SCOUNDREL OF MY HEART - Loraine Heath
Once upon a Dukedom - Book 1
Avon
ISBN-10: 0062951963
ISBN-13 :978-0062951960
ASIN: B08BZMH5Z8
March 30, 2021
Historical Romance

London 1873

Lord Griffith Stanwick wakes up with a pounding headache and finds himself laying in the hedgerows behind his father's home. He hears the voices of his sister Althea and her two friends Lady Kathryn and Lady Joycelyn. He has also been a friend to Kathryn Lambert since childhood, although a teasing-provoking one. He hears her say, "Not a spare, never a spare." The words hurt. He is a spare. His brother Marcus will be the next duke in the family. It is not the first time Griffith has heard the disparagement. The young women, all about twenty-four, continue talking about the Duke of Kingsland's advertisement in the paper requesting letters from all women who might like to become his wife. He needs all eligible women to send him a letter explaining why they would be a good wife for him. His sister is engaged, she wouldn't have to write such a missive, but he knows Katherine wants a duke. Would she write a letter?

Lady Kathryn Lambert has one goal in life: to inherit the cottage her grandmother left her if she married a peer. The cottage holds her most treasured memories. She is staying with her friend Althea, and she knows why Griffith could not get in the house the previous night. She took a small reprisal against her friend's provoking brother, who often calls her by the moniker 'Freckles.' She thinks his reputation true, so believes he is like her father's younger brother--a wastrel and scoundrel. The description bothers her, but she admits to herself she enjoys their bickering. She notices at the family dinner, the duke, Griffith's father, never looks or talks to Griffith. He overlooks his 'spare' son as much as other peers do. Still, she has a favor to ask Griffith--can he discover what the Duke of Kingsland wants in a wife?

What no one else knows is Griffith has plans to escape his situation, prove himself worthy, and to make his own way…

Horrible events are about to change Griffith, Marcus, and Althea's lives. Their father, the duke, will be accused of treason and hanged. They will lose everything, their home and belongings, their noble prestige, and most of their friends. To survive they need to find work. Althea's story has already been published in BEAUTY TEMPTS THE BEAST. This story of her devilish but beguiling brother Griffith is a wonderful read and the start of a new series.

The Duke of Kingsland has a simple plan. He will have ladies of the ton write letters explaining why they should be his Duchess. He will choose one and court them with matrimony in mind. In order to receive an inheritence of her grandmothers beach house Lady Kathryn Lambert must marry someone with a title before her 25th birthday. Winning the Duke is Kathryn's best chance of securing her dream. Her best friends brother, lord Griffith Stanwick (Griff) offers to help her in her endeavors. Griff is a second son and a seeming wastrel but has plans of his own.

I thought this was going to be a straight forward teasing and annoying longtime friend to lovers story but it took a different turn. The story was light and well paced. The banter with Kathryn and Griff engaging and fun. I like love the grand gesture from Griff and how it plays into the storyline. Kathryn is a heroine with a modern feel. Raised within the rules of society but confident and self assertive. I had to suspend logic a little to believe that Griff could go through all the experiences he did in less than a year.

I am thrilled to find a new to me author who has been writing a long time. I know I will seek out her other books and series. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Whew. Another amazing Lorraine Heath romance.

We met Griffin and Kathryn in Beauty Tempts the Beast: Griff is Althea's brother, and Kathryn her estranged friend. (Note: you don't need to read Beauty Tempts the Beast to follow this story...although if you haven't read it, add it to your TBR list now because it's wonderful!) In this novel, we meet Griff, the Duke of Wolfford's spare, after a rough night of carousing as he eavesdrops on Althea and her best friend, Kathryn. Kathryn is interested in a match with the Duke of Kingsland in order to secure an inheritance that will become hers should she marry a title before her 25th birthday. Griff agrees to help Kathryn position herself to win the duke's hand, and while he is successful in securing the duke's interest, Kathryn is upset at how he goes about it. She can't confront him, though, as his father's illegal activities (the same ones that set the action of Beauty Tempts the Beast in motion) exile Althea, Griff, and their eldest brother from society. When Kathryn and Griff cross paths again months later, they find themselves draw together despite the increased obstacles in their way.

This story was smartly structured to add layers and depth to Griff's character, revealing how the overlooked second son of a duke is forced to grow up and take charge of his future. He's the titular scoundrel, yet also shows himself to be honorable, devoted, and ambitious. Kathryn is his complement, and from the beginning, their chemistry makes their every interaction enjoyable to read. Although the plot is initially set in motion by her potential engagement to a duke, it revolves around her coming to know her own heart--and once she does, learning to follow it.

Lorraine Heath really rewards her readers in this novel. There are several clever callbacks later in the story to small plot points that, in new context, pack greater delight and emotional wallop.

I was intrigued by Griff and his older brother Marcus by the glimpses we saw of them in the previous book, and I was looking forward to finding out what happened with Althea's brothers. Griff's story didn't disappoint, and I can't wait to see where Marcus's journey takes him.

Scoundrel of My Heart is the first book in Lorraine Heath's new Once Upon a Dukedom series. The hero of this book, Lord Griffith Stanwick, is the brother to the heroine of the last book (Beauty Tempts the Beast) and this book does overlap somewhat. However, I believe that this book can be read without having read the other books first.

Lady Kathryn Lambert must marry a titled gentleman in order to claim her inheritance: a lovely cottage by the sea, where all of her fondest childhood memories take place. Lord Griffith Stanwick, her closest friend's brother, is a second son and so will never inherit. Raised as a spare, Griff dreams of making his own way in the world. When he learns of Kathryn's trouble, he sets out to help her achieve her dream of her cottage: by convincing a duke to court her. Finally with her future in her sights, Kathryn should be overjoyed, but can't help but miss the younger son who understood her so completely.

As always, Heath does an amazing job of creating characters you just can't help but love. In Beauty Tempts the Beast, the Griff that we saw was surly and unreliable, however here in Scoundrel of My Heart we get to know him much more intimately and you can't help but fall in love with him, too. Kathryn is fiery and headstrong. There is a scene where she is trying to make an impression on a man who is looking for a quiet bride who won't bother him, but she can't hold her tongue at all, and I found myself cheering her on. They are a wonderful couple, and though the road to their happy-ever-after is difficult (is it ever easy in a Lorraine Heath book?) the payoff is so completely worth it.

I loved this book, would highly recommend. I can't wait to read the next one!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. My thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager.

When I first started reading Scoundrel of My Heart by Lorraine Heath, I was annoyed. It seemed as if it was going to be yet another version of the "vaguely waspish society miss and vaguely useless lordling (who secretly makes lucrative investments) snipe their way to True Love" story. It SO wasn't. Yay!

It's true that Griff does first appear waking up hungover in the hedgerows, and Kathryn does needle him endlessly for all sorts of reasons. However, their affection and respect for one another is also instantly clear. So what's keeping them apart? Kathryn needs to marry a title to hold onto her grandmother's seaside cottage, and Griff loves her too much to ask her to give it up. Instead, he tries to help her snag a duke.

The story could have worked itself out from there, but instead, Heath takes us unexpectedly in another direction that jumps us ahead about a year. Those who read Althea's (Griff's sister's) story might not be surprised by the reasons why, but those who haven't--like me--likely will be. I won't say much more because I like to avoid spoilers.

If I could change anything, it would be that Griff's time away should have been longer, not because I want it to take longer for our H and h to get together, but because ten months doesn't seem like enough time for some of the changes we see in Griff to really happen. But eh, creative license!

I also wish Kathryn had been more of a help to Althea, but it's possible that Althea's story explains why not, and anyway, this story is Kathryn's.

I ended up loving both Kathryn and Griff. I also found myself rooting for the duke, who--it seems--will be getting his own story soon.

In the end, this was a perfect story of two smart people who are meant to be together.

I was grateful to receive an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

Scoundrel Of My Heart is the first book in a new series from the amazing Lorraine Heath. It does include characters we met in Beauty Tempts the Beast from her Sins for All Seasons series but you don’t need to read that to enjoy this one! I love an enemies to lovers with a forced proximity trope thrown in just to ensure the couple realizes they are perfect for one another, so basically Scoundrel Of My Heart was my catnip.

Lord Griffith Stanwick is the spare, living it up with no responsibilities but he dreams of having his own club where men and women considered undesirable (spares, spinsters, commoners) can meet. Lady Kathryn Lambert needs to marry a titled gentleman to claim her inheritance of a seaside cottage by the time she is 25 or it will go to her dreadful cousin. Kathryn sets her sights on the Duke of Kingsland and asks Griffith to help her land him. How he helps her, the deception that changes his life and the love he has harbored for her made this a wonderful story and one that I could not put down.

I really enjoyed Griffith. The letter he sends to Kingsland to convince him Kathryn would make a good duchess was wonderful and showed how much he had been watching and worshipping her from afar. I could suspend reality to believe Griffith matured so much in the 10 months time between his life falling apart and emerging as a changed man. His “poor me, I am the spare” attitude didn’t last long enough to annoy me but how he felt he could never be good enough for Kathryn made me want to shake him.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see who captures the Duke of Kingsland’s heart!!!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for my honest review.

A present a few weeks early ❤️
I loved all of Lorraine Heath’s series to the point that when I finished the Sins for All Season series, I almost cried saying goodbye to these characters.
Then I was given the chance to read Scoundrel of My Heart. .

Even though this book starts a new series called #OnceUponADukedom, this 1st book tell the story of Althea’s family (The Stanwicks) from #BeautyTemptstheBeast and the story behind why she came to Beast to learn about seduction. It was wonderful to see all of the Treweloves together again.
I’m only sad that I have to wait for the next book to continue the story.

I received a digital advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just realized I forgot to review this when I read it about a month ago! First off, I absolutely loved this book! I didn't realize it at first, but the book follows side characters from Lorraine Heath's previous series (seen in Beauty Tempts the Beast) Griffith Stanwick and Kathryn Lambert. Griffith is the brother of Althea from Beauty Tempts the Beast, and Kathryn is her best friend. Griffith and Kathryn both had low-level crushes on each other, and it might have become something more, if not for Griffith's father getting hanged for treason. When they find each other again, Griffith has gone from the second son of a Duke to a commoner with associations with treason. On top of all that, in order to get the inheritance her grandmother left her (a cottage by the sea that holds happy memories for Kathryn), she needs to marry a Duke or an heir. That means not Griffith. But the heart wants what it wants! Despite extenuating circumstances, these characters find a way to love each other, and when they finally get together, it is immensely satisfying! I really loved the characters in this book, and loved revisiting all the Trueloves from the Sins for All Seasons series! Not necessarily in this series, but I hope to someday have a novel that's Angela (daughter of Finn and Lavinia) and Robin falling in love!

There's a lot I enjoyed about this book! The strongest component is Kathryn and Griffith's emotional journey, which is well-developed and central.

The dash of intrigue with Griff's father is interesting, but it comes too late in the book to form his Tragic Backstory, so it ends up not quite achieving maximum emotional impact from either the tragedy itself or the potential for hurt/comfort. And because this situation unfolds in the main plot, not the past, it should be at the forefront of the heroine's mind. It's incredibly strange that Kathryn—best friends with Griff's sister?—seemingly did nothing to protect Althea or her family, or even make an attempt to contact them. With this in mind, Kathryn became a less compelling heroine. Still, an enjoyable read.

I received a digital advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was adorable and enjoyable. The hero was surprisingly loveable, which I didn’t expect because his descriptions in the last book left a lot to be desired. But I was pleasantly surprised that I liked him. The romance was good, the characters were well developed, and the story suspenseful. But, unfortunately for the two main characters, there is a side character that totally steals the show and I found myself skimming the story just find our more about this character. That hope was paid off at the end when it was revealed that this character will be getting their own story. I can’t wait for that story!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest review. Griffith is a spare and Kathryn wants to marry a duke. Experiencing them falling in love was wonderful for the reader. Great chemistry and a great story, loved it.

** Thank you NetGalley for ARC. My opinion are my own.**

What can I say. It was a beautiful story. Griff and Kathryn’s love story was one that had you enjoy the journey of their HEA. It was refreshing to see how much Griff loved her until she also realized her love for him.

I also enjoyed “seeing” other characters from previous books. Lorraine Heath created a wonderful story.

It begins as Kathryn must marry a title by her twenty fifth birthday to inherit her grandmother’s cottage by the sea. Griff is the devil-may-care drunkard second son, not amounting to anything. The Duke of Kingsland is holding a competition where he will have women write to him to make their case of why he should choose them for his wife. Griff uses this and Kathryn as a money-making venture. Until this point the plot is pretty run-of-the-mill. This changes when, Griff, his father, and brother are arrested for treason. The story skips ahead only TEN MONTHS and Griff is out of prison, an expert street fighter, ex-treason hunter, club-owning underworld boss. The flowery dialogue and I’m not good enough for you trope dragged the book down for me. I’m still interested in what becomes of Kingsland (I suspect Miss Pettypeace), and Griff’s brother Marcus. Who is behind the act of treason? The Trewlove clan is mentioned often. I realize now I should have read their series first so their tidbits would mean more to me. SPOILER: when Griff used threats and blackmail against Kathryn’s cousin (it wasn’t his fault he was in line to inherit) to get her cottage, and she gushed a thank you, was too much for me. The third star is because I’m interested enough to try the next book in the series.

Lorraine Heath has done it again. This is Griff and Katherine’s story. In order to inherit her grandmother’s cottage she needs to marry a titled man by the time she turns 25. Griff’s family was stripped of title and property because his father was a traitor. He has always loved Katherine. He was never right for her because he was a second son before his family lost everything. He tries to help her win a Duke to marry. He loves her enough to let her go but he underestimates her love for him. I loved the book. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I especially can’t wait for Marcus’s story.

It took me a bit to get into this book, but it was probably my mood at the time. Because then I couldn’t put it down. At first I thought it’d be the same type of book from this genre. Girl needs duke to further her dreams, but meets scoundrel and falls in love with him instead. But this book was so so much more than that. First of all, Lorraine Heath is a phenomenal writer. The characters, the setting, the description, pulled me in and left me breathless. Great chemistry of the characters! Really felt I was there at the cottage, or following Griff’s dreams in his club. But the twists and turns were what really got me. Even when I thought okay this will probably happen next, I kept being shocked in a great way and in no way did the book go the way I expected. Which I always love! This was an awesome read that I highly recommend. A first in its series, it is standalone as in this book ended with the perfect happy-ever-after with the couple. But then later we get to see what happens to another character we meet in this book, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Also, in no way of my reading this did I know this intersected with a different series, so I’m eager to read those now as well. All completely stand-alone, but will make a great compliment to each other. And why just read one when you get read them all? I can't wait! Highly recommended.

Lorraine health's new series and I love it. It was great introduction to her new series and good love story. I can't wait for the next book in the series and hopefully I will love it too.

I am always excited to see a new book by Lorraine Heath, and knowing this is the beginning of a new series spun off of her last "Sins for All Seasons" series made it even more appealing. It features a heroine and hero who are made for each other, but for many reasons refuse to acknowledge their attraction and growing love. Kathryn thinks she wants one thing, and Griff keeps sacrificing to enable her to realize her dreams, but what happens when they both realize what they have together is more powerful than anything? Once again Ms. Heath delivers an emotional and heartwarming romance, and I so look forward to the next entry. Highly recommended.

Can I talk about how much I loved this book? A wonderful story, well developed plot and I adored the main characters. Griffith was a phenomanal hero and I felt that he was one of my favorite heroes I have read lately. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I am a huge Lorraine Heath fan - and have enjoyed just about everything she has written. Victorian London is definitely my favorite thing to read in historicals. The Trewlove series was a bridge into the lower and middle class London of the time and how it interacted with the aristocracy. This book starts a new series - but continues on in the same world. Griffith is Althea Stanwick's (from Beauty Tempts the Beast) brother. Griff is the second son and is not valued highly by his family. He is pretty much ignored and is just a literal and figurative place holder. Griff has big dreams - but he's pretty much on his own to achieve them. But still - he is living a very privileged life. - until his father is accused of treason and everything is taken away from him and his siblings.

Kathryn is the daughter of an Earl and close friends with Althea. She and Griff are attracted to each other as much as they annoy each other. Kathryn has to marry a titled gentleman in order to inherit property from her grandmother. She is living the typical life of a privileged young lady in England at the time.

Griff and Kathryn begin to connect - and Griff wants to make sure Kathryn achieves all of her dreams. He is in love with her but doesn't see her as being for him, particularly because of her need/desire to marry a title. Griff is 100% willing to sacrifice himself and a possible relationship with Kathryn to make her happy. He isn't completely selfless in it- but still - the main goal is securing Kathryn's goals. Its flawed - but really really romantic. Griff really is a helper - someone who will drop everything to help his family and those he loves. Even his business, to an extent, is designed to help people who don't fit in to established areas of society. He definitely doesn't feel worthy of her - but also doesn't ask her if her wants/desires have changed along the way. And Kathryn doesn't realize until it is almost too late that her desires and wants have changed.

As with every Lorraine Heath book, this one is carefully and beautifully written. I loved the characters and can't wait to see more - I am hoping for a pairing of Kingsland and his secretary...and I still can't wait to see what awaits Marcus. And maybe a story for Kathryn's friend who goes to Griff's club...

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley,, but these opinions are all my own.

This story made me want to read and do nothing else. Such a great story. Kathryn wants to marry someone with a title. Has a friend willing to help her do just that. Everything is going according to her plans until it's not. Can't wait for the next book!!