Ruthless

I loved this book. Desperate heroine and "bad" rake who loves her. Perfect. Enjoy!

Firstly i will just say this book isn't for everyone but i really loved it. Its "hero" is not an average man who readers would root for but anne stuart lays all his bad faults(he has many) and i still couldnt stop reading. It was very sad in places but i think the justice's of the villians made me love it even more i found myself quiet bloodthirsty reading it thats how much i got caught up in the story. A terrific read and a very original plot and il be waiting with anticipation for the following two books in the rohan series.

I own and have read Anne Stuart's entire backlist. With the exception of Silver Falls....NONE have ever disappointed. She is really in a league of her own and has put the patent on the "gamma hero". Rohan is cut from the same cloth as many of her heroes. Cynical, jaded, dangerous, cruel, capable of "anything"...Rohan fits all these characteristics. Do I ever tire of her "formula".........NEVER! I enjoyed every single word of this book. The dialogue is clever and witty, the chemistry between the leads is superb, the secondary romance captivates, and all I can say is "thank goodness I only have to wait a month until the next one!" Elinor is an amazing heroine, strong and capable, but Rohan is what makes this book unforgettable. He is not a kind man, but does incredibly kind things for Elinor. He is capable of great violence, but only to defend Elinor. He is not particularly loving, but learns to love through Elinor. It's definitely a reformation story like only Stuart can pen. There are parts of this book that made me laugh out loud and parts that brought tears to my eyes. Leave it to Anne Stuart to lead me through a myriad of emotions and leave me wanting more. If you have not read this author before....this is a great place to start. If you are already a fan.....she will NOT disappoint you with this one. Enjoy!

The hero of Ruthless, Francis Rohan, le Comte de Giverney, is all that a reader could want--so long as that reader wants an unrepentant, degenerate and ruthless despoiler of all that society holds dear. He is a magnificent creation. Many thanks, Anne Stuart. No, as some reviews have stated, "Anne Stuart isn't for everyone." But, then, neither is champagne. Few writers are capable of creating such a dark and disturbing hero who, nonetheless, captures and holds the reader's interest. Fewer still can then manage to write themselves out of such a corner. Francis Rohan, known in pre-Revolutionary Paris as the "King of Hell" for his hedonistic exploits and orgiastic society, meets his match in Elinor Harriman. Neither this demon count nor Elinor, his next victim, has any illusions about what life holds for them. Each has endured excruciating loss; one has given up, one refuses to. Elinor should be afraid of Rohan, but she just doesn't have time to be since she is attempting to rescue her feckless, selfish mother from ruin once again. Elinor confronts Rohan in his lair, refusing to be intimidated by him or the debauchery that swirls about them both. At first amused by her refusal to be intimidated, Rohan becomes intrigued by her. He simply cannot let her be. The reader wonders: Who exactly is the spider and who the fly in this story? The dialogue alone recommends Ruthless. Yet there is much more in Ruthless to please the reader: two love stories, one for each sister; two heroes who need rescuing; slightly sassy, devoted servants; degenerate villains, the sort we love to hate; a Jacobite fugitive (Who doesn't love a doomed, Romantic cause?); brimstone and fire; suspense, mystery, and the redemptive power of love. The very best thing about Ruthless? It's book one of a three book series.