Juliana (philippaj) - reviewed on 2/1/2011 + 136 more book reviews

~ ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL - SO UNUSUAL FOR THE GENRE AND A COMPLETE DELIGHT (5 stars) ~

I've just finished the book and I quite simply adored it. Though it deals with many difficult, horrific, and violent issues, it is at its core a truly gentle and warm love story. It is a delight to be savored and will definitely be added to my all-time favorites list.

In some ways, it reminded me of another one of my favorites by this author, SURRENDER TO THE DEVIL; there are very significant differences in terms of plot and background story, but I saw similarities between both sets of main characters. Anyway, hats off again to Ms. Heath!

This is Book 2 in the London's Greatest Lover series and though I didn't read Book 1 (story didn't appeal to me), I didn't find it necessary and was not at all lost when it came to this one (though I would recommend reading the summary of the first book).

One of the things I loved most about PLEASURES OF A NOTORIOUS GENTLEMAN was that I found it to be very refreshing for the genre in many ways:

(1)
THE HEROINE --- Both the hero and the heroine had large and serious personal struggles and obstacles to overcome. So many times, the heroine is basically picture-perfect (in terms of personality, though not always physically), and it's the hero who has a few flaws that we love him for nonetheless (or because of). Here, Mercy was unbelievably real. She faces some extremely difficult situations and choices and in some instances, one wonders whether what she did was right - even though the other options don't really seem to be options at all. At her core she is a truly good person, but who has made mistakes and ends up suffering for them. She is definitely one of my all-time favorite heroines - strong, courageous, generous, compassionate, intelligent, etc. (And I loved that she was not the usual beauty, hadn't been able to find a suitor, etc. - the wallflower-ish heroines are admittedly my preferred type).
*Note: There was one decision Mercy makes towards the end, when cornered, that was a little too much for me and that I SO wish Ms. Heath had not written in. Was too annoying to not mention, though to write more would be a spoiler.

THE HERO --- Stephen was also definitely flawed. For most of his life he was quite a wastrel - and not in the oh-so-seductive-and-we-love-him-anyway manner. He really didn't do much with his life except for spend his time trying to perfect his expertise in the sack. It's often said that when we are severely tested is when our true colors show, and that is the case for Stephen. When he is faced with being a hero or a coward, he ends up being very brave and selfless during his time in the military. We don't have much flashback to his time then, but it seemed that he remained himself - still fun-loving - but became a stronger and better person, which made it all very plausible. The mental torture he goes through after, of being unable to remember any of his time at war and feeling as though he is a stranger to himself, was very well-written and Ms. Heath succeeded extremely well in making this flawed man come to life and be a hero that any reader can easily fall in love with.

(2) THE UNDERLYING STORY --- The struggles that the hero and heroine face were realistic. The conditions were definitely not usual and neither was what happened or how they came to be reunited, but so many times in HRs it's so obvious that the secondary plot - whether it be a mystery or whatever - is really only there for the sole purpose of bringing the two main characters together. Here, the underlying story is absolutely integral to who Mercy and Stephen are and have become as people and it really defines and sets-up the future of their relationship.

(3) (Basically) VILLAIN-FREE --- Although you do have someone who causes difficulties towards the end, there was no villain of the book, which was *such* a welcome change in this reader's opinion. That Ms. Heath was able to make the romance compelling, enjoyable, and engaging nonetheless shows how talented she is. This is not an action book, but is instead almost solely focused on the development of the main characters and of their relationship.

(4) SECONDARY CHARACTERS --- The other characters were fantastic and very three-dimensional. Especially Ainsley, the duchess (Stephen's mother), Leo (her lover), and Lynnford (Stephen and his brothers' father-figure growing up). Even Mercy's father, who in many ways is extremely unlikable, was not only portrayed as the big-bad-mean-father figure.

(5) AGE --- Stephen is only 25 years old, which is really quite young for most romance heroes. Usually the heroine is in her early to mid-twenties and the hero is 30+. I normally prefer that to be the case, but in this instance, I felt that his age made the change Stephen had undergone/was undergoing all the more believable and it also made his past behavior easier to let go of. I don't think we ever know Mercy's exact age, which always drives me nuts, but I was extremely surprised by how young Ainsley, Stephen's younger brother, is - only 23!!! The way he's written, one thinks he's in his 30s.

BOTTOM LINE:
Buy the book immediately and enjoy! It was such a pleasure and I hope that you love it as much as I do. I am greatly looking forward to Ainsley's story, but it will be very difficult for it to surpass Stephen's.

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