Welcome to Romancing the Stacks. This is a series of reviews featuring one of my favorite genres: Romance Novels! Nothing is better than curling up with a good romance. This review will explore When a Duke Loves a Woman by Lorraine Heath.

After last times disappointment with A Princess in Theory, I decided to pick a classic historical romance, heavy on the romance. I can’t count how many of these classic romance novels that I have read and they rarely let me down.  I just randomly pick this one out of the stacks.

Summary:

Gillie Trewlove knows what a stranger’s kindness can mean, having been abandoned on a doorstep as a baby and raised by the woman who found her there. So, when suddenly faced with a soul in need at her door—or the alleyway by her tavern—Gillie doesn’t hesitate. But he’s no infant. He’s a grievously injured, distractingly handsome gentleman who doesn’t belong in Whitechapel, much less recuperating in Gillie’s bed… 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

Review:

While reading this book I discovered it was the second in a series, Sins for All Seasons. Reading it second did not hinder any understanding of the plot at least for me. I will be reading the rest of the series as they come out, so far only two books have been released, with the third coming out in 2019.  I assume there is a fourth schedule to feature another brother named Beast. I can only assume that book will be a play on Beauty and the Beast, my favorite fairy tale of all time, so I will be happily waiting for its release. Did that character, Beast, up my score for this book? Yes, but that is my personal bias as I have read every remake of Beauty and the Beast I can get my hands on. He had a very small part in this book, but I liked his characterization. He was characterized as big and unstoppable, but the most thoughtful of Gilly’s brothers. Without Beast I would give this a solid two. It was a typical romance novel with nothing new added. I could predict everything that happened. Plus Gilly was one of those pretty but no one else every thought she was characters. I hate that trope where the heroine was never called beautiful but her night in shining armor thinks she is the prettiest. Bleh.  Besides that Gilly was a fun heroine to read about though her Duke was a little dull. He was prime and proper and that is all the words I could think of to characterize him. I would recommend to anyone who loves historical romance novels or a newbie to the genre. Not a bad read, but a typical plot that I have read again and again in better books.

Sins for All Seasons Series in Order:

#1 Beyond Scandal and Desire

#2 When a Duke Loves a Women

#3 The Scoundrel in Her Bed

Rating:

Out of