Juliana (philippaj) -
Helpful Score: 1
~ AN INTELLIGENT, SERIOUS OUTCAST WIDOW MEETS HER MATCH IN A WITTY, RAKISH, DEVIL-MAY-CARE CHARMER (4 stars) ~
I thought Cara Elliott was a newcomer on the historical romance scene, but it turns out she has been publishing under the pen name Andrea Pickens for about ten years. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about TO SIN WITH A SCOUNDREL that were unusual or not commonly found in many other HRs and with all the romances out there, it's nice to read something that feels new and fresh. Overall, this book was a great read, though with some uneven parts or gaps in the story: it had strong and interesting leading characters, engaging supporting ones, sizzling chemistry, and humorous dialog and scenes.
This book is the first in Elliott's Circle of Sin trilogy and one of the things I appreciated right from the start was that the five women who are part of this "Circle of Sin" (officially called the Circle of Scientific Sibyls) are not all young marriage-aged single women. Kate is an American and all the aforementioned things, Ciara is a widow with a young son, Alessandra is a widow with a young daughter (and very mysterious past), and the other two women are elderly sisters who add humor and depth (one of whom gets her own sweet romance).
Lady Ciara Sheffield (love her name!) is a wonderful leading lady, both strong and soft. Despite challenging obstacles, she has persevered, is an extremely devoted mother, and maintains her integrity in the face of difficult circumstances. I liked that even when Lucas enters the scene and begins to help her, she doesn't fall all over herself at his feet - she's a strong woman and at no point does she lose that. Her interest in science is a nice twist; I always enjoy books where the heroine has unusual interests and/or talents (and where the author truly incorporates that into the character and isn't just doing lip-service).
Lucas Bingham, Earl of Hadley is the perfect match for Ciara, with his rakish and seemingly never-serious ways; she is almost too stern and Lucas balances this out so well. He's playful and smiles and laughs, yet his rakish devil-may-care facade hides an intelligent wit, a curious mind, and a great capacity for love and affection. His devotion to his uncle throughout the book is very sweet, his interactions with Peregrine (Ciara's son) are cute, and as we begin to see the "real" side of Lucas that he rarely shows to the world, we find ourselves falling in love with him right along with Ciara.
One of the things that Elliott did *so successfully* in this book was that she truly makes you believe in the development of the two main characters. So many times we start off with a rakish sleeps-with-everyone hero who undergoes a drastic transformation ... yet it happens unbelievably quickly and there's not enough explanation as to why he's changing and why now. Same with the heroines who are reserved, serious, and not very in touch with their sexuality - authors will often have them transform overnight into free-spirited, happy-go-lucky, sensual women and the reader is left floundering as to how it all happened.
Here, neither Ciara nor Lucas change the essentials of who they are, however they do slowly undergo a change in how they act towards people, deal with one another, and think about themselves. This is all done very believably, so that at times when you think Lucas is just about to be serious and say the sweet thing he actually wants to say, he reverts back to his rakish self and all three of you are disappointed (three being Ciara, Lucas, and the reader), yet know that this time the role seemed to feel a little less comfortable and ring a little less true. Similarly, Ciara will begin to be drawn in by Lucas and you think that she's just about to give in and let loose, when suddenly she'll pull back. The changes in them are gradual - as they would be in real life - but if I'm making it sound frustrating it is *not at all* that way. It actually makes for a much smoother and more authentic and enjoyable read.
My criticism of this book is that certain parts of the plot/story were uneven or had holes; some things didn't feel fully explored or you feel like you're missing information. For example, we gather that the husband was a mean cheating bastard, but there aren't any flashbacks, Ciara never talks about their marriage, and we don't really learn much about this person who has such a great influence over the story, since it's his family that is wreaking havoc on Ciara and Peregrine and he caused her distrust in men. Similarly, the mystery subplot was a little uneven; it's what propels Lucas and Ciara together, but at times it seems to fade away, feels somewhat contrived, or takes a turn for the melodramatic.
Regardless, this book was enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it! Isn't one you'll be staying up all night to finish, but is perfect for a light afternoon or weekend read.
CIRCLE OF SIN TRILOGY:
1) TO SIN WITH A SCOUNDREL - Lady Ciara Sheffield and Lucas Bingham, Earl of Hadley (March 2010)
2) TO SURRENDER TO A ROGUE - Lady Alessandra della Giamatti and Lord James Jacquehart Pierson (June 2010)
3) TO TEMPT A RAKE - Kate Woodbridge and the Conte of Como (March 2011)
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- A WOMAN OF VIRTUE (Lorimer Family, Book 1) by Liz Carlyle, 5 stars
- BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH by Meredith Duran, 5 stars
- WHERE DREAMS BEGIN by Lisa Kleypas, 5 stars
- A SUMMER TO REMEMBER (Bedwyn Family prequel) by Mary Balogh, 4.5 stars
- A DANGEROUS BEAUTY (Widows Club, Book 1) by Sophia Nash, 4.5 stars
- SURRENDER TO A SCOUNDREL by Julianne MacLean, 4 stars
- GUILTY PLEASURES by Laura Lee Guhrke, 4 stars
- WICKED WIDOW (Vanza Series, Book 4) by Amanda Quick
And if you love scientific-minded heroines or ones with unusual interests, Amanda Quick does as well, so check out RAVISHED (5 stars), DANGEROUS (4.5 stars), SCANDAL (4.5 stars), RECKLESS (4 stars), MISCHIEF (4 stars), DECEPTION, WITH THIS RING, and her Lavinia Lake and Tobias March Trilogy.
I thought Cara Elliott was a newcomer on the historical romance scene, but it turns out she has been publishing under the pen name Andrea Pickens for about ten years. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about TO SIN WITH A SCOUNDREL that were unusual or not commonly found in many other HRs and with all the romances out there, it's nice to read something that feels new and fresh. Overall, this book was a great read, though with some uneven parts or gaps in the story: it had strong and interesting leading characters, engaging supporting ones, sizzling chemistry, and humorous dialog and scenes.
This book is the first in Elliott's Circle of Sin trilogy and one of the things I appreciated right from the start was that the five women who are part of this "Circle of Sin" (officially called the Circle of Scientific Sibyls) are not all young marriage-aged single women. Kate is an American and all the aforementioned things, Ciara is a widow with a young son, Alessandra is a widow with a young daughter (and very mysterious past), and the other two women are elderly sisters who add humor and depth (one of whom gets her own sweet romance).
Lady Ciara Sheffield (love her name!) is a wonderful leading lady, both strong and soft. Despite challenging obstacles, she has persevered, is an extremely devoted mother, and maintains her integrity in the face of difficult circumstances. I liked that even when Lucas enters the scene and begins to help her, she doesn't fall all over herself at his feet - she's a strong woman and at no point does she lose that. Her interest in science is a nice twist; I always enjoy books where the heroine has unusual interests and/or talents (and where the author truly incorporates that into the character and isn't just doing lip-service).
Lucas Bingham, Earl of Hadley is the perfect match for Ciara, with his rakish and seemingly never-serious ways; she is almost too stern and Lucas balances this out so well. He's playful and smiles and laughs, yet his rakish devil-may-care facade hides an intelligent wit, a curious mind, and a great capacity for love and affection. His devotion to his uncle throughout the book is very sweet, his interactions with Peregrine (Ciara's son) are cute, and as we begin to see the "real" side of Lucas that he rarely shows to the world, we find ourselves falling in love with him right along with Ciara.
One of the things that Elliott did *so successfully* in this book was that she truly makes you believe in the development of the two main characters. So many times we start off with a rakish sleeps-with-everyone hero who undergoes a drastic transformation ... yet it happens unbelievably quickly and there's not enough explanation as to why he's changing and why now. Same with the heroines who are reserved, serious, and not very in touch with their sexuality - authors will often have them transform overnight into free-spirited, happy-go-lucky, sensual women and the reader is left floundering as to how it all happened.
Here, neither Ciara nor Lucas change the essentials of who they are, however they do slowly undergo a change in how they act towards people, deal with one another, and think about themselves. This is all done very believably, so that at times when you think Lucas is just about to be serious and say the sweet thing he actually wants to say, he reverts back to his rakish self and all three of you are disappointed (three being Ciara, Lucas, and the reader), yet know that this time the role seemed to feel a little less comfortable and ring a little less true. Similarly, Ciara will begin to be drawn in by Lucas and you think that she's just about to give in and let loose, when suddenly she'll pull back. The changes in them are gradual - as they would be in real life - but if I'm making it sound frustrating it is *not at all* that way. It actually makes for a much smoother and more authentic and enjoyable read.
My criticism of this book is that certain parts of the plot/story were uneven or had holes; some things didn't feel fully explored or you feel like you're missing information. For example, we gather that the husband was a mean cheating bastard, but there aren't any flashbacks, Ciara never talks about their marriage, and we don't really learn much about this person who has such a great influence over the story, since it's his family that is wreaking havoc on Ciara and Peregrine and he caused her distrust in men. Similarly, the mystery subplot was a little uneven; it's what propels Lucas and Ciara together, but at times it seems to fade away, feels somewhat contrived, or takes a turn for the melodramatic.
Regardless, this book was enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it! Isn't one you'll be staying up all night to finish, but is perfect for a light afternoon or weekend read.
CIRCLE OF SIN TRILOGY:
1) TO SIN WITH A SCOUNDREL - Lady Ciara Sheffield and Lucas Bingham, Earl of Hadley (March 2010)
2) TO SURRENDER TO A ROGUE - Lady Alessandra della Giamatti and Lord James Jacquehart Pierson (June 2010)
3) TO TEMPT A RAKE - Kate Woodbridge and the Conte of Como (March 2011)
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- A WOMAN OF VIRTUE (Lorimer Family, Book 1) by Liz Carlyle, 5 stars
- BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH by Meredith Duran, 5 stars
- WHERE DREAMS BEGIN by Lisa Kleypas, 5 stars
- A SUMMER TO REMEMBER (Bedwyn Family prequel) by Mary Balogh, 4.5 stars
- A DANGEROUS BEAUTY (Widows Club, Book 1) by Sophia Nash, 4.5 stars
- SURRENDER TO A SCOUNDREL by Julianne MacLean, 4 stars
- GUILTY PLEASURES by Laura Lee Guhrke, 4 stars
- WICKED WIDOW (Vanza Series, Book 4) by Amanda Quick
And if you love scientific-minded heroines or ones with unusual interests, Amanda Quick does as well, so check out RAVISHED (5 stars), DANGEROUS (4.5 stars), SCANDAL (4.5 stars), RECKLESS (4 stars), MISCHIEF (4 stars), DECEPTION, WITH THIS RING, and her Lavinia Lake and Tobias March Trilogy.
