Duke Most Wicked (Wallflowers vs. Rogues, 3)
To defy his abusive father, the Duke of Westbury, Brandan Delamar embarks on a life of dissolution. Unfortunately, it continues after he succeeds to the title, and to restore its depleted fortunes so that he can provide dowries for his sisters, he decides to reform (temporarily) and marry an heiress. That is, if he can resist their delightful, but impoverished, music teacher Miss Viola Beaton.
This is a variation on the Beauty and the Beast motif, which recurs frequently in romance. Though physically attracted to each other, the obstacles to marriage seem insurmountable. He is engaged to a wealthy American heiress, but even after she exits, he still needs to marry wealth. This and other problems are rather conveniently disposed of, but though the plot is disappointing, the interaction between the characters, particularly Viola and the sisters, is lively and entertaining.
There are, moreover, interesting insights into the challenges facing women in the Victorian era. Viola is a talented musician and composer, and three of the sisters have interests which society considers unsuitable for women. Ironically, however, the two most conventional sisters are victimized by scoundrels. Recommended.
