Title: Last Night's Scandal
Author: Loretta Chase
Publisher: Avon (2010) I read Loretta Chase's Last Night's Scandal a couple months ago now so if my comments are a little off it's due to the old faulty memory. Very briefly, we're at the end of the Carsington family historical romances (I think). This book features the kids from Lord Perfect. Theyz all growed up and are up for one last adventure before, I don't know, settling into marriages or somesuch. Doesn't matter. It's the hijinks we're after. So off we go with Olivia and Peregrine. It was Peregrine, right? Seriously, no recall here. Anyway, let me just open up my little Notepad and see what I had jotted down...
ah ha!
I really wanted to like this book. I liked the kids the first time around and I was diggin' a chance to see them as young adults. However, I wasn't enjoying it all that much while reading. The haunted castle was only mildly distracting from my non-involvement with the protags. It took me forever to pinpoint what the problem was but I finally realized that it came down to a matter of perspective. Rather than focusing on the strong point in the protags' chemistry - they are great chums with vastly different problem solving techniques leading to funny and awkward situations - the focus was too much on the sexual attraction which, while believable cuz they're hotties (duh!), was very sterile and matter of fact. Like "we must be attracted to each other cuz we are attractive" but not because of who they were. However, who they were was the true source of their attraction and certainly their chemistry. If their intimate relationship had grown from the history and connection they had, with all the fun of their vastly differing personalities, I would have been totally on board. Instead, it all began to feel very cookie cutter with personalities over-layed. Ugh! Not interesting. Chase is one of my go-to authors for delivering dependable stories but this one did not work for me.
So as consolation I think I'll just go peruse The Lion's Daughter and my old Carsington favorites. :)
rating: 2 of 5 stars
Yeah, I don't even try Loretta Chase's stuff any more. I liked Lord of Scoundrels, but feel like people over-gush about it. (It's good, but not SHEER GENIUS.) I've read maybe 2 others and found them strained and even unfinishable. Anyway, I always think I SHOULD try her again, assuming I ever get back in a reading mood, so if I do then now I know not to try this one. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHer last few have not really done much for me so I would skip those, too. :) You probably guessed, but my recommendation is always The Lion's Daughter when it comes to Chase.
ReplyDeleteI think LoS is a great comedy. I think the genius (no caps;) is in the comedy in that one but I also don't seem to lurv it like others do.