THREE NIGHTS WITH A SCOUNDREL

Author: Tessa Dare ISBN: 9780345518897 8/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: BALLANTINE
Time Period: Regency

The bastard son of a nobleman, Julian Bellamy is now polished to perfection, enthralling the ton with wit and charm while clandestinely plotting to ruin the lords, ravish the ladies, and have the last laugh on a society that once spurned him. But after meeting Leo Chatwick, a decent man and founder of an elite gentlemen’s club, and Lily, Leo’s enchanting sister, Julian reconsiders his wild ways. And when Leo’s tragic murder demands that Julian hunt for justice, he vows to see the woman he secretly loves married to a man of her own class. Lily, however, has a very different husband in mind.  She’s loved Julian forever, adores the man beneath the rakish façade, and wants to savor the delicious attraction they share—as his wife. His insistence on marrying her off only reinforces her intent to prove that he is the only man for her. Obsessed with catching a killer, Julian sinks back to the gutters of his youth, forcing Lily to reach out with a sweet, reckless passion Julian can’t resist. Can her desire for a scoundrel save them both—or will dangerous secrets threaten more than their tender love?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

This book is not a book to be read quickly. It deserves to be savored and slowly taken in, which is exactly what I did. The final book in the Stud Club trilogy, THREE NIGHTS WITH A SCOUNDREL is everything that was promised, give or take a few things. While it can be read by itself, I wouldn't suggest it, simply because not only are the two books before it amazing reads, but also because they build up anticipation for it.

So many things were done right, and I have to start with the heroine. It's tough to make a flawed heroine still be likeable, but Lily is an amazing character. She is deaf, but in no way does she accept it as a limitation. Her strength is inspiring, while still managing to feel realistic. In fact, realism is one of the major triumphs to the story. While perhaps the hero's long list of sexual conquests is a bit much, other details mold the tale into something easily believable. In some cases, the realism can even be called 'painful'.

Julian, the hero, is another marvelous character and a hero for more than just looking good. His rags-to-riches back story is so tragic, but successfully shapes him. Little details in his personality echo of his dark past. He is such a haunted man at the start, and to watch his redemption unfold is another wonder this book provides.

Casting from the past book as well as introducing a few new faces, breaks up the old routine and, at long last, the mystery that developed is finally solved. To some, the resolution may seem anticlimactic, but in my own opinion, I feel that justice was done. The chilling circumstances that surround Leo's death are all too familiar, even in today's world. When justice is finally found in many cases like Leo's, it truly is anticlimactic. That's part of what makes it such a tragedy. I feel that by not catering to a preconceived expectation for some dramatic and drawn-out climax, the finale was made bittersweet and painfully real. It brought tears to my eyes, which is no small feat, since I am usually able to distance my emotions from a story until I'm finished reading.

The romance in the story was a bit quick to happen. Even with two books lightly hinting at a romance between Lily and Julian before it, I still wanted a bit more of a buildup. Half of the fun in a romance comes from just the sexual tension, and the main couple had tons of it to be played with. Still, it managed to pull together into something grand, entertaining, sexy, sometimes funny, and able to coax an emotional response with ease. It is a must read.

THREE NIGHTS WITH A SCOUNDREL deserves a spot on the keeper shelf, along with its predecessors, ONE DANCE WITH A DUKE and TWICE TEMPTED BY A ROGUE. You'll feel richer for having read it.

Sunny Lore