Sandy M’s review of Sunrise with a Notorious Lord (Lords of Vice, Book 4) by Alexandra Hawkins
Historical Romance published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 3 Jan 12

These Lords of Vice only get more and more interesting as the series goes on. Each man is so different from the other, with only their sin in common. They make sexy and sinful feel like satin sheets you want to roll around in until you’re sated and exhausted. And then there’s that tender side of them, the humorous side, the protective side, even the fiery and explosive side. But when it’s all for his heroine, well, sexy and sinful take on a rather different tone. I’d love to be wrapped up in any one of these men, to be the recipient of such devotion. And sin. Isabel has been the lady of the house since her father’s death and her mother’s incapacity to get beyond her grief. So when fate smiles on her and her sister, Delia, in meeting a lady of the ton who then invites them to London for the season, Isabel is hopeful, albeit slightly, that Delia might make a good match after all, something the family desperately needs. Delia has other thoughts about marriage, however; she’d rather flirt with every man who steps in her path.

Vane, as the Earl of Vanewright is known to his friends, revels in sin just as the other Lords of Vice, though several of them have settled down recently. There’s too many lovelies and other earthly pleasures to be had for him to ever think of marriage. But when he’s going through a very public breakup with his current mistress, he spies the Thorne sisters in the dressmaker’s shop and moves on to those other pleasures. As beautiful as Delia is, it’s Isabel who garners more interest from Vane, and when she deftly steps in front of the pickpocket who helped himself to Vane’s snuffbox, he’s amazed and irritated she would take such a chance. But she’s all the more fascinating for it. Thus begins Vane’s attempt to woo Isabel into his bed and her attempt to marry him to her sister.

But then Isabel finds her attraction to Vane hard to resist, especially with his onslaught of attention. Plus, her role in his life is not all it seems to be, so how will he react when he finds out what she’s done? Vane takes a little longer to realize his feelings go just as deep. He can’t figure out why it is this particular woman seems so much more to him than any other woman or mistress he’s ever had. I enjoyed watching these two come to the same conclusion, starting from very different beginning points.

However, it isn’t as easy as all that. They do hit bumps in the road, but they work it out. Except for those fears Isabel has about Vane learning the truth. Vane does go ballistic. Through all they’ve shared, she’s lied to him. But when he learns her ruse began closer to home, he has to look at her “lies” differently. I like that he works this out on his own, he doesn’t need help or platitudes to know what he feels for Isabel is real. That’s why it hurts so darned much. He realizes he doesn’t need all those other women any longer. All the sin he needs is in one petite package.

While my favorite book in the series is still Till Dawn with the Devil, Vane is a very close second, despite no deep-seated tragedy or the like in his past. But I have a feeling that both of those may lose their standing to either of the next books, most especially Frost. There’s just something about that man. It’s probably his total devil-may-care attitude, what-have-I-got-to-lose look at life. He takes sin to a whole new level, and I am very anxiously looking forward to his story.

Grade: A

Summary:

FOREVER THE BACHELOR

Christopher Courtland, Earl of Vanewright—known around London as “Vane”—is the very picture of a rich, handsome ladies’ man. Why shackle himself to just one lady when he’s free to sample them all? In spite of his own mother’s attempts at matchmaking, Vane has sworn to stay single. Until he has a chance run-in with Miss Isabel Thorne…

NEVER IN LOVE—UNTIL NOW…

A modest and refined beauty, Isabel is a lot more brazen than she appears. When a pickpocket tries to make way with Vane’s bejeweled snuffbox, Isabel attempts to thwart his escape…and manages to steal Vane’s heart. But the harder he tries to seduce the sharp-tongued, strong-willed Isabel, the more she resists. Now it’s up to this tried-and-true bachelor to find a new way to play the game…or risk losing the one woman who’s ever captured his heart.

No excerpt available.

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