Confessions of a Viscount

Scandalous Ladies #3

by Shirley Karr

The Naked Truth . . . Alistair, Viscount Moncreiffe, must He is thoroughly bored with the proper ladies of the ton . The rogue longs for an adventurous beauty who will make his world more . . . interesting . So Alistair is delighted when fiery, fearless Charlotte Parnell literally drops into his arms—and he's quick to tender a marriage proposal when they are discovered in this scandalous position. Better a Spy Than a Bride . . . Charlotte wishes to continue spying for the Crown alongside her brother, who thinks she should marry instead. Now she's determined to solve a most important and dangerous case before he does. But a misstep on a London rooftop has landed her in Viscount Moncreiffe's embrace—and she is intrigued by the handsome rake's offer of matrimony. With a fiancé by her side, she'll arouse fewer suspicions—and she'll end the engagement once her mission is completed. But will Alistair's disarming passion inspire Charlotte to uncover the most astonishing secret of the love hidden deep in her heart?

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Regency, British Literature, Espionage

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 28, 2006

About the author

Shirley Karr’s love of all things Regency began in childhood, when her father’s Air Force career took the family to England for four years. Not only did they visit historic houses, museums, and castles galore, they lived in centuries-old housing. She currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband (whom she met on a blind date and married five months later), son, and multiple four-legged family members. To unwind, she loves to make jewelry with gemstones and pearls, grow tomatoes, and go tent camping at the Oregon coast. She’s back after a fourteen-year break from writing, creating light-hearted stories of adventure and romance with a dash of spice, set in Regency England..

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!
I love when author put together smart and quick on the ball characters and that is what you get in this piece. Right from the first I knew that Alistair and Charlotte were made for each other. Charlotte does not want to marry at this time but neither does Alistair fate has other ideas! There is a bit of danger in this well-written book when I started reading it I could not put it down. I truly think this is a book you would love reading I hope you check it out I recommend it! I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.

[BJ Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* bumped up to 4* because I loved the ingenuity of the hero in setting the stage over and over. And I like the idea of a lady spy .

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Surprisingly good considering it’s all I had left.

Plot - 4/5
Spicy scene - 5/5
Character development/depth - 3/5

Overall a solid read

[Sandra Dagg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent read. Enjoyed this, although for the first few pages I was unsure if I had made a wise choice. Picked up quickly though and turned out to be a fun read. This was different, at least to me, as it seemed unusual for the heroine to be in the spying business in the time frame the author chose to write about. However, the circumstances under which she became a spy were believable, and hey, this is fiction right?...And it was a cool story, which I would definitely read again!

[Renee Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alistair, Viscount Moncreiffe’s best friends Benjamin and Tony have fallen in love and gone off and gotten married to unconventional women. Alister’s Grandfather wants him to get married as soon as possible. His father wants him to remain a bachelor and enjoy his time as a young man in town. All of the marriage-minded mommas in town wanted nothing more than to trap him into a marriage with their eligible daughters. Alistair on the other hand just wants to continue to study the stars and stay unattached for now. Charlotte Parnell is in town for the small season as her brother wants nothing more than for her to settle down and get married. Unfortunately, she worked alongside her brother as a spy for the English government for years. Charlotte, also known as Charlie, has no intention of settling down and becoming a simpering miss who’s husband tells her what to do and she only lives for parties and the next fashion. When Charlotte quite literally falls into Alister’s arms and his father catches them they begin their fake betrothal. As they work together to solve the mystery that Charlotte is working on will they break their betrothal at the end of the small season or will they fall in love? I enjoyed this story from Shirley Karr’s Scandalous Ladies series.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Hero, Lukewarm Heroine

I have a soft spot in my heart for the nerdy romantic hero, especially one in Regency romances, as the heroes of those tend to be idle lords. In fact, gentlemen in Regency and Victorian England were not supposed to work or have an intellectual pastime. But this hero is an astronomy aficionado, going so far as to publish papers on the topic and be involved in astronomical societies. I liked the hero right away, but I'm not sure if I ever truly warmed to the heroine. I think far too many Regency authors give Regency heroines modern sensibilities. I have a hard time believing a Regency woman would have thought and acted as the heroine did. However, I liked the hero enough, as well as the romantic arc, that I stuck with the story and found I enjoyed it more than I thought I would because of how I felt about the heroine.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third story in the "Scandalous Ladies" series. It is a stand alone read about Alistair and Charlotte. This is such a good read that is nicely developed. The story is about an astronomer and a spy; neither wanting marriage at the time. So the Viscount will fake it with the lady to help her complete her mission. That is until something happens and he realizes she has come to mean more to him. I enjoyed every aspect of this one.

[Maggie Hesseling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to get back into astronomy after this novel. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy looking at the night sky. The scene where they're on the roof looking at stars is fantastically written. I love Shirley Karr's novels. And this one, though not as good as What an Earl Wants, still has some great scenes and dialogue.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book & especially the feisty female character of Charlotte but Alistair became for me a truly fabulous hero & the ultimate seducer after the ‘stargazing’ episode on the London rooftop party!! Wow! He’s a keeper for sure. I was glad when Charlotte realised that she could have both her spy career & her love & that Alistair realised he could also have a wife & a full life together as her partner as he had the truly ultimate disguise with his work & interest. I’m very glad they both didn’t throw it all away. Better together! Loved this story & the twists & turns & intrigue. A quick read for me!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! Another atypical Regency romance, with a feisty heroine and a nerd hero (my favorite kind). There's danger and intrigue, and of course, the HEA. Highly recommend.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one!
I liked the idea of a Lady spy. The book brought a smile on my face right from the beginning, when Charlotte approaches Alistair on the street and acts as if she knows hem just to disappear in the next few minutes.

There are also some very romantic scenes in the book. Like when they gaze at the stars on a rooftop. Charlotte is gazing through the telescope and Alistair is adjusting it. He can't resist touching her hair, her hand, her cheek,... The way it is described is just wonderful.

Charlotte acts a bit rash and without thinking sometimes, but she forms a perfect balance with Alistair who's a bit too rational sometimes.

This was the first book I read by this author, but I'm certain more will follow. I like the way she writes and the way she describes things.

[Edward Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Viscount’s fake betrothal to help a lady spy finds them romance and true love.

This is my first book by Shirley Karr and it is a superb one that won’t be my last. She has penned a terrific novel with smart and likeable characters in a wonderful plot that combines romance and espionage and has a fake betrothal, astronomical observations, and personal danger. This is the 3rd installment in Ms. Karr’s “Scandalous Ladies” series, so I have missed the first two. Be sure that the others in the series will be added to my library very shortly. I highly recommend this book and you should not miss it.
Having received a free copy of this book via Booksprout, I voluntarily leave this review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fake Betrothal . . .

Alistair, Viscount Moncreiffe, is not interested in marriage. But when Charlotte Parnell falls from the roof into his arms and, of course, it is looked at as scandalous rather than life-saving, he offers her a fake betrothal. This also allows her to continue spying for the Crown since she will raise fewer suspicions accompanied by her fiancé. They can the engagement when her mission is complete.

But Alistair is realizing he doesn’t want this to end. Can he convince her to marry him? Or will the independent young lady refuse to give up her freedom to marriage?

[Wench · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for a couple of bucks at a discount book store. Maybe I should add a shelf of "what-the-hell-why-not" and "pleasant-surprises".

While Our Heroine sometimes gets very silly, and I wanted to sit her down and give her a lesson in growing up, it still manages to be an entertaining story. Better yet, Our Hero is a nerd, and he and Our Heroine seem to genuinely like each other.

I'm keeping it and probably re-reading it.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why this book is called "Confessions of a Viscount." There is a viscount, and he enters a mutually-beneficial sham engagement to a lady spy, but he doesn't really confess to anything. EXCEPT LOVE, OF COURSE. I confess that I found this book delightful. Astronomer viscount who discovers a secret flair for intelligence work is now one of my favorite heroes.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Scandalous Ladies series a story that kept me turning pages. Alistair, Viscount Moncreiffe and Miss Charlotte Parnell's story of suspense, drama, danger, twists, turns, villains, and romance. The story was well worth reading. This is a new Author to me. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jkdaun · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm stiking out in the romance department this summer. Maybe I'm growing-up. No that can't be it. I refuse.

[Diane Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. A very pleasant story. I liked the characters and their interaction. Would have liked a little more "steamy" stuff instead of just thinking about it.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has it's ups and downs, it was an enjoyable book to read and the characters were interesting.