 The novel 's popularity has endured and it is still considered one of the best historical romances ever published . The website " All about Romance " voted it in first place for four years , and it was also deemed the " Best All @-@ Time Historical Romance " by Romance Readers Anonymous for four years . In a 2010 list of " must @-@ reads in romance " for Kirkus Reviews , Sarah Wendell deemed it her favorite historical romance and believed her successful recommendation to a male professor proved its worth . Author Anne Browning Walker , in a similar list of " Smart Romance Books " for Publishers Weekly , included Lord of Scoundrels and observed Chase 's penchant for " creating smart , thoughtful , witty , and well @-@ meaning heroines " . Also writing for Publishers Weekly , author Beverly Jenkins called Lord of Scoundrels an example of " Chase at the top of her game " and opined that its " characters are full @-@ bodied and evenly matched . The passion is to die for , and every romance reader I know has this book on their keeper shelf " . 
