Sebastian, the lord of scoundrels himself, is the passionate, larger-than-life, half-Italian half-English Marquess of Dain. It didn’t matter than Bertie was losing everything in his attempt to live the same self serving, self indulgent lifestyle that Dain did. Jessica represents the Beauty of the story, someone who "enters the Beast’s lair of her own accord" as his equal "no matter how awful" he acts. I love the fact that she shot him after he did her wrong and flipantly told her to shoot him if she didn't like it!

She attended New England public schools, before she went off to college and earned an English degree from Clark University. Jessica is a temptress who annoys and enchants him at the same time and he cannot get her out of his mind.I cannot think why I should need strength,” she said, ignoring a host of spine-tingling images rising in her mind's eye. He needs to face the child he was (he literally does this with his own illegitimate child) and overcome his feeling of inadequacy. And it had a lot of scenery change that consumed a big chunk of time,while other HR usually happen in a matter of days,or if they do not,we just get a FIVE WEEKS LATER insert and then the story unnaturally moves on. Unloved by his father and told that his mother is an "evil, godless creature", [3] Sebastian is sent off to Eton where he is teased by his classmates over his appearance.

Sebastian Ballister is a strong determined and successful man who through lifes bitter experience has built an invisible wall around himself, no one is allowed to get close to the real man - Jessica Trent is also strong and determined but very tenacious when dealing with Sebastian in trying to achieve her set goal. He is half Italian, so he has a big nose and a very awkward body as a child for which he is tormented mercilessly while at Eton, where his dad sent him when he was eight. He had an ugly personality and the authors nice little comment about how he will be clay in his father hands is disgusting! As with many of her stories, Chase made her heroine a strong female, deciding to model Jessica after the type of women who lived a few generations previously and who had "a more practical, frank attitude toward sex".

The plot itself was not new, abandoned boy - turns into a rake - meets a strong woman - she fixes things - they fall in love - HEA. As an adult, he lived a life of selfish pleasure, spending his time with women who he could pay for his pleasure, thinking no woman would want him voluntarily. Watching them go head-to-head as their romance developed into something incredibly heartwarming and sweet at the end was so much fun. But anyway, to the shock of the ton, the two of them are married and that's when things fall apart because there's no longer any will they/won't they, no, it becomes a question of when. She is fighting her growing desire for the amoral rogue but destiny interferes and has different plans for them.

By giving Dain Italian ancestry through his mother, Chase was able to develop his character and justify his motivations. It was the third installment of her Débauchés (also known as Scoundrels) series, following The Lion's Daughter (1992) and Captives of the Night (1994). The bell had no sooner ceased tinkling than Dain heard a familiar male voice muttering in English accents, and an unfamiliar, feminine one murmuring in response.A lot of gossiping, wacky characters, hilarious remarks, indescribably funny critical self-analysis and a lighthearted tone of the whole. Set in 1828, the story follows the Marquess of Dain, an aristocrat known as "Lord Beelzebub" and the "Lord of Scoundrels" for his unscrupulous, immoral behavior. But how can you just do this big jump start all at once, even thou it changes all your former beliefs? While Dain assumed his wife would be disgusted with his vicious display, she was cheering him on, even giving her own commentary. One of the greatest thrills about reading, for me, is to begin a new book and within the first few pages realize that it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.