Synopsis
Being left at the altar is humiliating; being rescued from thugs by a woman—albeit a brave and beautiful one—is the pièce de résistance to the Duke of Thornley's extraordinarily bad day. After nursing him back from the brink, Gillie agrees to help him comb London's darker corners for his wayward bride. But every moment together is edged with desire and has Thorne rethinking his choice of wife. Yet Gillie knows the aristocracy would never accept a duchess born in sin. Thorne, however, is determined to prove to her that no obstacle is insurmountable when a duke loves a woman.
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OTHER TITLES IN THE SERIES
Book 1: Beyond Scandal and Desire by Lorraine HeathMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Release date: January 30, 2018
Publisher: Avon Romance
At birth, Mick Trewlove, the illegitimate son of a duke, was handed over to a commoner. Despite his lowly upbringing, Mick has become a successful businessman, but all his wealth hasn’t satisfied his need for revenge against the man who still won’t acknowledge him. What else can Mick do but destroy the duke’s legitimate son—and woo the heir’s betrothed into his own unloving arms . . .
Orphaned and sheltered, Lady Aslyn Hastings longs for a bit of adventure. With her intended often preoccupied, Aslyn finds herself drawn to a darkly handsome entrepreneur who seems to understand her so well. Surely a lady of her station should avoid Mick Trewlove. If only he weren’t so irresistible . . .
As secrets are about to be exposed, Mick must decide if his plan for vengeance is worth risking what his heart truly desires.
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Book 3: The Scoundrel in Her Bed by Lorraine HeathRelease date: February 26, 2019
Publisher: Avon Romance
The bastard son of a nobleman, Finn Trewlove was a shameful secret raised by a stranger. As Finn came of age he had secrets, too--the clandestine nights spent with an earl’s daughter. But her promise of forever ended in betrayal.
Driven by a past that haunts her, Lady Lavinia Kent seeks redemption in London’s underworld, engaged in a daring cause inspired by the young man to whom she gave her innocence, and who then proved himself a scoundrel by abandoning her.
When their paths cross again, they can’t deny the yearning and desire that still burns. As they discover the truth behind the deceptions that tore them apart, Finn and Lavinia must fight to reclaim what they’ve lost, no matter how dangerous—because love is worth the risk….
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About the Author:
She is the daughter of a British beauty (her mom won second place in a beauty contest sponsored by Max Factor® during which she received a kiss from Caesar Romero--Joker on the original Batman TV series) and a Texan who was stationed at Bovingdon while serving in the air force. Lorraine was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, but soon after moved to Texas. Her "dual" nationality has given her a love for all things British and Texan, and she enjoys weaving both heritages through her stories.
When she received her BA degree in psychology from the University of Texas, she had no idea she had gained a foundation that would help her to create believable characters—characters that are often described as “real people.” Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA Today, Waldenbooks, and most recently, the New York Times.
REVIEW
When a Duke Loves a Woman by Lorraine HeathSeries: Sins for All Seasons #2
Publication date: August 21, 2018
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 4 stars
He’d kissed women before, lots of women, all sorts of women, but it had never felt as though any of them had reached deep within him and caressed his soul.
Gillie was a fascinating heroine who unlike most other women of her time wants nothing to do with love and marriage. She's completely independent, and focused on making The Mermaid and Unicorn tavern in Whitechapel a success. If she were to marry, the business she built with her blood, sweat, and tears would be handed over to her husband. How could she possibly desire such a thing? No, she was just fine living by her rules, since the rules and opinions of society had never been in her favor anyway.
It hurt too much to care. She knew her limits, knew her path. It didn’t involve marriage, children, or love.
On top of that, she was taught growing up to guard herself from men and be wary of their intentions. Dressing in men's clothes, cutting her hair short, and binding her breasts, she learned to make herself blend into the background and avoid drawing attention to herself. Too many women had fallen prey to their passion, and she had no desire to repeat past mistakes and create a child who would be ostracized by polite society like her family had been.
Another thing I loved about her was her unpredictability. She was a study in contradictions. Growing up in the seedy side of town, saw things in her tavern that ladies couldn't even imagine, and because of that understands human nature at a deeper level than most ladies. At the same time, she's utterly inexperienced with men, to the point where she fears allowing anyone to get close. She knows the mechanics and facts of sex, but she's never even been kissed at almost thirty years old. She wouldn't think twice about throwing a punch in a bar brawl to break it up, or bluntly speaking her mind, but her tough exterior hides a woman who has no faith in her own desirability and confidence in her worth.
For all her boldness, there was still a part of her that believed she deserved being left on a doorstep; buried deep within her was a little girl who wanted to believe she was a princess. He intended to treat her as though she were a queen.
Then there's her whimsical side verses her practical side. She daydreamed as a child that she was a princess, and loves mermaids and unicorns. Yet, in her life, her head has always ruled over her heart. Gillie is a true three dimensional character who's strong, yet just vulnerable enough to capture readers' hearts.
The book begins with a twist on the classic hero rescues the heroine trope which I really enjoyed. In this case, Thorne has been set upon by thugs, and could have lost his life if not for Gillie's quick intervention. After dragging him up to her apartment, she spends time caring for him and fighting some very unfamiliar feelings of attraction. Thorne goes in and out of consciousness, but even in his weakened state, he's drawn to her just as much. I found his insta-lust/attraction to be a little on the unbelievable side to be honest.
First of all, he was in her neighborhood searching for his bride who left him at the altar. Secondly, he's had a massive amount of blood loss and life threatening injuries. I couldn't help but feel that it was far-fetched for him to be mooning over another woman, and even responding physically in those circumstances as he was laying in bed so weak. I had a hard time connecting to them as a couple in the first half of the book partly because of feeling like their attraction was so abrupt and rushed.
The whole period where they spent time getting to know one another was in the search for his missing bride. As she assisted him through her neighborhood, there was a LOT of internal dialogue on his part where he compared her to Lavinia. Even though it was always in favor of Gillie, after a point it started to grate on my nerves. Yes, it helped to establish that he had no feelings of love for Lavinia, and that he was sadly lacking knowledge about her, but it didn't endear me to Gillie and Thorne's romance.
Thorne was an easy hero to love, and refreshing in that he wasn't your typical brooding or alpha type. He was much more open and warm, and from the very beginning, he admired Gillie's independence and differences. And though he was a Duke (and a cousin to the Queen herself!) he never looked down his nose at her, or anyone else in the working class. In fact, he admires them, and even rolled up his sleeves to help work in the tavern when she's shorthanded.
The greatest roadblock for Thorne was understanding and identifying the love he had for Gillie. Growing up with such cold parents, he has never been exposed to true romantic love. His father was a philanderer, and his mother was vicious and bitter because of it. There was never any parental affection doted on him from either of them, only expectations of his responsibility as the future Duke.
When he came to realize his growing feelings for the woman he admired so deeply, he didn't hesitate to try to introduce her to his world. Gillie was sure that like the Unicorn and Mermaid, they were destined to live in different worlds never to cross, but he was determined to convince her otherwise. She was strong, intelligent, and the bravest woman he ever met. All he had to do was convince her that she was the perfect candidate to step into the roll of duchess without having to let go of her dreams. The second half really picked up for me, and I was really invested in them finding a way to come together despite his mother and snobby society's expectations.
Though I didn't love this one quite as much as the first book, I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing these two find their way to each other. Thorne was a man who didn't know how to love, and Gillie didn't want to fall in love. However, they grew, changed, and by the end, understood themselves and one another better than they ever had before.
I'm so looking forward to reading Finn and Lavinia's story, The Scoundrel in Her Bed . Lavinia really intrigued me in this book, so I was excited to see that she would be paired with Gillie's brother Finn! I'll be counting down the days until February.
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