Play in the Scoundrel by Courtney Willis
Published by Courtney Willis January 12, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency Romance
Pages: 218
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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Publisher’s Description
She’s out to teach this scoundrel a lesson, and he’s out to win her heart…
Emma Follett had no hopes out in society with a fallen sister ruined by a rake, but she receives one last chance with help from her grandmother’s society-savvy friend. Now wary of gentlemen in society, Emma is horrified when a roguish man charms and rejects her friend, then turns his attention to Emma. That’s when she decides she’s had enough – Emma is determined to play his game and have her revenge.
Henry Godwin is a known rake and wears the title with pride. Despite family pressure to settle down, Henry is determined to remain a bachelor for life. That is, until he meets the feisty Miss Follet, and believes her to be a worthy opponent, perhaps even someone worth changing his ways. But when her true intentions are revealed, his hopes are shattered, which inspires him to devise a plan of his own.
As Emma begins to see a change in Henry, she wonders if she should give him another chance, or if it will be her ultimate downfall. In a battle of wit and will, when they start falling for each other’s games, who will come out the victor?
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Story Notes
Courtney gives us a delightful romance with plenty of snap, sparks and just enough swoon to have readers hoping for more from this highly engaging series.
I love stories that don’t follow the normal take on Regency. Courtney offers this story of “enemies to lovers” that I’ve been waiting for since I finished the The Undesirable Duke. Henry Gowan was much too free with his flirtations and affections and I’ve wanted to see him finally get knocked down a little. And Emma Follett is just the woman to do it. Emma has long despised the fickleness of wealthy young Ton members who flirt their way through every dance or ball in a Season, leaving broken hearts and hopes in their wake. After seeing such a thing happen to her best friend, Emma determines to gain a little revenge on at least one of these men – men like Henry Gowan. Knowing his reputation of never passing up an attentive miss, Emma promises to make Henry fall in love with her and then break his heart by refusing his inevitable proposal. But for her plan to succeed, she can’t tell anyone or all will be for naught. So begins her quest and it succeeds fairly well. What Emma didn’t plan on was seeing that there is more to Henry and his flippant ways than he lets anyone else see. Can she really be cruel enough to break him down, even when he shows her his sincerity?
Henry Gowan has always prided himself on his ability to woo women of all ages. His father has always told him he was a disappointment to his family so why not find other society people who see him as more agreeable. If that means he’s judged to be a “rake”, so be it. He can live with this reputation. No woman has ever held his attention entirely – that is, until he meets the very engaging Emma. She seems to carry the same attraction for him as he does for her but doesn’t simper and sigh around him like other society women do. She speaks honestly and openly and calls him out on his bull. Emma is the kind of woman Henry never dreamed about pursuing; viewing himself as below their notice, despite his inevitable wealth and position upon his father’s death. Her admiration of him inspires Henry to think better of himself and seek to repair the relationship between himself and his father. But when things come crashing down, will Henry be the man Emma inspired him to be or will he return to his rakishness out of spite?
If you want to know the answers to these questions and how the story unfolds, you’ll have to come read and find out. This story gave a slightly different viewpoint to the Regency period. Many books focus on the “good” members of this time but this book told of the more common “regular” members of society. Affairs and liaisons were incredibly common amongst the Ton and many thought men who didn’t participate were not “real men”. Thus, Henry, as a true man of the Ton, has quite a reputation amongst the ladies. Everyone pretends to be shocked but isn’t really. And Emma, though well-intentioned in her quest to avenge her friend, finds out the hard way that a man without good reason to change will not do so. I loved the witty banter and the characters. Mrs. Crissy is both a mentor and an encourager for Emma, teaching her to take care in her choice of spouse. Though she is unaware of Emma’s true plans, she does seek out the truth of the men that Emma shows interest in and offer excellent advice. Plus we get to see more of James and Isabel from the first book and I love their input in conversations. The character growth arc for Emma and Henry was very well developed and realistic. There was no perfect forgiveness scene to avoid any heartbreak by any character or perfect turnaround for the roguish ones. There was, however, a marvelous story of finding one’s broken way in the midst of great loss and pain, thanks to close friends and mentors. And there were certainly some very swoony kisses sprinkled throughout to keep things interesting. Definitely add this book and the first to your TBR if you love Regency romance with good depth and story. I will for sure highly recommend these stories to everyone as I really enjoyed them.
I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Courtney Willis via Bookfunnel. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review but am please to do so. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
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