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missbrunettebarbie · 3 years ago

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Rules of Scoundrels review

When I first read the summary if this series, I wasn't impressed. The idea of 'gaming hell' romances that focus on four owners of a gaming club had some appeal and the fact that it was recommended by @starry-sky-stuff made me read it.

And I am glad I did because I LOVED it! I think what I love most about it is that it has genuine passion behind it. Sarah Maclean really loved these characters and their world, she didn't just write out of inertia. I also really appreciate that, with each book, she distanced herself from the 'privileged but still supposedly relatable virgin heroine who has never done anything wrong in her life'. Penelope -the heroine of the first book- was this, but even here I appreciate she was a 'jilted bride' in another series (that I haven't read). It's very rare for female characters who are mostly there to be rejected to get focus and love stories of their own. Pippa -the second heroine- is an odd, awkawrd girl (with glasses!) who has actual passions like anatomy and horticulture and is not very good at reading social cues. Then there is Mara, who is not only not an aristocrat, but actually framed her male lead for her murder. As for book 4, well, let's just say its female lead may just be my favourite romance heroine ever.

I read the series (almost) in order (book 1, book 3, book 2, book 4), and I fell on love with Chase, the mysterious founder of the gaming club where most of the action happens. So by the time I got to Chase's book I was excited if somewhat cautionous because I was told by many -goodreads reviwes, Keely, my own mom LOL- that it's rather boring and disappointing. But it did not feel this way at all to me! On the contrary, I adored every page of it and found it a very satisying end to the series.

I definitely recommend anyone who wants to read this series to do it in order and preferably without reading the summary of the fourth book. I didn't know this and I am kinda sad I didn't get to try figure out Chase's identity. Then again, would I have fallen for the character so hard if I haven't known the truth? This is the question.

Now, the books, rated in order, from worst to best.

4. A rogue by any other name (book 1)- Probably the most 'tame' out of all the books, because the author played by the rules of the genre. As I said Penelope is the most traditional of all the heroines and this wouldn't have been a bad thing....if she wasn't head over heels in love with her husband who is revenge obssessed and treats her horribly. And even knowing this, I would have still been more tolerant of this 'love story' if the heroes weren't childhood friends. This may seem like an odd statement, but I would forgive a stranger faster for mistreating me than a so-called friend. The summary of the book could easily be: Bourne plots and ignores Penelope while pining for her; meanwhile Penelope broods about her husband not wanting her. Anyway, it was a good introduction to the series, but I am not impressed.

3. No good duke goes unpunished (book 3) - The heroine accidentally framed the hero for her murder twelve years ago. In her defense she was only sixteen, had an abusive father and was about to be the....fourth(?) wife of a really old guy so she needed get out of there pronto. Also she never planned to frame anyone for any murder, but as often happens to plans, hers went wrong. Now she's back and promises to clear the hero's name in axchange for money. This is an emotional connection if there ever was one! I actually loved how entangled Mara and Temple's lives were, how they never seemed to be able to get rid of the other. I even bought the fact that they were in love! And I liked that, as I said, Mara is not only lower-class (and has a job!), but has done morally questionable things as well. However it kinda feels like Temple forgave her too easily.

2. One good earl deserves a lover (book 2) - Classic virgin and rake romance...except the virgin would very much like to know what she's getting into before her arranged marriage and rake may not quite live up to his reputation. And also wants her far, far away from him. This book is laugh out loud funny, Pippa is a delight and the premise...the premise its ridiculous, as the male lead points out over and over again. Still the ending left me satisfied especially since Pippa saves the day while Cross mostly...broods and resigns himself to misery. It loses points because Cross' angst is ridiculous (even if you were in that carriage instead of your brother, your sister would still have been harmed in the accident!) and he got controlling and tiresome towards the end.

1. Never judge a lady by her cover (book 4)- Like the contrarian I am, most people's least liked book in the series turned out to be my favourite. What can I say, secret identity, love-hate relationships, adorable kids, morally questionable women, self-made men...these things appeal to me! I am aware that anyone who doesn't care for the heroine would not enjoy this, but lucky me, I was not one of those people. My favourite part of all the other books was everytime Chase meddled in someone's love life so it was really enjoyable to see Chase's love life. And in true Chase style it was grandiose, dramatic and full of secrets!

#sarah maclean #ros thoughts #rules of scoundrels #my thoughts #book review #books #historical romance

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ragrottend0ll · 4 years ago

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School crush (Vinira fic)

(English is not my first language so I apologized if something doesn’t make sense. I tried not to but mistakes happend; me, for example)

Chapter two:

It was lunch time at Hexside. All, or at least a good part of the students were having fun talking with their firends and eating their meals.

Emira was doing none of it.

Sitting in the cafetria’s table with her brother and a few other kids that she was forced to hang around with, Emira was in silence just looking at nothing.

‘‘Hey, Em, you good?’‘ Edric asked.

‘‘Perfectly.’‘

‘‘Well, you don’t look perfectly’‘. Odolette said. If Emira had to be honest with herself, she would said that Odolette was her very best friend. Not that she will ever say it aloud.

And actually, all Emira’s forced friends weren’t all bad. If you ignore Mungo, the rest were pretty good.

‘‘So, are you gonna tell us what’s wrong?’‘ Clovis asked with a lot of pudin everywhere but his mouth.

‘‘No and clean yourself’‘. Emira answered. Then, she started to look away at the same direction.

Sorcha, who was at Clovis’ left, took a napkin and cleaned his face.

Emira was looking at the double-track kid’s table with her peripheral sight. Emira wasn’t dumb. As much as she would like to see Viney laughing at something her friends said, she couldn’t. In one hand someone could notice, in the other hand that someone could be her friends, and in the third hand (the worst one) Viney could notice.

‘‘Oh!’’ Clovis exclaimed ‘‘I see what’s happening now’‘

‘‘What?’‘ Odolette asked after a few seconds of silence.

‘‘Is my imagination or our dearest Emira is looking intensely at that up-grade hot boy over there?’’ Clovis asked.

‘‘What?’‘ the whole table, Emira included, asked.

Odolette look at the direction Emira’s eyes were supposedly looking at, Emira did too, just to find a good-looking schoolmate that Emira haven’t met yet, his face was familiar, tho. Probably she have seen him around the school in all these years.

Yes, he was handsome, Emira and everyone with one eye on their face could tell, but there was one little problem. The guy was a he. And she was a lesbian.

‘‘OH TITAN!’‘ Odolette began ‘‘YOU LIKE-’‘

‘‘Shut. Up.’‘ Emira interrupted by putting her hand in Odolette’s mouth to stoped her before someone could hear. ‘’And before anyone say anything, no, I don’t like him.’’

‘‘So, why were you starring with those heart-shaped eyes?’‘ Sorcha asked with exxageration in her voice.

‘‘I didn’t made heart-shaped eyes.’‘

‘‘Sure you didn’t’‘ Clovis said, sarchastically.

‘‘I’m serious. I don’t know what you are talking about.’‘

‘‘Oh, Em! Having a crush isn’t bad.’‘ Odolette began ‘‘Honestly, I don’t know him, but I could sit with them and ask his name or even settle a date this week.’‘

‘‘But what if he says no?’‘Sorcha asked, ignoring completely the annoying and dumbfounded face Emira had.

‘‘As if someone would say no to a Blight.’‘ Clovis answered the question. ‘‘So anyway, Edric,’’ he change the subject ‘‘as Emira is obviously lying,’’

‘‘No, I’m not!’‘ Emira yelled.

‘‘what do you think? Ready to become a protective jelaous older brother?’’

‘‘Nah, Em can do whatever she pleases to. In first place she’ll have to actually talk to-’‘

‘‘Wait! Emira is actually in love?!’’ Sorcha exclaimed. The three friend were just joking and teasing, but now that Edric have sincerely accepted that Emira in fact was crushing that boy, things wouldn’t stop soon.

‘‘Sorry.’’ Edric whisper to his sister once Em started to look at him angry.

Emira sighted. She wasn’t mad at Edric but she sure was mad at Sorcha, Clovis and Odolette.

‘‘Well’‘ Emira thought ‘‘At least Mungo is not here.’‘

And, as the universe and the Titan loves her so much, Mungo appear just behind her and Edric.

‘‘What are we talking about?’‘

The atmosphere changed. No one liked Mungo.

He was part of a wealthy family, as the rest of the twins’ group of friends, but with the sly diference that he did really believed all the bullshit his parents talked about.

Sure, they were all little rich babies, but that didn’t mean that they shared all their belives with their parents. Except Mungo, of course.

And besides that, he is jus simply... Annoying. Always trying to appear the greatest among the greats, when he was defenitely not.

All in the group officially stoped liking him when they were nine years old and had told all their parents that they stealed some some sweet fruits from the kitchen in one of the thousand parties they were all together.

Reth was simply a boot-licker.

That’s not bad, the own Emira has to be one when her mother is involved. It’s a technique to survive, but she learned when and to who be one. And to always back-up your friends.

Mungo prefers praise above anything.

That’s why not even them, who are suppose to be his friends, like him.

‘’Nothing at all’’ Edric aswered.

When Mungo appear all their conversations had to change, at least when it were problematic.

Wich was most of the time.

Before Mungo could ask again Odolette asked: ‘‘What where you doing?.’’ And Mungo didn’t hesitated before start talking about how he is so great that his healing teacher asked him help with something Emira didn’t care to listen.

‘‘So, due to those important and urgent business meetings, my parents will not be able to come to the open doors day.’’ Emira catch Mungo said after a few minutes of dozed out.

‘‘What open doors day?’’ Edric asked while chewing the last slice of his lunch.

‘‘Principal Bump haven’t give the announcement in the illusion track?’’ Sorcha asked.

Em and Ed axchanged looks.

They both skipped those first classes.

‘‘No, he hasn’t.’’ they said at the same time. Normally they wouldn’t care to their friends to know that, but Mungo was there too. And that brat could make someway to let their parents know.

‘‘No matter how many times they’ve done that, it still gives me chills’’ Clovis said reffering to the perfect sync the Blight twins had.

‘‘Agree’’ Sorcha and Odolette said. Mungo didn’t, but it was obvious that everyone freaks out when they do things like that, especially with gestures.

‘‘So, back to the topic,’’ Em interrupted “What was that opend doors thing again?”

“Well, principal Bump announced that, to show some parents improvment, instalations, and much more shit, basically is inviting the tutors to come the next week friday and spend a day here.” Sorcha explained. “He’s even gonna let us go earlier and the ones that can’t get their parents to come, must deliver a letter sign by your tutor and can take the day free.”

“So, besides from Mungo, does anyone’s parents love you enough to spend the day here?” Clovis asked. Before Mungo could object something, Luz, The Human, came in the cafeteria running and screaming while a giant, wild and mounstrious weird-looking abomination was chasing after her.

And just a few seconds later, Luz’s friends came in too. Willow, Amity and the little ilussion’s track boy that Emira never learned his name before.

After a little of battle, screams and some help from a pair of other students, they could stoped the monster in a few minutes.

When his children asked him if he could come to the open doors day, he couldn’t say no.

He was tempted. But he didn’t.

The mountain of paperwork will have to wait.

The four Blights get in the chariot and soon, they were flying their way to school. Normally they would go walking, but Alador preffered to not.

“Dad” Amity called “, before you get in the school there are a couple of things you should know”.

“Oh, I almost forgot, thanks, Mittens.” Edric said. Amity didn’t even scolded him because of the nickname. She give up some time ago.

“What kind of things?”

“Well...”Amity began.

“Wait, first of all you have to promised us that nothing will reach mom’s ears.”

“Or the emperors ears.” Completed Emira. Alador nodded in agreement, but still aware.

“Does the emperor even have ears?” Edric asked.

“Mmmh... No idea...”

“Guys!” Amity called. “Focus.”

“The thing is,” Amity tried to explain again. It was more difficult that it seemed to “There might be a couple of things that... well...”

“Are illegal” Edric said.

“Edric!” both sisters yelled.

“It’s the truth!”

“But there are ways to say the things!”

“So, Hexside really has illegal things?” Alador asked. He was surprised but his face was looking as calm as always.

For some reason that didn’t surprised him as much as he suspect it would.

“Yeah... So, first thing: There’s a human studying there.”

Ok, Alador did not see that coming.

“That human’s mentor is The Owl Lady.”

Oh, great.

“And the school also have double-track students.”

“Let me guess”. Alador sight. “The human?”

Edric snorted. “Pfft! Of course not, dad!”

“The human is the only all-tracks kid” Emira explained rapidly. “The double-track students are witches. And one of those is my crush”.

Titan, have mercy of them.

Alador Blight have been walking with his children for all around the school. The plan was that the first hours he would spend it with Amity.

Those were pleasant. Alador was too in the abomination track when he was a schooler.

Ah, the good old days when the only things that matter were the grades. He did enjoyed his childhood and his teenage.

Alador didn’t had a lot of friends, but sure he had good ones. His family wasn’t rich or famous, but he lived well and happy with the few luxuries he could have.

In his last school year he formally started a relationship with Odalia and married some years after. The twins born and, in two more years, his little Amity did too.

Alador was in his way to meet Edric and Emira. Amity kinda ditched him when this girl appear. For the colorful uniform Alador guessed that she was the all-track, human, the owl lady’s apprentice. So Alador didn’t said anything and just let Amity enjoy herself.

In his way to the illusion track, Alador saw Bump with the owl lady. The woman was laughing while Bump had a tired expression in his face.

“Dad, I thought you would be spending time with Amity” Edric said when they meet on the halls.

“Well, she preferred to spend time with her friends”.

“Amity has friends?” Emira joked.

“Don’t bother your sister”. Alador said, but before one of the twins could say anything a teacher interrumpted:

“Mr. Blight, what an honor! Hope you are enjoying yourself”.

“I am, is always a delight to spend time with my children”. Alador turn to look Edric and Emira, that where behind him.

“Ed, Em, good morning”. The teacher saluted, with a big, hypocrit smile on his face. “I don’t think I saw you in class the last wenesday”.

‘damm gossipy teacher’. Both twins thought.

Their history teacher was mad with them. He would always give them extra homeworks and tried to put a lot of tricks in their quizzes just to make them fail. They hated to fail.

Failure was never an option.

So, they started to have a war with him.

Who would get mad or insane first?

Most of time, the teacher did.

In this war everything was posible. One time, Edric and Emira even went to his house, in the middle of the night, to set their biggest prank ever. La créme de la créme.

Let’s just say that, their dear proffesor didn’t went to school for two weeks.

And when he returned, his skin was covered by rash. And his voice was more pitched than a little three year old girl. Oh! And he stinked like rotten meat, too!

The twins didn’t remembered why this whole little war began. The only thing they knew was that no one, besides the them, could knew. The three woud get in trouble, with either principal Bump and Odalia Blight. None wanted that.

Alador raised an eyebrow, curious.

“Of couse we where there, tacher, we woud never do something as skip classes”. Edric began.

Alador raised more his eyebrow. Of course his twins ould skip classes. They’ve been grounded too many times for it.

“Yeah, I mean, we are Blights, any behavior below perfection just doesn't exist”. Emira put emphasis in the Blight part. A casual reminder os status, as her mother says.

“Oh, yes. I think I forgot. So, how’s your proyect going?”

“Dad, I wanna show you something”. Emira called, while grapping her hand in her father’s arm and tooked him far away from the teacher while Edric keep distracting him.

“Care to explain?” Alador asked as Emira pulled him away from that hall.

“Nah, I’m fine”.

Father and daughter walked some more steps until Emira abruptely stoped and stared there for a few seconds while her face turned a little red.

“Is something wrong?” Alador asked. The hallway didn’t seem to have anything out of normal. Just some teachers, students and, because of the special ocassion, some parents, too.

“Oh, no no. Just, let’s get somewhere else and-”

“Hey, Em!” A voice called.

And with that, Emira’s face got even redder.

Not as much as Amity’s angry face, but sure it was something.

“Ahahha, hiii Viney” Emira said, weirdly, as she walk up the hall to get close to the girl.

Alador, watching from the distance, scanned the girl.

Brown hair, double colored uniform and a familiar green eyes. She was way shorter than Emira (and probably the rest of her classmates), but seemed stronger.

“I thought you won’t be comming today”. The Viney girl said.

“Uhm, yeah, my, uh, dad is here... today”. And then Emira pointed in the direction Alador was.

“Should I go and say hi?” Viney asked Emira.

“No, you shouldn’t!”

Viney tilted her head.

Alador chuckled a little. He knew very well how the blush mess™ works. Alador thought that perhaps he should apologize to his daughter for inheriting that trait.

“I- I mean, sure you could but I don’t see why would you liked to do something like, meet my dad, pfft”. Emira was nervous, ok?

Alador from the other side of the hall, listening the best he could to the conversation and trying his best to not laught, waved a little his hand to Viney, wich she responded.

“Anyway,” Em tried to change the subject. “Did your dad is here or...?”

“Yeah, actually, and if none of my siblings took him away, he should be... there!”. Viney pointed to a man talking to the healing track teacher. He was back on his back, so Emira couldn’t see his face but sure Viney’s dad was tall and buff and seemed like Viney inherited her brown hair from her dad, but, as Emira noted, her skin color should be from her mother’s side. Viney’s dad skin was tanned.

“Miss Tamer have done an excellent work. I’m glad she was able to come back to classes”. The teacher congratulated, as Emira could hear.

‘Of course Viney did excellent’, Emira thought. ‘She’s top student in both beast-keeping and healing. A complete cute nerd’.

“Well, thank you miss Alawdi”. Viney’s dad said. His voice was deep but friendly and he was notably happy about the teacher's comment.

“Oh no, you should thank Viney. She’s the one who put the dedication. And as much as I would like to keep talking about such a great student, I have to give more feedbacks to some parents. Good morning, Mr. Tamer”. Alador couldn’t stop himself from remembering the name Tamer. He had known someone with that same surname.

And with that the teacher moved to talk to another of her students’ parents. It seemed more like scolding than feedbacking.

Viney’s dad turned around and looked for his daugher, that was still by Emira’s side.

“Dada,” Viney called her dad while he was walking to them. “She’s Emira, the friend I talked you about”.

‘She told her dad about me!’ Emira thought ignoring completely the friend word.

“H-hello mister, uhm, mister Tamer, sir” Emira talked first.

‘I really need to apologized for the blush mess thing’ Alador thought watching all the scene from the distance. Because of the perspective he couldn’t see neither of the Tamer’s faces, but Emira’s one was straight on his view.

Alador noted that Emira’s left hand was hide on her back and was pulling her braid a little.

That was for sure a little tick that Odalia had too. Except that his wife pulled her dress skirt or shirt. Not her hair.

“... Yes, my dad’s over there”. Alador heard Emira said. He dozed out a little while remembering where his old locker was.

He looked to the only group of people, at this point, and he-

OH TITAN NO!

This isn’t happening.

What were the probabilities? One in a million?

But of couse he had to have the one...

Because, Titan, Gradyel Fortis was, after all this years, in front of him.

His last named changed, probably because, as he was seeing, Gradyel had a daugher, wich means that he is married. But, Alador could never mistake him, because Gradyel Fortis was his very best friend more than a decade ago.

Suddenly the shortest girl’s green eyes made a lot of sense. ‘It is her mother’s same green eyes’ Alador thought.

“Alador? Is that you?” Gradyel called.

“You know eachother?” Viney asked her dad. with a vissibly confused Emira beside her.

Alador walked to the group, feeling how his cheeks burned, just a little, nothing too obvious.

“That if we know eachother? We used to be best friends, and neighbors”. Gradyel explained to the girls.

“Really?” This time Emira asked to her dad. Her curiosity overlapping her nervousness.

“Yes, we used to hang out a few years ago”. Alador finally said.

“Few years? You mean few decades” Gradyel was laughing at this point and give Alador a pat on his back. Gradyel didn’t measure his strength, because of that Alador to choked a little.

He didn’t mind, after all, Gradyel Fortis never learned how to control his strenght, really.

He changed a lot, just like Alador did. But his essence was still the same.

The same Gradyel Fortis that he spended chatting in classes with.

The same Gradyel Fortis that he helped to cheat on a test.

The same Gradyel Fortis that tried to bake a cake for his birthday (and failed).

The same Gradyel Fortis that he helped to confess the girl he liked.

The same Gradyel Fortis that was Alador’s crush for almost four years.

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