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My Dangerous Duke (The Inferno Club #2)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 1,100 ratings · 101 reviews

The Inferno Club: In public, this scandalous society of London aristocrats is notorious for pursuing all manner of debauchery. But in private, they are warriors who would do anything to protect king and country...

They say that the very name of Warrington is cursed...

From a time as old as the cold stone of the duke's ancestral castle, the Warrington men have been plagued by...more

Paperback, 387 pages

Published June 29th 2010 by Avon

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Jun 12, 2012 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think that I like the idea of this series better than I have the series. In this book, the first 175 pages or so were great-it started out strong...and then just got kind of boring. Don't get me wrong, it did pick up after that, but at that point I was kind of over it. I caught myself skimming alot. Never a good sign.

It is a very cool idea for a plot, though, it was the delivery that lacked.

This may be a wee bit ranty:

The Inferno Club is a bunch of spies who are trying to keep the Prometheans...more I think that I like the idea of this series better than I have the series. In this book, the first 175 pages or so were great-it started out strong...and then just got kind of boring. Don't get me wrong, it did pick up after that, but at that point I was kind of over it. I caught myself skimming alot. Never a good sign.

It is a very cool idea for a plot, though, it was the delivery that lacked.

This may be a wee bit ranty:

The Inferno Club is a bunch of spies who are trying to keep the Prometheans from conquering the world. Cool. Kate, our heroine, is kidnapped to use as leverage against her father, a sea captain/pirate who knows the location of The Alchemist's Tomb (ie treasure). So she is kidnapped and held for 5 weeks in a cellar and when the kidnappers are almost caught, their solution? To go to the duke of Warrington (our hero) and give Kate to him as a "gift." No really.

They drug her wine, she is presented as a drunk whore who wants to be some rich man's ladybird, and is hoping the duke will help her out. Since Kate's hot, and our duke is horny...he has her thrown in his chambers. But the laudenum has Kate passed out in front of the fireplace. He tries to wake his "gift" and she kinda slurs and wakes for a few moments, so he indulges himself with feeling her up-then he puts her on his bed, and gets her all hot and bothered, reaches for a condom in his nightstand (a condom? perhaps a French Letter would have been more accurate? I'm not sure. I just know it was jarring and pulled me out of the scene). When he rolls over, she's out cold. So he sighs, decides he'll wake her for lovin' in the morning, and off he goes.

In the morning Kate panics, and runs. She almost gets free too, but she thinks the Duke is trafficking in white slavery (and that is why she thinks she was captured since her kidnappers told her he is a Beast and he plays with women). So she almost falls off a cliff, the duke saves her, the truth comes out that she's an innocent pawn in all this, then he finds out who she really is-she is the granddaughter of a Promethean who switched to their side. So she's basically French nobility and half-Promethean. His enemy!

He tries to figure out if she is innocent or if she's a very good actress. What bothered me was that he would believe her, then not believe her, back and forth even after 2 weeks, he takes her to her cottage, and it is burnt down. Nothing left...the devestation on her face finally allows him to believe her, and then he decides to offer her his carte blanch-a chance to be his mistress since she won't take charity (because being a mistress is much better than taking charity). He actually says he'll allow her to "work it off." Gah, how chauvenistic! what, on her back? Thanks Your Grace for disgusting me completely with your character. It's a shame since I liked him a lot.
When he takes her virginity, he actually thinks that he'll finally trust her when he sees her blood...really? I mean really. He just kept trusting her, then not, then trusting her then not, and I know it was the author's way of showing us he was trying to find reasons not to trust her, but she didn't do anything to deserve his censure. It just came off as him being a prick.

After Rohan deflowers his new mistress, he tells her all about who she really is, and who he really is, and how their destinies have been entwined since he first saw her mother and father before she was born. Kate feels like he should have told her all this before he took her body (duh) and then shrugs it off. She does that a lot, and instead of coming off as strong and being able to get through anything, it makes her look like a doormat. Even when she finally gave him his money back and said she didn't want to be his mistress, just his love, she gave him an ultimatum...I hate that-they never work.

The next part of the book is an adventure along the likes of National Treasure, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Lara Croft Tomb Raider. I actually liked that part a lot more, but it was so short compared to the boring drawn out parts. They found the treasure room, and the tomb, and a key. Just like that. I wish that more had been devoted to the trials and difficulties surrounding the caves and tomb...

And she just met her papa for the first time in like 15 years! There was what, a paragraph devoted to that? Really? And yet with every single interaction between our H/h it is like one phrase, 4 pages of insight on said phrase, then someone responds to what was said, and 4 more pages on dissecting that answer. Ugh. Can we have a straight conversation please?

The key led them to certain scrolls and it was pretty neat, and I liked the ending, and the hasty Scottish marriage (loved that part!), but the book on a whole was pick and choose. I found I liked the beginning and I liked the last third of the book, but the middle was slow.

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Jul 01, 2010 Juliana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, 0-reviewed, 2-stars, 2010-reads, 2010-jun-reads

The first half is good … and then it goes Dangerously Downhill!

This is the second book in Foley's "Inferno Club" series and follows My Wicked Marquess, which came out June of last year. Neither one garnered a high rating from me, let alone reread status, and they both proved that Gaelen Foley is definitely one of those "hit or miss" authors for me. My Dangerous Duke was a miss, but it did not start out that way!

SUMMARY
[Cornwall, London, and the Orkney islands off the coast of Scotland - 1816:]...more

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Jan 07, 2013 RomReader rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Abducted heroine is drugged & given to duke Hero as a gift from the people of his seaside village to appease his anger towards them for their smuggling activities. Heroine sets Hero straight on who she is when she wakes up. Yet it doesn’t remove his suspicions about her being part of the nefarious group he’s been after as an assassin. As they wait for her kidnapper’s letter, they get to know each other & unravel his unemotional assassin stance. Their affair draws them even closer despite...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, all-time-favorite

I bought this book for a quarter at a yard sale and decided to give it a try. For some odd reason I, a eighteen year old girl, would rather spend my time reading romance novels than anything else. The first chapter of this book seemed to work very quickly in drawling me in and i have to say that i finished the book within a day. I found myself reading it and realizing that it was three in the morning and I had to force myself to put it down. The tension between Rohan and Kate only adds to my enj...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Book Binge Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: avon, for-review, historical

Here is a historical romance that is for the truly serious lover of the genre and who finds the complicated story and extensive cast of characters stimulating and educational in its own way. Such are the novels of Gaelen Foley and those who are in possession of such a hunger for novels that are meaty in their content and written with flair and vivre, this is their kind of book. This is what one reviewer called an " . . . improbable spy story" complete with the undercover government agents disgui...more Here is a historical romance that is for the truly serious lover of the genre and who finds the complicated story and extensive cast of characters stimulating and educational in its own way. Such are the novels of Gaelen Foley and those who are in possession of such a hunger for novels that are meaty in their content and written with flair and vivre, this is their kind of book. This is what one reviewer called an " . . . improbable spy story" complete with the undercover government agents disguised as a social club of debauched aristocrats on the one side, and a hidden group of people who for generations have been plotting and carrying out their grandiose plans for world domination. Yet the real story here that carries the action forward is the involvement of Rohan, Duke of Warrington, and Kate Madsen, an abductee who has been caught up in the mysterious hunt for treasure and information that surrounds the duke. Kept in captivity for five weeks, she is ultimately presented to Rohan as "a gift" and one he freely accepts believing that she is a whore given to him by his colleagues for his pleasure and as a way to insure his good moods. Known as "the Beast," Rohan is known for his temper and for the rather bizaare ways in which he demonstrates his disfavor.

The Duke is one of the most powerful men in England and yet he has chosen to allow his family line to die, all due to his rather weird belief in a family curse. That he is an accomplished assassin enhances this belief and has now driven this man to choose never to marry. That he ultimately becomes attracted to Kate in something of an obsessed way is never in doubt but whether or not he is willing to own up to loving her is another matter altogether. And while Kate's eventual love for Rohan opens her to possible hurt and rejection, she is a woman who knows her own mind and one who is willing to allow her considerable intellect to have a say in the way she fashions her future. Kate is indeed one of those very unusual women who has lived on her own for most of her life and who has come to believe that the lonely, sedentary life is what lay ahead for her. Rohan is drawn to her capacity for surviving experiences that would have reduced many a fine miss to hysterics and through her cool awreness of the situations in which she finds herself, is willing to allow Rohan liberties, but she is not sure if she is willing to allow him to shape her entire future.

This novel is really about the paralyzing power of fear to change one's perspective to the degree that they opt out of living. It is also about the age-old battle between good and evil, an evil that has pervaded some families for generations and which is threatening to upend society as it was known in that day. It is also about the power of authentic love to overwhelm fear, to rejuvenate and to remake, to empower and to renew, even when disillusionment has taken all the vitality out of one's life. Ms Foley writes complicated novels, and this book is no exception. A second book in the Inferno Club series, this novel continues the saga of those intrepid investigators that feel like they are always on the verge of a breakthrough. It is also about the power of that same love to bring light and understanding into minds, hearts, and circumstances that have slowly but surely come to a point where all the key figures dwell in darkness, literally and figuratively.

I found this novel to be compelling in its scope and extensively well-researched. The segments that dealt with the danger and all its attributes have slowly become dark spaces in Rohan's life and his undercover activities as an assassin are at the point where they are threatening to push out any semblance of light in his mind. There were times when I felt the political and baldly historical passages almost overwhelmed the book and I have to admit that after awhile I felt inundated and had to lay the book down. Yet the joy of this book is its unrelenting attention to Rohan & Kate's relationship that never is allowed to falter. There are a number of surprises that caught me off guard, but I happen to like that. It's sort of Fibber McGee's closet--it just opens up and falls all over you when you least expect it. Only the best writers really know how to do that.

So I recommend this book as one that is worthy of sinking one's teeth into deeply, and one which will hold your interest, at least the love story part of it. True historical romance fiction fans will find this new and different and that departure from the usual historical romance refreshing.

I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.(less)

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Jun 02, 2011 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

What's not to like when the novel features a tall, dark, mysterious, wealthy, and powerful man going up against a woman who knows her own mind, who reads the classical languages, who has been on her own and is able to care for herself, and who has now come through some harrowing experiences, more than most women of her time could even conceive much less endure. Yet there are aspects of this novel that are very complicated, such as Rohan's involvement in the Inferno Club and his undercover work f...more

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Jan 05, 2011 An Abundance of Books rated it 2 of 5 stars

The fishing village attached to Warrington's estate is actually filled with smugglers who've been ignored in favor of transporting secret messages for The Order. Some of the younger smugglers start trying to make money the fast and dirty way, but crashing ships into the rocky coast. When a Coast Guard agent tells Warrington about his people's goings on,he heads back hoe to scare them back into line. He then stumbles into an additional plot that ties his young smugglers to The Order's arch enemie...more The fishing village attached to Warrington's estate is actually filled with smugglers who've been ignored in favor of transporting secret messages for The Order. Some of the younger smugglers start trying to make money the fast and dirty way, but crashing ships into the rocky coast. When a Coast Guard agent tells Warrington about his people's goings on,he heads back hoe to scare them back into line. He then stumbles into an additional plot that ties his young smugglers to The Order's arch enemies - The Promethians.

Romances make me giggle, but they're fun and I enjoy them. They're like a palate cleanser for the brain! And yes, The Inferno Club series has a very silly premise, but I enjoyed My Wicked Marquess and had assumed that My Dangerous Duke would be equally as fun. It had it's moments, but I just couldn't get past the plot developments.

I like both Kate and Warrington (I liked that he was superstitious), they were not the problem. I liked that Warrington found out quickly that Kate was not a prostitute; I'd been a bit worried that this discover would be drawn out and was relieved when it wasn't. Then, GASP!, Kate might be related to The Enemy. Oh dear, is this going to be drawn out also? Oh no, not really, ok fine. Then begins a very Indiana Jones/ Laura Croft type escapade to find a lost treasure! And believe it or not, this is where things got silly and occasionally ridiculous. I know at this point it's a bit unfair when I complain about the story being unrealistic, but come on! This was just a tad too much.

On Foley's website she has the tagline "Pure Escape", and that's what her books are. They're fun, I like the characters, I just wasn't a fan of this particular story. And seriously, it was the whole hidden cave thing at the end that seemed too much like Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade that was my breaking point.

Will I pick up book 3? Probably, because I did like the characters, and I like to finish series. I just might wait to get it from the library.

Verdict:
I like the characters, I like the ridiculous premise, I like the way the author writes, I just didn't like this installment very much. I give it 2 stars.(less)

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Aug 15, 2010 Judith rated it 1 of 5 stars

My **BIGGEST** criticism by far, however, was about three *very* questionable moments. It is a huge issue for me - as it should be for everyone - when books in this genre romanticize rape. There was nothing so blatant here, but there were definite problem areas and I've had this with Foley books before.

* EXHIBIT A * Kate shows up the first night, is brought to the great hall where she is offered/given to Rohan, she's been drugged and thinks he's about to rape her ... yet she is attracted to and...more

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Jul 27, 2010 Booklover1335 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

Kate Marsden is a heroine who has been secreted away in the English countryside and has grown up secluded from the world around her but surrounded by her beloved books. She lives a solitary and self sufficient life. That is until she was kidnapped by dangerous men who believe her to be someone else…someone worthy of holding for ransom.

Rohan Kilburn descends from a long line of fierce warriors who have sworn to protect against the evil Prometheans whose goal is power and world domination. He is a...more Kate Marsden is a heroine who has been secreted away in the English countryside and has grown up secluded from the world around her but surrounded by her beloved books. She lives a solitary and self sufficient life. That is until she was kidnapped by dangerous men who believe her to be someone else…someone worthy of holding for ransom.

Rohan Kilburn descends from a long line of fierce warriors who have sworn to protect against the evil Prometheans whose goal is power and world domination. He is an assassin and has spent his entire adult life ruthlessly killing his enemies and fulfilling what he believes is his destiny. And while he loves women he feels that his soul is too black to be worthy of love…throw in a family curse that dooms any woman he might come to love and Rohan has resigned himself never to love or be loved. He’s a brooding, brutal beast of a man. Yet at his core he is honorable with a heart of gold.

Unlike My Wicked Marquess, which I felt focused too much on the setup of the series to the detriment of the love story, My Dangerous Duke spends a large portion of the story on the hero and the heroine and their unlikely pairing. In fact the moments when this story was at its best was when it focused on Kate and Rohan’s discovery of each other. From the very first page I was captivated by who these two characters were, what their motivations were, and their personal histories. And it kept getting better…that is until the conclusion. Unfortunately, towards the end of the book I felt that the story was carried away by an Indiana Jones/National Treasure type of adventure that seemed too fantastical to be believable. It’s not that is was poorly written, it just seemed too over the top to suspend belief even for a fiction novel.

There’s quite a bit of the book that I don’t want to divulge in the review because it would reveal important parts of the plot that should be left to the enjoyment of the reader to discover, but I can say that instead of the adventure we were given at the end I wished that there would have been more of the meaningful moments between Rohan and Kate because that is where the brilliance of this story was for me. I also wanted more of the story to focus on the superstitions surrounding the castle and the Rohan’s curse, especially since Kate is an avid reader of the Gothic novels that were so popular in this time period. This was briefly touched upon, but I would have liked it to have been explored further. I wished that the battle between good and evil in this story would have been more personal, especially considering Kate’s ancestry and Rohan’s role in the Inferno Club (for Rohan to fight an actual person to protect his love instead of a legend).

The first half of the book reminded me of what I loved about Gaelen Foley’s earlier novels (which I absolutely love), the last part of the book unfortunately distracted from that. Regrettably, since the adventure is at the end of the book it is what leaves you with a lasting impression.

Ratings:

Overall: 3.50 stars (The majority of the book where we are gifted with the story of Kate and Rohan I would give 4.0 stars, the last half consisting of the adventure I would give 2.5 stars...which leaves me with a book that receives 3.5 stars. Since more of the book focuses on the story that I liked, I think it deserves a better rating than just an average between the two)

Sensuality level: 2.5 (pretty much what you would expect from a modern day historical romance)
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Jun 28, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comfort-reads, historicalromance

3.75 Stars

Gaelen Foley’s debut Inferno Club series starts off with a saucy bang as Duke Rohan Kilburn, aka The Beast surveys his latest present: a trussed up delectable morsel known as Kate Madsen. But all is not what it seems. In fact, Kate is not what she seems. She could very well be the most dangerous thing dropped into Rohan’s lap in quite a while.

Deposited at Kilburn Castle in the wilds of Cornwall by a band of smugglers, Kate apparently is a “gift” for the notorious lord. But as Rohan un...more 3.75 Stars

Gaelen Foley’s debut Inferno Club series starts off with a saucy bang as Duke Rohan Kilburn, aka The Beast surveys his latest present: a trussed up delectable morsel known as Kate Madsen. But all is not what it seems. In fact, Kate is not what she seems. She could very well be the most dangerous thing dropped into Rohan’s lap in quite a while.

Deposited at Kilburn Castle in the wilds of Cornwall by a band of smugglers, Kate apparently is a “gift” for the notorious lord. But as Rohan unravels the mystery of Kate, he realizes that she is the mere tip of the iceberg of a conspiracy that straddles centuries between the Prometheans and the Order of St. Michael. Who exactly is Kate Madsen and how does she threaten the cause of St. Michael? Can Rohan stifle his attraction to her in order to fulfill his duty to the Order and the Inferno Club?

My Dangerous Duke has everything a saucy historical romance should have: thrills, a mysterious legacy, a curse, two warring factions, a treasure hunt, pirates, a long lost father, and yes, torrid, steamy naughtiness. Foley, at times, leans more into plot than romance, yet the overall feel of the book is one of good fun though lop-sided. We have the expected HEA, and some breathless sighs to go along with it-and the anticipation of more. I definitely want to see more of Drake who is in quite a pickle.

I actually read My Dangerous Duke on a road trip and along the way read passages out loud to my sister who giggled along with me. We loved how Foley painted Rohan, which was a collaborative effort of both good characterization and language. My only criticism of the book is the title. For such a fun, juicy substance filled book the title itself seems a bit benign. The plot alone is so much more than “My Dangerous Duke” Could we have come up with something better perhaps? Maybe “The Infernal Duke” or “How the Duke of Warrington aka The Beast Manages his Member” (lol) either way, the book has definite toe-curling appeal and will delight all who dives into its minty freshness.

A Fiendishly Bookish Review (and one grumpy cat)
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Sep 25, 2010 Jackie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, this novel was nowhere near as good as Foley's previous work. I found myself skimming heavily over the important parts of the plot towards the end, which was weak and not nearly as interesting as it should have been. Something about a cave? Not sure what happened there, and don't particularly care. Order, Promethians, blah blah blah. The characters were weaker than normal, and I wasn't really that impressed with the hero or heroine. Foley does an amazing wounded, conflicted hero (...more

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Sep 18, 2010 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, part-of-a-series, romance

The story opens with Kate Madsen being offered up as a sacrifice to the local bigwig, Rohan Kilburn who is the Duke of Warrington. He is rumored to be mad, bad and not easily placated. The local smugglers have turned to wrecking which Rohan strictly forbade. They're hoping to cool his ire by kidnapping a seemingly innocent young lady, dressing her up as a whore, and giving them to the Duke as a present. Luckily, she manages to convince him that she was not brought to his castle of her own free w...more

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May 21, 2013 Ada rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the Inferno Club series and I must say that I enjoyed this one quite a lot, even more so than the first book, My Wicked Marquess.

The book features Rohan, Duke of Warrington, the assassin of the Order. He returns to his castle to deal with rogue smugglers from the village and finds himself "gifted" with a young miss, Kate Madsen. He soons finds out that she is not a willing gift but stolen from her home and forced into captivity. And that unbeknownst to her, she's not t...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Alz rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: trashy-romance

This book is 2/3 romance novel and 1/3 Indiana Jones ripoff, all sewn together with Exciting Background Plot rife with Amazing Coincidences and Sekrit Intrigue. The plot was 85% backstory told in large infodump summary chunks throughout the novel, with the result that the remaining 15% of the plot was a predictable yawn.

There is supposd to be a bigger overarching plot that presumably will be explored more in the next book, but it was so big and background and overarching that it was of little i...more This book is 2/3 romance novel and 1/3 Indiana Jones ripoff, all sewn together with Exciting Background Plot rife with Amazing Coincidences and Sekrit Intrigue. The plot was 85% backstory told in large infodump summary chunks throughout the novel, with the result that the remaining 15% of the plot was a predictable yawn.

There is supposd to be a bigger overarching plot that presumably will be explored more in the next book, but it was so big and background and overarching that it was of little interest. The Promethean society is evil and has evil people and is secretly to blame for etc. terrible incidents/wars/plots throughout history, and the Inferno Club must stop them because they are righteous on the side of good with an extra dash of assassination and a side of fries to go, please.

As far as heroes and heroines go, Kate is supposed to be fiery and intelligent, which she vaguely is at first until halfway through the book, when she suddenly turns into a Gentle Compassionate Loving Soul bent on loving Rohan for his own good, no matter what, I love you, my darling, my love. Rohan is supposed to be a heartless coldblooded assassin but right from the start he goes gooey over Kate and spends most of the book angsting about being dark and unloveable and cursed without actually accomplishing much of anything.

Even granted that Rohan is supposed to be a Fierce Brooding Dominant Alpha Male type, it was extremely unappealing how at one point in the last quarter of the book he decides he absolutely has to have Kate one last time, she owes him that much at least, and he confronts her so imposingly that she believes he's going to rape her if she refuses him—which she initially wants to do, but oh! She loves him and he needs her so she gives him and lets him have her, and he's so violent that he actually does hurt her—but oh! It's okay because he realizes apologizes for it and is gentle thereafter. This dominant near-rape fantasy is, hmm, shall we say, unappealing. I can laugh off and snerk over all sorts of romantic conventions but the way this one was written proved distasteful, especially in light of prior events and bizarre leaps to conclusion.

Never thought I'd say this about any book or even a trashy romance novel, but My Dangerous Duke would have been much better without the artificial convoluted uninteresting much too coincidental background plot.
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Sep 23, 2012 Wii Wied rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aku sukaaaa...banget sama tokoh Heroinx Katherine Fox alias Kate Madsen, cerdas, pantang menyerah n sabar banget ngadepin si Beast alias Rohan Kilburn. suka banget sama pasangan ini apalagi pas mereka bersama-sama menyelesaikan teka-teki sang Alkemis, dengan kecerdasan n semangat Kate serta Kekuatan n kewaspadaan Rohan mereka bisa menjadi tim yang sangat kompak n tentu dengan cinta yang membara sweet bgt. Dengan adax teka-teki, bilangan Fabonacci, beberapa unsur kimia dan 4 unsur yang ada (api,...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Marmar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me begin by saying, I received a free copy of this book. It was a prize from the 1 year anniversary of the Historical Readers fans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am now looking to find the book which preceeded this installation.

Rohan sounds intoxicatingly Alpha male hero. The idea that someone can be cunning, disciplined and stealthy as a trained assassin, yet gentle enough to care for our heroine had me at hello.

For me, the book leaped to life when our heroine awakens and tries to run...more Let me begin by saying, I received a free copy of this book. It was a prize from the 1 year anniversary of the Historical Readers fans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am now looking to find the book which preceeded this installation.

Rohan sounds intoxicatingly Alpha male hero. The idea that someone can be cunning, disciplined and stealthy as a trained assassin, yet gentle enough to care for our heroine had me at hello.

For me, the book leaped to life when our heroine awakens and tries to run away. She boldy threatened to jump rather than become a pawn in this sickening game that she didn't have all the details on. The interaction between Kate and Rohan on that precipce set the tone of the book. I was in love with them both and began rooting for them at the point.

Kate had been raised in near isolation with nothing but tutors, nannies and an old man. Rohan, born to the aristocracy had been raised with the benefits money and a title provided. Yet, they were both searching. Only they could truly provide what the other needed.

I enjoyed that Kate was an equal for Rohan intellectually. She matched his with and in many cases outsmarted him. Her lack of social prowess left her quite unaffected and enabled her to speak freely. Rohan needed this - being dubbed the beast, he was unaccustomed to being told 'what for'.

The majority of the book deals with Kate and Rohan getting to know each other. They finally succumb to their passions and it was, in my opinion well written. There was emotion yet, care. Rohan for all his unbridled animalistic and murderous capabilites was utterly gentle with Kate. Well done!

The ending of the book left me wanting more. I'm curious if the next installment will have more of Rohan and Kate or no. The whole idea of the Prometheans and the secret Order was most intriguing. But, I liked that the author focused on the introduction, seduction and consummation of the relationship between our gorgeous heroine and our rake Hero.

I'll definitely look for more books by Galen Foley. This was my first opportunity to read her work. She did NOT disappoint. Bravo! (less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Grete rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, tracey-read-reviewed

Review originally published at BookThing! (Reviewed by Tracey Risebrow)

The Duke of Warrington is an assassin for the Order, serving his country as he was raised to do. He has earned the nickname The Beast for his ruthless nature. When he returns home for a brief visit to his castle he finds his tenants, trying to avoid his wrath, have left him a ‘bed-warmer’.

Kate Madsen is an innocent woman abducted from her isolated cottage drugged to appear drunk, made to look like a whore and given to the Duk...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

PWs, I have to tell you about this one. I usually don't post my smut novels, but this one had a line so bad, it had to be immediately posted for your giggles. Page 29 "If she was nervous of his size, she needn't have feared that, either. He knew how to safely wield the oversized weapon with which Nature had endowed him." Seriously. I usually like this author, so I will finish the book and rate it. But, that line is the worst I've ever read in a smut novel, I think--even though I am quite certain...more

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Jul 20, 2010 RomanceNovelNews.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Written by C.M. Lessard for Romance Novel News

When Kate Madsen is kidnapped by smugglers, she learns she’s to be given as a gift to “The Beast” Rohan Kilburn, Duke of Warrington. Known for his temper – and taste for women, Kate is unsure of her fate.

Believing Kate to be a harlot at first, Ronan is surprised when she tries to escape. He believes her innocent act might be the ruse of a clever spy. Rohan is actually a top assassin with the Order of St. Michael the Archangel, a secret government age...more Written by C.M. Lessard for Romance Novel News

When Kate Madsen is kidnapped by smugglers, she learns she’s to be given as a gift to “The Beast” Rohan Kilburn, Duke of Warrington. Known for his temper – and taste for women, Kate is unsure of her fate.

Believing Kate to be a harlot at first, Ronan is surprised when she tries to escape. He believes her innocent act might be the ruse of a clever spy. Rohan is actually a top assassin with the Order of St. Michael the Archangel, a secret government agency aimed at wiping out the centuries-old Promethean cult.

Turns out her father is the notorious pirate Capt. Gerald Fox and her mother is a descendant of the medieval Promethean sorcerer Valerian the Alchemist – a sworn enemy of Ronan’s family. It is believed that Valerian had cursed generations of Warrington dukes, condemning them to lose their wives. It is a curse that Ronan believes in wholeheartedly and it has kept him from falling in love.

Kate’s grandfather, the Count DuMarin, was a one-time member of the Promethean High Council until he became an informant for England, ultimately putting his family at risk. Kate is used to draw her father out of hiding as well as to flush out a British traitor. Kate believed her father to be dead and is shocked to learn that not only is he alive but has continued his life without her.

With Kate’s brains and Ronan’s brawn, they go in search of “The Alchemist’s Tomb.”

Foley does not provide adequate closure between Kate and her father. Fox sent her away for her protection and went on with his life, remarrying and having children while Kate lived a life of solitude and seclusion.

Foley teases the reader with the mention of a ghostly female apparition that has haunted Kilburn Castle for generations but the “Grey Lady” never makes an appearance. She also uses an excessive amount of exclamation points which make Kate appear hysterical.

Ronan is not your typical hero. He’s a dark, ruthless assassin who kills without question for the English Crown. He can be brutish and threatening one moment and kind and caring the next.

Flaws and all, “My Dangerous Duke” is an exciting read. It is the second installment in “The Inferno Club” series.
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Feb 13, 2011 Leanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books, historical-romance, feb-11, kindle

The second book in the Inferno Club series and was as good as the last one. The main story follows Rohan and Kate but you also have the background theme from the first book continue into this one and it is more prominent as it involves Kate and who she really is.

Kate is offered to Rohan as a gift but he is wary of her to begin with and then starts to realise who she really is even though she doesn't know herself. What follows is an adventure that tests both Kate and Rohan to the limits as they d...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Yulia Anggraini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gaelen-foley, historical-romance, yulia-punya, 2012

rohan keturunan kesekian dari duke warrington percaya dengan kutukan yg telah menghantui para leluhurx...bahwa tidak peduli betapa pun mereka mencintai pasanganx, mereka akan membunuh pasanganx tidak peduli apakah itu karna kecelakan atw alam yg bekerja...
jd saat kate dijatuhkan k pangkuanx n tw sapa kate sebenarx,rohan berniat menjdikan kate wanita simpananx...tp karna satu n lain hal orang2 malah mengira klo kate adlah istrix... ;p

kate "dijatuhkan" k tangan rohan sebagai hadiah dari orang2 des...more rohan keturunan kesekian dari duke warrington percaya dengan kutukan yg telah menghantui para leluhurx...bahwa tidak peduli betapa pun mereka mencintai pasanganx, mereka akan membunuh pasanganx tidak peduli apakah itu karna kecelakan atw alam yg bekerja...
jd saat kate dijatuhkan k pangkuanx n tw sapa kate sebenarx,rohan berniat menjdikan kate wanita simpananx...tp karna satu n lain hal orang2 malah mengira klo kate adlah istrix... ;p

kate "dijatuhkan" k tangan rohan sebagai hadiah dari orang2 desa yg takut akan kemarahan sang duke karena telah ikut dalam usaha membajak kapal yg ujung2x akan membuat pihak berwenang mengendus daerahx...padahal rohan perlu orang2 desa yg berprofesi sebagai penyelundup itu untuk menyampaikan informasi untuk ordo...

kate diculik karna beberapa orang penyelundup yg masih muda dan cukup bodoh berkenalan dengan seorang pria yg bru dibebaskan dari penjara newgate oleh orang yg "menculik" drake...pria itu dipilih krna dy tw dengan ayah kate yg katax adlah seorang kapten kapal n tw dimana letak kuburan sang alkemis yg dicari2 oleh promethea...jd mereka bekerjasama untuk menculik kate...

ayah kate dulu kapten kapal yg bekerja sebagai kurir diordo..n pda tugas terakhirx dy diharuskan mengantarkan putri dari seorang anggota promethea yg berkhianat n menjadi mata2 bagi ordo k amerika...tp ternyata sang putri tidak pernah sampai k amerika cz dy memilih menikah dengan sang kapten kapal...

ibu kate meninggal saat mencari kuburan sang alkemis besama ayahx,lalu ayah kate mengirim kate k inggris dan mengganti namax...sepanjang yg kate tw ayahx telah meninggal...jd saat kate diculik dy bersikeras mengatakan bahwa mereka telah menculik orang yg salah...

promethea berharap dengan diculikx kate,ayahx akan menampakkan batang hidungx dan menunjukkan dimana letak makam sang alkemis...tp rencana itu sedikit melenceng cz kate malah diberikan sebagai hadiah oleh para penyelundup kepada rohan untuk menghiburx karna telah ketahuan membajak kapal...

biasax aq malez baca cerita HR yg ad aksi mata2 x...tp untuk gaelen foley punya itu bisa dijadikan pengecualian... ;p
percakapan antara kate dan rohan tidak melulu tentang ordo atw promethea...jd g bosan bacax malah jadi penasran ap lagi rencana promethea dbuku berikutx...
saat kate n rohan d makam alkemis jd ingat film tomb raider,the mummy,national treasure... ;p(less)

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Apr 22, 2011 Jennie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this series slightly out of order, starting with Book 3, which I enjoyed enough to seek out books 1 and 2 at the library. Book 1, My Wicked Marquess, was on par with Book 3, and I was looking forward to Book 2. However, it almost feels like Book 2 was written by a different person! I enjoyed the overall storyline, but this book seemed filled with horrible cliches and cheesy lines that either weren't in the other two books, or weren't nearly as noticable. At times it really did provide a b...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Amanda Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Along with My Ruthless Prince this is a favourite amongst the four I've read so far.

Rohan Kilburn Duke of Warrington looms large from the page and just overwhelms you with his devastating charm.

Along with Kate the heroine we have to peel back the layers under which he hides himself. And it's well worth the effort.
A gripping story, that sets the scene for what will follow in books 3 and 4 of the series.
It's well worth going though the whole set.The story arc is genius, and I can guarantee that yo...more

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May 28, 2012 Regina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Just an average and lackluster historical romance, which is not this author's usual standard. A day after reading it, I'm hard pressed to remember the finer details of the plot. It kind of rambled along without any real conflict with only a little danger culminating in an over-the-top Indiana Jones-like adventure obstacle course that read like the author was trying too hard to fulfill a word count. Ultimately, the ending just coasted slowly to the finish. Overall, it was a disappointing read. I'...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ok, I really loved this story. I was just enchanted by the romance, I loved Kate and her Duke. I had read a less than flattering review, so I had kind of put it at the bottom of my stack, but I was pleasantly surprised. I had a couple of negatives. I would be reading along, enjoying the plot, when suddenly there would be a section of ridiculously sappy descriptive prose that didn't seem to belong. Also, the "f" word was just stuck here and there in places that seemed totally out of place. I actu...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Felita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, adult

komen baca: lumayan...

kate diculik dan dibawa ke hadapan rohan, sang duke "binatang". knp kate? karena dia a/ anak perempuan sang bajak laut terkenal yg secara ga langsung punya hubungan dg ayah rohan dan ibu kate merupakan keturunan keluarga yg telah mengutuk keluarga rohan.

rohan, si penguasa daerah pantai pesisir menyembunyikan identitas aslinya sbg pembunuh ordo mikael. tadinya rohan ga tau wanita yg dianggapnya pelacur a/ keturunan promethea, pihak yang sering berseteru dg ordonya. rohan jg...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Alexandria Tale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, awesome-heroine, awesome-plot, borrowed, e-book, favorites, gaelen-foley, great, historical, novel, reviewed, strong-heroine, translation

The best installment of Ms. Foley I've read so far! It started from the handover of Kate to Duke Warrington, aka The Beast. Kate was not your everyday heroine. She was smart, witty and blunt. She was freshening and the best aspect of this book, for me at least. Their exploration of the Alchemist's Tomb was the best scene aside from the hilarious wedding ceremony in Scotland where Kate had nail as her wedding ring.

I didn't have any complaints at all. From the characters, plot to the story-telling...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Kirsti rated it 5 of 5 stars

I always seem to like Gaelen Foley's books, and this one was no exception to that general rule. I loved the start, but though it kind of dragged towards the end. Still, the start was good enough to let me give it five stars. The whole scenario at the beginning; I was wondering whether he would take full advantage of the situation and I was glad he didn't, because that would have ruined the tone for me. Historical romance is the best of all the romance genres for me, and this one was one of my fa...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Lover of Romance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, regency, espionage, avon

When Kate is kidnapped from her home, drugged, and taken to the home of the Duke of Warrington, she doesn't know what to make of him. He is very mysterious, very handsome in a very sinful way, and he makes her body heat with just one look. However he is always questioning her, and she is the innocent one in all of this, but as they both get closer to the truth, the closer the danger gets, the more intense their desire for each other escalates into a powerful love even though they know its dange...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Tracey Risebrow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-for-bookthing

Originally Posted at www.bookthing.co.uk

The Duke of Warrington is an assassin for the Order, serving his country as he was raised to do. He has earned the nickname The Beast for his ruthless nature. When he returns home for a brief visit to his castle he finds his tenants, trying to avoid his wrath, have left him a ‘bed-warmer’.

Kate Madsen is an innocent woman abducted from her isolated cottage drugged to appear drunk, made to look like a whore and given to the Duke as a ‘gift’. The Duke soon re...more

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About Gaelen Foley

Noted for her "complex, subtly shaded characters, richly sensual love scenes, and elegantly fluid prose" (Booklist), Gaelen Foley is the bestselling author of eleven historical romances from Ballantine Books. Her passionate, sophisticated love stories have been published in eleven languages and have won numerous awards, including the National Readers' Choice Award, the Booksellers' Best, the Golde...more Noted for her "complex, subtly shaded characters, richly sensual love scenes, and elegantly fluid prose" (Booklist), Gaelen Foley is the bestselling author of eleven historical romances from Ballantine Books. Her passionate, sophisticated love stories have been published in eleven languages and have won numerous awards, including the National Readers' Choice Award, the Booksellers' Best, the Golden Leaf, the Award of Excellence, the Laurie, the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best First Historical Romance, and the Holt Medallion.

A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set.

After college, she dedicated herself completely to her artistic pursuits, spending five and a half years moonlighting as a waitress to keep her days free for writing and honing her craft. Finally, after four unsuccessful manuscripts, her fifth attempt sold to the largest publisher in the world (Bertelsmann).

The Pirate Prince hit bookshelves in 1998 and created an instant buzz among romance fans. Romantic Times magazine announced: "There is star quality in this writer!" Word-of-mouth made The Pirate Prince a hit and has continued to propel each of her novels on to greater success, establishing Foley as a leading voice in historical romance.

Gaelen Foley lives near Pittsburgh, PA with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, and a spoiled bichon frise called Bubble. She is hard at work on her next book.
Read Article: Famous Foleys of the Regency Period

Favorite Things: Mozart, Haydn, and Boccherini; good strong coffee with cream; spending rainy days at a museum; Phipps’ Conservatory; horses; dogs (especially toy-sized fluffs); the History Channel; cooking extravagant holiday feasts for my family; random acts of kindness.(less)

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My Dangerous Duke (The Inferno Club #2)

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