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A review by lauriereadsrom1
After Dark with a Scoundrel by Alexandra Hawkins
3.0
I probably would have given this book 3.5 stars if half stars were a possibility, but I rounded down because I was really bothered by some of the story elements. For example, in the beginning Dare came across as a decent guy despite calling himself one of the Lords of Vice. He made an effort to take care of his family even after Charles and Allegra's betrayal, plus he looked after Regan to ensure that no rake took advantage of her (besides himself, anyway). Given this characterization, it didn't make sense to me that Dare would begin an affair with Regan with no qualms whatsoever. Once he decided to seduce her, he just went ahead and did it without thinking of the potential consequences (including pregnancy!) or having any second thoughts. He had to have known that she would be terribly hurt when he announced that he had no intention of marrying her, and that she would be ruined if their affair ever came to light. Considering his behavior towards his family and the fact that he considered Regan a part of it, why wouldn't Dare have taken more care with her? No matter his reasons, his behavior towards Regan was pretty awful IMO, and he didn't seem very remorseful at the end of the book. I would have liked to see him grovel a little more before Regan agreed to marry him.
Frost's reaction when he discovered Dare and Regan's affair didn't make sense to me either. Sure, Dare was one of his best friends, but I still think Frost would have done something more than throw Dare out of the house after discovering that he had ruined his sister. At the very least, I would have expected him to be a LOT more angry than he was. Also, while I understand why Frost would have told Regan that it was for the best that Dare didn't want to marry her (he thought Dare was still in love with Allegra), I'm surprised that he didn't push them to get married anyway. As a rake himself, he was a lot more understanding of their affair than most brothers would have been, but he must have known that the rules for gently bred young ladies were different than those for the young men of the ton. He told Regan that one affair wouldn't hurt her, but I don't think that's entirely true. Even if no one found out about Regan and Dare's affair right away, what if she had gone on to marry someone else? There could have been a huge scandal when her husband discovered on their wedding night that she wasn't a virgin. In those days, there were a lot of men who would not have accepted a wife who wasn't a virgin, so she still could have been ruined if her husband tried to have the marriage annulled.
Overall, despite my problems with parts of the plot, I thought this was a mostly enjoyable book. I think the first two books in the series were better, though, and I agree with the reviewers who have noted that Hawkins could have done a better job with the material. Hopefully the next book in the series will be an improvement on this one.
Frost's reaction when he discovered Dare and Regan's affair didn't make sense to me either. Sure, Dare was one of his best friends, but I still think Frost would have done something more than throw Dare out of the house after discovering that he had ruined his sister. At the very least, I would have expected him to be a LOT more angry than he was. Also, while I understand why Frost would have told Regan that it was for the best that Dare didn't want to marry her (he thought Dare was still in love with Allegra), I'm surprised that he didn't push them to get married anyway. As a rake himself, he was a lot more understanding of their affair than most brothers would have been, but he must have known that the rules for gently bred young ladies were different than those for the young men of the ton. He told Regan that one affair wouldn't hurt her, but I don't think that's entirely true. Even if no one found out about Regan and Dare's affair right away, what if she had gone on to marry someone else? There could have been a huge scandal when her husband discovered on their wedding night that she wasn't a virgin. In those days, there were a lot of men who would not have accepted a wife who wasn't a virgin, so she still could have been ruined if her husband tried to have the marriage annulled.
Overall, despite my problems with parts of the plot, I thought this was a mostly enjoyable book. I think the first two books in the series were better, though, and I agree with the reviewers who have noted that Hawkins could have done a better job with the material. Hopefully the next book in the series will be an improvement on this one.