Prudence Thorogood has been ruined. After being caught in a compromising position with a man who refused to marry her, she is damaged goods, and her only hope for stability is to steal back the inheritance that was taken from her.

Leo Ramsgate, Marquess of Savage, needs a mistress. Refusing to fall in love or even engage in long term relationships, Leo takes a mistress under contract for four months at a time, and no more than that. Upon meeting Prue, he's immediately taken by her dignity and prim and proper nature (at odds with her reputation). So he offers her a deal: if she takes the role of his mistress for four months, he'll help her reclaim her inheritance. With no other options, Prue agrees. Her plan? To leave London as soon as the affair is over and she has what she needs. But her growing bond with Leo could threaten everything the two of them thought they wanted...

This! Was! So! Good! I've never read a Vivienne Lorret before, and God was this a great first impression. Right from the jump, Lorret tells us what her hero is about without mincing words. He's essentially dumping his current mistress in the first chapter, and quite coldly. He's a gentleman about it, giving parting gifts to the women he leaves, but there's no emotion involved. And Prue meets this very mistress (who I'd frankly love to see as the heroine of another book, shoutout to Lady Chastaine) and is told about all of the benefits of being a fallen woman and having a lover like Ramsgate. It's this embracing of the fallen women that I really appreciate. Because like... yeah. This is a sweet deal. Sure he won't marry you, but he's hot and great in bed and is going to show you an awesome time for four months, covering all of your expenses and buying you whatever you want during that time, before leaving you with the "parting gift" of... like... a house?

It's not bad! Seriously not bad!

And it's no wonder that Prue realizes this (though I appreciate the minor time jump in the book, as it emphasized how important her values were to her and what it meant for her to give them up). Her decision is completely rational... It's just made a bit sweeter by Leo being. Really hot. Like, I don't fuck around when it comes to sexy heroes--this is a sexy hero. Definitely in the vein of a St. Vincent more than a Craven if we're going by the Kleypas Scale--a bit of a reprobate, extremely charming and cultured, and smooth as fuck.

There's so much care taken regarding Prue's sexual comfort and experience, too. Just because she comes to Leo as a ruined woman doesn't mean he's presumptuous. His initial offer of making her his mistress is just that--an offer. Kind of like a job opportunity, to be honest. There's no pressure, no "where's my hug at" which has been the issue I've encountered with other "mistress" historical romance plots. When she initially turns him down, he's good with it. When she returns to see if he's still open to the idea, he actually honors his previous verbal agreement with another woman who he hadn't yet signed a contract with--though he doesn't get into a physical relationship with that woman yet, he continues to cover her clothing expenses as she'd assumed she would have his financial aid. It's... a call that gets him into some trouble, but it makes sense and it underscores the professionalism with which he treats these arrangements.

Which is why it's so satisfying and delightful when he starts to fall for her (which doesn't take long, of course, because Prue is delightful, but he's an idiot so he doesn't realize that just wanted to cuddle your mistress while she's on her period is like... falling in love with her... we love morons). Both Prue and Leo are set up so well as individuals that the way that they start to grow and compromise for each other is amazing. Prue initially approaches sex as something "dreadful" that women have to put up with--but eventually, she really, really wants it with this guy, even if she keeps telling him that she just wants to "get it over with". Leo claims that he prefers his mistresses to be detached, but he's immediately charmed by Prue being a complete mess around him. They can make all the excuses they want, but we the readers know they're falling in love--and isn't that the fucking point of these books? I just want to watch two damaged people who can't accept their feelings fall in love with each other while performing various sexual acts in a historical setting!!!

And yes, as I must always note, the sex is bomb. There's actually a fuckton of foreplay leading up to the actual sex, for plot reasons--but it's good foreplay. It's really good foreplay. And while it's made very clear that Leo WANTS this woman so badly, much of the sex is based on her pleasure. Not to the point that you feel deprived or concerned about him being into it (he is... into it) but to a point that makes sense. Prue begins this book truly skeptical about sex being pleasurable at all, and if she continued that attitude for long into the game as Leo's mistress... we would've had issues. Him truly seducing her in a drawn out manner is a great choice.

This is the book I mentioned involving a puppy. It is excellent usage of a puppy. And also! We have a stinger at the end of this one. Everyone is really killing me with these stingers leading into books that aren't out yet. This novel has a truly killer one--I'm dying for a release date for the next book. But I guess I have to put up with the wait by getting into Lorret's backlist. You know I will!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vivienne Lorret knocks it out of the park again with How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart. Prue Thorogood was ruined in the eyes of Society after being caught in a kiss. Now, all she wants is to reclaim her inheritance through whatever means necessary and live a quiet life on her own. The only way she can see to do that is to become the mistress of Leo Ramsgate, Lord Savage. Leo has strict contracts for his mistresses, each of which last precisely four months, and clear ideas on what sort of woman is eligible to become his next one. Prue is nothing like the women he's known, and he can't figure out why she won't spend his money or keeps insisting that their affair will be finished in sooner than four months.

This book was a delight from start to finish. Leo's a big dumb dummy and I love it - he is so convinced his clocks aren't working properly due to how time speeds up when he's with Prue but then drags when they're apart - he sends his butler to every clock-repair shop in London to get them all checked. Prue is so wonderfully written - a lifetime of being told she's not good enough have forced her to become a shell of a person, and seeing her blossom on page was wonderful.

Lorret's books always make me feel like I'm inside them somehow, not merely a detached reader but fully engaged with the characters and the crazy ride that they're on. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!