Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase

Finished this one finally. The 10 year old and the 13 year old threw me off so I had a hard time getting into the story.

That said, I would grade it a B-.

Here's what I know. I loved Mr. Impossible and think that it rivals Lord of Scoundrels for Chase's best book. Lord Perfect is no where close to that book. I had an extremely hard time with Miss Wonderful and was bored by the plot (something about canals - yawn) and the hero was too stoic and I felt no heat. So, Lord Perfect would fall in between these two reads. Logistically speaking I graded Miss Wonderful a B- but, I can't see giving Lord Perfect anything higher so maybe MW was a C+. Remember, I'm still trying to figure out the grading for books.

If you have no problem with kids in your books then you'll probably love this story.


Cindy Story Summary: Bathsheba Wingate is from the notorious side of her family. The con artist side (trust me, I was so confused by the number of names dropped in this book that I'm not sure how anyone would know *who* was from which side of the family). She married a peer who was cut off from his family and funds and had a daughter with him. I think they were happy for the most part but, now she is a widow and trying to raise her 10 year old daughter Olivia to be a proper lady. Bethsheba, however, sees only the bad blood side of her family in her daughter which I didn't find all that lovable in a mother. True, Olivia is a manipulator but, where was the love I ask you?

Rathbourne - can't even remember his first name at the moment and I'm too lazy to get up right now, is the eldest son and has been trained since a child for the position he will one day take up. He is caring for his nephew Peregrine from his wife's (she has passed) side of the family. (again, the lineage stuff made my head hurt)

These four people meet and Olivia decides she has to save her mother by finding a treasure that is on an estate the *proper* people's side of the family live on. Peregrine is a stick in the mud but decides he can't let her go alone and goes with her. He finally decides he is on a grand adventure and they're off.

Rathbourne is too smart, figures it out and insists on accompanying Bethsheba in the pursuit of the kids even though they are sure to make a scandal.

This was the part of the story where I started to have fun and the characters lightened up. I did like the banter between Rathbourne and Bathsheba and there were a few scenes that were too cute.

So, I was probably a good 50 pages in before I started to like the story and then it flew. I can't say I appreciated how everything was wrapped up but then, I guess *buying* respectability may have happened. I'm just kinda sick of it always being used to make everything better.

Are you ready for the part that I myself can't friggin' believe? The story ends with a letter from Olivia to Peregrine where she says she doesn't understand why everyone thinks that they need to be separated.

Now I want to know if they get together in 10-12 years time.

Shut up.

What blows my mind is that I liked Olivia (which might explain why I wasn't thrilled with the lack of 'motherly love') but Peregrine was a pain and boring. Poor guy. That was another thing that niggled and I am sure it will drive others up a wall. The romance between Bathsheba and Rathbourne happen while they are trying to find the kids.

I guess missing kids weren't that big of a deal in 18 hundred and something (again, too lazy).

AAR gave this book an A- and I am going to go read reviews of this and see what I missed. I don't like to read other reviews before I write my opinions for fear I'll accidentally steal their stuff. Let's face it, if you can read one of my sentences without wondering if I was sniffing glue before hand, then I probably read someone else's review by accident.

So, there you have it. My take. For READERS ;)

Next up, Lover Eternal. *strokes cover of book murmuring 'my precious'*