Cover Image: A Scoundrel of Her Own

A Scoundrel of Her Own

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While I really enjoyed some parts of it, this book did not work for me on multiple levels, and part of it is personal preference. Books that start off with the characters as children are usually a hard sell for me, but if you love the childhood-friends-to-adult-lovers trope with a side dose of wrong-side-of-the-tracks and a big helping of intense pining, definitely check this one out!

The book opens with a prologue in which our heroine, Ophelia, aged 8, has been in a carriage accident. She fell in a river and our hero, Niall (aka Devlin), aged 12, has saved her from drowning. They’re lost in the woods and come across a cabin where they stay together for several days before they are found. They form an intense connection and Niall vows that he will marry Ophelia when they grow up. But Ophelia is the daughter of a marquess, and Niall is nobody, so Ophelia’s father harshly turns him away when they’re rescued and he vows to himself to grow into a man who will be worthy of her in society’s eyes.

After the prologue, it has been 16 years and Ophelia is now a 24-year-old member of the sinful wallflowers friend group. She has just found out something earth-shattering about her father and her past, and she’s trying to find more information. This means she has to traverse the seedier parts of London, and this is where Niall, who now goes by Devlin, sees her again and decides to offer his protection behind the scenes. Five months after Devlin sees her, he sends her a note with a very large bank draft made out to her father, who’s in debt, and a request for a song in return for the money. She accepts, they meet, and she learns that this dangerous man who’s provided his protection is Niall, the boy who saved her from drowning all those years ago. Thus begins their new relationship as adults.

Somewhere in here is an amazing romance novel, but I feel this book suffers for having some of the most interesting parts (Ophelia spotlighting as Lady Starlight, for example) off page. We are told about these things, but we don’t get to see them. We also find out later about all the things Devlin does to try to help others who’ve grown up the way he did, but I wish we’d seen more of that, and that we’d seen it earlier in the book so I could have liked him more. The beginning, in general, felt very drawn out, and I think it could have been condensed considerably. There was a lot going on in this book, a lot of threads to be woven in, and I don’t feel it was all done effectively.

What really didn’t work for me was that this entire book hinges on their childhood meeting and connection, and I didn’t buy into that at all. Ophelia in particular was so young when they met, it honestly felt creepy to me that Devlin would continue to hold a torch for a girl he met when she was 8. His level of devotion is so intense, too, that it added to the discomfort. It just really rubbed me the wrong way throughout the whole book.

What I did love, though, was that, despite the intense childhood connection, they did still need to build up their relationship as adults. It did feel insta-love-y at times, but their relationship grew and deepened, and I thought that was really well done. Devlin emotionally supports Ophelia through a very turbulent time, and that was great! I honestly loved a lot about their relationship as adults. There are some really swoon-worthy scenes between them, and the chemistry is great! I also really liked the plot line where Ophelia is trying to find out more about what she learns from her father in the beginning. It was a very emotional journey for her, and I thought that was done well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing a free advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

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Lady Ophelia Darby exists in two worlds. In one, she is the impudent, willful daughter of a powerful marquess and darling of the ton. In the other, she moves through the underworld’s shadows as songstress Lady Starlight, protected only by the notoriously wealthy scoundrel Devlin Byrne. But when she stumbles upon her beloved father’s darkest secrets, the line between her two worlds quickly blurs. Now she needs the help of the one man a lady should never trust.

Devlin Byrne stands on the edge of London society, knowing he will never be accepted. No one else knows that his obscene wealth and ruthlessness aren’t without purpose. Or that his purpose has golden-brown eyes that shimmer with mischief, the palest of skin, and a lush mouth that beckons to be kissed, and deeply. But having Ophelia is only the beginning of Devlin’s plans.

Love both characters in the book. They are both great characters with interesting background. I love how much Devlin pines for Ophelia. It's so sweet how they first met. I love how they finally come together at the end despite their very different background. It's such a wonderful story.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc.

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Beautiful. Ophelia & Devlin's story is sweet, heartwarming, and all the other ooey-gooey adjectives you can think of to describe a class-difference romance with a blue blooded heroine and a rags to riches hardworking man.

Devlin is one of the best heroes I've read in historical romance and I am an avid reader of the genre. He is strong and protective but sweet and caring. A true "good guy" with honestly no discernable faults.

The backstory of these two is unique and integral to the story. The prologue sets everything up beautifully. Ophelia's journey from "good girl" to moonlighting as a singer to delve into her mysterious past is an interesting aspect of the story and Devlin's assistance in her quest to find herself is touching. He allows her to discover things on her own terms but is there as a pillar of support for her to lean on.

This romance is perfect for those who like a class difference story and characters who are willing to risk society's and their family's scorn to be together. Stacy Reid's books are a delight. Steamy but touching with a great cast of main and supporting characters to round everything out.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book.

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This is book 3 of the Sinful Wallflowers series but this book does fine as a standalone. Stacy Reid is one of my favorite historical romance authors and she never fails to bring the angst and steam.

vi have to say that Devlin "NIall" Byrne is my favorite type of hero; a powerful, "wrong side of the tracks" alpha who loves his family and once he finds his heroine is head over heels for her. Ophelia, the daughter of a Marquess, is a strong feminist. These two have a chance meeting in childhood that changes both of their lives forever. This is a slow burn book, with a few surprises along the way that make for a wonderful read. Devlin is absolutely delicious as a hero and would burn the entire city of London down to protect Ophelia. What's not to love? I easily read 150-200 historical romance novels a year but this one will stay with me. This is a true five star read.

The tropes are: Working Class, self-made Hero/ Peer Heroine, unrequited love, and childhood friends to lovers.

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Another great book by Stacy Reid. I always enjoy all of her books and this book is no exception. This story is about Lady Ophelia (Fifi) and Devlin (Niall). They met when they were younger, Niall saved Fifi and took care of her when they were loss. Years later they meet again. Devlin is a good guy; he was a kind and caring child and he turned into a kind and caring man. Because he dreamed of a future with Fifi he made himself into a man who was respected and had money. Because of the difference in their stations, things are not easy for them when they meet when they are adults. Devlin is a hero who I fell in love with, how could I not. You will enjoy this book and their story.
I received a copy of this book by NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

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Great book! I love the depth of character in this story. The details and thought that each of them had and developed made Ophelia and Devlin’s story deep and meaningful. I love their happily ever after - and their real friends will still be by their sides. Wonderful!

** I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. **

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When a 12 year old boy jumps in a raging river to save an 8 year old girl and vows to marry her one day, you know it’s going to be a good story!

Devlin is the kind of hero every woman dreams of! Seriously that kind of fortitude, unerring love, and determination is hot AF! Some girls have all the luck haha.

Ophelia should be a stuck up raging brat, I mean her dad is the biggest asshole!!! However, she is kind, smart, adventurous, and as down to earth as any Marquess’s daughter can be.

I loved their journey together… there was enough strife to be interesting but they were so stubborn you get annoyed snd disgusted with them. I’ll definitely be catching up on the others in this series ASAP!

Also Effie is a big time witch and I need her to be banished!!

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I have been waiting for the next book in the Wallflower Series.
Once again Stacy Reid did not disappoint.

15 years ago, Ophelia had an accident and was thrown into a river. She was saved by Niall, a local boy of no means. They stayed together for almost a week, but once they were found, Ophelia's father separated them. Naill's last words to her were "wait for me".
Fast forward 15 years - Ophelia is living a double life - one during the day where she is the dutiful daughter of a Lord - one during the night where she is a singer known as Lady Songbird. She is also protected by the fearful and respected Devlin Bryne, an underworld lord that deals in vice and secrets. When he request's a song from her, she finds out that the fearsome man is none other than Niall.
Their relationship start's as only a hook-up, but love blossoms between each other and develops into a force to be reckoned with. Even to walk out of her house once her parents give her the ultimatum if she marries Niall.
I didn't like either parent - especially since her dad was an uptight cheater and the mother was a side piece of furniture. I was glad Ophelia got her HEA and was able to resolve her life issues and find out who she really is with the help of the other Wallflowers and Niall.
*I don't like the cover - Ophelia is described as being "dark-haired - black as midnight" while in the cover, the woman is blond.

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Starring Lady Ophelia Darby (aka Fifi aka Lady Starlight) and Devlin Niall Byrn.

Tropes: Working Class, self-made Hero/ Peer Heroine, unrequited love, and childhood friends to lovers.

Oh my heart… Stacy Reid once again created poetry with her words and gave us a book that is beyond sigh-worthy. I am a blubbering, ugly cry af mess… my usual state of being when reading one of her masterpieces. I am so in love with Ophelia and Devlin… and Conan the dog.

Everything Devlin has done in his life has always centered on being worthy enough for his Fifi. His means may not have always been conventional and some a little bit dark an unsavory… but he did what he must to be able to lay his heart, fortune, and everything that he is at her feet. He is the kind of hero who is passionate, protective, and you just want to sigh repeatedly every time he appears on the page. Devlin is the best kind of book boyfriend… I love him so much!!

Ophelia is a such a strong heroine. She’s full of life, compassionate, wickedly curious, adventurous, and she is sunshine to Devlin’s darkness. She was so much fun to read about and she was constantly making me smile. She is the pride snd joy of her parents, so her world is ricked a bit when she finds out something about her past. I love that Devlin is there to hold her hand through it all.

I wanted Ophelia’s cousin, Effie, to have her own story, but omg she turned into such a righteous “B”!!! Maybe she can have a villain redemption story… I don’t know, but she totally needs to be put in her place!!

Stacy Reid’s stories always make my heart happy. She’s one of my all time fave authors and every book of hers is a treasure. She’s amazing… I will read anything she writes!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily review it and the comments are 100% my own.

My Star Rating: 5 stars
Ugly cried AF. Major book hangover. Characters and storyline were freaken amazeballs. Made me wanna hug the author for writing a book that gave me all the feels!! Will definitely be reading this story over and over and over again!!

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Another FIVE STAR winner!!

I love the Sinful Wallflower series by Stacy Reid so much, in fact I went back and re read the first two before reading this one just so I could be fully wrapped up in this world. Ms. Reid has some an amazing talent of writing stories and characters that just suck you in and you can't put down. Lady Ophelia "Fifi" and Devlin "Niall" are another amazing couple. They meet when they were children and Niall saved Fifi from a river, this even changes his life forever and is what drives him to become the man that he is. Lady Ophelia grows into a free spirited lady who isn't ruled by the thoughts of the 'ton', but it's time for her to settle down and marry.

The love and passion that Niall has for her, and how he would burn the world down for her, yet is a cinnamon roll just for her too. The adventures they have and the situations where they are so sweet together, gives you all the feels. An outstanding historical romance read and a must read / one click author!

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I loved this book!! Devlin Niall Byrne is a determined, shrewd, loyal, and sexy man who falls in love with Fifi when he is just 12-years old. The romance between Devlin & Ophelia (Fifi) was not one society or her family would accept. Yet, these two face all the challenges together, Devlin is always there to catch Fifi if she falls, and Ophelia is willing to give up everything for the man she loves!

This story is perfectly written and it draws you in, I read it all in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down!!

5 Stars ⭐️ | 4.5 Flames 🔥 — highly recommend this book!!

Full RTC 📖

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I've had Stacy Reid on my TBR pile forever. When I saw the ARC of her newest book ,"A Scoundrel of her Own," was available I jumped at the chance to request it. After reading over a hundred historical romances this year, this book has to be in my top favorites of the year. I love that we see Ophelia and Devlin on page together from the very start. Once Barbosa enters the story, I was full on swooning.

Devlin is my favorite type of hero; a powerful, "wrong side of the tracks" alpha who once he finds his heroine is head over heels for her. He will do anything to make sure she is protected. Ophelia is a strong feminist. Her parents have allowed her some freedoms due to her age. It was refreshing to see parents in the ton who are pushing for her to find a love match. Devlin and Ophelia make the promise to always be truthful to each other and that proves true throughout the entire story.

I really wish that the conflict that happened the last bit of the book played out differently. It seemed out of character for what we were shown during the rest of the book.

I desperately can't wait to read first two books in the series. This book is marketed as a standalone but I can definitely see the advantage of having read the series in its entirety. This is a solid 4.5 stars. I will absolutely be reading it again. Thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Reid and Entangled Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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I was so excited to get a chance to review an advanced copy of this. Not only have I read the other books in the sinful wallflowers series, but I have read quite a few of Stacy Reid’s other books as well. It was really nice actually to recognize a few of the side characters from previous books (but not integral to the plot here). I enjoyed the delightful updates about the couples that have come before in the series and universe. There were a few parts early on where time skipped — 5 months later for example. Man I wish we got to read about those 5 months!! But oh, when this story got going…it was quite enjoyable! I really loved lady Ophelia as a heroine, and we get to see a lot of her thoughts and emotions through a really interesting story. And Devlin…loved all of his portions of the book and honestly wish we had gotten more from his perspective. Now some aspects did wrap up a bit overly neatly at the end (as one expects) but I can’t lie — I can’t wait to read about our next sinful wallflower!!

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Unfortunately this was not as strong as the previous installments. I could not connect with Ophelia but I appreciated the pining.

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I am honestly not sure how I felt about this book. I had really high hopes for Ophelia and Devlin’s story but I feel like it fell flat in a lot of ways. Ophelia didn’t play out as strong as she did in the previous books and Devlin’s ruthlessness was barely explored. I also feel like the writing was different from the previous books in the series. That being said, I still enjoyed the book.

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Usually I don't have any difficulty with writing reviews without giving away the plot, but for Stacy Reid's A Scoundrel of Her Own, the main plot is so tied into practically every bit of the story (which I love), that I admit it took me a little bit of time. Here's the gist of what you should know, spoiler-free ofc :
- Although the build-up is slow, it is very necessary in order to get the background of the story
- Devlin has all the odds stacked against him, but we know how that will end :)
- The pining
- The fact that Ophelia has so much to deal with, and that Devlin gives her the safe space she needs for that
- How unapologetically protective he is towards her
- The anxiety that it gave me because Devlin and Ophelia took a great many risks with some of their encounters

I would have probably finished it in one sitting, if not for starting to read this at the end of an exhausting working week and being sleepy and my phone dropping on my face while trying to keep reading while being sleepy. Reader problems amirite?

Overall, get you copy. So worth it! Expected publication: December 28, 2021.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC.

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This book has a bit of an Alice in wonderland vibe it felt like I was going down the rabbit hole and the whole time I could either tell what was going on and what was going to happen or I had no idea what was going to happen

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