When the Scoundrel Sins

Title: When the Scoundrel Sins
Author: Anna Harrington
Series: Capturing the Carlisles #2
First Published: August 29, 2017
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 352
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Rating:


Synopsis:

Annabelle Green needs a husband-and quickly. To inherit the only home she’s ever known, she must be married by her twenty-fifth birthday. But finding a suitor has been next to impossible after a reckless rogue named Quinton Carlisle seduced her into a scandalous midnight tryst. Her reputation in ruins, Belle now needs a rather large favor. And she knows just who to turn to . . .

Quinn can hardly believe that the shy bookish girl he teased as a child has grown into such a brazen beauty. The very idea of marrying Belle to right the wrongs of his past is downright shocking . . . and deliciously tempting. Too bad marriage, convenient or otherwise, is the last thing Quinn wants. He’ll help Belle find a husband and be on his way. But if he can’t control his attraction to the bride-to-be, this marriage could go up in flames-of wicked desire.

Review

Wow, is it hot in here? I think I need to open a window because my goodness was this a steamy read. When the Scoundrel Sins is the second book in the Capturing the Carlisles series and it is a hot and heavy romance. The characters have a lot of chemistry, the strong-willed bluestocking meeting her match with an impish rakehell. I loved the sass and teasing between the characters throughout the novel that kept their romance steaming, straddling that line between childhood friends and potentially something more.

I was extremely happy with how the book discussed marriage, and in particular, a pesky piece of common law called coverture, which stated that a husband and wife were considered to be one being legally and women forfeit everything to their husband. This legal doctrine was still prevalent during this time period and so it was refreshing to see a historical romance novel acknowledge the realistic, and often sad, position of women in that time period. This law becomes the backbone of the predicament that Annabelle finds herself in. She wants to protect her inheritance, so she’s fearful of marriage (and rightfully so). I admired Annabelle’s determination to live life by her own rules, even when all the odds are stacked against her because of her gender. Lady Ainsley is another wonderful character, strong-willed, perceptive, and a wise guiding figure.

I appreciated how the book tackles some very real fears about love, or rather, of loving someone and letting them love you in return. Love doesn’t come easy, sometimes we don’t see it even when it’s in front of us and it will always bring heartache and suffering. This is a difficult emotional issue for many and it is handled with some delicacy. The book had a lot of things going for it, so much more than I’ve already gone over and can’t really talk about due to spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.

The one thing that I find a little exhausting is the extreme sway between hot and cold in the development of the romance which also happened in the first book in the series. The characters sleep together, they fight about something that should be simple, sleep together again, then fight again immediately after, et cetera. There is also a degree of insta-lust between the characters which made it difficult for me to get into the novel at the start. While it certainly keeps the “excitement” going over the course of the novel, I guess as a personal preference I like a little more build-up and for the romance to develop before characters leap into bed together.

I enjoyed this book a great deal more than the first and I’m glad that I continued the series. I definitely look forward to reading the third book of the series and finishing up the Carlisle Brothers’ misadventures in love. Even though the time frames in the books are in chronological order they can be read as a standalone. This is a wonderful book if you’re looking for a steamy read with a little action, a couple of laughs, and a truly sizzling pair.

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