When the Duke Was Wicked by Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon (February 25, 2014)
Publisher: Avon (February 25, 2014)
Series: Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, 1
Genre: Historical Romance
They are England’s most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways…
Lady Grace Mabry’s ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her—or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon?
With no interest in marriage, Lovingdon has long lived only for pleasure. He sees little harm in helping Grace find a proper match. After all, he’s familiar with all the ploys a scoundrel uses to gain a woman’s favor. He simply has to teach the lovely innocent how to distinguish honest emotions from false ones. How better than by demonstrating his wicked ways. But as lessons lead to torrid passion and Grace becomes ensnared in another man’s marriage plot, Lovingdon must wage a desperate gamble: Open his heart fully—or risk losing the woman he adores…
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My Review:
It's rare that I pick up a historical romance lately. I've simply not been in the mood for the genre, I suppose. And while I can't say that When the Duke Was Wicked managed to make me fall in love with this genre all over again, I did very much enjoy it. It was an easy read, and sometimes that is just what you need.
I did feel a connection to Lovingdon and Grace, and I was happy to see them get a HEA. Lovingdon's grief was painful to watch at times. I liked that Heath gave Grace an imperfection that she hid; it added a new twist to the story.
Yet my favorite scenes were the ones where Lovingdon gave Grace advice on how to recognize if a man truly loved her. I sighed and swooned through every such scene!
“He would stare at me?” she whispered, swaying towards him.
“He would touch you in ways he could not touch you with his hands—not in public. But images would be filling his mind. He would be unable to tear his gaze away.” Clearing his throat, he broke the connection that was joining them and looked up into the trees. “He will look at you, Little Rose, as though you are everything, because to him you will be.”
That's just a taste; Heath had dozens of other passages that I loved.
What more can I say; When the Duke Was Wicked is a very sweet and lovely romance, with plenty of sigh-worthy moments and a touch of smoldering passion!
3 STARS!
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I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for my honest opinion.
*Note: The quote used belongs to Lorraine Heath; TBQ's Book Palace does not claim it.
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I remember loving Heath's books when I first started reading romance novels. I think my 'meh' response to this book is due more to my mood. The last year or two I've only read a handful of historicals, and of those only a few have really stood out.
But I'm curious what others think -- have you read When the Duke Was Wicked? Do you have a favorite Lorraine Heath book?
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
6 comments :
OK, you've got me with that quote alone!
It's true; my reading moods have been all over the place lately. But still, this was a nice read, and I am glad I picked it up!
Enjoy,
TBQ
Oh yes, this book is worth reading for some of those quotes alone!
Enjoy,
TBQ
I bought it at Target today! :)
Yeah! Please come back and tell me how you liked it.
Enjoy,
TBQ
Ahh yeah I'd like to meet him. I'm still in the historical phase but know how it is when you kinda fall out of one. I'm still kinda iffy on UF and it used to be all I'd read. Just gotta go with it. Glad to hear you enjoyed bits of this one :)
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