Comments on: REVIEW: Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch

By: Top Romances of 2009 by Jane | Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:10:13 +0000

[...] Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch [...]

By: votermom

votermom — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:15:18 +0000

I just read this because of your review. Great rec!
The plot reminds me of the Barbara Cartland books I used to devour when I was a pre-teen — innocent young miss agrees to wed rich evil lord to save her family and is rescued by handsome but not-rich-or-powerful young lord. But here they are realistic characters.
Cosgrove’s a good, satisfying villain. He’s handsome, rich, sadistic and addicted to absinthe, and one sense a deep contempt for women. I like how every time Rose tries to stand up to him, the situation escalates. She really is doomed if she marries him. The abuser dynamic was well-captured by the author.

By: romance novel blogs

romance novel blogs — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:03:03 +0000

[...] Jane from Dear Author seems to agree. I’ve really enjoyed this Notorious Gentleman series which started with After the Kiss and ends with Always a Scoundrel, a book that csquared deemed one of your best in years. I agree. This is a book that had my emotions in my throat nearly the entire time. It was dark, evocative, and moving. [...]

By: Dear Author Recommends for May | Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary

Fri, 08 May 2009 14:55:13 +0000

[...] Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch. Â True rogue tries to shed his past bad association and help a pratical woman about to be trapped in marriage to a man who takes pleasure in destroying others. Â Recommended by Jane. [...]

By: LaurieF

LaurieF — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:51:00 +0000

Have to speak up and say I loved the Sin series, especially the conclusion book 4.
As for the first two books in the Notorious Gentleman series, I thought they were only so-so.
But I did buy Always a Scoundrel. Enoch is an auto-buy for me.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:02:20 +0000

I’ll pick this one up, but what I’m really drooling for is Ms. Enoch’s next Addison/Jellicoe contemporary.

By: Kaetrin

Kaetrin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:39:03 +0000

CORRECTION CORRECTION!!

Ah, now I see where I went wrong in my post. There were some crucial words missing.

it should have read “I’ve read a few reviews (not of this book, but just of romance novels generally), where the villains are criticised for being one-dimensional.

Sorry, my bad.

My question was really around: Is this a really great example of a villain given that other books are criticised for doing it badly? And, querying (althougth, slightly off topic, I know) other well written villains in romance.

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:06:30 +0000

@Margie I'm so glad that you liked it Margie. @Kaetrin: I agree with Margie that the villain is not one dimensional. He is evil and cruel and we see just how clever he is in his ability to emotionally manipulate people. He did not merely want to dominate over the heroine, but take her gently bred spirit until she was a husk, emotionally. He wanted to own her and others and thought for a time there that he was going to own Bram through her.

By: Margie

Margie — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:01:17 +0000

I just finished this book and agree that it was great. I appreciate how Enoch was able to make it deeply moving while still having Bram be very charming and funny. I laughed out loud a couple of times.

It’s interesting that other people have said the villain was one-dimensional. I disagree. I liked the fact that Enoch didn’t spend a lot of time in Kingston’s head, but she does give subtle hints that add depth. The quote Jane used above was one good example. We’re given a little glimpse into his character, ie he tries to drag people down to his level because he’s lonely in hell, without having to read pages of evil (and boring) musings.

By: Kaetrin

Kaetrin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:13:43 +0000

@ Jane

I’ve read a few reviews where the villain was criticised for being too one (or two?) dimensional, just EEEEVIL and not nuanced at all.

It sounds like you thought this villain was very well drawn. Is Cosgrove in your “top 10 best villains”? (BTW, I’d like to know who the other 9 are too!).

By: C2

C2 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:35:56 +0000

I feel so famous! :-D

This book really is so very good – Bram’s character arc was quite well done. And Rosamund’s too.

I gave up on the SIN series, too, so I was a bit nervous about this series. It was a very pleasant surprise that all three books turned out to be good.

If anyone hasn’t read Suzanne Enoch before, I think this series is a good place to start.

By: SonomaLass

SonomaLass — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:46:55 +0000

Going to have to check this out. I really liked Enoch’s short stories in the Lady Whistledown collections, but I read some so-so reviews of her full length historicals and never picked one up.

Thanks, Jane! And thanks, Danielle, for letting me know to check Target.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:48:34 +0000

I was able to get this book at Target today!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Julie James

Julie James — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:21:45 +0000

Sarah F. asked the same question I’d been wondering. Good to hear I can pick this up without having read the others. I’ve read some of Suzanne Enoch’s contemporaries (the Sam Jellicoe series), but haven’t tried one of her historicals. Sounds like a good place to start.

By: Corrine

Corrine — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:32:04 +0000

I’m so excited! I know what I’m reading this weekend. I’m relieved that Ms. Enoch returned to a higher level of writing (I, too, hated the SIN series). There are too many authors that believe that what they’re currently writing is as high in quality as what they’ve previously published, but more often than not, they’re wrong.

By: evie byrne

evie byrne — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:52:09 +0000

“On another note, that is some very bad heroine hair going on on the cover. Is she in a wind tunnel??”

Exactly what I was thinking, Kati. He doesn’t appear to be in the same wind tunnel, either–she’s in some kind of space-time anomaly, I think, a Passion Vortex. That’s why he’s wearing that bemused expression.

But anyway, it sounds like a really good read. Thanks for the review!

By: Kati

Kati — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:05:25 +0000

Hmm, I stopped reading Enoch a while ago, but this one has gotten really good reviews most places I’ve visited. I think I’ll add it to my TBB list.

On another note, that is some very bad heroine hair going on on the cover. Is she in a wind tunnel??

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:57:10 +0000

@Sarah Frantz Definitely. You get little glimpses of previous characters throughout but it's definitely a story that stands on its own. One problem that I should have mentioned in the review was that all of the use of proper names was confusing. Like I couldn't figure out who the Duke of Levonzy was right away because Bram doesn't refer to him as his father, just as the Duke of Levonzy.

By: Sarah Frantz

Sarah Frantz — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:55:13 +0000

Can you read this book without reading the other three in series?

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:47:39 +0000

@Jane A I really disliked the SIN series. In fact, I think I stopped reading them after the first two books. I did read Before the Scandal and liked it, but thought that it didn't have the depth of the first and last. It's not at all memorable to me.