A DUKE'S TEMPTATION

Author: Jillian Hunter ISBN: 9780451413000 11/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: SIGNET
Time Period: Regency London 1818

Samuel Charles Aubrey St. Aldwyn, Duke of Gravenhurst, is a radical rogue and champion of unpopular causes. No one would dream that he is also the author of a bestselling series of dark historical novels, a writer accused of corrupting the morals of the public, and a master seducer who counts among his passionate fans wellborn Miss Lily Boscastle. But Lily is no stranger to disrepute. When her engagement to another man ends in a tarnished image and public disgrace, Lily is forced to seek employment outside London—as housekeeper for Gravenhurst himself. Her sharp wit and sensuality appeal to his wicked instincts - and she’s a perfect match for every beguiling move he makes. Yet there’s more to him than Lily imagined—a secret known to few living souls, ghosts from the past that haunt both of their futures in ways too dangerous for even the duke to have invented.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I quite enjoyed reading A DUKE'S TEMPTATION. Ms. Hunter has a way with scenery and is more than adept at making historical romance fresh and unique. Her characters are always lively and given dialogue that intrigues and cements the romance.

Blessed with several of the least typical characters I have met, A DUKE'S TEMPTATION is a story within several stories. I love Hunter's use of unusual circumstances, especially those involving the heroine's situation, and the way she resolves conflicts without compromising the heroine's integrity. The hero is as complex and brooding as he is charming and witty! I love his differing personas, real and imagined.

A DUKE'S TEMPTATION has some of the best characters put into a historical romantic read. I enjoyed reading every page of it.

Shannon Johnson