The Dangerous Viscount Book Review *Miranda Neville*

I’m a sucker for an unconventional hero, who also happens to be a beta and a virgin. Miranda Neville has written such a character, an adorably odd, male bluestocking who has no time for women, and where his family and friends think he’s dead below the waist when it comes to passion and sex. The moment I began reading The Dangerous Viscount, I fell in love with Sebastian, Viscount Iverley, the cousin to the handsome and popular Marquis of Blakeney. Sebastian can’t stand females in any shape or form. He finds them to be a nuisance, and I saw a small taste of this in The Wild Marquis. But when Sebastian sees the calf covered stocking of Diana Fanshawe, his world changes. Sebastian is turned on by viewing this limb, and he doesn’t like it. Diana finds Sebastian very strange, but is polite to him because he’s related to Blakeney, the man she has been infatuated with for years.

Diana likes normalcy since she comes from a strange family herself where she doesn’t fit in, but one Sebastian would have no problem with. Her plan is to marry Blakeney, but for the moment, they’re both playing a flirting game with one another. Diana has plans to ensnare Blakeney. But as she gets to know Sebastian better, she finds him not all that bad. Soon Sebastian wants Diana to pay more attention to him, not Blakeney, who treats him more like a simpleton. Sebastian doesn’t care for Blakeney and feels Diana is making a mistake. And when Sebastian and Diana go off together for a nature walk, Sebastian receives his first kiss ever! He’s overjoyed and smitten, and has decided he will marry Diana. But then he overhears why Diana allowed him to kiss her, he is devastated. Sebastian is sick of being made a fool of and now he’s out for revenge. Diana stole something very special from him where he’ll stop at nothing until he steals her heart, smashes it into little pieces and then goes on his merry way back to his books that can’t hurt him.

When was the last time you read a somewhat naïve and eccentric hero? I really can’t think of one. And way Miranda has written Sebastian, I fell for him where I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him everything will be okay, and those nabobs who don’t understand him shouldn’t matter. Sebastian may be socially awkward, but his keen intelligence is what makes him shine along with his confusion over his emotions when a woman like Diana captures his heart. Diana quickly sees who the man Sebastian is on the inside, even though she tries to keep her distance from him emotionally. It’s not because of who he is, but because Sebastian reminds her of family. Some may find Diana to be a snob, but we are given enough insight to see this is not necessarily the case.

Sebastian’s revenge, where he comes across as a new man both in wardrobe and in his actions is somewhat sad. Sebastian realizes this right away, and even though he is very hurt by what Diana has done to him, he wants her desperately, but must forgive her first. The way he reacts made my heart ache, but the outcome when everything is said and done makes for a great HEA. Sebastian has a good soul and it just takes the right person to see that.

The Dangerous Viscount is one I had great joy in reading. Sebastian is the type of character to sneak inside a reader’s mind and stay there for a very long time. If you are a historical romance fan, you must read The Dangerous Viscount and find out for yourself why Sebastian is one of the best heroes I’ve read this year. (Avon)

Final Grade: B+

A few other The Dangerous Viscount reviews:
Love Romance Passion
Not Another Romance Blog
The Romanorum