Thursday, August 22, 2019

Review - - The Duchess in His Bed


The Duchess in His Bed
by Lorraine Heath
Sins for all Seasons - Book 4
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Reviewed by PJ
    



For a duchess with practical desires, falling in love is an inconceivable part of her plan…
 As owner of the Elysium Club which caters to women’s fantasies, Aiden Trewlove is accustomed to introducing adventurous ladies to sin and vice. But he is uncharacteristically intrigued by the mysterious beauty who visits his club one night, yearning to indulge in the forbidden—with him. Drawn to her indomitable spirit, he breaks his rule of never becoming personally involved with his clientele and is determined to fully awaken her desires.
A recent widow, Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing, has never known passion, not until Aiden’s slow, sensual seduction leads her on a journey of discovery and incredible pleasure. But her reasons for visiting the notorious club are not all that they seem.
As Selena’s motives become complicated by love, she finds herself with a most unexpected choice: forge ahead with a secret plan that could secure her future—or follow her heart which could prove ruinous.

My thoughts:

Lorraine Heath is one of my favorite historical romance authors and the Sins for all Seasons books rank among my favorites that she has written. The first three books have all been five star reads for me, with the last one earning a Top Dish rating. The Duchess in His Bed, while very good, didn't quite hit the same mark. 

I've been anticipating Aiden's story and he was everything I had hoped for: loving, loyal, sensual, and protective. His emotional journey is littered with peaks and valleys and I was there with him for them all. Which probably goes a long way toward explaining why I didn't connect with his heroine, Selena for much of the book. While I sympathized with her position, and understood how her family's expectations had shaped her, I had a real problem with her dogged determination to continue her deception after she begins to know the real Aiden, the person behind the persona, and realizes the impact her actions will have on him. There's one particular scene where Heath walks a tight line between "this is where she begins to change" and "I'm done. Book, meet wall." I'll be honest; it was a close call. It was my faith in the author that kept me reading and she didn't let me down but it wasn't until the last quarter of the book that I actually began to forgive the heroine for her actions and believe that she might be worthy of a happy ending with the hero. 

The other Trewlove siblings, and their partners, make appearances, helping to move the story forward as well as allowing readers to catch up with their ongoing relationships. We're also given a peek into what younger sister, Fancy is up to. Her book is next and I'm excited to see what Heath has in store for her. 

If you've read Finn's book, The Scoundrel in Her Bed, you've already met the monster who sired both Finn and Aiden. You'll see more of him in The Duchess in His Bed and, let's just say, he hasn't changed his ways. But, never fear, justice is served up in the best possible way by the best possible person, in one of the best "revenge is sweet" scenes I've ever read. I would have bought the book for this scene alone. Lorraine Heath may look sweet in her photos but the woman has a deliciously devious mind when it comes to her writing and I love it!

4 comments:

  1. I've not read this series but I have enjoyed her books!! Sounds good.

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  2. I've read the books in this series and enjoyed reading about the Trewlove family. I've got this one on my "wish list".

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  3. I read one of the books in the series and enjoyed it.

    denise

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  4. I've read a few books in this series. Thanks for the review.

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