Publishers Weekly
★ 01/02/2023
Lorret’s tantalizing fifth Mating Habits of Scoundrels romance (after How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart) begins with Meg Stredwick and her aunts Maeve and Myrtle heading to Europe to collect recipes. On the way, they take a detour to the estate of academic Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, believing the duke may have hidden a secret recipe. As her aunts search for the recipe, Meg is caught by the duke himself, who doesn’t totally buy her story that she and her aunts just needed a place to freshen up on their journey. After the women leave, Lucien discovers a bejeweled family recipe book missing and becomes convinced that Meg is the mysterious Lady Avalon, a thief who has been wreaking havoc on upper-crust society. He tracks Meg to France, where, thanks to close quarters, palpable chemistry, and (Lucien believes) some kind of aphrodisiac, they embark on a sensuous affair—with an unintended consequence. Lorret’s sparkling characters, including Meg’s delightfully flirtatious older aunts and an intellectual duke comically devoid of common sense, light up the pages of this un-put-downable tale. Historical romance fans will be captivated by Lucien and Meg’s cat-and-mouse romance. Agent: Stefanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"Tantalizing...Lorret’s sparkling characters, including Meg’s delightfully flirtatious older aunts and an intellectual duke comically devoid of common sense, light up the pages of this un-put-downable tale. Historical romance fans will be captivated by Lucien and Meg’s cat-and-mouse romance." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Viv Lorret is up there with Sarah MacLean and Lisa Kleypas on my historical auto-buy list!” — Lauren Layne, USA Today bestselling author
“This is the author you’ve been waiting for!” — Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author
“The perfect blend of deep emotion, compelling characters and the sort of romance that goes straight to the reader’s heart.” — Sophie Barnes, author of The Duke of Her Desire
“Will charm Lorret’s fans thoroughly, combining classic Regency tropes and storytelling with contemporary sensibilities…A compelling marriage-of-convenience story in a beloved series.” — Kirkus Reviews on How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart
“Lorret has created a delicious world filled with complex, charming characters. A touch of passion and some comic relief make this a well-blended novel that includes an alluring setup for the next in the series.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Wrong Marquess
"Readers who swoon over “fated to be together” romances will love it..." — Library Journal
Library Journal
01/01/2023
Lorret's fifth installment in the "Mating Habits of Scoundrels" series (after How To Steal a Scoundrel's Heart) features a determined heroine and the bespectacled hero who pursues her across Europe. Lucien, the Duke of Merleton, unexpectedly runs into Meg Stredwick on his estate the day a precious family recipe book is stolen. Believing her to be the thief, Lucien follows Meg and her aunts to France. Meg is nursing a broken heart and wants to practice her flirting with Lucien, while also helping her aunts steal recipes from famous kitchens. The trust is low between the two protagonists, and they fight attraction and each other while travelling the continent. The story takes an abrupt and unexpected turn in the second half of the book, which may catch some readers off guard. But a touch of mystical fate (Lucien's family claims to have ties to King Arthur) all but ensures a happy ending. VERDICT Readers who swoon over "fated to be together" romances will love it, but those who don't like the couple keeping big secrets from each other should be forewarned.—Kathryn Howe
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-12
A debutante is determined to have one grand flirtation before retiring to the country to enjoy life as a spinster aunt.
Margaret Stredwick has suffered heartbreak and disappointment in Regency London’s marriage mart. She decides to go on a tour of the Continent before returning to her brother’s home to spoil his children for the rest of her life. Meg's traveling companions are her beloved sister-in-law's elderly aunts, who have an unfortunate habit of pilfering secret recipes everywhere they go. But when the aunts attempt to steal an ancient Arthurian recipe book from Lucien Ambrose, the Duke of Merleton, when they stop for a tour of his home on their way to the Continent, it is Meg who is accused of theft. Lucien pursues the three women to Europe and follows them from inn to inn, trying to coerce Meg into revealing where she has hidden the book. Meg flirts with the duke, wanting just one spicy memory before she gives up on finding love. When she returns to England, Meg is carrying a spicy memory indeed—and a living reminder of her encounter with the duke. She writes to Lucien, but her letters are intercepted by a mysterious adversary. Meg thinks the duke has discarded her and their baby daughter. Lucien thinks Meg has abandoned him and made off with his family heirloom. When they meet up again, the reader follows the tedious and predictable path to their reconciliation. Readers looking for a romance novel that incorporates recipes and food will be disappointed—there is only one recipe in the book and few descriptions of food.
An eccentric duke and a spinster suffer through misunderstandings and minor deceptions, trying the reader’s patience.
