Review of NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER by Sarah MacLean

NEVER JUDGE A LADY BY HER COVER
The Fourth Rule of Scoundrels Series Book Four
Sarah MacLean
Avon Publishing
ISBN# 978-0-06-206851-4
December 2014
Historical Romance

In her last installment of this series, we finally learn about the fourth scoundrel, Chase, who is actually Lady Georgiana Pearson.  The daughter of a Duke, her future was bright and exciting until that changed when she was ruined before her first season.  Now, suffering the ton's cruelty by day, at night, she became Chase, the cloaked owner of London't infamous gaming hall, The Fallen Angel.  A cut-throat and shrewd business man, Chase is able to keep the ton's elite men under his thumb by learning their secrets.  Everything is fine until Georgiana needs an advantageous marriage in order to pave the way for her daughter to marry well.

Duncan West has secrets, and as a newspaper tycoon, he's been dealing with Chase for years through correspondence.  Being blackmailed, he decides to use Chase's influence into gaining his blackmailer's secrets as well.  Then he meets Georgiana at a ball, and he finds her fascinating.  When he follows her, he discovers that she is also Anna, a woman who has connections with The Fallen Angel.  He decides to see if she can help him gain access to Chase.

Working together, Duncan uses his influence in the newspaper and Scandal Sheet, in order to help bring about a marriage for Georgiana, and Georgiana helps him with Chase.  However, it soon becomes apparent that their feelings go beyond business.  Georgiana's deception and Duncan's past both threaten any future they could have together, and even if they could get beyond that, there is the question of the dangerous blackmailer who doesn't want Duncan to have a future at all.

This is a wonderful conclusion to this series, focusing in on Georgiana, who is actually Chase.  We get to see all the other scoundrels as they have each married now.  We learn the background story as to what happened to Georgiana years ago, what drives her, and how she is able to maintain the facade of Chase.  Duncan is a striking compatible hero, strong and powerful in his own right, yet he has a weak link that is exploited by someone from his past.  Duncan and Georgiana fall in love, and yet the reader is held in suspense as to how they will actually work it out to be together.  Sexy without being over-written, intriguing, and her interactions with Bourne, Cross and Temple, she is shown to be a strong and independent woman with her actions, not just words.  This book is a must read for fans of the previous titles.  While this is the conclusion, it's not wholly necessary to read the others first, even though there will be references to previous characters.  A new series coming soon that will have a connecting character from this book.

Reviewed by:  Jennifer Jones
Rating: 4.5