One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

Lady Philippa Marbury and Cross (Jasper)'s book





One Good Earl Deserves a Lover ( The Rules of Scoundrels book 2)


by Sarah MacLean

Book Blurb:Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross. 

Like any good scientist, Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants.

If you loved Lisa Kleypas' "Devil in Winter" you are going to adore One Good Earl Deserves a Lover. Now that is not to say that this story is a copy of Ms Kleypas' book. No not at all. I just kept being reminded about the gaming hell story-line and the secret passageways. One Good Earl Deserves a Lover can certainly stand on it's own and I am awarding a perfect 5 hearts. I adored this story and the characters. Bravo once again for Sarah MacLean's exceptional story telling and witty characters. 

My friend met Sarah MacLean at a book signing and got a copy of this paperback signed for me. What a treasure! I wish I was there in person to tell Sarah MacLean how much I adore her writing. 

Pippa is book smart. She has a scientist's mind and rarely believes in things on a leap of faith. She needs proof. Additionally, she is awkward and is a complete oddball in social settings. Pippa understands why she must marry, she gets what will happen on her wedding night but of course she wants to dissect each detail and anthropologically speaking, she needs to understand the details from a factual perspective. Since her betroth and her are not a love match, she hasn't the natural passion, giddiness or lust that has happened to her sisters. She's confused by the whole thing and decides the best thing to do is seek out a legendary rake to lecture her on all the aspects of sex. I loved this angle. Pippa was so believable in her quest. She doesn't follow the norms so for her to just get up and walk into a gaming hell to seek out the rake, she doesn't understand that it is not something a lady would do. 

The rake that Pippa is seeking out is Cross. Cross has an entire backstory that is slowly revealed as the story moves forward. Pippa is unlike any Lady that he has ever met. She puzzles him. She says things to him where he doesn't know whether to smile or scoff at her. She has big eyes peering out of her spectacles and Cross becomes more and more attracted to her. 

It was so nice to read a book about a couple of oddballs. Pippa with her glasses and scientific mind and Cross with his ginger hair and uncertain background. I loved it. I could not put the book down. I sat in my car after work in the garage and read because I couldn't wait to get home to read more. 

There was a type of villain that readers love to hate and I despised him with the heat of a thousand suns. Blackmail from the blackguard delivers so much angst in a story and Sarah MacLean hit is perfectly. I couldn't wait to see the villain get what was coming to him. It was worth the wait. 

Teasers: dog loving fiance, Chapter 11, fixed dice, blackmail