by Vivienne Lorret
Series: Mating Habits of Scoundrels #1
Published on March 31, 2020 by Avon
ISBN: 9780062976598
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 384
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance, Romance
USA Today Bestselling Author Vivienne Lorret launches a charming new trilogy about three debutantes who get more than they bargained for when it comes to the mating habits of scoundrels...
Heiress Winnifred Humphries refuses to marry the odious man her parents have chosen. She’ll marry for love or not at all. But how does a woman know a man truly loves her? Needing answers, she sets out to discover the marriage habits of London’s aristocrats. Yet when her friends kidnap a lord for research, Winn knows they’ve gone too far. Now she’s facing a wickedly handsome scoundrel who wants revenge.
Lord Asher Holt has the perfect plan to free himself of his father’s debts. But when a trio of foolish debutantes abducts him, their scheme ruins everything! Fuming and tied to a chair, Holt overhears that one of them is an heiress. Perhaps he isn’t above a little kidnapping either.
Yet, when the heiress runs away from her own wedding and straight into his waiting carriage, Holt finds himself on an adventure he’ll never forget, falling in love with a woman worth more than any treasure. But will Winn ever believe his heart only desires her... and not her fortune?
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These historical romances get me every time and Lord Holt Takes a Bride was no different. In this episode of daring moments and secret rendezvous, one Miss Winnifred Humphries turns into a runaway bride and takes an unplanned lord along for the ride.
What tore at my heartstrings was Winnifred’s view of herself. With everyone, including her jerk of a fiancé, breathing down her neck about her appearances, it’s no wonder she wanted to get away. Winn is described as having a fuller figure than was “fashionable” for the time and those closest to her don’t seem to be able to look past that (it’s a shame those designing the cover apparently couldn’t either…). I wanted to shake them all silly for ignoring what an amazing person she is underneath (even though her stubbornness was ever present, but I like to think of it as a good trait in this case).
You can’t help but love Winn. Asher, a.k.a. Lord Holt, certainly couldn’t. I loved that these are two characters with their own goals, their own agendas, who happen to cross paths and develop more than just physical chemistry, but a genuine bond of friendship and love. As with most historical romances I read, the actual relationship was rushed in terms of the time-frame, but it didn’t feel rushed which I think is an important distinction. I was with these two from start to finish.
Asher wants freedom as much as Winn does, he’s just trying to escape something else and start anew. I loved how he was always there, always protective without diminishing Winn’s spark. This was an equal partnership. And though I think Winn was, by far, the more developed of the two leads, Asher held his own and I didn’t dislike the book for a lack of dimension on his part.
As for the story… well it could be over-the-top at times. Everything was exaggerated just a bit but I know had I watched this story as a movie, I’d have loved every moment of it. I’m not overly familiar with Lorret’s work, this being the first I’ve read of her books, so maybe that’s just part of her style. But it worked. I devoured Lord Holt Takes a Bride from start to finish with very few pauses in between. There’s just the right balance of romance to story with enough heat to make you crave it all the way through.
I wouldn’t say this book blew my mind as far as historical romances go but I did really enjoy it, and it’s a series I have every intention of continuing in the future. So yes, can definitely recommend, and now I need to check out her other books!
About Austine
I'm a 20-something research proposal developer with a background in the life sciences and education. Reviewer of books since 2011, amateur photographer by day, and aspiring author by night. I believe animals (and books) are better than people.
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