jcmbank's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
meggofoster's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
taisie22's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a Reddit recommendation, and I'm glad I picked it up. The writing is stellar, something that is erratic in historical romances. It's a fresh take on an old trope: the hero has no heart as his first love burned him, and the naive heroine has been dismissed from her family and society because she was caught kissing another man. Prue decides to take Leo up on his offer to become his mistress for four months (he keeps a time limit on his affairs, and clocks become a big part of his time with Prue) since she's already ruined, and he promises to help her get back her inheritance. Then they plan to each go on their own ways, with no love involved.
Prue is adorable, determined, and practical. Leo is almost too much with his contracts and limits, but Prue is different for him right from the start, and it manifests in different ways (see previous reference to clocks). The secondary characters are fine though I haven't read the previous books in the series; I want to give a special shoutout to Leo's butler - loved him. I've already grabbed the next book in the series because I want to read Meg's story. Great to find a new (to me) author.
Prue is adorable, determined, and practical. Leo is almost too much with his contracts and limits, but Prue is different for him right from the start, and it manifests in different ways (see previous reference to clocks). The secondary characters are fine though I haven't read the previous books in the series; I want to give a special shoutout to Leo's butler - loved him. I've already grabbed the next book in the series because I want to read Meg's story. Great to find a new (to me) author.
earth2sammi's review
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Leo’s heart was not stolen so much as him ripping it out of his chest and giving it to Prue on a platter.
tunafish's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
muffreadsreview71's review against another edition
5.0
How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart was a wonderful historical romance. I thought it was well written, entertaining and loved the characters. Prudence knew what she wanted. And Lord Savage was a sweet heart. He wanted to protect Prudence and his heart. I loved the story. It's part of a series so I have to check the others out. I received an ARC copy from Netgalley. Thanks!!
#HowtoStealaScoundrelsHeart #NetGalley #AvonBooks #HarperVoyagerUS
#HowtoStealaScoundrelsHeart #NetGalley #AvonBooks #HarperVoyagerUS
shortnsweet_reviews's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fun, thrilling, and scandalous read. I loved the main characters and the storyline was fast paced and riveting. I literally read this in less than a day because I was hooked! Highly recommend if you love spicy historical romances.
maryparapluie's review against another edition
4.0
There are a couple of obvious comparisons with this book - it reminded me of Julia Quinn's An Offer from a Gentleman and of Lisa Kleypas's The Devil in Winter. It does a pretty good job of living up to those comparisons while also being different enough to succeed on its own terms.
I really liked Prue and Leo (even if I wanted to make a joke about Prue being the wrong Halliwell sister), and I felt like they were well-rounded likable characters who were mostly straightforward with each other except where their personal insecurities were concerned. Though I did wish that we would see a little more closure on some of those insecurities as part of the plot - that's one of the reasons I didn't go for the fifth star.
I thought that the author did a good job of revealing their specific baggage piece by piece. The pacing in this book is also more successful than some of the others in the series because I really wanted to keep reading and to know what was going to happen next. The plot about needing to recover the parts of her inheritance helped on both of the above counts because we knew all along how many things they were chasing and how much time they had and could measure it all against that timeline.
Overall - this was maybe my favorite book of the series!
Thanks to Avon for the ARC.
I really liked Prue and Leo (even if I wanted to make a joke about Prue being the wrong Halliwell sister), and I felt like they were well-rounded likable characters who were mostly straightforward with each other except where their personal insecurities were concerned. Though I did wish that we would see a little more closure on some of those insecurities as part of the plot - that's one of the reasons I didn't go for the fifth star.
I thought that the author did a good job of revealing their specific baggage piece by piece. The pacing in this book is also more successful than some of the others in the series because I really wanted to keep reading and to know what was going to happen next. The plot about needing to recover the parts of her inheritance helped on both of the above counts because we knew all along how many things they were chasing and how much time they had and could measure it all against that timeline.
Overall - this was maybe my favorite book of the series!
Thanks to Avon for the ARC.
ninas_nook's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I stayed up all night to finish and practically read this one in one sitting. I’m just obsessed, can’t get enough and I’m now going to scrounge for more books by Vivienne Lorret because clearly I have been missing out on a gem!
Regency romance is one of my comfort genres. It’s where I go where I need a heart book, a happy place to dwell for awhile, and this one fit the bill and gave me all the happy vibes I crave from a regency.
We had a couple thrust together due to unusual circumstances, Prue is thought to be ruined, she’s been kicked out of her family home and all of her inheritance has been given away to members of the ton. She decides as she’s ruined anyway, she’s going to steal it all back.
But, it may be helpful if the Marquess of Savage (YES, SAVAGE) takes her as mistress and helps along the way.
It’s a little different in this regency that Prue agrees to be Leo’s mistress, but when we discuss Prue and her agency, I actually enjoyed that she was willing to take from life what she wanted and get what mattered to her.
Leo is a Rake, but it is a classic “I hate everyone but you” scenario where Prue sees through him to the man he is beneath his trauma. He is kind to her, and he saw within Prue a woman different from every other he’d ever known. She doesn’t want to take from him, but only wants the quiet calm of a life that was taken from her.
This one was exactly what I needed and I loved it so much. From the fun banter, the hilarious snap backs between our main characters, and the hijinks of literally stealing from the ton, don’t let this one off your radar!
Thank you to Avon Harper Collins and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.
I stayed up all night to finish and practically read this one in one sitting. I’m just obsessed, can’t get enough and I’m now going to scrounge for more books by Vivienne Lorret because clearly I have been missing out on a gem!
Regency romance is one of my comfort genres. It’s where I go where I need a heart book, a happy place to dwell for awhile, and this one fit the bill and gave me all the happy vibes I crave from a regency.
We had a couple thrust together due to unusual circumstances, Prue is thought to be ruined, she’s been kicked out of her family home and all of her inheritance has been given away to members of the ton. She decides as she’s ruined anyway, she’s going to steal it all back.
But, it may be helpful if the Marquess of Savage (YES, SAVAGE) takes her as mistress and helps along the way.
It’s a little different in this regency that Prue agrees to be Leo’s mistress, but when we discuss Prue and her agency, I actually enjoyed that she was willing to take from life what she wanted and get what mattered to her.
Leo is a Rake, but it is a classic “I hate everyone but you” scenario where Prue sees through him to the man he is beneath his trauma. He is kind to her, and he saw within Prue a woman different from every other he’d ever known. She doesn’t want to take from him, but only wants the quiet calm of a life that was taken from her.
This one was exactly what I needed and I loved it so much. From the fun banter, the hilarious snap backs between our main characters, and the hijinks of literally stealing from the ton, don’t let this one off your radar!
Thank you to Avon Harper Collins and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.