To Sin with a Scoundrel Book

H/H are gossip fodders, for different reasons. Ciara's venomous, fork-tongued in-laws (nephew & sis-in-law) want to get their grubby paws on her 8 y/o son's inheritance by feeding the tabloids w/ malicious, slanderous insinuations that Ciara murdered her abusive, drunkard hubby. Lucas is infamous as Mad, Bad, Had-Ley (tho' I thought this was kinda exaggerated 'cuz since the 1st chapter, he hardly ever did anything to live up to his rakish rep). Lucas has hidden depths & talents, w/ a big heart that encompasses fondness for Henry, his invalid guardian / uncle & also for Ciara's son, Peregrine. B4 H/H meet, Ciara overhears some ladies sighing over Lucas's prowess, esp his cunnilingus skills. The last man on earth she'd wanna hook up w/ is Lucas, but she's left w/ no choice as her in-laws' efforts to frame her for murder intensify. She reluctantly agrees to her buddies' scheme, to enter a sham engagement, to throw a protective cloak over Ciara & Perry. In exchange, she agrees to translate an ancient manuscript for Lucas's uncle. Lucas is stunned @ 1st sight 'cuz nobody told him that Ciara's a looker. He agrees to study ornithology & he proves to be an apt pupil. Both H/H have their own circle of friends that they can rely on, for morale support & brainstorming ideas. Lucas's BFFs also help him out as Lucas parades Ciara to the society. When Ciara & Perry's safety is jeopardized, Lucas decides to relocate Ciara & Perry - w/ chaperones, of course - to his country home but trouble follows wherever they go. They gotta convince 1 another that they're worthy of luv, despite their vastly different lifestyles. I luved how Lucas always teases Ciara & charms the drawers outta her w/ sly innuendoes.

The romance progresses @ a steady pace. The plot is quite simple but it's character-driven. What made the book come alive for me : the entire cast of characters (esp Lucas, the huggable hero), fun atmosphere, tongue-in-cheek humor, v. entertaining dialogues & thank gawd, no purple prose. Even tho' it won't win any artsy fartsy literary prizes, this was 1 of those books that made me loathe to go to work the next day but I needed my much-needed beauty sleep to preserve health & job security =)~

If U like a funny, strong but softie hero who interacts well w/ kids, a take-charge McRake who steps up to the plate effortlessly w/ his winning charm, this is the 1. Oh yeah he also has an unusual writing style, 1 that he's tried v. hard not to reveal, he writes the letters in reverse, the E & F facing left. When I read that, I was like, huh, I write exactly like that ! Now what's wrong w/ us ? Dyslexia ? LOL… Well I can certainly relate to him. He's also a talented sketch artist & an avid bird observer. Whodathunk, a carefree, good-for-nuffink rascal has more than meets the nekid eye ? H/H's realization that they're in luv for the 1st time in their lives was smooth & believable. It's cool that his transformation wasn't an overnite process. He finally finds a greater purpose in life, other than wasting his time away w/ endless carousing. His fellow wastrel friends watch his puzzling transformation in disbelief & take sly jabs @ his gradual attitude changes, they can't believe that he's no longer the rakehell he used to be. He feels unworthy of Ciara. He appreciates her beauty & brains. He even admits to himself that she makes him wanna be a better man. Aaaawww… duncha just luv a hero who doesn't go thru' the self-denial process to the bitter end ? From his BFF, Ciara's made aware that Lucas has carved up a shiny camouflage for himself as the devil-may-care scoundrel, to avoid being the butt of his peer's jokes. He's whip-smart, but he makes an error in judgment that results in almost-fatal consequences & he flogs himself for not keeping his trap shut (but he makes up for it @ the end when he plays the knight in shining armor who rescues the damsel's precious son). Perry, starving for any morsels of paternal affection & guidance, is ecstatic in having a role model / fun playmate in Lucas. Ciara is quite torn, between wanting her son to be happy yet dreading the time if / when Lucas will break his son's & her hearts once it's all over. There's also a sweet & subtle 2ndary romance between Lucas's uncle & Ariel, Ciara's dear friend from her 'Circle of sin', which goes to show that love knows no ages even if U got 1 foot in the grave.

I admit that usually the H/H can make / break a book & I'm a tad too generous in rating if the hero's to die for, but what the hell, this book was a boatload of fun & it hit all the right notes @ the right moment, on the heels of the other unmentionable book featuring asscrack wacko hero. Lucas is a balm to my bruised eyes, he has perched himself on my permanent luvable hero shelf. His character growth was excellent. I luved his exuberance & the different facets of his personalities. He's the epitome of 'don't judge a man by his antics', he doesn't give a hoot 'bout what others think of him, but he's appalled as he realizes that his bad rep is not a badge of honor. He recognizes his faults & starts to regret his past actions, the more he hangs out w/ his BFF & Ciara. He actually extends himself to be a man worthy of Ciara's regards. There's something endearing 'bout a quick & protective hero who's willing to put his life on the line for a kid.

The noticeable minor deficiencies are prolly just me being too nitpicky 'cuz that's my line of work in real life. Whazzup w/ the plethora of 'Lud' ? There's 1 page where it's mentioned w/ 'Lord'. Also, Ciara inexplicably stammers. A lot. The evil villains are too cartoonish, it's like watching an episode of goofballs Tom & Jerry, they're merely a prop. The mystery is no mystery @ all. It's revealed from the beginning that they'll stop @ nuffink to succeed, by eliminating all obstacles to their diabolical plan. None of these flaws detract the overall entertainment value of this fun romp. The luv scenes are sensual but not crass. I liked the crackling chemistry between H/H as they explored the mystery of passion. To my utter delight, it's a potent relaxer.

I can't wait to read the sequel 'cuz here we get blistering dialogues between the lady w/ the mouth, fiery Alessandra (Ciara's BFF) VS Black Jack, the Prince of Darkness (Lucas's BFF). I also wanna read 'bout Lucas' other married friends.