Vengeance with a side of seduction!Book 3 in the Sins and Scoundrels series is now available.Morgan, the Marquess of Searle, was presumed dead after a betrayal that nearly cost him his life and saw him detained and tortured by Napoleon’s forces. Now, he’s back in London, scarred and bitter, and hell-bent on vengeance against the man responsible. He doesn’t care if it means destroying an innocent … care if it means destroying an innocent in the process.
Lady Leonora Forsythe is content to lead the quiet life of a spinster. At nine-and-twenty, she’s suffered enough awkward seasons to know she wants nothing more than to find a husband and make a family of her own. When the wickedly handsome Marquess of Searle ruins her, she’s certain he harbors ulterior motives. After all, no man would want an opinionated bluestocking with a deformed ankle as his wife…
Would he?
Morgan never imagined he’d become captivated by Leonora’s keen wit, striking beauty, and gentle kindness. But the more he uses her to gain his revenge on her brother, the more he finds himself drawn to her. Soon, reprisal is the last thing on his mind.
Will he abandon his plans and give Leonora his heart? Or will he give in to the darkness and destroy her love in the name of retribution?
Sins and Scoundrels
Book 1 – Duke of Depravity
Book 2 – Prince of Persuasion
Book 3 – Marquess of Mayhem
Book 4 – Earl of Every Sin
Book 5 – Duke of Debauchery
more
Morgan is a lord, recently returned from the war with the French. Actually, he was a spy for England who escaped a long period of captivity and torture at the hands of an enemy with an English connection. That link is the villain’s beloved, and quite innocent, half sister Lady Leona Forsythe. Morgan has a plan to use his enemy’s sibling to draw him out of obscurity and exact revenge for the pain and suffering he endured during his imprisonment.
Morgan devises a plot to ruin Leona and force her to marry him. He believes that this will be simple and a mere formality, but he is so far off the mark!
Leona is not only beautiful, but she’s not the delicate angel he thinks. She has a will of her own, and she wants more than just a marriage of convenience.
This is a terrific story, with plenty of heat, a strong heroine, an interesting plot and a few colorful characters along the way. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in this series.
A returned soldier, an escaped spy, a marquess, and he’s suffering from PTSD after being betrayed by one of his own to the French, imprisoned and left to rot.
Now he’s escaped and returned to London with vengeance on his mind.
Lady Leonora is the half-sister of the man who betrayed Morgan and he’s chosen her as the instrument of his revenge. Again, the best-laid plans don’t take account of falling in love.
Married early in the story after Morgan deliberately traps Leonora in a compromising situation, their story is about finding a way back from the darkness and nightmares that fill Morgan’s head and choosing to embrace the light that is the love Leonora discovers for this complex, damaged man, and which she freely offers.
Recommended read. I look forward to exploring the stories of other characters.
This is Book 3 in the Sins and Scoundrels series!
The Marquess of Searle worked for the Crown, and was captured and tortured by the enemy. He found a way to escape and is looking for vengeance.
Lady Leonora is half sister to the Earl of Rayne. She is very beautiful, but a painful accident at a young age, has a limp. According to the ton, she is a wallflower. She catches the eye of the gorgeous Marquess Morgan Searle. He asked her to dance. She is flattered and surprised by his request.
Due to circumstances, she finds herself married to the Marquess. Lady Leonora falls in love with Morgan and with the torture he endured breaks her heart. He also feels bad for her due to her injury and her pain. Lady Leonora is a strong willed Heroine!
I love the way he calls her Leonie and so does she. I also enjoyed the storyline, it was sad, but it also helped with their relationship, and healing.
Leonora and Morgan persevered through emotional and personal demons, and I loved this story so much!
I love the end!!! I cannot wait for the next book from this very talented author!
I like a good revenge plot but sometimes they get bogged down in the mire of too much anger and not enough healing. At the beginning of this story I kind of felt it was going that way but as I read more, I began to like Morgan more and more. A man devastated by war who just wanted to feel better. The love story of Lenora and Morgan is a beautiful story that makes us, as readers, feel along with these two.
There’s good reason that Ms. Scott’s new releases are always instant bestsellers. Her romances intertwine mystery and suspense, and contain so much emotion that you become utterly immersed.
Marquess of Mayhem is no exception, featuring my favourite sort of hero–a wounded man bent on revenge. Of course, being romance, the heroine teaches him the true path to happiness, and together they claim the ultimate prize…love between equals.
Congratulations Scarlett Scott and hoorah for #KickAssHistRom
Scarlett Scott is a favorite author of mine & she has outdone herself in the creation of Morgan & Leoni’s emotional voyage to their HEA.
Lady Leonora Forsythe was a 29 year old spinster with a limp left from a childhood injury but was such a strong, kind & beautiful lady that I loved from the very first pages of the book.
Morgan, the Marquess of Searle had recently returned to England after being held prisoner by the 1/2 brother of Leoni, the Earl of Rayne. His only purpose in life, now, was to exact revenge against the earl & what better way than to marry his 1/2 sister – 1 step closer to vindication.
The marriage between Morgan & Leoni was very emotional & she was so strong, kind & understanding of his darkness from the imprisonment – wait until she finds out he only married her for retribution. Morgan had many dark things happening to him after his physical & mental torture but somehow Leoni was tearing down the walls around his heart.
I highly recommend this book – it’s an emotional tale & you’ll root for Morgan & Leoni’s happiness from the beginning. I was gifted the Advanced Reader Copy of this book & all opinions are my own & have been voluntarily given.
A story that will pull your emotions in every direction and back again with a hero bent on revenge and a heroine only wanting what seemed the impossible, a husband and family.
“Revenge would soon be his. He could taste it, bitter and dark and delicious, upon his tongue. He could feel it in the surge, the pounding pulse of blood coursing through his veins, much as it had before a battle: fierce, fast, consuming. For the first time since his return to London, since his captivity, he felt alive.” Just a taste of this author’s amazing descriptions that always make me feel as if I am there in the mind of the character.
Imagine a man, tortured beyond endurance in the war, somehow surviving to come back to polite society. His focus was revenge on the person who had made his life unbearable, because he tried not to remember the horrors or he would become a madman.
Unfortunately the journey included ruining that devil’s sister, who was almost a spinster at twenty nine. She could not believe he was paying attention to her and of all things they end up married!
Running the gamet of emotions and containing everything that makes a story one to long be remembered, I have to put this one on my list of great stories for this year. Of course I feel that way about all of Scarlett’s stories and I urge you to read and enjoy this one! Sigh…
Morgan the Marquis Of Searle had one thing on his mind, vengeance. He had planned for so long during his capture and imprisonment and now his vengeance has started with meeting the sister of the man he was going to destroy. After an accident when Leonora was a child that left her with a deformed ankle she didn’t know what to make of the Marquis of Searle when he started paying attention to her. No man ever paid attention to and when she was causing a compromising position with Morgan Leonora found herself engaged to the man. Little did she know she was the plan to destroy her half brother. Fighting demons of his own Morgan finds himself feeling guilty over what he is doing and what it will do to Leonora when she finds out. I really enjoyed reading this story. I couldn’t help feeling so sad for Morgan but at the same time I wanted to yell at him! There is a lot to this story and I definitely recommend it, you will fall in love with Leonora and Morgan’s story.
Morgan, the Marquess of Searle, was presumed dead after he was betrayed in a covert campaign during the French War. Captured and tortured by Napoleon’s forces; by the time he escaped he was a scared and bitter man. Only one thing stayed with him constantly, his determination to destroy the man that betrayed him. Morgan could care less if that meant the innocent life of sister of that man. Lady Leonora Forsythe, whose older half-brother, was by her father’s first wife, a Spanish woman; was the lady of Morgan’s desire. She was a pretty spinster of 29 and lived a quite life due to an accident when she was a child. Morgan never considered that this woman would become to mean more to him that he imagined. With her striking beauty and gentle soul, she worked her way into his mind and conscience. Scarlett Scott shares with us a wonderful adventure of an English Soldier trying to fight the demons that want to consume his soul. What an interesting romantic journey we are permitted to read and what a page turned it turns out to be.
Morgan, the Marquess of Searle escaped from a French prison and made his way home. He still carries the scars on his body and mind of what happened there. Now he is determined to get revenge on the man who put him in that hell.
Lady Leonora Forsyth has given up hope of ever finding a husband. She is twenty-nine and has a limp . Not exactly the type of woman that the men her mothers wants for her, are looking for. So why is the mysterious and dangerous Marquess suddenly noticing her.
This is a beauty and the beast type story. Our heroine has so much to offer the right man, but our hero doesn’t deserve her. An emotional tale with terrific characters that have a lot to sort out before they get what they want.
Great fun.
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Another brilliant story to continue the series
This is another brilliantly written story that continues a great series. This steamy plot has the main character’s following a very convoluted journey full of emotional turmoil and distress. All the characters are crafted wonderfully and have the courage and strength to overcome their individual misconceptions, so as to achieve their dreams and desires.
A spy for England during Napoleons’ war Morgan, Marquess of Searle, was captured and tortured. Once he returned to England after his escape, vengeance is his goal. The first step is to compromise and marry the half-sister of the man who betrayed him. Lady Leonora Forsythe has been lame since a childhood accident. At nine and twenty she’s given up on a husband and children. Morgan is attracted to his beautiful, kind and giving wife, but he can’t let his focus on revenge be swayed. Hard and cold, compassionate and caring, Leonora doesn’t understand her husband, but can’t help but open her heart. Her only hope, love will overcome his revenge.
Angst and tears.
Absolutely loved this book! So emotional, with a beautiful ending. Nothing better.
Morgan, Marquess of Searle, is introduced in the first book of this series. Thought dead, Morgan escapes his brutal captors and returns to England. His one goal to seek revenge on the Earl of Rayne, a half Spanish soldier (under cover) Morgan blames for his being taken prisoner and tortured. Now back in England and due to the death of his brother Morgan now holds the title. His focus is solely on revenge. He plots to bring the Earl back to England, since he spends most of his time in Spain, by marrying his half sister, Lady Leonora Forsythe. She is introduced in the second book as the best friend of Lady Frederica. Beautiful and sweet, Leonora’s wish is to marry and have a family. But an accident as a child left her with a limp – and society was quick and cruel to label her “Limping Leonora”. So she sat as a wallflower until Morgan involves her as a key unwitting player in his plot. Bereft of any parental love growing up – except for his brother, George – Morgan has allowed the brutality he endured to dominate his life. He pursues Leonora and they marry, but he keeps his emotional distance. Leonora is baffled by the warm and cold attitudes of Morgan and lays the blame on his captivity, his scars a small token of what he endured. At every turn, she counters his coldness – his quest to hurt the Earl – with tenderness and compassion. The true test unfolds when the Earl of Rayne appears at their doorstep and Leonora learns the true reason for their marriage. What follows is a lesson of the destruction of one’s self when you do not let go of the past, for it will destroy you. Morgan finally chooses the light of love which brings him untold joy and leaves the darkness behind. A truth for all! A beautiful romance with redemption and true love!
I loved it and am now going back to read the other books in this series. Morgan was captured in the war and tortured. He holds one man responsible, and decides to marry the man’s sister, Leonora as part of his revenge. As they say, the best laid plans …….
I’ve been reading this off and on for two weeks, and I can not figure out why I didn’t enjoy it more.
Nice revenge plot, brooding hero, loving-if a little too good to be true heroine, solid writing, hot sex/romance but eh.
As is typical, the H is going to get his revenge via a secondary source: he will seduce his evil foe’s sister and MARRY her. Ooh, shiver me timbers. He falls in love/lust with her off the bat, but is still all brooding and dark.
As for the heroine, I did not buy the fact that she is such a wallflower. Yes, she has a limp from a fall as a child, but she sounds as pretty as the lovely heroine on the cover, is sweet, comes from a nice family, and has a dowery, so what’s the problem you little Lords of England?
My complaints are pretty minimal as overall it is well done, but for some reason just did not capture me. I will definitely read more of Scarlet Scott as the h’s brother is up next I believe.
P.S. Is it just me, or does she look like Parker Posey with pale hair?