DUKE OF DESIRE by Elizabeth Hoyt (October 17, 2017; Grand Central Publishing Mass Market; The Maiden Lane Series #12)
A LADY OF LIGHT
Refined, kind, and intelligent, Lady Iris Jordan finds herself the unlikely target of a diabolical kidnapping. Her captors are the notoriously evil Lords of Chaos. When one of the masked-and-nude!-Lords spirits her away to his carriage, she shoots him…only to find she may have been a trifle hasty.
A DUKE IN DEEPEST DARKNESS
Cynical, scarred, and brooding, Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has made it his personal mission to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and destroy them. Rescuing Lady Jordan was never in his plans. But now with the Lords out to kill them both, he has but one choice: marry the lady in order to keep her safe.
CAUGHT IN A WEB OF DANGER…AND DESIRE
Much to Raphael’s irritation, Iris insists on being the sort of duchess who involes herself in his life—and bed. Soon he’s drawn to both to her quick wit and her fiery passion. But when Iris discovers that Raphael’s past may be even more dangerous than the present, she falters. Is their love strong enough to withstand not only the Lords of Chaos but also Raphael’s own demons?
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Review-
Duke of Desire is the twelfth, yes twelfth book in the Maiden Lane series. It makes me feel bittersweet to say that this is going to be the last book in the Maiden Lane series. Before I continue on with the review I'd like to say that Elizabeth Hoyt is one of the most amazing authors and she is one of my favourite historical romance authors. I can't wait to read more from her and the entire Maiden Lane series is one of her best works. Now, getting back to Duke of Desire, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Let's start with the Duke in question, the Duke of Dyemore. Raphael is scarred and cynical. He does not mingle in society nor does he care what the society thinks of him. Raphael is on a mission to bring down the Lords of Chaos and destroy them and he will do anything to achieve that. What he does not expect is to fall for Lady Iris. I really liked Raphael. The poor man had a horrible childhood and suffered abuse from the hands of a loved one. This makes him question love and everything along with it.
Lady Iris Jordan does not expect to be kidnapped by the Lords of Chaos nor does she expect to be rescued by Rapheal and then marry him. Duke of Desire follows the classic example of marriage of convenience and it works so well for Iris and Raphael. Iris was a lady who'd been through a lot. She just wanted a husband and a companion whom she could love and cherish. Iris was determined and strong and sometimes stubborn- basically just what Raphael needed.
The romance between Iris and Raphael was swoon worthy. They were sweet together and Iris was definitely not hesitant to speak her mind. Raphael was protective and though he tried to keep his heart out of the relationship he failed. We also get to see a few familiar faces from the previous books here.
One thing to be noted is that Duke of Desire has a much darker undertone as compared to some of the previous Maiden Lane books. It gives the book and its characters more depth. We can see the meaning behind their actions and the circumstances which led them to be the people they are in the present. Elizabeth Hoyt's writing is smooth and highly engaging. Overall, I really enjoyed Duke of Desire.
*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.
About the Author:
Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing "mesmerizing." She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.
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The Duke of Desire sounds like a really great read! It's been a while since I have read a book in this genre and I should really start again (reading romance novels).
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