Read an excerpt: here
Deathbed promises to an Earl that ensures his heir will follows his predecessor's instructions is one thing; Having said Earl and his heir AND the back-up heir die, all in rapid succession, and abruptly becoming the one to shoulder all the responsibility is another. Ewan MacLean wasn't prepared nor expecting to come into an Earldom; he was much happier floating through life on his allowance and hosting some of the most notorious orgies London has ever seen. Words like 'duty', 'obligation' and 'responsibility' never resonated anywhere with him; but all three and then some are thrust upon him in a sick turn of events that finds Ewan MacLean the current Earl of Lyndale. Now the promise to make sure long-ago affairs are made amends for falls into Ewan's pesky and long lists of 'duties'.
Bride Cameron is in way too deep. The sole protector of her 3 younger sisters, all of whom attract unwanted attention from the wrong sort, has Bride stepping up since the age of twelve to keep their heads above water. Their deceased father, Angus Cameron, was an engraver, whom made some of the most exquisite prints of famous works of art. His legacy will keep bread on the table and a roof over his daughters heads; but luxury is never in abundance. When Bride calls out Jamie MacKay to a duel, for trying to seduce her youngest sister, Mary; it is Ewan who rides up and puts a halt everything. He has come to Scotland to fulfill the promise he made to his Uncle, the old Earl; that Angus Cameron and his family, who were wronged by him, are to be taken care of as a way to make amends.Finding only 4 daughters near destitution, Ewan decides to stay with the family for a little while to determine if they need his assistance; which they (or at least Bride) fervently refuses.
To try and satisfy Ewan's curiosity about her family's means, Bride shows him her fathers legacy; which consists of some rare prints (some a little risque'). Though not thoroughly pacified, it is Ewan's lust for the head strong Bride that starts to become insatiable. At first Bride shys away from Ewan's amorous attentions; but when he finally coaxes her surrender, it is he who backs out at the last minuet (having an attack of the conscious). He leaves shortly after that; getting acquiescence to puts together a settlement that will ensure the sister's welfare.
When the owner of the lands the Cameron sister's property is located on, decides to evict them, they are forced to leave their Scottish glen and seek out Ewan's hospitality until the funds of the settlement are transferred over. But it is not only hospitality they seek when they go to London. Counterfeit bank notes are in circulation, and the plates used to make them, which were stolen from the Cameron sisters a year ago, will be traced back to them unless they find out who took them and get them back. Solicited by a friend involved with the case, Ewan, being a connoisseur and expert of fine prints, is enlisted to aid the efforts in finding the culprits behind the counterfeit bank notes and putting them behind bars; he never expects to find one piece of the puzzle living under his own roof.
His attraction to Bride only intensifies as the days go by, and he even proposes marriage. Although Bride would like nothing more than to become Ewan's bride, her involuntary involvement with the counterfeit bank notes and the possible criminal charges that she intends to shoulder in order to save her sisters, has her decline Ewan's offer. At first Ewan doesn't understand, but as the secrets are revealed, the Lord of Sin has to decide whom will pay for their sin; and who will get the chance to love for a lifetime.
Rating: 3 1/2 Aww's
My Favorite Part of the Book: Is when the Cameron sisters have to travel to London and ask for Ewan's hospitality until their living situation stabilizes. Ewan walks into his make-shift, erotic gallery; fully equipped with an indoor swing for god only know what; and finds the sisters waiting for him. He is reluctant to have them stay in his home, but Bride refuses to allow him to accumulate even more financial burden by getting them rooms at a hotel. She uses reverse psychology to strong-arm Ewan's reluctance by saying to her sisters. "One of us will have to sell herself tonight, to earn the funds for lodging. Do I have a volunteer, or should we pull straw". She wasn't being serious, but after a few pages of doom and gloom (where will they live, how will they find the counterfeiters), it was a little unexpected and hilarious to have that line just thrown in there. Ewan couldn't refuse and I couldn't stop LOL-ing.
There were things I liked and disliked about this book. Books with investigation-aspects to them, tend to be a little on the boring side to me. There is a need to impart certain facts on the reader so that they can follow the plot, but said facts and they way they are introduce can become tedious. Hunter did a great job with mixing action to the info drops so we wouldn't be too weighed down. Also, a degree of expertise was imparted in this book, with the mentioning of famous painters, works of art, and the detailed explanation into the mechanics of engraving. Ms.Hunter has a phD in Art History, so she is defiantly flexing her expertise muscles in this book, although I wasn't overly interested in it.While character reactions to certain scenarios felt a little unbelievable, the romance element and conflict elements in this book are good and I say 'Lord of Sin' is worth a read!
* Check out the next book, 'Lady of Sin'. This series is a spin-off of Hunter's 'Seducer Series' which comes highly recommended.
*Also, if you'd like more from Madeline Hunter, check out 'Ravishing in Red', which is the 1st book in the 'Rarest Blooms' series. It's Audrianna's story./ My Review of 'Ravishing in Red' can be found: here
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