Duke of Pleasure

He was like a star in the night sky above and she but a sparrow. No matter how high she might try to fly, she’d never reach him.

This series just continues in strength!! Maiden Lane is definitely one of the best HR series’ out there.

Oh, she wanted him, this aristocrat, this duke, this rich cove built like a prizefighter. She wanted him with every breath she drew, a painful longing inside her lungs, until it felt as if she’d break apart and shatter into tiny pieces of glass if she could

He was like a star in the night sky above and she but a sparrow. No matter how high she might try to fly, she’d never reach him.

This series just continues in strength!! Maiden Lane is definitely one of the best HR series’ out there.

Oh, she wanted him, this aristocrat, this duke, this rich cove built like a prizefighter. She wanted him with every breath she drew, a painful longing inside her lungs, until it felt as if she’d break apart and shatter into tiny pieces of glass if she could not touch him.

I have loved Alf, the young boy from the streets of St. Giles, who is actually a young woman, since she was first introduced in this series. By day Alf is a young boy, known for his ability to procure difficult information, and by night she’s the Ghost of St. Giles, protecting the people from murderers, rapists and robbers. So much was revealed about her painful childhood, and my heart just broke for all the terrible things she had to survive. I love that despite her hard and difficult life, she still kept her hopes and dreams, dreaming of one day having a family of her own even while knowing that it’s an impossible dream for a young woman everyone thinks is a boy. I loved how brave she was in pursuing Hugh, even when she knew there could be no future for a woman of her status and the son of the King.

Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is a disillusioned man, whose late wife taught him that intense desire only turns to ashes. Their constant fights, and her constant infidelity forced him to travel the world on assignments for the King, which meant he wasn’t there for his two young sons. When his wife died he returned hoping to connect with his children, but his eldest son hates him, and the youngest is lost is his grief for his mother. While being ambushed in an alley, he is rescued by the Ghost of St. Giles, whose alluring curves and love of danger proves an irresistible allure. And when he finds out that Alf the boy he hired for information on his attacker, is actually a woman and also the Ghost, ignoring the powerful attraction he has had for her becomes impossible.

He laid his forehead against hers. “I do love you, heart and soul and body, Alf, my imp. I love you now and forever, and I will trust and I will hope in your dreams and hope.”

I loved the romance between Alf and Hugh, who were so alike in their love of danger and adventure. Their passion was intense and so very sexy, and I loved how out of control he was with her. His sons were adorable, and I love how great Alf was with them.

The plot was excellent with the Lords of Chaos still at large, and Hugh hired by the King to put a stop to this evil group of men who influences their government, and who prey on little girls and boys.

Now the next book about the scarred Duke of Dyemore, Raphael de Chartres, who is the estranged son of the previous Lord of Chaos, and the very ladylike and prim Iris Daniels, Lady Jordan, I’m REALLY looking forward to. Is Raphael just as evil as his late father, or is there more to him? I can’t wait to read this book.

I love this series, and once again the author has written a winner. Highly recommended to all HR fans.