One Good Earl Deserves a Lover

December 17, 2012
Laughter and lust are delightfully intertwined in the sequel to A Rogue by Any Other Name. Pippa Marbury much prefers science to society, and with her wedding two weeks away, she decides to research wedding night activities. Not content to just read about sex, she wants direct experience, and naturally she turns to known rakehell Mr. Cross, one of the co-owners of London’s notorious casino, the Fallen Angel. Despite being quite a scoundrel, he refuses to provide Pippa with the knowledge she desires; every time he turns her down, she just becomes more determined. Pippa is a remarkable heroine: smart, funny, beautiful, and genuine. The interactions between Pippa and Cross recall the great screwball romances and are enormously entertaining. Steamy sex and witty banter make for a highly enjoyable Regency romance. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group.

December 15, 2012
When Lady Philippa Marbury realizes she is headed into marriage and marital intimacy without the appropriate knowledge, she does what any proper woman of science should do--research; and who better to approach as a resource than Mr. Cross, the most notorious rake in London? Pippa Marbury knows she's odd, so she's grateful when a perfectly nice earl asks for her hand in marriage. However, she's a little surprised by how difficult it is to garner information as to what to expect on her wedding night and resents the typical Victorian "lie back and think of England" response. Approaching her brother-in-law's business partner, notorious reprobate Cross, she's shocked and disappointed when he turns her down. Unbeknownst to Pippa, though, the damage has been done. Cross is well and truly intrigued by the strange little lady scientist, and her determination to get the answers she's looking for will lead them both down a dangerous path of passion, secrets and betrayals, ultimately bringing Pippa to a whole new understanding of love, pleasure and sacrifice. She'll also force her way into the shady Victorian London of gaming hells and the society of prostitutes, while making some enemies who will threaten her physical and emotional safety. As Cross watches, fascinated and bemused, and tries to block her at every turn for her own protection, Pippa stamps her own unique mark on a decidedly male territory--the gambling world--and comes into her own, staking a claim on the man of her dreams and the life she never knew she wanted. McLean's second Rule of Scoundrels novel is a clever, original historical romance with compelling main characters who are so engaging and enchantingly well-matched you simply don't want to see their stories end. Cross is a fallen-angel archetype with a damaged, guilt-ridden past, but it is the delightful, captivating Pippa whom readers will fall in love with and root for, and readers will love Cross just a little bit more because he does, too. At moments heart-wrenching, at moments comedic, at all times entertaining and satisfying, this book deserves a read if you're a romance fan.

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Starred review from February 15, 2013

Brainy, bookish, bespectacled, and betrothed to a kindly but rather dimwitted earl, Lady Philippa Marbury knows all about anatomy and science but nothing about the physical side of marriage--and she only has 15 days to research it! What she needs is a research associate who's an expert on the subject, and from everything she's heard, tall, suave, wickedly charming Cross, a partner at her brother-in-law's gaming hell, the Fallen Angel, is the perfect person to ask. So she does--in one of the funniest and cleverest first-meeting scenes ever written. VERDICT Dark dealings, tragic secrets, and old vendettas temper the social glitter and add a realistic touch to this offbeat story that is seductive, witty, and charming as sin and nicely continues MacLean's compelling series. MacLean (A Rogue by Any Other Name) lives in Brooklyn.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2012
When in doubt, seek out an expert. As a scientist, Philippa Marbury knows the value of consulting with an authority, so when Pippa needs a man skilled in the art of seduction, she tracks down England's most infamous rake: Mr. Cross. In two weeks, Pippa is scheduled to wed Lord Castleton, and she would like to learn more about what she can expect from her husband-to-be after the ceremony. Unfortunately for Pippa, Cross, part-owner of London's most exclusive gaming hall, not only is unwilling to share his legendary skills with Pippa; he also makes her promise him that she will not seek out similar advice from any other man. Of course, as a good scientist Pippa knows there is a time to play by the rules, and then there are times you just have to break them. With her usual clever writing style, superb flair for historical detail, and gift for subtle characterization, MacLean constructs the second scintillating installment in her Rule of Scoundrels series (A Rogue by Any Other Name, 2012). Completely captivating and exquisitely sensual, this is a tour de force of wit and romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)