One Good Earl Deserves a Lover is the second book in The Rules of Scoundrels series by Sarah MacLean.
Philippa Marbury (sister to Penelope from A Rogue By Any Other Name) has 14 days until she is to be married to the simple and boring Lord Castleton. However, before the wedding can occur, Philippa decides to embark on a research project to find out what this marriage business is all about. To that end, she has decided that she needs to be ruined and has chosen Cross, the bookkeeper at The Fallen Angel, to be her research assistant. Who better to teach Pippa about marriage, than a man with a reputation of being a connoisseur of women?
Poor Pippa. She is the smart, scientific, spectacle-wearing sister, who has resigned herself to be married to a man whose wedding present to Pippa consists of her naming his dog. What’s a girl to do but turn to a scoundrel to learn the ways of the world?
And Cross. He tries so hard to be the good guy and to stay clear of Pippa. Pippa is so earnest and innocent. It’s clear that Cross has no idea what to do with this clever and naïve woman. You can see how Pippa’s persistent questions make Cross cringe, but not on purpose, and you never know what she is going to say.
Pippa is a different kind of heroine, one focused on science and research, and she honestly commenced her research project to find answers. She wasn’t expecting to fall in love, as she is committed to marrying Lord Castleton. And of course Cross, who has spent years punishing himself for his past, has his own secrets and demons to get past.
I truly enjoyed this book and the characters and found myself laughing out loud multiple times at the words that came out of Pippa’s mouth.
The only thing that bugged me about this book is that although the main character wears spectacles, the model on the book cover does not. I really would have liked to see a spectacle-wearing heroine on the cover.
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