Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Never Seduce a Duke (The Mating Habits of Scoundrels, #5)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: The Mating Habits of Scoundrels #5
Publication Date: 2/21/23
Period: Regency
Number of Pages:

Mmm, mmm, mmm – who wouldn’t love a book with a genius duke who wears glasses and is socially inept? Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton is absolutely precious and the banter between him and Margaret Stredwick is absolutely priceless. While I think you’ll enjoy the book ‘as is’, I think you will enjoy it even more if you read the third book, The Wrong Marquess, before you read this one. The zany aunts and their penchant for purloining recipes are introduced in that book and I think it will provide better insight into the aunts and some of the situations in this book. You don’t have to have read it because it is explained in this book, but, not to the delightful degree it is in book three.

Lucien is a very brainy, scientific man who loves to analyze everything, calculate everything, and leave nothing to chance. Until a delightfully sunny lady enters his life and leads him on a merry chase across Europe – and then disappears on him. Lucien is a man who desperately wants to connect with his family’s past and when a family heirloom that connects so closely to that past is stolen, he will go to any lengths to get it back.

Lucien’s scientific and analytical way of speaking will certainly make you chuckle – if not laugh out loud. No, it isn’t staid – with the context and situation it will make you laugh – and love him even more. One example is when he is speaking of a rival for Meg’s hand – he says – “Prescott is welcome to apply the fixed, corded braiding of hemp fibers to his cervical vertebrae and descend from a platform at a rapid rate of speed.” (In other words – Prescott can go hang himself).

The book is basically in two parts – the first fifty percent is their “on the road” adventures across Europe and the last fifty percent takes place two years later. There is a major story shift within those two halves. Both halves are good reads, but the first half is more lighthearted and fun than the second half. That isn’t to say the last half isn’t good, the tone is just a tad different – and it needs to be.

There is an antagonist in the book – I mean – somebody actually stole the heirloom and it wasn’t Meg. I figured it out pretty early on and from that point on, I’d get so aggravated because all of the characters in the book couldn’t see it too!

And – last but not least – there is the epilogue! It is whimsical, funny, endearing, and so very romantic. So, I can definitely recommend the book and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Highland Heartbreaker by Julie Johnstone

On By TracyIn Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Highland Heartbreaker (Of Mist and Mountains, #4)Highland Heartbreaker by Julie Johnstone

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Of Mist and Mountains, #4

Release Date: January 17, 2023

After years of waiting for her betrothed to marry her, Elena MacLeod has had enough and plans to use the terms of the contract which say if they don’t marry by her 22nd birthday, she can withdraw from the betrothal. But the day before her birthday, Rolland MacKay aka the Highland Heartbreaker shows up to claim her. Elena is furious, she has no desire to wed a man who has tumbled practically every lass in the highlands while betrothed to her. But when she shoots him in the butt with an arrow, everything changes. They get to know each other, and love blossoms, a wedding is planned, but the night before they were to exchange their vows, Rolland leaves without a word. Later she hears that he was called away to a battle and acted dishonorably and was labeled a coward and a traitor by the king and that he took up with the king’s son, Lord Carrick. Elena is heartbroken, how could she have fallen for such a man? She needs to forget Rolland and move on, but each time she comes close to marriage, she breaks the betrothal – after 4 years and just as many broken betrothals, Elena begs to go to court. But trouble from her last betrothal follows her and when her life is in danger, her father betroths her to Rolland’s cousin, the new MacKay laird. Elena never expects to cross paths with Rolland again, but to her shock, that is exactly what happens and to make things worse, and tasks Rolland with delivering her to him. Could things get any worse?

Rolland never wanted to marry Elena, something he made clear to his father and hers when their parents betrothed them, but after years of rebelling, Rolland realizes that he is being selfish and that the marriage will help his clan, so he puts aside his rakish ways and travels to Dunvegan Castle to claim his bride. He was not prepared for the lovely woman who disguised herself to compete in the archery competition, who stands up to him and then shoots him in the butt with an arrow. This is not the biddable, boring wife he was expecting and suddenly marriage doesn’t seem like the nightmare he envisioned. But when the king demands his help in exchange for his brother’s life, Rolland will have to seemingly betray the only woman he has ever loved and give up not only his love but his title and his honor as well. And now four years later, he is finally closer to completing his task than he has ever been, but not close enough to reclaim his old life or Elena. And when he learns that someone is after her and she needs the protection of marriage, he agrees to deliver her to his cousin, even if it is the hardest thing he has ever done. He expected her wrath, but he never expected to fall deeper in love with the one woman who he can never have.

This was another incredible installment in a wonderful series. The book is well-written, nicely paced, and filled with amazing characters and lots of page-turning excitement. If you have read the other books and wondered about Elena and her broken betrothals, then this is the book you have been waiting for! This second-chance romance has intrigue, murder, betrayal, lies, secrets, wonderful secondary characters, action, life-and-death moments, steamyish love scenes, a little heartache, surprising twists, and finally a hard-won HEA complete with an epilogue. This is the fourth book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title. I was delighted to finally read Elena’s story and it was everything that I could have hoped for and more! I enjoyed this book and was a little sad to see it end, and hopefully, this won’t be the last we see of Elena and Rolland! I highly recommend this title and hope you love it as much as I did.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*