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The Duke (Knight Miscellany #1)
by
Gaelen Foley
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 gentle...more
Bel has used her intelligence and wit to charm the city's titled gentle...more
ebook, 416 pages
Published
April 25th 2006
by Ballantine Books
(first published January 1st 2000)
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The first book in Gaelen Foley's Knight Miscellany series. Sometimes a book comes along that you think you might not like but you give it a chance and then it becomes a favorite and it ends up on the keeper shelf to be enjoyed over and over again. That's what happened with this one. Gaelen Foley has written some good stories but none have overly wowed me until this one. Someway, somehow she managed to take a theme that I'm not in love with and write a beautiful love story that I will treasure fo...more
14 likes
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Mar 21, 2011
Catherine
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
prostitute-courtesan,
romance,
series,
class-difference,
england,
historical,
rape-abuse,
read-2011
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
17 likes
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Jul 23, 2009
Karen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
aar-top-100-2007,
2009-reads
Through a series of very unfortunate events, Belinda Hamilton found herself in a situation where she had no option but to offer herself for hire as a courtesan. Her father was in debtor's prison and she couldn't earn enough money to take care of both of them.
Belinda decided that she had certain requirements in a protector, the most important being that he wasn't married. Robert Knight, the duke of Hawkscliff fit the bill perfectly. He was unmarried, handsome, and the most eligible bachelor arou...more
Belinda decided that she had certain requirements in a protector, the most important being that he wasn't married. Robert Knight, the duke of Hawkscliff fit the bill perfectly. He was unmarried, handsome, and the most eligible bachelor arou...more
13 likes
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4.5 stars
This is my first read by Gaelen Foley and absolutely loving it!!!!
This book has been on my shelf for a looooong time but it was tucked away until recently I was cleaning out my bookshelves. So glad I read this.
The Duke is heart wrenching and I am so damn proud of Bel! She doesn't cowers but takes on the hardships and challenges life drops onto her, in the meantime she has a loving heart to help out those poor kids in the flash house. She's courageous and considerate and she thinks so m...more
This is my first read by Gaelen Foley and absolutely loving it!!!!
This book has been on my shelf for a looooong time but it was tucked away until recently I was cleaning out my bookshelves. So glad I read this.
The Duke is heart wrenching and I am so damn proud of Bel! She doesn't cowers but takes on the hardships and challenges life drops onto her, in the meantime she has a loving heart to help out those poor kids in the flash house. She's courageous and considerate and she thinks so m...more
7 likes
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Jan 31, 2012
Jennifer
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library,
historical
I really liked this one, despite the implausible ending, and despite the fact that I kind of hated Hawk for so quickly jumping to conclusions - especially AFTER he had supposedly fallen in love! Those starchy heroes always do that, and it drives me batty. But, wow, loved Belinda, and there was definitely some angsty goodness. Good series bait too!
4 likes
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Jul 28, 2009
Angelc
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
already-own-read,
5-stars
I love books that step outside of the box and push the boundaries of what we are used to reading. The Duke by Gaelen Foley definitely fits that description. This book doesn't stick to the typical romance formula and the result is a spectacular 5 Star read!
A string of horrible events lead proper young lady Belinda Hamilton to reluctantly join the ranks of London's fashionably elite courtesans. Under the guidance of Harriette Wilson, a real life courtesan pulled from the history books, Bel become...more
A string of horrible events lead proper young lady Belinda Hamilton to reluctantly join the ranks of London's fashionably elite courtesans. Under the guidance of Harriette Wilson, a real life courtesan pulled from the history books, Bel become...more
8 likes
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"4.5 stars" The Duke is the best book I have read in while. I really enjoyed this Cinderella-type story of a young woman who was reduced to a penniless state by a greedy, obsessed suitor and the gallant duke who became her rescuer. Even though I liked this book very much it was not quite the perfect, grand romance I expected. Instead it bore a bit more resemblance to the historical reality of that era. That's not to say I didn't like it. It simply was different than what one might expect from a...more
9 likes
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4.5 stars
February must be 'courtesan' month at my house. Somehow I've managed to read three in a row, all with variations on the same theme. All with a different spin, all wonderful.
When I joined GoodReads and starting reading reviews I noticed that lots of people have issues with 'courtesan' romances. I don't get it, myself. It's a plot device, no different than the spinster, or the rake, or the wallflower. The courtesan is never really a courtesan; she is almost always forced into it due to c...more
February must be 'courtesan' month at my house. Somehow I've managed to read three in a row, all with variations on the same theme. All with a different spin, all wonderful.
When I joined GoodReads and starting reading reviews I noticed that lots of people have issues with 'courtesan' romances. I don't get it, myself. It's a plot device, no different than the spinster, or the rake, or the wallflower. The courtesan is never really a courtesan; she is almost always forced into it due to c...more
21 likes
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I read a number of glowing reviews for this book and I just had to see what all the fuss was about. I'm glad I did because I truly enjoyed it. Robert was the "Paragon Duke" and he had to struggle with himself about that image and whether he truly wanted to keep it. Desperate times called for desperate measures and Belinda did what she felt she had to do to continue on. I may not have agreed with all of her reasoning, but I still liked her character. I found the Knight family's dynamics intriguin...more
4 likes
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2 likes
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Jun 27, 2008
AzuresHeart
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Regency Era fans
I liked this book a lot. I thought the relationship given its barriers was very true and sweet. I loved he truly saved her and changed her life. I am glad that I gave this one a chance and now I am off to read the Lord of Fire.
4 likes
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I'm not going to give a synopsis of the story simply because it available in all of the reviews. I usually keep about 10 books on my ereader all the time. When I opened this book and started reading it I couldn't believe I downloaded it. I was about to delete and decided to go to an online forum and see what ratings it had been given. It was rated so high by so many people, I decided to go ahead and read it. It seems Gaelen is a great name for the author because this book is "gay". There are so...more
Very mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it were well done and very interesting (really enjoyable description of the Cyprian's ball) but other parts were totally ridiculous and over the top, especially the very last section with the plot resolution. The initial plot motivation (that the hero was in love with the murdered wife of a family friend and wanted to avenge her death) also never made much sense, since it turned out that he really wasn't in love with her at all.
Way too much emphasis...more
Way too much emphasis...more
This is a first read for me by Gaelen Foley and a definite keeper! Oh I really really loved this book. Robert was so dreamy and Belinda was so brave. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
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The Duke.
Really? That's the title? Oh, I can think of thousand better titles for this one.
The idiot. The prick. The loser. The asshole.
You see, title and all, there is one rule Hawkscliffe should always remember: don't you mess with us females.
You got that right. Even if in your days society wouldn't punish you for your horrible, horrible actions - or if anyone disagrees, at the very least his stubbornness and arrogance is something we can shake hands on - you will get your payback from the secr...more
Really? That's the title? Oh, I can think of thousand better titles for this one.
The idiot. The prick. The loser. The asshole.
You see, title and all, there is one rule Hawkscliffe should always remember: don't you mess with us females.
You got that right. Even if in your days society wouldn't punish you for your horrible, horrible actions - or if anyone disagrees, at the very least his stubbornness and arrogance is something we can shake hands on - you will get your payback from the secr...more
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Belinda, a novice courtesan with a traumatic past, and Robert, the very proper young Duke, begin a relationship for far from usual reasons - he needs her to flush out a killer, but as the story progresses, this blossoms into so much more.
Gaelen Foley rarely works for me, but when she does - oooooh boy. I reread The Duke entirely too many times. I do like the plot (and the fact that it has a plot), and I like Belinda a lot - coping excellently with things that would sink a lesser person yet not...more
Gaelen Foley rarely works for me, but when she does - oooooh boy. I reread The Duke entirely too many times. I do like the plot (and the fact that it has a plot), and I like Belinda a lot - coping excellently with things that would sink a lesser person yet not...more
1,5 star.
I didn't like hero. And something about storytelling is bugging me...
There is always something happening, but it's like reading a report:
Bel had been promptly settled into the Wilson sisters’ extra bedroom, where her first order of business had been to write a letter to her father explaining that she had been asked to chaperon a pair of her young ladies from the finishing school on a trip to Paris, now that the city was open to English visitors. She gave her letter to one of Harriette’s...more
I didn't like hero. And something about storytelling is bugging me...
There is always something happening, but it's like reading a report:
Bel had been promptly settled into the Wilson sisters’ extra bedroom, where her first order of business had been to write a letter to her father explaining that she had been asked to chaperon a pair of her young ladies from the finishing school on a trip to Paris, now that the city was open to English visitors. She gave her letter to one of Harriette’s...more
There are a lot of really great things about this romance. The hero - the Duke - and the heroine, Belinda, are both fully-fleshed characters and consistently seem like real people. It's easy to care about them, and feel like you're getting to know them over the course of the novel. They get along very well together, and their relationship develops vividly and naturally.
The plot pulls a trick that a lot of romance novels use to begin a novel: the heroine finds herself presented as extremely sexu...more
The plot pulls a trick that a lot of romance novels use to begin a novel: the heroine finds herself presented as extremely sexu...more
This is one of those books that I started reading and just didn't stop till it was done. It was excellent.
I knew before I started to read this book that the heroine was a courtesean. I didn't know what to think of this idea, but after meeting Belinda and learning of the circumstances that led her to the decision to become a courtesan, all my questions disappeared. Belinda's character was really wonderful. A perfect combination of sweetness, sass, and loyalty/devotion.
Robert Knight, the Duke of...more
I knew before I started to read this book that the heroine was a courtesean. I didn't know what to think of this idea, but after meeting Belinda and learning of the circumstances that led her to the decision to become a courtesan, all my questions disappeared. Belinda's character was really wonderful. A perfect combination of sweetness, sass, and loyalty/devotion.
Robert Knight, the Duke of...more
He, the Duke of Hawkscliffe (Robert Knight) needed to know the truth about how his ladylove died. Thinking it involved foul play, he enlisted the aide of a beautiful and popular courtesan. She, Belinda (Bel) Hamilton had tried everything she could think to remain respectable until her soldier returned, but some plans are forced to take a different path. Looking for a courteous ‘protector’ was difficult, after finding Robert, keeping her heart in tack would be even more difficult to do.
Book 1 ….....more
Book 1 ….....more
Nov 06, 2012
Ashley Schuster
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
First off, there's a rape scene in the first 30 pages. And there's no reason for it. None. It serves as an excuse to get Bel Hamilton in to a life as a Cyprian (and that word was used so many times it lost meaning) and that was IT. IT.
Secondly, obviously I have a different definition of "complex characters" than everyone else. The characters here were flimsy cardboard. I had no idea what their motivations were. Oh, I was TOLD their motivations, over and over and over, but they certainly didn't...more
Secondly, obviously I have a different definition of "complex characters" than everyone else. The characters here were flimsy cardboard. I had no idea what their motivations were. Oh, I was TOLD their motivations, over and over and over, but they certainly didn't...more
Sep 06, 2011
Carrie Lim
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
angsty-drama,
historical-romance,
characters-made-of-win,
heroine-independent,
hero-that-broods,
epic-first-kiss,
witty,
duel-challenge,
love-knows-no-bounds,
favorite,
faux-relationship,
lines-of-the-best-kind,
melt-worthy-scenes,
momentous-moments,
multi-pairings,
past-that-haunts,
deserves-all-the-stars-in-the-sky,
traumatic-events,
heroine-tormented,
knight-in-shining-armor,
sealed-with-a-deal,
hero-honorable,
unpredictable,
love-between-the-lines,
tears-all-over-the-place,
banter,
crime,
courtesan,
rags-to-riches,
impossible-made-possible,
thriller-suspense,
classism,
ebook
Why did the story need to end?
I actually finished a couple days ago but was unable to write a review right after. How could I? Seriously. At a loss for words. In a good way. In a really really good way. How could I explain the perfectness of the story? Surely, my words will be insufficient.
This book gave me something dear and precious and invaluable, so I feel like I owe this book something in return, even if it is inadequate. But it will have to do.
Five stars is my limit on goodreads, but this...more
I actually finished a couple days ago but was unable to write a review right after. How could I? Seriously. At a loss for words. In a good way. In a really really good way. How could I explain the perfectness of the story? Surely, my words will be insufficient.
This book gave me something dear and precious and invaluable, so I feel like I owe this book something in return, even if it is inadequate. But it will have to do.
Five stars is my limit on goodreads, but this...more
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At times beautifully written, the action unfolds at a healthy pace and only rarely does the dialogue descend into the cheese for which romance novels are renowned. As a whole, a great story with well fleshed out characters that caused me to look upon marriage from a Georgian standpoint.
I ended up reading all six other Knight books in the series and even the first in the Spice trilogy before I read The Duke. It seems I saved the best for last because this is hands down the best of the series.
Rea...more
I ended up reading all six other Knight books in the series and even the first in the Spice trilogy before I read The Duke. It seems I saved the best for last because this is hands down the best of the series.
Rea...more
Sep 10, 2011
Diana
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Diana by:
Carrie Lim
Shelves:
better-than-this,
catalyst-for-change,
change-of-heart,
constancy-of-love,
declaration-of-love,
e-books,
fiction,
gut-wrenching,
happy-endings,
heartwrenching,
gasp-worthy,
romances-historical,
hopeless-romantic,
how-do-you-not-love-the-hero,
love-yourself,
made-me-cry-a-lot,
moments-it-s-the-moments,
overcoming-the-past,
palpable-ust,
part-of-series,
patience-is-a-virtue,
romance,
sacrifice,
salvation-and-redemption,
shades-of-gray,
sigh-inducing,
so-much-love,
steamy-reads,
tender-moments-that-tug-at-your-hea,
tragic,
2011-reads,
hero-dark-brooding,
hero-titled-duke,
hero-straightlaced-stiff-rigid,
hero-responsible-dutybound
Robert Knight, the ninth duke of Hawkscliffe, is a man of integrity, power and honor; he is otherwise called the paragon duke. He is a responsible brother, a competent duke, and an eloquent man. In other words, flawless. Miss Belinda Hamilton is a loving daughter, an intelligent beauty with a giving heart, a principled and dignified woman. It is important to remember who they were, to understand who they become, and to know who they truly are. Because when their lives converge, it is not through...more
This book had me all over the emotional scale. Pissed, happy, frustrated, sad, triumphant, exhilarated and the list goes on.
Bel or Belinda or Ms. Hamilton is the beautiful woman who becomes the obsession of a very crazy man and he does some awful things to show her that he "loves" her. The said awful things leads to events that forces Bel to make some hard choices. After that she becomes a stronger, but traumatized young women.
In the midst of all this she meets Robert or 'Hawk' or the Duke of H...more
Bel or Belinda or Ms. Hamilton is the beautiful woman who becomes the obsession of a very crazy man and he does some awful things to show her that he "loves" her. The said awful things leads to events that forces Bel to make some hard choices. After that she becomes a stronger, but traumatized young women.
In the midst of all this she meets Robert or 'Hawk' or the Duke of H...more
Sep 12, 2009
Joy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
gaelen-foley,
historical-romance
I loved this book despite having a grim start and being dramatic, with a not-so-riches-to-rags theme and about survival instincts. There's a lot of tension and interpersonal conflicts, but characters are likable and series of events plausible. I loved the characters and how they developed, an added mystery piqued my curiosity. Although the book is titled as such, the story focused more on the heroine and her struggle to survive the cruel world without money, and her last resort was whoredom sugg...more
4.5 stars. Good story. Good ending.
I felt happy after reading it. It put me in a good mood. I liked the heroine. There was a twist that I hadn't expected. The separation after they got together was well done. Bel leaves him and I was glad, cheering her on. For many romance novels, I am disappointed in how the author separates the lovers. It's a treat when I agree with the reasons one of the lovers leaves.
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: 1814 London. Copyright: 2000. G...more
I felt happy after reading it. It put me in a good mood. I liked the heroine. There was a twist that I hadn't expected. The separation after they got together was well done. Bel leaves him and I was glad, cheering her on. For many romance novels, I am disappointed in how the author separates the lovers. It's a treat when I agree with the reasons one of the lovers leaves.
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: 1814 London. Copyright: 2000. G...more
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I just finished reading a book about which I complained that nothing happened. Well, lots of stuff happens in The Duke.
What I Liked
The plot. This is a romance with lots of plot!
The characters. Lots of characters too. Besides the main ones, I enjoyed the way the author worked in real people, such as Lord Castlereagh and Harriette Wilson.
Belinda. She's one of the strongest heroines I've read about. And she shows lots of gumption when she leaves Hawkscliffe (for a darn good reason too).
Politics....more
What I Liked
The plot. This is a romance with lots of plot!
The characters. Lots of characters too. Besides the main ones, I enjoyed the way the author worked in real people, such as Lord Castlereagh and Harriette Wilson.
Belinda. She's one of the strongest heroines I've read about. And she shows lots of gumption when she leaves Hawkscliffe (for a darn good reason too).
Politics....more
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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
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“I’ll never leave you. I’ll never mistreat you. I think you know that by now. Try with me. Let us find what we
may find.”
“What do you expect to find, Robert?”
“How should I know? I’ve never experienced anything like this before in my life.”
Tears shone briefly under her graceful long lashes before she blinked them away and glanced at him
again with a reluctant twist of a smile. Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around her bent knees and
sighed. “You are asking us both to set ourselves up for great hurt when it comes time for me to leave.”
“Leave? Don’t speak of leaving, angel. You must stay forever.”
“As your mistress.”
“As my love,” he countered insistently.”
—
25 people liked it
may find.”
“What do you expect to find, Robert?”
“How should I know? I’ve never experienced anything like this before in my life.”
Tears shone briefly under her graceful long lashes before she blinked them away and glanced at him
again with a reluctant twist of a smile. Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around her bent knees and
sighed. “You are asking us both to set ourselves up for great hurt when it comes time for me to leave.”
“Leave? Don’t speak of leaving, angel. You must stay forever.”
“As your mistress.”
“As my love,” he countered insistently.”
“You could be a gambler. A thief, for all I know. Besides—” He captured her hand and stopped
her from walking on, holding her in place.
“Besides what, you insufferable prude?”
“Prude, eh? Do you need another kiss to remind you what a prude I am?”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Then don’t call me names.”
“You started it.”
—
9 people liked it
More quotes…
her from walking on, holding her in place.
“Besides what, you insufferable prude?”
“Prude, eh? Do you need another kiss to remind you what a prude I am?”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Then don’t call me names.”
“You started it.”
