Sweetest Scoundrel

Maiden Lane #9

by Elizabeth Hoyt

SHE'S TAKING CHARGE Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother's investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London's premier pleasure garden, Harte's Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can't be controlled. HE'S RUNNING THE SHOW Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn't have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden's larger-than-life owner, he's already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He's not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is. BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL In spite of her lack of theatrical experience-and her fiery clashes with Asa-Eve is determined to turn Harte's Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There's no denying the smoldering fire between them-and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all . . .

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2015

About the author

Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three untrained dogs and one long-suffering husband.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars. Review posted December 1, 2015.





Family issues…


September 1741
London, England
Eve Dinwoody, the sister of the Duke of Montgomery, is a tall and thin woman, with a large and long nose and according to Asa Makepeace, she's plain as a shovel and a harpy who tried to steal Harte's Folly, his pleasure garden and theater, by cutting off his credit and funds. No more money meant that the rebuilding of the theater that had been destroyed in a fire would be impeded. His dream…gone. But Asa is not a man who gives up easily, and he's also someone who knows how to seduce a female, even one with a poker up her arse. Eve Dinwoody, however, seems to know how to deal with a hotheaded and stubborn businessman who suffered shipwreck. Due to certain circumstances, Eve starts to meddle in Asa's business and takes over the bookkeeping for Harte's Folly until it opens again.

“I control your funds. I don’t control you. And I think, Mr. Harte, that had you all the money in the world, or sat penniless in a gutter, I still would not find you very likable.”

Asa Makepeace, aka Mr. Harte, is the opposite of a pretty or handsome face. A virile man in his mid-thirties, with a rugged and fierce face, wild and tawny hair, not very tall but with broad shoulders; foul-mouthed and hotheaded. He incorporates a masculine and strong man. A man who made Eve uneasy, that is.

A delicate conversation…



Asa in full protective mode is a sight for sore eyes. *swoon*…






Dear Asa,

Watch your bloody mouth coz...

…Charming Mickey is my favorite HR hero...




I'm honestly not a huge fan of HR, but I do like them in between, especially when I have trouble finding great contemporary romance books. Even though I haven't read that many historicals, I think that Hoyt writes the best and hottest and sexiest HR heroes. Charming Mickey, hero of Scandalous Desires, remains my absolute favorite, yet I don't intent to nitpick. Asa has his own merits, for sure. From being foul-mouthed to silver-tongued, from violence to protectiveness, from experiencing touch and arousal through sensual words to full-on body contact and skin-on-skin friction…Asa has it and then some. Once again Hoyt satisfies with a thoughtful, long and rather slow buildup that oozes plenty of titillating tension. When Asa realizes that something is wrong with Eve, he holds himself back, gives her time and space to adjust and, ultimately, wins her trust. But he also knows when to tempt and push.

I enjoyed Eve and Asa's bickering in general and their dialogue and interaction in particular. Sweetest Scoundrel is yet another well-penned story by Elizabeth Hoyt. She really knows how to build sexual tension, and she writes chemistry I can actually feel deep in my bones. Besides, what comes out of her heroes' mouths is so bloody sexy.

Minor and major quibbles
I could have done with less smiles and grins. I thought it bordered on being repetitive. And the 'situation' around the 90% mark was so melodramatic, it made me roll my eyes. I'm not quite sure why, but the resolution of Eve's trauma was somewhat of a letdown for me. I think this could have been explored more, or better which leads me to another issue: the rushed ending and the epilogue. To me, it's an absolute requirement that an epilogue must include hero and heroine otherwise it's void.

While the German translations were, surprise, surprise, all correct, the French ones weren't flawless. Though I admit that I have seen much much worse. And last but not least, I do not begrudge an author their hard-earned money, but I really think that charging 7.42 euro is too steep a price for an ebook, certainly a HR.


Bottom line
Quibbles aside, Sweetest Scoundrel is a must read for fans of Elizabeth Hoyt and another enjoyable addition to the Maiden Lane series. As a very lovely bonus, you will also meet plenty of familiar faces from previous books. Sweetest Scoundrel is solid entertainment in renowned Hoyt manner, though there remain some unanswered questions related to Val who is the Duke of Montgomery and a notorious rake and blackmailer. He's definitely a very special and intriguing 'gem' of a man, and I'm looking forward to reading his story which is due out in spring 2016. I fully expect that Val's story picks up where Sweetest Scoundrel left off.

Recommended read.

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I bought the romance in this one. The guy keeps mentioning how unattractive the girl is. Like, a lot. And, he isn't hard-up for female companionship. He also keeps mentioning how much of a shrew she is. Are guys really this intrigued by ugly girls with bad personalities? I'm not convinced.


I guess beauty IS in the eye of the beholder.

But, I liked the girl, Eve, a lot. She is suffering from PTSD and has a bodyguard who is like the best guy ever. If I were her, I would have fell for the bodyguard. Forget the womanizing theater owner. But, whatever...

In spite of these things, I thought the story was pretty good. We have a whole new set of bad-guys coming down the road, and we are finally free of the stupid Ghost of St Giles thing. Thank goodness! That story was sooooo played out.

Also, I have to admit that this book had one of the steamiest smut scenes ever. It wasn't even all that shocking. No crazy sex-olympic, kinky fuckery, pretzel-shaped positiony stuff. It just had this amazing build-up and sexual tension that was hawt. Like, clutch-your-pearls kind of thing. I have to give it to the author on writing that scene. It was visceral. I needed to go out and have a smoke after that!



Now, I have read like the wind and finally get to move on to the book I have been waiting for. My book boyfriend is a very bad boy.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asa was an ass in the beginning

I started Sweetest Scoundrel looking forward to reading a historical romance where the hero isn’t an aristocratic Lordy Lord who thinks everyone should bow down to him. Well, Asa’s not an aristocrat, but he does think his employees should bloody do as he says and if they’re bowing, good. Asa Makepeace owns Harte’s Folly, a pleasure garden. To be honest I wasn’t sure what a pleasure garden was. Me and my dirty mind thought it was going to be some kind of kinky outdoor brothel. Alas, I was wrong. It’s a theatre where opera, music and performances can be enjoyed. If there was kinky stuff going on, it wasn’t the main focus of Harte’s Folly.

Asa’s pleasure garden is the most important thing in his life. Unfortunately, he is rebuilding it after it had burnt to the ground. One of his financial backers was The Duke of Montgomery. The Duke’s “man of affairs” is actually his sister Eve. She had been trying to get the owner of Harte’s Folly to supply accounts and reports of his expenditure, but every attempt made to get the information was ignored. Eve decides to take her footman to Mr Harte’s (the name Asa goes by) residence. When they arrive they find a very hungover Asa with a naked woman in his bed. To be honest, at this stage this did not really endear me to Asa. Anyways…Eve threatens to cut off his funding unless he supplies the accounts. Asa doesn’t take the threat well and they come to an agreement that Eve will come and get the accounts sorted herself.

This story takes us behind the scenes of how an opera is organised. Besides the building and grounds that need to be prepared, we also see how the music director, opera singers and dancers have to work together. We also see how childminding is not only a modern-day problem. Some of the dancers have children and it’s not easy to find reliable and trustworthy carers, especially considering the hours they have to work. I found this part of the story very interesting.

Eve and Asa have demons from their past. Eve has a very real fear of dogs and men which is why her footman Jean-Marie has become her bodyguard for the last ten year. He is the only man besides her brother that she has learnt to trust. Asa is determined to find out where her fears stem from and help her to conquer them. Asa’s problems are family orientated and Eve very quickly encourages him to sort them out.

Sweetest Scoundrel packs a real punch when it comes to the steamy scenes. With Eve’s issues, it takes this couple a wee while to actually connect, but the lead up is filled with sexual tension. Once the couple does become intimate, you can see that for both of them, it’s more than just a sexual connection.

Really enjoyed this story and found the characters to be lovable, at times funny and interesting in their individuality. I didn’t particularly like Asa’s character at first, but I think that was due to his insults towards Eve (when she was in accountant mode) and less than a stunning introduction. This was number 9 in the Maiden Lane Series. Years ago I read the first in the series, Wicked Intentions, and always meant to go back and read more. Considering this, while it probably would have made it easier to know all the other characters and their stories, I still managed to follow along well enough to make it an OK standalone.

Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asa, or shall we call him Ass! Bit of a fucking prick throughout most of the book. But, hey, I love those assholes.

"You swear too much, you know."

He fucking did. I fucking loved it.

Before her he'd never touched himself in front of a woman - in front of anyone. it was a solitary activity, after all, one done out of boredom or desperation or because he didn't have a woman to serve his needs at that moment.

"Her breath caught on the thought. Was he saying that a woman would put her hands—her mouth—there?
Her bodice felt suddenly too tight as her breaths became faster. She didn’t know where to look: at those long fingers massaging his own leg or his glinting, knowing green eyes.
“And of course,” he continued, “a woman can pleasure herself—with her hand—and a man…” His hand drifted up, straight to the top of his widely spread legs. He gripped himself frankly—lewdly—and looked at her.
She lost all sense of propriety. All sense of place and time and who he was and who she was.
She stared back into those sensuous green eyes and whispered, “Show me."

I really enjoyed this book. Asa and Eve.

“Because I deserve more,” she said. “I deserve a man who loves me above all else. I deserve a family and happiness.”
“Then go!” he growled. “Go off and find this mythical man and spread your legs for him if it’ll give you what you want.”
She took two strides toward him and slapped him, quick and hard, and then her eyes widened as she realized what she’d done. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
He turned his face back to her slowly, almost lazily. “I’m not.”
And then she was in his arms, his mouth on hers, wild and hot and dangerously close to out of control. He thrust his hand into her hair, holding her head immobile, and ravished her mouth, biting, tonguing, thrusting.”

[Alp · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

Not exactly what I expected, but still a decent read nonetheless.

Almost the whole first half of the book bored me stiff. Honestly, the thought of putting it down flashed several times through my mind while reading this half. However, I really enjoyed Asa’s character, and somehow, I felt like I wasn’t ready to give up on his story yet. So I decided to keep reading a few more pages to see if things got better in the second half. Luckily, it did! It really made up for all the dull parts that I had to endure in the first half. I found myself turning the pages like crazy and couldn’t stop reading until I finally found out what was really going on and who was behind the sabotage at Harte’s Folly. And when I finished reading this, I was absolutely satisfied with the ending.



What worked for me:


1. The suspense. It kept me curious and guessing the whole way through.
2. Asa. Needless to say, he’s just…amazing!


What didn’t work for me:


1. Eve. Nothing about her appealed to me. Her character was too plain and somewhat irritating at times. Furthermore, her bossy nature pretty much drove me nuts.
2. The romance was a failure, I’m sorry to say. There was no actual chemistry between Asa and Eve. Their sexy times did me nothing.


Perhaps it was my own fault for having such high expectations for this book. Anyway, the next installment’s synopsis sounds very promising, so here’s hoping it will be much better than this one.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"Lily of the valley." He made her feel exotic, still dressed in her sensible gray frock, only her hair loose about her shoulders.
"Lily of the valley," he murmured. "I'll remember that scent forever now, and whenever I smell it again I'll think of you, Eve Dinwody. You'll be haunting my tomorrows forevermore."
She gasped and turned, looking up at him. She'd thought that he'd be smiling teasingly at his words, but he looked quite serious and she stared at him in wonder. Had he always carried this part of himself inside? This wild poetic lover? If so, he'd hidden it well underneath the aggressive, foulmouthed theater manager. She had a secret fondness for the crass theater manager, but the poet....
She swallowed, suddenly nervous.
She might come to love a wild poet.

Foreplay. This story from page one until almost the very end is one deliciously drawn out word, foreplay. Asa is darkly erotic in the most sweet way. He recognizes that his approaches to Eve must be gentle (emotionally) and all on her terms, which he then executes in scorching hot ways. The villain aspect felt somewhat tagged on and I generally like more verbal sparring between my leads. This was heavy on the sexual aspects side, don't get me wrong it works, (woo baby does it work, carriage scene anyone?) I just personally tend to like more focus on other aspects.
The way Asa suspects about Eve's issues but refuses to treat her any different as a woman, acknowledging and encouraging her desires, and then when he knows and how he gives her agency and power while still feeding her desires and his own, make this a must read.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4 ***

A buddy read with the MacHalo Romantics!

Another lovely, although at times sad romance. It was sad because Eve, the young female bastard of a Duke and a sister to a Duke, is a very damaged young lady... A very traumatic episode in her childhood has left her with phobias of male's touch and dogs, making her somewhat of a hermit, spending her time painting and doing her brother's business accounting. Asa is the youngest brother in a very religious family, whose patriarch had disowned him for choosing to work in managing a theater. Asa goes by Mr. Heart now, the owner and operator of the recently burned down theater and pleasure garden. He is in the process of rebuilding and putting a new season, but his main sponsor and money backer's man of business puts the screws on the budget and Eve decides to take a hands on approach to control.

Having to work in such close quarters, the skittish Eve is fascinated by the larger than life personality of the very male, very dominating and a bit crass Asa. But constant danger and sabotage creep around them at all times, someone is trying to kill one of them, and they are getting too close for comfort...

This one was not only a good romance, but had an exciting plot as well. I would even say that the plot was too much for the leisurely Romance I tend to lose myself in and run away from the stress of real life. However, the characters were fascinating and complex, making for a very interesting reading experience. I would recommend it to all who love the genre.

I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hero has perfected the historical manspread.

Asa Makepeace is the opposite of his virginal, monk-like brother, Winter. The quote “He revelled in shamelessness” pretty much sums this man up perfectly. 😂
And though I liked him, in his raw, earthiness, and his erratic temper he fights off five highwaymen barehanded and punches at least four people in the face at different points😂 , this book didn’t really have the plot or the romance of the others in the series. This probably could have been a novella, because I think the author had to bulk this book up with many sex scenes (which were good, if you like when a hero throws ‘good girl’ around).
Eve, the heroine, was extremely underdeveloped, unfortunately. She was prudish and buttoned up and unattractive, had some childhood trauma and not much else. This was extremely noticeable to me because this book follows Lady Phoebe’s book and she was an amazingly well developed heroine.
The family scenes with all the Makepeaces together were cozy, and there was a great dog character, but I just didn’t feel connected to the main characters.
But this was worth reading just for the scene where we find out that Valentine Napier (the hero in the next book) the outrageous Duke of Montgomery, hangs a huge nude portrait of himself in his own bedroom. Love that guy, going to go read his book next.
I’m going to adjust my rating to four stars because while this was good for spice scenes, I was mildly bored for the rest of it.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I liked this one more than I thought I would. I have not been excited for Asa’s book because thus far he has seemed like a huge jerk in his parts in the other books of the series. But then we met Eve in Dearest Rogue and I was intrigued by her.

Eve is the kind of character I like. She is a bit broken. Not in a silly way either. No she had a true trauma happen to her when she was younger and now suffers from a type of PTSD. She also has a really hard time trusting people and being touched. Good thing Asa seems to be a ‘Challenge Accepted’ kind of man when his interest is peeked.

“Fine. You can pull away from me for now. You can keep your distance and shake. But Eve, I'll not let you do it forever."
She looked up at that, blue eyes wide and startled. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, a deep sense of rightness spreading through him even as he gathered the words, "that I won't let this stand. I will touch you. Sometime. Somewhere. I'm going to touch you all over, Eve, and what's more, you'll enjoy it."

I like that even though Eve is broken she isn’t frigid or mean. She is just a woman who never had anyone make a real effort to get to know her or to figure out how to get into her head or her heart and she just assumed that she never would. She never expected anyone to take a deeper look and see something there.

“I see a woman who has a deep curiosity. Who wants to feel but is worried- of herself? Of others? I'm not sure. But I think she has a fire banked within her. Maybe it's only embers now, glowing in the dark, but if tinder were to be put to those embers... oh, what a conflagration that would be.”

I loved that Asa had to take a round about route to entice Eve into bed. I will say that I really enjoyed the mutual masturbation scene a lot. It isn't something you normally see and it went perfect for this character's seduction. HOT!!!

Other than the romance Asa is trying to put Harte’s Folly back together and get it ready to open within months. He has a little problem that weird things keep happening and it might appear that someone is trying to sabotage the theater. It might even be that someone is trying to kill him or Eve.

I even liked the mystery in this one and how it tied into not only Asa but Eve’s lives. It was really good to see all the Makepeaces as well. Asa has been estranged from them throughout the series and now we find out why and with Eve in the picture she will not let that stand.

Overall I enjoyed this one very much even if Asa was a complete idiot in the beginning. I was going to hit him over the head at one point if he talked about how unattractive and harpy like Eve was one more time. Good to see that as you get to know someone the things you thought about them in the beginning can change when you see the beauty underneath.

Now on to the book I’ve been waiting 9 books to get to. Duke of Sin I’m coming for you.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy to say that this series is climbing out the hole where it was going because the Ghost disappeared and the characters are more interesting then the last books!

We have a really good couple here!

Eve - straitlaced, not beautiful (finally!!!), prickly, suffereng from PTSD silently.

I loved her! She was so well described and so true that I was sorry for her and cheering her on at the same time!
The way she wanted very much to overcome her fears was so great!

Asa - basic, loyal, foul-mouthed was also excellent! I wanted to slap him and to hug him!

They're such a wonderfully coupled MCs! At the beginning I couoldn't see how will they get along, but as the story proceded it was so obvious! They're so right for each other!

The hotness is there too. The scene in the carriage was oh, so, hot! *fanning myself!).

A great addition to the series! I want so badly to read about Valentine and Bridget!!! I excpect great things from them!

[♥ℳelody · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Review Up!*

I have mixed feelings about this one.


First of all, I love Asa. Love him. I loved him from the start. With his short temper, acerbic tongue, how frivolous, blunt, messy, brash, irreverent and honest he is. He is perfect example of what Elizabeth Hoyt truly excels at. Each of her characters are so distinct, dimensional and fully fleshed out. They each have their own unique flaws, quirks and issues they need to deal with and sort out. She’s one of the few HR who does it so consistently. This is Book 9 and so far not one character can be mistaken for another. Not a one. That includes all the supporting secondary characters too. Every single character is so meticulously fleshed out down to the fine lines on their face, the shape of their teeth, wrinkles on their clothes and buckles on their shoes and how they talk. That’s an amazing feat of it’s own. I fucking relish it and eat it up.

Like please…..give. me. more.


Asa’s crassness, love for life and bluntness reminded me of Griffin, but multiply that x 10. 😂 He’s loud and unapologetic in everything he does. And the fact that he took such care in making skittery Eve comfortable and trying his damn hardest to be patient with her--which goes entirely against his nature--showed he’s a keeper.

Now what I struggled with: Eve Dinwoody. She’s definitely a package of contradictions just like Hoyt promises in the book. But I struggled with it. Her conflicting angles didn’t mesh well for me. Some aspects of her character I ended up liking. Others? Just confused me. Here is where I confess I generally don’t like prim starched uptight characters. I’ve tried time and time again and 99.9% of the time these kind of characters are as tight laced and uninteresting as they appear on the surface. I call them buzzkillers for a reason. When you have engaging characters and that one pinched mouth stick-in-the-mud character that’s shooting death glares in the corner? It just completely kills the mood. They stand out like sore thumbs. BUT that being said, thankfully Eve wasn't a stick in the mud. I didn't not like her. I just struggled to connect with her all the way. I didn't hate her as I thought I would, I just thought she was ok. The moments I found her most endearing and she shined the most was her hesitant friendship/bonding with her pet dove named Dove and Henry the dog. I found her bond with Henry so endearing and sweet given her fear of dogs. I love how Hoyt always manages to incorporate animals into each of her books in such unique varying ways. It's incredibly charming. As a big animal lover myself I love how natural it comes off and the animals somehow always serve a meaningful purpose to the story and characters.

Another thing I struggled with and probably my biggest hang up overall with this book was the heroine's horrific backstory. I found Eve's trauma a little inconsistent and kinda hamfisted to be quite honest. Some of the details to her traumatic episode as a child were a little off for me. The author builds up this character's mysterious past and why she has such severe PTSD through out the book so you kind of pick up what is going on but don't get the full story till the big reveal near the end. And the hints given painted a very ominous picture. But I just wasn't feeling it once the truth of what happened finally came out. I mean everything was explained away neatly but I was side-eyeing certain parts of that whole scenario. The pieces to the puzzle seemed an odd fit. Masked men letting hunting dogs loose on women and children at a house party for sport and revelry. Ok...but why? I know, I know. Villain motivations don't always need to make clear sense but something wasn't clicking for me here. I couldn't put my finger on it. It just felt very forced and random. And Eve's brother just happening to pop up out of nowhere right in the nick of time to save little Eve from getting raped?? <__< ..........Shmo'kay. His convenient appearance better be explained in the next book. Just saying. Because of this Eve has been terrified of dogs and scared of men her whole life, which is why she has her own bodyguard since she was a teenager. :/ Eh....ok.

Oh and the tattoos. Can't forget those. The big bad villain in here is part of a secret "Order" who call themselves "The Lords of Chaos", one of whom happened to be Eve and Val's father. The bad dudes get together every Spring and do all kinds of unscrupulous vile things while wearing masks. And all the members have tattoos.

A dolphin tattoo.



Really?

Yes because a dolphin is the first animal that comes to mind when you think of immoral sociopaths who like to rape women and children for sport. In a Historical Georgian era book. *crickets* WTF Hoyt? This is where this author always stumbles. Villains are not Mrs. Hoyt's strongest skill. Especially how easily and extremely quickly they are foiled at the end of every book. This Lords of Chaos arc would be another example of that.

My next gripe: Bridget Crumb and the never-ending blackmail letters saga.

Ugh. Listen, I’m upset. Cause a. I was expecting to love the very popular, rogue, anti-hero character Valentine Napier and I don’t. And b. His heroine the author chose to pair him up with in the next book (Bridget) is as interesting and exciting as dried paint. A secretive, tight-laced housemaid whose biggest concern is how many times the silverware needs to be polished. Oh...goody.

Really? Y’all I’m not getting the warm fuzzies here. At all. She better be hiding more than that grey streak of hair under that hair cap of hers. Just sayin. The irony isn’t lost on me that Val is the reason I started this series because his story intrigued me and out of all the characters, I end up being underwhelmed by him the most. Aheh. :( Talk about Plot Twist.

And yeah in regards to Val like I said I’m still not feeling anything for this guy.

I could literally not give 2 fucks about this dude right now. Everything about him so far is extremely gimmicky & so stereotypical. Like....where is the rest? What's the damn catch? There is nothing mysterious about him or his fucking blackmail letters that seemed to make everyone and their dogs and babies shake in fear. Instead of being intrigued and wanting to find out more, I keep having to fight the urge to roll my eyes whenever he shows up. Here it was even more so. And he wasn’t even in the dang book! I'm sorry but a grown ass man going around town blackmailing people for fun and collecting their secrets as weapons…..seriously???


That's it?

I’m not shaking over this. Is he the Regina George of historical times? Pick a better hobby dude. Everything about him is a bad cliche. From his lame amusement of mind games to his naked self-portrait hanging in his bedour where it's sole purpose is to show readers he’s well endowed. Oh my! (😒) To his "clever" witty parting shots that seem too rehearsed. To his fallen angel looks. Etc., etc., etc...

I just….don’t get it. I’m going to read his book since I bought the damn thing but for now. Sorry, Val:

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asa Makepeace's passion is life is the theater and garden he owns called Harte's Folly. He loves it so much, he goes by Mr. Harte to most of his acquaintances. After it burned down a year ago, he found an investor in the Duke of Montgomery, and has started rebuilding. Having to rebuild the entire theater and redesign the gardens again, it takes a lot of money and he has been leaning heavily on the duke's capital to get the job finished. Asa loves this theater, but his large family has no idea he is Mr. Harte or that he has any dealings with the theater. Asa's father disowned him as a young adult and never approved of the theater as a profession. Asa assumes his many brothers and sisters would hold the same opinion, so he has never told them, and really never visits them either. He finds companionship in big-breasted women who sing in this theater.

One day Eve comes knocking on his door. The duke aka Asa's creditor is Eve's beloved brother, and she has volunteered to keep a watch over his theater investment while her brother spends time in the country. Eve does not like the amount of money and lack of progress in the theater, and tracks down Asa to tell him the money is coming to a halt. This infuriates Asa to no end, and he lets her know. But once he gets a hold of his temper, he starts to play nice, knowing Eve is all business and really will take his money away. He takes her to the theater to show her all the good things about it, and his passion for the place does soften Eve's heart a bit. They start to spend a lot of time together, and Eve starts to fall in love with the theater herself. When Asa makes a physical move on Eve though, she pushes him away, terrified. Eve suffered a trauma in her childhood, which now makes her very scared of men and unable to bear the touch of one. But Asa won't give up - he has patience, and kindness within him, and as he falls harder for Eve, he slowly gains her trust.

Oh Asa Makepeace - he made me swoon right off the couch. This book had a little bit of a slow start for me. I became worried at one point that the pace wouldn't pick up, but my fears were abated. Eve and Asa do NOT get along at all when they first meet. Asa finds Eve "plain as a shovel" and Eve is intimidated by the wildness of Asa.

Mr. Harte sprawled across her dainty settee like a Viking marauder in a pillaged Christian church. His broad shoulders took up more than half the width, his arms lazily draped over the back. His scarlet coat was spread open, contrasting with the sedate gray-blue of the cushions almost shockingly. One long leg was thrust straight before him, the other cocked open and resting on a booted heel. The pose made the apex of his thighs very… obvious… and even as she kept her eyes locked on his she could feel heat rising in her cheeks.

What did she see?

She saw violence and anger, kept under a control that was tenuous at best. She saw power and a strength that could hurt her—kill her—if he so chose. She saw the innate brutality that was, in larger or smaller part, in all men. She saw her most terrible fears. But—and this was the truly unprecedented part—she saw more in him. She saw temptation—her temptation—alluring and frightening at the same time, his virility so strong it was nearly a visible miasma in the space between them.

She wanted him.

She is so tired of being scared of men, that she wants to get over this fear. One of Eve's passions is to draw, and when she looks at her drawings of men, they are always so feminine - but one look at Asa, and she knows she must paint this virile man. It's her first step to trusting him.

As the story progresses, and more accidents happen at the theater, Eve and Asa realize sabotage may be coming into play. They work together to figure out who the bad guy is, all the while bringing them closer together. Eve doesn't like to be touched, but she is super curious about sex and passion. And Asa is very eager to show her what the male body is all about. And it all takes place inside a carriage. Naughty.

Unhurriedly, deliberately, he flicked open the buttons to his placket.

Eve fisted her hands against the seat cushions on either side of her as the carriage rocked around a corner.

He spread apart the placket. “Ah, that’s better.”

Her eyes jumped to his face.

He was smiling, watching her. “Gets tight when I’m big.”

She bit her lip, unable to keep her gaze from returning to his lap. His white undergarment showed there, a thick column outlined beneath.

“You want to see it, don’t you,” he murmured, squeezing himself.

Asa is all man. He swears constantly, his appearance is always haphazardly thrown together - and he protects Eve like the bad ass he is:

“I’m going to pull you from your fucking horse, take away your bloody pistols, shoot you in both fucking knees, and then I’m going to beat your sodding brains out against the cobblestones,” Asa said.

One of footmen squeaked.

I adored him. Slightly out of control, could care less about society norms, eggs Eve on but also has the kindest heart. Their romance worked so, so well for me.

It's so nice when the ninth book in a series makes me smile so hard. Bring on more Maiden Lane books!

Grade: B+

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be short and sweet.

I'm am truly enjoying this series. I love Elizabeth Hoyt's writing and may I say she can write some very sensual scenes. ❤

I wasn't sure about these two. Asa, as Mo so perfectly put it in her review, was a bit of a prick for most of the book and Eve was a bit of a plain Jane. But they both grew on me and I ended up liking them quite a bit.

The ending was rather sweet too. I'm looking forward to #10.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid/Strong 4 stars – Historical Romance

Another great addition to Ms. Hoyt’s fabulous Maiden Lane series. The H/h were wonderful together, and I especially loved the heroine’s footman/bodyguard/friend, Jean-Marie. I’m really looking forward to Val’s book, Duke of Sin.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read in The Maiden Lane series! This was book #9!
Review to Come...

[Carol Cork *Young at Heart Oldie* · Rating 5 out of 5]

RELEASE DAY REVIEW

This is the ninth book in the excellent Maiden Lane series and each time I marvel at Elizabeth Hoyt’s ability to make every book such an outstanding read.

At the age of nineteen, Asa was disowned and disinherited by his sanctimonious father for wanting to work at Harte’s Folly. Luckily he found a home with the kindly Sir Stanley Harte who was more like a father than his own father ever was. Even after his father’s death, he no longer feels he fits in with the rest of the family and rarely visits his brothers and sisters. Now owner and manager of Harte’s Folly, it has become the most important thing in his life, leaving no room for anything else.

It was his life’s work, his soul and heart.

The illegitimate daughter of a duke, Eve was raised in her father’s house but is constantly haunted by terrifying events from her childhood; events which have convinced her that she could never enjoy a normal relationship with a man.

She knew that she would never feel “nice” with a man.
It would never be beautiful for her.

She has never had any friends and the only people she really cares about are her half-brother, Valentine, to whom she owes so much, and her loyal servants.

Pairing the big, crude, hot-headed, virile Asa with the plain, prim, naïve Eve seems like a recipe for disaster but, once again, Ms Hoyt takes the most unlikely couple to create an unforgettable romance. The romance builds slowly with the inevitable clashes at first. Asa sees Eve as “one of those harbingers of doom that were always lurking about some hapless hero of classical myths”, and Eve regards Asa as “proud, bombastic and very, very annoying". Gradually Asa becomes intrigued by Eve’s mixture of outspokenness, courage and vulnerability she tries so hard to hide. He’s certain that behind that cool exterior lies a passionate woman. Although Eve hates and fears Asa’s savage, unrestrained nature, he stirs an excitement in her and makes her feel alive for the first time.

I love Asa – such a larger than life character – and I soon discovered that, beneath that fierce exterior, he has many unexpected sides to him; to quote Eve – a lover of opera, fighter of highwaymen, saviour of stray dogs.

Despite her traumatic childhood experience which was truly terrifying, Eve still has an innocent inquisitiveness about sexual matters; one Asa is more than happy to satisfy in both words and deeds! This leads to some highly charged and explicit scenes, but ones which I feel are totally in keeping with Asa’s blatantly sexual nature.

He had no shame. No, more: he reveled in shamelessness.

I love their conversation about the castrato in which Asa’s words alone leave Eve “wide-eyed and breathless”. She wasn’t the only one left breathless!! When they first make love, Asa is so tender and considerate and his asking “May I?” before he removes each item of her clothing is so endearing. I also adore how he calls her “his little harpy” and would do anything to keep her safe, including murder.

A happy ending is never in doubt, but I love an author who can keep me on tenterhooks until the very last minute. I cheered Eve for not being willing to accept anything but a man who loved her above all else and there were frustrating moments when I wanted to knock some sense into Asa until he realises what is truly important to him.

As always in this series, the secondary characters play a major role in the story and I particularly like Eve’s friend and bodyguard, Jean-Marie. When Eve persuades Asa to visit his brothers and sisters, it’s an opportunity to catch up with many of the characters from the previous books, who certainly have their hands full when the family gathering doesn’t go exactly to plan!

We learn that Bridget Crumb, the Duke of Montgomery’s housekeeper, has an agenda of her own and there are also a few surprising revelations about the duke himself. The scene towards the end of the book certainly has me anticipating their story in Duke of Sin !

MY VERDICT: Another wonderful addition to this superb series and one which ranks among my other favourites, Scandalous Desires and Thief of Shadows. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STARS

The Maiden Lane series so far (click the book cover for more details):



This review is also posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:

https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...

[Lisazj1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I loved this! Asa was a complete ass but as we find later, he has some reasons. Eve was born of the aristocracy but on the outside of it, as the Duke of Montgomery’s bastard sister. Both of them as completely opposite of the other as it was possible to be.

The way their relationship developed was first kind of hilarious, with the constant friction between them. Then in the way that it sometimes does, that friction caused some seriously combustible chemistry. Eve and Asa together were pure fire. 🔥 🔥 But there was also danger to Eve from a past she could only remember in nightmares and turmoil when Asa had to decide what his ambition was worth.

With this being the ninth book of the series, there’s a whole lot of the Makepeace family and friends about, and I quite enjoyed seeing Asa’s family stick their noses all in his business, once that door was opened, LOL! 😁

I really enjoyed the story, loved Asa & Eve, the romance was fabulous and the terrific narration by Ashford McNab made this one of my favorites of the series!

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even with the carriages shenanigans in this series! So HOT!
I obviously loved this book for other reasons than the hot s3x between Asa and Eve but nothing comes to mind just now. I'm still reeling from the self-pleasure/voyeur carriage scene, the self-pleasure lesson office scene, the most sexiest consensual bedroom scene ever with all the "MAY I" from the hero to the heroine, as he proceeded to disrobe her one clothing article at a time. I LOVED THAT.
So truthfully there is much more to this book than crackling chemistry and hot sex but I'm just too shaken still to remember anything else. And I don't really care.
READ THIS BOOK ROMANCE PEOPLE !





More reviews and book talk at :

You can find me here too ☞

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Makepeaces are better as central characters than secondary.

I used to find Asa aggravating, but in this? Not so much. I loved his patience, although he wasn't. I loved his dirty yet sweet mouth, and I loved his passion for his job.

When I read The Governess Affair, I realized that hair pins can be ridiculously hot. They worked here too.

Though this book wasn't dealing with light subjects, with Eve (smart-as-a-whip Eve) having suffered trauma-I did like how light it seemed. Asa and Eve gave great banter. I also liked that extra little insight into Val.

Basically, I'm busy bingeing. (4.5)

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down, but not as good as the previous one

Hoyt's writing always works for me and like most of her work, this one kept me going to the very end. However, once it was over, I didn't feel as giddy as with the previous book.


࿔*:･ The characters

Individually, I don't think the characters are very memorable.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Jessica]

Ahm, okey . . . am I the only one who can't wait to see Montgomery's book???

Anyone???

[Bubu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: possible spoilers!

So, here it is, long awaited, high expectations, etc and Elizabeth Hoyt didn't disappoint!

Not me, anyway. She is a master storyteller! There are already some lovely reviews and there's probably not really much to add. Only a few thoughts that I had along the way whilst reading the book.

1. The atmosphere and setting
One of the things that amaze me every time I read one of her books, is how EH creates the world her characters live in. The gowns, the carriages, the houses and rooms, the fabrics, the colours, the smell - detailed but not overdone. Enough to give me an idea, an image. It's as if I'm being transported into her world. There's only one other author I know who creates a world as aptly as Ms Hoyt and that's C.J. Sansom.

2. The secondary characters
I know Bridget Crumb and Alf will get their own books, and how I'm looking forward to Valentine Napier. But what about Jean-Marie and his wife Tess, Violetta, Malcolm MacLeish and Hans Vogel. Even the animals, Henry and Dove, take on the roles of secondary characters who add to the story. Never overwhelming, never annoying. As a German myself, I particularly liked Hans Vogel. Kudos to Ms Hoyt. By changing only one consonant, from w to v, I could hear his thick German accent and it made me giggle every time he had something to say. Absolutely lovely!

3. Eve and Asa's sexual/emotional relationship
First of all, I loved that Asa was such a crude person and that his language was so unfiltered. He had been living in the world of theatre long enough that if he had sounded like say Godric St. John from Lord of Darkness in every day life, it would have been just odd. Or - as an even better example - his own brother Winter Makepeace who'd never speak like Asa.
His crudeness and vulgar language just added to his personality, and later created a poignant contrast to the wonderful tenderness he was capable of once he had to overcome Eve's fears.

And this is where Ms Hoyt's storytelling shines. It was only recently that I came across two books in which the heroines had suffered horrible sexual abuse, only for the hero to sweep in, touch them, and almost all was forgotten and our heroines were moaning and panting instantly. And even though it's Romancelandia, I hated it.
No such easy way out for Asa. Watching Eve and Asa's relationship was like watching a game of Jenga reversed. One brick of an emotional step leads to another brick of sexual tension and so on. He first seduces her slowly with his words, lets her get a glimpse of how it can be, that the touch of a man can be enjoyable. Do I have to mention the carriage scene? I know I was blushing! It wasn't the act itself - I've read similar scenes before - but the intimacy that Ms Hoyt created made me feel like a Peeping Tom! And along the way, both Eve and Asa discover eachother emotionally. Being together, bickering and making decisions gives them joy. I loved Eve. Yet another strong heroine who won't let her traumatic past dictate her future. Once she looks behind Asa's mask, once she sees that he isn't all male brutishness, she opens up slowly but steadily. But who could resist Asa, really? I'll never read the words 'May I?' again without smiling and thinking of this book. His tenderness towards Eve was wonderfully written, and there wasn't a flicker of a doubt that Eve truly wanted Asa sexually once they had reached that point. The way they overcome Eve's fears is simply without words.

I was glad to see that the subplot surrounding the mystery about who wanted to see Harte's Folly destroyed, didn't take much space and was quickly resolved. It gave me more time to watch Eve and Asa. One last thing, I loved how Eve wouldn't let herself be put behind Asa's ambitions concerning his theatre. She didn't create drama, she stated the facts and was willing to let go of the man she loved. You go, girl!

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 generous and hesitant stars...

“Damn it, Eve, don’t ask me to choose between you and my garden!” “Why not?” she shouted back, uncaring that the rest of the house might hear their argument. Her heart was a bloody mess on the carpet between their feet now. “I have a right, don’t I, to mean more than a garden? To be the first in someone’s eyes—in your eyes?” Harte's Folly is Asa Makepeace's heart and soul. The magnificent garden was burned down a year ago. But with the help of an investor, The Duke of Montgomery, it is slowly being rebuild. There are no problems, except the Duke's disapproving sister, Eve Dinwoody. Managing the purse strings of Harte's folly, Eve finds herself constantly butting heads with the infuriating pleasure garden owner who does not take kindly to being managed. Bawdy Asa Makepeace is everything Eve does not want and need to stay away from... But he is also the only man who makes her feel things she thought she would not feel in her lifetime.

Sweetest Scoundrel is another book from Elizabeth Hoyte's Maiden lane series. This book tells the story of Eve Dinwoody and Asa Makepeace. This is the third book I've read from the series and I don't think I would read any more from it.

Meet Eve Dinwoody, a Duke's bastard but with the upbringing of a legitimate aristocrat. She is her brother's man of business. She liked her quiet existence. Suffering from trauma, she has long accepted that she was not "normal". She is prim and proper, everything a Duke's daughter and sister ought to be. She is considered plain looking and she's nothing really special.

Meet Asa Makepeace, a man disowned by his father. Ever since being disowned, Harte's folly had been his whole life. It was the only thing important to him. And he will do everything to rebuild it and make sure it's even a bigger success the second time around. He's not the typical hero in historical romances who are either aristocrats or very rich self made men. He's an average guy. Not the most handsome. Not very rich either. All he has is Harte's folly. It's quite rare actually. I'm not very sure I like it. He's passionate about his pleasure garden, I'll give him that. He's quite the dirty talker too, in and outside of bed.

Eve and Asa did not get along immediately. They are both stubborn. But the bargain they made brings them closer. Eve insisted that she handles his books...and demanded that Asa models for her paintings, in exchange, she won't cut his credit off. There were many intimate scenes. Slowly, Asa discovers Eve's story and why she was the way she was. Along the story there are sabotages, a villain, indenial of feelings and finally some happily ever after.

The heroine was okay. She wasn't my favorite type of heroine. I feel like the way her trauma was handled was not written very well. It felt very sudden and the pacing was weird. She was sensible and proper. And sadly, she bored me. Her trauma of violence is relatable, it is the aspect of her that I connected with. But other than that, she's not outstanding and memorable. She was so starched at first, and there are times when I like starched characters but they must be written well. But it was so cute when she started trusting the hero and warming up to him. Although she was not a favorite of mine, she deserved her happily ever after.

As for the hero, I liked him well enough. He was not a tortured hero that we so often see in romantic novels. He's passionate about his pleasure garden, it's his mistress. He's not described as someone handsome and he's not rich either. If we're being practical, he's not such an ideal man. But I liked him because, despite his harsh and violent ways, he was very gentle with the heroine and had so much patience with her. The way he takes care of her along the story is just very sweet.

As for the book, there are the main characters getting to know each other, opening up and helping one another. Aside from that, there was sabotage which made me so frustrated. And of course, a classic Elizabeth Hoyt novel must have a villainous character. The villain from the very start is predictable so there isn't an element of surprise and the way they're dealt with doesn't get dragged on. And of course, the sudden realization of love. This time, not during a life and death situation but because of the heroine wanting to leave the continent. Noticing a pattern in Elizabeth Hoyt's books and I am not very sure that I'm a big fan of it.

It feels like there was so much going on in the book yet there was nothing exciting. It felt so all over the place — that it was so hard to think of a synopsis for it. The problem with Elizabeth Hoyt books is that I do not connect very much with her characters. All the books I've read from her so far have only been average, at least for me. She writes well, the words flow well and I keep turning the pages, yet there is something lacking. I do not feel giddy, I do not feel sad and I do not feel much anything over her books. I was expecting this to be more angsty and maybe that's the problem. I keep on expecting Elizabeth Hoyte to deliver something that I will truly like and I end up disappointed each time.

The star of this book was the hero. He was such a delight to read about. He wasn't perfect, in fact, he was kind of an a-hole. But he was endearing in his own way. Another problem I have with Elizabeth Hoyt books is that her intimate scenes happen so unexpectedly. Asa was a dirty talker and t'was nice. But I felt like there was so much steamy scenes in here that I started reading fast just to get it over with. Her books feel so lust-driven rather than love-driven. Because of that,the love realizations and declarations are baffling. I think Hoyt needs to give her characters more time to develop and have interactions that aren't based on lustful thoughts and doings for the love declarations to be plausible.

Overall, this was just an okay book. Another three stars book. I did not really feel anything but I have to give it credit for keeping me entertained for the night. The characters were nice enough for me to root for their HEA but if they did not get their happy ending, I wouldn't weep over it. That's how her books feel to me. I needed to connect better with her characters and the world and I just don't which is sad. Perhaps, when I read Hoyte again in the future, it'll be a better experience.

Some quotes:

“You’ll be haunting my tomorrows evermore.”

“Stubborn, cynical, violent, and sometimes mean. And yet a man who had tenderly shown her how to love. No one had ever cared so much for her.”

“What I want and what I can have are two entirely different things. Most men learn that somewhere along the way.”

“She was glad—so glad—that he’d come here—that he’d come to her. No man had ever sought her out before, pursued her—so carefully—yet so persistently. It was lovely to be wanted.”

“I like you; I might even, given the chance, love you.” She was watching him, so she saw the flicker of alarm in his green eyes. She shook her head. “But I won’t let myself, since that’s not what you want. But you, Asa, you deserve more than a business in your life.”

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars.

Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series of books set in Georgian London has been consistently entertaining, well-written and researched and has produced a number of memorable characters and sensual love stories which have proved incredibly popular. Amazingly, now nine books in, the series shows no sign of running out of steam, as this latest offering, Sweetest Scoundrel is another enjoyable tale, this time taking a most unlikely couple as its protagonists.

This book picks up the storyline followed in both Darling Beast and Dearest Rogue, of the rebuilding of the popular London pleasure garden, Harte’s Folly, which was burned to the ground at the end of book six, Duke of Midnight. Here, the renovation work is well under way with the grand re-opening just a month away and all is going well - until the Duke of Montgomery’s agent threatens to withdraw the duke’s financial support. Mr Harte has ignored all requests to have his account books inspected, the nitty-gritty of receipts and book-keeping not being something he is overly concerned with, his focus being much more on the bigger picture of getting a roof onto the theatre and finding a new castrati to perform the lead role in his new opera commission.

Miss Eve Dinwoody is the illegitimate half-sister of Valentine Napier, the enigmatic and Machiavellian Duke of Montgomery, and given Eve’s mental acuity and facility with facts and figures, her brother had no qualms about appointing her his “man” of business while he travels abroad. Harte – who is actually Asa Makepeace, the remaining unmarried Makepeace sibling – is furious at the threat to his life’s work, but as the rebuilding cannot continue without the duke’s money, he has to swallow his pride and try to make the “plain as a shovel” harpy change her mind.

He invites her to come to see the Folly for herself, and when she does, his obvious passion for the place impresses her. She decides to take over managing the finances herself so that she can keep an eye on her brother’s investment, and finds herself becoming more and more fascinated by the larger-than-life, blatantly sensual Asa, a man possessed of the sort of overwhelming masculinity that normally terrifies her.

As Eve and Asa ease themselves into a working relationship they begin to get to know each other and even to form a friendship of sorts. Eve is prim, shrewd and not initially prepossessing – not at all the sort of woman to whom Asa is usually drawn. Yet there is something beneath the surface, a vulnerability and a sense of untapped sensuality about her which intrigues him.

As the work on the theatre proceeds, a series of “accidents” threaten not only the opening night, but the lives of those associated with the project. Is Asa being targeted by a rival, or is there something even more sinister at work? I’m not telling, but even though the story does take rather a turn for the melodramatic towards the end, I was still on the edge of my seat wanting to find out the truth.

The novel is well-paced and intelligently written and I especially enjoyed the insight we are given into the world of eighteenth century theatre. Not only does the building itself have to be attended to, but there is also a company to be built, an orchestra to be rehearsed and singers to be engaged, and it all adds a lovely touch of background colour to the main story.

Eve and Asa are as different as chalk and cheese; she refined and reserved, he earthy and shameless, but somehow, as a couple they work, each of them bringing out admirable qualities in the other. Asa is a crude but deliciously sexy hero – a real force of nature who doesn’t give a fig what he looks like, swears like a trooper and knows he’s damn good at what he does, whether it’s running his pleasure garden or satisfying a woman in bed. With him, Eve begins to work through the fears she still suffers as the result of a horrific childhood experience at the same time as she brings out his gentler, more protective side and also encourages him to reunite with his estranged family. The scene in which he takes Eve to visit his brothers, sisters, spouses and children is very well done – a brilliantly realised uncomfortable family situation in which it takes a fight to start to clear the air! – and it’s a nice treat for fans to catch up with some of the characters from the earlier books.

While I think that Asa’s attraction to Eve appeared rather quickly, given his initial reaction to her was that she was a plain, skinny harpy with a beak of a nose, overall the love story is well developed with lots of moments of simple affection as well as ones of more overt sensuality. Ms Hoyt makes the most of Asa’s bawdy, flagrantly sexual nature in the love scenes; this is a man who knows what he wants and how to get it, yet he is also capable of restraint and great tenderness. The trauma Eve suffered gave her a fear and distrust of men, and I appreciated the way the author has Asa take things slowly between them, seducing Eve with words long before he even so much as touches her. I’ve often read books where such trauma is magically cured by the hero’s mighty wang, but fortunately, that doesn’t happen here. The real highlight of the book, however, is the way Eve, deciding that she has had enough of her solitary life and of living in a constant state of fear, starts to take her life back. Her discovery of her inner strength and courage is the emotional heart of the book and a joy to behold.

As she has done in all the other books in the series, Ms Hoyt admirably sets up the next one by introducing us to Miss Bridget Crumb, the efficient, no-nonsense housekeeper at the Duke of Montgomery’s London residence. The duke himself has proved an unpleasant character in previous books; a collector of secrets and a blackmailer, the only person he truly cares about is Eve and she is the only person in his life who loves him unconditionally. I can’t wait to see how the author redeems him and turns him into the hero of his own romance.

For now, though, Sweetest Scoundrel is another fine addition to this long-running series and one I enjoyed reading very much.

[Pepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2022/...
3.5 estrellas
Una novela que me estaba gustando mucho, esa ternura de ciertas escenas que, te descolocan totalmente.
Unos personajes complejos, que no tienen nada en común pero que terminan complementándose
Esos pequeños giros, pero sobre todo, esa gran historia de superación
Una historia pausada que gira entorno a esa pareja que se conoce, supera barreras y terminan superando muchos problemas. Creo que es lo mejor, la evolución lenta de Eve, que sale de esa jaula de oro en el que vive alejada de todo de manos de un libertino, con pinta de león pero que termina siendo tan terriblemente encantador ♥
Me ha gustado mucho cómo lleva el tema Elizabeth Hoyt, pero el gran problema es que todo, todo, todo se termina en treinta páginas y me ha parecido demasiado precipitado
Como si la autora quisiera seguir con la historia paralela que escribe, entre Napier y un personaje secundario. Siguiente de la serie y al que no tardaré mucho en hincar el diente!!!

[Gilgamesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I imagining or was there another couple whose story needs to be told. The one where the guy complemented the girl "Your beauty dazzles and leaves me blind" and girl replies "how inconvenient I hope you get your sight back soon" lol I am paraphrasing but those lines stayed with me. Why is she introducing all these new characters???

[Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Loved Asa but I could not connect with Eve for some reason.
I still love this series though.
_______________________
One of my favorite series ever!
Hoping this one is a goodie!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt
Book Nine of the Maiden Lane series
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: November 24, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

SHE'S TAKING CHARGE

Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother's investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London's premier pleasure garden, Harte's Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can't be controlled.

HE'S RUNNING THE SHOW

Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn't have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden's larger-than-life owner, he's already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He's not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is.

BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL

In spite of her lack of theatrical experience—and her fiery clashes with Asa—Eve is determined to turn Harte's Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There's no denying the smoldering fire between them—and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all.

What I Liked:

I swear, I have yet to read a bad Hoyt book. How does she do it? I've read the Maiden Lane series (books 1-9) and her Julia Harper book Once and Always, and I've liked each of the ten books. Some more than others, but all ten are really unique and wonderful, with mesmerizing stories and lovely characters. Hoyt's characters are so well-written!

Asa Makepeace will do anything for Harte's Folly. He vows to have it open in about a month, after the recent mishap at the garden and theater. His financial backer, the Duke of Montgomery, is the one funding everything. Eve Dinwoody is the Duke's sister and the one in charge of handling the funds for Harte's Folly. Eve thinks Asa is spending too much, and pays Asa a visit. Soon, Eve is wrapped up in Harte's Folly as well, and she's determined to help Asa with the success of the garden and theater. And there's also the matter of the attraction between Asa and Eve...

Let's start with Asa! Ahhh, Asa. I'd always been curious about him - he's one of six Makepeaces, and in the series, he's the one that shows up seldom. Verity and Concord (the two oldest Makepeace children) didn't get their own books (they were introduced to this series already married to their respective spouses, as well as with children), but they have been present in the series. We find out why Asa is not close to his family, and doesn't see them often.

We learn a great deal about Asa. He's a large man, wild and earthy and honest and prone to grumpiness. He's also mischievous in a way, and flirtatious. He's like your ideal image of a primitive man who symbolizes pleasure. If that makes sense. But Asa is very devoted to the garden, the theater, to all of Harte's Folly. He will stop at nothing to see it open again in a month's time - even if it means groveling to the Duke's sister to keep the funds coming.

Eve is a strange character from the start. She manages Val's funds for Harte's Folly, which seems odd for a woman of this time period to be doing, but Eve is very clever and sharp. She also has demons of the past, memories and nightmares that make her afraid of the touch of a man, as well as dogs. Eve knows she'll grow old and never marry. But she meets Asa, a large man who punches another man during Eve and Asa's first meeting. That should make her especially afraid of him, right?

I love how Eve slowly begins to trust Asa. It's not an easy thing - she's been hurt in her past - but she realizes quickly that she has nothing to fear from him. He's surprisingly gentle with her, reigning in his temper and his shouting, protecting her instinctively, without knowing about her emotional trauma. This is a rare historical romance novel in which the two characters seem to fall emotionally first, physically second. Asa is definitely a sexy man beast, but Eve is described as very plain.

So, I loved the romance. This book isn't oozing with sexual tension, and yet, there is chemistry between the two characters. It's a slow build because Asa literally cannot touch Eve (no one can), but I love how Hoyt builds the chemistry as well as the romance around this.

The story is not just about Eve and Asa - Harte's Folly is set to open shortly, but there have been many setbacks. It seems like someone is sabotaging Harte's Folly! That is a fun (and slightly scary) mystery. There are so many great secondary characters that are introduced (the dancers, singers, even a couple of pets!) along the way.

One more thing - we are fully introduced to our heroine of the next book, Duke of Sin! Bridget Crumb is the housekeeper of Hermes House, which is where the Duke of Montgomery (VAL!) lives. I cannot wait to read Duke of Sin!

What I Did Not Like:

Obviously there is good reason why there are significantly less steamy scenes - but that doesn't stop me from wanting more. Hoyt has really great steamy scenes, and the one or two in this book ARE pretty steamy, but more is always good in romance novels!

Would I Recommend It:

I recommend this book. I recommend this whole series. But you definitely want Asa's book. Asa is not a lord, not a rich arrogant nobleman, and that makes him all the more appealing. If you haven't read any of the books in this series, fix this! Start anywhere (though I highly recommend book six especially)!

Rating:

4 stars. Another fabulous addition to the Maiden Lane series! My favorite book of the series is Duke of Midnight, but that will probably change with the next book, Duke of Sin. Val is so wicked. I am ridiculously excited to learn more about this man!

[Monty Cupcake ☠ Queen of Bloodshed ☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
The beginning of this book was slow and didn't draw me in as quickly as Hoyt's books usually do. I suppose it makes sense it was slow in terms of Eve's character and her history. This is a story of opposites attract.

Plot: Eve is her half brother, the Duke of Montgomery's accountant and overseeing his investment in Harte's Folly, a theatre/pleasure garden place. Asa Makepeace is Mr. Harte, the owner/manager of Harte's Folly. Asa isn't very fond of answering to anyone or keeping books. He's loud, brash, and rough. Eve is prom, proper, reserved, and scared. Neither likes or approves of the other. Definitely lots of clashing.

The book is about how they work together, challenge one another, and hep each other. That was really what I liked most about this book, seeing a very impatient man, Asa, having the caring and patience to help Eve. She has trauma in her past that has caused her to be scared of being touched, men, violence, and dogs. Asa, despite seeming to be a giant lug head that acts first, speaks later, he's able to comprehend Eve's problems and try to help. Eve, for her part, seems to be a calming and stabilizing presence for Asa.

There's a bit of a villain in this, but it's more about the two main characters and reconstructing Harte's Folly. That may be why I found it a slow start, with reading so much UF lately. Besides that, it has the usual steamy scenes of an Elizabeth Hoyt novel and all around fun of 1741 England. Actually, a lot of steamy scenes. I applaud those.

For inquiring minds: there is Raahoshing in this book, Vektaling, and Rukhing.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

If one is looking for some blatant sexual crudeness, one would be happy with this book.

It isn’t a chore to read this book. But it wasn’t a love story. It’s a sexual fantasy where a woman is somehow „liberated“ from her sordid past because of her newfound passion with a man who somehow took an interest in her. I imagine it could be good entertainment, hence the 3 stars.

I have to say the famous maiden lane series is one disappointment after another for me. But that’s a personal thing. I can’t establish any connection to any of the characters in these books. Everyone of them seems….outrageously fake, existing only to shock/surprise the readers with their eccentricities. I think it admirable for writers to want to explore new waters. I just wish that they remembered at the end of the day it is the human connection that makes a good story, not fancy/eccentric characters or unusual storylines. Personal opinions, not an assessment of the writer’s skills.