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Audiobook10 hours
Sweetest Scoundrel
Written by Elizabeth Hoyt
Narrated by Ashford McNab
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
SHE'S TAKING CHARGE
Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother's investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London's premier pleasure garden, Harte's Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can't be controlled.
HE'S RUNNING THE SHOW
Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn't have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden's larger-than-life owner, he's already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He's not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is.
BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL
In spite of her lack of theatrical experience-and her fiery clashes with Asa-Eve is determined to turn Harte's Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There's no denying the smoldering fire between them-and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all . . .
Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother's investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London's premier pleasure garden, Harte's Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can't be controlled.
HE'S RUNNING THE SHOW
Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn't have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden's larger-than-life owner, he's already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He's not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is.
BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL
In spite of her lack of theatrical experience-and her fiery clashes with Asa-Eve is determined to turn Harte's Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There's no denying the smoldering fire between them-and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all . . .
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Reviews for Sweetest Scoundrel
Rating: 3.933823492647059 out of 5 stars
4/5
68 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Audio-book: Narrator - Ashford McNab
Another excellent performance by this narrator. I don’t think there’s anything I could complain about and there’s plenty that I could praise her over. The way she brings these characters to life is exceptional.
I was anxious to get to Asa’s story. As the owner of Hart’s Folly I was curious to see what his background would be. I must confess I was a bit disappointed at what is revealed. On the other hand, it seemed feasible and I accepted it as such. Eve was a perfect counterpoint to him and kept him on his toes. I loved that she challenged him pretty much every step of the way. Her background was definitely quite terrifying and I was spellbound as it was brought into the light. I am so glad she found her HEA and that along the way she brought a certain amount of peace to Asa. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/53.5 stars
"Lily of the valley." He made her feel exotic, still dressed in her sensible gray frock, only her hair loose about her shoulders.
"Lily of the valley," he murmured. "I'll remember that scent forever now, and whenever I smell it again I'll think of you, Eve Dinwody. You'll be haunting my tomorrows forevermore."
She gasped and turned, looking up at him. She'd thought that he'd be smiling teasingly at his words, but he looked quite serious and she stared at him in wonder. Had he always carried this part of himself inside? This wild poetic lover? If so, he'd hidden it well underneath the aggressive, foulmouthed theater manager. She had a secret fondness for the crass theater manager, but the poet....
She swallowed, suddenly nervous.
She might come to love a wild poet.
Foreplay. This story from page one until almost the very end is one deliciously drawn out word, foreplay. Asa is darkly erotic in the most sweet way. He recognizes that his approaches to Eve must be gentle (emotionally) and all on her terms, which he then executes in scorching hot ways. The villain aspect felt somewhat tagged on and I generally like more verbal sparring between my leads. This was heavy on the sexual aspects side, don't get me wrong it works, (woo baby does it work, carriage scene anyone?) I just personally tend to like more focus on other aspects.
The way Asa suspects about Eve's issues but refuses to treat her any different as a woman, acknowledging and encouraging her desires, and then when he knows and how he gives her agency and power while still feeding her desires and his own, make this a must read. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To start reading Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series in the middle of it is no fun, because everyone you meet you’ll find intriguing and keep looking up if their story had already been told or is it coming up. I did however figure out that out of the nine books in this series, I own the last five and that’s a good thing because I’m now working my way to all of them.
If all the stories in this series are as intriguing and this well written, I’m in for a lot of pleasurable hours of reading.
The hero and heroine in this story are two very strong and opinionated characters who start their relationship on a wrong foot, and following them was a lot of fun and not just because of their chemistry, but mostly because of the dialogue between the two.
I must say that even though I’m new to this series and am starting it from the ‘back’, I found it written well enough that it didn’t bother me at all that I haven’t read them in order. That said, if you haven’t read any in this series, please try to get them all and read them in order. I believe it would enhance your experience tenfold.
Now, off I go to start the series from book one!
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'm starting to feel like a broken record. Every time Elizabeth Hoyt releases a new book, I rush out to buy it and read it as soon as I possibly can. And every one of her Maiden Lane books that I've read for the last several years since the series started (well, technically nearly every one of her books that I've read period) has been amazing so far. Out of the thirteen books of hers that I've read up to this point, all but one has received a 4.5 to 5 star rating from me, and even that one odd book out was still a four-star read for me. Yes, she really is that good, at least IMHO, so if you're a historical romance fan and you're not reading her books, you really should be. If you don't, you're missing out on an extremely talented author who really knows how to write an engaging story with relatable characters in compelling circumstances. Her sensual scenes are blazing hot without quite tipping the scales into the erotic, but they do come close. Ms. Hoyt simply knows her stuff when it comes to writing (I can only aspire to be as good as she is someday). Now Sweetest Scoundrel is her latest offering to get my very well-deserved stamp of approval.Asa is the black sheep of the Makepeace family. He's been estranged from them for years due to his conservative father disowning him for owning and managing a theater and pleasure garden. Ever since Harte's Folly burned down in, I believe, Duke of Midnight, Asa has been working non-stop to rebuild it and make it even better than it was before. He lives, eats, sleeps, and breathes his garden, and doesn't think that he has room in his life for a permanent entanglement with a woman. He's married to the garden and believes he would make a terrible husband, but that all starts to change the day the prim, proper sister of his main investor comes knocking on his door, demanding to know where all her brother's money is going. I really admired Asa's hard work and determination. He's found his life's passion and is relentless about achieving his dream. Now granted he almost lets the best thing that's ever happened to him get away because of it, but thankfully he isn't quite that foolish. I could totally relate to Asa being a disorganized clutter-bug (Sadly I am too.:-)). As a warning to more sensitive readers, Asa has a pretty salty mouth on him, which might offend some. It didn't bother me, because I fully understood that it was simply part of who he is. He's not a proper aristocrat or even a proper gentleman. He's spent a lot of time around people that some might find unsavory, and he's most definitely not above using violence to get a point across. I was rather amused by a scene in which he decks a bad guy. Eve calls him out for it, saying it didn't really accomplish anything, and he answers by saying it made him feel better. LOL! That's the kind of guy Asa is. He's also a lover of women. He doesn't really care what shape or size they are. If she's female, all's good.;-) To be honest, it would be very easy for me to dislike someone like Asa, but in Elizabeth Hoyt's deft and capable hands, he becomes a true hero. I love how he comes to see beyond his initial impressions of Eve as unattractive and uptight. She intrigues him in ways no one else ever has, and even though he fights his feelings for her, I could tell that deep down he wanted something more permanent with her. Best of all, I love how he wiggles his way into Eve's life and heart, making her face and overcome her fears but never pushes too hard. Asa may have been a little rough around the edges, but he really is a trustworthy and honorable man.Eve is a woman who has lived most of her life in fear. She doesn't go anywhere without her loyal friend and bodyguard, Jean-Marie. He's the only man besides her brother, Val, that she trusts and will allow to touch her. If any other man lays a finger on her, she'll have a panic attack. It all traces back to some mysterious event in her childhood which also made her deathly afraid of dogs. It's fairly easy to extrapolate what happened to her, but we don't find out the full horror of it until near the end. As a result, Eve is a very prim, proper, controlled young woman, who is basically a loner. She sits at home painting miniatures and rarely leaves her house. In the previous book, Dearest Rogue, she attended one meeting of the Ladies Syndicate, but after what Val did to Phoebe, one of their members, Eve doesn't believe she'd be welcomed any more. Meeting Asa does wonders for her loneliness in more ways than one. At the end of the last book, Val put her in charge of his investment in Harte's Folly. Believing that Asa is mismanaging her brother's funds, she goes to his apartment, fully intending to cut him off. Instead she pretty much becomes a managing partner in the gardens, getting Asa's bookkeeping organized and helping solve the problems of some of his performers. I really enjoyed watching Eve grow as a person and gain some confidence, while most importantly mastering her fears. She may not have been be too eager for Asa to touch her at first, but she's a curious woman who wants to understand the unfamiliar feelings Asa arouses in her body.The sensual scenes are where Elizabeth Hoyt is a master. I love her creativity and how she gets around the no-touching rule. I don't think I've ever read scenes so steamy without the characters touching each other at all. It was truly wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Asa explains to Eve why he loves women so much, how he goes about pleasuring them, and how that brings him enjoyment as well. When Eve finally gets to a place where she's comfortable having Asa touch her, their first love scene is sweet and tender. I love how slowly Asa goes, asking Eve's permission before doing each little thing. It was completely seductive and proved what a gentle lover he could be. He was thoroughly immersed in giving her pleasure and making it great for her.There are also some notable secondary characters in Sweetest Scoundrel. I'd dearly love it if Ms. Hoyt someday does a next generation of the Maiden Lane series. There are some compelling young characters in these books, not the least of whom is Alf. She's a street urchin masquerading as a “he” to avoid being preyed upon. We've seen her in previous books, but in this story, she's acting as a personal liaison, delivering messages to and from Eve's brother, Val. She's a great secret-keeper and apparently the only person who knows exactly where Val is hiding. Although Val himself is only briefly seen at the end of the book, his presence is strongly felt throughout the story. Eve owes her very existence to him, so even though she knows he's done some terrible things, she still loves him dearly. He gets to become the hero of the next book, Duke of Sin, due to be released in May 2016, and it can't get here soon enough for me. Val is a character I want to dislike for some of the things he's done, but like Eve, I just can't. It'll take some doing for the author to redeem him, but I already have a very good feeling about it. We're also introduced to Val's soon-to-be heroine, Bridget Crumb, who happens to be Val's new housekeeper. She's been skulking about his house at night, searching for something, and I can't wait to find out exactly what it is. On her late night forays, she's been getting a constant eyeful of a nearly nude Val (in a portrait) that's already setting up some sexual tension.Well, there's not much more I can say about Sweetest Scoundrel. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. The characters were wonderful, the story was wonderful, and the love scenes were amazing as usual. I really enjoyed learning about the inner workings of an 18th century theater, enough to do a little research on my own. I also loved visiting with the entire Makepeace clan, especially since Silence and Mickey were present, and how Eve gets Asa to call a truce with his estranged family. The accompanying fairy tale, excerpts of which begin each chapter is a little darker than previous ones, but a great compliment for the story. Elizabeth Hoyt is a master at what she does. She's yet to falter in my eyes, so her work keeps me clamoring for more. I'm extremely eager for Val's book, and I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat for the next five and a half months, waiting for it to arrive on store shelves.Note: While the content of the sensual scenes are only borderline erotic, the author does employ some frank language that's usually only seem in the erotic romance genre.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweetest Scoundrel
4 Stars
Determined to protect her brother's investment, Eve Dinwoody decides that the time has come to cut off funding to Harte's Folly. Skilled at dealing with temperamental theatre folk, Asa Makepeace is convinced that his alluring charm and seductive smile will overcome Eve's reticence. As these two stubborn wills clash over and over, someone else is plotting to destroy the pleasure garden, only Eve and Asa are standing in their way …
Hoyt's Maiden Lane is a mixed bag of excellent installments alongside weaker ones. This book falls somewhere in the middle. While Asa and Eve have wonderful chemistry and the minor suspense plot has potential, the characterization is choppy and the denouement is not as satisfying as it could have been.
Let's begin with Asa. Despite his occasional appearances in the series and the hints at a mysterious past, he has never been all that interesting or intriguing. While the reasons for his estrangement from the family are explained, they are rather petty and unconvincing.
In contrast, Eve's traumatic past is more believable and her PTSD is presented realistically. That said, given her fears, Eve's attraction to Asa and the fact that she actively encourages his aggressive sexual advances is not at all realistic. Nevertheless, Eve and Asa's romance is entertaining and Hoyt is certainly skilled at writing the sexy encounters (the carriage scene is certainly memorable).
The secondary plot involving the sabotage against the pleasure garden is well developed albeit predictable as the villain is obvious once he comes onto the scene. The climax is also somewhat disappointing in terms of the action.
All in all, not the best in the series but well worth the read and the build up into the next book focusing on Montgomery and Bridget is enticing.