Lord of Scoundrels

"The past is the ultimate escape: we dream ourselves backward, into a time when women wore fabulously interesting and sensual clothing and, perhaps more importantly, to a time when relationships between men and women were highly structured. Hooking up is a far more confusing process than going to a debutante ball. I’m not sure, actually… But I will say this. This book is probably the most intelligently written historical novel I’ve ever read. This is a book that’s as much about marriage as it is about love. “This book is probably the most intelligently written historical novel I’ve ever read” The hero and heroine fall in love during a fractious marriage that changes both of them for the better: this book is the best evidence I can offer for the fact that a man and woman can live an intelligent, sensual, thoughtful and kind life together – even when the partners themselves could never be described as thoughtful or kind. Marriage is a tremendously interesting state, and this novel looks squarely at its best and worst qualities. Get the weekly Five Books newsletter"