The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel

August 8, 2016
Ruination takes a back seat to assassination in McQuiston’s Victorian-era romantic thriller, the third in the Seduction Diaries series (after The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior). Mary Channing is rather unexpectedly engaging in her first kiss, with the kind assistance of future viscount Geoffrey “West” Westmore, when they overhear bits and pieces of an assassination plot taking place in London. Unfortunately, West is known as a prankster, so no one believes their story. West never planned to marry. He has nightmares of his time in war, and heavy drinking and promiscuity are his ways of coping; this is hardly the behavior of a proper husband. Mary knows he doesn’t love her. However, they need a way to secretly investigate—and stop—the impending assassination, and they can only work as a team if they marry to satisfy the society gossips. Mary’s intelligence and strength and West’s caring and attentiveness transform their forced marriage into a welcome one. The characters and their relationship develop alongside the investigation, not because of it. The story is equal parts mystery and romance, and just when readers begin to feel cheated, the twists and turns navigate to a stunning ending. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.

A bookish young woman and a degenerate ex-soldier team up to foil an assassination plot in Victorian England, falling in love in the process.When Mary Channing answers a summons to keep her pregnant sister company in London, she expects to continue her usual quiet life of reading and writing in her journal. But her first social event ends in disaster when Geoffrey "West" Westmore corners her in a library and steals a kiss. West is recovering from psychological wounds he suffered in the Crimean War and is apt to think of women as delicious distractions from his own pain, not as people in their own rights. When the pair hides behind a curtain to avoid discovery, they overhear the sketchy outlines of an assassination plot. The would-be assassins soon depart, but another group enters, and this time they find a tousled Mary alone with one of London's most notorious womanizers. What follows is a rollicking tale as West tries to convince Mary to become Mrs. Westmore and Mary tries to convince West that he needs her help investigating the assassination plot. But West still thinks Mary, and all women, is his to enjoy and protect and is unwilling to treat Mary as an equal. Both West and Mary are rather bumbling in their sleuthing skills, overlooking obvious clues, being impulsive and indiscreet. Mary is intelligent but naive. West is blinded by his lack of faith in Mary's abilities and by his own trauma. Still, McQuiston's (The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior, 2015, etc.) third Seduction Diaries novel is to be commended for its complex and unusual plot and for featuring characters the reader comes to care for. A surprising, readable story about healing, forgiveness, and trust. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016
When Mary Channing travels to London to stay with her sister during her confinement, the last thing she expects is to end up married to the city's absolute worst scoundrel. At 26, Mary is considered a spinster, and she certainly is naive about the rules of society to the point of ruining herself on her very first outing. Not only is she caught in a compromising position with Geoffrey Westmore while hiding in the library, they overhear a plot to assassinate the queen. Geoffrey may be a scoundrel and a rake, but with Mary he is honorable, offering to marry her now that her reputation is in tatters. What begins as a dutiful marriage turns into a genuine partnership as they work together to uncover the truth behind the evil plot. The real fun is in Mary and Geoffrey's verbal sparring, spiked with double entendres and Mary's journal entries detailing her experiences. Regency romance fans will adore this addition to McQuiston's Seduction Diaries series (The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior, 2015).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

August 1, 2016
A bookish young woman and a degenerate ex-soldier team up to foil an assassination plot in Victorian England, falling in love in the process.When Mary Channing answers a summons to keep her pregnant sister company in London, she expects to continue her usual quiet life of reading and writing in her journal. But her first social event ends in disaster when Geoffrey "West" Westmore corners her in a library and steals a kiss. West is recovering from psychological wounds he suffered in the Crimean War and is apt to think of women as delicious distractions from his own pain, not as people in their own rights. When the pair hides behind a curtain to avoid discovery, they overhear the sketchy outlines of an assassination plot. The would-be assassins soon depart, but another group enters, and this time they find a tousled Mary alone with one of Londons most notorious womanizers. What follows is a rollicking tale as West tries to convince Mary to become Mrs. Westmore and Mary tries to convince West that he needs her help investigating the assassination plot. But West still thinks Mary, and all women, is his to enjoy and protect and is unwilling to treat Mary as an equal. Both West and Mary are rather bumbling in their sleuthing skills, overlooking obvious clues, being impulsive and indiscreet. Mary is intelligent but nave. West is blinded by his lack of faith in Marys abilities and by his own trauma. Still, McQuistons (The Spinsters Guide to Scandalous Behavior, 2015, etc.) third Seduction Diaries novel is to be commended for its complex and unusual plot and for featuring characters the reader comes to care for. A surprising, readable story about healing, forgiveness, and trust.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.