The Temptation of the Duke

The Temptation of the Duke By Jerrica Knight-Catania

Growing up the daughter of a pig farmer, Grace Clark is very much aware of her rank among the ton.  That, however, does not stop her dreaming about capturing the heart of a Duke.  After two Seasons in London, she desires nothing more than to prove that she is so much more than a Wetherby "poor relation".  She longs for love and adventure, and perhaps the returned affection of a certain high-born neighbor.

Fifteen years in Paris has given Evan Gillford, Duke of Somerset, plenty of worldly experience, and a great big dose of guilt.  Guilt for abandoning his sister to the marriage machinations of their mother.  Guilt for not being there when his father died.  Guilt for leaving his betrothed to grow past the age of marriageability while he avoided marriage all together.  Now he has returned home to assume all of his cast-off responsibilities.  Unfortunately, one glimpse over a garden wall has his heart calling for a full retreat.  Can he still do the right thing and marry the woman he is promised to when he can't stop thinking about the eavesdropper next door?

This story caught me off guard in many ways.  Every time Grace had a chance to react in a way a high-born lady would react the reader is reminded that she is NOT a high-born lady.  She reacts how we free-thinking, "common" women would react in a similar situation.  I found myself second guessing her as I would second guess myself because I am not used to a heroine not doing the "civilized" thing.  All of this made me want to be her friend more than any other heroine I have come across recently.

After you read this story you will feel the same way about Evan that I do, I am positive.  Evan is a spineless, clueless tool!  He lets himself be used by the people around him and doesn't consider that ,because of his rank, his attitude of compliance is dangerous.  While, in most cases, having an unlikable hero can be literary suicide, the author pulls off a miracle by actually allowing the character to grow up and become likable.

I think the biggest element that really shook this book up was resolving the love story three-quarters of the way through the book, and then resolving another, very important, story line with the rest of the book.  This was such a gutsy move, and I believe it was pulled off with flair.

Overall, this story took me on a roller coaster ride with the perfect number of loops, spins, and dips, and then threw a last minute twist in that ensured I would come back for more.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 4 

Language – 4

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5