4 Stars
A lovely finale as we bid adieu to The Notorious Ladies of London!
The Plot
It has been five years since Pippa threw over Roland to marry George Shaw (one of the villains from Lady Lawless), but Roland is still pining for her. Pippa still hates Roland for all his deceits from five years ago, but when her late husband's many many crimes come to light, threatening her & her daughter's safety, she doesn't know what to believe & whom to trust anymore? To ensure their well-being, Pippa has no choice but to marry Roland the Duke of Northwich and accept the protection of his name and title. But with doubts & criminals lurking, how is one to find love?
What I loved
- Great unfolding of the plot. This story answers many questions we had from the previous book about what exactly happened with Pippa & Roland and the criminal activities of George Shaw.
- Excellent main characters. Their individual development and dynamic as a couple was heartfelt, believable and angsty. Yet again, Scarlett Scott can create characters, which have a certain uniqueness about them, main & secondary both.
- This was a tale of "cautious love". The book stays true to the romance genre even though there is a thriller-esq/ criminal subplot. The story is also very straightforward without excess drama & misunderstandings (they all get clarified by 29% of the book), it's just about a new relationship blossoming.
The not so great aspects
- The pacing of the book was slow, it would have worked much better as a novella since the story does not dive very deep into criminal investigative matters. As the central plotline is romance, I get that the relationship development took time but the domesticity portrayed felt a bit cliched & boring.
- The sensuality was ridiculously a slow burn, I am talking 85% of the story went without steam, thus making the title of the book incorrect. Nobody was brazen, they ran away to the country!
The Hero
Roland has been painted in a great light since Lady Wicked and in this story as well, he upheld the mantel. He is a genuine, non-flowery person, a great friend, protective to the bone, all in all, a good guy who was burnt by love. I don't this I have ever read about an athletic hero with a penchant for working out/ exercising in the HR genre, that made him so unique. His reactions to Pippa & their past was a study in patience and understanding. No idiotic prideful behaviour. He's of part Native American heritage and that has made him a juicy subject of gossip, but instead of the bitterness he clings to the teachings of his mother and seeks a brighter side. Though he has not given up on love, he is cautious, all of this made him a wonderfully believable hero.
The Heroine
My initial reaction to Pippa was "here we go again, another stubborn, TSTL heroine" but that changed very quickly. As the reality of her past came forth, her reactions also started changing accordingly. I loved the fact that Pippa did not keep clinging to her version of things. She was just coming to terms and she did it with aplomb. Dealing with trust issues can be difficult when every one of importance to you had lied, repeatedly. It was heartening to read her character grow up from a naive girl to someone who understands what is that she needs. She was a dedicated mother, kept an open mind towards Roland, gave her new circumstances a chance without being judgemental and always apologized when she made a gaffe thus making her a likeable heroine.
My Recommendation
If you have not read this series yet, I suggest you finish whatever book you are currently reading and get on with this one, trust me you will not be disappointed.