No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah Maclean
Twelve years prior, Mara Lowe faked her death to avoid a
marriage to an aging duke, but her scheme went astray when the duke’s son was
blamed for her death. Temple, now known
as the “Killer Duke” has made his way as a fighter and part owner of London’s
most notorious gambling club. Temple
would like nothing more than to reclaim his title and rightful place in society
as the Duke of Lamont. After twelve
years in hiding, Mara’s younger brother loses all their money at the gambling
club. Now a proprietor of an orphanage, Mara
is forced to come out of hiding to offer the one trade Temple can’t refuse. In order to regain her funds to support the
orphanage, she will reveal herself to society and clear his name.
This is the third installment of Maclean’s Rules of
Scoundrels series, and the second to win a RITA. Historical romances are my guilty pleasure
reads, and Maclean weaves a fun story filled with witty banter. Like eating
chocolate cake, I’m never challenged to finish until the very last crumb is
gone, even if it is a tad too sweet at times.
This one had more angst than the others, and in a few ways it reminded
me of a Judith McNaught romance, with grand betrayals and heavy emotional
situations the couple must overcome to find their happy ever after.
Chili Pepper Rating: