Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Lord of Scoundrels: 5 favorite ending moments

It’s always such a good sign with a book when you think you’ve reached the high point (for me it was that icon scene) and then you realize there is WAY more going on. What a lovely book and a treat of a read. (Psst: spoilers ahoy!)

My top five ending moments (not in order):

1. Dain gives the little boy a bath. I love how Dain holds and cares for his unruly little puking son, and he's also kind of grappling with his own monstous sense of self. And then he makes all these connections with his own situation, and realizes his mother loved him enough to leave him behind, and that he can be the person to love Dominick. The presence of Dominick brought that to life in such a vivid way.

2. His arm works again. It was so excellent how the frozen arm figured in—I certainly didn’t predict it! It became immobile after Jess shot him, and then it comes out here that it had to do with his fear that she’d leave him. And then his arm comes back to life caring for his son!

At first I was thinking, it’s because he is whole now. But it’s also because he has agency as a human being. Even though his mother left him, he can make it so Dominick is not alone, and he can make it so he is not alone. I felt this was a psychologically rich twist.

3. Jess kicks Vawtry's ass. What a great heroine! She even seems quite injured, and I expected her to more just stop Vawtry him until Dain stepped in to take over, but no! She finishes the job.

4. Jess just totally lusts after Dain all the time. Sure, Jess is clever, and has this emotional attachment to Dain, but we’re never allowed to forget that, from the start, she just animal-lusted after him, ever since they were in that curio shop. I really enjoyed that scene where she confesses what she wanted to do to him in that shop.

5. '“Ti amo,” he said. And so ridiculously simple it was that he said it again in English this time, “I love you, Jess.”'

29 comments:

KT Grant said...

CJ: You know my favorite scene *G* Jess shooting Dain. And the weepy scene when she gives him the idol.

Carolyn Crane said...

What I want to know, is your precious Batman aware that this is your favorite scene??

KT Grant said...

Batman is for late at night when I am feeling frisky. And when I need a cool ass car to drive :)

Holly said...

Jeez, would you stop already? I've already read this book twice this year. I don't need to yet another re-read. Do I? ;)

I do have to say, however, that I snickered a bit to myself when I read your post about the icon. I knew it wouldn't be long before you realized there is no high point in this book. They're all high points.

And though I agree with KB that the shooting scene was amazing, there are so many others that were just as wonderful. When Jess finally agrees to marry Dain and he's so relieved. When Dain realizes his son needs him. When Dain finally gives in and lets Jess seduce him. When they kiss in the rain. The entire book. :)

Ana said...

I love that scene in the moors (?) where he tells her that if she ever leaves him he would kill hiself. And she just reply "Frankly Dain I dont know where you get such addled ideas" . Isnt this woman great or what?

Le sigh.

Anonymous said...

Yes! You nailed it! Those are great moments.

My favorite lines:
Dain thinking about his son:

"He was just like his father. And just like his father, he needed someone- anyone- to accept him. Someone to look upon him and touch him with affection. It was not very much to ask."

And this:
When his son calls him "Papa"

" And in Lord Beelzebub's dark, harsh Dartmoor of a heart, the sweet rain fell and a seedling of love sprouted in the once barren soil."

Le sigh.
Perfection.

lisabea said...

Kim: That last one gave me goose flesh. NOT kidding.

Can we love this book anymore? It's the master class of romance.

KT Grant said...

Lisa: You sound like such a 13 year old girl!! LMAO!!

LOS brings out the young girl in my heart :)

Carolyn Crane said...

Holly: You know, even though I don't mention it, that scene of the agreement of marriage, ooh, so wonderful. And the seduction, when she just marches in there. Yeah, the whole book is high points.

Ana: Right, her reactions to Dain are always so great. She doesn't take him too seriously. But the fact that he even said that.

Kim: You've nailed some of my other fave moments. All the times when he called him papa, oh, I loved those. But yeah, that first one is the best. I should just type the whole damn book up as my favorite moments.

LB: Master class is right. How is she even doing this?

KB: LOS brings the young girl out..until Batman arrives.

sula said...

le sigh. I was "this close" to buying myself a copy of this book last night after having borrowed it from the library umpteenth times. But instead I got that Private Arrangements book that everyone is talking about. Now I'm feeling buyers remorse because frankly, you can't top LOS.

Jessica is one of THE best heroines evah. I love it when she just lays down the law. I don't have the book in front of me (see above paragraph) but I really love the part where he 'thinks' he's just going to go hang out with his buddies at a fight and she's all like...oh no you Didn't! You aren't leaving me at home like some little dutiful wife while you go play. uh uh.

so glad you enjoyed this one, CJ. Truly, a classic.

Carolyn Crane said...

Sorry, Sula, PA is fine, but it's no LOS!!

You know, I do believe that the scene you speak of is the main seduction scene. The delayed wedding night. A fine scene. I'll be interested to see how you like PA.

Wendy said...

I haven't read the book, and I read your top five ending moments, oops! I couldn't help it, I was curious. In any way, it sounds like a lovely book so I'll probably read it. :)

Kati said...

*dammit*

Now I've got to pull out LOS to re-read.

Thanks for the reminder, CJ!

lisabea said...

Katie(babs)~I am a masochistic 13 year old girl!


And, heh, so are you. Feelin' up YODA!

Carolyn Crane said...

MK: Oh, well, when it's this good, once is never enough.

LB: I heard Yoda is a masochistic 13 year old girl

KT Grant said...

LB: Yoda was so lonely in that corner around with all those sexy superheroes with packages of steel.

LOS makes me so giddy! My guy friend has it for a review he is going to write for me. But he has had my copy of LOS since December!! I need my Dain and Jess fix.

lisabea said...

Just be glad I wasn't with you. I'd of dragged Yoda's frail little form across the room and placed him in a compromising position with Wonder Woman.


Or Batman.

KT Grant said...

The messed up thing was, there was no Wonder Woman statues!!! I was a bit out of joint over that. :(
You and CJ could always try your hand on some Yoda or Wonder Woman fiction. *wink wink*

Carolyn Crane said...

No wonder woman!!

LB, I think it's more likely you would've put Yoda in a compromising position with Superman, anyway.

And then gotten arrested. KB and I would send you racy romance novels to read in Levenworth.

KT Grant said...

If LB was arrested that would definitely call for me to put Lover Enshrined in a cake for her.

Superman and Yoda? I really trying to put that visual out of my mind.

lisabea said...

I'm concerned that all these scenarios end with me in jail. Wouldn't you rather send me a file in that cake? Or a shank?



But, uh, Katie, you can bake that LE in a cake ANYTIME and send it to me.

:)

KT Grant said...

LB: I am 75% done... my head is twirling. I blame the crack.

I make some mean brownies though.

Carolyn Crane said...

KB: I'll take LE and the brownies. Oh, boy, I can't wait to read the review.

Hey LB: nice new icon. I'm sure that the creators of batman will be happy to be character witnesses at your trial.

KT Grant said...

LB!!! Your icon is priceless!! We just need more MLM superhero comics around.

CJ: I will make extra special brownies just for you. I will call them The Bourne Speciall *G*

lisabea said...

CJ~Nothing says romance like a little Batman on Robin action.

Uh. But maybe I should go back to Space Ghost Coast to Coast. This may shock the ladies at DA.

KT Grant said...

I don't think the DA ladies would be shocked. :D
Long live Batman and Robin love!

Brie said...

God, I love this book.

I think the stand out moments for me were Dain removing Jess's glove in a public setting, and then what came after it; the kiss in the rain.

I totally swooned when Dain was murmuring Italian endearments to her. And then when Jess kissed his "monstrous" nose... Sigh.

It's time for a reread.

Carolyn Crane said...

Brie:
I agree, those moments were EXQUISITE! I just love thinking about them. I may reread even though I just finished. I was just grinning through so much of this book.

lisabea said...

I read this book in an airport. We'd been delayed and so I sat on the floor with my daughter and we read our books for hours and hours. And ate sour gummy worms. It was actually a great afternoon.

And I'm going to read it again as well.