The Naked Viscount (Naked Nobility)

I've read all of the series (except The Naked Laird), and this was definitely one of the best ones. This one has to be the funniest for sure. The others have had a part or two that are humorous, or a line here and there, but this one has a recurring pattern that creates mental images that make it hard not to smile. The heroine, Jane Parker-Roth, is the sister to the hero from The Naked Gentleman, John Parker-Roth. She has moments where she seems smart and strong, but then she has others where she is more dependant and niave. For some reason when she was first introduced in Gentleman I thought she was rather blunt and said scandlous things, but in this book she really didn't. She did several scandlous things, but she really didn't speak quite as bluntly as I expected. The hero, Edmund Smyth, Viscount Motton, was introduced in The Naked Baron, even though he was talked about a little in Gentleman. He was the viscount who held the house party with the crazy aunt with her monkey and parrot. Both he and his crazy aunt (she was a supporting character for a good portion of this book) were true to form of how they were written about before. In this book, he is doing some undercover spy work, which it is alluded to he has some experience in this department, but we're never really told what or how much, really why he even accepted his current mission--or what it really means to the person who asked him to do it. His past experience must not have been much if he couldn't solve any of the clues himself and the herione could... Anyway, his character is very likable as he helps to protect Jane and slowly falls for her. The only thing that I found a problem (others may not) is that this author isn't a fan of dialogue tags (Edmund said, Jane asked, etc.) and sometimes this became a problem when there were a lot of people in the conversation, and a couple of times I had to try and figure out who exactly had said that.

In London for her eighth season, Lady Jane Parker-Roth is assumed to be on the shelf. When she enters her rented townhouse from the estate of the late Clarence Widmore, she sees an intruder. Rather than flight, Jane chooses fight, swinging a candlestick at the man holding her. She misses him but knocks over a statue of Pan as Viscount Edmund Smyth kisses her. Edmund has broken into the townhouse rented by Jane and her mom in search of a paper that could cause some nasty problems if revealed. They stop fighting the moment the statue smashed as each sees the unusual partial caricature. Jane insists on joining him on his quest to locate other statues of Pans to complete the drawing. As they search for clues, they begin to fall in love; but remain unaware that their findings lead them closer to identifying the head of the hellfire club, which means brutal deaths. The latest "Naked" historical romance (see ... Baron, Duke, Earl, Gentleman, etc.) is another wild fun nineteenth century romp that in spite of the obvious time and place feels like a 1930s screwball comedy. Fast-paced and filled with action, readers will relish the escapades and sassy flirtatious yet witty dialogue between the lead couple as Jane joins Edmund on what was his adventure, but now is their quest. Sally Mackenzie continues to lay bare some of the more intelligent amusing historicals on the market today. Harriet Klausner

The Naked Viscount by Sally MacKenzie Historical Romance - June 1, 2010 4 ½ Stars The Naked Viscount is the story of Miss Jane Parker-Roth. Jane is stuck in London , to `catch' herself a prized husband. But after 8 seasons without success she would much rather stay home with a good book. Searching the boring London scene for prospects is extremely dull work. But to her surprise she encounters an intruder in her family's rented townhouse. One who captures her attention and her devout interest! The intruder turns out to be the infamous Edmund Smyth, Viscount Motton. He is a close friend of her brother's. And a man she has secretly admired from afar. Jane quickly finds herself embroiled in mischief and trouble after discovering Viscount Motton's true motive for being in her townhouse. He is searching for a picture that will uncover a criminal mastermind. Soon the 2 are working together to get to the bottom of this mystery, while trying to keep the enemy from getting there first. Sally MacKenzie does a fantastic job of creating a pleasing story with a wonderful mix of romance and mystery. I found the main characters' hunt to find the picture fun and exciting. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. The two main characters are a joy to read and each are both appealing and compelling in their own right. But I really enjoyed them the most together! I also thought the secondary characters brought cheerfulness and humor to the story and wouldn't mind knowing more about them. The Naked Viscount is a fantastic book. If you like a solid romance story with an intriguing story this is the perfect book for you! I found it the perfect mix of romance and intrigue. The Naked Viscount is amazing book that you won't be able to put down until the very end. Reviewed by Mary from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club