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Notorious Gentlemen #3
Always a Scoundrel
Never a gentleman . . . until now.
Lord Bramwell Johns, the second son of a duke, is an unrepentant scoundrel. Now that his two closest friends are disgustingly ensconced in domestic bliss, Bram is feeling strangely restless. And not even relieving London's least deserving artistocrats of their ill-gotten jewels is enough—until the night he overhears an argument. It seems that Lady Rosamund Davies is about to be forced into marriage with a rogue even worse than himself.
Rose is well aware of Bram's scandalous reputation, so any reason for his sudden interest in her is suspect; more so since he's close friends with the man about to ruin her family! She has her own plan though, and Bram may be just what she requires—as long as she remembers that he is only looking out for himself. As long as she remembers that his kisses and caresses don't mean anything. As long as she can keep from wondering whether she can trust a scoundrel . . . with her heart.
Lord Bramwell Johns, the second son of a duke, is an unrepentant scoundrel. Now that his two closest friends are disgustingly ensconced in domestic bliss, Bram is feeling strangely restless. And not even relieving London's least deserving artistocrats of their ill-gotten jewels is enough—until the night he overhears an argument. It seems that Lady Rosamund Davies is about to be forced into marriage with a rogue even worse than himself.
Rose is well aware of Bram's scandalous reputation, so any reason for his sudden interest in her is suspect; more so since he's close friends with the man about to ruin her family! She has her own plan though, and Bram may be just what she requires—as long as she remembers that he is only looking out for himself. As long as she remembers that his kisses and caresses don't mean anything. As long as she can keep from wondering whether she can trust a scoundrel . . . with her heart.
373 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 28, 2009
60 people are currently reading
1845 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Enoch
102 books2,616 followersSuzanne was born in Southern California sometime in the latter half of the 20th century. In the way that some people are born knowing they want to be astronauts or cellists, Suzanne always knew she wanted to be a writer. Early dreams of becoming a zoologist and writing true stories about her adventures in Africa were crushed, however, after she viewed a television special about the world’s most poisonous snakes; she did NOT want to write about how she’d been bitten and lost a limb to a cobra. Thankfully at the same time the movie “Star Wars” premiered, and she realized that she could make up adventures and write about them, and not be eaten by deadly predators while doing research.
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
She dabbled in romantic fantasy writing for a year or two after graduating with a degree in English from the University of California, Irvine, until her affection for traditional Regency romances led her to write one for fun. After several encouraging rejections from publishers, she snared the interest of the world’s best and most patient literary agent, who advised her to revise the manuscript. This ultimately led to the publication of her first book, The Black Duke’s Prize, from Avon Books in the Spring of 1995. A second Regency, Angel’s Devil, followed that Fall.
When Avon folded its traditional Regency line, Suzanne was encouraged to try her hand at historical romance. As she remained keenly interested in England’s Regency period, she decided to attempt another manuscript set in that time. Lady Rogue hit the shelves in March of 1997. She wrote a total of 29 books for Avon, including two anthologies and a five-part contemporary series which received a pair of starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. One of those books, Twice the Temptation, was named one of the five best romances of the year by PW in 2007.
In 2002 her well-known love of all things “Star Wars” led to an invitation to appear on the E! channel in the television special “Star Wars: The Force Is Back”, where she discussed the romance in the movie series and ended up with more air time than George Lucas.
In 2010 Suzanne left Avon Books for St. Martin’s Press, where she continues to pen historical romance novels. Her 31st book, Taming an Impossible Rogue, is set to arrive in March 2012.
Suzanne is known for her humorous characters, sexy bad boys, and whip-sharp, witty dialogue. She currently resides in Placentia, California with several hundred guppies and various other tropical fish, and handful of very loud, spinach-loving finches. And her collection of action figures and statues from “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, “X-Men”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Everybody needs some inspiration, after all.
www.facebook.com/SuzanneEnoch
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 26, 2010
5 stars – Historical Romance
I wasn’t overly impressed with the first two books in the Notorious Gentlemen series, but I was most looking forward to this, scoundrel extraordinaire Lord Bramwell’s story, and it definitely delivered.
Nefarious rake Lord Bramwell Johns is the disregarded second son of the Duke of Levonzy and has never been expected to make anything of himself but a royal pain in the ass and expensive nuisance. Despite achieving heroic feats while serving in the war on the Peninsula with fellow soldiers and friends, Sullivan Waring and Phineas Bromley, his father cuts him off out of spite for his wicked ways. Bramwell makes his living through wagering, but lately his whoring, drinking, and gaming exploits leave him bored, restless, and melancholy, and it doesn’t help matters that his two former notorious bachelor best friends are now living in disgustingly happy marital bliss.
In attempt to battle his boredom, Lord Bramwell masquerades at night as the notorious thief, the Black Cat, robbing the ton of their bobbles, trinkets, and bling. One night during a heist, he overhears a father’s plot to force their spinsterish daughter Lady Rosamund into an arranged marriage to Lord Cosgrove, who’s even more of a rakehell than Bram, to assuage their spoiled, immature son’s gambling debt, and his curiosity is roused by the odd chit.
Lady Rosamund is a plain, tall, flat-chested, redheaded, freckled, outspoken, goodhearted, opinionated, self-sacrificing, irritating wallflower, and her kindness, decency, and unexceptional looks are the total opposite of Bram’s usual taste in women. But for reasons he can’t begin to fathom, he finds himself hopelessly, helplessly, and inexplicably drawn to her and soon finds himself tangled up in Rosamund’s troubles. Bram becomes determined to save Rose from the cruel bargain of having a truly monstrous, rakish villain for a husband, but how on earth is he supposed to do that when he’s an utter, unabashed scoundrel himself? Things get even more complicated when Bram starts to realize that he might want Rose for himself. But will she trade one devil for another, and can she trust him with her heart?
I absolutely adored Bram and admired Rose’s fortitude and devotion to her family, but there were times she came across as a bit of a martyr. I realize that at the time, there weren’t many/any options for a woman in her position, but I got so frustrated when she wouldn’t even tell her selfish family, who certainly didn’t seem to me to deserve such unswerving loyalty, what a truly evil monster her fiancé Cosgrove was. And her naïve, petulant, immature, spoiled brother deserved a serious ass whooping.
Lord Bramwell and Rosamund are such a wonderful couple, and they had sizzling sexual chemistry, sensual love scenes, and deliciously fun, witty banter in spades. I’m sure some readers might be skeptical over Bram’s personality transformation and almost puppy love-like infatuation and adoration towards nice, girl next door Rose, but I found it believable, beautifully moving, and thoroughly romantic. Rose actually expects something of Bram and holds him accountable, and his vow to not let her down is sigh-worthy. But what I loved most is that even when Bram redeemed himself in many ways, he maintained some of his wicked, scoundrel ways, especially his sinfully sexy charm and flirtatious humor.
The epilogue was yummy icing on an already decadent cake and wrapped things up perfectly for the series’ three Notorious Gentlemen. It’s a wonderful, heart melting romance with a sexy, witty, swoonalicious, delectable, bad boy who’s really oh so good hero to die for. 5 sweetly satisfied stars!
I wasn’t overly impressed with the first two books in the Notorious Gentlemen series, but I was most looking forward to this, scoundrel extraordinaire Lord Bramwell’s story, and it definitely delivered.
Nefarious rake Lord Bramwell Johns is the disregarded second son of the Duke of Levonzy and has never been expected to make anything of himself but a royal pain in the ass and expensive nuisance. Despite achieving heroic feats while serving in the war on the Peninsula with fellow soldiers and friends, Sullivan Waring and Phineas Bromley, his father cuts him off out of spite for his wicked ways. Bramwell makes his living through wagering, but lately his whoring, drinking, and gaming exploits leave him bored, restless, and melancholy, and it doesn’t help matters that his two former notorious bachelor best friends are now living in disgustingly happy marital bliss.
In attempt to battle his boredom, Lord Bramwell masquerades at night as the notorious thief, the Black Cat, robbing the ton of their bobbles, trinkets, and bling. One night during a heist, he overhears a father’s plot to force their spinsterish daughter Lady Rosamund into an arranged marriage to Lord Cosgrove, who’s even more of a rakehell than Bram, to assuage their spoiled, immature son’s gambling debt, and his curiosity is roused by the odd chit.
Lady Rosamund is a plain, tall, flat-chested, redheaded, freckled, outspoken, goodhearted, opinionated, self-sacrificing, irritating wallflower, and her kindness, decency, and unexceptional looks are the total opposite of Bram’s usual taste in women. But for reasons he can’t begin to fathom, he finds himself hopelessly, helplessly, and inexplicably drawn to her and soon finds himself tangled up in Rosamund’s troubles. Bram becomes determined to save Rose from the cruel bargain of having a truly monstrous, rakish villain for a husband, but how on earth is he supposed to do that when he’s an utter, unabashed scoundrel himself? Things get even more complicated when Bram starts to realize that he might want Rose for himself. But will she trade one devil for another, and can she trust him with her heart?
I absolutely adored Bram and admired Rose’s fortitude and devotion to her family, but there were times she came across as a bit of a martyr. I realize that at the time, there weren’t many/any options for a woman in her position, but I got so frustrated when she wouldn’t even tell her selfish family, who certainly didn’t seem to me to deserve such unswerving loyalty, what a truly evil monster her fiancé Cosgrove was. And her naïve, petulant, immature, spoiled brother deserved a serious ass whooping.
Lord Bramwell and Rosamund are such a wonderful couple, and they had sizzling sexual chemistry, sensual love scenes, and deliciously fun, witty banter in spades. I’m sure some readers might be skeptical over Bram’s personality transformation and almost puppy love-like infatuation and adoration towards nice, girl next door Rose, but I found it believable, beautifully moving, and thoroughly romantic. Rose actually expects something of Bram and holds him accountable, and his vow to not let her down is sigh-worthy. But what I loved most is that even when Bram redeemed himself in many ways, he maintained some of his wicked, scoundrel ways, especially his sinfully sexy charm and flirtatious humor.
The epilogue was yummy icing on an already decadent cake and wrapped things up perfectly for the series’ three Notorious Gentlemen. It’s a wonderful, heart melting romance with a sexy, witty, swoonalicious, delectable, bad boy who’s really oh so good hero to die for. 5 sweetly satisfied stars!
November 11, 2021
*With Spoilers*
April 29, 2011
4.5 stars
I am so surprised how much I ended up liking it. With no spoilers let me say:
1-no TSTL heroine
2-no last page love confession
3-no predictable ending
4-no big misunderstanding
5-no easy outs
6-no over done villain
I really liked the H/h a lot, a believable love match, and the villain was bad but believable. This was a recipe I enjoy in historicals. It also read perfectly as a stand alone, so don't worry about reading the series in order. I knocked half a point off for the whole black-cat sub-story as it pulled me out a couple of times. Bottom line, Enoch has a new fan!
I am so surprised how much I ended up liking it. With no spoilers let me say:
1-no TSTL heroine
2-no last page love confession
3-no predictable ending
4-no big misunderstanding
5-no easy outs
6-no over done villain
I really liked the H/h a lot, a believable love match, and the villain was bad but believable. This was a recipe I enjoy in historicals. It also read perfectly as a stand alone, so don't worry about reading the series in order. I knocked half a point off for the whole black-cat sub-story as it pulled me out a couple of times. Bottom line, Enoch has a new fan!
January 22, 2021
There are many good things about this book, like the solid writing , some humorous bantering and the heroine's sense of decency and loyalty to her undeserving family. However, the hedonistic and self-serving hero unfortunately left it too late to outgrow his prolonged puberty. His petulance and refusal to take responsibility for his actions almost to the very end made it hard to respect his character and the heroine lost some of my initial high opinion, when she started to fangirl over him and stoked his narcissism.
April 2, 2022
Ayy çok güzeldi kitap için gözlerimi feda ettim resmen ama değdi 😻
May 4, 2009
I feel like I need to re-read this book before making a judgment on it, because I should have loved it. It's was the end to a good series, it featured my favorite character Bram, and one of my favorite Enoch-plots, redeemed rake. But this one just sort of fell flat at the end for me.
Lady Rosamund Davies has been running her family's lives like clockwork without any gratitude from them, but she never realized how worthless they deemed her until her father decided to trade her life to pay off her younger brother's gambling debt. And the man that they have in essence sold her to for 10,000 pounds is a monster, though he doesn't appear so on the outside. Lord Bramwell Lowry Johns knows just how monstruous Cosgrove, Rose's intended husband, can be because he dedicated himself to learning under the man in order to thumb his nose at his father. Bram is appalled and intrigued to realized that he feels compelled to step in as Rose's unlikely hero.
This story seems that it is so overwhelmingly told from Bram's perspective that we don't really get to know Rosamund. Because of that, she seems to alternately come off as either a victim of Cosgrove's terrorism or someone who is trying to callously use Bram to her own ends. It isn't until the very end that you even get a glimmer that she might have deeper feelings for Bram, but by then, it's almost too late and it's not really convincing that it's love and not just relief.
Bram has good reason for being the way his is: his father basically condemned him without just cause and hurt Bram's pride. From that point forward, Bram dedicated himself to being the worst man possible, so it was good to see him change himself, without really understanding why.
Overall, I realize that I probably set my expectations way too high, and when they weren't exactly met, I was disappointed, but, though this wasn't the best Enoch book, it was one of her better ones. (Although I still think I need to re-read it to be sure). B+
Lady Rosamund Davies has been running her family's lives like clockwork without any gratitude from them, but she never realized how worthless they deemed her until her father decided to trade her life to pay off her younger brother's gambling debt. And the man that they have in essence sold her to for 10,000 pounds is a monster, though he doesn't appear so on the outside. Lord Bramwell Lowry Johns knows just how monstruous Cosgrove, Rose's intended husband, can be because he dedicated himself to learning under the man in order to thumb his nose at his father. Bram is appalled and intrigued to realized that he feels compelled to step in as Rose's unlikely hero.
This story seems that it is so overwhelmingly told from Bram's perspective that we don't really get to know Rosamund. Because of that, she seems to alternately come off as either a victim of Cosgrove's terrorism or someone who is trying to callously use Bram to her own ends. It isn't until the very end that you even get a glimmer that she might have deeper feelings for Bram, but by then, it's almost too late and it's not really convincing that it's love and not just relief.
Bram has good reason for being the way his is: his father basically condemned him without just cause and hurt Bram's pride. From that point forward, Bram dedicated himself to being the worst man possible, so it was good to see him change himself, without really understanding why.
Overall, I realize that I probably set my expectations way too high, and when they weren't exactly met, I was disappointed, but, though this wasn't the best Enoch book, it was one of her better ones. (Although I still think I need to re-read it to be sure). B+
May 8, 2020
I do not enjoy writing such reviews. And this book probably won't be a 2-star read for you. But it was a 1-star read for me. Except the book doesn't have shoddy language or any particular red flags so I felt guilty about handing it a 1-star.
But the truth is, I didn't enjoy a moment of it. I think I zoned out so much, I'm sure I was living a different story in my head. I would've DNF'ed this but it was like one of those trains you board and sleep off and miss your stop. My stop was 30 percent in. God, was this boring. These are the books that drive you into reading slumps. Just proceed with caution. And get off the train when it's time.
It's just romance is such an immersive and beautiful genre when it gets it right. Of all the romance books I've read I've probably enjoyed barely 20 percent of them. But that 20 percent is worth this lot of snooze-inducing rides. And since romance is the most subjective of genres, there's a good chance this book falls under your 20 percent so don't let me dissuade you if this sounds like your kind of ride.
But the truth is, I didn't enjoy a moment of it. I think I zoned out so much, I'm sure I was living a different story in my head. I would've DNF'ed this but it was like one of those trains you board and sleep off and miss your stop. My stop was 30 percent in. God, was this boring. These are the books that drive you into reading slumps. Just proceed with caution. And get off the train when it's time.
It's just romance is such an immersive and beautiful genre when it gets it right. Of all the romance books I've read I've probably enjoyed barely 20 percent of them. But that 20 percent is worth this lot of snooze-inducing rides. And since romance is the most subjective of genres, there's a good chance this book falls under your 20 percent so don't let me dissuade you if this sounds like your kind of ride.
May 28, 2018
This is a winner. If you love St. Vincent in Devil in Winter, then most likely you will like Bram.
Charming rogue dressed in black that reforms himself to save the lovely lady.
The lovely lady who is saddled with one of the worst families in fictional Regency England. I could read a whole book on their comeuppance alone.
A disgustingly nasty villain that vividly demonstrates the difference between being a charming rogue who's made bad choices and a disgustingly nasty villain.
Nice bromance.
Pretty erotic love scenes.
Time for a pretty picture of the hero...
Charming rogue dressed in black that reforms himself to save the lovely lady.
The lovely lady who is saddled with one of the worst families in fictional Regency England. I could read a whole book on their comeuppance alone.
A disgustingly nasty villain that vividly demonstrates the difference between being a charming rogue who's made bad choices and a disgustingly nasty villain.
Nice bromance.
Pretty erotic love scenes.
Time for a pretty picture of the hero...
July 14, 2013
This was a really good book. The only thing I didn't like was that the bad guy was very...disturbing. A real sick wacko. But the story overall was a good love story and it kept me interested enough to not want to put the book down.
April 18, 2020
EDIT: This is one of those special books that upon a re-read 5 years later, had the rating go up to 5 stars. Love that. It’s nice to know some of my books I read and enjoyed have actually gotten better with time and aged so well. The air of danger in this book and the transformation of the characters, particularly the hero, was so well done. I relished revisiting this story and falling for Rose and Bram all over again. I didn’t want it to end.
Original review:
I think I have discovered a formula that Suzanne Enoch uses, typically to great effect. Guy is not interested in marriage AT ALL. Girl is wholesome. Guy meets girl and unexpected sparks fly. Guy begins thinking about marriage A LOT. Girl has less than wholesome thoughts about guy. There is a villain/hindrance to guy and girl being together. Characters from other books in the series (family or close friends) band together to help guy and girl. Guy and girl can be together. Happily ever after, the end.
Now, I know that over simplifies everything, but it has happened in England's Perfect Hero, London's Perfect Scoundrel, Sin and Sensibility, Always a Scoundrel, and Something Sinful. Am I disappointed in this? Not really. Enoch excels at bringing unlikely characters together and creating a fun, intimate atmosphere among family and friends. It makes for a nice read. But at the same time, because I have read this storyline before, I could not give Always a Scoundrel 5 stars. I enjoyed the read, but not as much as some of the others with this trope.
Bromwell is a rake. Enoch really does seem to like her bad boys. I do not think they are great husband material, but in this instance, I actually believed the transformation. Bromwell made some mistakes in his youth that set him off the path of a clean life. His friends are happily married and Brom realizes he is bored and dissatisfied with his current existence.
Rose is a bit of a martyr for a family that does not appreciate her. She is about to be traded in marriage for a debt her silly, irresponsible, completely shallow brother made for himself with a monster who looks like an angel (i.e., Cosgrove, a disgusting, twisted villain--one of Enoch's worst I have seen).
Brom is attracted to Rose's goodness and sees her as a way for him to do something different in his life. He offers to help. Unexpectedly, Brom also finds the ordinary-looking Rose intriguing which contrasts with the ennui he had been battling on a daily basis before he met her.
As the book progresses, we see Brom steadily shift his attitude. I really enjoyed this. He slowly determined for himself what he wanted with his life and set aside his pride in order to make amends. However, there is still a rakish side of him that never goes away. This is why I found this reformed rake book so believable. We still saw glimmers of the old Brom, but at the same time, we saw how he was able to understand what his dissatisfaction with his life stemmed from and how he slowly came to the realization that his life needed to change in order for him to be happy. I could believe that this was more of a difference in attitude without a complete change in character. Brom was still Brom, but he discovered that he was ready for something different.
As you can tell, this story focused more on the hero than the heroine. Rose was an interesting case. She was a level-headed good person stuck with a family of self-centered imbeciles. Initially, she acquiesced to being sacrificed for the family, but soon realized that she deserved a bit more. She may have started Brom on a path of change, but Brom also changed her.
In a nutshell, I enjoyed this book, particularly because I liked the hero. It is not often that we are in the head of the hero so much and I liked his wit, dry humor, self-evaluation, and charm. 4 stars.
Original review:
I think I have discovered a formula that Suzanne Enoch uses, typically to great effect. Guy is not interested in marriage AT ALL. Girl is wholesome. Guy meets girl and unexpected sparks fly. Guy begins thinking about marriage A LOT. Girl has less than wholesome thoughts about guy. There is a villain/hindrance to guy and girl being together. Characters from other books in the series (family or close friends) band together to help guy and girl. Guy and girl can be together. Happily ever after, the end.
Now, I know that over simplifies everything, but it has happened in England's Perfect Hero, London's Perfect Scoundrel, Sin and Sensibility, Always a Scoundrel, and Something Sinful. Am I disappointed in this? Not really. Enoch excels at bringing unlikely characters together and creating a fun, intimate atmosphere among family and friends. It makes for a nice read. But at the same time, because I have read this storyline before, I could not give Always a Scoundrel 5 stars. I enjoyed the read, but not as much as some of the others with this trope.
Bromwell is a rake. Enoch really does seem to like her bad boys. I do not think they are great husband material, but in this instance, I actually believed the transformation. Bromwell made some mistakes in his youth that set him off the path of a clean life. His friends are happily married and Brom realizes he is bored and dissatisfied with his current existence.
Rose is a bit of a martyr for a family that does not appreciate her. She is about to be traded in marriage for a debt her silly, irresponsible, completely shallow brother made for himself with a monster who looks like an angel (i.e., Cosgrove, a disgusting, twisted villain--one of Enoch's worst I have seen).
Brom is attracted to Rose's goodness and sees her as a way for him to do something different in his life. He offers to help. Unexpectedly, Brom also finds the ordinary-looking Rose intriguing which contrasts with the ennui he had been battling on a daily basis before he met her.
As the book progresses, we see Brom steadily shift his attitude. I really enjoyed this. He slowly determined for himself what he wanted with his life and set aside his pride in order to make amends. However, there is still a rakish side of him that never goes away. This is why I found this reformed rake book so believable. We still saw glimmers of the old Brom, but at the same time, we saw how he was able to understand what his dissatisfaction with his life stemmed from and how he slowly came to the realization that his life needed to change in order for him to be happy. I could believe that this was more of a difference in attitude without a complete change in character. Brom was still Brom, but he discovered that he was ready for something different.
As you can tell, this story focused more on the hero than the heroine. Rose was an interesting case. She was a level-headed good person stuck with a family of self-centered imbeciles. Initially, she acquiesced to being sacrificed for the family, but soon realized that she deserved a bit more. She may have started Brom on a path of change, but Brom also changed her.
In a nutshell, I enjoyed this book, particularly because I liked the hero. It is not often that we are in the head of the hero so much and I liked his wit, dry humor, self-evaluation, and charm. 4 stars.
April 12, 2025
Rated 5 Stars. Books I Own. Mad About Series Challenge HRBC 2025. Tropes: Regency Romance, Knight in Shining Armor, Family/Friends, Ugly Duckling, Scoundrel.
MC's. h. L. Rosiland, 21,daughter of Earl of Abernathy, brother James, 18, Viscount Lester lost 12,000 quid to Marquis of Cosgrove and evil monster. H. Bramwell Lowry Johns, 29, 2nd son of the Duke of Levonzy, brother August, Marquis of Haithe, best friends Sullivan Waring (Tibby), Phineas Bromley (Alyse) and long time associate and mentor Kingston Gore, Marquis of Cosgrove (36).
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Comment: This story was entertaining with a family that was more horrible than Bram's (Duke of Levonzy) selling off their daughter to pay their son's (the heir's) gambling debts and a thief that heard this news while breaking into their house out of boredom (Black Cat) Bramwell Lowry Johns (too clever for his own good) and a known associate of the evil man behind this new game (Kingston Gore, Marquis of Cosgrove). If you have ever seen the movie " The Crown Affair" you will see some similarities. This is one of the first stories that I absolutely loved the end. The ending was better than all of the other parts of the book and the best of the three stories in this series. The quote " Save the best 'til last" is true in this case. Definitely a re-read for this series. I gave this book 5 stars mainly because of the ending.
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MC's. h. L. Rosiland, 21,daughter of Earl of Abernathy, brother James, 18, Viscount Lester lost 12,000 quid to Marquis of Cosgrove and evil monster. H. Bramwell Lowry Johns, 29, 2nd son of the Duke of Levonzy, brother August, Marquis of Haithe, best friends Sullivan Waring (Tibby), Phineas Bromley (Alyse) and long time associate and mentor Kingston Gore, Marquis of Cosgrove (36).
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Comment: This story was entertaining with a family that was more horrible than Bram's (Duke of Levonzy) selling off their daughter to pay their son's (the heir's) gambling debts and a thief that heard this news while breaking into their house out of boredom (Black Cat) Bramwell Lowry Johns (too clever for his own good) and a known associate of the evil man behind this new game (Kingston Gore, Marquis of Cosgrove). If you have ever seen the movie " The Crown Affair" you will see some similarities. This is one of the first stories that I absolutely loved the end. The ending was better than all of the other parts of the book and the best of the three stories in this series. The quote " Save the best 'til last" is true in this case. Definitely a re-read for this series. I gave this book 5 stars mainly because of the ending.
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2023
Perhaps his next task should be to concoct an eighth deadly sin. Or he could work toward finding an even dozen.
I absolutely adored this story of a true rake with few if any redeeming qualities (outside the bedchamber) who by happenstance met a woman in dire straits who rocked his world and made him want to be a better man.
Such a lovely, complex, emotional redemption arc for Bram! Add an all-consuming love, a woman who was to be “sold” to a monstrous villain in exchange for forgiveness of a gambling debt, a jaded rake who was driven to save her, wry humor, steamy passion, friendship, and all kinds of feels, and I found myself reading way past my bedtime.
Loved it!
“Do you think my heart is swayed by obligation or pity?”
Slowly she shook her head. “No. But—”
“You are the most interesting, beautiful, and truehearted woman I have ever—ever—encountered. I like just chatting with you, and I never chat with females. You’ve been a…a candle in my darkness. And if I should ever be so lucky as to win your affection as you’ve won mine, I will…” He trailed off. “Please don’t ever belittle yourself in my presence again.”
Goodness.
“Thank you, Bram,” she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.
I absolutely adored this story of a true rake with few if any redeeming qualities (outside the bedchamber) who by happenstance met a woman in dire straits who rocked his world and made him want to be a better man.
Such a lovely, complex, emotional redemption arc for Bram! Add an all-consuming love, a woman who was to be “sold” to a monstrous villain in exchange for forgiveness of a gambling debt, a jaded rake who was driven to save her, wry humor, steamy passion, friendship, and all kinds of feels, and I found myself reading way past my bedtime.
Loved it!
“Do you think my heart is swayed by obligation or pity?”
Slowly she shook her head. “No. But—”
“You are the most interesting, beautiful, and truehearted woman I have ever—ever—encountered. I like just chatting with you, and I never chat with females. You’ve been a…a candle in my darkness. And if I should ever be so lucky as to win your affection as you’ve won mine, I will…” He trailed off. “Please don’t ever belittle yourself in my presence again.”
Goodness.
“Thank you, Bram,” she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.
August 22, 2020
5 stars
2020 Update: I no longer consider it one of the best HRs, however it still ranks very high up there!
May 2009: All I have to say is this: Always a Scoundrel is one of THE best historical romances I have ever read - and they number 350+, so that is definitely saying something! Would give it ten stars if I could!
2020 Update: I no longer consider it one of the best HRs, however it still ranks very high up there!
May 2009: All I have to say is this: Always a Scoundrel is one of THE best historical romances I have ever read - and they number 350+, so that is definitely saying something! Would give it ten stars if I could!
July 23, 2011
5.00 Stars - Regency/Historical Romance
A true rake would never reform ...
... unless he was tempted with a passion just as wicked
Oh my god! What a surprisingly delightful read! I didn’t see this coming. I was suggested this book rather carelessly by my friend and it just happened to be at the right place at the right time! I loved this book, and I cherished the hero, Bram! Oh where will I find my own Bram to fall so hardly in love with me? *sigh*
Always A Scoundrel tells the story of Lord Bramwell Johns, who is the second son of a duke. He is one of the most sorted out man by women of all stations despite being an unrepentant scoundrel. He is one of the most notorious man society has seen. A flawless rake, Bram has no remorse with his lifestyle and immoral ways and prolongs to focus on much more nefarious deeds to fill up his ‘boring’ times. A once warrior, he came back London three years ago only to focus on his rakish and wicked deeds while appreciating and encouraging the society calling him a scoundrel. Now that his two best friends found marital bliss, his life cannot be duller. Whoring, gambling and wagering seemed to only bring him partial delight. So he started off with another sin to make his life interesting until rather accidentally Lady Rosamund Davies came about.
Rosamund is a 22 year old plain spinsterish, flat-chested, freckled, tall chit who is suddenly about to be married off to a sadistic duke to pay off her brother’s debt. Bram stumbles upon the situation out of concurrence and finds himself entangled with it. He knows the duke, who is also his friend, to be an evil man and finds it hard to digest that an innocent chit like Rose is about to marry him. He decides to rescue her surprising himself and his friends in the process.
Bram falls HARD for her. But Rosamund knows that Lord Bramwell Johns is no different from her dangerous, almost-fiancé duke. She knows both men are aids to the Devil. But what she doesn’t know is that Bramwell Johns is MORE dangerous than the duke! She doesn’t know that this time, the Devil himself has fallen in love with her!
I simply loved Bram. He reminded me of Viscount Ramsay aka Leo Hathaway of Lisa Kleypas’s Married By Morning.
Though the story might sound clichéd, but it always depends the way it is told. Having said that, I’ll clarify it is indeed a beautifully written story. The hero is amazing. He has got a very sharp mind with a matching sharp tongue. He is a courageous, strong-willed hero with resolute focus. He knew what he wanted and he knew how he’ll acquire them. The heroine however was a bit frustrating. She was too gracious and was sometimes annoying since she got carried away by being too nice with her undeserving family.
However, a brilliant powerful hero with a superb ending stole the show for me to worry too much about the heroine.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
May 21, 2009
I liked this book, but it was kind of a disappointing end to the series.
I think Bram is my favorite character from the series. He's the most depraved and gets most of the best lines. But there is, unfortunately, a lot in his book that just didn't quite work. (The bad cover art notwithstanding, even.)
First, the Love at First Sight stuff was kind of unnecessary. We're told repeatedly that Bram has been with a lot of women, but then he meets Rose, who touches his arm once, and he's a goner. It's hokey, and it's also pretty unnecessary; I don't need for it to be Twoo Wuv from the get-go because there are a lot of other things going on between Rose and Bram that are far more compelling reasons for them to fall in love. Bram thinks to himself at one point that Rose has all of the qualities he most admires in his friends, for instance, and Rose and Bram come from families that ostracize them in similar ways, so they have lot in common. Why have all the weird cosmic stuff when they first meet?
Second, Cosgrove is an annoyingly one-dimensional villain. There's a lot of space there for him to be more interesting—he and Bram are friends at the beginning of the novel, after all—and he's just not, he's all evil all the time. (And he gets his at the end of the novel in an almost cartoonish way.)
Third, I feel like Rose, for being the sheltered second daughter of a prominent family, is way more worldly than is believable. When she and Bram inevitably have sex, she's remarkably knowledgeable.
But, on the other hand, Bram is still a great character. He's got a Robin Hood act going in the beginning of the novel and I thought it would be a repeat of the previous books, with Bram nobly committing crimes in order to serve some greater goal, but he ends up giving up the thievery when he meets Rose (though not because she inspires goodness in him, mostly just because he's too distracted). Phin and Sullivan also come back in this novel, and I think they are around just enough.
I think Bram is my favorite character from the series. He's the most depraved and gets most of the best lines. But there is, unfortunately, a lot in his book that just didn't quite work. (The bad cover art notwithstanding, even.)
First, the Love at First Sight stuff was kind of unnecessary. We're told repeatedly that Bram has been with a lot of women, but then he meets Rose, who touches his arm once, and he's a goner. It's hokey, and it's also pretty unnecessary; I don't need for it to be Twoo Wuv from the get-go because there are a lot of other things going on between Rose and Bram that are far more compelling reasons for them to fall in love. Bram thinks to himself at one point that Rose has all of the qualities he most admires in his friends, for instance, and Rose and Bram come from families that ostracize them in similar ways, so they have lot in common. Why have all the weird cosmic stuff when they first meet?
Second, Cosgrove is an annoyingly one-dimensional villain. There's a lot of space there for him to be more interesting—he and Bram are friends at the beginning of the novel, after all—and he's just not, he's all evil all the time. (And he gets his at the end of the novel in an almost cartoonish way.)
Third, I feel like Rose, for being the sheltered second daughter of a prominent family, is way more worldly than is believable. When she and Bram inevitably have sex, she's remarkably knowledgeable.
But, on the other hand, Bram is still a great character. He's got a Robin Hood act going in the beginning of the novel and I thought it would be a repeat of the previous books, with Bram nobly committing crimes in order to serve some greater goal, but he ends up giving up the thievery when he meets Rose (though not because she inspires goodness in him, mostly just because he's too distracted). Phin and Sullivan also come back in this novel, and I think they are around just enough.
August 2, 2018
3.5 stars
Suzanne Enoch is one of the most reliable authors I've come across recently. That may sound like faint praise, but there's always decent characterisation, a good balance of dialogue, description and action, and enough angst to get me invested in the story. And that's exactly what I got here - and very nice too, thank you. I shall probably read this again at some point and enjoy Bramwell's inexorable descent (as he sees it) into decency, love & marriage.
As a bonus (I think that's the word), for the first time ever in a HR, there were hints of a genuinely evil villain with suggestions that he might lure the heroine into drugs and hence degradation; he also physically abuses her (although for Rosamund that was less fearsome than the moral threat).
In some ways, I would like to see more "thoughtful" villainy in HR books: not in a prurient sense, but because there would be more "glory" for the H&h in defeating something significant. Too many villains are cardboard cut-outs, Sir Jasper de Vils, who invariably lay themselves open to being crept up from behind because they are too busy boasting of their power. The best depiction of real evil I've ever read (Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim) has no physical violence in it and the worst part is watching the victim's descent into complicity with the villain.
Suzanne Enoch is one of the most reliable authors I've come across recently. That may sound like faint praise, but there's always decent characterisation, a good balance of dialogue, description and action, and enough angst to get me invested in the story. And that's exactly what I got here - and very nice too, thank you. I shall probably read this again at some point and enjoy Bramwell's inexorable descent (as he sees it) into decency, love & marriage.
As a bonus (I think that's the word), for the first time ever in a HR, there were hints of a genuinely evil villain with suggestions that he might lure the heroine into drugs and hence degradation; he also physically abuses her (although for Rosamund that was less fearsome than the moral threat).
In some ways, I would like to see more "thoughtful" villainy in HR books: not in a prurient sense, but because there would be more "glory" for the H&h in defeating something significant. Too many villains are cardboard cut-outs, Sir Jasper de Vils, who invariably lay themselves open to being crept up from behind because they are too busy boasting of their power. The best depiction of real evil I've ever read (Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim) has no physical violence in it and the worst part is watching the victim's descent into complicity with the villain.
August 30, 2017
Sbg anak kedua seorang duke, Bram sudah mendedikasikan hidupnya sbg hedonis dan bajingan sejati. Ironisnya, saat teman2 karibnya sudah berkeluarga dan bahagia, Bram menganggap hal tsb hanyalah ilusi. Hingga dia bertemu wanita berparas biasa saja, Rose.
Ternyata Rose sudah diincar dan akan dinikahi oleh Marquis Cosgrove, mentor sekaligus kawan Bram. Rose awalnya msh naif, berpikir Cosgrove akan mjd suami yg baik. Rose mulai berubah pikiran sejak Cosgrove memperingatkan Rose dgn kata2 yg berkonotasi seksual dan tidak pantas. Rose mengalihkan pandangannya kpd Bram dan terkejut mendapati kebenaran dari ucapan Bram, perlahan tapi pasti menumbuhkan cinta diantara mereka.
Saya lebih menyukai novel ini drpd yg sblmnya utk serial ini. Karakter Bram yg sinis dan cuek, mendapat lawan seimbang yg tidak dinyana dari gadis yg tidak berwajah istimewa, Rose. Mungkin awalnya Bram hanya sekedar memberitahukan kebenaran ttg Cosgrove - bajingan manipulator yg keji, kpd Rose yg msh lugu. Tetapi keberanian Rose utk mengambil keputusan radikal menyangkut masa depannya, membuat Bram terpana dan terpikat pd gadis tsb.
Saya juga menyukai usaha keras Bram, baik dlm bersaing memperebutkan Rose dgn Cosgrove, maupun usaha2nya utk menyelamatkan Rose dan keluarganya. Sarkastis2 mulai bermunculan di novel ini walaupun masih skala sedikit sekali. Novel ini pantas sbg penutup terbaik serial ini.
Ternyata Rose sudah diincar dan akan dinikahi oleh Marquis Cosgrove, mentor sekaligus kawan Bram. Rose awalnya msh naif, berpikir Cosgrove akan mjd suami yg baik. Rose mulai berubah pikiran sejak Cosgrove memperingatkan Rose dgn kata2 yg berkonotasi seksual dan tidak pantas. Rose mengalihkan pandangannya kpd Bram dan terkejut mendapati kebenaran dari ucapan Bram, perlahan tapi pasti menumbuhkan cinta diantara mereka.
Saya lebih menyukai novel ini drpd yg sblmnya utk serial ini. Karakter Bram yg sinis dan cuek, mendapat lawan seimbang yg tidak dinyana dari gadis yg tidak berwajah istimewa, Rose. Mungkin awalnya Bram hanya sekedar memberitahukan kebenaran ttg Cosgrove - bajingan manipulator yg keji, kpd Rose yg msh lugu. Tetapi keberanian Rose utk mengambil keputusan radikal menyangkut masa depannya, membuat Bram terpana dan terpikat pd gadis tsb.
Saya juga menyukai usaha keras Bram, baik dlm bersaing memperebutkan Rose dgn Cosgrove, maupun usaha2nya utk menyelamatkan Rose dan keluarganya. Sarkastis2 mulai bermunculan di novel ini walaupun masih skala sedikit sekali. Novel ini pantas sbg penutup terbaik serial ini.
June 1, 2023
Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Een duivelse uitdaging - Candlelight Historische roman 858
Een goed afsluitend verhaal van deze leuke 3 delige serie .
Een goed afsluitend verhaal van deze leuke 3 delige serie .
July 15, 2015
While I wasn't blown away by the first two in this trilogy, I loved Always a Scoundrel. Our hero, Bram, has a really dark past and some really bad 'friends.' When one of those really bad friends sets his sights on Rosamund, Bram is stumped as to why he feels the need to protect her. After all, he has been living a life of nothing but sin. But there is something about Rosamund that draws him. Bram is very different than a lot of heroes I've read in that he truly has some demons to deal with. He has been intentionally living a life of debauchery, most simply because he doesn't care enough to see any reason not to. Rosamund is living a simple life, taking care of the whims of her family. She knows her duty, and is going to marry in order to forgive her brother's debt; therefore, she will keep her family from becoming destitute. It's not until she gets to know her new betrothed that she realizes what a terrible person he is and the shocking tastes he has. She is horrified, but also stuck. Then Bram learns of the betrothal and becomes curious as to why his 'friend' wishes to marry. After all, their life is one that doesn't include the trappings of a wife and family. And then they meet...sigh. Their relationship become one full of emotion that neither of them are ready for.
One of my favorite lines, in which Bram finally admits to himself, and one of the other "notorious gentlemen," Sullivan, that there is more to his interest in Rosamund than curiosity...
"I'm not going to sit and pour out my heart to you, because we both know I haven't got one."
"Mm hm. Just how much do you like this Lady Rosamund Davies?"
Bram froze for a heartbeat. He thought he'd been fairly clever about it, but Sullivan knew him better than most. Placing both hands flat on the table, he bowed his head for a brief moment. "She consumes me," he muttered..."
One of my favorite lines, in which Bram finally admits to himself, and one of the other "notorious gentlemen," Sullivan, that there is more to his interest in Rosamund than curiosity...
"I'm not going to sit and pour out my heart to you, because we both know I haven't got one."
"Mm hm. Just how much do you like this Lady Rosamund Davies?"
Bram froze for a heartbeat. He thought he'd been fairly clever about it, but Sullivan knew him better than most. Placing both hands flat on the table, he bowed his head for a brief moment. "She consumes me," he muttered..."
July 6, 2009
This was my favorite of Suzanne Enoch's "Nororious Gentlemen" series. I was really looking forward to Lord Bramwells story and it didn't disappoint. The heroine, Lady Rosamund, is overlooked by her family and forced into marriage by her wastrel younger brother (he gets himself into debt and the family is unable to repay the money he owes). Lord Bramwell is a rake and an unlikely hero based on the previous two "Notorious Gentlemen" books. Of course, this is one of the reasons why this book is so much fun to read because he attempts to reform for Lady Rosamund's sake. He involves himself into her situation and finds himself in the middle of a mess. The man she is forced into marriage is a villain and a one time friend of Lord Bramwell's! Lady Rosamund is a sweet character and is described as being very plain in appearance. It is refreshing to read a story where the heroine isn't always breathtakingly beautiful. I also liked how Suzanne Enoch incorporated the other characters from her previous books. The epilogue was wonderful and tied the series together really well.
February 11, 2015
Estaba buscando un libro romántico histórico que me llamara la atención y entonces este libro apareció y todo fue perfecto. Sí, la historia es muy típica, pero me gustó cada página de él. El protagonista logró cautivarme y me gustó mucho que la protagonista no cayera tan fácilmente en las garras del amor. Ja!
September 29, 2011
DNF. Only got few pages in. The whole rake-who-thinks-he'll-never-change trope has just been played out for me, unless it can offer a twist. Plus in just those few pages I felt like things were getting rehashed to the point where I was skipping ahead - not a good thing so early on.
February 12, 2019
Did anyone else notice the similarities between Always A Scoundrel and After the Kiss? This is the third time and that makes it a trend (!) that I’ve noticed when Enoch writes the same story for the second time, it's as good as the original, if not better.
But for a few, intriguing tweaks, Always a Scoundrel is the plot of After the Kiss (Notorious Gentlemen), just as Sin and Sensibility is the plot of London’s Perfect Scoundrel and Sins of a Duke is the plot of Something Sinful.
Bram is the Mayfair Marauder but now he’s a rebel without a cause (Literally. His dad was mean to him once and he decided to dedicate his life to a Marquis de Sade-like lecher). Similar to After the Kiss, Rose is caught in a love triangle between Bram and her betrothed, Cosgrove. Bram and Cosgrove also share a past history with each other. The heroine’s younger brother is a pup infatuated with the hero’s set and crowd. There's even a scene when the villain realizes the heroine has been intimate with the hero.
I know, I know. I’m oddly passionate about Suzanne Enoch plots. And weirdly fixated about this when tons of authors pilfer from themselves.
Anywaaaays. I enjoyed Bram’s story a lot in Always A Scoundrel, and it was especially pleasant since I was let down by After The Kiss, which had a lot going for it but was not well executed. Truth be told and I'm not happy to say - I haven’t been captivated by Enoch's books since The Griffin Family. I’ve tried Scandalous Brides as well as Notorious Gentlemen but found myself bored. They weren’t terrible reads but because I’ve read Enoch when she’s hit it out of the park, yeah they were terrible. Her later books felt a bit phoned in.
Always A Scoundrel proves time and time again Enoch knows how to write rakes. She’s got it down to a science. Bram is basically Saint from London’s Perfect Scoundrel and Valentine from Sin and Sensibility combined, and I love it.
Also, I’m still applauding Enoch for writing the scene where Cosgrove discovers the true relationship between Rose and Bram. That may have been my favourite part because it was believable but I didn’t believe it would be written that way! Also, the humour! Best-running joke of the story is when every character eyes Bram for wearing clothing that is not black, and all because Rose comments he looks like a pallbearer. But also Bram for deciding to re-arrange his library to make it presentable for Rose, not even thinking why she would ever be in there. This also leads to an epiphany that his lifelong vendetta against his dad is ~kinda~ silly.
I enjoyed Always A Scoundrel a lot. I'll probably reread this again when I'm in the mood!
But for a few, intriguing tweaks, Always a Scoundrel is the plot of After the Kiss (Notorious Gentlemen), just as Sin and Sensibility is the plot of London’s Perfect Scoundrel and Sins of a Duke is the plot of Something Sinful.
Bram is the Mayfair Marauder but now he’s a rebel without a cause (Literally. His dad was mean to him once and he decided to dedicate his life to a Marquis de Sade-like lecher). Similar to After the Kiss, Rose is caught in a love triangle between Bram and her betrothed, Cosgrove. Bram and Cosgrove also share a past history with each other. The heroine’s younger brother is a pup infatuated with the hero’s set and crowd. There's even a scene when the villain realizes the heroine has been intimate with the hero.
I know, I know. I’m oddly passionate about Suzanne Enoch plots. And weirdly fixated about this when tons of authors pilfer from themselves.
Anywaaaays. I enjoyed Bram’s story a lot in Always A Scoundrel, and it was especially pleasant since I was let down by After The Kiss, which had a lot going for it but was not well executed. Truth be told and I'm not happy to say - I haven’t been captivated by Enoch's books since The Griffin Family. I’ve tried Scandalous Brides as well as Notorious Gentlemen but found myself bored. They weren’t terrible reads but because I’ve read Enoch when she’s hit it out of the park, yeah they were terrible. Her later books felt a bit phoned in.
Always A Scoundrel proves time and time again Enoch knows how to write rakes. She’s got it down to a science. Bram is basically Saint from London’s Perfect Scoundrel and Valentine from Sin and Sensibility combined, and I love it.
Also, I’m still applauding Enoch for writing the scene where Cosgrove discovers the true relationship between Rose and Bram. That may have been my favourite part because it was believable but I didn’t believe it would be written that way! Also, the humour! Best-running joke of the story is when every character eyes Bram for wearing clothing that is not black, and all because Rose comments he looks like a pallbearer. But also Bram for deciding to re-arrange his library to make it presentable for Rose, not even thinking why she would ever be in there. This also leads to an epiphany that his lifelong vendetta against his dad is ~kinda~ silly.
I enjoyed Always A Scoundrel a lot. I'll probably reread this again when I'm in the mood!
November 4, 2018
I know a lot of people are fans of the Redeemed Rake trope, but I usually avoid them. If you want to enjoy a romance, you'd have to suspend your disbelief for awhile, and I just can't suspend my disbelief long enough with Redeemed Rakes. I tried doing it with Kleypas's
Devil in Winter
, which seems to be the gold standard for this trope (and besides, it's Kleypas - she got me into HR in the first place), but I was decidedly unconvinced by Sebastian's redemption. He was a controlling ass for most of the book.
This book, though. This book redeemed the Redeemed Rake trope for me. Bram, the hero, is the second son of a duke. He steals from aristocrats for the thrill of it, and he leaves the stolen goods in churches, because he doesn't need the money. He gambles, because his father sometimes cuts him off from receiving his allowance, and he needs a way to make money. But, of course, he's very smart about his gambling; he knows when to stop (it wouldn't be attractive otherwise, I suppose). And while he's hinted at being experienced with women, it's not overemphasized. Hrm, maybe in that sense he's not that "rakish" after all... But then, I appreciated that there wasn't any glamorization of his promiscuity or sexual exploits. I usually prefer it when the hero's discreet. Anyway, beneath all those habits, he's becoming restless. Both his friends are happily married, and he's bored and purposeless.
And then we meet the heroine, Rosamund. I loved Rose. She's level-headed and rational. She's loyal to the family, even when they practically sell her off to someone her no-good brother owes a debt to. In fact, her loyalty is also her flaw, but it's a flaw I understand, and it's one that she comes to realize in herself over her encounters with the man she's betrothed to, Cosgrove. Cosgrove is cold and manipulative, and he seems to like breaking people for sport. His character is surprisingly well-crafted; he's possibly one of the best villains I've come across in an HR, because while he's cold and manipulative, his motives are somehow understandable. I'll come to that in a bit.
So, Bram is a long-time friend and previous protege of Cosgrove, and he takes an interest in Rose because Cosgrove has taken an interest in her. In my opinion, it wasn't insta-love, but it was instant curiosity. Rose is "plain", and her family isn't rich, so it's not clear to Bram how someone like her can catch the eye of someone as powerful as Cosgrove. But, as he pursues his curiosity, he finds himself drawn to her at the same time, until he realizes he can't bear to hand her over to Cosgrove. There's a lot of internal struggle before he reaches this point. On the other hand, Rose reaches this realization much later than even Bram does, because she feels duty-bound to her family. All her life she's cast in the role as the one who holds the family together, so it's understandable that she would struggle coming to terms with the fact that her family sold her off to a monster, and that she has a right to refuse or run away.
At this point, they begin plotting an escape. It's problematic on a lot of levels. Bram is basically violating the bro code by snatching Rose from his "friend", who, feeling the slight, doubles his efforts to separate them; Rose can't leave her family in debt, even if the debt isn't her fault; they both don't have a lot of access to money - Bram being a second son - and, since Cosgrove's now onto them, they don't have much time. So, Bram pushes his luck in gambling to try to raise enough money either to pay the debt, or to help Rose run away. It sounds like he's "rescuing" Rose, but what I admire in Rose is that she permits him to do those things for her. She decides to trust him, and if he doesn't deliver, she vows to take things into her hands. In all this, I never felt she was a damsel in distress. I mean, even with her limited choices and with the way her circumstances seem to cast her as a victim, Rose always seemed to call on the strength to keep going.
Well, at this point I can't go on without giving too much away, but all I can say is that the conflict was foreshadowed from the very start, and that it really complicated a lot of things for the H/h. Part of the resolution of the conflict was also tied with character development on Bram's part, which I highly appreciated. In fact, both the H/h grow through their relationship and through the process of resolving the conflict. It all made their HEA well-earned and extremely satisfying.
My only gripe with this was that I found the beginning to be slow, and in fact skimmed the first two or three chapters, especially the parts with Bram's very scathing and cynical internal monologue or dialogue about how much he dislikes his friend's domestic bliss, yada yada. He bitched so much about it I began to wonder if he was secretly jealous or insecure, instead of the tough, I-don't-need-anyone machismo he's trying to project.
All in all, though, this was a highly enjoyable read. I would definitely reread it again in the future.
This book, though. This book redeemed the Redeemed Rake trope for me. Bram, the hero, is the second son of a duke. He steals from aristocrats for the thrill of it, and he leaves the stolen goods in churches, because he doesn't need the money. He gambles, because his father sometimes cuts him off from receiving his allowance, and he needs a way to make money. But, of course, he's very smart about his gambling; he knows when to stop (it wouldn't be attractive otherwise, I suppose). And while he's hinted at being experienced with women, it's not overemphasized. Hrm, maybe in that sense he's not that "rakish" after all... But then, I appreciated that there wasn't any glamorization of his promiscuity or sexual exploits. I usually prefer it when the hero's discreet. Anyway, beneath all those habits, he's becoming restless. Both his friends are happily married, and he's bored and purposeless.
And then we meet the heroine, Rosamund. I loved Rose. She's level-headed and rational. She's loyal to the family, even when they practically sell her off to someone her no-good brother owes a debt to. In fact, her loyalty is also her flaw, but it's a flaw I understand, and it's one that she comes to realize in herself over her encounters with the man she's betrothed to, Cosgrove. Cosgrove is cold and manipulative, and he seems to like breaking people for sport. His character is surprisingly well-crafted; he's possibly one of the best villains I've come across in an HR, because while he's cold and manipulative, his motives are somehow understandable. I'll come to that in a bit.
So, Bram is a long-time friend and previous protege of Cosgrove, and he takes an interest in Rose because Cosgrove has taken an interest in her. In my opinion, it wasn't insta-love, but it was instant curiosity. Rose is "plain", and her family isn't rich, so it's not clear to Bram how someone like her can catch the eye of someone as powerful as Cosgrove. But, as he pursues his curiosity, he finds himself drawn to her at the same time, until he realizes he can't bear to hand her over to Cosgrove. There's a lot of internal struggle before he reaches this point. On the other hand, Rose reaches this realization much later than even Bram does, because she feels duty-bound to her family. All her life she's cast in the role as the one who holds the family together, so it's understandable that she would struggle coming to terms with the fact that her family sold her off to a monster, and that she has a right to refuse or run away.
At this point, they begin plotting an escape. It's problematic on a lot of levels. Bram is basically violating the bro code by snatching Rose from his "friend", who, feeling the slight, doubles his efforts to separate them; Rose can't leave her family in debt, even if the debt isn't her fault; they both don't have a lot of access to money - Bram being a second son - and, since Cosgrove's now onto them, they don't have much time. So, Bram pushes his luck in gambling to try to raise enough money either to pay the debt, or to help Rose run away. It sounds like he's "rescuing" Rose, but what I admire in Rose is that she permits him to do those things for her. She decides to trust him, and if he doesn't deliver, she vows to take things into her hands. In all this, I never felt she was a damsel in distress. I mean, even with her limited choices and with the way her circumstances seem to cast her as a victim, Rose always seemed to call on the strength to keep going.
Well, at this point I can't go on without giving too much away, but all I can say is that the conflict was foreshadowed from the very start, and that it really complicated a lot of things for the H/h. Part of the resolution of the conflict was also tied with character development on Bram's part, which I highly appreciated. In fact, both the H/h grow through their relationship and through the process of resolving the conflict. It all made their HEA well-earned and extremely satisfying.
My only gripe with this was that I found the beginning to be slow, and in fact skimmed the first two or three chapters, especially the parts with Bram's very scathing and cynical internal monologue or dialogue about how much he dislikes his friend's domestic bliss, yada yada. He bitched so much about it I began to wonder if he was secretly jealous or insecure, instead of the tough, I-don't-need-anyone machismo he's trying to project.
All in all, though, this was a highly enjoyable read. I would definitely reread it again in the future.
January 13, 2025
I throughly enjoyed this book. I thought the story was strong as well as the character arc of the MMC. I also really appreciate how this author writes her rakes and how she makes them fight against their bad reputations to really earn their new leaves. I just found myself wishing it was a little spicier. For a book with a rake as a lead, I found it a little lacking in that department.
February 7, 2013
Always a Scoundrel, Suzanne Enoch - This was a fun book and I had trouble scoring this as just a good book or a really good book because it has elements of both. I especially enjoyed the dynamic between the hero (aka, the Scoundrel) and the villain, who is a true Villain. Cosgrove, the villain, is a handsome, charismatic rake, and a thoroughly despicable man who manipulates and ruins people for the sheer pleasure of it. The Scoundrel and our hero, Bramwell Johns, is a sheep in wolf's clothing, just waiting to meet the woman who can reform him. Rosamund is caught between the two men and not by choice. Her family is marrying her off to Cosgrove at the start of the novel to help pay off her irresponsible younger brother's gambling debts to him, and Cosgrove leaps at the chance to acquire a moral young woman to corrupt and torture. Bramwell surprises himself by getting involved in trying to save the hapless Rosamund, and that is essentially the plot of this interesting dynamic. I enjoyed the cat and mouse game, but unfortunately from a romance perspective, I think I enjoyed the dynamic between the two men more than the romance between Rosamund and Bram. Rosamund is just not nearly as interesting as the male characters and so it's never really clear for me why both men strive so hard to get her. Enoch also relies a bit too much for my liking on elusive chemistry to explain why Rosamund and Bram fall in love rather than portraying a gripping romance. This novel is not as good as London's Perfect Scoundrel, which has a similar storyline but doesn't lose sight of the central dynamic between the hero and heroine.
February 12, 2013
Yes - Hortencia has the right summation - "a decent read". I enjoyed the book, but not as much as "After the Kiss". More character development of Bram and Rose, and Cosgrove too for that matter, would have deepened my enjoyment of the story. The initial attraction between Bram and Rose happened too abruptly for me, and didn't really have much motivation, although once that hurdle was done, the rest of the love story developed nicely. The ending (for Cosgrove) is a bit disturbing, but ingenious, and is better than the villain's end in Meredith Duran's "Lady's Lesson in Scandal".
There were a couple of points in the book that struck me as anachronistic - the scene where Bram and his niece and nephew are literally "playing for peanuts" - I'm not at all sure that peanuts would have been a cheap and plentiful comestible in England in 1815. That scene didn't work for me because of this . Also Cosgrove's "addiction" to absinthe - yes, absinthe had been invented a few years before 1815 (in France) but it was nowhere near as notorious in 1815 as it was later in the 19th century. If he had to be depicted as a drug addict, an opium addiction would have made more sense for that time.
Despite the flaws I'm giving it 4 stars because a) I couldn't put it down and b) I know I'll be re-reading it at some time in the future and hopefully enjoying it even more.
(Has anyone else noticed that the cover of this book and Julie Anne Long's "What I Did For a Duke" have the same picture, just reversed?)
There were a couple of points in the book that struck me as anachronistic - the scene where Bram and his niece and nephew are literally "playing for peanuts" - I'm not at all sure that peanuts would have been a cheap and plentiful comestible in England in 1815. That scene didn't work for me because of this . Also Cosgrove's "addiction" to absinthe - yes, absinthe had been invented a few years before 1815 (in France) but it was nowhere near as notorious in 1815 as it was later in the 19th century. If he had to be depicted as a drug addict, an opium addiction would have made more sense for that time.
Despite the flaws I'm giving it 4 stars because a) I couldn't put it down and b) I know I'll be re-reading it at some time in the future and hopefully enjoying it even more.
(Has anyone else noticed that the cover of this book and Julie Anne Long's "What I Did For a Duke" have the same picture, just reversed?)
August 30, 2010
Ooh, I enjoyed this one. The hero is a rake trying to reform, after realising his exploits, intended to relieve himself of boredom, don't work any more. The heroine is trying to keep together her family, which neither wants her nor appreciates her and is perfectly willing to sell her in marriage. It was a great read and Bram is a great hero, but I've kept this one with a score of 4 for a number of reasons that bothered me.
1. We hear that the hero is a complete scoundrel, and the villain he runs around with certainly is a deviant, but apart from one or two things, like sleeping around and doing a Robin Hood thing, he struck me as naughty than rakish. I don't appreciate it when authors tell me how wicked a hero is, and keep telling me, without any evidence. Maybe he could have started out doing something really unforgiveable at the beginning, or even been a hero whose reputation is more wicked than reality, but this bothered me all the way through.
2. I never really got what the hero saw in the heroine, other than the old sparks-when-we-touch chestnut. She seemed nice enough, and her lack of conventional beauty didn't bother me, nor did her loyalty to her undeserving family (after all, as an unmarried woman she really had absolutely no choice, and I really thought this was a great plot), but I didn't really buy the everlasting love thing between these two.
Having said all that, it was a very enjoyable read. 4 stars. #2 in the series, Before the Scandal, remains my fave.
1. We hear that the hero is a complete scoundrel, and the villain he runs around with certainly is a deviant, but apart from one or two things, like sleeping around and doing a Robin Hood thing, he struck me as naughty than rakish. I don't appreciate it when authors tell me how wicked a hero is, and keep telling me, without any evidence. Maybe he could have started out doing something really unforgiveable at the beginning, or even been a hero whose reputation is more wicked than reality, but this bothered me all the way through.
2. I never really got what the hero saw in the heroine, other than the old sparks-when-we-touch chestnut. She seemed nice enough, and her lack of conventional beauty didn't bother me, nor did her loyalty to her undeserving family (after all, as an unmarried woman she really had absolutely no choice, and I really thought this was a great plot), but I didn't really buy the everlasting love thing between these two.
Having said all that, it was a very enjoyable read. 4 stars. #2 in the series, Before the Scandal, remains my fave.
January 24, 2011
This book started off good but quickly went downhilI fast without an interesting heroine. I could not see what in the world the hero saw in this woman. They did not make a good couple. The hero was a rake that had an appealing personality. I wanted to know more about him, but the heroine did not stand out at all. She seemed dull with nothing special to recommend her,not beauty, not spunk, not spine, not even self perservation since she was willing to marry a cruel man she hated to save her family. I knew I would never have been able to get into this story. I would need a heroine I could admire and understand why the hero fell in love with her, but this book does not offer even that basic element.
July 26, 2016
This could've been a 2 star rating but the author's narrative of Rosamund and her family was so gosh darn annoying. Rosamund's "loving" brother puts the family in major debt with gambling losses but instead of being even a tad contrite, he thinks he is doing his sister a favor because she is being bartered to even the loss. For an 18 year old boy, his insipid presence throughout the book made it so agitating for me to want to read further. And Rosamund, she was OK being traded off to a husband who basically threatened to rape her doggystyle than have her family suffer being poor. It wasn't until near the very end that she decides HMM MAYBE NOT! The romance with Bram was not enough to make up for this atrocious book.
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