We're celebrating the 20th anniversary of 'Lord of Scoundrels'
It's been 20 years since Loretta Chase gave us her amazing historical romance Lord of Scoundrels. Twenty years! I don't know about the rest of you, but I suddenly feel kinda old. But what the heck — let's celebrate anyway!
Avon Books and romance novel lovers all over are taking to Twitter today (Jan. 23) to share their thoughts on this iconic book, memories about reading it for the first time, favorite scenes, favorite lines, etc., using the hashtag #LOSlove. AND while you're doing that, Avon will be randomly giving away signed copies of the book to those who use the hashtag.
Here's what Lord of Scoundrels is about, if you're unfamiliar (the horror!):
They call him many names, but Angelic isn't one of them ...
Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain, is big, bad, and dangerous to know. No respectable woman would have anything to do with the "Bane and Blight of the Ballisters"—and he wants nothing to do with respectable women. He's determined to continue doing what he does best—sin and sin again—and all that's going swimmingly, thank you ... until the day a shop door opens and she walks in.
She's too intelligent to fall for the worst man in the world ...
Jessica Trent is a determined young woman, and she's going to drag her imbecile brother off the road to ruin, no matter what it takes. If saving him—and with him, her family and future—means taking on the devil himself, she won't back down. The trouble is, the devil in question is so shockingly irresistible, and the person who needs the most saving is—herself!
HEA asked some of our favorite authors to share their thoughts and memories about Lord of Scoundrels.
Kristan Higgins, author of In Your Dreams
I read Lord of Scoundrels long before I started writing myself, and what I remember most was that absolutely electrifying tingle the very first chapter gave me. I loved that this was a story of a difficult man and bucked so many clichés of the genre: that heroes had to be gorgeous and charming and witty. It was utterly thrilling. I still tend to bow down when I run into Ms. Chase.
Rebecca York, author of Assignment Danger
Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels is a classic example of a wounded hero redeemed by the love of a good woman. If you want to understand the important elements of the romance genre, it's a great place to start. I may have read it 20 years ago, but many of its scenes are still vivid in my memory.
Toni Blake, author of Love Me If You Dare
Soon after I began pursuing a romance career in the mid-'90s, friends began telling me I needed to read Lord of Scoundrels. It was already seen as iconic and classic when it was very new. And as I was reading it, I instantly understood why. The simplest way I can put it is: To read it is to know you are in the presence of greatness in the world of romantic fiction.
Virginia Kantra, author of Carolina Blues
Oh, Lord of Scoundrels! I love this book: the unabashedly sexual heroine, the besotted and reluctant hero, the sparring that makes them equals. I will confess that when I first saw the cover, that first cover — the purple Gothic font, her ebony tresses against a field of hot pink flowers, his Patrick Swayze hairstyle — I wondered, Could so many devoted romance readers be, well, wrong? Silly me. Of course not.
Jenny B. Jones, author of Can't Let You Go and In Between
I was late to discover Loretta Chase, but Lord of Scoundrels was my first find. I laughed, I sighed, I got on eHarmony to search for my own marquess. (And apparently that's not a search filter. Really disappointing.) After speed-reading this book, I devoured the rest of Chase's historicals, and it's still one of my faves to recommend. Such a great book!
Lavinia Kent, author of Revealing Ruby
The glove scene. Do I really need to say more? When I first bought Lord of Scoundrels, I hadn't seriously begun to write romance. In fact, I'd largely given up reading the genre. I'd become a mystery lover and only occasionally picked up something irresistible at the grocery store. And then one day I wondered through Borders and ... I found Lord of Scoundrels, a Mary Balogh, a Lisa Kleypas and a Julia Quinn. I've never gone back — and in less than two years I had my first manuscript finished.
Gayle Callen, author of Redemption of the Duke
Lord of Scoundrels is one of my favorite books of all time. I've read it dozens of times. Loretta Chase is a master at taking a very flawed man and making us like him. The prologue summarizing his childhood — sheer brilliance. The hero appearing to woo the heroine in Italian, but speaking about drains — I never laughed so hard. And the romance? Picture me swooning. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for?
Did you read Lord of Scoundrels? What did you think? (Publisher Avon is offering a signed copy of Lord of Scoundrels plus any book from Loretta's Avon backlist to two readers who leave some love here.)
And while you're on Twitter celebrating today, don't forget to use the hashtag #LOSlove.