Dukes Are Forever: The Secret Life of Scoundrels
Colonel Edward Westover returns from the war in Spain, burning for revenge against Philip Benton, the drunkard responsible for the death of his older brother and sister-in-law. With the resources he now possesses as Duke of Strathmore, he buys up Benton’s debts, ruining him financially. Benton has a daughter, but Katherine is not a child, as Westover casually assumes when he agrees to become her guardian. She is a beautiful woman with green eyes, fiery red hair, and a spirit to match. Inevitably, they fall in love, though the path to redemption and happiness is rocky.
This is the first of a series, but though the situation is promising, the treatment is uneven. Katherine’s self-taught medical skill seems implausible; and her devotion to her father, despite the painful evidence of his repeated perfidy over the years, is as stubbornly wrong-headed as Edward’s refusal to recognize he is in love with her. They are an attractive pair, but rather irritating. This will appeal mainly to devotees of Regency romance, particularly those who relish extended descriptions of sexual encounters and the conflicted emotions of lovers.
