Pearl's World of Romance - Reviews with a Passion: The Duke

June 30, 2007

The Duke - Gaelen Foley

5:35 PM |

Driven to uncover the truth about the mysterious death of his ladylove, the Duke of Hawkscliffe will go to any lengths to unmask a murderer. Even if it means jeopardizing his reputation by engaging in a scandalous affair with London's most provocative courtesan-the desirable but aloof Belinda Hamilton.

Bel has used her intelligence and wit to charm the city's titled gentlemen, while struggling to put the pieces of her life back together. She needs a protector, so she accepts Hawk's invitation to become his mistress in name only. He asks nothing of her body, but seeks her help in snaring the same man who shattered her virtue. Together they tempt the unforgiving wrath of society-until their risky charade turns into a dangerous attraction, and Bel must make a devastating decision that could ruin her last chance at love. . . .

Sometimes you stumble upon a treasure when you’re least expecting it. And I really believe that’s the case for me with the Knight Miscellany series by Gaelen Foley.
After reading the blurb I was expecting a dime-a-dozen Regency and that’s why it sat on my bookshelf for quite a while before I picked it up to read. Well, colour me pleasantly surprised!

What a wonderful and very original plot, what a lovely and strong heroin, what a delicious and tormented hero, what great secondary characters! In short, what a great storyteller Ms Foley turns out to be.
The story building is superb. She really knows how to keep a reader pulled deep into a story you don’t want to put aside but you also don’t want it to end.

We have Bel(inda) Hamilton, a worldly courtesan, forced by appalling circumstances into the demimonde. Feminine, proud, bold and strong. Not compromising however painful it may turn out to be for herself.
And we have Robert Knigt, protector extraordinaire, the paragon duke on a vengance and ever so honorable, manly and kind.

They join forces to bring down the man responsible for both their sorrow and misery. But their joint-venture becomes a permanent love that eventually surpasses all difficulties.
Everything between Bel and Robert sizzles: their attraction, their interactions, their dialogues. The playful bantering between them was the thing I liked the most in the book. Both of them captured my heart!

Going on all the feelings going through me while reading it, from laughter to tears, from anger to excitement, this first installment of the Knight Miscellany is certainly a keeper. And I’m eagerly looking forward to the books of the other Knight-siblings. And needless to say that with this book Gaelen Foley has launched herself directly into my auto-buy list.

Quotes:

Robert: “I’ve been alone for so long but when I’m with you, oh, when I’m with you Bel, the earth sings and the stars dance and I don’t loathe myself so much for a bore.”

That night after Papa had left and the girls had gone to bed, he led her to the top of the keep and seduced her under the stars, coaxing tears of surrender from the deepest reaches of her heart with his whispers of eternal devotion.

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