About the Book:
Title: The Notorious Lord Knightly
Author: Lorraine Heath
Series: The Chessman: Masters of Seduction
Page Length: 384
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Publisher: Avon
Synopsis: Who is the villainous Lord K?
A scandalous book by an anonymous author takes London by storm, and everyone is convinced its villainous “Lord K” is the greatly admired Earl of Knightly. Heartbroken that he left her at the altar, Miss Regina Leyland impulsively sought revenge by revealing the true Knightly to the world but never expected the uproar to bring enemies to her door.
To keep her identity hidden, she must trust the one man with the power to destroy her. Furious to be the object of notoriety and gossip, Knightly confronts the lady he suspects of penning the tome only to discover she is no longer the naïve innocent he was forced to betray, but a woman of strength and conviction, who will bow before no man. Knightly and Regina pretend a reconciliation to salvage their reputations and throw the ton off their scent. But false friendship soon turns to powerful passion. When truths emerge, threatening all they hold dear, they must face the consequences of their past if their story is ever to deserve its happily ever after.
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My Review:
The Notorious Lord Knightly is the second book in The Chessman series, and it focuses on Lord Knightly, a man who left his love at the alter five years ago. When a new serial releases about an innocent woman being seduced and abandoned Lord K, many believe the scandalous story is about Lord Knightly and a steamy love affair. And they’re right. The author? Regina Leyland, the woman he left at the altar.
Regina and Knight have so much chemistry! The story flashes back to what happened between them in the past and how they reconnect in the present because of the scandalous book Regina wrote. I like these slips into the past. You really get to see how deeply in love they were and how deeply wounded Regina was when Knight called off the wedding. Even more, you learn why Knight did what he did and how affected he was by his choices.
The pair has a complicated history, and Regina is so angry at Knight. She lashes out at him more than once, and Knight takes it. He knows he did her wrong, and he has a lot of regrets. Knight is a tortured hero (my favorite kind!) who vehemently wishes things were different. Still in love with Regina, Knight will do anything to ensure she has a better future even if it’s without him. There’s a lot of angst between them, which I always enjoy.
I think I rated this down a bit because it includes one of my least favorite tropes. However, the story is emotional and steamy, and the love story is swoon-tastic. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The romance.
- The messages about societal inequities and prejudices.
Favorite Lines:
The destruction of a dream offers no easy solutions.
He hadn’t forgotten how beautiful she was. To do so would be like forgetting the wonder of a midnight sky, the majesty of the vast blue ocean, or the prettiness of a butterfly.
Check out my review of The Counterfeit Scoundrel, the first book in The Chessman: Masters of Seduction series!
