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Scoundrels #4
The Last Hellion
A ferocious conflict of wills...
Vere Mallory, the Duke of Ainswood, has everything--he's titled, he's rich, he's devastatingly good looking--and he seems determined to throw it all away. Disreputable, reckless, and wild, the last of the Mallory hellions is racing headlong to self-destruction...until a mind numbingly beautiful blonde Amazon knocks him off his feet--literally.
An incendiary passion...
Lydia Grenville is dedicated to protecting London's downtrodden. Dissolute noblemen like Ainswood are part of the problem, not the solution. She would like him to get his big, gorgeous carcass out of her way so that she can carry on with her work. The problem is, Ainswood can no more resist a challenge, especially in female form, than he can resist the trouble she seems to attract.
If they can only weather their personal firestorm...
they might survive the real danger that threatens all they hold dear.
Vere Mallory, the Duke of Ainswood, has everything--he's titled, he's rich, he's devastatingly good looking--and he seems determined to throw it all away. Disreputable, reckless, and wild, the last of the Mallory hellions is racing headlong to self-destruction...until a mind numbingly beautiful blonde Amazon knocks him off his feet--literally.
An incendiary passion...
Lydia Grenville is dedicated to protecting London's downtrodden. Dissolute noblemen like Ainswood are part of the problem, not the solution. She would like him to get his big, gorgeous carcass out of her way so that she can carry on with her work. The problem is, Ainswood can no more resist a challenge, especially in female form, than he can resist the trouble she seems to attract.
If they can only weather their personal firestorm...
they might survive the real danger that threatens all they hold dear.
379 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1998
About the author
Loretta Chase
54 books3,526 followersLoretta Lynda Chekani was born in 1949, of Albanian ancestry. For her, the trouble started when she learned to write in first grade. Before then, she had been making up her own stories but now she knew how to write them down to share. In her teenage years, she continue to write letters, keep a journal, write poetry and even attempt the Great American Novel (still unfinished). She attended New England public schools, before she went off to college and earned an English degree from Clark University.
After graduation, she worked a variety of jobs at Clark including a part-time teaching post. She was also moonlighting as a video scriptwriter. It was there that she met a video producer who inspired her to write novels and marry him. Under her married name, Loretta Chase, has been publishing historical romance novels since 1987. Her books have won many awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA.
After graduation, she worked a variety of jobs at Clark including a part-time teaching post. She was also moonlighting as a video scriptwriter. It was there that she met a video producer who inspired her to write novels and marry him. Under her married name, Loretta Chase, has been publishing historical romance novels since 1987. Her books have won many awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 615 reviews
April 30, 2011
When I was first introduced to Vere Mallory, the Duke of Ainswood, in 'Lord of Scoundrels', I was less than impressed with him and I couldn´t see him as the hero in any book. After reading 'The Last Hellion', I stand corrected. And it didn´t take long, he had me right at the Prologue. Loretta Chase did a wonderful job showing how much he was affected by the row of deaths that took away his family, up to his beloved 9-year-old cousin, and even before I read the rest of the book, I KNEW he was one of the "good guys" and his "hellish" behavior was just an act.
As for the heroine, Lydia Grenville, she was a real hoot. A 6-feet-tall, 28-year-old spinster (even though she was NEVER referred as that in the book, which I found very refreshing), intelligent, self-confident and in possession of a sharp tongue - and quick fists - that had Vere doomed from the start.
The story flew very smoothly, with a series of "harmless" antics that threw Vere and Lydia together and kept building the sexual tension between them, up to the point where neither of them could deny their mutual attraction anymore - no matter how "annoyed" they felt about it. I loved their dialogue and the way one tried to outmaneuver the other. I loved the nicknames he called her. I even liked Bertie Trent in this book, LOL.
What I didn´t like was the way Dain kept calling his son Dominick. "Demon Seed" and "Satan´s Spawn" are NOT endearing terms! I had this problem with Dain when I read 'Lord of Scoundrels' and I didn´t expect to see him still behaving like that in 'The Last Hellion'. That´s a minor complaint of mine that I could easily overlook, considering that this book was not about Dain.
In summary, I really loved this book and recommend it to everyone who loves a very funny and not too-angsty romance. I lost count of the times I laughed at the witty and snappy remarks exchanged between Vere and Lydia, and I admit I had a silly smile on my face when I read the last line of the book.
As for the heroine, Lydia Grenville, she was a real hoot. A 6-feet-tall, 28-year-old spinster (even though she was NEVER referred as that in the book, which I found very refreshing), intelligent, self-confident and in possession of a sharp tongue - and quick fists - that had Vere doomed from the start.
The story flew very smoothly, with a series of "harmless" antics that threw Vere and Lydia together and kept building the sexual tension between them, up to the point where neither of them could deny their mutual attraction anymore - no matter how "annoyed" they felt about it. I loved their dialogue and the way one tried to outmaneuver the other. I loved the nicknames he called her. I even liked Bertie Trent in this book, LOL.
What I didn´t like was the way Dain kept calling his son Dominick. "Demon Seed" and "Satan´s Spawn" are NOT endearing terms! I had this problem with Dain when I read 'Lord of Scoundrels' and I didn´t expect to see him still behaving like that in 'The Last Hellion'. That´s a minor complaint of mine that I could easily overlook, considering that this book was not about Dain.
In summary, I really loved this book and recommend it to everyone who loves a very funny and not too-angsty romance. I lost count of the times I laughed at the witty and snappy remarks exchanged between Vere and Lydia, and I admit I had a silly smile on my face when I read the last line of the book.
January 1, 2015
She was a breathtaking firebrand, and Vere Mallory, the notorious Duke of Ainswood, had never seen anything like her. Although he thought he was rescuing Lydia Grenville from the cluches of a renowned wastrel, he quickly discovers she is angry at his interference! Amused by the sultry hell-cats's fury, Mallory vows to teach her some humility -- in life and in love.
I really enjoyed the previous book in the series and wondered if anybody could top Dain. We met, Vere, Duke of Ainswood in the previous book and he came across as a bit of an ass ... and not in a nice way. So was a bit wary of meeting him.
“Due to not getting pumped regular, females take the oddest fancies, such as imagining they can think.”
I adored the heroine of the book. She did not have an easy life but she took it all on the chin and rose above everything to become an independent, beautiful woman, albeit a spinster at the age of 28... and a virgin.
"Men don't see the world as women do. Men don't always see what's under their noses."
I love how these Rakes, these men about town, who spend their nights with whores and gamble their fortunes away are suddenly brought to their knees by sensible, ordinary, women. Love it.
"Thank you," she whispered again, helplessly, while she looked into his handsome face and gave up all hope of ever being sensible again.
"Mad, quite mad, alas!"
Off to find my next read. What a great start to the 2015 reading year, with a 5 star read.
April 28, 2023
I adored Lord of Scoundrels and this is a great addition to the series. Reviewed many times before so let me add that it holds up well. This is written more in keeping with the limits that woman in the 1800's had to live with (some suspension of disbelief). Lydia reminds me a bit of Hero in the St Cyr series. I was loving the witty dialogue and the great side characters. The reason its not a 5* was the shift towards the end of the book into the missing persons.
July 4, 2024
3.5⭐️ I’m an outlier. McFussy is also as McFinicky as a cat. Let’s start with what worked.
Pure Tuna
😻 Susan 🦴
Woof! Susan said.
😻 Bertie
In addition to getting himself into sentences the Almighty with the aid of all His angels would never find a way out of, Trent demonstrated a rare talent for getting under horses’ hooves or directly beneath falling objects, for colliding with obstacles both human and inanimate, and for toppling from whatever he happened to be standing, sitting, or lying upon.
Bless him, he wasn’t a total idiot. He held my attention better than feathers on a string.
😻 Pairings:
Susan and Bertie. (Never underestimate the intelligence of a dog)
Tamsin and Bertie (Never underestimate an author’s knack for matchmaking.)
Jessica and Dain 🤟♾️
Lydia and Vere (from midpoint to 80% in the book)
Unquestionable Catnip
😻 The prepackaged angst that made Lydia and Vere who they were.
😻Dain was a major player in the story, not window dressing.
Hairballs
🙀 This is on me. I’m not a fan of capers, chases, spies, thefts, kidnapping, or murder in HRs, or for that matter in movies. I literally fall asleep. I mean, it’s a foregone conclusion the MCs will survive and win the day, sooo 💤💤💤
Not all the above mayhem was in the story, but more than one. Pretty much 70% of the book.
🙀 To move the story along, Chase was not above having her MCs jump to unfounded conclusions.
Not sorry I read it, but a bit wary about pursuing more books by the author.
Pure Tuna
😻 Susan 🦴
Woof! Susan said.
😻 Bertie
In addition to getting himself into sentences the Almighty with the aid of all His angels would never find a way out of, Trent demonstrated a rare talent for getting under horses’ hooves or directly beneath falling objects, for colliding with obstacles both human and inanimate, and for toppling from whatever he happened to be standing, sitting, or lying upon.
Bless him, he wasn’t a total idiot. He held my attention better than feathers on a string.
😻 Pairings:
Susan and Bertie. (Never underestimate the intelligence of a dog)
Tamsin and Bertie (Never underestimate an author’s knack for matchmaking.)
Jessica and Dain 🤟♾️
Lydia and Vere (from midpoint to 80% in the book)
Unquestionable Catnip
😻 The prepackaged angst that made Lydia and Vere who they were.
😻Dain was a major player in the story, not window dressing.
Hairballs
🙀 This is on me. I’m not a fan of capers, chases, spies, thefts, kidnapping, or murder in HRs, or for that matter in movies. I literally fall asleep. I mean, it’s a foregone conclusion the MCs will survive and win the day, sooo 💤💤💤
Not all the above mayhem was in the story, but more than one. Pretty much 70% of the book.
🙀 To move the story along, Chase was not above having her MCs jump to unfounded conclusions.
Not sorry I read it, but a bit wary about pursuing more books by the author.
January 20, 2009
What a fabulous love/hate romance from beginning to end! Fantastic dialog between the h/h was what made the love/hate so good and not turn into silliness.
Vere, the Duke of Ainswood, is a quintessential bad boy who couldn’t care less about what anyone thinks of him or how he behaves especially when it comes to women. Lydia is a great foil to his nasty devil may care attitude. She gets him to tow the line and he doesn’t even realize it until he discovers that he can’t live without her.
The build-up to their love affair is so well done. They’re always calling the other out and never backing down right to the end. There are few authors that can do this theme well without the reader getting fed up with all the fighting and arguing but Chase did a superb job with ‘Lord of Scoundrels’ and continues in this one. There is also an appearance from Lord Dain from ‘Lord of Scoundrels’ which was a nice touch.
Some parts of the story are quite moving while others will have you going “ooooo ouch!” and all this is done through the dialog and not endless pages of narration. Chase really has a knack for putting the reader right there as if you’re watching a movie with lots of sexual tension. There is a sub-story between Bertie who was also in 'Lord of Scoundrels' and Lydia’s companion Tamsin which didn’t detract from the main story as secondary stories sometimes do. And the ending! Well it left me very satisfied with a big fat smile on my face :D
Chase ranks right up there with Kleypas, Enoch and Quinn in my opinion. Pick up this reissued gem if you like the love/hate romance theme with a smart heroine and bad boy hero who throw words at each other like red hot coals you’re trying to stop from burning your hand ;D
Vere, the Duke of Ainswood, is a quintessential bad boy who couldn’t care less about what anyone thinks of him or how he behaves especially when it comes to women. Lydia is a great foil to his nasty devil may care attitude. She gets him to tow the line and he doesn’t even realize it until he discovers that he can’t live without her.
The build-up to their love affair is so well done. They’re always calling the other out and never backing down right to the end. There are few authors that can do this theme well without the reader getting fed up with all the fighting and arguing but Chase did a superb job with ‘Lord of Scoundrels’ and continues in this one. There is also an appearance from Lord Dain from ‘Lord of Scoundrels’ which was a nice touch.
Some parts of the story are quite moving while others will have you going “ooooo ouch!” and all this is done through the dialog and not endless pages of narration. Chase really has a knack for putting the reader right there as if you’re watching a movie with lots of sexual tension. There is a sub-story between Bertie who was also in 'Lord of Scoundrels' and Lydia’s companion Tamsin which didn’t detract from the main story as secondary stories sometimes do. And the ending! Well it left me very satisfied with a big fat smile on my face :D
Chase ranks right up there with Kleypas, Enoch and Quinn in my opinion. Pick up this reissued gem if you like the love/hate romance theme with a smart heroine and bad boy hero who throw words at each other like red hot coals you’re trying to stop from burning your hand ;D
November 28, 2021
In many ways, I like this more than LoS--I just felt like the book was balanced better between the main characters, but then again I have read this more recently so it may be cheating.
A review will not be forthcoming.
A review will not be forthcoming.
December 10, 2017
2.5 stars
Will write the review. But not before I'm done counting how many epithets Vere has for Lidya.
It's 28 .
1. Miss Boudicca Grenville
2. The gorgon
3. Madam Insolence
4. The dragon lady
5. Miss self-appointed guardian of public morals
6. The amazon
7. Miss Attila the hun Grenville
8. Miss guiding the light of civilization
9. The blue-eyed dragoness
10. Mistress Thespian
11. Lady Grendel
12. The blue-eyed gorgon
13. Miss devious sneak attack Grenville
14. Miss Ivan the terrible Grenville
15. The Grenville gorgon
16. Mistress Melodrama
17. Miss gypsy queen Grenville
18. Miss half-naked painted harlot Grenville
19. Queen Gertrude
20. Her Highness
21. Miss vestal virgin Grenville
22. The beautiful monster
23. Miss Messalina Grenville
24. Miss price
25. Miss queen of play actors
26. Miss fraud of the century
27. Miss nemesis Grenville
28. Madam vindication of the rights of women
Unbelievable.
Somewhere in the middle I stopped thinking it was funny as I was losing my interest. I love the author because she writes romance and more. There have never been a moment where I had to wait for something to happen. But in this case, the great page-turning formula of Loretta Chase just didn't work. Same thing happened with me and Mr. Impossible. The characters and dialogues were smart and hilarious, the Egypt setting was great, but I barely felt the romance because the overall story was heavily focused on solving the mystery. With The Last Hellion, although it started very promising, the romance was also overwhelmed by others. And by others I mean a lot of things happened throughout the story.
It was a pity, because nothing was wrong with Vere and Lidya. They were two strong and fun characters who could stand out against each other, but I didn't feel them. Lidya has to investigate powerful people who abandoned their illegitimate children, Lidya has to save the children from bad people, Vere's relatives are missing so he has to find them, Vere has to collect some evidence regarding Lidya parentage, secondary characters are falling in love...
No, 380 pages of romance book was not enough when it was fully occupied with all those additional stuff. And because they only shared so much portion in the book, none of them felt important, neither Vere nor Lidya grew in me, and their romance failed to shine. Even after Dain and Jessica -the couple who will always have a place in my heart- played their role in the story, they still couldn't save the book from my poor rating.
Too bad, because like any other LC's books that I've read, this one also had some captivating moments. I just wished there hadn't been so many things that happened.
It's 28 .
1. Miss Boudicca Grenville
2. The gorgon
3. Madam Insolence
4. The dragon lady
5. Miss self-appointed guardian of public morals
6. The amazon
7. Miss Attila the hun Grenville
8. Miss guiding the light of civilization
9. The blue-eyed dragoness
10. Mistress Thespian
11. Lady Grendel
12. The blue-eyed gorgon
13. Miss devious sneak attack Grenville
14. Miss Ivan the terrible Grenville
15. The Grenville gorgon
16. Mistress Melodrama
17. Miss gypsy queen Grenville
18. Miss half-naked painted harlot Grenville
19. Queen Gertrude
20. Her Highness
21. Miss vestal virgin Grenville
22. The beautiful monster
23. Miss Messalina Grenville
24. Miss price
25. Miss queen of play actors
26. Miss fraud of the century
27. Miss nemesis Grenville
28. Madam vindication of the rights of women
Unbelievable.
Somewhere in the middle I stopped thinking it was funny as I was losing my interest. I love the author because she writes romance and more. There have never been a moment where I had to wait for something to happen. But in this case, the great page-turning formula of Loretta Chase just didn't work. Same thing happened with me and Mr. Impossible. The characters and dialogues were smart and hilarious, the Egypt setting was great, but I barely felt the romance because the overall story was heavily focused on solving the mystery. With The Last Hellion, although it started very promising, the romance was also overwhelmed by others. And by others I mean a lot of things happened throughout the story.
It was a pity, because nothing was wrong with Vere and Lidya. They were two strong and fun characters who could stand out against each other, but I didn't feel them. Lidya has to investigate powerful people who abandoned their illegitimate children, Lidya has to save the children from bad people, Vere's relatives are missing so he has to find them, Vere has to collect some evidence regarding Lidya parentage, secondary characters are falling in love...
No, 380 pages of romance book was not enough when it was fully occupied with all those additional stuff. And because they only shared so much portion in the book, none of them felt important, neither Vere nor Lidya grew in me, and their romance failed to shine. Even after Dain and Jessica -the couple who will always have a place in my heart- played their role in the story, they still couldn't save the book from my poor rating.
Too bad, because like any other LC's books that I've read, this one also had some captivating moments. I just wished there hadn't been so many things that happened.
“You cannot do everything, you know. Sometimes you must be content with giving moral support. I don't need to be coddled and sheltered. I don't need all my battles fought for me. I do need to be believed in.”
July 26, 2016
I've given this an A+ for narration and A- for content at AAR.
The Last Hellion is the last of the four books in Ms Chase’s Scoundrels series, which are linked via a number of recurring characters; and it can perhaps be seen as a sequel to the wonderful Lord of Scoundrels. We met Vere Mallory, Duke of Ainswood, in that story when, drunk as a lord (!), he mistook the newly-married Lady Dain for a light skirt and was immediately pummeled into the dirt by Lord Beelzebub himself, and forced to apologise.
Ainswood is the appropriately titled “Last Hellion” of the title, and comes from a long line of ne���er-do-wells. He never expected or particularly wanted to be a duke, but a series of tragic accidents and illnesses sees him attending a seemingly never ending succession of funerals, the last of them for his beloved nine-year-old nephew and ward, Robin.
Anyone familiar with Lord of Scoundrels will recall how skilfully Loretta Chase recounted Dain’s backstory in the book’s prologue, introducing us to an unloved child who believed himself unlovable. Here, the author yet again introduces her hero in an incredibly poignant manner, and all I will say about the prologue to The Last Hellion is this – have a box of tissues handy. You’ll need them.
In the months following his accession to the title, Vere has thrown himself into an unending round of debauchery, cut himself off from his remaining family and eschewed his responsibilities, both to his title and to his remaining wards, Robin’s two sisters. He presents himself to the world as a dissolute, cynical rake who cares for nothing and nobody, but behind that façade is a grieving, angry man who despises himself, his position and his life, a man who wants so badly never to be hurt again that he pushes away everyone he cares for and walls off his emotions.
Lydia Grenville is a crusading journalist who is currently working to expose the underhand practices of one of London’s most notorious madams. She is on the verge of catching the bawd abducting a young woman but is prevented at the last minute by Ainswood, who mistakenly believes that Lydia, the madam, and her quarry are merely ladies of the night engaged in a quarrel. Furious at the interference of the ill-dressed, ill-mannered but gorgeous lout she recognises as “one of the most depraved, reckless and thickheaded rakes listed in Debrett’s Peerage”, the encounter ends with Lydia knocking Ainswood on his arse and stalking off – but not before the sparks have well and truly begun to fly and both have recognised something of a kindred spirit in the other.
Like Vere, Lydia has suffered the pain caused by the deaths of loved ones, in her case, her mother, who died when she was ten, and her younger sister who died from consumption contracted during the year the girls spent locked up in debtor’s prison with their neglectful, drunken father.
The relationship between Ainswood and Lydia is jam-packed with wit, humor, and enough sexual chemistry to blow a hole into the middle of next week. Neither of them wants to desire the other at all, let alone with such intensity, and they fight their fascination with each other every step of the way. The way Ms Chase conveys their extremely reluctant mutual attraction is nothing short of masterful – the listener is never simply “told” anything; instead, we’re shown time and again through dialogue and action that these are two people who are meant to be together and who really need each other in order to become the person they’re meant to be.
There are several sub-plots running through the book. Following the encounter which Ainswood disrupted, Lydia rescues the girl the madam had been trying to abduct, who turns out to be a runaway from Cornwall, Tamsin Price – a sensible, well-bred young woman who becomes Lydia’s friend and confidante. Bertie Trent, still the lovable buffoon from Lord of Scoundrels gets to show another side of himself and comes into his own, Lydia discovers the truth about her past, and there’s a dramatic kidnap plot as well as the various scrapes Lydia gets into as the result of her journalistic investigations.
Both Ainswood and Lydia are extremely well-drawn, complex characters, who hide the truth of themselves from the world. Vere is, deep down, a decent, compassionate man who has been so severely affected by the losses he has suffered that he can’t bear to open himself up to more. Lydia is a woman trying to make her way in a man’s world – she’s frequently subjected to ridicule because of her height (she’s taller than most men), her quick temper, sharp wit, and willingness to stand up and be counted; yet beneath it all, she’s soft-hearted and a bit of a romantic at heart.
The Last Hellion is a terrific listen. The quick-fire dialogue between the principals is to die for, the romance is brilliantly written, and I loved the glimpses of the friendship between Ainswood and Dain that we got to see. I did find that the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, and that the ending meandered a bit; the truth of Lydia’s parentage is revealed alongside the aforementioned kidnap plot, and although both are relevant in that they help the protagonists in making peace with their pasts, I was so invested in Lydia and Vere’s relationship that I wanted to spend the time with them rather than focused on something else. But that really is my only complaint, because otherwise the book is every bit as good as its predecessor.
Kate Reading’s name attached to an audiobook is like having it stamped with a seal of quality. She’s someone I’ve enjoyed listening to for some time – her recordings of Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series are terrific, and I really enjoyed her performance in Madeline Hunter’s Dangerous in Diamonds, which was the first book I’d heard her narrate – but I remember bemoaning at the time that she hadn’t recorded a great number of historical romances. A little bird must have heard me, because since making that stupendous recording of Lord of Scoundrels last year, she’s gone on to narrate more books by Ms Chase as well as a number of other historicals, including His at Night by Sherry Thomas, which has quickly become one of my favourite audiobooks.
Her performance in The Last Hellion is every bit as good as it is in the other books in this series – and may, in fact, be even better, which is really saying something. Her characterisations of all the principals and main secondary characters are excellent and very well defined; Ainswood and Dain are easy to tell apart as are Lydia and Jessica, and Bertie Trent sounds just as sweetly bluff and slightly bewildered as he ever did. Tamsin’s Cornish accent sounds authentic but isn’t so thick as to make it unintelligible, and the various servants and city dwellers are given accents appropriate to their ages and situations.
Both narrative and dialogue are perfectly paced and delivered. Ms Reading gets to the heart of the characters and the story in what is an incredibly nuanced and emotionally resonant performance. In a recent interview, she said that she is going to be recording a number of Ms Chase’s other books, and if they’re all as good as this one, we’ve got a lot to look forward to.
The Last Hellion is the last of the four books in Ms Chase’s Scoundrels series, which are linked via a number of recurring characters; and it can perhaps be seen as a sequel to the wonderful Lord of Scoundrels. We met Vere Mallory, Duke of Ainswood, in that story when, drunk as a lord (!), he mistook the newly-married Lady Dain for a light skirt and was immediately pummeled into the dirt by Lord Beelzebub himself, and forced to apologise.
Ainswood is the appropriately titled “Last Hellion” of the title, and comes from a long line of ne���er-do-wells. He never expected or particularly wanted to be a duke, but a series of tragic accidents and illnesses sees him attending a seemingly never ending succession of funerals, the last of them for his beloved nine-year-old nephew and ward, Robin.
Anyone familiar with Lord of Scoundrels will recall how skilfully Loretta Chase recounted Dain’s backstory in the book’s prologue, introducing us to an unloved child who believed himself unlovable. Here, the author yet again introduces her hero in an incredibly poignant manner, and all I will say about the prologue to The Last Hellion is this – have a box of tissues handy. You’ll need them.
In the months following his accession to the title, Vere has thrown himself into an unending round of debauchery, cut himself off from his remaining family and eschewed his responsibilities, both to his title and to his remaining wards, Robin’s two sisters. He presents himself to the world as a dissolute, cynical rake who cares for nothing and nobody, but behind that façade is a grieving, angry man who despises himself, his position and his life, a man who wants so badly never to be hurt again that he pushes away everyone he cares for and walls off his emotions.
Lydia Grenville is a crusading journalist who is currently working to expose the underhand practices of one of London’s most notorious madams. She is on the verge of catching the bawd abducting a young woman but is prevented at the last minute by Ainswood, who mistakenly believes that Lydia, the madam, and her quarry are merely ladies of the night engaged in a quarrel. Furious at the interference of the ill-dressed, ill-mannered but gorgeous lout she recognises as “one of the most depraved, reckless and thickheaded rakes listed in Debrett’s Peerage”, the encounter ends with Lydia knocking Ainswood on his arse and stalking off – but not before the sparks have well and truly begun to fly and both have recognised something of a kindred spirit in the other.
Like Vere, Lydia has suffered the pain caused by the deaths of loved ones, in her case, her mother, who died when she was ten, and her younger sister who died from consumption contracted during the year the girls spent locked up in debtor’s prison with their neglectful, drunken father.
The relationship between Ainswood and Lydia is jam-packed with wit, humor, and enough sexual chemistry to blow a hole into the middle of next week. Neither of them wants to desire the other at all, let alone with such intensity, and they fight their fascination with each other every step of the way. The way Ms Chase conveys their extremely reluctant mutual attraction is nothing short of masterful – the listener is never simply “told” anything; instead, we’re shown time and again through dialogue and action that these are two people who are meant to be together and who really need each other in order to become the person they’re meant to be.
There are several sub-plots running through the book. Following the encounter which Ainswood disrupted, Lydia rescues the girl the madam had been trying to abduct, who turns out to be a runaway from Cornwall, Tamsin Price – a sensible, well-bred young woman who becomes Lydia’s friend and confidante. Bertie Trent, still the lovable buffoon from Lord of Scoundrels gets to show another side of himself and comes into his own, Lydia discovers the truth about her past, and there’s a dramatic kidnap plot as well as the various scrapes Lydia gets into as the result of her journalistic investigations.
Both Ainswood and Lydia are extremely well-drawn, complex characters, who hide the truth of themselves from the world. Vere is, deep down, a decent, compassionate man who has been so severely affected by the losses he has suffered that he can’t bear to open himself up to more. Lydia is a woman trying to make her way in a man’s world – she’s frequently subjected to ridicule because of her height (she’s taller than most men), her quick temper, sharp wit, and willingness to stand up and be counted; yet beneath it all, she’s soft-hearted and a bit of a romantic at heart.
The Last Hellion is a terrific listen. The quick-fire dialogue between the principals is to die for, the romance is brilliantly written, and I loved the glimpses of the friendship between Ainswood and Dain that we got to see. I did find that the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, and that the ending meandered a bit; the truth of Lydia’s parentage is revealed alongside the aforementioned kidnap plot, and although both are relevant in that they help the protagonists in making peace with their pasts, I was so invested in Lydia and Vere’s relationship that I wanted to spend the time with them rather than focused on something else. But that really is my only complaint, because otherwise the book is every bit as good as its predecessor.
Kate Reading’s name attached to an audiobook is like having it stamped with a seal of quality. She’s someone I’ve enjoyed listening to for some time – her recordings of Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series are terrific, and I really enjoyed her performance in Madeline Hunter’s Dangerous in Diamonds, which was the first book I’d heard her narrate – but I remember bemoaning at the time that she hadn’t recorded a great number of historical romances. A little bird must have heard me, because since making that stupendous recording of Lord of Scoundrels last year, she’s gone on to narrate more books by Ms Chase as well as a number of other historicals, including His at Night by Sherry Thomas, which has quickly become one of my favourite audiobooks.
Her performance in The Last Hellion is every bit as good as it is in the other books in this series – and may, in fact, be even better, which is really saying something. Her characterisations of all the principals and main secondary characters are excellent and very well defined; Ainswood and Dain are easy to tell apart as are Lydia and Jessica, and Bertie Trent sounds just as sweetly bluff and slightly bewildered as he ever did. Tamsin’s Cornish accent sounds authentic but isn’t so thick as to make it unintelligible, and the various servants and city dwellers are given accents appropriate to their ages and situations.
Both narrative and dialogue are perfectly paced and delivered. Ms Reading gets to the heart of the characters and the story in what is an incredibly nuanced and emotionally resonant performance. In a recent interview, she said that she is going to be recording a number of Ms Chase’s other books, and if they’re all as good as this one, we’ve got a lot to look forward to.
July 2, 2024
Buddy read with Izzah 🙌🏼 A reread for her, a first time read for me.
Lydia, orphaned and then raised by her world-traveling nomadic aunt and uncle, was a no-nonsense journalist that had no love for men and no use for marriage. And Izzie, she has a very good girl mastiff named Susan!!
Vere, thru many many family deaths, lands himself the title of Duke. He also has no love for the opposite sex and is numb to the world around him, until a horrible female driver catches his attention one sunny afternoon.
The book that comes before this story is the well-loved Lord of Scoundrels. (Which I had read and loved in 2014). While I felt that the first half of this The Last Hellion could be easily read as a stand-alone, once I got to the second half, I started to wish that I had reread The Lord of Scoundrels beforehand to refresh my memory on all of the side characters. (Thankfully my Buddy Izzah was right there reminding me of past plot points, etc).
For the first half of the story, I was so in love with the witty and sassy banter between the hero and heroine! Loved it.
“I had better write this down," she said. "I do not want to lose one priceless syllable of wisdom." She made an elaborate ceremony of opening the battered notebook and licking the pencil point. Then she bowed her head and wrote. "Smile,"
she said. "Bat eyelashes. What was the other thing?"
"Things," he corrected, leaning closer to read what she'd written. "Plural. Your breasts. You stick them under his nose.”
The hero was, in his head, forever coming up with new names for the heroine, such as: Miss Devious Sneak Attack Grenville, Miss Atilla the Hun Grenville, and Miss Self-Appointed Guardian of Public Morals, to name a few. I loved watching the hero fall for the heroine. Loved his reaction to her saying the term “someone else”. Quick to become intrigued, obsessed with rescuing her and slow to admit the L-word. I loved how he held on to little things of the heroine as mementos and how he got her such thoughtful gifts.
I’m not sure why I never read this story 10 yrs ago following my reading of The Lord of Scoundrels, I can only guess I had seen reviews and assumed the heroine would be too much of a feminist man hater. But…. I’m so glad I gave this book a chance. The heroine was a strong feminist and sought to help poor runaway girls from being trafficked into prostitution. She wasn’t written as a hateful bitch, but as a sassy, independent, intelligent woman who was trying to make a positive difference around her.
And all the hero and heroine needed was to find each other and let nature take its course. “This was where she wanted to be: part of him, as though he had a piece missing and she was the only one that fit”
The second half of the story, starting right after our couple gets married, I felt the story switched from focusing on their cute antics and banter over to adventures and mysteries to solve. Which is fine. As a way to maybe round off and end the series. Immediately following the wedding, they are separated and must rely on writing letters to each other as they were in different parts of the country searching for missing family members, catching bad guys, unraveling family genealogy secrets, side story romances to complete, etc. (I think the second half would have been more meaningful if I had just recently read The Lord of Scoundrels.) So I missed seeing our couple as we did in the first half.
Regardless, it was a great story to read, especially if you enjoyed The Lord of Scoundrels. Thanks for the recommendation, Izzah!
Lydia, orphaned and then raised by her world-traveling nomadic aunt and uncle, was a no-nonsense journalist that had no love for men and no use for marriage. And Izzie, she has a very good girl mastiff named Susan!!
Vere, thru many many family deaths, lands himself the title of Duke. He also has no love for the opposite sex and is numb to the world around him, until a horrible female driver catches his attention one sunny afternoon.
The book that comes before this story is the well-loved Lord of Scoundrels. (Which I had read and loved in 2014). While I felt that the first half of this The Last Hellion could be easily read as a stand-alone, once I got to the second half, I started to wish that I had reread The Lord of Scoundrels beforehand to refresh my memory on all of the side characters. (Thankfully my Buddy Izzah was right there reminding me of past plot points, etc).
For the first half of the story, I was so in love with the witty and sassy banter between the hero and heroine! Loved it.
“I had better write this down," she said. "I do not want to lose one priceless syllable of wisdom." She made an elaborate ceremony of opening the battered notebook and licking the pencil point. Then she bowed her head and wrote. "Smile,"
she said. "Bat eyelashes. What was the other thing?"
"Things," he corrected, leaning closer to read what she'd written. "Plural. Your breasts. You stick them under his nose.”
The hero was, in his head, forever coming up with new names for the heroine, such as: Miss Devious Sneak Attack Grenville, Miss Atilla the Hun Grenville, and Miss Self-Appointed Guardian of Public Morals, to name a few. I loved watching the hero fall for the heroine. Loved his reaction to her saying the term “someone else”. Quick to become intrigued, obsessed with rescuing her and slow to admit the L-word. I loved how he held on to little things of the heroine as mementos and how he got her such thoughtful gifts.
I’m not sure why I never read this story 10 yrs ago following my reading of The Lord of Scoundrels, I can only guess I had seen reviews and assumed the heroine would be too much of a feminist man hater. But…. I’m so glad I gave this book a chance. The heroine was a strong feminist and sought to help poor runaway girls from being trafficked into prostitution. She wasn’t written as a hateful bitch, but as a sassy, independent, intelligent woman who was trying to make a positive difference around her.
And all the hero and heroine needed was to find each other and let nature take its course. “This was where she wanted to be: part of him, as though he had a piece missing and she was the only one that fit”
The second half of the story, starting right after our couple gets married, I felt the story switched from focusing on their cute antics and banter over to adventures and mysteries to solve. Which is fine. As a way to maybe round off and end the series. Immediately following the wedding, they are separated and must rely on writing letters to each other as they were in different parts of the country searching for missing family members, catching bad guys, unraveling family genealogy secrets, side story romances to complete, etc. (I think the second half would have been more meaningful if I had just recently read The Lord of Scoundrels.) So I missed seeing our couple as we did in the first half.
Regardless, it was a great story to read, especially if you enjoyed The Lord of Scoundrels. Thanks for the recommendation, Izzah!
April 1, 2017
¿Sabes esas veces, cuando estás leyendo un libro, estás pensando todo el rato “cuando lo acabe, lo leo de nuevo”? Pues es lo que me ha pasado con este libro. O cuando piensas “¡¿Por qué no lo he leído antes?!”. Además de unas ganas enormes de leer el libro anterior ahora mismo (y leer después éste).
Huelga decir, que está espléndidamente escrito, con unos personajes diferentes, complicados pero tan bien construidos, que te lo crees a pies puntillas. En cuanto los personajes, son geniales, tremendos, con una fuente inagotable de ocurrencias, frases demoledoras que disfrutas como una enana. Solo como ejemplo, Vere, se refiere a ella, con unas comparaciones, unos epítetos, que no paras de reír desde el momento que lo lees.
Vere, es como ver el hermano gemelo de lord Belcebú. No en el aspecto físico (son totalmente diferentes) sino en su actitud, comportamiento y pensamientos (y en cómo te calientan los dos, ffjdlñfjañjslkf). No se corta ni un pelo, dice lo que piensa sin un ápice de sutileza, más bien derrocha sarcasmo. Tiene un pensamiento bastante pésimo por las mujeres. Y tiene mucho más que contar de él, pero mejor leerlo (yo lo haré de nuevo en este año fijo). Lo que sí tiene es unos sentimientos que le marcan mucho en su comportamiento, que definen lo que hace y el porqué lo hace. Y por supuesto, te mantiene con las enaguas calientes, a punto de ebullición, durante todo el santo libro.
Lydia, es una mujer que se ha hecho así misma, se ha criado en los bajos fondos de Londres (no hay que olvidar que estamos en el siglo XIX, y como eran esos bajos fondos), que conoce muy bien las miserias humanas y lucha para mejorar, aunque sea solo un poco, las vidas de algunas persona. Es una mujer muy bella, alta,rubia, como una Valquiria la define Vere, pero por su altura poco convencional, ella se ve poco atractiva (claro, que si se lo preguntas a Vere, te contestaría que está a punto de sufrir priapismo). Pero lo que mejor define a Lydia, es un valor inmenso, una generosidad apabullante y un corazón más grande que una catedral. Ante esta mujer, Vere no tiene nada que hacer, ya que se queda prendado desde el minuto uno en que se encuentra con ella.
He disfrutado conociendo los bajos fondos de Londres, porque nos da una imagen muy real de esa época. En este libro no vais encontrar ni una escena de baile, o un día de compras, ni momento de tomar el té, ni paseo por Hyde Park. Aquí veréis, donde acaban las mujeres jóvenes y cómo acaban, como se puede morir por inanición. Es duro, pero real y merece la pena leerlo.
Y he disfrutado muchísimo con las apariciones de Lord Belcebú (grrrrrrr), como adoro a este hombre. (pensamiento profundo: estaría más que encantada de compartir algo de “tiempo” con Lord Belcebú y Vere a la vez, fdasfdjfdfañec,mncalweoi). Pero también he adorado, disfrutado y amado leer una historia de amor para mi hermano putativo Bertie. Que me ha parecido preciosa.
Lo he dicho, lo leeré este y el anterior este año otra vez. Los dos seguidos, para así padecer un proceso de caliento global y sufrir una fallo multiorgásmico. Dfjlfjalñfjdfñdjfñjafljkjaldjlsk.
P.D. Mi guerra por las traducciones de los títulos al español, la cagan pero bien.
Huelga decir, que está espléndidamente escrito, con unos personajes diferentes, complicados pero tan bien construidos, que te lo crees a pies puntillas. En cuanto los personajes, son geniales, tremendos, con una fuente inagotable de ocurrencias, frases demoledoras que disfrutas como una enana. Solo como ejemplo, Vere, se refiere a ella, con unas comparaciones, unos epítetos, que no paras de reír desde el momento que lo lees.
Vere, es como ver el hermano gemelo de lord Belcebú. No en el aspecto físico (son totalmente diferentes) sino en su actitud, comportamiento y pensamientos (y en cómo te calientan los dos, ffjdlñfjañjslkf). No se corta ni un pelo, dice lo que piensa sin un ápice de sutileza, más bien derrocha sarcasmo. Tiene un pensamiento bastante pésimo por las mujeres. Y tiene mucho más que contar de él, pero mejor leerlo (yo lo haré de nuevo en este año fijo). Lo que sí tiene es unos sentimientos que le marcan mucho en su comportamiento, que definen lo que hace y el porqué lo hace. Y por supuesto, te mantiene con las enaguas calientes, a punto de ebullición, durante todo el santo libro.
Lydia, es una mujer que se ha hecho así misma, se ha criado en los bajos fondos de Londres (no hay que olvidar que estamos en el siglo XIX, y como eran esos bajos fondos), que conoce muy bien las miserias humanas y lucha para mejorar, aunque sea solo un poco, las vidas de algunas persona. Es una mujer muy bella, alta,rubia, como una Valquiria la define Vere, pero por su altura poco convencional, ella se ve poco atractiva (claro, que si se lo preguntas a Vere, te contestaría que está a punto de sufrir priapismo). Pero lo que mejor define a Lydia, es un valor inmenso, una generosidad apabullante y un corazón más grande que una catedral. Ante esta mujer, Vere no tiene nada que hacer, ya que se queda prendado desde el minuto uno en que se encuentra con ella.
He disfrutado conociendo los bajos fondos de Londres, porque nos da una imagen muy real de esa época. En este libro no vais encontrar ni una escena de baile, o un día de compras, ni momento de tomar el té, ni paseo por Hyde Park. Aquí veréis, donde acaban las mujeres jóvenes y cómo acaban, como se puede morir por inanición. Es duro, pero real y merece la pena leerlo.
Y he disfrutado muchísimo con las apariciones de Lord Belcebú (grrrrrrr), como adoro a este hombre. (pensamiento profundo: estaría más que encantada de compartir algo de “tiempo” con Lord Belcebú y Vere a la vez, fdasfdjfdfañec,mncalweoi). Pero también he adorado, disfrutado y amado leer una historia de amor para mi hermano putativo Bertie. Que me ha parecido preciosa.
Lo he dicho, lo leeré este y el anterior este año otra vez. Los dos seguidos, para así padecer un proceso de caliento global y sufrir una fallo multiorgásmico. Dfjlfjalñfjdfñdjfñjafljkjaldjlsk.
P.D. Mi guerra por las traducciones de los títulos al español, la cagan pero bien.
June 5, 2021
May 9, 2015
Kate Reading's audio rendition of The Last Hellion is every bit as good as Lord of Scoundrels. Full, gushing review to come.
June 16, 2015
And here it is . . .
Like thousands of others, I count Lord of Scoundrels as my favorite historical romance, but The Last Hellion is justthisclose to topping my list. I have read them both many times and each time these Loretta Chase titles leave me sighing a romantic sigh with a happy smile on my face.
You can imagine the excitement last year when the audiobook version of Lord of Scoundrels finally came out, with an almost perfect narration by Kate Reading. And now, she has followed up with another excellent rendition of The Last Hellion.
Let me count the ways that I love this book:
1. The hero. Vere Mallory became the seventh Duke of Ainsworth after the deaths of virtually everyone in his family, the last two being his beloved cousin Charlie and then Charlie's young son, Robin. There was nobody but Vere left to serve as duke, but he had no interest in being a duke. As in Lord of Scoundrels, Ms. Chase writes a heart-tugging prologue explaining the many tragedies that led Vere to become a hell-raising sot who ignores his young wards, Robin's two young sisters. When urged to do his duty, Vere erupts:
Vere's heart has been so badly wounded that he simply cares for nothing and nobody, not even himself. He is careless in his dress and manner, and he frequents the lowest taverns and gambling hells in London, which is where he first encounters . . .
2. The heroine. Lydia Grenville is lovely – fair-haired and blue-eyed – but she stands nearly six feet tall and prefers to dress in dull black bombazine. She was brought up unconventionally by her late aunt and uncle:
She was tutored, however, by the Grenvilles' educated manservant and discovered a talent and passion for writing. Now she is a reporter for The Argus and known popularly as "Lady Grendel” (Grendel being the giant monster in Beowulf). Lydia – actually everyone in the book calls her Grenville, so I will as well – is a crusading reporter, and her latest mission is to expose the crimes of one Coralie Brees, a procuress who forces unsuspecting country girls into prostitution. As the story opens, Grenville, accompanied as always by her black mastiff Susan, is chasing the madam through the filthy alleyways of Drury Lane in an effort to rescue a girl whom Coralie has just abducted. Grenville grabs the girl and commands Susan to guard her while she and Coralie square off, which leads to . . .
3. The first meeting. Into the melee strides the Duke of Ainswood, who is well known to all the lowlifes gathering to watch the fight. Ainswood assumes that Grenville and Coralie are rival madams and steps in to mediate:
Grenville assumes that Ainswood is just another bum until somebody calls him by name. As she prepares to leave the scene with the rescued girl, Ainswood grabs Grenville and gives her a passionate kiss, whereupon she faints. He thinks. Just before her fist meets his jaw and leaves him flat on his back in the mud, which is the beginning of . . .
4. A well-matched battle of the sexes. Ainswood and Grenville do not like nor respect one another and neither will admit their growing physical attraction. Although Grenville was rather worldly, Ainswood's kiss was her first and she can't forget the feelings it aroused. Ainswood is totally bumfuzzled as well, to the point that he invites Bertie Trent (Jessica's idiotish brother from Lord of Scoundrels) to party with him and move into his townhouse. He finds himself drawn to taverns where London's newspaper reporters tend to gather; he knows subconsciously that they have . . .
5. Sizzling chemistry. As Ainswood engineers ways to accidentally run into Grenville and insinuate himself into her life, he steals kisses whenever he can, and Grenville lets him. As things grow more passionate, Ainswood finds himself doing the unthinkable. He proposes marriage, which prompts an example of . . .
6. Hilarious banter between Ainswood and Grenville. Loretta Chase is known for working plenty of humor into her romances, and The Last Hellion is a great example of that talent.
Grenville turns down Ainswood's proposal, which is the beginning of his unorthodox courtship. I won't spoil the rest for you. Honestly, besides these six things, what I like about The Last Hellion is . . .
7. Everything else. There are so many other things that I love about this book beyond the primary story.
• Grenville's mastiff develops a crush on Bertie Trent, who acts as a true friend to Ainswood, gets some respect, and finds his own HEA.
• Ainswood shows that his heart isn't completely hardened by doing charitable works behind Grenville's back.
• Grenville pseudonymously writes a wildly popular serial romance followed by seemingly everyone in London, and Chase quite skillfully works the twists and turns of that story into her plot.
• Lord and Lady Dain appear several times, and the reconciliation between Dain and Ainswood – two uber-macho men – is touching.
• Ms. Chase was not afraid to make Ainswood a thoroughly degenerate slob nor to let Grenville be obnoxiously stubborn and opinionated.
• The surprising revelations about Grenville's family, which I did not see coming, even though Bertie Trent did.
And finally – Kate Reading more than does justice to Chase's story. That is to be expected, as she is one of the best narrators in the business. She finds just the right voice for each character, handling male and female voices equally well and using regional accents when needed. She is especially well-suited to Chase's style, handling the rapid-fire dialogue faultlessly. Loretta Chase and Kate Reading get A++++ from me.
Kate Reading's audio rendition of The Last Hellion is every bit as good as Lord of Scoundrels. Full, gushing review to come.
June 16, 2015
And here it is . . .
Like thousands of others, I count Lord of Scoundrels as my favorite historical romance, but The Last Hellion is justthisclose to topping my list. I have read them both many times and each time these Loretta Chase titles leave me sighing a romantic sigh with a happy smile on my face.
You can imagine the excitement last year when the audiobook version of Lord of Scoundrels finally came out, with an almost perfect narration by Kate Reading. And now, she has followed up with another excellent rendition of The Last Hellion.
Let me count the ways that I love this book:
1. The hero. Vere Mallory became the seventh Duke of Ainsworth after the deaths of virtually everyone in his family, the last two being his beloved cousin Charlie and then Charlie's young son, Robin. There was nobody but Vere left to serve as duke, but he had no interest in being a duke. As in Lord of Scoundrels, Ms. Chase writes a heart-tugging prologue explaining the many tragedies that led Vere to become a hell-raising sot who ignores his young wards, Robin's two young sisters. When urged to do his duty, Vere erupts:
Why the devil should I consider the title? It never considered me.” He snatched up his hat and gloves. “It should have stayed where it was and let me alone, but no, it wouldn’t, would it? It had to keep creeping on toward me, one confounded funeral after another. Well, I say let it go on creeping after they plant me with the others. Then it can hang itself on some other poor sod’s neck, like the bleeding damned albatross it is.
Vere's heart has been so badly wounded that he simply cares for nothing and nobody, not even himself. He is careless in his dress and manner, and he frequents the lowest taverns and gambling hells in London, which is where he first encounters . . .
2. The heroine. Lydia Grenville is lovely – fair-haired and blue-eyed – but she stands nearly six feet tall and prefers to dress in dull black bombazine. She was brought up unconventionally by her late aunt and uncle:
While not morally corrupt—as her father had been—they had been shallow, unintelligent, disorganized, and afflicted with a virulent case of wanderlust. They were forever wanting to shake the dust of someplace from their feet long before dust could possibly have time to settle. The ground Lydia had covered with them reached from Lisbon in the West to Damascus in the East, and included the countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean.
She was tutored, however, by the Grenvilles' educated manservant and discovered a talent and passion for writing. Now she is a reporter for The Argus and known popularly as "Lady Grendel” (Grendel being the giant monster in Beowulf). Lydia – actually everyone in the book calls her Grenville, so I will as well – is a crusading reporter, and her latest mission is to expose the crimes of one Coralie Brees, a procuress who forces unsuspecting country girls into prostitution. As the story opens, Grenville, accompanied as always by her black mastiff Susan, is chasing the madam through the filthy alleyways of Drury Lane in an effort to rescue a girl whom Coralie has just abducted. Grenville grabs the girl and commands Susan to guard her while she and Coralie square off, which leads to . . .
3. The first meeting. Into the melee strides the Duke of Ainswood, who is well known to all the lowlifes gathering to watch the fight. Ainswood assumes that Grenville and Coralie are rival madams and steps in to mediate:
“Ah, now, ladies, ladies.” The tall ruffian shoved another clodpole out of the way and pushed forward. “All this daring and daunting will burst your stays, my fair delicates. And all for what? The smallest problem: one chick, and two hens wanting her. Lots of chicks about, aren’t there? Not worth disturbing the King’s peace and annoying the constables, is it? Certainly not.”
He drew out his purse. “Here’s what we’ll do. A screen [pound] apiece for you, my dears—and I’ll take the little one off your hands.”
Grenville assumes that Ainswood is just another bum until somebody calls him by name. As she prepares to leave the scene with the rescued girl, Ainswood grabs Grenville and gives her a passionate kiss, whereupon she faints. He thinks. Just before her fist meets his jaw and leaves him flat on his back in the mud, which is the beginning of . . .
4. A well-matched battle of the sexes. Ainswood and Grenville do not like nor respect one another and neither will admit their growing physical attraction. Although Grenville was rather worldly, Ainswood's kiss was her first and she can't forget the feelings it aroused. Ainswood is totally bumfuzzled as well, to the point that he invites Bertie Trent (Jessica's idiotish brother from Lord of Scoundrels) to party with him and move into his townhouse. He finds himself drawn to taverns where London's newspaper reporters tend to gather; he knows subconsciously that they have . . .
5. Sizzling chemistry. As Ainswood engineers ways to accidentally run into Grenville and insinuate himself into her life, he steals kisses whenever he can, and Grenville lets him. As things grow more passionate, Ainswood finds himself doing the unthinkable. He proposes marriage, which prompts an example of . . .
6. Hilarious banter between Ainswood and Grenville. Loretta Chase is known for working plenty of humor into her romances, and The Last Hellion is a great example of that talent.
“I should like to know why I am the only woman who has to marry you,” she said, “merely to get what you pay to give other women. Thousands of other women.”
“Leave it to you,” he said, “to make it sound as though you’ve been singled out for punishment—cruel and inhuman, no doubt.”
Grenville turns down Ainswood's proposal, which is the beginning of his unorthodox courtship. I won't spoil the rest for you. Honestly, besides these six things, what I like about The Last Hellion is . . .
7. Everything else. There are so many other things that I love about this book beyond the primary story.
• Grenville's mastiff develops a crush on Bertie Trent, who acts as a true friend to Ainswood, gets some respect, and finds his own HEA.
• Ainswood shows that his heart isn't completely hardened by doing charitable works behind Grenville's back.
• Grenville pseudonymously writes a wildly popular serial romance followed by seemingly everyone in London, and Chase quite skillfully works the twists and turns of that story into her plot.
• Lord and Lady Dain appear several times, and the reconciliation between Dain and Ainswood – two uber-macho men – is touching.
• Ms. Chase was not afraid to make Ainswood a thoroughly degenerate slob nor to let Grenville be obnoxiously stubborn and opinionated.
• The surprising revelations about Grenville's family, which I did not see coming, even though Bertie Trent did.
And finally – Kate Reading more than does justice to Chase's story. That is to be expected, as she is one of the best narrators in the business. She finds just the right voice for each character, handling male and female voices equally well and using regional accents when needed. She is especially well-suited to Chase's style, handling the rapid-fire dialogue faultlessly. Loretta Chase and Kate Reading get A++++ from me.
October 23, 2016
Me fascinó Vere, me encantó ella y su forma de ser.
Lo siento, pero tengo debilidad por los Duques HAHAHA y su historia ha sido muy bonita. Un libro divertido y muy al estilo de la autora. Totalmente recomendable
Lo siento, pero tengo debilidad por los Duques HAHAHA y su historia ha sido muy bonita. Un libro divertido y muy al estilo de la autora. Totalmente recomendable
September 30, 2022
Both Vere and Grenville are energetic, larger-than-life characters. Their attraction is immediate when they meet, but it takes a while for them to let down their guard with each other, and the sparks fly each time they are together. There is arguing, kissing, brawling, laughing, the whole gamut.
I enjoyed these two characters and their wild relationship. The writer does a great job of bringing them to life, and they are very believable. Their 'I hate you/I love you' kind of relationship was a lot of fun to watch. And I like the way they both accepted in the end that they were in love, and they'd just have to go with it. No artificial communication mishaps such as some authors clumsily introduce to drag out the angst. Ms Chase is a skilled writer. There are funny one-liners and some lovely banter between the MCs. The sadness in Vere's past is also handled sensitively by the writer.
The leads from Lord of Scoundrels appear as secondary characters in this book - Dain is a close friend of Vere apparently. This book is kind of a sequel to LoS, I guess, but can easily stand alone.
This book was intense and fast-paced, with an interesting back story for both characters. Lydia's background isn't really unravelled till the end, and I found her story quite touching. I also liked the way the sensitive side of Vere was revealed in bits and pieces.
Overall, a really good HR from a quality writer.
I enjoyed these two characters and their wild relationship. The writer does a great job of bringing them to life, and they are very believable. Their 'I hate you/I love you' kind of relationship was a lot of fun to watch. And I like the way they both accepted in the end that they were in love, and they'd just have to go with it. No artificial communication mishaps such as some authors clumsily introduce to drag out the angst. Ms Chase is a skilled writer. There are funny one-liners and some lovely banter between the MCs. The sadness in Vere's past is also handled sensitively by the writer.
The leads from Lord of Scoundrels appear as secondary characters in this book - Dain is a close friend of Vere apparently. This book is kind of a sequel to LoS, I guess, but can easily stand alone.
This book was intense and fast-paced, with an interesting back story for both characters. Lydia's background isn't really unravelled till the end, and I found her story quite touching. I also liked the way the sensitive side of Vere was revealed in bits and pieces.
Overall, a really good HR from a quality writer.
May 24, 2020
“My freedom, then,” she said, her voice low and hard, her chin high. “If I can’t beat you, I’ll marry you.”
"The Last Hellion" is the story of Lydia and Vere.
Meet Vere Mallory, the reckless Duke of Ainswood. He is handsome, rich, titled and the last of the Mallory hellions, determined to throw it all away and engage in self destruction. His life changes when he engages in a ferocious conflict of wills with a beautiful blonde goddess, who knocks him down and steals his heart away.
Our heroine is Lydia Grenville- a strong, independent and determined young woman hell bent on protecting London's downtrodden. She pens for a popular newspaper called Argus, and ghost writes occasionally as the notorious St. Bellair hiding her true identity. It is on one of her rescue missions that she comes across Vere, and finds herself experiencing the first spark of attraction.. ever. But however gorgeous the man he is, he is still a wastrel and she wants nothing to do with him. That is until he reciprocates the interest, and starts anticipating her every move..
“Su-san,” he crooned. “Su-u-san.”
Susan circled her mistress, then paused, her gaze settling on him. “Gr-rr-rr,” she said.
Lydia knew that growl. It wasn’t in the least threatening. It was Susan’s sulky growl.
Don’t you dare, Lydia commanded silently. Don’t you succumb to him, too.
“Come, Susan.” He patted his knee. “Don’t you want to come and bite my face off? Your mama wishes you would. Su-u-u-san.”
“Grrr-rr-rrr,” said Susan.
There is a lot to love about this book. The impeccable writing, the intriguing plot, the sizzling chemistry between the leads, the well developed secondary characters, the mystery, the passion, the romance, the adorable dog and the wonderful ending. We meet old friends that interlink the books in this series with one another- see the evolution of love not just with the hero and heroine, but also Tamsin and Bertie, see a descriptive HEA of leads from the previous books, and finally solve the mystery of the ultimate fate of Francis Beaumont. There is also the background tidbits about the hero's abandoned wards, Emily and Elizabeth- that were just nice.
One of the highlights of this book is the insanely witty and funny banter between Vere and Lydia- his pursuit and her rebuttal. She is a wild dragoness (what the hero calls her), he's the untamable man. They ignite fire every time they meet and are just perfect for one another. I really enjoyed their journey of falling in love, and that just made the moments of challenge, angst and drama much, much more sweeter. I can name twenty scenes which made me laugh or go aww- and this is definitely going to be one of the books I'll enjoy revisiting. I A-D-O-R-E-D the burly Mastiff Susan and her various temperaments. Finally, the book has a detailed epilogue lasting multiple chapters that made my heart swoon!
He narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. “I love you,” he said grimly.
She pressed her hand to her breast and closed her eyes. “I am overcome with—with something. I do believe I shall swoon.”
He returned to the side of the bed, grabbed her hands, and trapped them firmly in his. “I love you, Grenville,” he said, more gently. “I started falling in love with you when you knocked me on my arse in Vinegar Yard. But I didn’t know, or want to know, until our wedding night. And then I couldn’t bear to tell you, because you weren’t in love with me. That was stupid. You might have been killed tonight, and I wouldn’t have had even the one small comfort: that I’d told you how dear you are to me.”
“You’ve told me,” she said, “in hundreds of ways. I didn’t need the three magic words, though I’m glad to hear them.”
What a fantastic read!
Safe
5/5
"The Last Hellion" is the story of Lydia and Vere.
Meet Vere Mallory, the reckless Duke of Ainswood. He is handsome, rich, titled and the last of the Mallory hellions, determined to throw it all away and engage in self destruction. His life changes when he engages in a ferocious conflict of wills with a beautiful blonde goddess, who knocks him down and steals his heart away.
Our heroine is Lydia Grenville- a strong, independent and determined young woman hell bent on protecting London's downtrodden. She pens for a popular newspaper called Argus, and ghost writes occasionally as the notorious St. Bellair hiding her true identity. It is on one of her rescue missions that she comes across Vere, and finds herself experiencing the first spark of attraction.. ever. But however gorgeous the man he is, he is still a wastrel and she wants nothing to do with him. That is until he reciprocates the interest, and starts anticipating her every move..
“Su-san,” he crooned. “Su-u-san.”
Susan circled her mistress, then paused, her gaze settling on him. “Gr-rr-rr,” she said.
Lydia knew that growl. It wasn’t in the least threatening. It was Susan’s sulky growl.
Don’t you dare, Lydia commanded silently. Don’t you succumb to him, too.
“Come, Susan.” He patted his knee. “Don’t you want to come and bite my face off? Your mama wishes you would. Su-u-u-san.”
“Grrr-rr-rrr,” said Susan.
There is a lot to love about this book. The impeccable writing, the intriguing plot, the sizzling chemistry between the leads, the well developed secondary characters, the mystery, the passion, the romance, the adorable dog and the wonderful ending. We meet old friends that interlink the books in this series with one another- see the evolution of love not just with the hero and heroine, but also Tamsin and Bertie, see a descriptive HEA of leads from the previous books, and finally solve the mystery of the ultimate fate of Francis Beaumont. There is also the background tidbits about the hero's abandoned wards, Emily and Elizabeth- that were just nice.
One of the highlights of this book is the insanely witty and funny banter between Vere and Lydia- his pursuit and her rebuttal. She is a wild dragoness (what the hero calls her), he's the untamable man. They ignite fire every time they meet and are just perfect for one another. I really enjoyed their journey of falling in love, and that just made the moments of challenge, angst and drama much, much more sweeter. I can name twenty scenes which made me laugh or go aww- and this is definitely going to be one of the books I'll enjoy revisiting. I A-D-O-R-E-D the burly Mastiff Susan and her various temperaments. Finally, the book has a detailed epilogue lasting multiple chapters that made my heart swoon!
He narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. “I love you,” he said grimly.
She pressed her hand to her breast and closed her eyes. “I am overcome with—with something. I do believe I shall swoon.”
He returned to the side of the bed, grabbed her hands, and trapped them firmly in his. “I love you, Grenville,” he said, more gently. “I started falling in love with you when you knocked me on my arse in Vinegar Yard. But I didn’t know, or want to know, until our wedding night. And then I couldn’t bear to tell you, because you weren’t in love with me. That was stupid. You might have been killed tonight, and I wouldn’t have had even the one small comfort: that I’d told you how dear you are to me.”
“You’ve told me,” she said, “in hundreds of ways. I didn’t need the three magic words, though I’m glad to hear them.”
What a fantastic read!
Safe
5/5
September 9, 2022
Vere was a wonderful hero and I really enjoyed this audio book. There was A LOT happening in the story, maybe Loretta Chase was just making sure there was not loose ends in this last book for the Scoundrels series but its a bit long and drawn out.
November 8, 2022
I love the pairing between Vere, the ducal rake and Lydia, the bluestocking, spinster female journalist. Excellent banters (which Ms. Chase excelled at, as seen in this book). The mystery regarding the prostitution ring is very well done, too. This book was an absolute treat to read. This book is another DIK from me.
May 2, 2023
None of the various covers of this book portray how much fun and how bantery this book is. Top quality historical romance, holds up today even though it was written in 1998.
[4.5 stars, rounded up]
I DECLARE REVIEW AMNESTY.
[4.5 stars, rounded up]
I DECLARE REVIEW AMNESTY.
November 17, 2015
What can I say? I just loved this. I loved the heroine, I loved the hero, I loved the dog. I really don't have anything bad to say.
Loretta Chase has a talent beyond romance. She took a very unpleasant fact of life in the 18th century - one that is rarely addressed in romance novels - and created the base for a great pairing. At its core this book deals with the fact that dealing with death was very much a part of everyone's daily lives during this time in history. In particular the death of children.
Of course children die today, but in wealthy countries it's almost as infrequent as to be blessedly rare. There are the tragic accidents and some cancers/birth defects we haven't cured yet, but overall most children do make it to adulthood. We have antibiotics and vaccinations now. For many of us, death is something that mostly stays in it's place and visits the old. Honestly, it's hard to imagine how people made it through the things that were facts of life in those days.
Both the hero and heroine had their own little ghosts as well as the loss of various older (but not old enough to die) loved ones to shoulder. The heroine lost her young sister to tuberculosis and the hero his young ward to diphtheria. Both of them dealt with their losses in vastly different ways, but the courses of both of their lives were deeply affected.
Was this book depressing? NO! It wasn't. That's what's great about this author. She sees both the tragedy and the comedy in life and, despite what has happened to the characters, manages to make you laugh as well as cry and the tone is overall very positive and fun.
I really don't know what to say. I have nothing snarky to add. The narrator was fabulous. Revisiting Dain and Jessica was fabulous. Jessica's goofy brother from the previous book even turns out to be a pleasant surprise with more depth than expected.
I highly recommend this and plan on going back to the first 2 novels in the series. Obviously, these don't need to be read in order to be enjoyed or followed.
Loretta Chase has a talent beyond romance. She took a very unpleasant fact of life in the 18th century - one that is rarely addressed in romance novels - and created the base for a great pairing. At its core this book deals with the fact that dealing with death was very much a part of everyone's daily lives during this time in history. In particular the death of children.
Of course children die today, but in wealthy countries it's almost as infrequent as to be blessedly rare. There are the tragic accidents and some cancers/birth defects we haven't cured yet, but overall most children do make it to adulthood. We have antibiotics and vaccinations now. For many of us, death is something that mostly stays in it's place and visits the old. Honestly, it's hard to imagine how people made it through the things that were facts of life in those days.
Both the hero and heroine had their own little ghosts as well as the loss of various older (but not old enough to die) loved ones to shoulder. The heroine lost her young sister to tuberculosis and the hero his young ward to diphtheria. Both of them dealt with their losses in vastly different ways, but the courses of both of their lives were deeply affected.
Was this book depressing? NO! It wasn't. That's what's great about this author. She sees both the tragedy and the comedy in life and, despite what has happened to the characters, manages to make you laugh as well as cry and the tone is overall very positive and fun.
I really don't know what to say. I have nothing snarky to add. The narrator was fabulous. Revisiting Dain and Jessica was fabulous. Jessica's goofy brother from the previous book even turns out to be a pleasant surprise with more depth than expected.
I highly recommend this and plan on going back to the first 2 novels in the series. Obviously, these don't need to be read in order to be enjoyed or followed.
February 22, 2018
A lovely 4.5 stars.
Fabulous narration by Kate Reading and a terrific story, as only Loretta Chase can write when she is on fire.
This book finally deals with Vere, now the Duke of Ainswood, the best mate of that awful man Dane in Lord of Scoundrels (who I never liked. I felt the same about this man Vere- don't get me started)
Somehow, Chase manages to turn Vere into a truly wonderful person. But the heroine, Lydia, truly shines in this story. She is magnificent : independent, intelligent and fearless. She will not allow Vere to bully or belittle her and it is a joy to see what she puts him through to help him grow. At the same time, he, a man who apparently completely disrespects women- and Chase rather alarmingly repeats this fact, so that I was struggling to find anything likeable about him at all- falls hard for this Amazon and is forced to question all his assumptions. He is also pushed to examine his own actions after some deaths in his family, and accept that they were cowardly, egotistical and self-indulgent.
I am not really sure why he treated women so contemptuously. The sad things that befell his friends and family were not caused by women, nor did they have anything in particular to do with them. I get the wallowing in drink and gambling etc to forget. I get that sex can be used to forget for a while. But if he was going to treat women like "whores", he was the biggest of them all. Mr One-Night-Stand, in fact. So half a star off because I don't feel Chase really explained the cause of this misogyny. And his sudden turn-around was a little hard to take. but this is Romancelandia....
Lydia does not pull any punches. She demands he examine his heart and he becomes a truly wonderful man in the end, while at the same time giving Lydia the love and respect she had been denied by the unfortunate set of circumstances she encountered in her life.
This is what HR is all about, folks!
Fabulous narration by Kate Reading and a terrific story, as only Loretta Chase can write when she is on fire.
This book finally deals with Vere, now the Duke of Ainswood, the best mate of that awful man Dane in Lord of Scoundrels (who I never liked. I felt the same about this man Vere- don't get me started)
Somehow, Chase manages to turn Vere into a truly wonderful person. But the heroine, Lydia, truly shines in this story. She is magnificent : independent, intelligent and fearless. She will not allow Vere to bully or belittle her and it is a joy to see what she puts him through to help him grow. At the same time, he, a man who apparently completely disrespects women- and Chase rather alarmingly repeats this fact, so that I was struggling to find anything likeable about him at all- falls hard for this Amazon and is forced to question all his assumptions. He is also pushed to examine his own actions after some deaths in his family, and accept that they were cowardly, egotistical and self-indulgent.
I am not really sure why he treated women so contemptuously. The sad things that befell his friends and family were not caused by women, nor did they have anything in particular to do with them. I get the wallowing in drink and gambling etc to forget. I get that sex can be used to forget for a while. But if he was going to treat women like "whores", he was the biggest of them all. Mr One-Night-Stand, in fact. So half a star off because I don't feel Chase really explained the cause of this misogyny. And his sudden turn-around was a little hard to take. but this is Romancelandia....
Lydia does not pull any punches. She demands he examine his heart and he becomes a truly wonderful man in the end, while at the same time giving Lydia the love and respect she had been denied by the unfortunate set of circumstances she encountered in her life.
This is what HR is all about, folks!
April 29, 2020
9 May 2015. Please click here for my full review of the audiobook.
6 Nov 2014. Just finished reading this book for the third time, and I love it even more. Loretta Chase is just amazing!
6 Nov 2012. Upon rereading -- I've moved this from 4 to 5 stars. It isn't quite as good as Lord of Scoundrels, but it's right up there. The hero's tragedy and redemption are moving, and the heroine is a delightful atypical Regency miss.
6 Nov 2014. Just finished reading this book for the third time, and I love it even more. Loretta Chase is just amazing!
6 Nov 2012. Upon rereading -- I've moved this from 4 to 5 stars. It isn't quite as good as Lord of Scoundrels, but it's right up there. The hero's tragedy and redemption are moving, and the heroine is a delightful atypical Regency miss.
May 12, 2019
Sabía que lo había leído, aunque ya ni me acuerdo y ahora mirando archivos, lo hice en el 2008!!! Pues no ha llovido ni nada, para acordarme yo con la mala memoria que tengo jajajaja
Menos mal que anobii me chiva, pero claro, cuando tenía esa estantería activa no se permitían comentarios. Una pena
Me tengo que animar un día de estos a releerlo, pero no creo que sea ahora, tengo demasiados antes
Menos mal que anobii me chiva, pero claro, cuando tenía esa estantería activa no se permitían comentarios. Una pena
Me tengo que animar un día de estos a releerlo, pero no creo que sea ahora, tengo demasiados antes
July 2, 2024
This book is perfect.
The original title stands.
After a re-read and BR with my friend Paige, I learned a few things:
If he's not calling you "Her Brimstone Majesty", he's not in love, ladies. And if he buys you the most perfect writing supplies, he wants you to love him.
This time around I enjoyed Tamsin and Bertie much more and appreciated their contribution to the story. One being a "Ballister devil" and the other a "Mallory hellion", their interactions and reactions were all passionate and explosive. Tamsin and Bertie played the part of cooler heads and kept the book well-balanced.
I still adore Lydia and Vere, regardless. It's her doing everything grandly and without hesitation that forced Vere out of the pits of numbness he'd been hiding in.
It all doesn't happen at once, but more by degrees, like a sunflower slowly looking for the sun. And if there's anyone who would appreciate being called a 'sunflower', it's Your Disheveled Disgracefulness 🤭😂
Thank you, Paige for enjoying this with me 💖
Original review:
Vere is surrounded by gloom, suffocated by grief and blinded by guilt. He's waiting to die.
In comes Lydia or more commonly known as Grenville. She is a blazing fire of daring, passion and cynicism. Everything she does, she does it with reckless joie de vivre and stubbornness.
Vere never stood a chance.
The original title stands.
After a re-read and BR with my friend Paige, I learned a few things:
If he's not calling you "Her Brimstone Majesty", he's not in love, ladies. And if he buys you the most perfect writing supplies, he wants you to love him.
This time around I enjoyed Tamsin and Bertie much more and appreciated their contribution to the story. One being a "Ballister devil" and the other a "Mallory hellion", their interactions and reactions were all passionate and explosive. Tamsin and Bertie played the part of cooler heads and kept the book well-balanced.
I still adore Lydia and Vere, regardless. It's her doing everything grandly and without hesitation that forced Vere out of the pits of numbness he'd been hiding in.
It all doesn't happen at once, but more by degrees, like a sunflower slowly looking for the sun. And if there's anyone who would appreciate being called a 'sunflower', it's Your Disheveled Disgracefulness 🤭😂
Thank you, Paige for enjoying this with me 💖
Original review:
Vere is surrounded by gloom, suffocated by grief and blinded by guilt. He's waiting to die.
"Why the devil should I consider the title? It never considered me." He snatched up his hat and gloves. "It should have stayed where it was and let me alone, but no, it wouldn't, would it? It had to keep creeping on toward me, one confounded funeral after another. Well, I say let it go on creeping after they plant me with the others. Then it can hang itself on some other poor sod's neck, like the bleeding damned albatross it is."
In comes Lydia or more commonly known as Grenville. She is a blazing fire of daring, passion and cynicism. Everything she does, she does it with reckless joie de vivre and stubbornness.
Vere never stood a chance.
"What about love, Grenville? Do you think, in time, you might be so graciously condescending as to endure my love? Or is love only for mere mortals? Perhaps the godlike Balusters have no more need for it than the Olympian deities need a curricle to take them down to Delphi, or a vessel to take them to Troy."
April 8, 2012
Weak 3 stars. This barely kept my interest.
This was written three years after Lord of Scoundrels (LOS) which I loved and gave 5 stars to. I was hoping this might be similar. The two main characters sounded similar. Lydia in this book is competent, smart, and not afraid of Vere. They have multiple spats. But the magic is not here the way it was in LOS. The LOS dialogue was witty and creative. But here the dialogue, events, and relationship felt too much like most other romance novels - nothing to set it apart. It was ok. The sex scenes were forgettable (I don’t remember them).
STORY BRIEF:
Lydia is a journalist and is the secret author of a novel with a chapter a week published in the newspaper. Her main enemy is Coralie who forces young girls into prostitution. Lydia frequently wears a disguise for investigative reporting. Vere follows her and rescues her more than once. He’s never had a relationship with a woman. Once he beds them he no longer wants them.
DATA:
Story length: 379 pages. Swearing language: mild, including religious swear words. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 16. Setting: 1826 to 1828 England. Genre: historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I have reviewed the following Loretta Chase books. Dates are copyright dates.
5 stars. Lord of Scoundrels. 1995
4 stars. Lord Perfect. 2006
3 stars. The Sandalwood Princess. 1990
3 stars. The Last Hellion. 1998
2 stars. Mr. Impossible. 2005
1 star. Your Scandalous Ways. 2008
This was written three years after Lord of Scoundrels (LOS) which I loved and gave 5 stars to. I was hoping this might be similar. The two main characters sounded similar. Lydia in this book is competent, smart, and not afraid of Vere. They have multiple spats. But the magic is not here the way it was in LOS. The LOS dialogue was witty and creative. But here the dialogue, events, and relationship felt too much like most other romance novels - nothing to set it apart. It was ok. The sex scenes were forgettable (I don’t remember them).
STORY BRIEF:
Lydia is a journalist and is the secret author of a novel with a chapter a week published in the newspaper. Her main enemy is Coralie who forces young girls into prostitution. Lydia frequently wears a disguise for investigative reporting. Vere follows her and rescues her more than once. He’s never had a relationship with a woman. Once he beds them he no longer wants them.
DATA:
Story length: 379 pages. Swearing language: mild, including religious swear words. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 16. Setting: 1826 to 1828 England. Genre: historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I have reviewed the following Loretta Chase books. Dates are copyright dates.
5 stars. Lord of Scoundrels. 1995
4 stars. Lord Perfect. 2006
3 stars. The Sandalwood Princess. 1990
3 stars. The Last Hellion. 1998
2 stars. Mr. Impossible. 2005
1 star. Your Scandalous Ways. 2008
October 18, 2014
I would recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a fun regency
It was funny and entertaining from front to back
Well worth reading!
It was funny and entertaining from front to back
Well worth reading!
March 20, 2021
Loved the MCs, especially the besotted kind hearted hero.
April 22, 2019
You’ll read 50 historical novels with the rake/bad-ass independent chick pairing and not coming across any done this well. I don’t love everything Chase writes. But I do respect it.
Lydia and Vere kept me on my toes. Even with a storyline I’ve read 3 dozen times, I didn’t know what to expect from them next. And they frequently had some odd reactions - that ended up making sense. But threw me in the moment.
Most of the book was a 3 star read. Vere was so funny and obtuse. I thought the book was cute. But slowly it developed into something a little More.
Lydia and Vere kept me on my toes. Even with a storyline I’ve read 3 dozen times, I didn’t know what to expect from them next. And they frequently had some odd reactions - that ended up making sense. But threw me in the moment.
Most of the book was a 3 star read. Vere was so funny and obtuse. I thought the book was cute. But slowly it developed into something a little More.
April 15, 2022
So what do you do if you’re Loretta Chase and have just written one of the greatest historical romances of all time, “Lord of Scoundrels?” You follow it up with another, and this is it.
![Profile Image for ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1572968006i/3840999._UX200_CR0,33,200,200_.jpg)
November 25, 2011
My reviews are mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...
Vere was first featured in "Lord of Scoundrels", as Dain's childhood friend. These two were two peas in a pod with their debaucheries, well, almost. Needless to say, I wasn't AT ALL impressed by him (sharing whores? YUK!!) in LoS so, was a bit apprehensive about his book. But, wow didn't he won me over! He certainly did, so did the heroine, Lydia. She was GREAT; a 'really' spunky heroine, a spitfire and I quote real because a lot of the times, the heroine is said to be those things but ultimately, they either turn out to be TSTLs or ... let's just say don't fulfill my expectations. I had such fun reading Lydia, especially when she punched Vere on the face! Yah, that's right, no missish slap or tap; a solid punch! The scene of their meeting was thus one hell of a scene. ;) And, then there was the name callings, oh God! LOVED it. Afterwards, they met again and again, Lydia being a female reporter and Vere, who's seen his share of tragedies in life (the prologue was heart wrenching) couldn't seem to get her out of his mind. I was totally for Vere because I kinda understood the sadness that always seem to be a part of his life. Their relationship started as less than friendly but not exactly a foe kind of way. Then Vere helps Lydia with her current assignment and it bloomed to something solid in the process. There is this particular scene in a brothel (yah I know, it was funny and hot ;p), where the villain of "Captives of the Night", Francis the boor, was also featured, (setting wise, CotN takes place after the other three, since the villain dies there). You have to read it, I simply loved that scene. Also, another one was with one of Lydia's friends, a courtesan's house. All I can say, these two had some adventures together, then they marry in a whirlwind and boy oh boy, made my head spin! I seriously loved this book. One of my most favorite LC and I hope others would enjoy it as much as I did. :D FYI: This book also takes place somewhat simultaneously with LoS, as the Dain and Jessica are seen in the later part of the story, as married 6 months or so before. Also, there's a twist about Lydia's parentage that took me by surprise. And, yes, these two made some hot lovin' I loved reading! ;)
These are some random comments:
Just read 1st 2 chps, liked the scenes with Vere and his cousin. Really sad. I didn't find many positive things abt him in LoS so ........
**************
Aaaaaaaaa I'm SO loving Lydia! :p She is just abt what I needed to read these days lolzzzzzz and Vere too, but I still love Lydia much better, despite the fact that I'm never partial to blonde and/or amazonian heroines (obvious cause I'm none :p lolzzz)
Lydia, keep it up! ;)
**************
*sigh* ... Ok, nothing new to add, I'm simply hooked! ... I loved the race, thereafter ... The marriage and the love scenes ... Well, now have to see how Lydia manage the girls' disappearance. And for Vere, I love him lovesick and he's kinda funny too, sometimes reminds me of Leo. And, I love Leo. :p
**************
*sighh* some more. Well, I didn't expect that twist in the end but it was surely quite twisty! lolz Otherwise to surmise LOVED it, both Lydia and Vere. End of another LC series (minus the novella which I forgot to read, wasn't sure if it was the part of this or the Carsington series! :p ... Reading it now BTW)
5 stars without a doubt. :D
PS: Did I mention I loved the nicknames they called each other, specially Vere. I LOVED THOSE!!! hahahahaha :D
Vere was first featured in "Lord of Scoundrels", as Dain's childhood friend. These two were two peas in a pod with their debaucheries, well, almost. Needless to say, I wasn't AT ALL impressed by him (sharing whores? YUK!!) in LoS so, was a bit apprehensive about his book. But, wow didn't he won me over! He certainly did, so did the heroine, Lydia. She was GREAT; a 'really' spunky heroine, a spitfire and I quote real because a lot of the times, the heroine is said to be those things but ultimately, they either turn out to be TSTLs or ... let's just say don't fulfill my expectations. I had such fun reading Lydia, especially when she punched Vere on the face! Yah, that's right, no missish slap or tap; a solid punch! The scene of their meeting was thus one hell of a scene. ;) And, then there was the name callings, oh God! LOVED it. Afterwards, they met again and again, Lydia being a female reporter and Vere, who's seen his share of tragedies in life (the prologue was heart wrenching) couldn't seem to get her out of his mind. I was totally for Vere because I kinda understood the sadness that always seem to be a part of his life. Their relationship started as less than friendly but not exactly a foe kind of way. Then Vere helps Lydia with her current assignment and it bloomed to something solid in the process. There is this particular scene in a brothel (yah I know, it was funny and hot ;p), where the villain of "Captives of the Night", Francis the boor, was also featured, (setting wise, CotN takes place after the other three, since the villain dies there). You have to read it, I simply loved that scene. Also, another one was with one of Lydia's friends, a courtesan's house. All I can say, these two had some adventures together, then they marry in a whirlwind and boy oh boy, made my head spin! I seriously loved this book. One of my most favorite LC and I hope others would enjoy it as much as I did. :D FYI: This book also takes place somewhat simultaneously with LoS, as the Dain and Jessica are seen in the later part of the story, as married 6 months or so before. Also, there's a twist about Lydia's parentage that took me by surprise. And, yes, these two made some hot lovin' I loved reading! ;)
These are some random comments:
Just read 1st 2 chps, liked the scenes with Vere and his cousin. Really sad. I didn't find many positive things abt him in LoS so ........
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Aaaaaaaaa I'm SO loving Lydia! :p She is just abt what I needed to read these days lolzzzzzz and Vere too, but I still love Lydia much better, despite the fact that I'm never partial to blonde and/or amazonian heroines (obvious cause I'm none :p lolzzz)
Lydia, keep it up! ;)
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*sigh* ... Ok, nothing new to add, I'm simply hooked! ... I loved the race, thereafter ... The marriage and the love scenes ... Well, now have to see how Lydia manage the girls' disappearance. And for Vere, I love him lovesick and he's kinda funny too, sometimes reminds me of Leo. And, I love Leo. :p
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*sighh* some more. Well, I didn't expect that twist in the end but it was surely quite twisty! lolz Otherwise to surmise LOVED it, both Lydia and Vere. End of another LC series (minus the novella which I forgot to read, wasn't sure if it was the part of this or the Carsington series! :p ... Reading it now BTW)
5 stars without a doubt. :D
PS: Did I mention I loved the nicknames they called each other, specially Vere. I LOVED THOSE!!! hahahahaha :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2018
I had so much fun reading this book. Thank you Catherin for tempting me with it.
Here are some quotes that I loved:
He gave her a wounded look. "I was not trying to pay any scores. I was consumed by curiosity."
Her eyes narrowed. "About what?"
"How you did it." He let his gaze fall to her manly chest. "It isn't binding, is it? What have you done with your breasts?"
She opened her mouth, then shut it. She looked down at herself, then up at him. Then her jaw set and between her teeth she said, "It's a specially designed corset. The front is shaped like a man's torso. The back is like any other stays."
"Ah. Back lacing."
"Yes. Not in the least interesting. Nothing you haven't seen many hundreds of times before." She turned away and returned to the drainpipe. "If you want to make yourself useful, you could give me a boost up."
"I can't," he said. "I can't aid and abet your burgling a house."
"Since when have you become a champion of law and order?"
"Since you pointed out my failure to provide an example of high moral tone," he said. "I'm studying to become a saint."
"Then study someplace else. I'm not going to steal anything. I only want to get my clothes."
"I've wed you," he said impatiently. "I don't want a lady. I shouldn't know what to do with one." He grasped her shoulders. "I hope you're not turning missish on me."
He danced a bit, jabbing the air with his right, then his left. "Come, what are you afraid of? Here's your chance to give me the pair of stinkers you promised in Vinegar Yard. Or was that all boasting? Did the tap on my jaw hurt your little hand too much, my delicate flower? Did you learn your lesson then?"
It came from nowhere. Lightning fast and low, her fist shot toward his privates.
He nipped aside in the nick of time. "Not there, Grenville," he said, swallowing his astonishment. "Think of our children."
There was a silence, during which, he assumed, the parcels on the bed finally attracted her attention.
"You wicked man." Her voice was low and not quite steady. "Have you been buying me gifts?"
"Bribes," he said, sneaking a glance at her. She had left the chair to go to the bed, and stood looking at the packages. "So I wouldn't be obliged to sleep in the stables."[I love it when they have important conversations, both of the make it sound like a joke]
Here are some quotes that I loved:
He gave her a wounded look. "I was not trying to pay any scores. I was consumed by curiosity."
Her eyes narrowed. "About what?"
"How you did it." He let his gaze fall to her manly chest. "It isn't binding, is it? What have you done with your breasts?"
She opened her mouth, then shut it. She looked down at herself, then up at him. Then her jaw set and between her teeth she said, "It's a specially designed corset. The front is shaped like a man's torso. The back is like any other stays."
"Ah. Back lacing."
"Yes. Not in the least interesting. Nothing you haven't seen many hundreds of times before." She turned away and returned to the drainpipe. "If you want to make yourself useful, you could give me a boost up."
"I can't," he said. "I can't aid and abet your burgling a house."
"Since when have you become a champion of law and order?"
"Since you pointed out my failure to provide an example of high moral tone," he said. "I'm studying to become a saint."
"Then study someplace else. I'm not going to steal anything. I only want to get my clothes."
"I've wed you," he said impatiently. "I don't want a lady. I shouldn't know what to do with one." He grasped her shoulders. "I hope you're not turning missish on me."
He danced a bit, jabbing the air with his right, then his left. "Come, what are you afraid of? Here's your chance to give me the pair of stinkers you promised in Vinegar Yard. Or was that all boasting? Did the tap on my jaw hurt your little hand too much, my delicate flower? Did you learn your lesson then?"
It came from nowhere. Lightning fast and low, her fist shot toward his privates.
He nipped aside in the nick of time. "Not there, Grenville," he said, swallowing his astonishment. "Think of our children."
There was a silence, during which, he assumed, the parcels on the bed finally attracted her attention.
"You wicked man." Her voice was low and not quite steady. "Have you been buying me gifts?"
"Bribes," he said, sneaking a glance at her. She had left the chair to go to the bed, and stood looking at the packages. "So I wouldn't be obliged to sleep in the stables."[I love it when they have important conversations, both of the make it sound like a joke]
June 21, 2015
Mr. Impossible, Knave's Wager or this is my second favorite L. Chase Regency. Cannot decide.
In my initial Loretta Chase binge-read years ago, I somehow glossed over the manifest wonders of this story. Having just heard the new audiobook, I now realize it's an utterly terrific Chase read. The title hellion is a complicated man, wracked by guilt, discouraged by grief, punishing himself for the crime of surviving too many of his loved ones. The other hellion, an uncommon woman of many parts, is his perfect complement, though they bicker their way to love, as two strong characters are wont to do when life gets tricky. And tricky it gets! In the process, each discovers the strengths of the other, comes to depend on them and finds her/himself in the process. It's as much a bumptious adventure tale as a romance, so there are many interesting revelations and reversals along the way, too.
Unlike some of LC's other stories, this has a Dickensian number of characters, all of whom drive different aspects of the multifaceted plot forward. Most are good, some villainous, all are well-fleshed out and fun to encounter.
We are also treated to the reappearance of Lord Dain and his lady, her idiot brother, Bertie Trent, who turns out to have more sense than indicated in Lord of Scoundrels.
Like LoS, this is about uppity women making waves and the men who are manly enough to handle them. Fans of LC and of historical romance written with brilliant wit, intelligence and wonderfully realized characters will enjoy this immensely. I mean, is there anyone who writes like Loretta Chase? Anyone at all? (No.)
In my initial Loretta Chase binge-read years ago, I somehow glossed over the manifest wonders of this story. Having just heard the new audiobook, I now realize it's an utterly terrific Chase read. The title hellion is a complicated man, wracked by guilt, discouraged by grief, punishing himself for the crime of surviving too many of his loved ones. The other hellion, an uncommon woman of many parts, is his perfect complement, though they bicker their way to love, as two strong characters are wont to do when life gets tricky. And tricky it gets! In the process, each discovers the strengths of the other, comes to depend on them and finds her/himself in the process. It's as much a bumptious adventure tale as a romance, so there are many interesting revelations and reversals along the way, too.
Unlike some of LC's other stories, this has a Dickensian number of characters, all of whom drive different aspects of the multifaceted plot forward. Most are good, some villainous, all are well-fleshed out and fun to encounter.
We are also treated to the reappearance of Lord Dain and his lady, her idiot brother, Bertie Trent, who turns out to have more sense than indicated in Lord of Scoundrels.
Like LoS, this is about uppity women making waves and the men who are manly enough to handle them. Fans of LC and of historical romance written with brilliant wit, intelligence and wonderfully realized characters will enjoy this immensely. I mean, is there anyone who writes like Loretta Chase? Anyone at all? (No.)
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