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!!

This book got me through my night before the election anxiety. It was exactly what I needed: an instantly engaging easy read, a heroine named Kathryn, and a hero willing to sacrifice his own happiness for that of his heroine.

A heads up to readers. This book is technically the first in a new series from Lorraine Heath, but it quite literally intersects with the Sins for All Seasons series. (The final book in the Sins for All Seasons series, Beauty Tempts the Beast, takes place in the middle of this book and is about the Griff’s sister Althea). This book absolutely does work as a standalone but anyone who doesn’t want the Sins for All Seasons books spoiled, especially Beauty Tempts the Beast, should read those first.

This book captured my interest instantly. The first few pages begin with Griff waking up hungover in his family’s garden overhearing a conversation between Kathryn and his sister Althea. It provided a bit of humor, set up the duke seeking plot of the book, and introduced this set of characters beautifully. Also there are so few heroines who spell Kathryn correctly, so I knew that I was going to love her instantly.

I should preface this part of the review by saying that Lorraine Heath is one of my all time favorite writers and I have read and loved the majority of her books. Part of my love for her is her mastery of heroes who are willing to sacrifice their own wants and happiness for their heroine and this book is no exception. Griff has been in love with Kathryn since the moment they meet as youths but as he is a second son she won’t give him the time of day. Kathryn’s one desire is to marry a duke, so Griff does everything in his power to deliver her a duke even if it means she can’t be his. This is beautifully expressed in the book about 35% of the way through stating, “Then Lord Griffith Stanwick, second son, who had never denied himself anything he wanted, strode away, denying himself the only thing he’d ever truly desired.” His self-sacrificing nature is heartbreaking at times but it never crosses over into the area of pathetic, which is a delicate balance that Lorraine Heath handles so well. I think I love this type of story because it gives a lot of power to the heroine as it gives her the option to choose between what she thinks she wants and what her heart actually wants.

This book gave me all the feels that I’ve come to expect from a Lorraine Heath book. I was happy to return to the world of Sins for All Seasons while getting to go off in a new direction. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a arc copy for a honest review.

I enjoyed reading Scoundrel of My Heart. I didn’t like the end when Beauty Tempts The Beast I was like noooo!! It’s a beautiful story I was not disappointed 5 star read

Happy Reading
Lisa