A Lady’s Code of Misconduct
By Meredith Duran
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Reviewed by: Janga
For six years, orphan Jane Mason has endured immuration in
the country while her paternal uncle and guardian embezzled from her
inheritance and controlled her every move. She has watched as he played his corrupt
political games and planned to marry her to his son, who is as loathsome as his
father, albeit less powerful. Her only hope lies in somehow finding a husband
before she is forced to marry her cousin. Her father’s will gives her control
of her fortune upon her marriage and therein lies her chance for freedom. When
her uncle discovers and successfully thwarts her first effort, Jane strikes an
uneasy bargain with Crispin Burke, a political associate of her uncle, one who
is his equal in ruthlessness and even more powerful. She will spy on her uncle
for Crispin, and he will provide her with marriage papers signed by an
avaricious archbishop that will stand up under any examination so long as her “husband”
makes no objections.
The mysterious and ferociously ambitious Crispin is
determined to become prime minister of England. He has crafted a plan that will
bring down the current government and set the scene for his ascendancy, but
before his plan reaches fruition, Crispin is brutally assaulted. He is not
expected to survive the attack. Jane seizes the opportunity and claims Crispin
as her husband. Her expectation is that he will die, she will have control of
her fortune and she will be free to use her money in improving the lot of the
poor and downtrodden. Things do not go as Jane expected, beginning with
Crispin’s survival.
When Crispin regains consciousness, he has lost his memory
of the immediate past five years. He has no memory of the attack upon him, of
his political machinations, or of his bargain with Jane. Jane is terrified that
his memory will return and he will expose her lie. Her fear is soon complicated
by her growing feelings for the kinder, gentler Crispin who emerges as he
recovers. For his part, Crispin is discovering that the young woman of whom he
has no memory is exactly what he needs, an intelligent, accomplished political
wife who balances his harshness. Can love flourish when a lie is its
foundation?
In this fifth book in her Rules for the Reckless series,
Meredith Duran takes some common tropes in historical romance—fake marriage,
amnesia, and the redeemed hero among them—gives them a fresh twist, adds
Victorian political intrigue and a touch of suspense, and gifts her readers
with a novel that is as close to perfect as any historical romance in my
memory. The characters are compelling. Subverted power employed by intelligent
women who are denied legitimate power has long been a theme identified in
literary fiction, but I have seldom seen it employed more deftly than in
Duran’s talented hands in this book. Jane has depth, complexity, and
believability as a woman of her time. The redemption of Crispin Burke is not a
simplistic uncovering of a man’s better self. He begins as an embittered,
single-minded man who sees power as revenge and validation and who has few
reservations about what he is willing to do to achieve his goals. Even with the
amnesia, his transformation is neither saccharine nor magical. Something of the
essential Crispin remains. The villains are selfish, greedy, small-minded, and
lacking in compassion and human decency. In other words, they are believable
because readers know their contemporary counterparts.
Some writers are gifted storytellers, some are brilliant
wordsmiths, and some few are both. Duran falls in the last group. A Lady’s Code of Misconduct engaged my
mind and touched my heart—my criteria for a best book. The conflict (internal
and external) demanded my attention from beginning to end, and I found the
pacing superb. Duran’s prose is one of her strengths. It is lucid always and
lyrical often, and the dialogue in this one is impeccable. The love scenes are
sensual enough to please those who demand a high sizzle factor, but they are
never mere titillation.
I have been a Duran fan since I read her first book, Duke of Shadows, upon PJ’s
recommendation. All of her books are on my keeper shelves. I rank this new book
with her very best. If you are a historical romance reader looking for a novel
that will captivate with its craft and complexity, command your investment in
substantive, unforgettable characters, and delight with its flawless prose, A Lady’s Code of Misconduct may be just
the book you have been longing to read. I give it my highest recommendation. If
I could add a few stars to the five above to emphasize how much I loved this
book, I would do so.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Readers, what do you enjoy collecting? One randomly chosen person leaving a comment will receive a Reckless Reward: autographed copies of Fool Me Twice, Lady Be Good, and Luck Be A Lady. (U.S. only) Deadline to enter giveaway is 11:59 PM (PST) today.
More Opportunities to Win!
The twenty starred blogs (*) below will give away one set (Reckless Reward!) of three autographed copies in the Rules for the Reckless series: Fool Me Twice, Lady Be Good, and Luck Be A Lady. You can enter on all participating sites, but you can only win once. To celebrate the fifth in the series, there will be five Reckless Reward giveaways per day beginning publication day, Tuesday, February 28th – Friday, March 3rd. U.S. only.
Blog Tour:
Bookaholics Romance Book Club INTERVIEW WITH MEREDITH DURAN and GIVEAWAY
Sunday, February 26th
Monday, February 27th
Tuesday, February 28th
Toot’s Book Reviews – Feature
Wednesday, March 1st
Feeding My Addiction Book Reviews – Spotlight
Thursday, March 2nd
Dirty Girl Romance - Spotlight
Bookhounds – Q&A
Friday, March 3rd
Night Owl Reviews – Author Guest Post
Saturday, March 4th
Sunday, March 5th
Monday, March 6th
Reading Frenzy – Spotlight
Bookish - Giveaway
Tuesday, March 7th
Bookworm2bookworm – Spotlight, Excerpt, and Review
Celtic Lady’s Reviews – Spotlight
Wednesday, March 8th
Fresh Fiction - Spotlight
Thursday, March 9th
Friday, March 10th
This one is not-so-patiently waiting on my tbr. Janga knows how much I adore Meredith Duran's books. In my opinion, she's one of the best authors writing today.
ReplyDeleteI've read all of Meredith's previous books, so there's no need to enter me into the contest. I am, however, looking forward to reading "A Lady's Code of Misconduct". I used to collect Beanie babies.
ReplyDeleteI used to collect them too, Diane. I gave them all away when I moved to my condo.
DeleteP.J. I gave over 300 of them to Goodwill, but kept a lot of the special bears for myself. When I thinkk of the times I spent in line...in freezing weather and snow when I lived in Ohio. LOL
DeleteMeredith's novels are captivating. I collect teas.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting collection, petite!
DeleteThis book would be greatly enjoyed. I collect journals.
ReplyDeleteJournals that you write in or other people's journals?
DeleteI love Meredith Duran's books, and this one sounds so intriguing. I like amnesia/fresh start plots.
ReplyDeleteI collect teapots and BOOKS. :-)
How many teapots do you have, cheryl? I think we all could probably fall into the book collector category. ;-)
Deleteclose to 20...so far :o)
DeleteI hope all of you who read A Lady's Code of Misconduct enjoy it as much as I did. PJ, I feel confident that you will love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks in large part to PJ's thoughtfulness and generosity, I have a growing collection of books signed by the author. I also collect angels.
I love that you collect angels, Janga. It seems so perfect for you.
DeleteI've only read one of hers but really enjoyed it - I need to catch up!
ReplyDeleteI'm behind a few too, catslady.
DeleteMeredith is a new author for me, so haven't read any of her books yet.
ReplyDeleteI collect books.
She's an amazing writer!
DeleteI always enjoy Meredith's books. I'm not a big collector, except for books.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you enjoy Meredith's books too, Kim!
DeleteI have a nice collection of kaleidoscopes. And books. Can't forget books. I'm looking forward to reading Meredith's newest. Thanks for the post and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool collection! I love kaleidoscopes but I've never met anyone who collects them. How many do you have? Are any of them antiques?
DeleteNo antiques, but I do have several that are hand made. Those are my favorites. I have almost 40 of them.
DeleteI love Meredith's books. Thanks for the awesome review. I collect Depression Glass and vintage compacts.
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Depression glass is so beautiful. How did you start collecting vintage compacts?
DeleteI love the idea that a writer has created an historic world where women have brains and ability. Thank you! This review has created another book I "Must" get. I am a collector of vintage tins and some flower arranging items, like old frogs, and books,,,,,tons of books. It is an addiction. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSo many different and interesting things you all collect! Hope you enjoy Duran's books, Annette!
DeleteI'm boring :) I just "collect" books although it's closer to hoarding. This sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI SO have to get caught up with her books! Obviously, I collect books. I also collect boots.
ReplyDeletebooks! ha! I've slowly been downsizing my collections. I do like little heart-shaped items.
ReplyDeletedenise
I have always found excellent recommendations on the Romance Dish and this sounds like an excellent one. I look forward to reading A Lady’s Code of Misconduct. I will have to check my TBR mountain to see what books by Meredith Duran may be hidden there.
ReplyDeleteI collect books. I have several different groupings: religion, romance, mystery & thrillers, science, history, general fiction, children's books, cookbooks, regional, and travel. I enjoy old books and have some dating to the early to mid-1800's. The non-fiction books deal with social behavior and rules, children, and historical events. Our family bible is a beautiful 1865 version. I enjoy reading novels written in the time period in which they are set. They give you an interesting insight into "current" ways of thinking, language use, and how "current" events are viewed. I have a collection of bookmarks to go along with the books.
I enjoy collecting books by my favorite authors.
ReplyDeletejmcgaugh (at) semo (dot) edu
DeleteYes, I admit that I collect books. (also, depression era glassware)
ReplyDeleterosesareblue at outlook dot com