stand alone novel. I have read any of the prior books in the series and had no trouble keeping up with the story. I definitely plan to look for more books from this author in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
About the AuthorA veterinarian and infectious disease researcher by training, Jennifer McQuiston has always preferred reading romance to scientific textbooks. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, their two girls, and an odd assortment of pets, including the pony she promised her children if mommy ever got a book deal.
“Regency romance fans will adore this addition to McQuiston’s Seduction Diaries series”— Booklist
