Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover

Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (2014) Sarah MacLean

Set in England in 1824

Fathers’ sins never seemed to stick. It was the mother who bore the heavy weight of ruin in these situations. The mother who passed it on to the child, as though there were not two involved in the act.

The final book in the Rules of Scoundrels series is harder for me to judge for some reason. First we have the mysterious Chase, founder of the Fallen Angel.

Second we have Duncan West, publisher of a variety of newspapers–the first of which was a scandal sheet that started everything for him.

Both have secrets they are desperate to hide, for the sake of the girls in their lives. Chase her daughter, Duncan his younger sister.

“When you are invited to Society events . . . you cannot discuss physical manifestations of anything.” She paused. “And it’s best to avoid discussion of drinking of blood from skulls.”

“It was wine.”

“Let’s settle on no skull drinking of any kind.”

Caroline signed. “Society events sound terribly boring.”

That bit cracks me up–especially when it comes up again later in the book.

Things are slightly less dire for Duncan.

“Shouldn’t you allow me to be seen? Are you not concerned about my marriage prospects? I’m twenty-three, for heaven’s sake. On the shelf!”

“By all means, find a husband. I’ve scores of eligible bachelors working here. Choose one of them. Any one you please. Choose Baker. He’s a good worker.”

She pressed a hand to her breast. “A good worker. My heart. I can hardly bear its pounding.”

“He’s all his teeth, and a brain in his head.”

“High praise, indeed.”

And I do enjoy how much her partner’s and their wives care for Chase. Beyond business.

“Pippa would like you to come to dinner next week.” He paused. “You and Caroline.”

She raised a brow. Cross’s wife was the least likely person in London to invite someone to dinner.

He smiled, seeming to understand her surprise, the love he had for his wife lightening his face, setting something off deep in Georgiana. “It’s not a dinner party. It’s dinner. And will likely end in all of us covered in dirt.”

I do like that for that he is clever, Duncan never sees the truth of Chase until the very end. Because no one would ever expect a woman to do the things she did.

Published by Avon

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