Not my favorite Heath.

It's a fine romance novel but I expect more than 'fine' from her. There weren't the complex emotions and relationships that I love in her writing, and while not a totally predictable ending, it wasn't the nail-biting, seemingly-impossible road to an HEA that I normally eat up from her.
Plus, the non-stop references to Leonora's machinist mind and how it's "so like her to take things apart and study them and put them back together" etc etc. We get it!
I did not buy the chemistry.

Otherwise it is a totally fine novel. Unproblematic. Readable depiction of a woman in business.

Whoo boy, this was my favorite of the Chessmen series by far. I loved Johnny and his relationship with his brothers and mother. I adored how he fell for Nora, how he uplifted her and made her feel special. His empathy towards his father's other children was amazing.

Nora was so strong in her conviction of her talents but faltered in her knowledge that she was an attractive woman. I did like how she decided to take her fate and future in her own hands. She was strong and was just the right person for Johnny.

Lorraine Heath has my heart. I really enjoyed this final book about the Chessmen. I love a good friend story and these 4 friends who overlap in a world from her previous series is so good. This is the story of Rook and Nora. Nora is a businesswoman and inventor from America. She is seeking investors for her family's company in London. Her mom, however, is seeking a titled husband for Nora. Rook is interested in neither, but can't stop his attraction to Nora. It's so instalust and swoony that I loved seeing them on page. Nora's mom was the perfect contrast to Nora in her ambition and awfulness. It made the ending and their HEA even better.

I believe out of all the Chessmen’s books this one is my absolute favourite.
There was something absolutely special and sweet about Rook and Nora that I can’t explain because no matter the fact that their story was full of yearning, longing and intense moments it was also incredibly sweet.
I want to also say that Rook absolutely nailed the love declaration like my girl Nora deserved it absolutely she was absolutely the smartest person ever and she deserves to have someone next to her that appreciates her for the smart business woman that she is.

He had a lot of cheesy lines, more than the rest of them, talking about the moon the sun and we love a man obsessed to be honest but the crown goes to the most perfect line [spoilers ahead]:

“But what I love most about you are all the things that aren’t visible.”

The sigh that left my body? INEXPLICABLE.

Makes a bit sad though that we didn’t see the Chessmen that much in this book, but I did love to see them in the small scenes.

London - 1875

John Castleton, Viscount Wyeth, known as Rook, has made a vow to never marry. His father, being a notorious rogue, has proven that this part of their line should end with Rook. Rook avoids scandal, and, as a Chessman, pursues business endeavors. One night he visits his half-brother Aiden's club, the Elysian, to give him news on their father. Once told, Aiden asks a favor of Rook. He's short-staffed this night, and an American woman is waiting in a private room for one of Aiden's men to give her her first kiss! Horrified, Rook eventually reluctantly agrees.

Leonora Garrison has had a few too many sips of the "green fairy", commonly known as absinthe as she impatiently awaits her first kiss. Finally, the door opens and a well-dressed, rather handsome gentleman enters. She makes it clear they're not to exchange names, all she wants is a kiss. The man obliges and both are obviously affected by the encounter.

Leonora is in England with her mother and brother to find investors for their business. Although their company is advertised as a gun manufacturer, their new product is far from being a weapon. It's a mechanical writing machine developed by Leonora. And she has other ideas for more modern products. However her mother has decided that it is her duty to find her daughter a rich lord, and she constantly embarrasses Leonora with her aggressiveness in social situations. Then, one night at a potential investor's house, she realizes that the man who just came in is the one who gave her that memorable kiss!

Despite Rook's plans to avoid commitments, he and Leonora begin spending more and more time together. Neither wants to marry, however the attraction between them is getting difficult to deny. But one moment of indiscretion could cost them both.

IN WANT OF A VISCOUNT sets into motion a growing love story that neither Leonora nor Rook had planned on. How they handle it all is enjoyable, and, at times, poignant. Book 3 of the Chessmen is a great read.

4.5/5 - Women in STEM, Tall girl romance and forced proximity? Sign. Me. Up. I loved the premise of Leonora and Rook's story from start to finish!

The idea that a woman would be the brains behind an operation and be looking to carve out a place for herself in the industrial world isn't necessarily new to history - but I love how fiercely determined our heroine is to pursue her dreams and help the people around her!

Rook is also such a fun character because he was never a bad boy. Not a reformed rake.. just always someone trying to do right by the people his family had cast aside. I don't think that probably happened often - so it's fun to read about!!

NOTES:
- 🌶️🌶️/5 - The scenes aren't particularly crazy, but I really enjoyed the more Darcy-esque moments of lingering looks and kisses!
- Will be snagging the rest of this series on my kindle!

**Thank you to Forever & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

In Want of a Viscount was another winner from Lorraine Heath! The chemistry between Leonora and Rook was delicious and I couldn’t wait for them to finally be together.

In Want of a Viscount. My fellow readers. With a mother like Lenora has, who needs enemies. Lenora God bless her soul only wanted to live her life right by societies standard, but a particular family member just couldn’t stop gnawing on that bone. What was it that Laura could do.
The poor woman was at wits end. Thank God there was Rook. His moments of persuasion was a real ease of passion Lenora needed only if she didn’t fall drunk on him at first site. What a naughty story Rook and Lenora enjoyed playing with one another. I found the book to the most fun of 2024 seasons.
The humor that drives some of the entertainment is some of the fun moments that had me enjoying the book the most. Rook and his friends Knight, Bishop, Blackwood and King are the most interesting characters to read. With the description of the characters you could imagine the power and seduction that exudes from their almost God like bodies. The plot is exciting for the die hard readers, but it’s the romance that fan the flames of fire across the pages. I love this book a lot.
It’s always the writers who do not squawk a lot who has the most enjoyable books to remember them by. I give this book two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on! I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Lorraine Heath is always great, and this newest installment in her The Chessmen Series hit all the right notes while still providing enough variation on the form to keep things interesting. I'll always pick up a Heath release.

This is Rook's story in The Chessmen series, in which Viscount Wyeth meets his match in an American inventor and businesswoman, Leonora Garrison, who along with her mother and brother have come to England in search of investors to keep the family business going. The attraction between them is immediate and intense, although neither really is looking to get married. Lorraine Heath's historical romances are always a pleasure to read.

I loved this book, and it is definitely the best of the series! I have been waiting for Rook's story, and it is a doozy! There are so many things to love, we get to see all the Trewloves!
Heath's other series that overlaps with this one. Plus, our heroine is a brilliant American who has come to England to find investors for her TYPEWRITER! There are so many reveals in this story, and I don't want to give any spoilers, but suffice to say, John more than makes up for his evil father and will make the Earldom respectable again.
This is also another clueless man who takes FOREVER to realize he is in love. This book makes me want to reread every book again!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest review and I highly urge you to read both series!
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This was a lovely addition to the Chessmen series, and a lovely ending to the story. I received an ARC for each of the books in this series, which was such an honor because Lorraine Heath is an incredible writer. I was absolutely titillated by the Chessmen after reading The Duchess Hunt.

Leonora is too smart for her own good--for the era--and needs to find investors in her family business without revealing she's the brains of the operation while her mother attempts to marry her off. Rook wants to remain above reproach with a sterling reputation because his father was a seriously bad guy--many such cases in HR.

I love pretty much anything Lorraine Heath writes, and this was no exception! There is just something about a historical romance with a buttoned up love interest who becomes completely undone by the unconventional heroine that hits all the right notes for me! I loved the slow burn and low angst HEA in this one.

A brilliant inventor, Leonora takes over running her family manufacturing business after her father dies. She travels to London with her mother and brother to find investors for her new machine that can type. Rook is attracted to her because, unlike many of the debutantes, she is direct and shows her intelligence. They both have no intention to marry at this time, however they discover love has no timetable. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon for my honest review.

I was really mixed on this one! I love the pairing of an American industrialist Dollar Princess with someone with a title, but this one had a lot of cliches that didn't really work for me.

Nora had a pushy, borderline abusive parent. Her mom is manipulative, crass and awful in pretty much every way. I don't mind a character like that if it serves the narrative, or if we get more characterization that makes it make sense. Nora basically knows her mom is the worst, but she idealizes her father, even though he left her idiot brother the company. Everyone in Nora's family sucks, so I'm glad Rook sees this and wants her to have better. His romantic gestures work for me, and I like them together. I also like that Nora is a brilliant inventor and has all of these interests, and how quickly and easily Rook sees and accepts that about her. He loves her mind, which makes them easy to root for, even when neither feels able to make that commitment.

As to Rook, I like him but a lot of his story didn't work for me at all. I like his commitment to not fathering bastards and being a dick like his dad, but I am very tired of the "my bloodline ends with me" guys. I like that for the most part he is a man of his principals, and I love his relationship with his mother and his sibling(s). I do think his realization about marriage and children should have come earlier- I feel like the thoughts he has about not being like his dad are the thoughts of a much younger man. His trauma is very real, but some of it should be resolved as we go through the story, not all at once. A slow change over time would have been more gratifying for me as a reader.

Another great read by Lorraine Heath! The female protagonist is self possessed and intelligent. Imagine that in this genre where the women are often held to a standard of decorum and shall we say, decorative limitations? Their male counterparts must be titled and wealthy? This author is one of my favorites because she develops characters and stories that exceed my expectations based on the norms of Historical Romance without overkill. Strong women need not be bombastic or "fiery" (blech!). And the best of men are mostly the strong silent type who can hold their own in the world and the bedroom. I'm off to revisit more from Lorraine Heath!

What a fun way to end the Chessmen saga, not with an explosive bang, but with an intense slow burn that hits all the right notes, even getting a chance to revisit the Trewlove family (who are a favorite of mine from Lorraine Heath's other series).

If you're in want of a book with heavy conflict, this is not that read, but if you're a fan of reading a romance develop between two people who are equally as brilliant as each other and mesmerized at the idea of meeting someone who reflects that, this is your book. I loved Leonora and Rook so much. They're both weighed down with the reputations of their fathers, which both pushes them to achieve and forces them to hold back in equal measure. They are instantly intrigued by each other but there's always something lurking in the background that keeps them apart. Leonora's desire, not for a husband, but for an investor really worked for me. She was curious about romance, open to the possibility but her primary focus is towards her business, which makes her a perfect match for the investment minded Rook.

I loved getting to see how Rook's family factored into the narrative on this one, and I will always be happy to see the Trewloves making their appearances. For those who love the Chessmen, this book features their friendship somewhat the least but I didn't really mind that. They're always there for each other but primarily this book was about Rook, his family, and Leonora.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not a bad book but not great either. I didn't feel any tension or conflict - there was literally nothing keeping these two from just getting married so drawing that out fell flat for me.

I've enjoyed all of the stories in this series. Four men who, while titled, have made their own way & own fortune through smarts and a bit of luck. Each has also found their individual way, it was completed with a good woman to love and stand by his side. Rook, Johnny Castleton, Viscount Wyeth, is the last of the group still single and no prospects on the horizon. Rook is complicated, more so than the other men in the group. His family history requires a flowchart and will also involve characters from other books. Tied together nicely but a complicated family tree. An odd American lady, of age & not a silly debutante, turns out to be his match. Leonora, Nora, is a businesswoman first and only. She has a goal for her family's company even though it doesn't mash with others plans & hopes. It makes sense that she & Rook would attract each other, neither is a rake or whatever a female rake would be. Business, propriety, family, these all help to bind them together. An attraction that turns into flames is what keeps them together. An enjoyable end to an enjoyable series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed and ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#InWantofaViscount #LorraineHeath #Netgalley #TheChessmen:Mastersof Seduction #Avon #HarperCollinsPublishers

In Want of a Viscount gave me everything I love in a historical romance! From the GORGEOUS cover, to the characters and the romance, I couldn’t put it down.