Author: Anne Stuart
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (June 21, 2011)
Genre: Historical romance
Source: Review copy
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
My Thoughts:
Shameless is the 4th book in the House of Rohan series and honestly I wouldn’t have picked it up if I had known it was a series book. I prefer to read them in order. But I was traveling and I needed something light to read and this was the only book that caught my attention. Recently my luck has not been very good when it comes to Romance novels. I thought it’s probably because I’m tired of this genre but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It was probably not finding any author to “click” with. I’m trying to read new authors lately and find that none have been to my liking, but this book I liked. I can’t say I loved it but I liked it enough to try other books written by Anne Stuart.
Shameless is a historical romance. After the death of both his wives in child-birth, Benedick just wants to find a docile wife to give him an heir and leave him alone to pursue his own thing. He is almost on the verge of finalizing a certain Miss Pennington when he meets Melisande. Melisande is on a crusade to save all the prostitutes in the city by giving them shelter and a means to begin a new life. When she meets Benedick he is everything that she doesn’t need in a man. He has been “serviced” by many of the girls under her care and is quite famous for his love-making skills. Melisande doesn’t need a guy like him when she has sworn off marriage and “the pleasures of the flesh” because of her experience with her very old husband and later a dispassionate young man. Both Benedick and Melisande are obviously unsuited for each other (talk about clashing interests) but they have to work together to save Benedick’s younger brother and Melisande’s girls. Their attraction to each other is obviously undeniable and they end up falling for each other.
Although the story line is pretty predictable, the heavenly host angle is very interesting. I wouldn’t say the book was outstanding but it kept me engrossed and at no point was I bored with the book. Benedick and Melisande, are both very interesting characters. Obviously a rake like Benedick will be a hero only in romance novels. But that’s the beauty of it in my opinion. I tend to believe most of the crap when it comes to romance novels. I can believe that a rake like Benedick will leave his bad ways and settle down and be a one woman man when he finds the right one. Both the central characters struggle with their attraction to each other not wanting to accept it nor wanting to let it go. It’s a nicely developed romance for sure.
I believe I will track down the other books in this series after some time. After all good historical romance authors are hard to find.
Have you read anything by Anne Stuart before? What book or series would you recommend?
August 25, 2011 at 5:53 pm
I’m with you, series books are always best in order!
August 25, 2011 at 6:32 pm
I’ve been having trouble clicking with romance novels lately, too. I don’t know if I’m tired of the genre or what.
I have read Anne Stuart before–she does really good romantic suspense. I also read a novella prequel for the House of Rohan series that was okay, and I have the first book in my TBR stack.
August 25, 2011 at 6:47 pm
I don’t read much romance, so I’ll probably skip this since it’s in the middle of a series.
August 25, 2011 at 11:49 pm
I read the first book of this series and quite enjoyed it! I look forward to reading the rest!
August 27, 2011 at 4:42 am
Hi Violet,
Anne Stuart is not an author I am familiar with, so I can’t comment on her books or style of writing, however I checked her out and she is someone that I might try to read at some point, and I love the cover art on her books, very sumptuous and alluring.
Historical romantic fiction is not a genre that I read on a regular basis, but I do like to dip into it from time to time.
The last book in the genre I read, was a request to read/review, from debut English author, Grace Elliot, with her book ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ (here is a link to my review if you want to check it out: http://www.fiction-books.biz/new-authors/my-thoughts-a-dead-mans-debt-by-grace-elliot/).