Since their father’s death, it has been left up to Isabel to keep her family intact and a roof over their heads. Her father had been a brilliant man and she hated selling off his papers, allowing other men to take credit for her father’s work. The girls’ mother had been thrown out by her father when she married the girls’ father because he was not nobility. As far as Viscount Botley was concerned, the girls did not exist. So the girls had no other family to turn to for help.
Isabel and her sister, Delia, are completely different. Delia is more flirty, selfish and frivolous. Whereas Isabel is giving and a hard worker, her sister hides out when it comes time to do any work. On one such occasion, Isabel searched for and finally found Delia, who was in the midst of passionately kissing the man who had seemed to be on the verge of offering marriage to Isabel prior to this incident. Naturally, she had thrown him out and refused to see him again. But one summer afternoon, they made the acquaintance of the elderly Marchioness of Netherley, Vane’s mother. Later, remembering the girls, the marchioness wrote to Isabel, urging them to come to London. After the girls arrive in London, the marchioness cooks up a scheme with Isabel to throw Delia and Vane into each other paths in hopes of arranging a marriage, despite the fact that neither is interested in marriage.
But when Vane meets the two sisters, it is Isabel that he is attracted to. He sees Delia for the spoiled girl she is. Just as Vane is breaking it off with his latest mistress, deciding not to get entangled with women for a while, he sees Isabel, who comes to his rescue when a pickpocket makes him a target. Although Isabel had been successful in retrieving his jeweled snuffbox, Vane was angry that she had been knocked down in the process. But when he used her as the target for his anger, blaming her for ruining his capture of the culprit, he discovered that Isabel had a temper of her own. But her anger only entranced him.
However, Isabel finds herself attracted to the handsome earl, just like all of the other women who fall at his feet. The passion between them cannot be denied. But his mother, Lady Netherly, intends for her son to wed her sister Delia. Should she betray his mother’s plans and deny her sister’s dream of marrying nobility? Or should she put herself first for once and gain a lifetime of love?
Deliciously sensual, the beautifully written historical romance, SUNRISE WITH A NOTORIOUS LORD is a clever and passionate story with a plot twist or two that grabs your attention and holds on right up to the wonderful ending. Like all of the LORDS OF VICE novels, I thoroughly enjoyed SUNRISE WITH A NOTORIOUS LORD, the fourth book in talented author Alexandra Hawkins’ delightful series. Brimming with humor, clever repartee, passion, a matchmaking mother, a group of enticing men, plot twists, engaging characters, romance and true love, this story is one you will hate to see end. Although it can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading the entire series, beginning with ALL NIGHT WITH A ROGUE, followed by TILL DAWN WITH THE DEVIL, then AFTER DARK WITH A SCOUNDREL and finally, the current book, SUNRISE WITH A NOTORIOUS LORD. They will leave you longing for a LORDS OF VICE of your own. I can’t wait for the next addition to this exciting series; ALL AFTERNOON WITH A SCANDALOUS MARQUESS, which is due out in August. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of SUNRISE WITH A NOTORIOUS LORD. You won’t be disappointed!
