Jen's Reading O: The Knave of Hearts (Rhymes With Love #5) by Elizabeth Boyle

The Knave of Hearts
Rhymes With Love #5

By: Elizabeth Boyle

Releasing January 26, 2016
Avon

In the fifth novel of the captivating Rhymes with Love series from New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Boyle, a young woman’s hopes of a match encounter a wickedly handsome complication…

Lavinia Tempest has been eagerly anticipating a spectacular Season. But one disastrous pile-up on the Almack’s dance floor derails all her plans. Add to that, the very stunning revelations about her mother’s scandalous past have become the ton’s latest on dits. Lavinia’s future has gone from shining bright to blackest night in one misstep.

Alaster “Tuck” Rowland admits he’s partly to blame for Lavinia’s disastrous debut. But it’s not guilt that compels him to restore her reputation. Rather, he’s placed a wager that he can make Lavinia into of the most sought-after ladies in London. Who better than an unrepentant rake to set Society astir?

Tuck’s motives are hardly noble. But in teaching the lovely Lavinia how to win any man she wants, he suddenly finds himself tangled in the last place he ever imagined: in love.

“Come now, Miss Tempest, my uncle expects me to dance with one of you,” he said as he came wavering up to her. “You cannot stand here all night.”

She looked around for her sister, Lady Aveley. Anyone. “I-I-I, oh dear. Mr. Rowland, I don’t believe—” she stammered out, even as Mr. Rowland took her hand, his strong, sure fingers lacing around hers.

No man had ever just come up and claimed her before for the simple reason that Kempton was a small village, and everyone knew (thanks in no small part to Mrs. Bagley-Butterton) that dancing with Lavinia was akin to asking to have your toes trimmed—or those of your neighbors—or to have something valuable broken.

Or a section of your house scorched.

Mr. Rowland, completely unaware of the mortal danger into which he was placing himself and a good portion of London society, just caught hold of her hand and tugged her out onto the floor, utterly and completely deaf to her protests.

“No, please, sir, I don’t think this is wise,” she told him. And she meant it. This was a very bad notion.

But unfortunately, her protests had no effect on Mr. Rowland, horrible scoundrel that he was …

Has that been mentioned as yet? That Mr. Alaster Rowland, the presumptive heir to his uncle’s barony, is the worst sort of knave? It should be. And often.

He was also the most handsome devil Lavinia Tempest had ever met. Or had held her hand. Or smiled down at her with a wicked light in his eyes.

Lavinia had never seen brown eyes hold that sort of promise, the kind that sent a shiver of something so delicious, so dangerous, down her spine that she made a note right there and then to add a new rule to her list at her first opportunity:

No. 83. A proper gentleman should not make one’s insides get so very warm.

In truth, as Mr. Alaster Rowland slid his hand around her waist, took her other hand in his, something altogether improper happened to Lavinia.

It had to be improper, for it certainly wasn’t proper.

“Mr. Rowland, I cannot,” she protested one last time, when to her horror, the band struck up a cotillion.

A cotillion? The last time she’d tried to dance a cotillion, Lady Essex’s house, Foxgrove, had caught fire.

Yet here was Mr. Rowland, laughing and leaning closer. “But of course you can,” he whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her skin.

It was as if he had brushed his fingers there —right against the curve of her neck. It was so intimate, so promising a gesture, that it left Lavinia in a blinding daze.

Yet Lavinia, the girl who had made a study of all things proper, knew exactly how to behave when all was proceeding at a proper pace, but right now she was being steered down a path she’d never taken before and assailed by a river of improper desires.

At least she assumed they were desires, for it was a dangerous, heady sort of warmth spreading through her limbs.

That, and something else happened. Her feet—which before had always seemed two sizes too big—untangled. It was as if the warmth of Mr. Rowland’s touch, his teasing glance, his confidence in her, awakened a very graceful part of her.

Lavinia straightened, head held just so, and a long-forgotten admonishment from the dancing master Lady Hathaway had hired years ago, tripped through her thoughts.

Dancing is all about elegance.

And right there and then, Lavinia felt elegant. Not because her gown was proper. Or that she was standing on the dance floor of Almack’s (though that certainly helped) but because the man gazing down at her held her, not at arm’s length and in obvious fear, but with all the proper care and respect of a gentleman.

Moments later, Lavinia Tempest found herself dancing.

Perfectly. Like a lady. Mr. Rowland moved, as did everyone else, and Lavinia moved as well.

And in the right direction.

I loved Tuck and Lavinia! One of my favorite things was the way she wasn't able to dance with anyone but him. Lavinia is all about being proper, but what she feels for Tuck is not proper at all. Tuck is the opposite of what Lavinia wants, but there is more to him that his reputation. There were times when the roles were reversed with these two and Tuck was the one lecturing about propriety. I found them to be perfect for each other as they accepted each other for who they truly are.

I received an ARC via Edelweiss for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.

ELIZABETH BOYLE has always loved romance and now lives it each and every day by writing adventurous and passionate stories that readers from all around the world have described as “page-turners.” Since her first book was published, she’s seen her romances become New York Times and USA Today bestsellers and win the RWA RITA Award and the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice awards. She resides in Seattle with her family, her garden and always growing collection of yarn. Readers can visit her on the Web at www.elizabethboyle.com.