Veena’s review of When the Duke was wicked (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, Book 1) by Lorraine Heath
Regency Romance published by Avon 25 Feb 14
Lorraine Heath is on my auto-buy list because her stories are always heartwarming. Her heroes are scapegrace scoundrels and her heroines are strong of heart and determined to win against all odds. While Grace and Lovingdon are delightful characters and there’s definitely heart in this story, the pace is so slow that I actually sighed with relief when I got to the end.
Lady Grace Mabry is of the upper crust in English society, being the daughter of a duke with a sizeable dowry to her name. Suitors are flocking to court her. How can she find the one man amongst her suitors who loves her for herself and not for her name and fortune? She turns to the one person she trusts to come help her navigate these waters. The one person who’s always come to her rescue in the past, even though he’s retreated from polite society after the death of his wife and child.
I really do like the portrayal of Grace and her friends and how they strive for equality regardless of the prevalent norms that allow males far more freedom than women. Of course, Grace is fortunate in how forward thinking her parents are, though she takes liberties in sneaking away in the night to drink rum with Lovingdon or smoking cigars with her friends. Grace and her inner circle are very unconventional, so some of their antics and attitudes make for interesting reading.
Lovingdon, of course, is a typical regency rake. In an interesting spin on the usual, he actually started out as a goody two shoes but then became the usual rake of the first order steeped in women, wine, and cards after the death of his wife. As far as this story is concerned, he’s a rake who’s going to be reformed by love.
There are references almost from the beginning about something mysterious that Grace is dealing with that has the potential of serious consequences on her health and it isn’t till very late in the story that all is revealed. I had imagined various scenarios except the real one when we came to it. This is the first time I’ve seen this situation in a regency romance. I suppose the ton feared all kinds of illnesses, which is why there was so much secrecy around it.
All in all it’s a great primer on how to separate the wheat from the chaff or should I say a fortune hunter from a potential husband who can love you for yourself. It’s just that this one definitely does not win me over.
Grade: C
See Sandy M’s review here.
Summary:
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…
No excerpt available.
