Lord of Scoundrels (Hardcover)

In a nutshell, Jessica Trent arrives in Paris to retrieve her recalcitrant brother, who has taken to spending time in the company of Sebastian Ballister, Marquess of Dain, a man who's sole occupation seems to be living a life of debauchery. Upon their very first encounter, sparks fly between the two, and when they are caught indulging in the passion that neither can deny, Jessica is forced to seek satisfaction from the man who has vowed to put her in her place. Completely baffled by his reaction to Jessica, and perhaps even more baffled by her apparent attraction to him, Dain wrestles with his growing feelings for her even as he tries in vain to hold her at arms length.

The main thing that made The Lord of Scoundrels jump to the very top of my favorite romance novels list was the amazing, three-dimensional characters that fit the bill of hero and heroine without resorting to stereotypes.

Sebastian Ballister, Marquess of Dain is downright lovable. We are given enough insight into his past to fully appreciate why he is the way he is, so despite the fact that I should have viewed him as a despicable cad, from the very beginning his every word and action was forgiven. Too, it was so refreshing to have a hero who didn't actually think of himself as God's gift to women. Dain is actually insecure about his looks and is honestly amazed to learn that Jessica actually finds him attractive and desirable.

In Jessica Trent, we finally see a fiery, intelligent heroine who is actually that - intelligent. She has confidence and beauty to spare, and most refreshing of all, she knows it. Not in a femme fatale manipulative way, but more in a pragmatic, honest sense. She knows her own worth, and better still, she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to get it. After meeting Dain, she is honest with herself and admits freely that she feels an almost animalistic attraction to the man. Nor is she a pouty woman who takes Dain's pointed slights as a reflection of her own lack of appeal. Jessica - delightfully - doesn't sulk. When Dain fails to consummate their marriage in a timely manner, Jessica takes matters into her own hands with nary a pout or virginal blink. This story avoids the entire "Giant Misunderstanding" simply because Jessica won't allow such a thing.

The story itself is delightfully free of uber-villains and complex A-plots of intrigue and evil-doers. Indeed, the first three-quarters of the book focuses entirely on the relationship between Dain and Jessica. Honestly, it is only when the story of the priceless Russian icon moves to the forefront that I found my interest in the story waning slightly. Dain and Jessica provided enough of their own internal obstacles to overcome that I didn't need any external hurdles put in their path.

Add to all of this witty dialogue that literally had me in tears of laughter and the sensuous love scenes, this book should be used as the text to teach all writers the art of "show don't tell". Also, it should be a screaming shout out to all publishers that there are readers out there who very much appreciate a romance novel that deviates from formula.

Bravo, Ms Chase. This one is a keeper.

The only flaw I have with this book is that Jessica remains a rather 2 dimensional character. We know very little about her except her brother is a nitwit and her parents were killed in a carriage accident. She demonstrates alot of her personality through her words and actions with Dain, but I wanted to know more about what made her tick.

The sex scenes were vivid and sensual enough to keep your attention, but definitely not the most exciting I've ever read (read Nicole Jordan if you're looking for sizzle).

I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it.