A LADY OF LIGHT
Refined, kind, and intelligent, Lady Iris Jordan finds herself the unlikely target of a diabolical kidnapping. Her captors are the notoriously evil Lords of Chaos. When one of the masked-and nude!-Lords spirits her away to his carriage, she shoots him . . . only to find she may have been a trifle hasty.
A DUKE IN DEEPEST DARKNESS
Cynical, scarred, and brooding, Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has made it his personal mission to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and destroy them. Rescuing Lady Jordan was never in his plans. But now with the Lords out to kill them both, he has but one choice: marry the lady in order to keep her safe.
CAUGHT IN A WEB OF DANGER . . . AND DESIRE
Much to Raphael’s irritation, Iris insists on being the sort of duchess who involves herself in his life-and bed. Soon he’s drawn both to her quick wit and her fiery passion. But when Iris discovers that Raphael’s past may be even more dangerous than the present, she falters. Is their love strong enough to withstand not only the Lords of Chaos but also Raphael’s own demons?
Titles in the Maiden Lane series include: Wicked Intentions – Notorious Pleasures – Scandalous Desires – Thief of Shadows – Lord of Darkness – Duke of Midnight – Darling Beast – Dearest Rogue – Sweetest Scoundrel – Duke of Sin – Duke of Pleasure – Duke of Desire (end of main series, two novellas in Nov. & Dec. 2017)
Title: Duke of Desire
Series: Maiden Lane #12
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: October 17, 2017
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing – Forever
My Rating: 4 stars
I think I’m still reeling a bit after just having finished Duke of Desire. It’s hard to believe that Maiden Lane has come to a close… although there are two novellas yet to come. I’ve enjoyed this series immensely, and I admit to looking forward to discovering what Elizabeth Hoyt brings us next.
I wasn’t really prepared for Duke of Desire to have such dark tones, although I should have not been so surprised considering the evil that is the Lords of Chaos. Raphael and Iris were an intriguing couple who despite their beginning truly came to be one of my favorite couples in this series. It would take a very special woman to deal with Raphael’s scarred past, Iris met that challenge and more.
There are some very dark parts of Duke of Desire, things so horrendous that I don’t even want to talk about them… even though I do know such atrocities exist in every time period. Evil exists and it’s Raphael’s mission to put this particular group of evil men down for good.
While there are darker parts, there are also lights shining into Raphael’s life as well. Iris intends to be his wife in every possible way, including standing by his side as he fights against his past and comes to terms with what was in order to move forward with the woman he’s come to love at his side.
I enjoyed their romance very much. Both are stubborn, believe they are in the right and determined to stand beside each other no matter what comes their way. Of course Raphael is sexy as sin and Iris discovers that fact for herself, along with a man who has honor and dedication. He may have scars both physical and emotional, but he’s worth every battle she’ll have to fight to prove that they belong together.
I expected something different for the final full length story in Maiden Lane… what I got instead was a perfect ending to a series that has captured my attention for a long time. I’m sad to see it go, but looking forward to what comes next.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
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