A Rogue's Rules for Seduction

January 30, 2023
A rowdy weeklong house party is the backdrop for the reunion between a headstrong lady and the surly Scotsman who jilted her at the altar in Leigh’s steamy third Last Chance Scoundrels Regency romance (after How the Wallflower Was Won). Willa Ransome vowed never to speak to her ex-fiancé, Dominic Kilburn, again, so she’s furious when her meddlesome brothers orchestrate a reunion by inviting them both to the same party. Dominic is wracked with guilt over leaving Willa but believes she would have hated him even more if she learned the truth of his checkered past. They initially tiptoe around each other, but soon their lingering desire and longing gives way to spicy sex scenes with a BDSM edge. Leigh has a real gift for sensual moments (“Let me bide awhile with you like this,” he said, his voice gruff. “If I am what you desire, then use me as it pleases you.”), making the connection between her leads palpable even as lingering secrets and distrust threaten to tear them apart. This second-chance love story will leave readers breathless.

February 1, 2023

Now that the rakish Ransome brothers are off the marriage mart, the roguery is left to their longtime friend Dom Kilburn, yet there's only one woman for Dom. Fans of Leigh's "Last Chance Scoundrels" series (whose most recent entry was How the Wallflower Was Won) will recall that it all started with Dom's disastrous wedding to Willa Ransome. In this third installment, the two are finally, fatefully reunited when friends convince them to unknowingly attend the same hedonistic Hebrides house party. Each thought it would be the perfect chance to forget their failed romance, but the remote location ends up freeing Dom and Willa from strict social standards, allowing them to confront their pasts and realize that there is more to the other than either of them ever knew. This fast-paced Regency romance features lush, descriptive detail and witty, well-developed characters. The love scenes are not just steamy, they sizzle; suffice it to say, Dom lives up to his name, and Willa is no wilting flower. VERDICT Leigh's series installment will appeal to readers seeking a scintillating historical romance that is engaging and erotic, a heartwarming reunion with more than one happy ending. Recommended for fans of Tessa Dare, Ella Quinn, and Sarah MacLean.--Lauren Hackert

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March 15, 2023
Willa Ransome is in hell. That is, she is in a lovely manor house on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides, but still, she is miserable. That's because among the guests attending Oliver Longbridge's scandalous house party is the one man Willa has absolutely no desire to ever see again, Dominic Kilburn. A year ago, Dom, who swore he would love Willa to the end of time, left her standing at the altar, thus making Willa the laughingstock of London. Now, Dom is back, and all Willa's efforts over the last year to banish him from her life forever seem for naught. Because no matter how mad she might be at Dom, Willa can't ignore the truth that he is still the only man for her. The latest in Leigh's Last Chance Scoundrels series, following How the Wallflower Was Won (2022), is a smartly conceived and beautifully realized second-chance-at-romance love story that is richly imbued with strong emotions, steamy sensuality, and Leigh's sharp wit.

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Starred review from March 15, 2023
A house party on a Scottish island reunites a formerly betrothed couple. Nearly a year ago, Dominic Kilburn jilted his fiancee, Willa Ransome, at the altar. Heartbroken and full of anger, Willa fled the country. Now she's back and ready to enjoy a few weeks at a carefree house party with friends...until she finds out her brothers arranged for Dom to be there as well so the two would be forced to confront their shared history. Dom left Willa because he didn't think he was good enough for her due to his former circumstances and actions, but he's continued to pine for her ever since. Although Willa didn't think she'd ever want to see him again, she can't stop her attraction to him. As they finally start to rehash the past, they realize they didn't truly know each other before, but maybe now they have a second chance. The exquisitely written finale of the Last Chance Scoundrels series delivers everything readers have been waiting for since Dom left Willa at the start of the first book, The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes (2022). It's sweepingly romantic, filled with pining and groveling and loads of emotional tension. When the pair finally trust each other enough to become physically intimate, it's breathtakingly erotic. Heightened emotions because of the tempestuous weather and sometimes claustrophobic-feeling manor and island evoke Gothic fiction. This atmospheric setting is crucial; only in this remote, confined setting, where they are stripped away from society's preconceived notions and expectations, can this couple truly become themselves. A stunning send-off to a phenomenal series.

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