Never Judge A Lady By Her Cover by Sarah MacLean ~ Review

Rules of Scoundrels #4

By day, she is Lady Georgiana. Sister to a Duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking – in London’s darkest corners she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has been undiscovered . . .Until now.

Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and debauchery. He knows she is more than she seems and vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secret laying bare her past, threatening her present and risking all she holds dear. . .including her heart.

My View

The fourth and final instalment of the Rule of Scoundrels series is just as charming and vibrant as its predecessors, we have been building up nicely to finally know who the elusive Chase is and how his/her story is going to play out and I can say that isn’t disappointing.

Georgiana Pearson daughter and sister of a Duke is the Ton’s greatest scandal, ruined and pregnant at sixteen she goes underground – literally, she found’s The Fallen Angel, the greatest gambling hell in all of Britain under the alias of Chase, she stalks the gaming floor under the alias of prostitute Anna and she does all of this for one reason – her daughter. There is just one chink in her little world and that is the fact that she has fallen head over heels in love with non-other than the Scandal Sheets owner and greatest journalist in London; Duncan West. She knows that getting close to West could end up with her secrets being revealed and her daughter thrown into the further scandal. . .Georgiana knows there is only one way to solve this problem and that is to marry a respectable title and give her daughter the future she deserves but to do that she must make a deal with the very devil that could destroy her and her heart. West.

She stiffened at the thought and he felt the change in her. Lifted his lips. “And there it is,” he said, the words cooler than she expected. Cooler than she would have liked. “Memory returns.”

She hated that he so easily understood her. She sat up, pulling her feet from the water, her knees to her chest. Wrapping her arms about her. “I don’t know what you mean,”

He raised a brow. “You know precisely what I mean. If you didn’t, you would have reentered the pool instead of leaving it.”

She smiled. “would you not prefer a bed?”

“Don’t,” he said, “Don’t bring her here. Not now.”

“Who?”

“Anna. Don’t offer me her false smile and her false words. I’m not. . .”

When he didn’t finish, she asked “Your not what?”

He swore, soft and furious, and swam backwards, distancing himself from her. From the moment. “I’m not Chase. I don’t want her. I want you.”

“We are one and the same,” she said. . .

I like Georgiana a lot, she is a complicated character she has so many layers that she has built up around her to protect her and as you start to strip those layers away you see a vulnerable and brilliant young woman hiding out of view. Georgianna is an enigma she isn’t quite sure who she is since she was ruined at the tender age of sixteen she went into her shell and only emerged as the elusive and manipulative, Fallen Angel owner Chase and vivacious and daring prostitute Anna. Georgianna is confused over her identity she is sort of stuck in limbo she knows that she must eventually show her true self to be able to do her best for her daughter but she has been in the shadows playing her two different roles for so long that she isn’t entirely sure of who her true self is. . .All Georgianna knows, is the game she has been playing for the past ten years.

Duncan West is just as complicated as Georgiana, he too has scandalous secrets that could destroy him and the people he loves. Duncan is a sarcastic, arrogant and thoroughly, irritatingly handsome man who is so sure of himself, but yet so unsure of his feelings. He is unpredictable with an explosive, yet caring personality that keeps you sticking around, waiting to see what he will do next. He has his own layers that he keeps well wrapped up and this is what makes this couple very special. They are really two peas in a pod, they are both as secretive and manipulative and fragile as the other, but once together they show their true selves and when this happens it is very beautiful.

The relationship between Georgiana and Duncan is fiery, volatile and sexually charged, they want each from the moment goes on, but yet as they are both hiding and lying about so much they try to keep away from each other. . .it’s just that there is so much going on in each of their lives and each of their personal lives is so entwined with the other, they are thrown together again and again and again.

I have absolutely adored this series, the plots are flawless and entertaining, with unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing, but the thing that makes The Rules of Scoundrels such a hit with me is the characters, each is brilliant, strong and vulnerable in their own way. From page one you just fall in love with our heroes, they are flawed and courageous individuals that keep you coming back for more. It is said that this is the last in the series but in a way a good thing too as we have got to know our foursome, we have seen them struggle and come out the other side. We have watched as each has got their HEA and Sarah MacLean has left it in exactly the right place.

It was a joy to get to know Bourne, Cross, Temple and Chase and I really hope that anyone who hasn’t read The Rule of scoundrels that they go out and read this series.

Highly recommend and highly enjoyable.

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