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The D'Avenant Brothers #2
A Scoundrel's Kiss
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B083ZK6QV2
He claims to be her husband, the only man who can keep her safe. But she has no memory of this handsome ruffian...
Brilliant French scientist Marie Nicole LeBon awakens in a Paris asylum with no name and no memory of the tragic accident that has erased her past. A fair-haired rescuer with the face of an angel comes to free her, claiming to be her husband...but he is an imposter, Max D'Avenant, a British agent who soon finds himself torn between his loyalty to the Crown and his love for this woman he is sworn to betray.
If you love protective alpha male heroes, edge-of-your-seat adventure, and scorching love scenes, discover why readers are raving about Shelly Thacker's Escape with a Scoundrel series!
He claims to be her husband, the only man who can keep her safe. But she has no memory of this handsome ruffian...
Brilliant French scientist Marie Nicole LeBon awakens in a Paris asylum with no name and no memory of the tragic accident that has erased her past. A fair-haired rescuer with the face of an angel comes to free her, claiming to be her husband...but he is an imposter, Max D'Avenant, a British agent who soon finds himself torn between his loyalty to the Crown and his love for this woman he is sworn to betray.
If you love protective alpha male heroes, edge-of-your-seat adventure, and scorching love scenes, discover why readers are raving about Shelly Thacker's Escape with a Scoundrel series!
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1994
About the author
Shelly Thacker
18 books298 followersUSA Today bestselling author Shelly Thacker has earned lavish praise from Publishers Weekly, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Detroit Free Press and The Oakland Press, who have called her historical romance novels “innovative,” “addictive,” “steamy” and “powerful.”
A two-time RWA RITA Award finalist, Shelly has won numerous other honors for her novels, including a National Readers' Choice Award, several Romantic Times Certificates of Excellence, and five straight KISS Awards for her outstanding heroes. The Detroit Free Press has twice placed her romances on their annual list of the year's best.
When she’s not at the computer, you’ll find Shelly reading with her kids, knitting in local cafes, or kickboxing at the gym. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters. For the latest news and sneak previews of upcoming books, visit her at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorShellyT... or http://www.shellythacker.com
A two-time RWA RITA Award finalist, Shelly has won numerous other honors for her novels, including a National Readers' Choice Award, several Romantic Times Certificates of Excellence, and five straight KISS Awards for her outstanding heroes. The Detroit Free Press has twice placed her romances on their annual list of the year's best.
When she’s not at the computer, you’ll find Shelly reading with her kids, knitting in local cafes, or kickboxing at the gym. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters. For the latest news and sneak previews of upcoming books, visit her at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorShellyT... or http://www.shellythacker.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
November 7, 2012
Wow! Shelly Thacker is an author that I had to the good fortune to stumble upon by accident. Sometimes, after reading a string of bad romance novels (and unfortunately, there are a lot of them out there), a book like A STRANGER'S KISS will remind me of why I read romance in the first place. I devoured this book in a day--I just couldn't put it down. And as someone who reads 100+ books a year, a can't-put-it-down novel doesn't happen all that often.
So many of the plot devices in this book could have felt tired or cliched. For instance: the amnesiac heroine, the dashing hero who's forced into working as a spy for his country, a pretend marriage, intrigue and gunfights, and a "big secret" that will destroy any hope of a relationship once the hero's lies are revealed. Yet, this author is talented enough to keep this story feeling fresh and interesting all the way through the book.
I really liked how the author portrayed the heroine's amnesia. It felt very real, especially how the heroine's language skills needed time to heal. It wasn't just the heroine's memories that that had been lost, but some of her other basic life skills had been temporarily damaged as well. I felt that it was a more accurate portrayal of what a victim of a head injury would go through. Not that she came across as stupid or helpless, but it seemed more realistic than a lot of amnesia books I've read.
But by far, the best part of the book are the characters. Well-drawn and real to the reader almost right away, they are the kind of characters that jump into the reader's heart and stay there. I loved that they felt like real people. They were basically both good, honorable people that a reader would be proud to call a friend, yet they had their flaws. They weren't overly flawed, and never felt unlikeable, but they never felt like unrealistic paragons of virtue, either. I also loved how they grew and changed over the course of the book. That's what makes good romance great--when the reader feels that the characters are growing into even better people, and that they are more real with each turned page. The characters had hopes, fears and foibles that a reader can really identify with, and their emotions were so keenly felt that I had tears in my eyes more than once while reading this book. I was worried that I might not like the hero, given that he has to lie to the heroine for much of the novel, but the author did such a good job of showing him struggling with his conscience vs his duty that I couldn't help but like him.
The intrigue storyline was also very well executed, yet I never felt like it detracted from the romance. The main focus of the story was on the relationship between the hero and the heroine. And that's just as it should be in a good romance novel. You should feel like the characters will live on beyond that final page.
I also liked that the attraction between the hero and the heroine wasn't based solely on sex. (It might be hard to believe, considering the book's cover, but it's true, I swear!) Yes, they were physically attracted to one another, but it was an added bonus to the tender feelings growing between them. Too many romances have sex as the sole thing drawing and keeping the characters together. That wasn't the case here. Sexual attraction was secondary to the love--and that's just how I like it. Also, there was none of that "I love you, but for some retarded reason I'm going pretend that I hate you" nonsense you find so often in romance. When their love was realized, it was declared. And when the "big secret" was revealed, they had real discussions like mature adults; none of that annoying childish bickering that seems to be a romance staple.
I am a VERY picky reader, and I give out very few five-star reviews. But I just can't say enough good things about A STRANGER'S KISS. Highly recommended by this reader.
So many of the plot devices in this book could have felt tired or cliched. For instance: the amnesiac heroine, the dashing hero who's forced into working as a spy for his country, a pretend marriage, intrigue and gunfights, and a "big secret" that will destroy any hope of a relationship once the hero's lies are revealed. Yet, this author is talented enough to keep this story feeling fresh and interesting all the way through the book.
I really liked how the author portrayed the heroine's amnesia. It felt very real, especially how the heroine's language skills needed time to heal. It wasn't just the heroine's memories that that had been lost, but some of her other basic life skills had been temporarily damaged as well. I felt that it was a more accurate portrayal of what a victim of a head injury would go through. Not that she came across as stupid or helpless, but it seemed more realistic than a lot of amnesia books I've read.
But by far, the best part of the book are the characters. Well-drawn and real to the reader almost right away, they are the kind of characters that jump into the reader's heart and stay there. I loved that they felt like real people. They were basically both good, honorable people that a reader would be proud to call a friend, yet they had their flaws. They weren't overly flawed, and never felt unlikeable, but they never felt like unrealistic paragons of virtue, either. I also loved how they grew and changed over the course of the book. That's what makes good romance great--when the reader feels that the characters are growing into even better people, and that they are more real with each turned page. The characters had hopes, fears and foibles that a reader can really identify with, and their emotions were so keenly felt that I had tears in my eyes more than once while reading this book. I was worried that I might not like the hero, given that he has to lie to the heroine for much of the novel, but the author did such a good job of showing him struggling with his conscience vs his duty that I couldn't help but like him.
The intrigue storyline was also very well executed, yet I never felt like it detracted from the romance. The main focus of the story was on the relationship between the hero and the heroine. And that's just as it should be in a good romance novel. You should feel like the characters will live on beyond that final page.
I also liked that the attraction between the hero and the heroine wasn't based solely on sex. (It might be hard to believe, considering the book's cover, but it's true, I swear!) Yes, they were physically attracted to one another, but it was an added bonus to the tender feelings growing between them. Too many romances have sex as the sole thing drawing and keeping the characters together. That wasn't the case here. Sexual attraction was secondary to the love--and that's just how I like it. Also, there was none of that "I love you, but for some retarded reason I'm going pretend that I hate you" nonsense you find so often in romance. When their love was realized, it was declared. And when the "big secret" was revealed, they had real discussions like mature adults; none of that annoying childish bickering that seems to be a romance staple.
I am a VERY picky reader, and I give out very few five-star reviews. But I just can't say enough good things about A STRANGER'S KISS. Highly recommended by this reader.
May 2, 2020
Saddened by the number of people starving in France, chemist Marie Nicole LeBon sets out to create a fertilizer to help farmers increase their yield – but to her complete mortification the compound she gives to a local farmer to test incinerates his fields! She is working in her makeshift lab when her sister Veronique comes in, they are talking when one of her tests explodes, but before she can even begin to examine the cause, her twin brother Armand sneaks in through a window – he tells the girls they must leave now and sets off at a neck-break pace to outrun the government officials who want Marie’s formula. Because while her concoction is a failure as a fertilizer, it is a massive success as a chemical weapon! Marie watches in horror as her home is burned and hears gunfire – Armand increases their reckless pace and loses control and crashes. When she wakes, she is in an asylum and remembers nothing, not even her name.
Lord Maximilian “Max” D’Avenant is invited to meet with Fleming and Wolf, two members of a “special ministry” of the crown and they want Max to travel to France and bring Marie back to England so they can get her formula. Her compound was used on his brother Julian’s ship – it killed many men and left Julian not only injured, but blind. They tell Max of her chemical, of the notes they found, of the accident that killed her sister, of how they thought Armand was the chemist and of her amnesia. Max wants revenge for his brother and believes that Marie is greedy and evil, so he agrees to the mission. He will abduct her and convince her that he is her husband, gain her trust and hopefully learn her formula.
Max is successful in getting Marie out of the asylum and convincing her that he is her husband. He takes her to a house in Paris and begins to gain her trust. Soon Max is sure that Marie is not the evil mercenary that created a chemical weapon, he believes her brother forced her to do it. But it is becoming clear that she has no memory of the compound and seems to have no interest in chemistry at all. And Max is falling for her, but he has a mission and will carry it out. But when Marie ventures out on her own and gets lost in the city – Max realizes what she means to him and how much he loves her. In an effort to protect her, he cuts their time in Paris short and plans to take her to England sooner than expected. They set out, following the plan he worked out with Fleming and Wolf, but soon realizes one of them is a traitor and to save Marie, he will have to find a way to protect her and keep his secrets.
This was a well written and fast paced story with wonderful characters, secrets, amnesia, betrayal, heartache, lies, steamy love scenes, intrigue, cameos from the D’Avenant brothers, Ashiana and Nicobar, a bit of angst and HEA that didn’t seem possible. I thought the author did an amazing job portraying Marie’s amnesia, it was very well written and believable, but I did feel like the ending dragged out a little and I started to get annoyed with Marie’s refusal to forgive Max – yes, she deserved her anger, but I felt like she held on to it for way too long and then just let it go in the blink of an eye. Overall, this was a great book and I highly recommend it – unlike the first two books in the series that are completely unconnected, this book is loosely connected to the previous book One Night with a Scoundrel, you don’t have to read that book to enjoy this book, but if you want to learn more about the D’Avenant brothers, including Max’s “illness” I would recommend reading that title first.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
Lord Maximilian “Max” D’Avenant is invited to meet with Fleming and Wolf, two members of a “special ministry” of the crown and they want Max to travel to France and bring Marie back to England so they can get her formula. Her compound was used on his brother Julian’s ship – it killed many men and left Julian not only injured, but blind. They tell Max of her chemical, of the notes they found, of the accident that killed her sister, of how they thought Armand was the chemist and of her amnesia. Max wants revenge for his brother and believes that Marie is greedy and evil, so he agrees to the mission. He will abduct her and convince her that he is her husband, gain her trust and hopefully learn her formula.
Max is successful in getting Marie out of the asylum and convincing her that he is her husband. He takes her to a house in Paris and begins to gain her trust. Soon Max is sure that Marie is not the evil mercenary that created a chemical weapon, he believes her brother forced her to do it. But it is becoming clear that she has no memory of the compound and seems to have no interest in chemistry at all. And Max is falling for her, but he has a mission and will carry it out. But when Marie ventures out on her own and gets lost in the city – Max realizes what she means to him and how much he loves her. In an effort to protect her, he cuts their time in Paris short and plans to take her to England sooner than expected. They set out, following the plan he worked out with Fleming and Wolf, but soon realizes one of them is a traitor and to save Marie, he will have to find a way to protect her and keep his secrets.
This was a well written and fast paced story with wonderful characters, secrets, amnesia, betrayal, heartache, lies, steamy love scenes, intrigue, cameos from the D’Avenant brothers, Ashiana and Nicobar, a bit of angst and HEA that didn’t seem possible. I thought the author did an amazing job portraying Marie’s amnesia, it was very well written and believable, but I did feel like the ending dragged out a little and I started to get annoyed with Marie’s refusal to forgive Max – yes, she deserved her anger, but I felt like she held on to it for way too long and then just let it go in the blink of an eye. Overall, this was a great book and I highly recommend it – unlike the first two books in the series that are completely unconnected, this book is loosely connected to the previous book One Night with a Scoundrel, you don’t have to read that book to enjoy this book, but if you want to learn more about the D’Avenant brothers, including Max’s “illness” I would recommend reading that title first.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
July 31, 2022
nothing could have prepared for the “his asthma was actually a Hindu curse his brother SAXON had broken in India in the 1750s” plus I found a spoiler that max sleeps with marie before she gets her memory back and ma’am what the fuck
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2021
Marie is a French scientist, and aspires to be taken seriously by her male counterparts. She’s currently working on a fertilizer, but alas, she can’t seem to get it right. It keeps… exploding. Suddenly France is very interested in Marie’s family, as is England, because of this manmade chemical. Max is hired as a amateur spy by the Crown to unveil Marie’s secret chemical, but there’s a major problem. She had an accident and lost her memory. So Max poses as her husband while spiriting Marie away to England, and accidentally falls in love with her along the way.
I like plots where the hero lies to the heroine about being her husband. Also amnesia stories. It butters my croissant. And this one was great.
Would keep on my shelf for now.
I like plots where the hero lies to the heroine about being her husband. Also amnesia stories. It butters my croissant. And this one was great.
Would keep on my shelf for now.
May 8, 2020
A story with strong emotions from such sadness, to feeling a little happiness, then betrayal and everything in between. In the opening pages I was captured and felt my heart break a little but I kept going and this turned into a somewhat complicated spy, suspense, and with all of the falsehoods the hero led the heroine to believe, it seemed impossible for a happy ending.
When Max is sent to France to retrieve Marie, who was a female scientist, she had lost her memory so she did not realize he was not her husband as he portrayed. She had been making experiments that had backfired and in trying to correct got the attention of some villains.
Max is trying to get Marie back to England and so many things happen. Trust me, you do not want to miss this amazing story filled with intrigue, secrets, sadness, suspense, and wonderful characters and these two try to make it to a happy ending! I read this through Booksprout
When Max is sent to France to retrieve Marie, who was a female scientist, she had lost her memory so she did not realize he was not her husband as he portrayed. She had been making experiments that had backfired and in trying to correct got the attention of some villains.
Max is trying to get Marie back to England and so many things happen. Trust me, you do not want to miss this amazing story filled with intrigue, secrets, sadness, suspense, and wonderful characters and these two try to make it to a happy ending! I read this through Booksprout
April 29, 2020
Well-written, exciting and romantic, this novel kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Max D'Avenant is sent to France to retrieve a female scientist who formulated an explosive that was responsible for blowing up one of his brother's ships with devastating results. He sets in motion an elaborate plan that has echos of the 1965 WWII movie 36 Hours, but he is ultimately hoisted by his own petard when the hunter finds himself losing his heart to his prey. Marie LeBon has one thought only, to find a solution to the poverty and famine stalking her country. When her experiments go wrong, she catches the attention of the wrong people and before she knows it, Marie finds herself in a dark world, not knowing where or who she is. The man claiming to be her husband is her one chance to escape the hell she is in, but nothing is adding up. The plot is fast-paced and exciting as Max and Marie navigate the dangerous route back to Britain, remaining in hiding until the story comes to a disastrous point where revelations explode in their faces. One can only despair for both Marie and Max as betrayal and deep wounds prevent them from seeing the truth right in front of them. I became so invested in this book that I was completely taken by surprise when it came to an end and I very reluctantly had to close my Kindle. I received a copy of this novel through Booksprout and this is my honest and voluntary review.
April 29, 2020
This was a wonderful and surprising book! I loved Marie, she was brilliant and focused. Max was dashing and heroic...although I got a little frustrated with him a few times! But the ending made it all worthwhile! I now need to go back and read the earlier books; I’m hooked!
March 17, 2019
This is the story of Max D'Avenant (the brother who was ill for 10 years and cured by the events in the first book) and scientist Marie Nicole Le Bon. She creates a fertilizer substance that ends up being pretty volatile and is used by the French military to blow up Julian D'Avenant's ship. But in their attempt to get the formula from Marie, she receives a head injury, gets amnesia and is locked in an asylum. In an attempt to save lives and get some revenge against the cold-hearted scientist that created such a cruel weapon, Max agrees to kidnap Marie from the asylum, pretend to be her husband and deliver her safely into the hands of British authorities. But the woman Max comes to know does not resonate with his preconceived ideas of her. He finds himself falling for her and ever more tempted to make their "marriage' real. Max also struggles with feelings of loyalty to his country and his brother, while also wanting to protect Marie and keep her with him. But her memory is bound to return, and once Max has taken things to the carnal level, he realizes that she may never forgive his deception, even if he can keep her alive.
This is a fairly angsty little piece. I loved the fact that Max started feeling guilt early on and was thinking himself a despicable bastard (he kinda was) for his actions and how that evolves to feeling love for her but fearing she'd never forgive him (she kinda has reason to). This kept the angst and very believable emotional torment going. Because of her amnesia, Marie spends a great deal of the book in a hyper-innocent state, where she is completely naive and vulnerable to all of Max's lies and she's pretty pathetic in her amnesiac-state. It's very sympathy-inducing, so it's easy to see how this brings out all of Max's protector tendencies...but methinks it got confused with love. Later, when Marie's memories return, she says they can't possibly love each other because they don't know each other. I'm willing to believe that to a point...Max got to now one aspect of Marie's character, but a past really shapes personality, so Max didn't fully know Marie when he claimed to love her. So I didn't care for the fact that he ended up having sex with her before her memory returned. Although, this also made his "sin" all the more despicable and Marie's reaction was pretty top-notch. I loved her very articulate arguments for why she was so angry (minus the self-esteem parts, but the "I could never love a man who's capable of lying to me with one breath and telling me he loves me with the next," was probably her best argument. But in the end, she capitulated with very little effort on Max's part. And why does Max's whole family refuse to see how grand and awful his "mistake" was? They act like it's no big deal to pretend you're married to a vulnerable amnesiac, to take her to bed (without actual benefit of marriage) and to use her for your own ends. I wanted Max to grovel more and I got pretty upset that he got frustrated with her inability to forgive. It felt like, even though he kept having twinges of realization at how much he'd hurt her, he kept trying to downplay the enormity of his deception. An enjoyable story, just wish the ending had been more to my satisfaction. It may be to yours, so by all means pick this bit of enjoyable angst up.
Also...and this isn't a complaint so much as a comment on the times when this was written...there is some major hymen-ridiculousness going on here. Hero puts his finger inside the heroine and feels "her barrier" way up there. Then, when they finally do have sex, he sexes her for like 5 minutes without "taking her virginity" then when she orgasms he finally "breaks through" and completes the deed. Oy, the misconceptions that were so prevalent back then...and sadly still pop up in recently published stories as well...
This is a fairly angsty little piece. I loved the fact that Max started feeling guilt early on and was thinking himself a despicable bastard (he kinda was) for his actions and how that evolves to feeling love for her but fearing she'd never forgive him (she kinda has reason to). This kept the angst and very believable emotional torment going. Because of her amnesia, Marie spends a great deal of the book in a hyper-innocent state, where she is completely naive and vulnerable to all of Max's lies and she's pretty pathetic in her amnesiac-state. It's very sympathy-inducing, so it's easy to see how this brings out all of Max's protector tendencies...but methinks it got confused with love. Later, when Marie's memories return, she says they can't possibly love each other because they don't know each other. I'm willing to believe that to a point...Max got to now one aspect of Marie's character, but a past really shapes personality, so Max didn't fully know Marie when he claimed to love her. So I didn't care for the fact that he ended up having sex with her before her memory returned. Although, this also made his "sin" all the more despicable and Marie's reaction was pretty top-notch. I loved her very articulate arguments for why she was so angry (minus the self-esteem parts, but the "I could never love a man who's capable of lying to me with one breath and telling me he loves me with the next," was probably her best argument. But in the end, she capitulated with very little effort on Max's part. And why does Max's whole family refuse to see how grand and awful his "mistake" was? They act like it's no big deal to pretend you're married to a vulnerable amnesiac, to take her to bed (without actual benefit of marriage) and to use her for your own ends. I wanted Max to grovel more and I got pretty upset that he got frustrated with her inability to forgive. It felt like, even though he kept having twinges of realization at how much he'd hurt her, he kept trying to downplay the enormity of his deception. An enjoyable story, just wish the ending had been more to my satisfaction. It may be to yours, so by all means pick this bit of enjoyable angst up.
Also...and this isn't a complaint so much as a comment on the times when this was written...there is some major hymen-ridiculousness going on here. Hero puts his finger inside the heroine and feels "her barrier" way up there. Then, when they finally do have sex, he sexes her for like 5 minutes without "taking her virginity" then when she orgasms he finally "breaks through" and completes the deed. Oy, the misconceptions that were so prevalent back then...and sadly still pop up in recently published stories as well...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2022
Not terrible, but not great either.
Marie is a french female chemist. The story opens with her experimenting trying to create a new fertiliser that will help end the terrible famine raging through France. She accidentally creates a powerful explosive which the French government discover and use a sample of to destroy an English merchant ship.
While fleeing from French and English agents determined to capture the chemist responsible for creating the new 'weapon', Marie is injured in a carriage accident and loses her memory.
Meanwhile in London, Max D'Avenant is contemplating his brother's blindness; the result of a deadly explosion on the merchant ship his brother captains.
Max has been inducted into espionage by secretive agents of the crown. His mission is to go to Paris, kidnap amnesiac chemist Marie, convince her that he is her husband and bring her to England, where she will be held until she can replicate her secret formula. Max agrees in order to stop another catastrophic explosion harming British citizens.
Max rescues Marie from an asylum and spins her a tale. She is unsure, but follows along, if only to escape the asylum. As days pass the two get to know each other better. Marie can't believe such a handsome, intelligent man could be such a devoted husband to someone as plain as herself.
Although Max is lying to her the whole time, he soon realises that Marie is not the evil scientist his British Intelligence Minders made her out to be, but rather a kind and caring woman who he starts to love.
The plot is pretty thin and there was a time when Max drugged Marie with a truth serum and then ended up almost sleeping with her. Thankfully he didn't. I would have had to stop reading if that had happened.
I generally love amnesia stories, but this one was a miss for me.
This book contains descriptive love scenes.
Marie is a french female chemist. The story opens with her experimenting trying to create a new fertiliser that will help end the terrible famine raging through France. She accidentally creates a powerful explosive which the French government discover and use a sample of to destroy an English merchant ship.
While fleeing from French and English agents determined to capture the chemist responsible for creating the new 'weapon', Marie is injured in a carriage accident and loses her memory.
Meanwhile in London, Max D'Avenant is contemplating his brother's blindness; the result of a deadly explosion on the merchant ship his brother captains.
Max has been inducted into espionage by secretive agents of the crown. His mission is to go to Paris, kidnap amnesiac chemist Marie, convince her that he is her husband and bring her to England, where she will be held until she can replicate her secret formula. Max agrees in order to stop another catastrophic explosion harming British citizens.
Max rescues Marie from an asylum and spins her a tale. She is unsure, but follows along, if only to escape the asylum. As days pass the two get to know each other better. Marie can't believe such a handsome, intelligent man could be such a devoted husband to someone as plain as herself.
Although Max is lying to her the whole time, he soon realises that Marie is not the evil scientist his British Intelligence Minders made her out to be, but rather a kind and caring woman who he starts to love.
The plot is pretty thin and there was a time when Max drugged Marie with a truth serum and then ended up almost sleeping with her. Thankfully he didn't. I would have had to stop reading if that had happened.
I generally love amnesia stories, but this one was a miss for me.
This book contains descriptive love scenes.
January 25, 2022
This was another great read by Shelly Thacker. This story involves Maximilian D’Avenant (youngest brother to the main character in Book 3 “One Night with a Scoundrel”) and Marie Nicole LeBan.
Marie is a budding French chemist who creates a compound to grow better crops and help France out of a famine. Her compound goes awry in a farmer’s field and burns it to a crisp. At the same time her brother, Armand, has some of the compound and brings it to Versailles in hopes of making their family wealthy again. The French government uses it to sink a British trading ship. The French want more of the compound and goes after Armand thinking he is the chemist. Armand, Marie, and their little sister, Veronique, flee their home right before it explodes and Marie wakes up in an asylum without any memory.
The English find out about this compound and now they want it as well. So, the British government recruit Max (It was his brother’s ship that was destroyed and left him injured and blind). Max is out for revenge and agrees to sneak into France and whisk Marie away to England. Max pretends to be Marie’s husband and breaks her out of the asylum. However, in becoming a spy for England, Max is put to the test and finds out it’s not so easy to lie once he gets to know Marie. Will they make it out of France safely? Can he turn her over to the British government even if it means losing his heart in the process? What will he do when Marie regains her memory? Will Max lose Marie forever? See their journey unfold.
Marie is a budding French chemist who creates a compound to grow better crops and help France out of a famine. Her compound goes awry in a farmer’s field and burns it to a crisp. At the same time her brother, Armand, has some of the compound and brings it to Versailles in hopes of making their family wealthy again. The French government uses it to sink a British trading ship. The French want more of the compound and goes after Armand thinking he is the chemist. Armand, Marie, and their little sister, Veronique, flee their home right before it explodes and Marie wakes up in an asylum without any memory.
The English find out about this compound and now they want it as well. So, the British government recruit Max (It was his brother’s ship that was destroyed and left him injured and blind). Max is out for revenge and agrees to sneak into France and whisk Marie away to England. Max pretends to be Marie’s husband and breaks her out of the asylum. However, in becoming a spy for England, Max is put to the test and finds out it’s not so easy to lie once he gets to know Marie. Will they make it out of France safely? Can he turn her over to the British government even if it means losing his heart in the process? What will he do when Marie regains her memory? Will Max lose Marie forever? See their journey unfold.
February 23, 2021
When I can’t put a book down after the first few pages I know the rest will be good!
I love anything historical novel that even hints of “ spying” in the plot and this ones fulfills my every expectation.
While this is number 4 in a series I did not feel it was a detriment to reading this one first( I want to read the previous ones too!)
The heroine, Marie LeBon is a French chemist who has been conducting experiments on a fertilizer that would help produce more crops in aid to alleviate wide spread famine. She discovers that her formula creates a terrible weapon of mass destruction instead.
Without giving too much if the plot away, the French navy gets a hold of some of her “ fertilizer” and uses it to blow up an English ship. While escaping trying to escape the French authorities, Marie has an accident and then amnesia. Enter Lord Max D’Averant who has been recruited by the British government as a spy to try to find Marie and bring her to England.It just so happens that Max’s brother Julian was the captain of the ship and was severely injured.
The plot thickens as Marie and Max are caught between two countries trying to get their hand in the formula locked in Marie’s head. In the end everything is resolved and Marie and Max end happily ever after.
It was a great read, which I could not put down!
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
I love anything historical novel that even hints of “ spying” in the plot and this ones fulfills my every expectation.
While this is number 4 in a series I did not feel it was a detriment to reading this one first( I want to read the previous ones too!)
The heroine, Marie LeBon is a French chemist who has been conducting experiments on a fertilizer that would help produce more crops in aid to alleviate wide spread famine. She discovers that her formula creates a terrible weapon of mass destruction instead.
Without giving too much if the plot away, the French navy gets a hold of some of her “ fertilizer” and uses it to blow up an English ship. While escaping trying to escape the French authorities, Marie has an accident and then amnesia. Enter Lord Max D’Averant who has been recruited by the British government as a spy to try to find Marie and bring her to England.It just so happens that Max’s brother Julian was the captain of the ship and was severely injured.
The plot thickens as Marie and Max are caught between two countries trying to get their hand in the formula locked in Marie’s head. In the end everything is resolved and Marie and Max end happily ever after.
It was a great read, which I could not put down!
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2023
ปกติไม่ค่อยนิยม trope ความจำเสื่อม แต่เล่มนี้สนุกดี พระเอกฉกฉวยประโยชน์จากการที่นางเอกความจำเสื่อม เข้ามาสวมรอยเป็นสามีเพื่อล้วงสูตรเคมีที่นางเอกลืมไป ตอนแรกพระเอกเข้าใจว่านางเอกเป็นคนเลวผลิตอาวุธเพื่อเงิน แต่พอใช้เวลาด้วยกันมากๆ เข้าพระเอกก็เริ่มเข้าใจว่านางเอกเป็นคนจิตใจอ่อนโยน ชอบตรงที่ตัวละครไม่ค่อยงี่เง่า (ใช้คำว่าไม่ค่อยเพราะมันก็ยังมีหลายๆ ซีนที่ตัวละครใช้อารมณ์นำเหตุผลอยู่) มีความลุ้นว่าพอนางเอกรู้ความจริงทั้งหมดแล้วจะรีแอคยังไง ชอบการบรรยายอารมณ์ความรู้สึกของทั้งพระเอกและนางเอก ชอบที่ทั้งสองฝ่ายค่อยๆ ตกหลุมรักกันเมื่อได้รู้จักตัวตนของอีกฝ่าย (ไม่เหมือนเล่มอันดามันที่รู้สึกว่าดูเป็นความดึงดูดทางเพศซะเป็นส่วนใหญ่) เสียดายที่ชุดนี้มีแค่เรื่องของแซ็กซันกับแมกซ์ อยากเห็นจูเลี่ยนเป็นพระเอกบ้าง
October 27, 2017
เพราพว่าชอบผลงานเรื่อง Forever His เลยลองผลงานเรื่องอื่น เรื่องนี้เป็นเรื่องที่ 2 ในชุด แต่เราดันอ่านก่อนซะงั้น เล่มแรกยังไม่อ่าน เป็นเรื่องของพี่น้องเดเวแนนท์
แมกซิมิเลียนถูกขอร้องจากหน่วยลับของพระเจ้าแผ่นดินให้ไปทำงานบางอย่าง งานนั้นคือต้องไปลักพาตัว มารี เลอบงมาที่อังกฤษ หล่อนเป็นคนผลิตอาวุธที่เกิดประสิทธิภาพที่รุนแรงมาก และผลของมันทำให้พี่ชายของแมกซ์ได้รับบาดเจ็บ
เขายอมรับทำงานชิ้นนั้น และไปพาตัวมารีมาโดยอ้างว่าเป็นสามีของหล่อน มารีจำอะไรไม่ได้เลยเพราะเกิดอุบัติเหตุระหว่างการหลบหนี เลยเชื่อแม็กซ์หมดใจ จนกระทั่งมีคนโผล่มาและอ้างตัวว่าเป็นพี่ชายของหล่อน
ก็ ไม่ประทับใจเท่าเรื่องที่บอกข้างต้นอะนะ แต่ก็ไม่แย่อะไร อ่านได้เพลินๆ ไม่มีอะไรน่าจำเป็นพิเศษหรือสนุกเป็นพิเศษ
แมกซิมิเลียนถูกขอร้องจากหน่วยลับของพระเจ้าแผ่นดินให้ไปทำงานบางอย่าง งานนั้นคือต้องไปลักพาตัว มารี เลอบงมาที่อังกฤษ หล่อนเป็นคนผลิตอาวุธที่เกิดประสิทธิภาพที่รุนแรงมาก และผลของมันทำให้พี่ชายของแมกซ์ได้รับบาดเจ็บ
เขายอมรับทำงานชิ้นนั้น และไปพาตัวมารีมาโดยอ้างว่าเป็นสามีของหล่อน มารีจำอะไรไม่ได้เลยเพราะเกิดอุบัติเหตุระหว่างการหลบหนี เลยเชื่อแม็กซ์หมดใจ จนกระทั่งมีคนโผล่มาและอ้างตัวว่าเป็นพี่ชายของหล่อน
ก็ ไม่ประทับใจเท่าเรื่องที่บอกข้างต้นอะนะ แต่ก็ไม่แย่อะไร อ่านได้เพลินๆ ไม่มีอะไรน่าจำเป็นพิเศษหรือสนุกเป็นพิเศษ
September 18, 2022
Better than I was! More than I am!
Can you amagine loosing your memory,not knowing who you are,or how you got to where you are.Marie is a brilliant scientist working on a chemical that will help people,love a better life. But sometimes things go wrong and the most worst results happen.And then your rescued by a handsome man ,who calls himself your husbandMax.But what is the truth,what secrets is husbandmax keeping.All lies, so many lies. But love will see them through.
Thank you ♥️
Can you amagine loosing your memory,not knowing who you are,or how you got to where you are.Marie is a brilliant scientist working on a chemical that will help people,love a better life. But sometimes things go wrong and the most worst results happen.And then your rescued by a handsome man ,who calls himself your husbandMax.But what is the truth,what secrets is husbandmax keeping.All lies, so many lies. But love will see them through.
Thank you ♥️
September 14, 2022
This is the first book I've read by this author; I will be looking at the rest of her booklist now. While this is part of a couple of different series, it worked well as a standalone.
Thanks to the author and BookBub for the opportunity to read this book for free. This review is my own freely given opinion.
Thanks to the author and BookBub for the opportunity to read this book for free. This review is my own freely given opinion.
February 14, 2023
Marie is working on a fertilizer. Somehow she made a powerful explosive. Now she has agents from two countries trying to make her give them the formula. The problem is she was in a carriage accident and lost her memory. Max is an agent from England. He kidnapped her from the asylum she was being held in and the fun begins.
October 7, 2020
My Kindle copy has the title A Scoundrel's Kiss, with a different series title, also. I enjoyed this book because it had a real plot--a French woman scientist with amnesia, a reluctant amateur British spy, and a chase. Unfortunately, the ending was not as exciting as the first 3/4s of the book.
November 1, 2020
An exciting romantic novel that will hold your interest until the end. Love the family ties and was disappointed that the Duke and Julius didn’t have their book. I felt like the series was unfinished!
Oh the other hand, I love the work this author puts into her novels.
Oh the other hand, I love the work this author puts into her novels.
December 9, 2021
A Scoundrel’s Kiss
Marie lost her memory and Max kidnapped her. He wanted to have her to remember the formula of what exploded his brother’s ship and made him blind. All she was doing was to help her plants grow better. The French and the English want the formula.
Marie lost her memory and Max kidnapped her. He wanted to have her to remember the formula of what exploded his brother’s ship and made him blind. All she was doing was to help her plants grow better. The French and the English want the formula.
September 30, 2022
A Scoundrels Kiss: A Steamy Fake Marriage Historical Romance
The book was very intriguing. I had a hard time putting the book down. There was so much happening within the pages. Shelly Thacker is a very good story teller. Thank you.
The book was very intriguing. I had a hard time putting the book down. There was so much happening within the pages. Shelly Thacker is a very good story teller. Thank you.
August 31, 2023
ตามมาอ่านซีรีย์นี้ในเล่มที่สอง จริงๆอ่านครั้งแรกเมื่อนานมากแล้วเกินยี่สิบปีแน่ๆ แต่ยังประทับใจเสมอกับความน่ารักโก๊ะๆของนางเอก
การผูกเรื่องดีมาก พล็อตน่าติดตาม เป็นอีกเล่มหนึ่งที่สามารถหยิบมาอ่านซ้ำได้เรื่อยๆ และเราก็อ่านซ้ำหลายรอบแล้วเหมือนกัน
การผูกเรื่องดีมาก พล็อตน่าติดตาม เป็นอีกเล่มหนึ่งที่สามารถหยิบมาอ่านซ้ำได้เรื่อยๆ และเราก็อ่านซ้ำหลายรอบแล้วเหมือนกัน
Want to read
September 11, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/11/2022)! 🎁
September 23, 2022
Geesh
Not only was the story slow... The author doesn't know what a spacebar is...there were so many words ran together I had to stop reading it
Not only was the story slow... The author doesn't know what a spacebar is...there were so many words ran together I had to stop reading it
July 30, 2020
Good overall.
June 6, 2020
THIS HELD A PROMISING PLOT, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY I COULDN'T FULLY SINK INTO IT WHEN IT HAD ALL THE ELEMENTS OF A ROMANCE I JUST LOVE.
MAX is the youngest D'Avenant brother whom the Crown approached to enlist his help to retrieve a particular French woman from an asylum where she's been thrown into after her home was burnt down. What made her special is the fact that she's the brilliant mind behind an 'accidental' weapon she created that had been unknowingly sold to the French government by her brother to be used against the British in the war. Max isn't spy material. He's just a man who recovered from bad asthma that ruled his life for decades, and had no hope of living past his 30th birthday probably. After learning that Marie's invention is the cause of his brother's blindness, since it was Julian's ship that was wrecked by her 'explosive' formula, I guess he wants revenge somehow. But, meeting the young woman changes his perception about her. She's not the ruthless woman he assumed her to be but a young, frightened and confused victim of a war she played no part in. It didn't take much for him to fall for Marie, rousing his protective instincts and love. Maybe it's perverse of me but I guess I might have lost interest when they just fell in love so easily, nor was it intense enough to hold my attention for long. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely story but I just needed MORE to the characters' development and relationship development.
MARIE is a French plain jane who doesn't believe in love, rather embracing science and becoming a brilliant chemist/scientist. Having witnessed her mother's unrequited love for a father who left his children as bastards, Marie doesn't ever want to be married to any man at all. When her twin brother sells her chemical invention behind her back due to his greed, she gets caught in a war that killed their sister, landing Armand in prison and Marie herself lost her memory. The prospect of her memory loss in conjunction with a handsome man who comes to her rescue in the asylum is tempting and promising but maybe not INTENSE enough for it to last - the novelty, that is. Memory loss Marie is adorable, like a lost puppy who clings onto Max's every word and I just adore the way she calls him 'husbandmax'. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before she regains her memory and discovers that Max isn't her husband and he's been lying to her all along.
OVERALL it was enjoyable but didn't leave much of an impression upon me but, I do so adored the troupe and concept of it. I think this might have been my first Shelly Thacker but it won't be my last. I'm hoping to read Saxon's story with Ashiana whom we get to meet again in this book if you have followed this series to the latter.
MAX is the youngest D'Avenant brother whom the Crown approached to enlist his help to retrieve a particular French woman from an asylum where she's been thrown into after her home was burnt down. What made her special is the fact that she's the brilliant mind behind an 'accidental' weapon she created that had been unknowingly sold to the French government by her brother to be used against the British in the war. Max isn't spy material. He's just a man who recovered from bad asthma that ruled his life for decades, and had no hope of living past his 30th birthday probably. After learning that Marie's invention is the cause of his brother's blindness, since it was Julian's ship that was wrecked by her 'explosive' formula, I guess he wants revenge somehow. But, meeting the young woman changes his perception about her. She's not the ruthless woman he assumed her to be but a young, frightened and confused victim of a war she played no part in. It didn't take much for him to fall for Marie, rousing his protective instincts and love. Maybe it's perverse of me but I guess I might have lost interest when they just fell in love so easily, nor was it intense enough to hold my attention for long. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely story but I just needed MORE to the characters' development and relationship development.
MARIE is a French plain jane who doesn't believe in love, rather embracing science and becoming a brilliant chemist/scientist. Having witnessed her mother's unrequited love for a father who left his children as bastards, Marie doesn't ever want to be married to any man at all. When her twin brother sells her chemical invention behind her back due to his greed, she gets caught in a war that killed their sister, landing Armand in prison and Marie herself lost her memory. The prospect of her memory loss in conjunction with a handsome man who comes to her rescue in the asylum is tempting and promising but maybe not INTENSE enough for it to last - the novelty, that is. Memory loss Marie is adorable, like a lost puppy who clings onto Max's every word and I just adore the way she calls him 'husbandmax'. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before she regains her memory and discovers that Max isn't her husband and he's been lying to her all along.
OVERALL it was enjoyable but didn't leave much of an impression upon me but, I do so adored the troupe and concept of it. I think this might have been my first Shelly Thacker but it won't be my last. I'm hoping to read Saxon's story with Ashiana whom we get to meet again in this book if you have followed this series to the latter.
July 4, 2020
Another wonderfully written story for this series.
I loved this book. Lots of intrigue and adventure.
Max was a multifaceted character. Gentle, kind and brave in the face of danger. We get to watch him grow into a marvelous hero.
Marie is the same. A scientist by nature, we get to experience her heartbreak and adventure into romance and dealing with emotions rather than facts.
The tension of what would happen when she found out what Max had done was addictive and kept me up till three in the morning.
All in all a great story. I’m looking forward to Julian’s story and more by this author.
I loved this book. Lots of intrigue and adventure.
Max was a multifaceted character. Gentle, kind and brave in the face of danger. We get to watch him grow into a marvelous hero.
Marie is the same. A scientist by nature, we get to experience her heartbreak and adventure into romance and dealing with emotions rather than facts.
The tension of what would happen when she found out what Max had done was addictive and kept me up till three in the morning.
All in all a great story. I’m looking forward to Julian’s story and more by this author.
May 8, 2020
Immersive Historical Espionage Romance
What a well-done and gripping novel! And it is a true and proper novel of around 115K words, giving the author plenty of space to create a complex plot and develop believable, at times tortured characters. This takes place in Georgian times, and the British are concerned that the French have developed a chemical weapon. It was used on one of their ships. The scientist who created the compound is unexpected, a woman who was actually trying to make fertilizer! At the start of the book, the woman suffers a terrible accident and gets brain trauma, giving her total retrograde amnesia. She wakes up in an asylum, which is described in horrific terms that made the place seem very real. The British plan to break her out and bring her to England so she can make the chemical compound for them. This will involve a ruse using a spy who will pose as her husband.
If it sounds complicated, it is. Especially at the beginning, the espionage element was powerful, but as the book progresses, it becomes more and more about the romance. They start to fall for each other. But of course, there's the complexity of her amnesia, his lies, and the endgame, where he is actually supposed to turn her over to his British higher-ups. The author did an excellent job of showing the heroine’s initial confusion and difficulties. Even though she was a scientist, she had an absolutely charming naivete while suffering from amnesia. The British spy, our hero, is so conflicted as his feelings and hers develop. The author keeps toying with you, not revealing until the very end how it will work out for this unlikely couple. It made for a compelling, page-turning read, one I was loath to put down. If you enjoy historical romantic espionage (or spy romance), this complex tale with sympathetic characters may be right up your alley.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
What a well-done and gripping novel! And it is a true and proper novel of around 115K words, giving the author plenty of space to create a complex plot and develop believable, at times tortured characters. This takes place in Georgian times, and the British are concerned that the French have developed a chemical weapon. It was used on one of their ships. The scientist who created the compound is unexpected, a woman who was actually trying to make fertilizer! At the start of the book, the woman suffers a terrible accident and gets brain trauma, giving her total retrograde amnesia. She wakes up in an asylum, which is described in horrific terms that made the place seem very real. The British plan to break her out and bring her to England so she can make the chemical compound for them. This will involve a ruse using a spy who will pose as her husband.
If it sounds complicated, it is. Especially at the beginning, the espionage element was powerful, but as the book progresses, it becomes more and more about the romance. They start to fall for each other. But of course, there's the complexity of her amnesia, his lies, and the endgame, where he is actually supposed to turn her over to his British higher-ups. The author did an excellent job of showing the heroine’s initial confusion and difficulties. Even though she was a scientist, she had an absolutely charming naivete while suffering from amnesia. The British spy, our hero, is so conflicted as his feelings and hers develop. The author keeps toying with you, not revealing until the very end how it will work out for this unlikely couple. It made for a compelling, page-turning read, one I was loath to put down. If you enjoy historical romantic espionage (or spy romance), this complex tale with sympathetic characters may be right up your alley.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
April 28, 2020
This is book 4 of the series, but is a stand alone.
How this begins for the h broke my heart. The way the author introduces the h and her little sister made you feel their love and connection. It stayed with me throughout the story and the emotions I felt for the h not remembering anything was heart wrenching. When we knew the backstory but she didn't
Even knowing why the H acted as he did with the information he received was hard to watch unfold. As the story progresses you see his feelings change for the h. As you see them changing for her but for a different reason. She is making false memories with the information the H is telling her. Again, so emotional from beginning to the end.
You will be drawn into this story from beginning to the end. There is not one part that dragged for me. You have betrayal on many fronts and you won't know who is friend or foe. This story is an emotional roller coaster that I read in one sitting. I had to know if our couple were not only going to be safe, but when the trust and loved they formed was going to come tumbling down.
We have lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 3 out of 5 if that. The connection that you felt from them, made their lovemaking filled with love and passion.
When our h learns the truth I felt the betrayal done to her. This author knows how to draw all your emotions from her reader's. My only unanswered question was how did the h drive a carriage alone to the H's home? This was a foreign country for her and she wouldn't know the way.
This story is filled with villains, tragedy, a lot of suspense, action, twists, betrayal, great character's. No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, romance and a small tad of spice.
I was gifted a copy and all opinions are my own and voluntarily given. (ljb)
How this begins for the h broke my heart. The way the author introduces the h and her little sister made you feel their love and connection. It stayed with me throughout the story and the emotions I felt for the h not remembering anything was heart wrenching. When we knew the backstory but she didn't
Even knowing why the H acted as he did with the information he received was hard to watch unfold. As the story progresses you see his feelings change for the h. As you see them changing for her but for a different reason. She is making false memories with the information the H is telling her. Again, so emotional from beginning to the end.
You will be drawn into this story from beginning to the end. There is not one part that dragged for me. You have betrayal on many fronts and you won't know who is friend or foe. This story is an emotional roller coaster that I read in one sitting. I had to know if our couple were not only going to be safe, but when the trust and loved they formed was going to come tumbling down.
We have lovemaking outside of marriage, heat level 3 out of 5 if that. The connection that you felt from them, made their lovemaking filled with love and passion.
When our h learns the truth I felt the betrayal done to her. This author knows how to draw all your emotions from her reader's. My only unanswered question was how did the h drive a carriage alone to the H's home? This was a foreign country for her and she wouldn't know the way.
This story is filled with villains, tragedy, a lot of suspense, action, twists, betrayal, great character's. No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, romance and a small tad of spice.
I was gifted a copy and all opinions are my own and voluntarily given. (ljb)
June 28, 2020
Ms. Thacker is a new to me author so I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up. I can tell you I was very pleasantly surprised. This was such a well-written novel that it kept my interest from beginning to end and I had a very hard time putting it down. This book had everything from betrayal and conspiracy to intrigue and romance. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was so sweet how Max was so worried about Marie and finally realized his feelings for her when she ventured out into the city on her own. The plot was fast-paced, with not a single dull moment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 4, 2020
Very exciting
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