Borrows the hero, surprise twist, tragic backstory and all from another of her own books.

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover continues Sarah MacLean's series about a group of scoundrels who run a London casino--whoops, I mean a gaming hell--and fall in love with appropriately exasperating women (because if they didn't exasperate the hero then there'd be no plot).

 

The hero is Cross, an earl with a sad backstory, a ridiculous guilt trip (five or six sessions with a good therapist could have saved him a world of hurt), and a self-imposed vow of celibacy. He can't stay away from Pippa, a scientifically minded virgin who's two weeks away from marrying the wrong man and comes to Cross to conduct a series of "scientific experiments" (i.e. ask him about sex).

 

Cross was fine, Pippa was fine, but somehow it took me almost a month to finish this book. Part of it is that I've read a lot of MacLean recently and some of her writing quirks started to grate. How many times can you refer to a carriage as a "conveyance"? Do romance novelists abide by some little-known law requiring them to describe every pour of whisky as an "amber liquid"? There was also a really repetitive writing structure that grew annoying to read:

 

Tonight, however, Cross doubted them. Doubted their keen, unwavering ability to win.

Doubted himself.

Too much was riding on Pandemonium tonight. Too much that he couldn't control. Too much that made him desperate to win.

 

As I read, I couldn't help but wonder. Wonder if she writes this way in every book. Wonder if she'd have smoothed some of these fragments out if she weren't on a deadline.

 

Finally, I have to light the flare gun that I always fire into the heavens when I read a romance novel with a redheaded hero. I don't have anything against gingers, but do keep in mind that if the hero of a romance novel is described as a tall, lanky redhead it's damn near impossible not to picture Conan O'Brien the whole time.

 

Book two had similar tendencies towards the emotional roller coaster that book one had. It was the whole doomed-lovers-because-they-are-promised-to-another scenario and how can they possibly thwart their cruel fate to be separated. It was enjoyable, but I liked book one better. With that said, this was hard to put down and I loved watching the character interactions between Pippa and Cross. It ended happily and beautifully, though I would have liked to see a mended relationship between brother and sister. That was never resolved. I loved how Pippa saved Cross and the scene at the church at the end of the story was perfect. Overall, sweet and enjoyable.

How did I not rate this book? I read it earlier this year and was not exactly overcome with joy.

I think Sarah MacLean can write a light-hearted story well. She is witty and her stories have a lightness to it, for the lack of a better word. It is not her writing that I did not take a liking to but rather the characterization.

The hero is unremarkable, he is just a brooding rake who is very good in pleasuring women, as they usually are. As often is the case, my problem lies with the heroine. Pippa is the academic type of a heroine, more interested in her scientific interests than people. That is ok. But Sarah MacLean has Pippa go to the hero and ask for "scientific information" on the sexual act. This is where I went, I am sorry, what?

This must be a personal thing so I must say my rating is personal and should not be taken as a direct reflection on the quality of the book. I mean with such a premise as a basis. this story is basically a lust to love kind of story. So what begins as an exploration of lust becomes budding love. This never goes down well with me. And the quest coming from the herione, makes it just that much worse.

I had major problems trying to establish some kind of affections toward Pippa but failed. I felt cut off to the heroine and could not bring myself to care whether she found love.

I feel there is little tenderness or love in the book. Just a lot of make-believe passion and "because I want to have sex with you you must be special" kind of false logic. Whether the affection is instant does not bother me so much. But this particular relationship fails to convince me of that instalove claim.

This historical romance had a good premise but the majority of the book was characters thoughts. I struggled to keep reading, started skipping big chunks, read a little near the end then gave up. The basic story could have been told in 100 pages or less. Lady Philippa asks gaming hell owner Cross to help with her ruination.