Duke of Sin (Maiden Lane #10)
by Elizabeth Hoyt
Blurb:
A
MAN OF SIN
Devastatingly
handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the
man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and
blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on
those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste
to all his plans.
A
WOMAN OF HONOR
Born
a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When
her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke
of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers
something far more dangerous.
A
SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH
Astonished
by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers,
Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly
charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse,
they soon realize that they both have secrets-and neither may be as
nefarious-or as innocent-as they appear . . .
Themes: historical
Rating: 3.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Wow! That was an interesting way for a man to
find himself turned from villain to—well...not hero, but definitely into a human
man. Anyone that has read the recent installments of this series well knows the
dastardly deeds that Valentine Napier, Duke of Montgomery, is capable of and
there is certainly no denying that the man leads a lifestyle that even in the
much freer society we currently live in would be considered disreputable. This series has evolved through many different
paths and taking us down the road of reforming (sort of) this villain into a
man worthy of the love of a good woman was going to be a challenge, but
Elizabeth certainly meets and possibly even exceeds my expectations. I loved seeing
Bridget sparring with Val as she tried to get around him to meet her goal, but
as she starts to see the true man behind the mask of indulgence and insolence
and fall in love I fear for her sanity.
Val was the kind of man that always has an endgame in sight, always 12
steps ahead of his opponents, until he finds the strangely compelling Bridget
sneaking through his room. She throws
his world upside down and there is no way for him to deny that he wants
her. But the more she denies the
connection and possibilities between them the more he wants her. The question becomes will he be willing to
give up on his lifelong goals in order to keep the woman he has inexplicably
fallen in love with from being sacrificed for his goals.
I
loved this story, mainly because it really is a story of a man that has gone
far off the path of righteousness in order to protect those in need, while still maintaining a nonchalant
and over-the-top way of life, one that is expected from his family name. Valentine is one of those characters that you
love to hate until you just have to love him.
He knows what he wants and though he is willing to work for it, his ways
are often not-so-mainstream. Seeing him
interacting with, and seducing, the timid and understated Bridget and knowing
that he might not ever be worthy to hold such a treasure leads him to make some
very questionable choices. Bridget on
the other hand knows what she is doing is wrong, even as she falls into his
arms and into his bed, but resisting him is unbearable to both heart and body. Seeing them falling in love as they both
worked to keep their chess game from imploding was more that fun, it was the
game of a lifetime. I cannot wait to see
whose story will be next, though I have my suspicions and if I’m right it could
be very interesting. All in all another
Hoyt masterpiece in a series I can see evolving and lasting for a long time
more.
*ebook provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
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