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Last Chance Scoundrels #3
A Rogue's Rules for Seduction
In USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh's final Last Chance Scoundrels novel, a young lady and her former betrothed get a second chance at love when they're stranded at a remote country house...
After Dominic Kilburn left Lady Willa Ransom at the altar, she vowed never to reveal how badly she was hurt. Following a year abroad, Willa wants to move on with her life, so she accepts an invitation to a house party. She's determined to leave her humiliation behind, as well as the scorching attraction she still feels for the man who jilted her.
When dark secrets from his past surfaced right before his wedding, Dom knew he didn't deserve Willa. So, he bolted. But he still burns for the only woman who ever claimed his heart. To escape the memories of all he lost, Dom heads to a friend's estate on an isolated Scottish isle. Yet one of the other guests is the very woman who haunts his every thought and makes him wish for the impossible.
Thrown together by well-meaning family and friends, Willa and Dom try to resist the fiery pull between them. Soon the line between love and loathing begins to blur, and their attraction explodes. But Dom's past lurks on the edge of their rekindled passion and Willa fears she'll be devastated all over again. Can these star-crossed lovers find their happily ever after, or will everything detonate a second time?
After Dominic Kilburn left Lady Willa Ransom at the altar, she vowed never to reveal how badly she was hurt. Following a year abroad, Willa wants to move on with her life, so she accepts an invitation to a house party. She's determined to leave her humiliation behind, as well as the scorching attraction she still feels for the man who jilted her.
When dark secrets from his past surfaced right before his wedding, Dom knew he didn't deserve Willa. So, he bolted. But he still burns for the only woman who ever claimed his heart. To escape the memories of all he lost, Dom heads to a friend's estate on an isolated Scottish isle. Yet one of the other guests is the very woman who haunts his every thought and makes him wish for the impossible.
Thrown together by well-meaning family and friends, Willa and Dom try to resist the fiery pull between them. Soon the line between love and loathing begins to blur, and their attraction explodes. But Dom's past lurks on the edge of their rekindled passion and Willa fears she'll be devastated all over again. Can these star-crossed lovers find their happily ever after, or will everything detonate a second time?
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2023
105 people are currently reading
1714 people want to read
About the author
Eva Leigh
27 books1,477 followersEva Leigh is a USA Today bestselling romance author. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, her books have been featured by the New York Times, NPR, Oprah Daily, the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, Self, Paste Magazine, and many more. Her work has also been translated into numerous languages. She lives on the Central California coast with her husband and cats. Visit her on the web at evaleighauthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews
November 22, 2023
✨Dom was Hercules and his thirteenth labour was slaying pussy.✨
If he doesn’t forage wild berries for me or wear sexy spectacles, I don’t want him. If he doesn’t do the Darcy hand flex while also flexing his admittedly thickly muscled thighs, I don’t want him. If he doesn’t immediately drop to his knees and offer up his large, large body for my pleasure, I don’t want him. If he’s not Dominic Kilburn, lord knows I don’t want him.
✨
Note: I don’t know what everyone considers spoilers, and I don’t think I give too much away, but I do talk about mild plot things and whatnot.
✨
Listen, I loved this book so much. It’s one of the most well-executed second chances I’ve ever read. I’ve been waiting for this book since chapter one of The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes. It was angsty but all of the angst had intention and purpose and was paced out really well. The entire book was basically the aftermath of a third-act breakup, so this third act was just one marathon sex scene and normal human emotions.
Like it was angsty while still giving me the fluffiest coziest vibes??? God I just loved it so much. There was excellent work done in showing us who Dom and Willa were in the past and then who they were in the present, as well as how their views of each other and their relationship changed. The walls were finally torn down between them by the end of the book, which really gave purpose to the initial breakup. Was it shitty of Dom? Absolutely. Did it help them grow? Absolutely.
On top of a very well-paced, compelling plot… There was GROVELING. There were lusty Greek TABLEAUS. There was commanded MASTURBATION. There were GOOD GIRLS. There was a conveniently placed COTTAGE during a conveniently timed RAINSTORM. There was BREAD and CHEESE. There was SIXTY-NINING.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give it up for my girl Willa because. QUEEN. Throwing porcelain at walls is so hot. Wearing your best revenge dress is so hot. Not accepting the first apology is so hot. She was strong, self aware, and not afraid to make Dom repent.
Y’all idk what else to say he bloodied his knees groveling and going down on her so yeah that’s the hero’s journey I need. Dom was Hercules and his thirteenth labour was slaying pussy.
A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction was the perfect conclusion to the series and exceeded every single expectation I had. It was absolutely red hot and scorched my sensibilities. You may think you know what you’re going to get, but I promise that you’ll be surprised. I’ve been told the audiobook is narrated by Mary Jane Wells and trust me when I say you are not prepared.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️.75*/5
*Several sex scenes, several positions, several orgasms. I gave a bit away in the review but I’m leaving some for you to discover 😌
Is this a standalone? Knowing the events of especially the beginning of book one would be extremely helpful. However, Leigh does a great job explaining the backstory within this book. Some emotional attachment may be lost, but I still think you should consider it if you haven’t read the others for whatever reason!
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. I was also provided a copy by the author! All opinions are honest and my own.
If he doesn’t forage wild berries for me or wear sexy spectacles, I don’t want him. If he doesn’t do the Darcy hand flex while also flexing his admittedly thickly muscled thighs, I don’t want him. If he doesn’t immediately drop to his knees and offer up his large, large body for my pleasure, I don’t want him. If he’s not Dominic Kilburn, lord knows I don’t want him.
✨
Note: I don’t know what everyone considers spoilers, and I don’t think I give too much away, but I do talk about mild plot things and whatnot.
✨
Listen, I loved this book so much. It’s one of the most well-executed second chances I’ve ever read. I’ve been waiting for this book since chapter one of The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes. It was angsty but all of the angst had intention and purpose and was paced out really well. The entire book was basically the aftermath of a third-act breakup, so this third act was just one marathon sex scene and normal human emotions.
Like it was angsty while still giving me the fluffiest coziest vibes??? God I just loved it so much. There was excellent work done in showing us who Dom and Willa were in the past and then who they were in the present, as well as how their views of each other and their relationship changed. The walls were finally torn down between them by the end of the book, which really gave purpose to the initial breakup. Was it shitty of Dom? Absolutely. Did it help them grow? Absolutely.
On top of a very well-paced, compelling plot… There was GROVELING. There were lusty Greek TABLEAUS. There was commanded MASTURBATION. There were GOOD GIRLS. There was a conveniently placed COTTAGE during a conveniently timed RAINSTORM. There was BREAD and CHEESE. There was SIXTY-NINING.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give it up for my girl Willa because. QUEEN. Throwing porcelain at walls is so hot. Wearing your best revenge dress is so hot. Not accepting the first apology is so hot. She was strong, self aware, and not afraid to make Dom repent.
Y’all idk what else to say he bloodied his knees groveling and going down on her so yeah that’s the hero’s journey I need. Dom was Hercules and his thirteenth labour was slaying pussy.
A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction was the perfect conclusion to the series and exceeded every single expectation I had. It was absolutely red hot and scorched my sensibilities. You may think you know what you’re going to get, but I promise that you’ll be surprised. I’ve been told the audiobook is narrated by Mary Jane Wells and trust me when I say you are not prepared.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️.75*/5
*Several sex scenes, several positions, several orgasms. I gave a bit away in the review but I’m leaving some for you to discover 😌
Is this a standalone? Knowing the events of especially the beginning of book one would be extremely helpful. However, Leigh does a great job explaining the backstory within this book. Some emotional attachment may be lost, but I still think you should consider it if you haven’t read the others for whatever reason!
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. I was also provided a copy by the author! All opinions are honest and my own.
May 2, 2023
I have been waiting for this book from the moment I read an ARC of The Good Girl's Guide To Rakes. I just KNEW Dom and Willa's story was going to be second chance romance perfection.
And it WAS.
In the very beginning of the series, we see Dom literally leave Willa at the altar on their wedding day.
How can a hero come back from that?
Turns out, sweet, giant, man bear Dom knew exactly how to pull it off. This book had EXCELLENT groveling, some truly beautiful, quiet moments with our couple together (something Eva Leigh does so well that I always look for) and an explanation I could easily get on board with for why exactly Dom left the love of his life at the altar!
AND we also have a giant, powerful man capable of violence who shows only tenderness for his lady? MY FAVORITE.
I loved this book. My new favorite second chance historical romance.
I will say I greatly preferred the first 70% compared to the last. This is a slow build, but then the last 30% is overwhelmingly just steam. Which I know appeals to a lot of readers. Conflicted about dropping my rating to 4 stars for this.
And it WAS.
In the very beginning of the series, we see Dom literally leave Willa at the altar on their wedding day.
How can a hero come back from that?
Turns out, sweet, giant, man bear Dom knew exactly how to pull it off. This book had EXCELLENT groveling, some truly beautiful, quiet moments with our couple together (something Eva Leigh does so well that I always look for) and an explanation I could easily get on board with for why exactly Dom left the love of his life at the altar!
AND we also have a giant, powerful man capable of violence who shows only tenderness for his lady? MY FAVORITE.
I loved this book. My new favorite second chance historical romance.
I will say I greatly preferred the first 70% compared to the last. This is a slow build, but then the last 30% is overwhelmingly just steam. Which I know appeals to a lot of readers. Conflicted about dropping my rating to 4 stars for this.
April 28, 2023
This series has been a master class in writing romance. Each book tackles a different trope with Leigh's straightforward, sexy prose, and pulls each one off with perfect execution. Which leads us to A Rogue's Rules for Seduction: the dreaded Second-Chance Romance.
We get it, it's not dreaded for everyone, but it's just not our favorite trope. Basically, we hold grudges, and if we broke up with you (or got broken up with by you) we're never going back to that well. But - BUT! - when Dom and Willa are thrown back together, the stars aligned and we were completely convinced. You see, in the first book of the series, Dom literally leaves Willa at the altar. We've come to understand over the course of the series that Dom didn't leave her because he didn't love her. Instead, he felt that he wasn't worthy of her. And in this book, we finally get a little bit more of Willa's perspective.
It turns out that both of them loved the idea of the other person instead of the person themself. And now that the veneer of civility has been stripped away, they can both reveal their innermost feelings. Now, they can start to love each other for who they really are. Were we totally convinced by the instigating event that made Dom leave the woman he loved on their wedding day? Not 100%. But that is the only criticism we have of this otherwise-perfect book.
And as a final note: We were HYPED by other reviews and Eva Leigh herself that Dom both grovels and gets down on his knees in other ways for Willa. When we were about 70% of the way through with nothing more than a kiss and an aborted dry hump, we were starting to get a little worried. Oh, we of little faith! Turns out there's a sex cabin, a storm, and about 48 straight hours of way-more-than-dry-hump awaiting us. Let's just say that Dom lives up to his name.
24-Word Summaries:
Laine: "A House Party: Isolated Island Edition" is the PERFECT place to find a fuck cabin with the guy who left you at the altar.
Meg: When a man leaves someone at the altar, he doesn’t just leave her heartbroken. He also leaves behind some unfinished business. Unfinished sex business.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
We get it, it's not dreaded for everyone, but it's just not our favorite trope. Basically, we hold grudges, and if we broke up with you (or got broken up with by you) we're never going back to that well. But - BUT! - when Dom and Willa are thrown back together, the stars aligned and we were completely convinced. You see, in the first book of the series, Dom literally leaves Willa at the altar. We've come to understand over the course of the series that Dom didn't leave her because he didn't love her. Instead, he felt that he wasn't worthy of her. And in this book, we finally get a little bit more of Willa's perspective.
It turns out that both of them loved the idea of the other person instead of the person themself. And now that the veneer of civility has been stripped away, they can both reveal their innermost feelings. Now, they can start to love each other for who they really are. Were we totally convinced by the instigating event that made Dom leave the woman he loved on their wedding day? Not 100%. But that is the only criticism we have of this otherwise-perfect book.
And as a final note: We were HYPED by other reviews and Eva Leigh herself that Dom both grovels and gets down on his knees in other ways for Willa. When we were about 70% of the way through with nothing more than a kiss and an aborted dry hump, we were starting to get a little worried. Oh, we of little faith! Turns out there's a sex cabin, a storm, and about 48 straight hours of way-more-than-dry-hump awaiting us. Let's just say that Dom lives up to his name.
24-Word Summaries:
Laine: "A House Party: Isolated Island Edition" is the PERFECT place to find a fuck cabin with the guy who left you at the altar.
Meg: When a man leaves someone at the altar, he doesn’t just leave her heartbroken. He also leaves behind some unfinished business. Unfinished sex business.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
January 22, 2023
The way I am obsessed with this book! Dom and Willa were everything I wanted and so much more (I had expectations and this surpassed). 😍 A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is the 3rd book in Eva Leigh’s Last Chance Scoundrels series. In book 1 of this series, Dom (the hero of this book) jilted his bride-to-be at the altar with the assistance of his 2 best friends (his bride-to-be’s brothers). After that mess, the 3 men were given an ultimatum by their families: find themselves “respectable” brides and settle down or risk being cut off. It’s been a year since the wedding-that-never-was and Willa and Dom find themselves thrown together at a friend’s house party on an isolated Scottish isle!
The story opens with Dom headed to the Scottish isle for a house party with his friends and their wives (one of which is his sister). He arrives and immediately sees Willa there, who is back from a year on the continent after he left her at the altar. Willa and Dom quickly realize they’ve been set up by their friends and family (his 2 best friends are her brothers) and are now stuck on the island together. At first they try to keep their distance but with their friends pushing them together, the party games, their adjacent rooms, and the weather…Dom and Willa can’t help but face their past.
“Whatever you demand, I’ll give it to you. Not to earn your forgiveness, but to give you back everything I stole from you that mornin’. You want me to go, I’ll go. You want me to make you come, I’ll do that. Everythin’ you want is yours.”
I loved this second chance romance! They start to realize that they weren’t ready for their wedding before and how they really didn’t know one another as well as they thought. Dom was born a commoner before his father became wealthy when Dom was a teen. After that he was sent to school with the ton’s children and picked on and bullied because while his family was now part of society, he always felt like an outsider to that crowd. Willa is an Earl’s daughter, she belonged to the ton, and was popular, and Dom never felt like he was deserving of her. He always looked at her as an aristocratic “Princess”, while he never really belonged. Willa starts to realize that he didn’t confide in her, his life was rougher and more brutal than he let on and she never knew the depths of his struggles.
The tension and angst between them was so good! Having to talk to one another and be around one another and deal with all that went down when he ran from their wedding. I loved all the house party games, the getting stuck in a cabin after bad weather, a scene they play out together that leads to more, and some tying up as well! 🥵🔥 This just was such a fantastic end to the series, I loved every minute of it, and enjoyed seeing the other couples as well! The epilogue was a great way to end the whole series.
“You’re my dream and my salvation and my torment. I want to claim you all for myself, and kill anyone who would touch you, but there’s blood on my hands and shame in my heart, and my penance is living without you.”
Thank you to the author for an e-ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own. A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is out April 25, 2023!
The story opens with Dom headed to the Scottish isle for a house party with his friends and their wives (one of which is his sister). He arrives and immediately sees Willa there, who is back from a year on the continent after he left her at the altar. Willa and Dom quickly realize they’ve been set up by their friends and family (his 2 best friends are her brothers) and are now stuck on the island together. At first they try to keep their distance but with their friends pushing them together, the party games, their adjacent rooms, and the weather…Dom and Willa can’t help but face their past.
“Whatever you demand, I’ll give it to you. Not to earn your forgiveness, but to give you back everything I stole from you that mornin’. You want me to go, I’ll go. You want me to make you come, I’ll do that. Everythin’ you want is yours.”
I loved this second chance romance! They start to realize that they weren’t ready for their wedding before and how they really didn’t know one another as well as they thought. Dom was born a commoner before his father became wealthy when Dom was a teen. After that he was sent to school with the ton’s children and picked on and bullied because while his family was now part of society, he always felt like an outsider to that crowd. Willa is an Earl’s daughter, she belonged to the ton, and was popular, and Dom never felt like he was deserving of her. He always looked at her as an aristocratic “Princess”, while he never really belonged. Willa starts to realize that he didn’t confide in her, his life was rougher and more brutal than he let on and she never knew the depths of his struggles.
The tension and angst between them was so good! Having to talk to one another and be around one another and deal with all that went down when he ran from their wedding. I loved all the house party games, the getting stuck in a cabin after bad weather, a scene they play out together that leads to more, and some tying up as well! 🥵🔥 This just was such a fantastic end to the series, I loved every minute of it, and enjoyed seeing the other couples as well! The epilogue was a great way to end the whole series.
“You’re my dream and my salvation and my torment. I want to claim you all for myself, and kill anyone who would touch you, but there’s blood on my hands and shame in my heart, and my penance is living without you.”
Thank you to the author for an e-ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own. A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is out April 25, 2023!
March 21, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up
This is how you do enemies-to-lovers second chance romance!
We have Lady Willa, who was devastated when her betrothed, Dom, left her at the altar one year earlier. She’s understandably angry, still deeply hurt, and feeling inadequate.
We have Dom, a former dockworker (with the fabulous big braw muscles to prove it) now a man of wealth due to his father’s successful business enterprise. Filled with shame and regret for hurting Willa, feeling unworthy, and carrying deep pain because of something in his past.
When the story opens, various characters are arriving at a remote Scottish isle for a house party. Unbeknownst to both Dom and Willa, they’ve been tricked into attending the party by her brothers (his best friends), in the hopes they will reconcile. Each is stunned to find the other at the manor. She’s furious; he’s unhappy and lost.
What I liked:
Forced Proximity
Dom and Willa initially tried to avoid one another but fate (and their host, the intriguing Longbridge) kept pushing them together. I love when the MCs have a lot of page time together. Who wants to read an HR where the main characters spend huge chunks of time apart?
Some of Longbridge’s activities for his guests seemed mere filler, but others were by turns funny and hot, and a wonderful way to help forge a connection between Dom and Willa, and allow them to let their guards down and be real.
Character Growth
This is where the story really shined for me. The more time Dom and Willa spent together, the more intense their attraction. Physical, oh most definitely. But the attraction went deeper. They were drawn together again and again as if one was steel and the other a magnet. And each time they were drawn together, they slowly peeled away the layers and got to know each other. It was very eye-opening for both to realize that they never really knew each other while courting. They were enamored with the idea of who the other was, when in reality they barely skimmed the surface.
They knew each other now – not as the illusions they had each imagined and created, but as flawed and beautiful beings.
Part of the character growth involved not only getting to know one another, but also self discovery.
Dom’s feelings of shame for hurting Willa, feeling an unworthy brute because of his background and a terrible regret he carried. Willa, struggling with the emotional pain and vulnerability inherent in letting go of old ways of thinking, and trying to find the courage to let go of her fears and move forward. The complex, swirling emotions both between them and within them were beautifully written and just so raw and intense and messy. And they dealt with these feelings, talked about them, owned them.
The Slow Burn
There, I said it. I’m an early-and-often girl and slow burn is not my jam. In this case it worked perfectly, though, and was necessary to stay true to their history and fears. When they finally gave in, damn but it was incredibly hot. Which leads us to…
The Chemistry/Sexy Payoff
Oh, my friends, I want a Dom of my own. And I want to be stranded with him at a remote cabin on the island, during a storm. All the pent up lust, longing and feels were unleashed like the fierce storm raging outside and they burned for each other. Delicious and raw and intense and I was there for it. So, so hot… Dom’s filthy dirty mouth (Willa too!), the good girl praise, Dom allowing Willa to bind his wrists and have her way with him, oh my. And when Dom blindfolded her and told her to kneel I thought I’d die from the sheer hotness.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
The pacing got bogged down mid-way through the story; the push/pull between Dom and Willa, interspersed with yet another party game, started to feel repetitive and tiresome. There was a time the story didn’t quite hold my interest and I considered giving three and a half stars, but the gorgeously nuanced character growth, believable and relatable angst, incredible passion and deep, beautifully written emotion would not allow me to give any less than four and a half well-deserved stars.
Among true love’s many gifts are redemption, healing, and hope. Rarely have I read a story where the two main characters were so deserving of their happily ever after.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is how you do enemies-to-lovers second chance romance!
We have Lady Willa, who was devastated when her betrothed, Dom, left her at the altar one year earlier. She’s understandably angry, still deeply hurt, and feeling inadequate.
We have Dom, a former dockworker (with the fabulous big braw muscles to prove it) now a man of wealth due to his father’s successful business enterprise. Filled with shame and regret for hurting Willa, feeling unworthy, and carrying deep pain because of something in his past.
When the story opens, various characters are arriving at a remote Scottish isle for a house party. Unbeknownst to both Dom and Willa, they’ve been tricked into attending the party by her brothers (his best friends), in the hopes they will reconcile. Each is stunned to find the other at the manor. She’s furious; he’s unhappy and lost.
What I liked:
Forced Proximity
Dom and Willa initially tried to avoid one another but fate (and their host, the intriguing Longbridge) kept pushing them together. I love when the MCs have a lot of page time together. Who wants to read an HR where the main characters spend huge chunks of time apart?
Some of Longbridge’s activities for his guests seemed mere filler, but others were by turns funny and hot, and a wonderful way to help forge a connection between Dom and Willa, and allow them to let their guards down and be real.
Character Growth
This is where the story really shined for me. The more time Dom and Willa spent together, the more intense their attraction. Physical, oh most definitely. But the attraction went deeper. They were drawn together again and again as if one was steel and the other a magnet. And each time they were drawn together, they slowly peeled away the layers and got to know each other. It was very eye-opening for both to realize that they never really knew each other while courting. They were enamored with the idea of who the other was, when in reality they barely skimmed the surface.
They knew each other now – not as the illusions they had each imagined and created, but as flawed and beautiful beings.
Part of the character growth involved not only getting to know one another, but also self discovery.
Dom’s feelings of shame for hurting Willa, feeling an unworthy brute because of his background and a terrible regret he carried. Willa, struggling with the emotional pain and vulnerability inherent in letting go of old ways of thinking, and trying to find the courage to let go of her fears and move forward. The complex, swirling emotions both between them and within them were beautifully written and just so raw and intense and messy. And they dealt with these feelings, talked about them, owned them.
The Slow Burn
There, I said it. I’m an early-and-often girl and slow burn is not my jam. In this case it worked perfectly, though, and was necessary to stay true to their history and fears. When they finally gave in, damn but it was incredibly hot. Which leads us to…
The Chemistry/Sexy Payoff
Oh, my friends, I want a Dom of my own. And I want to be stranded with him at a remote cabin on the island, during a storm. All the pent up lust, longing and feels were unleashed like the fierce storm raging outside and they burned for each other. Delicious and raw and intense and I was there for it. So, so hot… Dom’s filthy dirty mouth (Willa too!), the good girl praise, Dom allowing Willa to bind his wrists and have her way with him, oh my. And when Dom blindfolded her and told her to kneel I thought I’d die from the sheer hotness.
What Didn’t Work For Me:
The pacing got bogged down mid-way through the story; the push/pull between Dom and Willa, interspersed with yet another party game, started to feel repetitive and tiresome. There was a time the story didn’t quite hold my interest and I considered giving three and a half stars, but the gorgeously nuanced character growth, believable and relatable angst, incredible passion and deep, beautifully written emotion would not allow me to give any less than four and a half well-deserved stars.
Among true love’s many gifts are redemption, healing, and hope. Rarely have I read a story where the two main characters were so deserving of their happily ever after.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 20, 2025
Português
O terceiro e último livro da série Last Chance Scoundrels não desapontou. Assim como nos dois volumes anteriores, a narrativa mantém o tom divertido e o charme irresistível dos protagonistas, entregando exatamente o que os fãs esperam: romance leve, diálogos afiados e aquela pitada de aventura que nos faz devorar cada página. Confesso que esperava um pouco mais de evolução na trama, mas a consistência do enredo e o carinho com que as relações são construídas compensaram qualquer pequena falta de ousadia. Passei momentos muito agradáveis na companhia destas personagens cativantes e, para mim, esse é o verdadeiro valor de um bom romance. Ler este livro foi um ótimo antídoto para o quotidiano: sair da rotina e ainda sentir o coração mais leve é sempre positivo.
English
The third and final book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series didn’t disappoint. As in the two previous installments, the narrative retains its lighthearted tone and the irresistible charm of the protagonists, delivering exactly what fans expect: a breezy romance, sharp dialogue, and just the right touch of adventure that makes you devour every page.
I admit I was hoping for a bit more development in the plot, but the consistency of the storyline and the care with which the relationships are crafted make up for any slight lack of daring. I spent delightful moments in the company of these captivating characters, and to me, that is the true value of a good romance.
Reading this book was the perfect antidote to the daily grind. Escaping the routine and emerging with a lighter heart is always welcome. I couldn’t have asked for a better escape.
O terceiro e último livro da série Last Chance Scoundrels não desapontou. Assim como nos dois volumes anteriores, a narrativa mantém o tom divertido e o charme irresistível dos protagonistas, entregando exatamente o que os fãs esperam: romance leve, diálogos afiados e aquela pitada de aventura que nos faz devorar cada página. Confesso que esperava um pouco mais de evolução na trama, mas a consistência do enredo e o carinho com que as relações são construídas compensaram qualquer pequena falta de ousadia. Passei momentos muito agradáveis na companhia destas personagens cativantes e, para mim, esse é o verdadeiro valor de um bom romance. Ler este livro foi um ótimo antídoto para o quotidiano: sair da rotina e ainda sentir o coração mais leve é sempre positivo.
English
The third and final book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series didn’t disappoint. As in the two previous installments, the narrative retains its lighthearted tone and the irresistible charm of the protagonists, delivering exactly what fans expect: a breezy romance, sharp dialogue, and just the right touch of adventure that makes you devour every page.
I admit I was hoping for a bit more development in the plot, but the consistency of the storyline and the care with which the relationships are crafted make up for any slight lack of daring. I spent delightful moments in the company of these captivating characters, and to me, that is the true value of a good romance.
Reading this book was the perfect antidote to the daily grind. Escaping the routine and emerging with a lighter heart is always welcome. I couldn’t have asked for a better escape.
January 30, 2023
After dark memories from his past resurfaced, Dominic Kilburn left Lady Willa Ransom at the altar. Following a year abroad, Willa accepts an invitation to a house party, determined to move on with her life. But well-meaning family and friends have conspired to throw them together, and Willa and Dom are forced to face each other - and their demons.
This is the third book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series. I highly recommend reading the books in order because the payout for this couple is so much better when the reader is invested in how miserable Dom has been without Willa.
This book is delicious and, in my opinion, the best in the series! Willa covered up her pain from being jilted by leaving town. As the reader will come to find out, this is a coping mechanism for her. Dom, as evidenced in the previous books, is lost and aimless without Willa. She's the only woman who has ever held his heart, but he was afraid he didn't deserve her and panicked. There is a bit of a slow burn as the two attempt at first to avoid each other, and then begin to circle around trying to avoid their pull toward each other. The pining, fear, and emotional upheaval are all there; but thankfully Eva Leigh doesn't tease us forever. The wait is worth it when these two crash together, both sexually and emotionally.
And in perfect, beautiful Eva Leigh style: "who says there's only one way to love someone, only one way to be with them. This is about us. It's not about what we represent, or anybody's expectations. It's just you and me."
Tropes: Jilted, Class Difference, Brothers’ Best Friend/Best Friends’ Sister, Forced Proximity/House Party, Second Chance
Steam: 5+ (six very steamy scenes)
* I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
This is the third book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series. I highly recommend reading the books in order because the payout for this couple is so much better when the reader is invested in how miserable Dom has been without Willa.
This book is delicious and, in my opinion, the best in the series! Willa covered up her pain from being jilted by leaving town. As the reader will come to find out, this is a coping mechanism for her. Dom, as evidenced in the previous books, is lost and aimless without Willa. She's the only woman who has ever held his heart, but he was afraid he didn't deserve her and panicked. There is a bit of a slow burn as the two attempt at first to avoid each other, and then begin to circle around trying to avoid their pull toward each other. The pining, fear, and emotional upheaval are all there; but thankfully Eva Leigh doesn't tease us forever. The wait is worth it when these two crash together, both sexually and emotionally.
And in perfect, beautiful Eva Leigh style: "who says there's only one way to love someone, only one way to be with them. This is about us. It's not about what we represent, or anybody's expectations. It's just you and me."
Tropes: Jilted, Class Difference, Brothers’ Best Friend/Best Friends’ Sister, Forced Proximity/House Party, Second Chance
Steam: 5+ (six very steamy scenes)
* I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
February 28, 2024
⭐
1 star.
➕ What I liked :
The setting.
(Hebrides islands/Hebrides island)
➖ What I disliked:
Too anachronistic/too modern.
The hero did not grovel enough for what he did to the heroine.
The heroine forgave the hero too easily and too fast.
The main characters lacked depth and were rather one dimensional characters.
Repetitive.
(Most especially about how often it is mentioned how big the heroes hands were and how big and brawny he was… but also other things)
Verbose.
Formulaic in the character description/visual appearance/character choice.
(Especially the hero… except for different hair color/eye color the hero of this book and the other books I have read by this author are rather interchangeable/similar when it comes to description/visual appearance…the hero is big/bulky and very muscular and very often tall or much taller than the heroine… a little diversity and variation is always more interesting/welcome)
The exaggeration in the description about how big and brawny the hero was.
The heroines extremely meddling and immature brothers.
(The heroines brothers had no thought about how reckless they were and how thoughtless their behavior was towards their sister and what they did to her etc. and what they did was very irresponsible and deplorable behavior)
The heroine was a little bit of a Mary Sue character.
Inconsistencies.
Unanswered questions/issues.
(Why was the heroine not “ruined” when she was jilted etc.?)
The reason the hero jilted the heroine was a rather big issue that had to do with what the hero had done when he was 17 years old… but this issue was more or less just glossed over.
Too much miscommunication.
The plot was rather thin.
1 star.
➕ What I liked :
The setting.
(Hebrides islands/Hebrides island)
➖ What I disliked:
Too anachronistic/too modern.
The hero did not grovel enough for what he did to the heroine.
The heroine forgave the hero too easily and too fast.
The main characters lacked depth and were rather one dimensional characters.
Repetitive.
(Most especially about how often it is mentioned how big the heroes hands were and how big and brawny he was… but also other things)
Verbose.
Formulaic in the character description/visual appearance/character choice.
(Especially the hero… except for different hair color/eye color the hero of this book and the other books I have read by this author are rather interchangeable/similar when it comes to description/visual appearance…the hero is big/bulky and very muscular and very often tall or much taller than the heroine… a little diversity and variation is always more interesting/welcome)
The exaggeration in the description about how big and brawny the hero was.
The heroines extremely meddling and immature brothers.
(The heroines brothers had no thought about how reckless they were and how thoughtless their behavior was towards their sister and what they did to her etc. and what they did was very irresponsible and deplorable behavior)
The heroine was a little bit of a Mary Sue character.
Inconsistencies.
Unanswered questions/issues.
(Why was the heroine not “ruined” when she was jilted etc.?)
The reason the hero jilted the heroine was a rather big issue that had to do with what the hero had done when he was 17 years old… but this issue was more or less just glossed over.
Too much miscommunication.
The plot was rather thin.
Read
July 12, 2023 June 12, 2023 update: if you want an angsty backstory for Dom and Willa and then praise kink, denial, and Dom with tattoos, piercings, and a ponytail and for him to be full on Welsh (canon), I'm writing a fic for it HAHA. Here is a tiny snippet of a random part in Willa's internal monologue where her garbage brothers see how happy she is while being taken care of by him:
With a creamy silk scarf acting as a makeshift headband in her thick curls to keep them out of her face; her pretty paisley dress with a smattering of loosened buttons for nursing; and her arms filled with fluffy towels to dry off her husband and baby boy from their chilly (or what Dominic referred to as refreshing) swim in the pond outside, she felt positively lovely. At peace. A blissful sensation that she would not allow being stolen by the unwelcome guests currently standing in her foyer. Thus, instead of shrinking into that frightened young girl before the very men who had controlled her every thought and step from birth, she merely smiled politely while silently revelling in the fact that they were regarding a woman who was no longer their pawn. This Willa was no longer a subordinate seeing herself from her brothers' and high society's eyes. She was a woman who was cherished. A woman who was safe and loved. Alas, for the very first time in the presence of these men, she was able to step outside of that long-lived "inferior" state of being and believe in her own right to happiness. Someone who deserved the freedom of movement, of thought, and of speech in her own manor.
She was fully aware of what her brothers were seeing. A healthy and plump and beautiful young wife who was clearly well taken care of in this space — undoubtedly doted on by her husband.
Ok so I don't think that this author is for me, but what this book has given me is 2 characters for a fanfic, so I do appreciate that. Below is my original review where I discuss all that went wrong in this book and the few parts that were good. The previous 2 books teased that this one would basically be Aline/McKenna (Again the Magic) level angst, but no. We did not get any of that.
This is one of those rare occasions that I would advise other readers to NOT read the previous books if you want to read this one. They’re good but they build such an interesting storyline for these two characters that when the storyline changes for them (in this book), it is awkward if you’ve read the previous two books. Dom and Willa have taken up my brain for the last year lol so I knew that this book (even if they freaking kissed and only that… as if lol) would be somewhat decent And it is. It definitely is. BUT! The dark storyline that leads up to this book doesn’t hold up and it made me sad because Dominic Kilburn is literally from the DOCKS. And if you know anything about early nineteenth century poverty-stricken family with longshoremen trying to support it, you know it was a ROUGH time. Like In book 1, we hear Celeste say to Kieran that their apartment was sweltering in the summer and freezing cold in the winter and that life was terrifying. And that is freaking historically accurate! But that dark plot doesn’t continue as much in this book and it’s unfortunate because with a character like Dominic Kilburn, I think it just kind of has to, you know? Like in books 1 and 2 he is literally desensitized to dead bodies in taverns and that’s what makes him so interesting. It’s what makes him so heartbreaking to read about because he is so different from Kieran and Finn.
My other main critique has to do with, again, the not continuing on with the original story that was Dom and Willa. In this book, the whole plot is that they weren’t ready for marriage initially and I can totally get behind that. What felt so out of character for them and so like LAST MINUTE CHANGE-ISH (if we’re being honest) was the using of the other person to brag and rebel against society. In book 1, we are told from Kieran’s point of view that Dom worshipped Willa, yes, but that the 2 were inseparable. That they were unable to go a minute without touching the other’s hand. And that’s what makes Willa’s reaction to Dom jilting her so heartbreaking. She speaks no words, is breathing heavily, and is paper white. In this book, their backstory is changed to “we weren’t ready because we idolized each other and showed each other off to society.” Dom literally says he would "kill for her" and Willa literally runs to her room to cry all day before leaving early the next morning after he leaves her at the altar. Even in book 2, it had Dom literally refusing marriage and wallowing because all he wanted was his former bride-to-be and she had disappeared because he was an arse and left her (love you still, Dom).
This is one of those books, I think, where you can see where the author was advised to change stuff and it really showed. Because why would these 2 have been miserable without each other had they not actually loved each other in the first place? It was as if this book, in some ways, was influenced by editors who hadn’t read books 1 and 2.
That being said, these characters arevery good and interesting that they’ve actually influenced me to write fanfic drabbles of them, so that’s exciting yay!
In this book, you can tell the parts that were written at the beginning of the writing process because they are so damn true to their narrative! The steaming in front of the fire scene??? PERFECTION. And how that scene came to be in the book??? PERFECTION. You can definitely tell that that scene was written early on because the inner monologues of both characters are exactly like the hints we were given from the 2 previous books. The jealousy scenes? The GREEK PLAY SCENE??? All of those scenes are like not brief but not long either but it is the amount of THOUGHT in them that makes them utterly fantastic and swoon-worthy. Dominic letting Willa be dominant for a bit before taking over?? ICONIC. Like so many moments were wonderful but cut way too short, as if the reader was gonna get bored but like I WASN’T bored with the quiet stuff!!
With a creamy silk scarf acting as a makeshift headband in her thick curls to keep them out of her face; her pretty paisley dress with a smattering of loosened buttons for nursing; and her arms filled with fluffy towels to dry off her husband and baby boy from their chilly (or what Dominic referred to as refreshing) swim in the pond outside, she felt positively lovely. At peace. A blissful sensation that she would not allow being stolen by the unwelcome guests currently standing in her foyer. Thus, instead of shrinking into that frightened young girl before the very men who had controlled her every thought and step from birth, she merely smiled politely while silently revelling in the fact that they were regarding a woman who was no longer their pawn. This Willa was no longer a subordinate seeing herself from her brothers' and high society's eyes. She was a woman who was cherished. A woman who was safe and loved. Alas, for the very first time in the presence of these men, she was able to step outside of that long-lived "inferior" state of being and believe in her own right to happiness. Someone who deserved the freedom of movement, of thought, and of speech in her own manor.
She was fully aware of what her brothers were seeing. A healthy and plump and beautiful young wife who was clearly well taken care of in this space — undoubtedly doted on by her husband.
Ok so I don't think that this author is for me, but what this book has given me is 2 characters for a fanfic, so I do appreciate that. Below is my original review where I discuss all that went wrong in this book and the few parts that were good. The previous 2 books teased that this one would basically be Aline/McKenna (Again the Magic) level angst, but no. We did not get any of that.
This is one of those rare occasions that I would advise other readers to NOT read the previous books if you want to read this one. They’re good but they build such an interesting storyline for these two characters that when the storyline changes for them (in this book), it is awkward if you’ve read the previous two books. Dom and Willa have taken up my brain for the last year lol so I knew that this book (even if they freaking kissed and only that… as if lol) would be somewhat decent And it is. It definitely is. BUT! The dark storyline that leads up to this book doesn’t hold up and it made me sad because Dominic Kilburn is literally from the DOCKS. And if you know anything about early nineteenth century poverty-stricken family with longshoremen trying to support it, you know it was a ROUGH time. Like In book 1, we hear Celeste say to Kieran that their apartment was sweltering in the summer and freezing cold in the winter and that life was terrifying. And that is freaking historically accurate! But that dark plot doesn’t continue as much in this book and it’s unfortunate because with a character like Dominic Kilburn, I think it just kind of has to, you know? Like in books 1 and 2 he is literally desensitized to dead bodies in taverns and that’s what makes him so interesting. It’s what makes him so heartbreaking to read about because he is so different from Kieran and Finn.
My other main critique has to do with, again, the not continuing on with the original story that was Dom and Willa. In this book, the whole plot is that they weren’t ready for marriage initially and I can totally get behind that. What felt so out of character for them and so like LAST MINUTE CHANGE-ISH (if we’re being honest) was the using of the other person to brag and rebel against society. In book 1, we are told from Kieran’s point of view that Dom worshipped Willa, yes, but that the 2 were inseparable. That they were unable to go a minute without touching the other’s hand. And that’s what makes Willa’s reaction to Dom jilting her so heartbreaking. She speaks no words, is breathing heavily, and is paper white. In this book, their backstory is changed to “we weren’t ready because we idolized each other and showed each other off to society.” Dom literally says he would "kill for her" and Willa literally runs to her room to cry all day before leaving early the next morning after he leaves her at the altar. Even in book 2, it had Dom literally refusing marriage and wallowing because all he wanted was his former bride-to-be and she had disappeared because he was an arse and left her (love you still, Dom).
This is one of those books, I think, where you can see where the author was advised to change stuff and it really showed. Because why would these 2 have been miserable without each other had they not actually loved each other in the first place? It was as if this book, in some ways, was influenced by editors who hadn’t read books 1 and 2.
That being said, these characters arevery good and interesting that they’ve actually influenced me to write fanfic drabbles of them, so that’s exciting yay!
In this book, you can tell the parts that were written at the beginning of the writing process because they are so damn true to their narrative! The steaming in front of the fire scene??? PERFECTION. And how that scene came to be in the book??? PERFECTION. You can definitely tell that that scene was written early on because the inner monologues of both characters are exactly like the hints we were given from the 2 previous books. The jealousy scenes? The GREEK PLAY SCENE??? All of those scenes are like not brief but not long either but it is the amount of THOUGHT in them that makes them utterly fantastic and swoon-worthy. Dominic letting Willa be dominant for a bit before taking over?? ICONIC. Like so many moments were wonderful but cut way too short, as if the reader was gonna get bored but like I WASN’T bored with the quiet stuff!!
June 21, 2023
Dominic Kilburn has been drifting since he left Lady Willa Ransome at the altar a year ago. Wracked with guilt, he has been drowning his sorrows in booze and boxing. When his two friends, who happen to be Willa’s brothers drag him to a scandalous houseparty on a remote island in Scotland, his hope is that this will be his escape from his tortured memories and unresolved feelings Willa. To his surprise, Willa is there, and they are stuck in each other’s company for two weeks until the next boat returns. Can they survive the desire both to kill each other and give into their suppressed carnal and emotional desires? Is there a chance for them to make amends at last?
A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is a sexy, entertaining Regency historical romance with lots of sizzling tension between the two leads. It’s clear that these two belong together if they can make it past their many issues. Dom is a big, sexy hero who is so gentle and tenderhearted, with a tormented soul, and is clearly crazy about Willa. Willa is fiery, independent, yet vulnerable beneath her forthright personality. She struggles between protecting her heart from more hurt and wanting to throw herself fully in Dom’s arms. Eva Leigh builds the excitement as the two clash and confront each other and their unresolved feelings, leading to beautifully written, fiery and passionate love scenes. The character development shines in that both Dom and Willa are shown as imperfect people who grew and learned from their mistakes. A fitting conclusion to the Last Chance Scoundrels series, A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is satisfying and sigh-worthy romance.
ARC provided by Harper Avon through Netgalley for review.
A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is a sexy, entertaining Regency historical romance with lots of sizzling tension between the two leads. It’s clear that these two belong together if they can make it past their many issues. Dom is a big, sexy hero who is so gentle and tenderhearted, with a tormented soul, and is clearly crazy about Willa. Willa is fiery, independent, yet vulnerable beneath her forthright personality. She struggles between protecting her heart from more hurt and wanting to throw herself fully in Dom’s arms. Eva Leigh builds the excitement as the two clash and confront each other and their unresolved feelings, leading to beautifully written, fiery and passionate love scenes. The character development shines in that both Dom and Willa are shown as imperfect people who grew and learned from their mistakes. A fitting conclusion to the Last Chance Scoundrels series, A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction is satisfying and sigh-worthy romance.
ARC provided by Harper Avon through Netgalley for review.
October 20, 2022
Oh friends. We have been waiting for Dom and Willa's story for THREE BOOKS. Their break up in the first chapters of A Good Girl's Guide to Rakes set us up for a second chance romance that we were craving. That said, second chance isn't always my fave. Usually the break up is something based on miscommunication or toxicity that makes me roll my eyes. But Rogue's Rules is set up with so much longing and growth and groveling that it works.
This book is a slower burn that I am used to getting from Leigh. She writes some fantastic heat and steam and her books are typically filled with it. But the slower burn let's the story and the characters grow and learn and rediscover each other and themselves in a forced proximity. It's the best kind of set up and the pay off is absolutely worth it. I appreciated how the third act break up moment made so much sense. I loved how they came back together in a way that wasn't frustrating. I like Willa and Dom and just can't wait to see what Leigh writes next.
This book is a slower burn that I am used to getting from Leigh. She writes some fantastic heat and steam and her books are typically filled with it. But the slower burn let's the story and the characters grow and learn and rediscover each other and themselves in a forced proximity. It's the best kind of set up and the pay off is absolutely worth it. I appreciated how the third act break up moment made so much sense. I loved how they came back together in a way that wasn't frustrating. I like Willa and Dom and just can't wait to see what Leigh writes next.
February 28, 2024
Loved. Absolutely ultra-charged with sparks! Lovely writing, page turning, Dom is the perfect sensitive brooding Hero and Willa is one of my fave feisty heroines. Second chance romance amazingness...couldn't stop reading.
HR gold⭐
HR gold⭐
January 12, 2024
LISTEN. THE MAN ✨EATS✨ UNTIL HIS KNEES BLEED. LITERALLY. 🥵
Second chance romance, he GROVELS, it’s quite spicy and kinky (blindfolds, riding crops, spanking, oh my!)
Genuinely ate up every second of this book. Dom and Willa are the standard, good lord I loved them so much.
May we all be like Willa and….
- Never accept the first apology from a man
- Not be afraid to take what we want
- Wear the fucking revenge dress
Second chance romance, he GROVELS, it’s quite spicy and kinky (blindfolds, riding crops, spanking, oh my!)
Genuinely ate up every second of this book. Dom and Willa are the standard, good lord I loved them so much.
May we all be like Willa and….
- Never accept the first apology from a man
- Not be afraid to take what we want
- Wear the fucking revenge dress
May 16, 2023
4 stars for the first 80% and then 2 stars for the remaining.
I have thoughts.
This started off brilliantly, no jokes. A great set up of our MC's being in forced proximity a year after Dom jilted Willa at the altar. Dom is big, burly and a brute - three words you will hear so often they start to loose meaning. Willa is beautiful, charming but naive. She hates him, he's consumed by guilt and self-loathing or sorts. Its a great set up honestly, and Eva Leigh's writing is humurous and engaging at the start.
Oh and they both continously, and I really mean continously are horny af. They feel pangs of desire shoot through them, their belly swoops low and their breath catches. Literally always .
But its fine. It's a romance, I like that stuff! I would like to to be just a tad notch down, but ok.
The side characters are fun to read and don't make you feel lost - despite me not having read the previous books. Everything is great at this point and I'm confident we have a winner on our hands. My only complain is that they're beating around the bush too much and things are just taking too long to progress.
The book is also hella hot.
But then. We are transported from this Scottish Island in 1800 something to fifty shades of what in the hell is happening?!
Post this the book lost me. The plot point of why Dom jilted her I guess is well done, but I could no longer find anything sensible in this book.
Also, Dom is described to be so muscly and humungous - in the biblical sense obviously, but also just a huge man in general - so much so that fancy furniture was not enough to hold him. And yet he ploughed Willa a dozen times (literally in the books) right after taking her virginty.
Who are we trying to fool here?
I have thoughts.
This started off brilliantly, no jokes. A great set up of our MC's being in forced proximity a year after Dom jilted Willa at the altar. Dom is big, burly and a brute - three words you will hear so often they start to loose meaning. Willa is beautiful, charming but naive. She hates him, he's consumed by guilt and self-loathing or sorts. Its a great set up honestly, and Eva Leigh's writing is humurous and engaging at the start.
Oh and they both continously, and I really mean continously are horny af. They feel pangs of desire shoot through them, their belly swoops low and their breath catches. Literally always .
But its fine. It's a romance, I like that stuff! I would like to to be just a tad notch down, but ok.
The side characters are fun to read and don't make you feel lost - despite me not having read the previous books. Everything is great at this point and I'm confident we have a winner on our hands. My only complain is that they're beating around the bush too much and things are just taking too long to progress.
The book is also hella hot.
But then. We are transported from this Scottish Island in 1800 something to fifty shades of what in the hell is happening?!
Post this the book lost me. The plot point of why Dom jilted her I guess is well done, but I could no longer find anything sensible in this book.
Also, Dom is described to be so muscly and humungous - in the biblical sense obviously, but also just a huge man in general - so much so that fancy furniture was not enough to hold him. And yet he ploughed Willa a dozen times (literally in the books) right after taking her virginty.
Who are we trying to fool here?
May 9, 2023
I actually don't know how to write a review for this book, because it is simply beyond words how in love with it I am. This is truly a perfect second chance romance. Actually...I think it's a perfect book.
Having Dom and Willa's breakup be the impetus for the series means that they've been simmering in the background throughout the first two books, teasing us with what was sure to be a delicious confrontation and reconciliation, and Eva delivered on both fronts. The mystery of why they separated in the first place has had me intrigued for the whole series, and it was so satisfying to see them finally hash it all out.
Second chances are easy to mess up, but this one surprised and delighted me at every turn. Not only was their breakup something they were able to reconcile and come back from—it was actually necessary to their development. Sometimes historicals can get away with second chance romances that rely on circumstances that can't exist in contemporaries, but Dom and Willa had a fundamental misunderstanding in the foundation of their relationship and both needed to grow as people before they could let down their walls enough to truly be vulnerable and see one another for who they were, which felt timeless and genuine. There was lots of back and forth, will-they-won't they—to be expected with two hotheads with an overabundance of sexual tension and deeply rooted fear of vulnerability—but it never felt excessive or gratuitous.
Also, I have to say it. This book is SEXY. Like, I was sweating after a four chapter sex extravaganza ft some surprise kink exploration, not to mention the previous scene where Dom BLOODIED HIS KNEES and ALLLLL the sexual tension leading up to all this. Everyone say "THANK YOU EVA" because we have been BLESSED.
Suffice to say I will never recover from Dom and Willa's book. I love them both so much. My heart went out to them and I kept yelling at them to just F*** ALREADY and when they finally did it was everything they (and I) deserved and more.
Also while this one can be read as a standalone and Eva does an excellent job of weaving in enough backstory that you shouldn't be confused, I'd recommend reading the previous 2 books for context that makes this story exponentially more satisfying to any readers debating whether they should read chronologically. Plus, all of Kieran, Celeste, Finn, and Tabitha's nonsense and shenanigans are so much fun that way!
CW: Sexual content, child abuse, murder, classism, bullying, confinement
Having Dom and Willa's breakup be the impetus for the series means that they've been simmering in the background throughout the first two books, teasing us with what was sure to be a delicious confrontation and reconciliation, and Eva delivered on both fronts. The mystery of why they separated in the first place has had me intrigued for the whole series, and it was so satisfying to see them finally hash it all out.
Second chances are easy to mess up, but this one surprised and delighted me at every turn. Not only was their breakup something they were able to reconcile and come back from—it was actually necessary to their development. Sometimes historicals can get away with second chance romances that rely on circumstances that can't exist in contemporaries, but Dom and Willa had a fundamental misunderstanding in the foundation of their relationship and both needed to grow as people before they could let down their walls enough to truly be vulnerable and see one another for who they were, which felt timeless and genuine. There was lots of back and forth, will-they-won't they—to be expected with two hotheads with an overabundance of sexual tension and deeply rooted fear of vulnerability—but it never felt excessive or gratuitous.
Also, I have to say it. This book is SEXY. Like, I was sweating after a four chapter sex extravaganza ft some surprise kink exploration, not to mention the previous scene where Dom BLOODIED HIS KNEES and ALLLLL the sexual tension leading up to all this. Everyone say "THANK YOU EVA" because we have been BLESSED.
Suffice to say I will never recover from Dom and Willa's book. I love them both so much. My heart went out to them and I kept yelling at them to just F*** ALREADY and when they finally did it was everything they (and I) deserved and more.
Also while this one can be read as a standalone and Eva does an excellent job of weaving in enough backstory that you shouldn't be confused, I'd recommend reading the previous 2 books for context that makes this story exponentially more satisfying to any readers debating whether they should read chronologically. Plus, all of Kieran, Celeste, Finn, and Tabitha's nonsense and shenanigans are so much fun that way!
CW: Sexual content, child abuse, murder, classism, bullying, confinement
June 23, 2023
i'm pretty proud of the tags on this banger
October 2, 2022
Definitely the standout of the series for me!
This is essentially a book-long grovel, for Dom mostly but for Willa as well. They're both trapped on an island and forced to face the failings of the first part of their relationship and why they were together. Dom has a Big Secret that was the reason for him breaking off the engagement in the first place, and my personal opinion is that Big Secrets should be revealed to the reader before the other person/people in the relationship which doesn't happen here. When this happens, the reader often spends too much time feeling like there's no good reason for them NOT to be together, and then the reveal is a bit too little too late. Here, though, I think that it's paced pretty well into the plot, and I didn't spend a ton of time feeling like BUT WHY.
And it's a bit of a slow burn too, which I also don't really love and really didn't mind here. Once Dom and Willa get together? Whew. They sure do make up for lost time.
Overall, a really great read.
Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!
This is essentially a book-long grovel, for Dom mostly but for Willa as well. They're both trapped on an island and forced to face the failings of the first part of their relationship and why they were together. Dom has a Big Secret that was the reason for him breaking off the engagement in the first place, and my personal opinion is that Big Secrets should be revealed to the reader before the other person/people in the relationship which doesn't happen here. When this happens, the reader often spends too much time feeling like there's no good reason for them NOT to be together, and then the reveal is a bit too little too late. Here, though, I think that it's paced pretty well into the plot, and I didn't spend a ton of time feeling like BUT WHY.
And it's a bit of a slow burn too, which I also don't really love and really didn't mind here. Once Dom and Willa get together? Whew. They sure do make up for lost time.
Overall, a really great read.
Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!
May 9, 2023
Book #3 in the Last Chance Scoundrels series. This is Dom + Willa’s story continued from book #1 (when Dom jilts her at the alter).. and is everything I had hoped it would be. There’s so much angst, groveling, and BEST of all.. these two were able to put their past behind them for a new healthy relationship, trust included. Oh and I just adored Dom.. how his love for Willa has ALWAYS been there.. when he reveals (to Willa) the reason he left her. He’s tender to his very core for her! He’s adorable!
I should mention this is an open door romance.. very VERY steamy ❤️🔥
4.5 stars — Pub. 4/25/23
I should mention this is an open door romance.. very VERY steamy ❤️🔥
4.5 stars — Pub. 4/25/23
April 16, 2023
This is the third book in the Last Chance Scoundrels series, and I’ve been curious about what happened between Willa and Dom since the first book. Their breakup was the catalyst for all of the men looking for wives, and I was eager to see what broke this pair apart and ended so badly that Willa left the country.
The story takes place on an isolated island in Scotland. Dom, the protagonists from the first two books, Willa, and a sprinkle of other characters are guests at a house party, though Dom and Willa didn’t know the other was attending. Though their loved ones meant well by arranging for the pair to be together in hopes they will repair their very broken relationship, Willa and Max are not thrilled to be on a remote island with no way of leaving.
I enjoyed learning more about Willa and Dom. The story delves into what happened between them in the past, but it also offers a glimpse into their painful upbringings. Willa is not the “princess” Dom continuously calls her, and Dom’s haunted past includes a secret that could ruin him. It was interesting to see this pair slowly learn more about each other and see beneath the masks they have in place.
When Willa and Dom were first engaged, they did it for the wrong reasons. Even though they cared for each other, they didn’t really know each other, and they kind of used each other too. I think being together on the island forces them to face some hard truths about themselves. They begin to own up to their selfish reasons for wanting to marry and have found a deeper and more meaningful connection. I love how honest they are with each other and that they both let their facades fall. Their enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance has a ton of tension, especially since Willan loathes Dom at the start of the book, and Dom feels such deep regret for hurting her when he loves her so much and tries desperately to avoid her. But this changes pretty quickly. At one point in the story, it says they are like kindred souls who keep gravitating toward each other even when they don’t want to, and that happens time and again, much to their dismay and my delight.
I really enjoyed this story. Willa and Dom have a heated and tempestuous romance filled with longing and tons of chemistry, the secondary characters are fantastic, and the house party island setting sounds wonderfully fun. Special thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
The story takes place on an isolated island in Scotland. Dom, the protagonists from the first two books, Willa, and a sprinkle of other characters are guests at a house party, though Dom and Willa didn’t know the other was attending. Though their loved ones meant well by arranging for the pair to be together in hopes they will repair their very broken relationship, Willa and Max are not thrilled to be on a remote island with no way of leaving.
I enjoyed learning more about Willa and Dom. The story delves into what happened between them in the past, but it also offers a glimpse into their painful upbringings. Willa is not the “princess” Dom continuously calls her, and Dom’s haunted past includes a secret that could ruin him. It was interesting to see this pair slowly learn more about each other and see beneath the masks they have in place.
When Willa and Dom were first engaged, they did it for the wrong reasons. Even though they cared for each other, they didn’t really know each other, and they kind of used each other too. I think being together on the island forces them to face some hard truths about themselves. They begin to own up to their selfish reasons for wanting to marry and have found a deeper and more meaningful connection. I love how honest they are with each other and that they both let their facades fall. Their enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance has a ton of tension, especially since Willan loathes Dom at the start of the book, and Dom feels such deep regret for hurting her when he loves her so much and tries desperately to avoid her. But this changes pretty quickly. At one point in the story, it says they are like kindred souls who keep gravitating toward each other even when they don’t want to, and that happens time and again, much to their dismay and my delight.
I really enjoyed this story. Willa and Dom have a heated and tempestuous romance filled with longing and tons of chemistry, the secondary characters are fantastic, and the house party island setting sounds wonderfully fun. Special thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
April 1, 2023
I can’t believe this series is over. I can’t believe this book is over. I can’t believe how smutty this book was 😏🔥🥵
If I’m being completely honest I wasn’t super excited about Dom’s story. I don’t think I ever forgave him for leaving Willa at the alter like that. I was so upset and angry for her. But then I got the whole delicious story and this may have been my favorite book of the three.
Each book just got better and better. This one was all of the best parts of an HR and the best parts of a CR put together without the dreaded 3rd act breakup!
If you read the other two books you know that Dom and Willa were supposed to get married but Kieran and Finn (Willa’s brothers and Dom’s besties) helped him escape on their wedding day leaving Willa jilted. This sets off an ultimatum by their parents saying all three men must marry within the year or they will be financially cut off.
Anyway, in this last book after almost a year since their almost wedding, Willa and Dom come face to face in an unexpected location. Let’s just say this reunion did not go well at first. But there’s nothing like a secluded island to force people to get to the root of their issues.
If I’m being completely honest I wasn’t super excited about Dom’s story. I don’t think I ever forgave him for leaving Willa at the alter like that. I was so upset and angry for her. But then I got the whole delicious story and this may have been my favorite book of the three.
Each book just got better and better. This one was all of the best parts of an HR and the best parts of a CR put together without the dreaded 3rd act breakup!
If you read the other two books you know that Dom and Willa were supposed to get married but Kieran and Finn (Willa’s brothers and Dom’s besties) helped him escape on their wedding day leaving Willa jilted. This sets off an ultimatum by their parents saying all three men must marry within the year or they will be financially cut off.
Anyway, in this last book after almost a year since their almost wedding, Willa and Dom come face to face in an unexpected location. Let’s just say this reunion did not go well at first. But there’s nothing like a secluded island to force people to get to the root of their issues.
April 5, 2023
3.5-4 stars
From the start of this series, I have been waiting for Dom and Willa's second chance romance. A Rogue's Rules for Seduction can be read as a standalone, but I think it would be best enjoyed in order to truly ramp up the pining and longing between these two.
Overall, I'm really satisfied with Dom and Willa's story, but I did feel that the tension and drama were dragged out for too long. This made the pacing really slow in the middle and the book feel overly long. I appreciated that both characters grew and matured in their time apart and that they recognized that their marriage would not have survived had they gone through with the wedding without those changes. It's a slow burn build up to the spicy scenes, but wow were they scorching. Eva Leigh definitely made up for lost time and the last quarter or so of the book almost melted my kindle. I enjoyed the scenes, but they did seem a bit "advanced" for Willa's first sexual explorations and I would have preferred a few less mentions of Dom's previous experiences. The epilogue wrapped up the series wonderfully though and I loved seeing all the previous couples enjoying their HEA's.
Tropes: second chance, forced proximity, slow burn, dom/sub, praise kink, pining, best friend's sibling, sexual instruction, I hate everyone but you
CW: poverty/financial insecurity (past), corporal punishment/withholding of food at boarding school (past), grief, fighting/possible manslaughter (past), bullying (past)
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
From the start of this series, I have been waiting for Dom and Willa's second chance romance. A Rogue's Rules for Seduction can be read as a standalone, but I think it would be best enjoyed in order to truly ramp up the pining and longing between these two.
Overall, I'm really satisfied with Dom and Willa's story, but I did feel that the tension and drama were dragged out for too long. This made the pacing really slow in the middle and the book feel overly long. I appreciated that both characters grew and matured in their time apart and that they recognized that their marriage would not have survived had they gone through with the wedding without those changes. It's a slow burn build up to the spicy scenes, but wow were they scorching. Eva Leigh definitely made up for lost time and the last quarter or so of the book almost melted my kindle. I enjoyed the scenes, but they did seem a bit "advanced" for Willa's first sexual explorations and I would have preferred a few less mentions of Dom's previous experiences. The epilogue wrapped up the series wonderfully though and I loved seeing all the previous couples enjoying their HEA's.
Tropes: second chance, forced proximity, slow burn, dom/sub, praise kink, pining, best friend's sibling, sexual instruction, I hate everyone but you
CW: poverty/financial insecurity (past), corporal punishment/withholding of food at boarding school (past), grief, fighting/possible manslaughter (past), bullying (past)
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
December 27, 2023
More to come, but this was, without a doubt, one of the most infuriating, poorly constructed romances I have ever read. As an added bonus, I will be downgrading my ratings for the previous books in this series based on Kieran and Finn's absolutely abominable behavior in this book. I suspect this will be the last book by Leigh I read for a long time, possibly ever.
Edited 12/27/23: Well, I never did come back to add in more thoughts in the moment, but the good (??) news is I screenshot all the text messages I sent to Katie while I was reading this, so I still have all my notes about the things that made me furious as I was reading. I'm going to post the Cliff Notes version because, as we are ending the year, no book had more of an effect on my reading in 2023 than this one. (I am not exaggerating here. If you want to know why I went into a months-long reading slump, the way this book made me feel, while not the only reason, was the single largest reason behind it.) Anyway, in no particular order:
-If the entire premise of the series is the male lead of book 3 leaves the female lead of book 3 at the altar in the prologue of book one, by the time you get to book 3, you really can't hide the ball as to what the reasons were for the male lead's actions.
-If the female lead's brothers helped their friend abandon their sister at the altar - and this is a historical, so that comes with tremendous risk to their sister's reputation - said brothers should probably leave well enough alone and not try to then later orchestrate a reunion between the sister and their friend at a house party, especially when THEY don't even know why the friend left their sister at the alter in the first place.
-ANY of this working really depends on the female lead being portrayed as more than just being sad and lusting after the man who abandoned and humiliated her. Leigh did Willa's character development NO favors here.
-The decision to change why they didn't work out before from "he was extremely stupid and he fucked up" to "well, actually we BOTH used each other before and didn't really see or know each other" was an extremely confusing choice. He left her at the altar! I'm actually willing to forgive that, as long as it is explained so we understand where he's coming from! But (1) it wasn't well or timely explained, and (2) shifting this to "well, actually we were both equally at fault!!!!!" requires a lot of set up that Leigh simply did not do. Obviously they didn't know each other as well as they thought they did because, again, Dom left Willa at the altar at tremendous risk to her reputation! I think Leigh generally did a terrible job by both characters, and I spent the entire time rooting for Willa to go find herself instead, and then later to find someone else. Literally anyone else.
-I'm going to add one more bullet in here for how much meddling her brothers did, even though they didn't know why Dom left her at the altar in the first place. Don't do that! It's not acceptable behavior! They literally BET on Dom and Willa, after helping Dom leave Willa at the altar in the first place. Garbage, immature behavior from characters who theoretically "grew up" and had their HEAs.
Anyway, I'm going to leave it at that. This was, without a doubt, the worst book I read in 2023. There are lots of great things you can do with second chance romance. This book, however, is a case study in what not to do.
Edited 12/27/23: Well, I never did come back to add in more thoughts in the moment, but the good (??) news is I screenshot all the text messages I sent to Katie while I was reading this, so I still have all my notes about the things that made me furious as I was reading. I'm going to post the Cliff Notes version because, as we are ending the year, no book had more of an effect on my reading in 2023 than this one. (I am not exaggerating here. If you want to know why I went into a months-long reading slump, the way this book made me feel, while not the only reason, was the single largest reason behind it.) Anyway, in no particular order:
-If the entire premise of the series is the male lead of book 3 leaves the female lead of book 3 at the altar in the prologue of book one, by the time you get to book 3, you really can't hide the ball as to what the reasons were for the male lead's actions.
-If the female lead's brothers helped their friend abandon their sister at the altar - and this is a historical, so that comes with tremendous risk to their sister's reputation - said brothers should probably leave well enough alone and not try to then later orchestrate a reunion between the sister and their friend at a house party, especially when THEY don't even know why the friend left their sister at the alter in the first place.
-ANY of this working really depends on the female lead being portrayed as more than just being sad and lusting after the man who abandoned and humiliated her. Leigh did Willa's character development NO favors here.
-The decision to change why they didn't work out before from "he was extremely stupid and he fucked up" to "well, actually we BOTH used each other before and didn't really see or know each other" was an extremely confusing choice. He left her at the altar! I'm actually willing to forgive that, as long as it is explained so we understand where he's coming from! But (1) it wasn't well or timely explained, and (2) shifting this to "well, actually we were both equally at fault!!!!!" requires a lot of set up that Leigh simply did not do. Obviously they didn't know each other as well as they thought they did because, again, Dom left Willa at the altar at tremendous risk to her reputation! I think Leigh generally did a terrible job by both characters, and I spent the entire time rooting for Willa to go find herself instead, and then later to find someone else. Literally anyone else.
-I'm going to add one more bullet in here for how much meddling her brothers did, even though they didn't know why Dom left her at the altar in the first place. Don't do that! It's not acceptable behavior! They literally BET on Dom and Willa, after helping Dom leave Willa at the altar in the first place. Garbage, immature behavior from characters who theoretically "grew up" and had their HEAs.
Anyway, I'm going to leave it at that. This was, without a doubt, the worst book I read in 2023. There are lots of great things you can do with second chance romance. This book, however, is a case study in what not to do.
October 12, 2022
At the beginning of the Last Chance Scoundrels series, Dominic Kilburn ran away from his bride, Lady Willa Ransome, on their wedding day for reasons he never explained, though he was willing to have Willa tell everyone that SHE jilted him. She ran off to the Continent to heal her wounded heart, while Dom spent the year avoiding his friends and attempting to lose himself in drink.
Not quite a year later, Willa's brothers/Dom's best friends Kieran and Finn have found their happily-ever-afters, and in this third book in the trilogy, it's time for an intervention. Kieran, Finn, and their wives Celeste and Tabitha have persuaded Dom to join them on a trip to a remote Scottish island for a house party with plenty of hedonism on the agenda. The closer the boat gets to the island, the more apprehensive Dom feels, and when they arrive, he understands why: Willa is at the house party, too, and they are effectively stranded together for a fortnight. It's clear from the start that they won't be allowed simply to ignore each other for that time: repeatedly thrown together in increasingly outlandish ways, Willa and Dom start to talk through what happened at the wedding, what has happened in the past year, and how they might move forward.
After reading the first two books, I knew that Dom was still desperately in love with Willa but unwilling to bridge the gap between them due to his feelings of unworthiness. And while I felt that he spent entirely too much time in this book wallowing in that unworthiness, Willa really shone as a young woman who has developed a fierce sense of self and understanding of her value. She calls Dom out for putting her on a pedestal, something he gradually recognizes and corrects, and she takes charge of her own life (and sexuality) as she creates her own way forward. Dom has A LOT of groveling to do to win her back -- and to recognize that the man he is now is much better suited to the woman Willa has become.
Dom's character arc benefits from being developed over three books, but right from the start of this book, the reader sees Willa as strong and able to stand up for herself, making her a heroine who is able to articulate her own needs and to demand honesty and respect. And since Leigh excels at writing unabashedly erotic scenes with lots of direct communication and incredibly sexy consent -- especially when women take the lead -- we also get to see Willa demanding her own pleasure as well as her dominant lover giving her everything she wants.
While I thought the book started off a bit slow, Leigh kept ratcheting up the erotic tension between Willa and Dom, giving them time to reveal the truth about themselves while they gradually gave in to the irresistible pull between them. And before they reach their hard-won HEA, the author addresses the tough question underlying so many romance novels -- is love enough? -- and offers a powerful, honest response to cap off the series. A solid ending to a delightful series.
Thank you, Avon/Harper Collins and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
Not quite a year later, Willa's brothers/Dom's best friends Kieran and Finn have found their happily-ever-afters, and in this third book in the trilogy, it's time for an intervention. Kieran, Finn, and their wives Celeste and Tabitha have persuaded Dom to join them on a trip to a remote Scottish island for a house party with plenty of hedonism on the agenda. The closer the boat gets to the island, the more apprehensive Dom feels, and when they arrive, he understands why: Willa is at the house party, too, and they are effectively stranded together for a fortnight. It's clear from the start that they won't be allowed simply to ignore each other for that time: repeatedly thrown together in increasingly outlandish ways, Willa and Dom start to talk through what happened at the wedding, what has happened in the past year, and how they might move forward.
After reading the first two books, I knew that Dom was still desperately in love with Willa but unwilling to bridge the gap between them due to his feelings of unworthiness. And while I felt that he spent entirely too much time in this book wallowing in that unworthiness, Willa really shone as a young woman who has developed a fierce sense of self and understanding of her value. She calls Dom out for putting her on a pedestal, something he gradually recognizes and corrects, and she takes charge of her own life (and sexuality) as she creates her own way forward. Dom has A LOT of groveling to do to win her back -- and to recognize that the man he is now is much better suited to the woman Willa has become.
Dom's character arc benefits from being developed over three books, but right from the start of this book, the reader sees Willa as strong and able to stand up for herself, making her a heroine who is able to articulate her own needs and to demand honesty and respect. And since Leigh excels at writing unabashedly erotic scenes with lots of direct communication and incredibly sexy consent -- especially when women take the lead -- we also get to see Willa demanding her own pleasure as well as her dominant lover giving her everything she wants.
While I thought the book started off a bit slow, Leigh kept ratcheting up the erotic tension between Willa and Dom, giving them time to reveal the truth about themselves while they gradually gave in to the irresistible pull between them. And before they reach their hard-won HEA, the author addresses the tough question underlying so many romance novels -- is love enough? -- and offers a powerful, honest response to cap off the series. A solid ending to a delightful series.
Thank you, Avon/Harper Collins and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
November 12, 2022
4.5 pining stars!
Loved this one!
- second chance romance 💓
- pining hero 🌲
- house party on an island 🏝
- I hate everyone but you 🤧
- HOT CABIN TIMES 🥵
- good girl 🥵
- I see you for who you are 🥹
Thank you to the author for the ARC
Loved this one!
- second chance romance 💓
- pining hero 🌲
- house party on an island 🏝
- I hate everyone but you 🤧
- HOT CABIN TIMES 🥵
- good girl 🥵
- I see you for who you are 🥹
Thank you to the author for the ARC
October 22, 2023
3.5 rounded up
April 22, 2023
April 22 update: in my dom/willa fic, he has tattoos and a gold earring >>>>>>>>>>>
4.5 stars rounded up :) Dom & Willa are my babies. And!!! this book literally has me writing a full on fanfic for them, so... that's where we are:)
Ok so I received an ARC of this and I am so so grateful for that. I’ve never received this kind of ARC before.
This is one of those rare occasions that I would advise other readers to NOT read the previous books if you want to read this one. They’re good but they build such an interesting storyline for these two characters that when the storyline changes for them (in this book), it is awkward if you’ve read the previous two books. Dom and Willa have taken up my brain for the last year lol so I knew that this book (even if they freaking kissed and only that… as if lol) would be above 4 stars. And it is. It definitely is. BUT! The dark storyline that leads up to this book doesn’t hold up and it made me sad because Dominic Kilburn is literally from the DOCKS. And if you know anything about early nineteenth century poverty-stricken family with longshoremen trying to support it, you know it was a ROUGH time. Like In book 1, we hear Celeste say to Kieran that their apartment was sweltering in the summer and freezing cold in the winter and that life was terrifying. And that is freaking historically accurate! But that dark plot doesn’t continue as much in this book and it’s unfortunate because with a character like Dominic Kilburn, I think it just kind of has to, you know? Like in books 1 and 2 he is literally desensitized to dead bodies in taverns and that’s what makes him so interesting. It’s what makes him so heartbreaking to read about because he is so different from Kieran and Finn.
My other main critique has to do with, again, the not continuing on with the original story that was Dom and Willa. In this book, the whole plot is that they weren’t ready for marriage initially and I can totally get behind that. What felt so out of character for them and so like LAST MINUTE CHANGE-ISH (if we’re being honest) was the using of the other person to brag and rebel against society. In book 1, we are told from Kieran’s point of view that Dom worshipped Willa, yes, but that the 2 were inseparable. That they were unable to go a minute without touching the other’s hand. And that’s what makes Willa’s reaction to Dom jilting her so heartbreaking. She speaks no words, is breathing heavily, and is paper white. In this book, their backstory is changed to “we weren’t ready because we idolized each other and showed each other off to society.” Dom literally says he would "kill for her" and Willa literally runs to her room to cry all day before leaving early the next morning after he leaves her at the altar. Even in book 2, it had Dom literally refusing marriage and wallowing because all he wanted was his former bride-to-be and she had disappeared because he was an arse and left her (love you still, Dom).
This is one of those books, I think, where you can see where the author was advised to change stuff and it really showed. Because why would these 2 have been miserable without each other had they not actually loved each other in the first place? It was as if this book, in some ways, was influenced by editors who hadn’t read books 1 and 2.
That being said, these characters are so so damn good and interesting that they’ve actually influenced me to write fanfic drabbles of them, so that’s exciting yay!
In this book, you can tell the parts that were written at the beginning of the writing process because they are so damn true to their narrative! The steaming in front of the fire scene??? PERFECTION. And how that scene came to be in the book??? PERFECTION. You can definitely tell that that scene was written early on because the inner monologues of both characters are exactly like the hints we were given from the 2 previous books. The jealousy scenes? The GREEK PLAY SCENE??? All of those scenes are like not brief but not long either but it is the amount of THOUGHT in them that makes them utterly fantastic and swoon-worthy. Dominic letting Willa be dominant for a bit before taking over?? ICONIC. Like so many moments were wonderful but cut way too short, as if the reader was gonna get bored but like I WASN’T bored with the quiet stuff!!
I am giving this book a 4.5-star rating here still though because 1. It was still an excellent book. 2. I have been obsessed with them for like a year and so I need to have some sort of peace lol. 3. These characters have inspired me, as I said before, to write more stories of them for my own personal enjoyment. 4. Their wedding was one of the sweetest things I’ve read in a very very long time. 5. Lioness carving.
4.5 stars rounded up :) Dom & Willa are my babies. And!!! this book literally has me writing a full on fanfic for them, so... that's where we are:)
Ok so I received an ARC of this and I am so so grateful for that. I’ve never received this kind of ARC before.
This is one of those rare occasions that I would advise other readers to NOT read the previous books if you want to read this one. They’re good but they build such an interesting storyline for these two characters that when the storyline changes for them (in this book), it is awkward if you’ve read the previous two books. Dom and Willa have taken up my brain for the last year lol so I knew that this book (even if they freaking kissed and only that… as if lol) would be above 4 stars. And it is. It definitely is. BUT! The dark storyline that leads up to this book doesn’t hold up and it made me sad because Dominic Kilburn is literally from the DOCKS. And if you know anything about early nineteenth century poverty-stricken family with longshoremen trying to support it, you know it was a ROUGH time. Like In book 1, we hear Celeste say to Kieran that their apartment was sweltering in the summer and freezing cold in the winter and that life was terrifying. And that is freaking historically accurate! But that dark plot doesn’t continue as much in this book and it’s unfortunate because with a character like Dominic Kilburn, I think it just kind of has to, you know? Like in books 1 and 2 he is literally desensitized to dead bodies in taverns and that’s what makes him so interesting. It’s what makes him so heartbreaking to read about because he is so different from Kieran and Finn.
My other main critique has to do with, again, the not continuing on with the original story that was Dom and Willa. In this book, the whole plot is that they weren’t ready for marriage initially and I can totally get behind that. What felt so out of character for them and so like LAST MINUTE CHANGE-ISH (if we’re being honest) was the using of the other person to brag and rebel against society. In book 1, we are told from Kieran’s point of view that Dom worshipped Willa, yes, but that the 2 were inseparable. That they were unable to go a minute without touching the other’s hand. And that’s what makes Willa’s reaction to Dom jilting her so heartbreaking. She speaks no words, is breathing heavily, and is paper white. In this book, their backstory is changed to “we weren’t ready because we idolized each other and showed each other off to society.” Dom literally says he would "kill for her" and Willa literally runs to her room to cry all day before leaving early the next morning after he leaves her at the altar. Even in book 2, it had Dom literally refusing marriage and wallowing because all he wanted was his former bride-to-be and she had disappeared because he was an arse and left her (love you still, Dom).
This is one of those books, I think, where you can see where the author was advised to change stuff and it really showed. Because why would these 2 have been miserable without each other had they not actually loved each other in the first place? It was as if this book, in some ways, was influenced by editors who hadn’t read books 1 and 2.
That being said, these characters are so so damn good and interesting that they’ve actually influenced me to write fanfic drabbles of them, so that’s exciting yay!
In this book, you can tell the parts that were written at the beginning of the writing process because they are so damn true to their narrative! The steaming in front of the fire scene??? PERFECTION. And how that scene came to be in the book??? PERFECTION. You can definitely tell that that scene was written early on because the inner monologues of both characters are exactly like the hints we were given from the 2 previous books. The jealousy scenes? The GREEK PLAY SCENE??? All of those scenes are like not brief but not long either but it is the amount of THOUGHT in them that makes them utterly fantastic and swoon-worthy. Dominic letting Willa be dominant for a bit before taking over?? ICONIC. Like so many moments were wonderful but cut way too short, as if the reader was gonna get bored but like I WASN’T bored with the quiet stuff!!
I am giving this book a 4.5-star rating here still though because 1. It was still an excellent book. 2. I have been obsessed with them for like a year and so I need to have some sort of peace lol. 3. These characters have inspired me, as I said before, to write more stories of them for my own personal enjoyment. 4. Their wedding was one of the sweetest things I’ve read in a very very long time. 5. Lioness carving.
May 10, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
Since Dominic Kilburn left Lady Willa Ransom at the altar a year ago, she has done everything possible to hide just how deeply it hurt her. After a year spent traveling the continent, Willa is ready to move on with her life and accepts an invitation to a house party on a remote Scottish island with the hopes of moving on from her embarrassment and the attraction she still holds for the man who left her.
When secrets from Dom’s past reemerged just before he was meant to be married, he knew he couldn’t go through with it given how undeserving he was of Willa, so he ran. Regardless, he still longs for the only woman to have ever found a place in his heart. Hoping to escape the longing plaguing him, Dom agrees to accompany his friends to a house party on an isolated Scottish island. Unfortunately, one of the guests is the woman he can’t stop thinking about and about whom he dreams impossible things.
Forced together by their well-intentioned family and friends, Willa and Dom work to resist the smoldering connection between them, but the line between love and despising blurs and their attraction combusts. But Dom’s past hasn’t changed and Willa fears being hurt again, leaving their happily ever after far from certain.
I have been anticipating this book for such a long time that I was hesitant to even read it now given the terrible slump I’ve fallen into, but I also didn’t want to put it off any longer. I don’t want to say it disappointed me, but I will say it wasn’t quite all I’d hoped for, though my expectations were of course very high. As always when I’m like this, you risk potential spoilers from here. Honestly, this story just felt very repetitive. Dom at least was sure he wanted to be with Willa, just equally sure he didn’t deserve to be, but Willa was just very wishy-washy about everything. Even past 60% we still didn’t get even a kiss between the MCs and I began to really lose patience. There was a ton of pining and longing, but it just grew boring and repetitive to me. I get that running away was Willa’s thing, but it still felt like she hadn’t really shown any development at all by the end of the book. Dom, on the other hand, did do some growing and reflecting. He was honest with her and made it clear that he just wanted to give her everything, but all she’d give him was chaotic mixed signals. Even when they finally did spend time together, nothing was resolved, and I grew bored all over again with her repetitive thoughts on keeping herself from being hurt again. Also, what the heck was with the random bdsm scene? I’m supposed to believe a virgin just randomly decided to tie a man up and use a crop on him? It just felt so random and weird, and I found it wholly unsatisfying. Even after all this emotional outlay from Dom, it was like Willa still hadn’t truly listened to his feelings when he finally confided the source of his shame to her. She just brushed off his feelings and went right back to mulling incessantly over her own fears. I wanted more emotion and less angst. Instead, I was just left feeling that Dom loved Willa much more than she did him and I wasn’t completely satisfied with their relationship. Overall, this book wasn’t quite all the things I’d hoped it would be, but my rating gets rounded up because I did like the way things wrapped up in the end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Since Dominic Kilburn left Lady Willa Ransom at the altar a year ago, she has done everything possible to hide just how deeply it hurt her. After a year spent traveling the continent, Willa is ready to move on with her life and accepts an invitation to a house party on a remote Scottish island with the hopes of moving on from her embarrassment and the attraction she still holds for the man who left her.
When secrets from Dom’s past reemerged just before he was meant to be married, he knew he couldn’t go through with it given how undeserving he was of Willa, so he ran. Regardless, he still longs for the only woman to have ever found a place in his heart. Hoping to escape the longing plaguing him, Dom agrees to accompany his friends to a house party on an isolated Scottish island. Unfortunately, one of the guests is the woman he can’t stop thinking about and about whom he dreams impossible things.
Forced together by their well-intentioned family and friends, Willa and Dom work to resist the smoldering connection between them, but the line between love and despising blurs and their attraction combusts. But Dom’s past hasn’t changed and Willa fears being hurt again, leaving their happily ever after far from certain.
I have been anticipating this book for such a long time that I was hesitant to even read it now given the terrible slump I’ve fallen into, but I also didn’t want to put it off any longer. I don’t want to say it disappointed me, but I will say it wasn’t quite all I’d hoped for, though my expectations were of course very high. As always when I’m like this, you risk potential spoilers from here. Honestly, this story just felt very repetitive. Dom at least was sure he wanted to be with Willa, just equally sure he didn’t deserve to be, but Willa was just very wishy-washy about everything. Even past 60% we still didn’t get even a kiss between the MCs and I began to really lose patience. There was a ton of pining and longing, but it just grew boring and repetitive to me. I get that running away was Willa’s thing, but it still felt like she hadn’t really shown any development at all by the end of the book. Dom, on the other hand, did do some growing and reflecting. He was honest with her and made it clear that he just wanted to give her everything, but all she’d give him was chaotic mixed signals. Even when they finally did spend time together, nothing was resolved, and I grew bored all over again with her repetitive thoughts on keeping herself from being hurt again. Also, what the heck was with the random bdsm scene? I’m supposed to believe a virgin just randomly decided to tie a man up and use a crop on him? It just felt so random and weird, and I found it wholly unsatisfying. Even after all this emotional outlay from Dom, it was like Willa still hadn’t truly listened to his feelings when he finally confided the source of his shame to her. She just brushed off his feelings and went right back to mulling incessantly over her own fears. I wanted more emotion and less angst. Instead, I was just left feeling that Dom loved Willa much more than she did him and I wasn’t completely satisfied with their relationship. Overall, this book wasn’t quite all the things I’d hoped it would be, but my rating gets rounded up because I did like the way things wrapped up in the end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
October 1, 2022
Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
The third book in the series, while it can be read as a standalone I recommend reading the other two books to really getting the full glimpse of Dom and Willa's romance
CW: corporal punishment and toxic experience while at boarding school (past), family tensions, dom/sub (consensual kink)
I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)
-m/f historical romance
-second chance
-forced proximity
-house party
-meddling siblings
-sex cabin
-praise kink
Gosh have I been hyped for this book since I read book 1. This was forced proximity brilliance. The siblings forcing Willa and Dom together, and also giving us glimpses of their HEAs, honestly just smart and effortless.
I'm always a fan of a house party set up and this book does not fail. Willa is pissed, Dom wants to run away and they're stuck going to all of these events and usually sitting next to each other. This book could have put all of the blame on Dom (and he grovels trust me) but I appreciated how it made their issues also based on the fact that they didn't really know each other and how young they were.
Both Dom and Willa fall for each other all over again, while lusting hard. One step forward, two steps back at times that will have you screaming and wondering if these two can make it work. And then Dom ends up on his knees, a sex cabin might then be involved, some praise kink and honestly a lot of screaming on my behalf because whoooo does this book deliver on the steam and using it also to connect their intimacy and relationship.
Dom and Willa were such a match for each other and watching them both accept themselves and fall hard for the other was so lovely to see. Just horny for each other and kind of pissed about it because the people who most believe that Dom and Willa aren't getting back together are these two but gosh the pay off and how the epilogue brings it full circle.
I'm so sad this trilogy is over but now I just want to go reread it all over again.
Steam: 4
The third book in the series, while it can be read as a standalone I recommend reading the other two books to really getting the full glimpse of Dom and Willa's romance
CW: corporal punishment and toxic experience while at boarding school (past), family tensions, dom/sub (consensual kink)
I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)
-m/f historical romance
-second chance
-forced proximity
-house party
-meddling siblings
-sex cabin
-praise kink
Gosh have I been hyped for this book since I read book 1. This was forced proximity brilliance. The siblings forcing Willa and Dom together, and also giving us glimpses of their HEAs, honestly just smart and effortless.
I'm always a fan of a house party set up and this book does not fail. Willa is pissed, Dom wants to run away and they're stuck going to all of these events and usually sitting next to each other. This book could have put all of the blame on Dom (and he grovels trust me) but I appreciated how it made their issues also based on the fact that they didn't really know each other and how young they were.
Both Dom and Willa fall for each other all over again, while lusting hard. One step forward, two steps back at times that will have you screaming and wondering if these two can make it work. And then Dom ends up on his knees, a sex cabin might then be involved, some praise kink and honestly a lot of screaming on my behalf because whoooo does this book deliver on the steam and using it also to connect their intimacy and relationship.
Dom and Willa were such a match for each other and watching them both accept themselves and fall hard for the other was so lovely to see. Just horny for each other and kind of pissed about it because the people who most believe that Dom and Willa aren't getting back together are these two but gosh the pay off and how the epilogue brings it full circle.
I'm so sad this trilogy is over but now I just want to go reread it all over again.
Steam: 4
July 12, 2023
This was a mixed bag, for me.
On the one hand, this was NOT a good second chance romance. The best ones, imo, have:
▪️ on-page falling in love (usually dual timeline), and/or
▪️ some angsty grovel-y reckoning of why they were pulled apart in the first place.
But this had neither? Confusingly? No on-page falling—the romance plot both based itself very strongly on the off-page first chance (they’ve been in love and pining for each other for years) and completely disavowed that first chance (they hardly knew each each other back then). Like, did you know and love each other for years or not?
But also that weakass grovel/apology for the screwed-up first chance made me feel nothing. It was just (and I’m paraphrasing):
“I’m sorry…”
“We didn’t trust each other [back then].
*unspoken acceptance of the apology, I guess?*
“Willa—“
“We’ve spoken all there is to say, Dom. Take me to bed.”
??? Especially considering how we nonsensically backtracked this discussion in a following chapter, and then backtracked that backtrack, this apology sucked.
On the other hand, there was so much heart-squeezing earnestness to most of the dialogue that scenes, taken individually, still managed to pack a punch? Especially narrated by the incomparable Mary Jane Wells.
I also feel conflicted about the BDSM in here. On the one hand, I loved how switch-y these two were being, especially when books about couples who like to exchange D/s roles are so rare.
On the other hand, we Good Girled a hoyden, which… pretty sure it says “Don’t Do That” right on the tin. And the BDSM was about as sudden (and random) as it gets. The much-lauded cabin scene just felt majorly tacked on to me.
So… three stars?
On the one hand, this was NOT a good second chance romance. The best ones, imo, have:
▪️ on-page falling in love (usually dual timeline), and/or
▪️ some angsty grovel-y reckoning of why they were pulled apart in the first place.
But this had neither? Confusingly? No on-page falling—the romance plot both based itself very strongly on the off-page first chance (they’ve been in love and pining for each other for years) and completely disavowed that first chance (they hardly knew each each other back then). Like, did you know and love each other for years or not?
But also that weakass grovel/apology for the screwed-up first chance made me feel nothing. It was just (and I’m paraphrasing):
“I’m sorry…”
“We didn’t trust each other [back then].
*unspoken acceptance of the apology, I guess?*
“Willa—“
“We’ve spoken all there is to say, Dom. Take me to bed.”
??? Especially considering how we nonsensically backtracked this discussion in a following chapter, and then backtracked that backtrack, this apology sucked.
On the other hand, there was so much heart-squeezing earnestness to most of the dialogue that scenes, taken individually, still managed to pack a punch? Especially narrated by the incomparable Mary Jane Wells.
I also feel conflicted about the BDSM in here. On the one hand, I loved how switch-y these two were being, especially when books about couples who like to exchange D/s roles are so rare.
On the other hand, we Good Girled a hoyden, which… pretty sure it says “Don’t Do That” right on the tin. And the BDSM was about as sudden (and random) as it gets. The much-lauded cabin scene just felt majorly tacked on to me.
So… three stars?
March 8, 2023
I've been waiting for Dom and Willa's story since the beginning of the first book and this one didn't disappoint.
I've really been intrigued by these two and it was fun finally getting to see inside their heads. They're both stubborn and putting a brash public face on past hurts. Together they instant chemistry and I wanted to mash their faces together from the first time they're back on the page together. Of course it was fun seeing the previous couples play matchmaker and it's delightful when all three men are together.
Plot wise, it was good. There's a lot a lot a lot of push and pull and I wish we would have had a chance for more honest conversations as everything felt a bit more superficial than I wanted. Dom's reason for jilting Willa was so minor to make such a big deal over and it seemed liked there was all of this build up for a (in my opinion) WITAF reveal. However, I will say that the epilogue really nailed it for me.
Overall, this series has been so much fun and I can't wait to see what Eva comes up with next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the digital arc free of charge**
I've really been intrigued by these two and it was fun finally getting to see inside their heads. They're both stubborn and putting a brash public face on past hurts. Together they instant chemistry and I wanted to mash their faces together from the first time they're back on the page together. Of course it was fun seeing the previous couples play matchmaker and it's delightful when all three men are together.
Plot wise, it was good. There's a lot a lot a lot of push and pull and I wish we would have had a chance for more honest conversations as everything felt a bit more superficial than I wanted. Dom's reason for jilting Willa was so minor to make such a big deal over and it seemed liked there was all of this build up for a (in my opinion) WITAF reveal. However, I will say that the epilogue really nailed it for me.
Overall, this series has been so much fun and I can't wait to see what Eva comes up with next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the digital arc free of charge**
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