Book Review: The Legendary Lord by Valerie Bowman

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Reviewer: Andrea

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

legendarylord_cover

The Summary:

When Christian Bancroft, Viscount Berkeley, flees the stuffy ballrooms of London for his Scottish hunting lodge, the last thing he expects to find ensconced before his fire is an incredibly beautiful woman. But the plight of lovely young Sarah Highgate, who has run away from an unwanted betrothal, inspires an eminently practical exchange. He’ll safeguard her reputation with the ton while she advises him how to best attract a proper bride…

As the undisputed belle of the season, Sarah has enchanted plenty of suitors. Still, she isn’t interested in marriage, especially not to the pompous bore her father has chosen for her. But her hasty escape seems reckless now that she’s estranged from her family and has no one to count on besides Christian. Turning the lucklesslord into such a catch has another unplanned consequence for Sarah: Has he run away with her heart?

The Review:

I was first introduced to Christian Bancroft last spring when I reviewed The Untamed Earl. Always a bridesmaid but never a bride, Christian is every woman’s friend—the dreaded kiss of death for any would-be husband. He is sweet, maybe too much, when he poses as pseudo-suitor Alex as she wrangles Owen into asking for her hand. Of course, all goes as planned, Alex becomes affianced to Owen, and they live happily ever after. But what about Christian?

Well, in The Legendary Lord, Christian finally finds his own beloved, but, as with all romances, things don’t go exactly as planned. When he meets Sarah, she is already engaged, and despite their forced confinement upon meeting, nothing much happens for the novel’s majority—which is one complaint I had. I was bored at times. Regency London ton might be a hotbed of rumor and innuendo, but I need a bit more action and less talk. I even yelled aloud at my Kindle in frustration at the lack of movement. The novel just seemed stalled at times. The only intrigue was really whether Sarah would marry her intended, and it was cute in a junior high sort of way, but it was just flat for me.

I also warn you that you may need a playbook before you can navigate the couples, their connections, and their titles. I realize this is a series meant to connect a number of stories, but the way the “rogues” keep falling in line like dominoes is really beginning to seem too similar, and I’ve only read two of the books.

On the plus side, it’s a fast read and guaranteed to give you your romance fix.

3.5 Stars