This was my second Vivienne Lorret book (I started with The Wrong Marquess and still need to go back and read books one and two, and then probably the rest of her backlist) and I really enjoyed it! 4.5 stars, rounded up because I loved most of it and empathized with Prue and Leo. (Possible minor spoilers below, moreso towards the end of the review)

Admittedly, I started off slightly wary of Prue because I couldn’t get a good read on her character in The Wrong Marquess. However, I quickly warmed up to her because, while naive due to her conservative and sheltered upbringing, she showed early on that she’s got a determined and fierce heart, as she loves her friends and Aunts Maeve and Myrtle dearly, and she’s such a warm person despite being verbally abused by her own father and stepmother, as well as the jerkwad behind her ruination from the previous book.

The way her character was set up made a lot of sense; she’s guarded and insecure after her past experiences with her ex-lover (the biggest asshole, I hate him) and her remaining family (who I also hate) who so coldly disown her after sending her away to the countryside. I love that she’s got her own backbone and desires of securing an independent life through reclaiming her inheritance, as well as her wish to protect her dearest friends (however misguided that was, considering how loyal her friends are as well and how much they love her and want to help).

I was also reserving judgment for how to feel about Leo; we got a small glimpse of his character in The Wrong Marquess, and while I kind of liked him and thought him charming, I wasn’t sure how he would be around Prue. My worries were quickly put to rest, though, as it’s clear from their initial exchanges and banter that they have an ease between them and chemistry that makes it feel as though they’re already friends. I love that Leo’s captivated by Prue right off the bat and that you can tell he’s going to be in deep very quickly. My favorite kind of romance hero. And his code of honor, while it does get tediously overused in his state of denial later on in the book, is respectable; refusing to be like his father, Leo is generous with his mistresses, loves his mother figure of Lady Babcock (their relationship is so sweet, though we only got to see some glimpses into it), and takes extra care to honor his word.

Due largely to a childhood and later young adulthood in which he had little control over his life and the way the people around him acted and how that impacted him, Leo subconsciously desires control in all aspects of his current life by the time we meet him in the book. He refuses to get attached to anyone, believing himself to be heartless—perhaps partially internalizing his past mistresses’ words, and strictly follows the contracts he sets forth with his mistress of the time and holds others to the same expectations. It’s a defense mechanism that he doesn’t even realize or want to face, owing to past betrayal by those closest to him. I really felt for Leo and his locked cabinets, including to that of his heart.

More spoilery content below—

Leo’s immediate warmth with Prue and outrage at everyone who’d ever been cruel to her, including the jerkwad who must not be named (but if you’ve read book three you’ll know), made me hopeful for their relationship. He delivered on treating Prue well, doting in ways that the maids and other staff of the house recognized, especially when it came to making sure she was sexually satisfied, but also in ensuring she would be comfortable after her past traumatic experience.

My largest issue with him was his inability to communicate his issues with Prue not telling him things such as riding in a carriage with Marlow (this is later on, maybe 3/4 of the way through); I understood why he didn’t trust easily, but given how much he cared and felt he knew Prue, it was frustrating for him to fall into old patterns and skepticism, believing the worst of her (especially when he knew what Marlow was like!). Similarly, Prue supposedly trusted Leo but let her insecurities overshadow everything when it came to that major third act conflict, and I just wanted to yell at them both. That split before they came back together made me scream at Leo lol. I love him, but I remember clearly thinking multiple times throughout the book that he’s such a fool, deluding himself like this *shakes head*. A lovable fool with a good heart beneath it all, but a fool nonetheless. And his code of honor where he didn’t cut off Sutton, even though she’s clearly taking advantage of him? Even after she’s got a new lover who should instead foot the bill?? I get that you don’t want to be your father, but that got so ridiculous. I yelled at Leo then too.

The plot line about retrieving Prue’s inheritance was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed getting to see how they nabbed a few of the items together (the sword—the sexual tension of that scene was *chef’s kiss*), but it did take a background seat in the latter half of the book. I liked that we did get to see Leo and Prue open up to each other and banter and understand each other in ways that others hadn’t; for instance, Leo being shocked by how well Prue understood his motivations and how he became the scoundrel he was after learning about his past was one of my favorite things. And of course the sexual chemistry was amazing and rounded out a lovely romance.

In the end, their reunion was sweet and so full of hope and love that I smiled as they got their HEA. Leo did give a good speech then. He can be quite the romantic when he wants to be, this dummy. I love the story of how he got Your Majesty. Adorable. And that peek into their blissful lives in the epilogue warmed my heart.

Thank you to Netgalley & Avon for the ARC!

This is the first historical romance I have read with the mistress trope, I was worried I would not like it but Vivienne Lorret was able to write a romance I thoroughly enjoyed.

It was wonderful to see the growth in Leo and Prudence. To slowly see them let down their walls and trust each other was beautiful.

The romance was incredibly fun and spicey. The attraction was palpable from the start and only intensified through the book.

I look forward to continuing the series and recommend this novel to historical romance readers.

This is a Netgalley arc that I thoroughly enjoyed. Prudence Thorogood, a ton debutante, finds herself ousted from polite society. She is not only expelled from polite society, but she loses everything. Prue is shipped off to live with her aunt and uncle in the country, where she is reduced to the status of helping out with cleaning and so on. Prue received a letter from her estranged father telling her that he was giving her inheritance from her deceased mother to her stepmother to dispose of as she desired. It is this that galvanized her into heading into London. On her way, she had a series of unfortunate events that had her trudging along when she encountered a big dog that thought playing tag with her and stealing her reticule was fun. As she attempts to correct this situation, she meets Leo. Who is heading into Bath to drop his mistress off, the final action of ending their relationship. Being the perfect Rake, Leo asks Prue to step into place as his new mistress. She respectfully declines, explaining that she has no interest despite being "ruined." She explains that she is headed to London for Larceny.
Things, however, do not go as Prue expects. She finally finds herself in a problematic situation where Leo comes to her rescue. Through a continuing series of misadventures, Prue thinks again about taking Leo Ramsgate, Marquess of Savage, up on his offer. She presents herself at his home, and another even more interesting adventure begins for her.
Great reading experience if you like historical romances with a bit of adventure.

After Prue commits the egregious sin of chastely kissing a man at a ball, her father throws her to the wolves. He denies her both her dowry and her inheritance—her mother's jewelry. When she learns that her stepmother has used the jewelry to pay off various gambling debts, Prue has only one option: larceny.

Unable to call on her friends without risking their reputations, she turns to Leo, Marquess of Savage. She proposes becoming his mistress and living under his protection until she can get back her possessions. Then, she'll be able to live on her own. Smitten with her, and concerned for her safety, he agrees. Discovering that her previous lover was utterly inept, Leo takes things slowly, determined to teach her about pleasure. Will she be the one woman who can prove that the scoundrel has a heart after all?

These two characters are so much fun. It would be easy for their relationship to become exploitative, but that's not what happens. Instead, it turns into a true partnership. Prue is strong and self-aware. Struggling with abandonment issues, Leo is a better man than he believes he is. This sensual and romantic novel is entertaining from start to finish.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This story was my favorite of this series so far. Prue was such a strong female and stood by her decisions throughout the book. Then you have Savage...sigh....great guy. Their love for each other showed throughout. Can't wait for the next story!

***This is a moderately steamy book with four full sex scenes that include, but are not limited to, cunnilingus, fingering, PIV, and cowgirl***

This was the first novel by Lorrett that I have the pleasure of reading, although a number of her books have been sitting on the TBR list for the past year. One of the first elements that stood out to be was her superb use of word choice. Her descriptions and sentence flow were so enchanting I felt as though I was witnessing a movie rather than reading a novel. Some authors over use of flashy words can veer into the realm of ostentatious and supercilious, especially considering this is a romance novel. But Lorrett expertly balances the flowery prose with and interesting and deeply loving story.

Lady Prudence is on a mission to regain her inheritance after a horrid ordeal being ousted from society by her own parents. Leo Ramsgate—Lord Savage—is known to as a desirable rake with a strict set of rules for his dalliances. But when he meets Miss Thorogood trudging proudly through a muddy road on wet rainy day and declaring she’ll have her revenge through larceny, he’s instantly intrigued.

Their banter from the start is impeccably timed, and though they’ve both been scorned in the past there is an immediate warmth between them. Pru wants her possessions back and Leo wants her. There is no secret games to be played, the cards are on the table and they are in agreement about the situation. But as romance is wont to do, secrets are revealed that twist their journey renegotiate the terms of their agreement.

While the conflict resolution wasn’t the most exciting for me, the challenges the couple faced between each other is what pulled at my heartstrings and kept me rooting for them until their has no choice but to wear their hearts on their sleeves and admit their feelings.

If I didn’t have other reading obligations to attend when I finished this I would have started it all over again just to enjoy their journey once more. This is 100% a book going on my reread shelf♥️

Disclaimer: <i>I was graciously provided an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

Prue and Leo did not fare well in the father department. Leo's was a degenerate, having affairs with married women, fighting duels, killing many. His mother might have been even worse. Abandoning him as a baby, sure he would be just like his father. Prue's father kicked her out of the house for being seen kissing a man in the gardens of a ball. She subsequently has a tryst with this man believing they were to be married but it turned out to be a brutal assault, leaving her to believe this was what a relationship with a man is like. They meet on the road, Leo in his coach accompanying his latest ex-mistress to Bath, Prue on foot to London, determined to recover the objects left to her by her mother but given away by her step-mother. Oh yes, years ago Leo's fiancée tried to poison him wanting out of the engagement to run off with his best friend! Can you blame him for having trust issues? He chooses a new mistress every four months and they must sign a contract to this effect. He is not going to care for anyone ever again! Eventually, Prue signs such a contract with him. Leo will get back all of her inherited items for four months with him. The problem is, Prue is nothing like his greedy former mistresses. She doesn't want gowns or jewels, she isn't redecorating his house, and she keeps mentioning a future without him. There must be something wrong with his watch and the clocks in the house, time is going too fast! Maybe this contract isn't such a great idea after all.

I couldn't help but feel angry as I read this book. I was angry for Prue, who starts this journey as a strong independent woman with a plan and a determination to get what she wants. And then throughout the narrative all that is chipped away at and taken from her by a man. He takes over her quest to retrieve her inheritance, he decides that they should wed because she "actually was a virgin", he forbids her from speaking her attackers name and never actually acknowledges to her that she was assaulted, and on and on. Instead of building her up and becoming more together, Prue is made smaller and he becomes her whole world. That is was written in 2022 was astounding to me.

I really enjoyed Prue and Leo's romance. I loved that Leo was intrigued by Prue after they meet, and. The slight adventures they had was probably my favorite part. I love that Prue wouldn't accept any obvious handouts from Leo. While I didn't hate Leo he was somewhat annoying. Which leads us to the thing I disliked, which is a plot point I always hate, and while I saw it coming I still felt so bad for Prue.

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart is book four in the Mating Habits of Scoundrels series by Vivienne Lorret. An engaging story with a unique premise and surprising twists that gave me all the feels and had me routing for Leo and Prue. Two opposites that find love, even though they feel it's not meant for them. A story that showcases how the cruelty of others can foster insecurity into adulthood. I loved absolutely everything about this pairing. After all, how can you not love a story where snooty aristocrats, with dirty little secrets get their comeuppance?

My thanks to NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC copy and to Vivienne Lorret for her entertaining story. This is my unbiased review.

I love this unusual couple! The ethereal Prudence Thorogood, and the swoon worthy Leo Ramsgate, The Marquess Savage, she has been ruined in the eyes of the ton, and he wants to take her as his mistress. Ideas like this usually make me cringe, and I have decided to read anything that I find disappointing, however, I adored the sweetness between the couple, the pain from their past, that could devastate their future. The descriptive writing is beautiful, almost poetic, if I had time, I would read parts of it again, the beautiful words brought genuine tears to my eyes, given how many years that I have been reading, this book has been illuminating to me, of course I am a romantic. The story flows beautifully until the last chapter, a little disappointing after so many gorgeous chapters, the book is sensual instead of pornographic, however, I didn't have to skip as many pages as I normally do in these books. As I have said, and cannot say it well enough, a beautiful, soul touching love story, a feminine heroine, and an Alpha Male, beautiful!
I highly recommend! Thank you #Netgalley, #HowToStealAScoundrelsHeart
carolintallahassee

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

I was initially wary of Prue after her history was revealed in The Wrong Marquess (which I loved), but this book completely won me over. I loved her fire and determination. Her meet disaster with Leo opened the book wonderfully and I was rooting for these two right from the start. Both have trust issues and deep hurts from their pasts, but I loved how their relationship and connection grew. The reformed rake is always a hard sell for me, but Leo was such a teddy bear. His inability to recognize his growing feelings had me laughing as these two fell slowly and quietly in love. Definitely a case of idiots to lovers here ;) The ending drama with Lady Sutton and Viscount Marlow didn't feel completely necessary (I felt Leo and Prue had enough baggage to sort through already), but it did make the ending more satisfying. I'm excited for Meg's book next!

The narration by Justine Eyre was wonderful as always and I enjoyed her performance so much. Her ability to voice all the different characters so well and distinctly has made her one of my favorite narrators. She truly enhanced the story and brought it to life.

Note: This is book 4 in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. I feel that Prue and Leo's story will have more depth if you read The Wrong Marquess, but it isn't necessary. Characters from the previous books do appear.

CW: parental abandonment (past), death of parent (past), traumatic sexual experience (past), shunned by society as a "ruined" woman

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

I liked this more than I thought I would and it definitely grew on me. At the beginning I didn’t think I would enjoy the male LI, but despite the fact that the book rushed through the resolution of his back story, I ended up finding him charming. It was never fully explained both his back story or her need to steal all her mothers possessions, that seemed like plot point that could have been more fleshed out. In short, a little more exposition would be ok. Otherwise pretty good!

As others have stated, this dragged in the middle quite a bit. The beginning was great, though, and I really liked Leo so I stuck with it and it picked back up. Prue’s utter naïveté got on my nerves near the end, because she’d been too smart to fall for what she did the rest of the book.

Most importantly, the extremely short tease for the next book reveals that that hero will wear glasses and I LOVE a man in glasses!!

Prue and Leo are the first characters, in a very long time, to reach out, grab me, and pull me right into their world. Their chemistry in this steamy book just sparks right off the page. You have to admire and like both of them because they had so much to overcome. The walls each of them had built around themselves were high-and-tight, so it was heartwarming to see those walls begin to crumble. The pacing is near perfect, and the writing is so well done you actually begin to believe the bad guys could succeed. Of course, there is just the right amount of humor interspersed with the tensions of the villains and the steaminess of the romance.

Prudence Wilhelmina Thorogood is ruined – completely and totally. Her self-esteem is non-existent because her straitlaced, puritanical, judgmental, unforgiving, fault-finding father and stepmother have been pointing out her flaws for years. Now, after her ruination, they packed her off to the country to live with an aunt and uncle who were even worse – they had all of the same character traits as her father and step-mother – but they were stingy old skinflints who used her as a drudge. When she’d had enough, she set out for London – even if she had to walk all the way. Being toyed with and admired by a huge sheepdog in the middle of a rainstorm didn’t make her journey any easier – and then, of course, was the humiliation of being seen in that situation by a gorgeously handsome man (and his mistress).

Leopold Edmund Truman Ramsgate, Marquess of Savage, lives only for himself. He trusts no one, cares for no one, values no one, and will definitely never marry and fall in love. With a mother who walked out and left him when he was a babe, enduring a brutal life with a debauched self-serving father, and being betrayed by someone he should have been able to trust, he had every right to feel that way. Now, he is in control – and I do mean complete control. He leaves nothing to chance. He always keeps a mistress, but even that relationship is regulated; he has written contracts for the relationship spelling out the minutest details, especially the detail that the relationship will end in four months. That is how he came to enjoy watching a huge sheepdog toy with a young woman walking along the roadway – he was conveying his current (ex) mistress to where she wanted to be left.

Leo admired the young lady’s looks – even though she was covered in mud. They finally persuaded the young lady to accept a ride in their carriage so she wouldn’t get any wetter before she reached the coaching station. That same young woman kept turning up in the oddest places – there she was again walking along the road toward London – and then on the street dressed as a maid – and in attendance at an all-male party. What in the world is she up to? Her answer was – Larceny!

Along the way, Leo offers her the position as his mistress – more than once – but she declines, or doesn’t answer at all. Until she shows up at his home one evening and accepts. And then, the fun begins!

These two were so very right for each other and I loved seeing them bring each other’s strengths out. The attraction was there from the beginning and it was lovely to watch the love grow between them. For me, the story was good enough that I didn’t even deduct any stars for the author constantly referring to a Marquess as Mr., etc. Another thing I loved – and got a smile from – was some of the names – the beast of a Marquess was The Marquess of SAVAGE and wrongly ruined debutante was Prudence THOROGOOD. Those and a few others amused me.

I hope you will read this book and enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart
Book 4 of The Mating Habits of Scoundrels series
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart was amazing!! I'm a huge fan of this author and I always, always enjoy her books. This is the fourth book and the series and tells the story of Prue and Leo. They both enter an arrangement where they each will get what they want at the end of the four month period that their association will last. Prue had been labeled a fallen woman by her family and society. Leo is your typical scoundrel and rake that leaves broken hearts along the way. She agrees to become his mistress for a period a time. During this period of time he agrees to help her collect certain objects that belonged to her mother's family.
Why the 5 stars?
This was such a great read from the start!! From the first time they meet to the last page these two were so cute. I loved how they decided to be very honest with each other from the start. I loved how Leo treats Prue after she tells him of her first encounter that labeled a fallen woman. Very early in the story he always stood up for her and always tried to make her happy. She on the other hand began to learn about the real Leo. The one who, yes he was a flirt and a rake, but deep down had a heart that was protecting at all costs. A heart that Prue very slowly was breaking its walls that it had around. Which at the same time those tender moments between them was leaving him very confused.
Their flirtation with each other was so sweet and I loved how some of his double meaning remarks would fly over her head because she was very innocent. It was nice seeing them fall in love even when they were not admitting it to themselves.
I highly recommend it!
I enjoyed the angst that caused the drama in this story.

When I read the description of this book, I expected a thrilling heist romance story. What I got was about 70% _very_ slow burn sexy times, 28% Why-aren't-they-talking-to-each-other and 2% heist. That's to say that this book wasn't bad, but it wasn't especially good either. Still, it held my attention and I finished it. Eminently readable piffle.

Vivienne Lorret never fails to tell an exciting story and capture our hearts at the same time, and How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart does both. Prue Thorogood is out of luck, out of money, and bereft of the only items she cares about - her mother's keepsakes. Larceny is the only answer, and maybe, just maybe, a handsome noble with the impossible name of Savage might be willing to strike a bargain and assist her. You know where this is going, but the journey is entertaining, as are some of the secondary characters, particularly the curmudgeonly butler, Grimsby. He's unlikely to star in a forthcoming volume, but I hope we encounter him again at some point!

Prudence Thorogood was sent away after her first season thanks to her ruin. On a road back to London she comes across the dashing Lord Savage. He offers to help her with a mission - steal back her inheritance - if she’ll be his mistress for 4 months. Can Prue and Savage truly just have an arrangement or is love around the corner?

I really enjoyed this book. It was my first book of Vivienne Lorret and it will not be my last. I’m already excited about Meg’s book! I loved the chemistry from Prue and Savage. Pekingese is now a swear word in my vocabulary as well.

*thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for the ARC

Prue has been ruined in society, first because she allowed a suitor to steal a kiss (and more) in the gardens, but second because her father and stepmother banished her to the country because of her actions. They also sold off her inheritance. When this book begins, Prue has had enough: she leaves her abusive relatives and heads back to London with the intention of stealing back what's rightfully hers. When she realizes that might be harder than she thought, she decides to sign a contract with Leo Ramsgate to be his mistress - a contract that includes the stipulation that he assist her in regaining her inheritance.

The setup is fun and sexy, with the added touch of the forbidden (Prue is Leo's mistress despite the fact that she is not married or widowed). He also spends a lot of the book seducing her, since her previous experience with sexuality was less than optimal. However, the end of the book hinges on both parties' refusal to communicate with each other with a soupcon of villainy from another woman, making the denouement a bit of a letdown.

3.5 stars rounded to 4!