After being jilted, Margaret Stredwick has sworn off men and marriage. What she needs is a holiday. But a detour along the way takes a surprising turn that leads Meg to him. And soon she starts to wonder if she should indulge in one grand flirtation before she’s firmly on the shelf.
The instant Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, finds a strange woman touring the halls of his ancient estate, he knows the minx is up to something. So, when a family heirloom is stolen, it’s clear who the culprit is. She may tempt him beyond reason, but he isn’t about to let her get away, even if he has to chase her across the continent.
Meg never imagined that anyone would mistake her for a notorious thief, known for seducing men to distraction. It’s the most thrilling thing ever! She eagerly plays along. . . until she finds herself falling in love with a man who has no idea who she really is. And by the time she returns to her ordinary life, she discovers that her grand flirtation won’t be a secret for long. Apparently, she brought home an unexpected souvenir…
Release Date: Feb 21, 2023
Series: The Mating Habits of Scoundrels
Book: 5
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon Books
Price: $6.99
“The notion that the Fates might have put him in her path had been one thing, but knowing it with soul-deep certainty was another altogether. He was her soul’s counterpart.”
Margaret Stredwick has sworn off marriage after being jilted by the love of her life and goes on holiday with her two eccentric aunts. They are on a mission to gather the most elusive and special recipes in all of Europe, and this leads them to the elusive Duke of Merleton’s ancient estate. When Meg has a run-in with Lucien Ambrose, he instantly knows that she is up to no good. When a family heirloom is stolen, Lucien must chase across the continent to get back what she has stolen.
I usually love Vivienne Lorret’s quirky and funny plots, but this story felt overdone and missing the usual lightness that her books tend to have. There were so many plots in this book: Meg being jilted, her aunts stealing recipes and winding up at Lucien’s estate, his family heirloom going missing, him chasing down Meg while believing she is a notorious thief, a secret baby, and then a second chance story two years later.
I won’t lie when I say that I rolled my eyes a couple of times while reading because it just felt like there was way too much going on. I am happy that Meg got her happy ending, but I was expecting more from Lorret after the last two had been some of my favorites that I have read by her. I did enjoy the antics of the aunts, the chase by Lucien, and seeing Brandon and Ellie again. However, the lack of honesty and communication between Meg and Lucien prevented me from believing their love in the end.
If you are already a fan of this series, then you don’t want to miss this one. Vivienne Lorret has a lot of humor in her writing so if you’re a fan of authors like Caroline Linden and Valerie Bowman then definitely give this a try.
~ Michelle
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