A Duke but No Gentleman
Alexandra Hawkins
St. Martin's Paperbacks, Jun 30 2015, $7.99
ISBN: 9781250064721
Though best friends, their competiveness at everything also makes
the Duke of Blackbern and Marquess Norgrave heated rivals in which all third
parties beware of the fallout. By 1792
Norgrave fears he lost the game to his long-time foe.
They never competed for the innocent until now. Desperate to regain the edge he believes he
lost, Norgrave bets Blackbern that he will have sex with virgin Lady Imogene Sunter
first. Though he has some qualms about
this amoral wager, Blackbern reluctantly accepts the bet as he cannot allow his
buddy to win. As the wastrels seduce
Imogene, she finds both attractive.
However, Blackbern does the unthinkable when he falls in love with the
stake while Norgrave obsesses over “owning” the stake.
Though bets have been used too frequently in historical romances,
in this Georgian it feels fitting as an impetus of love; and psychopathic rage
of rape and beating (of innocent Lady Charlotte). Not for everyone, as the villain, who makes
the Lords of Vice seem like aristocratic paragons, “do not go gently into the
good night” (Dylan Thomas).
Harriet
Klausner
No comments:
Post a Comment