To Catch a Scoundrel

by Martha Kirkland

Hatching a scheme to make Lord Durham pay for what he did to her cousin, prim schoolteacher Eugenia Bailey asks Nathaniel Seymour, a notorious ladies' man, to teach her how to become an alluring, flirtatious woman, but the tables turn as Nathaniel learns a valuable lesson in love. Original.

Genres: Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Martha Kirkland is a graduate of Georgia State University and has taught both English and drama at the high school level. A classical singer, she believes it was the years she spent practicing scales that gave her the discipline needed to write twenty-six books. She is a lifelong resident of Atlanta, and her family includes a husband and two daughters.

Reviews

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the characters here - especially the hero. Although he has a rakish reputation, he wasn't afraid of admitting his love to himself - and to the heroine - as well as willing to sort out any misunderstandings through communication! My goodness, this is almost a rarity in this genre!

I enjoyed the villain too - he was quite evil, which is good as otherwise the whole premise would have been a great joke.

Overall, I think this is one of her best in terms of characterization.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever heard of the "fake relationship leading to an actual relationship" trope that's been done to death in media, from television to fanfics? Well.... that's this novel. Kinda.

Except, it's refreshing that Eugenia's motivations aren't a) getting revenge on her ex, or b) trying to win over her ex/some dude by flirting with other guys. Her motives are simply to win back the fortune her cousin had lost, and to shove it in the face of her snobbish aunt. It's a matter of money and pride, nothing more. No "woman's scorn" or some elaborate scheme to win over Some Guy by pretending to flirt with Main Guy and instead fall in love with Main Guy even though it's Not Part of the Plan. Just a woman determined to help her cousin, and maybe get a little satisfaction out of it herself.

I liked Eugenia as a protagonist, if only for her motives, and I was pleasantly surprised by Nathan as the love interest. This marks my ninth romance novel read, and I've gotten a little too used to misogynistic pricks as love interests, aka To Tempt a Scotsman. Or ones that seem okay for a while, but then turn around and act like dicks for no other reason other than The Plot Demands It ie, The Halloween Husband and Lady Fiasco, which from a narrative and characterization standpoint is even more frustrating and annoying than the more "consistent" A-holes. But Nathan, thankfully, is neither one of these. Though he's doubtful and cynical of Eugenia at first, it made sense as to why: he only just met her on the spot and she asked him to "teach" her to catch a scoundrel! I'd be weirded out and wary at first, too! And though he has moments of misogyny, it's proven wrong pretty much right away, and he even has moments of self-reflection, wondering what lead him to think that way about women as a whole. It's wonderfully refreshing.

(Not to mention, he literally saved a child from a life of prostitution and passionately defends the rights of all children, and that's an instant plus, for me.)

Fair warning: the book does throw in hints and details (sorta) of child prostitution and prostitution as a whole, both showing its horrors and weirdly brushing it aside because Society Doesn't Give a Shit, I guess? But on the flipside, it also went into how bullying can lead to suicide (yes, even in "the good old days"), and why Nathan's so passionate about the welfare of others, particularly children. Honestly, that chapter was ultimately what won me over with Nathan's character; sure, he's a bland, run-of-the-mill hot, rich bachelor in a Regency romance novel, but he saves children, sooooo 10 points to Gryffindor.

Though the romance was rather rushed (it's barely 200 pages and is a Regency paperback, of course it's rushed), I did enjoy Nathan and Eugenia's banter. It's playful, flirtatious, and riddled with barely suppressed sexual tension, which is always fun to read (comes with the territory and all that). And THANK YOU SWEET JESUS FOR NOT HAVING SOME BULLSHIT MISUNDERSTANDING TO COME BETWEEN THEM!!! Okay, technically, Eugenia was convinced that Nathan didn't actually love her, but 1) his reputation didn't help, and 2) their mutual friend literally WARNED her to not fall in love with him. So, it only made sense that Eugenia would pine for Nathan in a presumed "unrequited love." But there's no bullshit "old lover coming back into the picture," or "he misunderstood her intentions and acts like a dick," or whatever. The conflict comes down to "the scoundrel" that Eugenia wishes to enact revenge upon, and Nathan's own motives to help her.

(That and a last minute villain confrontation from said scoundrel, because why not?)

All in all, this was a pleasant read, and I'm glad I chose to pick it up. It gives me hope for other romance novels with potentially decent love interests....