The Scoundrel and the Lady

Lords of Vice #1

by Robyn DeHart

Iris Bennington is furious when she discovers her younger brother is following the instructions found in the acclaimed advice columns on How to be a Gentleman. The so-called “advice” is more likely to turn her brother into a scoundrel than a true gentleman. Iris decides to locate the author of the columns and confront him.

Merritt Steel, the Earl of Ashby, cannot help but be amused by the slip of a woman who comes calling. Unwilling to let such a delightful potential conquest go, he proposes a wager: bring him anyone off the street and he can pass them off as a gentleman. It’s a bargain she readily accepts—but with a twist.

Their bargain proves to be a greater challenge than either anticipated. Merritt finds it near impossible to keep his hands off Iris, and she begins to see the undeniable appeal of ungentlemanly behavior…

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

190 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2017

About the author

National Bestselling author, Robyn DeHart’s novels have appeared in the top bestselling romance and historical romance lists. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages. Her historical romantic adventure series, The Legend Hunters, were not only bestsellers, but also award-winners, snagging a Reader’s Crown and a Reviewer’s Choice award. She had three releases in 2013 and 2014 will see four more, all set in the popular historical romance Regency and Victorian eras.

Known for her “strong dialogue and characters that leap off the page” (RT Bookclub) and her “sizzling romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been featured in USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. A popular writing instructor, she has given speeches at writing conferences in Los Angeles, DC, New York, Dallas, Nashville and Toronto, among many others.

When not writing, you can find Robyn hanging out with her family, husband (The Professor) a university professor of Political Science and their two ridiculously beautiful and smart daughters, Busybee and Babybee as well as two spoiled-rotten cats. They live in the hill country of Texas where it’s hot eight months of the year, but those big blue skies make it worth it.

You can find Robyn online in a variety of places.
Sign up for Robyn’s newsletter www.robyndehart.com/newsletter/
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Robyn on Twitter twitter.com/RobynDeHart
Robyn on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Robyn-DeHart-H...
Robyn on Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/288853....

What others say about Robyn’s books.
“Robyn DeHart’s vibrant characters sweep the reader into a clever and sensual romp that is not to be missed.” – Julia London, NYT Bestselling Author
“Robyn DeHart proves that falling in love is the greatest adventure of all.” – Teresa Medeiros, NYT Bestselling Author
“Sizzling romance…DeHart makes the romance believable and enticing.” - Publishers Weekly
“DeHart is a genuine treasure.” – Booklist
“Robyn DeHart has become one of my favorite authors…where she shines is in creating character…. DeHart’s romances are tender and adventurous, and funny enough you may laugh your nethers off.” – FreshFiction
“One of the best historical romance authors writing today.” - Shana Galen, National Bestselling Author

Reviews

[Anovelqueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review


***Can't Recommend***

Hero: Merrick, Lord Ashby...Scandal newspaper owner turned earl when a distant cousin dies. Raising his younger sister. Handsome (to heroine), rich, feared by the aristocracy.

Heroine: Iris Bennington. Aristocrat. Clingy...can't let go of her younger brother. Garish hair... Orange? (never heard this color used before...not red..carrot orange). Busybody. And in her spare time a superhero.

Genre: Historical Romance. Set in London

Overview: I tried very hard to like this book. But it just had soooo many problems. This hero character has been used hundreds of times. He inherits an earldom, but he detests and loathes the aristocracy. Why did he accept? I'm sure he could have said no. His character was just too weak for me. I didn't connect with him.

The heroine....oh she is a mess. Where do I start? Supposedly she is from the aristocracy, but no one addresses her as lady. She is so clingy and domineering to her younger brother, I wanted to tell her to back off. Her friends are so annoying, and too much time is spent talking to them instead of developing a relationship with the hero. Oh....she fights crime. Really???? This delicate woman can take down men with hat pins and prowls the street for criminals. No explanation as to why she feels she needs to do this.

Not a lot of emphasis placed on Iris' training Merrick's sister for society. That would have been a great opportunity to develop the relationship more. No humor. No teasing. No sexual tension or desire. Sex scene was so boring and quick.

Cons: Characters didn't engage me. No passion. No humor. Just not a good story to me.

Pros: It takes a lot of time, effort and skill to write a book. So 3 stars to the author.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy and light, an ideal way to unwind after a long day. I liked Iris more than I liked Harriet (yes, I'm aware that I read the books backwards) because Iris is less naive in some ways. In other ways she was so damn innocent it was painful to watch. Merrit was fun to read and easy to sympathize with. He was more likeable than his counterpart in the second book as well. Because I already read the second book I knew some of the thing that would happen so I was mostly interested in the romance rather than the Lady X mystery part. Hopefully the mystery will be solved in book 3.

[Missy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forgettable.

[Tracy Emro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 stars

Lady Iris Bennington has been caring for her younger brother for years and recently he has begun to sow his wild oats with a vengeance. Iris has tried everything to reign him in but nothing is working. When she discovers that her brother is following advice found in a scandal sheet on how to be a proper gentleman, she is outraged and sets her sights on the publisher.

Merritt Steele, the Earl of Ashby is the owner and editor of the Daily Scandal, the scandal sheet running the series on how to be a proper gentleman. Merritt has been successful with his paper and was happy living the life of a wealthy merchant, but his life was upended when he learned that he had inherited the earldom. Merritt doesn't have a lot of respect for the "upper class" and uses his paper to poke fun at them. But his younger sister Lucy, desperately wants to fit in the ton and Merritt will do anything for her - including making a wager with Lady Iris.

The story was short and cute, but the wager was not as entertaining as I had hoped and slipped into the utterly ridiculous. I liked Iris and Merritt, they both want love, but have both been hurt before and therefore fight the feeling tooth and nail. But on the downside, I felt that Iris forgave Merritt (and her brother for that matter) way too easily, at the beginning of the story she is portrayed as a strong, take no nonsense woman and by the end she came across as a bit of a pushover. I had hoped for more.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merritt Steele owns and runs a newspaper & then he finds that he’s inherited an earldom but being the Earl of Ashby won’t curtail his newspaper column.
Iris Bennington is furious when she discovers her younger brother Jasper is following the instructions found in the acclaimed advice columns on How to be a Gentleman. The so-called "advice" is more likely to turn her brother into a scoundrel than a true gentleman. Iris decides to locate the author of the columns and confront him.
Merritt, cannot help but be amused by the slip of a woman who comes calling. Unwilling to let such a delightful potential conquest go, he proposes a wager: bring him anyone off the street and he can pass them off as a gentleman. It's a bargain she readily accepts but has her own terms.
An entertaining read the chemistry between Merritt & Iris is apparent from the start & only increases throughout the book The pace of the book is good & the plot although straight forward held my attention all of the way through. I hope Agnes & Harriet have their stories as there are still tasks to complete. Merritt isn’t exactly a scoundrel more a hard-headed businessman. Iris is a lady but finds it increasingly hard to behave like one around Merritt. I thoroughly enjoyed the book & look forward to more from the author

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I loved the Ladies of Virtue! It is an interesting dynamic of the story. I though it was a fun cute read but I would not necessarily call the new earl a Scoundrel. I found the brother to be super annoying and his actions towards the end should not have been easily forgiven. Overall it was a cute story and funny to see her continuing with the bet. I will definitely check out the rest of the series as they come out!

[Gina Marie (OMG_look_at_her_books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5/5

I started reading this series on book #4, which I LOVED, but I just didn’t love this one as much. Overall, it was a cute and sweet short read that I read in one day, but I just didn’t fall in love with the characters. I’d still recommend this book if you like steamy regency romance novels!

[Fae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book only had 13 chapters so i had a feeling it would be rushed and i was right. While i was amused by their interactions, i felt they fell in lust with each other at first sight and that made their romance unbelievable to me.

Iris came off as impulsive, her asking Merritt to turn her into gentleman which risks her reputation. It ended up having a backlash and yet when Merritt offered to marry her (with his unromantic proposal), she still did not want to marry him despite the potential scandal.

Merritt… I couldn’t understand why he had to print the article, knowing it would hurt iris and hoped she wouldn’t see it. Though he was trying to prove he didn’t love her, he went about the wrong way of proving it.

Sadly, this book could have been much better had i liked the hero and heroine more and if the story was more developed. The ending felt rushed. Nevertheless, it was an alright book to read to pass the time.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publisher's Description:

Iris Bennington is furious when she discovers her younger brother is following the instructions found in the acclaimed advice columns on How to be a Gentleman. The so-called “advice” is more likely to turn her brother into a scoundrel than a true gentleman. Iris decides to locate the author of the columns and confront him.

Merritt Steel, the Earl of Ashby, cannot help but be amused by the slip of a woman who comes calling. Unwilling to let such a delightful potential conquest go, he proposes a wager: bring him anyone off the street and he can pass them off as a gentleman. It’s a bargain she readily accepts—but with a twist.

Their bargain proves to be a greater challenge than either anticipated. Merritt finds it near impossible to keep his hands off Iris, and she begins to see the undeniable appeal of ungentlemanly behavior…

My Thoughts:
This was a very engrossing and enjoyable read. The length of this read may be the only distracting factor. It just wasn't long enough.
Iris has discovered that her younger brother has been reading articles in a gossip paper to learn how to be a gentleman of the ton. He is gambling and carousing and if given the opportunity would likely have them in dire straights.
Iris will not have that so she decides to confront the man responsible for the articles.
Merritt was not born into the aristocracy but due to the untimely deaths of several relatives he has inherited an unwanted title. Despite his new circumstances he decides to continue his ownership of the newspaper. He also intends on continuing to write columns for said paper.
Imagine his surprise to find a slight young woman demanding that he cease writing his columns.
A wager between Iris and Merritt results in an astounding end with a scandal in the making. Since Merritt doesn't believe in love and Iris refuses to marry without it what will become of these two unlikely lovers?
I gave this short read 4.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3.75 of 5.0 flames. The intimacy between our couple is palpable and heated.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Patricia Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago I used to read Robyn DeHart and then I lost track of her. I am so happy that I have found her again. I had forgotten how much i enjoyed her books. This book is just another example.
The story is about Iris and Merritt. She is the daughter of an Earl, independent, strong minded and who is protective of the brother whom she practically raised.
Merritt is the son of a merchant, a publisher, with distant relationships to the "ton". His newspaper is a scandal rag that exposes the "ton" in different ways. So when he inherits an earldom, it throws a monkeywrench into his work.
Iris confronts Merritt about the influence his paper is having on her brother. A battle of wills persue, turning into respect and love.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to the next in this series. DeHart and then I lost track of her. I am so happy that I have found her again. I had forgotten how much i enjoyed her books. This book is just another example.
The story is about Iris and Merritt. She is the daughter of an Earl, independent, strong minded and who is protective of the brother whom she practically raised.
Merritt is the son of a merchant, a publisher, with distant relationships to the "ton". His newspaper is a scandal rag that exposes the "ton" in different ways. So when he inherits an earldom, it throws a monkeywrench into his work.
Iris confronts Merritt about the influence his paper is having on her brother. A battle of wills persue, turning into respect and love.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to the next in this series.

[Meesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scoundrel and the Lady is a very cute story around Lady Iris Bennington and Lord Merritt Steele. I'm not sure I'd call Merritt a scoundrel but he's definitely not your usual kind of earl. He only inherited his earldom in the last year from a distant relative. He was not raised in society and had never expected to inherit. Instead he had been living as the editor of a scandal rag that he is quite proud of. When Lady Iris confronts Merritt in regards to a column that is being run in his paper, he sees an opportunity for a wager. He is in need of someone to help tutor his sister to be presented to society and sees Lady Iris as someone who might be able to help. Additionally Iris is hoping to have Merritt makeover someone into a gentleman in order to show him that his column on being a gentleman is ill advise. There's a little flimsiness in the premise of the wager so don't look too carefully. Luckily the characters are enjoyable to read. The story is a quick read and moves along at a good pace until the end which things wrap up rather quickly. With more time and development to the story it could be even better. Overall though, it was enjoyable and has set up other characters for their own stories.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A merchant’s son, a newspaperman and an earl…all the same person. Iris is furious with her brother for living the life of a “gentleman” (drinking and gambling to excess) until she finds out why he thinks it is okay. As with most newspapermen, Merritt is looking for the next big story and refuses to give up writing and publishing his articles. But what Iris’ brother does not understand is that the articles are not meant to be “words to live by”. Both Merritt and Iris are great characters and their bargain to stop Iris’ brother and help Merritt’s sister gets them into all kinds of trouble with each other. Great interaction, just enough angst and throw in a reference to The Brotherhood of the Sword make for a great story.

Set up for the next story, but whose will it be and who is the mysterious Lady X?

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The female lead, Iris, raised her brother from when he was about 9 years old and both parents had died within a year. She spoiled him. Now he is becoming an adult and loves reading a scandalous paper which gives advice - advice how Gentleman should act.

Merritt Steele, Earl of Ashby, owner of this scandalous paper only inherited his title from a far cousin a year ago and doesnt feel like an aristocrat himself. But he has a sister who dreams of a season and being introduced in society.

Well it's easy to say what this book is about and it was, unfortunately, quite boring and quite predictable. I knew from the beginning who the blackmailer might be. And that Iris' disguise will be discovered, was predictable too.

Nice average read, nothing special in my opinion.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Iris Bennington lost her parents young and had to assume the care of her brother, the Earl of Nickerson, and managing the estate. Merritt Steele was a merchants son, he started at the paper on the bottom and worked his way up until he could buy it, which he did.
The characters are charming, they are very loyal to their friends and family. The descriptions help the story come alive for you. The plot is excellent with a few twists and turns. I really loved this tale of a woman who thought she was a spinster but there was more. Her best friends were fun and they were all young. The author did a marvelous job of keeping everything together and making sense. The book moved smoothly and kept your attention.
I received this book from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[wonderfullyweird88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from the publishers in via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Merritt Steel, the Earl of Ashby, never expected to inherit the earldom. He was happy running his newspaper and publishing the sordid scandals of high society.
Iris Bennington is dismayed to discover her beloved younger brother is following advice on ‘how to be a gentleman’ from a scandal rag. When Lady Iris confronts Merritt in regards to the column that is being run in his paper, he sees an opportunity for a wager.
This was an enjoyable read. I loved the character of Iris. She was not your typical society miss and was resigned to being a spinster utterly devoted to the care of her younger brother

[Arshia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know how many times I have read a book and pitied the heroine for falling in love with an ass! Said ass also gets away with every shitty thing he does because of a pitiful excuse and three words he doesn't know the meaning of: "I love you." Merritt what-ever-the-fuck-his-last-name-is was the ass who should've begged on his knees for forgiveness and then after Iris traveled the world and had her adventures maybe she would've forgiven him. One small, meaningless gesture doesn't make a full apology!

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5

[Booklover · Rating 2 out of 5]

Merrick & Iris

Lots of plot problems with this one.

Heroine decides to enter into a "wager" with the hero, but it's quite possible that both can win the bet. Sounds like a terrible bet, conceived by a mediocre author.

Also stupid, Iris decides that she wants Merrick to turn her into a gentleman - this is a flimsy plot device to allow the hero and heroine to spend time together in intimate situations (measuring for men's clothing, trying said clothing on, etc.)

Merrick's side of the bargain makes better sense. Iris is to "bring out" Merrick's non-noble born sister, Lucy, into society.

Iris' brother is an irredeemable jerk. This is a bummer, because he doesn't have to be. I kept expecting him to have a reasonable/decent excuse for his fun and games, but at the end of the day, he doesn't.

Merrick internationally seduces the heroine while he is convinced he doesn't love her and while she does love him, and after he published his dastardly article. No, no, no, no, no!

It sooooo bugged me that Merrick had little to no remorse about publishing the article. That really crushed any affection I had for him because it was a betrayal of the heroine.

Iris, herself, isn't particularly lovable. She is a busy body, spinster with few prospects who decides to sleep with the hero but then refuses his offer of marriage. Now, she has good reason to refuse, but she didn't even know the half of it at that point. 😒

Just messy all around.

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have submitted this review after listening to the audio book of this title. (Audible Membership)

The scoundrel is a merchant man's son who had worked himself up to be the owner of a scandrel sheet of a newspaper.
The lady was a woman of five and twenty, who considered herself a spinster,had been the sole carer of her brother who was seven years younger than her, and who had inherited the title of an Earl, when their late father had passed away when he was very young.
They met because she contrived a meeting to discuss articles that her brother followed as fact.The articles were, unfortunately, a satirical look at the behaviour of gentlemen. The humorous side had been lost on the raw youth.
What happens next is an enchanting tale of what one person will do for another.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its in the headline

Merritt is a newspaper owner turned Earl! Merritt is a self made man and he has made news aka gossip his bread and butter with headlines! Iris is a self proclaimed spinster and member of a skilled ladies league whose members and training must remain a secret!
Iris is betrayed by Merritt seduction and reasons behind it are not sufficient to me! Iris is again betrayed by family and someone who has it in for the entire group! How much more should she have to take?
Merritt didn't grovel or redeem himself in my opinion!? Maybe in future stories?

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it's a cute story with a sweet romance.

The book would have been better if it had less going on, especially considering how short it is. There were so many plot points thrown in that none of them really get fleshed out at all. There's a secret society, a wager, gentleman lessons, lady lessons, a plan to reform gentlemen, a secret informant, blackmail, an article about said secret society, and a romance on top of it all. Just too much.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, entertaining read. Merritt and Iris are interesting, strong, complex, relatable, intriguing, entertaining characters. I enjoyed them as individuals and their romance with all its twists and turns. Their interactions are entertaining and fun to read. The secondary characters – especially Iris’s friends – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book only because it was a short audio book and well narrated. The story idea was good, and the writing was good, but the construct was comical. The characters did not seem to develop, and the story did not go beyond a superficial level. At times, I laughed out loud because it was ridiculous. I prefer my historical romances to be more developed.

[Karen Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying this book until the heroine made a dumb wager with the hero. I was not here for the stupid wager. I do love a brave, intellegent, smart, bold, wealthly heroine who knows how to take care of herself.

[Belladonna]

31

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful historical romance! I very much enjoyed Iris and Merritt as individuals and together they were amazing!!

[K McBride · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story wad fine, the narration was not and actually took away from the story. The voice sounded virtual vs real it was so monitone.

[Aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I began this book, I was ready to give it a 5 star. The book is so original. Iris Bennington is one of the Ladies of Virtue. Officially, they are known for charitable work. However, they are much more than that. They are trained to stop pickpockets, defend themselves, etc. They also reform dishonest people, e.g. Iris stopped a man from stealing from his employers and made him see the error of his ways. The Ladies of Virtue also try to help desperate and helpless people, e.g. a girl selling herself to support herself (they will take her off the streets and help her attain a position as a scullery maid), a servant mistreated by employers (they will take them from the house and possibly find a better employment), etc. I really liked this idea.

Now, for Merrit. He owns a gossip newspaper. When he saw Iris in action taking down a thief, he realized she is specially trained and wanted to find out more about where she was trained, who trained her, the possibility of the existence of an organization that trains ladies to fight crime, and basically everything about the organization to "have the scandal story of a century." Of course, Iris did not tell him anything because she can't. So, he puts feelers to investigate and Lady X (a member of the secret society, maybe?) responds. He uses the information to write a story about the organization, using the fact that Iris does not read his scandal paper to justify his actions. Also, someone sends him a blackmail letter about Iris. He decides they should marry so he can protect her with his name from the scandal of both the blackmail and the scandal of anyone finding out that Iris belongs to that society written about in his newspaper and now in Times. Seriously, Merrick? It is your fault she could be part of a scandal. Honorable of him not wanting to leave her to the scandal, but still.. ugh.. To convince her to marry him, her sets out to seduce her, meanwhile keeping the blackmail letter and his betrayal of writing about her (in the article, he just mentioned ladies fighting crimes in London streets, he did not mention specific names or the Ladies of Virtue) a secret. The morning after seduction, he demands they marry! Infuriating!

Iris says no. He then tells about the blackmail note but she still says no. She refuses to marry a man who does not love her. I respected her for that. He still does NOT tell her about his betrayal.

Of course, she finds out when the head of Ladies of Virtue shows her the article. The article was so popular that Times newspaper sought rights to publish the article. When Iris confronts Merrit, he says, "I didn't think you read my paper." As if THAT is a statement that gave him the right to betray her! When she tells him he completely betrayed her, he says he helped discover there is traitor in the midst and they are all anonymous on the paper anyway

Stuff happens.
Stuff happens.
He has an explanation.
Of course, they end up together and live happily ever after.

I did like the ending very much. Iris wants to write a book about teaching women to defend themselves. She wants to travel to Italy to have more hands on experience of defending herself. Her only experience so far in in London. She wants to travel to more places in the world. Merrit leaves the running of his paper to his best friend Rand and joins her in the travels. I love it when romantic people become partners in life, true partners where they help each other with their life. That is why I liked the ending so much.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Iris Bennington, sister of the Earl of Nickerson, is a rule follower who has never broken the rules society has set down, until Merritt. She has given up the dreams all young debutantes have; have a come out, be courted, fall in love, marry and have children. Iris is a woman that can take care of herself and knows her mind, but under the surface there are insecurities that make her incredibly relatable.

Merritt Steele, owner of the newspaper the Daily Scandal, is the son of a merchant that has built his wealth from the ground up and has a strong dislike of the aristocracy. He sees them as over indulged and not terribly bright and writes his paper with strong satire, which often contains grains of scandal. Like some kind of cosmic joke, he inherits an earldom and fights becoming one of “them.”

Through a wager Iris and Merritt are brought together, each wanting something from the other for their respective siblings; Merritt’s sister Lucy needs to be tutored in the ways of the ton and Iris’s brother, Jasper, needs to be shown the error of his ways. Iris has a lot to lose and Merritt has a lot to gain if he would only get out of his own way. They keep They keep each other on their toes and they find they are reconsidering their preconceived ideas of the other. Iris must come to terms with disappointment and let go of a responsibility she has held tightly to her heart. Merritt must let go of his past to embrace what potentially be his own heaven on earth.

This is the first in the new series Lords of Vice and I am excited for the stories to come. Ms. DeHart has created the Ladies of Virtue and they are an incredible group of women with self-protection skills and they have a duel identity. To the public they provide money for the needy and make society a better place. The flip side has them stopping pickpockets, rescuing mistreated servants, and working to improve working conditions in factories and work houses. Because they have the duel identities they are all very careful to maintain their reputations so that they do not cause harm to their fellow Ladies.

We are introduced to Iris’s best friends, Agnes and Harriet. They are all members of the Ladies of Virtue. They decide amongst themselves that they are going to reform men of the ton. The concept for the series is brilliant in that it will bring each of them their HEA. Together the three friends are fun, feisty and loyal to a fault. We are given charming glimpses of both Agnes and Harriet that leave you wanting to know more. This was a delightful first book in a series and the groundwork was laid for the coming stories without bogging this story down in details and background. We watch Lucy discover her heart and Jasper start to grow. We see Iris let go of her insecurities while Merritt hold on to Iris and not his past. Brilliantly written and an excellent page turner.

I give this 4.5 stars.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Mary Gramlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merritt Steele loves a scandal and the more illicit the better and he knows that every writer envies his knowledge of the well to do and his paper that he built from the bottom up proves how in step he is with his readers. By a wicked turn of fate Merritt is now part of the group he is so enamored of trashing all this has done is make him more determined to prove he cares little about society and what they think. However, Lady Iris Bennington does have an interest in what he is writing as it is turning her beloved brother into a cad, something she worked very hard to avoid happening. Iris was forced to care for her brother from an early age when other girls were making a coming out she chose to stay in and do right by her family. When pushed with a decision of substance where her brother is concerned Iris chooses to confront the villain and after that nothing was ever the same for either of them.

Being a woman in good standing Iris assumed Merritt would see the light and stop his ridiculous articles about how men should behave but Merritt views life from a different angle so what it takes to stop him is nothing short of a confrontation. Both Iris and Merritt want something the other can provide and the bet that comes from this meeting of great minds is, to say the least scattered like dried up leaves. Iris will prepare Merritt’s sister for polite society while Merritt will teach Iris to be a man about town. Neither likes the venture but both know they will not back down. But what a surprise for Merritt when a certain skill set of Iris’s presents itself, and just like that another adventure is started on Merritt’s part to discover why is it that Iris is so good with self-defense. No mere maiden is she, no Iris is very accurate with her ability to draw down an aggressor and Merritt must know why.

Yet what Merritt discovers turns out to be more hurtful than helpful in their relationship which both deny they are having. Iris wants privacy and the right to live her life as a respected, independent woman while Merritt by his own profession is destined to destroy that with the wisp of an ill written word. Even though his innuendos are veiled and his source anonymous the hurt brought down upon Iris is unforgiveable on his part and trying to make amends may not happen and then what does he does with the love he has accumulated for her and the uncontrolled desire to not live without her existence in his life.

Great writers develop characters with charisma, storylines that keep readers entranced until the end, a few twists around a turn, and always with romance a love that you can feel to your toes. Robyn DeHart does all of this and adds one more element that takes her writing to the expert level, a deep seeded love for the written word. Ms. DeHart understands the depth of her ability and ensures her readers know that she is writing every word she puts in every sentence on every page with love and conviction.