Title: A Study
in Scoundrels (Romancing the Rules #2)
Author: Christy
Carlyle
Publication Date: April 11,
2017
Publisher: Avon
Impulse
Blurb from Goodreads:
Sophia
Ruthven is the epitome of proper behavior. On paper at least, as long as that
paper isn’t from one of the lady detective stories she secretly pens. She
certainly isn’t interested in associating with the dashing Jasper Grey, the
wayward heir to the Earl of Stanhope, and one of the stage’s leading men. But
when she learns Grey’s younger sister Liddy has gone missing, she can’t deny
her desire to solve the mystery…or her attraction to the incorrigible
scoundrel.
Responsibility
isn’t something Grey is very familiar with. On the boards and in the bedroom,
he lives exactly how he wants to, shunning all the trappings of respectability
and society. Grey knows he should avoid the bewitching Sophia, but he’s never
been able to say no to what he wants. And having Sophia in his arms and his bed
is quickly becoming the thing he wants the most.
As Sophia
and Grey’s search for Liddy continues across the English countryside, can this
scoundrel convince a proper lady that he’s actually perfect for her or will
their adventure leave them both heartbroken?
Review:
Is it just me or is there something freaking hot about the proper
English language used in these regency romance novels. For those who aren’t familiar with the term regency romance novels I have provided
this Google translation: Regency romances are a subgenre of romance novels set
during the period of the British Regency (1811–1820) or early 19th century.
Rather than simply being versions of contemporary romance stories transported
to a historical setting, Regency romances are a distinct genre with their own
plot and stylistic conventions. Now,
back to the hotness factor: the way the characters in these novels speak to one
another makes me long for days where men shouted, “Show me your knickers” out
of moving stagecoaches rather than “Show me your tits” from moving cars. Okay, I exaggerate.
As is my tradition with these reviews lately this is the first novel I’ve
ever read by Christy Carlyle. I often
find myself searching out regency novels with abandon because, as I mentioned,
I love the language, the banter between characters, and the rarity of
independent women. Have I mentioned how
much I adore independent women? In contemporary novels every female character these days is a powerful, independent women
which is positively awesome, but in regency novels strong females are usually
seen as disappointments to womankind and there’s something so satisfying when they get the man
regardless.
In A Study of Scoundrels Sophia
isn’t the ‘strong, independent woman’ that we discussed previously. She’s your average girl who’s trying to be a
proper young lady, but being tempted by the ungodly handsome and incorrigible Jasper
Grey. I feel as though we can all relate
to that; trying to be our very best but always being led astray. She’s a very real character. Resilient, but not so much so that she doesn’t
doubt herself from time to time.
And Grey. His story line is so
sad, right from the very start. I found
tears in my eyes and not happy ones,
which is odd for a romance novel. You
never expect them to make you cry.
Actually, you probably hope they don’t make you cry, but don’t worry! The tears are short-lived. You’ll find yourself laughing at Grey’s wit
and charm much more often than you find yourself wanting to wrap him in a hug to
squeeze the hurt away.
The storyline is rather tame as far as storylines go, but the depth of
the characters more than makes up for the somewhat basic plot. It was cute and there was some mystery to it, so I don’t want to
make you think that it was tedious or not worth your time, because it is! It’s just not the nail-biter that regency
novels tend to be (with all that scandal and drama that London is known for).
If you want a curious mystery being solves by two amateur detectives
with explosive chemistry then you should give this book a read. You won’t be disappointed. The book came out today: April 11, 2017.
As always, please support your independent bookstores (unless you’re a
Kindle reader and can’t, for obvious reasons).
To find your nearest Indie Bookstore click here.
Follow us on Instagram: romantically_inclined
Follow us on Facebook: Romantically Inclined Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment