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Book Review-Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

by | Jan 1, 2017 | Book Reviews | 12 comments

Book Review-Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt

Book Review-Duke of Sin by Elizabeth HoytDuke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt
Also in this series: Scandalous Desires, Thief of Shadows, Duke of Midnight, Dearest Rogue, Duke of Pleasure, Duke of Desire
Series: Maiden Lane #10
Published by Grand Central Publishing on May 31st 2016
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency Era
Narrator: Ashford McNab
Length: 11 Hours and 31 Mins
Pages: 338
Format: Audiobook
Source: Self Purchased
ISBN: 1455539090
Goodreads
AmazonLibrary ThingLibrary ThingLiteral Club
five-stars

A MAN OF SIN
Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.
A WOMAN OF HONOR
Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.
A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH
Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets—and neither may be as nefarious—or as innocent—as they appear . . .

Summary.

Bridget Crumb, is the Duke Of Napier’s housekeeper, but she has come to work for Valentine with a hidden agenda. He is blackmailing her mother and she needs to find the proof even if that means she has to hide certain truths from her employer, the most feared of all the Aristocracy. the Duke of Napier is vain and he is arrogant and he intimidates everyone that he comes across. He has no rules of right or wrong, just the rules that he lives by and doesn’t apologize to anyone. He is intrigued by one person though, other than his sister his “seraphine” has put a spell over him and he has never felt so captivated by anyone before. But as Bridget and Val both have secrets and are trying to deceive one another, one of them will have to surrender but who will it be in the game of love and true test of wills?

The Hero

Valentine, the Duke of Napier is a man that every man, woman and child knows of in London and England everywhere. He has recently come back to England after being sent away in exile and seeks his revenge on a certain group of men with no scurples, the Lords of Chaos. Valentine, was raised to be a Duke but his father was the worst of the worst. And trained Val to not feel anything and if he does love anything or anyone to kill it so it won’t weaken him. From the time he was a boy, he has only known sorrow, death and the need to never let himself ever become vulnerable.

“You have to kill the thing you love.”

Val, is a hero that is unlike any hero you have ever read before. He is quite outrageous and vain and cocky and not your traditional “hero” of any sort. In fact, he is the type of character that could be a villain if the situation warrants it.

“This is who I am, Séraphine. Naked, with blade and blood. I am vengeance. I am hate. I am sin personified. Never mistake me for the hero of this tale, for I am not and shall never be. I am the villain.”

But he is also a man who hides the true parts of himself, where the lines of right and wrong are blurred due to his past. But he is also a hero you fall madly in love with despite his flawed and confusing personality.

The Heroine

Bridget was born a bastard, and never had the chance to live the life that she was meant to if she had been born on the right side of the blanket as it were. Bridget was raised by a foster family, and is a efficient and prim housekeeper. She knows the rules and is commanding of her “staff”. Bridget runs a very tight ship and is professional but she also has a hidden agenda on a mission for her aristocratic mother. I really adored Bridget and she made the best match for Val. She has a good head on her shoulders, and she is firm yet understanding. She is very intelligent and uses common sense. I like that she wasn’t simpering or too passive especially around Val. She isn’t afraid of him at all and I liked how she didn’t judge him like everyone else did. She took him at face value and had a heart of gold which Val needs.

Plot and Story Line

Duke Of Sin I had heard so many fabulous things about, and now having read this one I now know why. I honestly didn’t know if I would care to like this one at first. But somehow, Elizabeth Hoyt had me falling for the anti hero. Now Val isn’t your typical hero at all!! In fact, its one of the things I found most refreshing about this book was the hero. He was full of oxy morons in ways you don’t expect. He likes to wear bright colors, he is vain about his appearance, he is also cunning and brutal at times, but he is playful and likes to play games with people. It almost like he is trying to shock people to the best of his ability. He is a man that never really grew up into an adult. There is almost a childlike quality about him in some ways. He doesn’t act like any normal villain at all. He is what really makes this story so fascinating. The way this author writes him is unique and I have never read a hero like Val here. And THAT ladies and gentleman is what makes this story pull the reader in. Now our heroine, is his opposite in every way. She may be working for him with an ulterior motive, but with the best of intentions. She sees the real Val, and not the man he normally portrays. She is good and honest and keeps him on the right track (most of the time). It was interesting to see how “fire” and “ice” could work so well together.

He leaned over it, reaching for the headboard, and opened the concealed compartment.

Empty.

Oh.

Oh, Seraphine.

He felt the grin spread over his face, felt his cock throb and stiffen. Suddenly the day was bright, singing with vibrant colors and stratagems.

She’d outmaneuvered him.

And that? That hadn’t happened in a very, very long time.

And the way these two act around each other is quite entertaining. I had a blast of fun with their antics and I couldn’t get enough of them or the way this story develops. The romance is unconventional, and not what you expect with a Duke and Housekeeper love match. These two just jump in the fire, and what makes their story so fantastic is how they balance each other out so perfectly.

“Séraphine, Séraphine, Séraphine. O most beloved of women, most fiery of saints, never leave me, please. I’ll erect columns of white marble to you, build gardens of delights for you, cause ships to sail and warriors to rise for you if you’ll only remain by my side.”

We also get a group of “new” villains. So if you think Val is the villain of the story, you are SO wrong there. We have a group of men who are horrible and should be shot for what they do in secret. I am quite interested to see what Hoyt does with it.

The Narration

What a talented narrator and she did the british accents so well and definitely makes you forget about reality. I liked that she handles the different personalities of the characters. The use of tones and emotions and attitudes are done just right. Definitely not the last time I will be listening to her.

The Cover

What a Cover right? I love the pink and watermelon like green. For some reason the colors remind me of watermelon gum. Yes that is right….GUM of all things. And the stepback is gorgeous as always with this series.

Overall View

The Duke of Sin is a compelling romance with some unique yet dark twists to keep you coming back for more. Its a tale that ENTHRALLS ITS READER!!!

Click To Buy On Amazon

About Elizabeth Hoyt

Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband.

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12 Comments

  1. Michele H

    Love the review! Nice to see you’re starting off 2017 with a great book. 🙂 I can’t wait to read this one now…

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      Yep this year started off pretty great with this one, and I can’t wait for more of this author this year. Have you read this author before? if not, you should.

      Reply
      • Michele H

        I have read some of Hoyt’s work and loved it. I’m picking Duke of Sin up myself to do as an independent review at some point soon. Looks SO good!

        Reply
  2. Nick

    I have wanted to try her books since forever!
    I love the sound of an antihero and this guy sounds perfect. And the heroine sounds really smart too, which obviously means I need to read it.
    Lovely review! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      oh Nick…you have to try out this author and soon, you would love her work. I believe the first book was free on amazon, but don’t know if it is still. She has a couple of anti heroes in this series, and she does it so well. But what is unique about this series, is how different yet fun and adventurous for the regency period. HIGHLY recommend.

      Reply
  3. Cyn @ Bookmunchies

    Yay!! Glad to see you loved this, too!! I seriously love Val (his personality was so interesting!). And Bridget was pretty awesome, too! This was definitely top 3 maiden lane read for me. Great review!

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      Isn’t his personality so unique? especially for a anti hero. He has this bi polar personality, with the bright colored clothing and how he likes to play jokes, but still has a bit of a dark side too. Very contradictory in many ways but I loved that. Yes this one and Scandalous Desires are my favorites in the series.

      Reply
  4. Alyssa Susanna

    Loooooooooooooove! I adore Hoyt’s books, specifically the Maiden Lane series, specifically this particular one! This one and Duke of Midnight both got rare five-star ratings from me – though I think Duke of Midnight still retains the “favorite” crown. I love love love this series! Have you read Duke of Pleasure? I can’t remember if I’ve seen a review of it here… well, in any case, that one does not disappoint. But I really really can’t wait to read Duke of Desire. 😀

    Wonderful review, Renee! =)

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      Isn’t she just a great author? Have you read her other books? They are fabulous too but I have enjoyed how this series has grown and developed. The Duke of Midnight was great too, although my favorite will always be Scandalous Desires. I haven’t read Duke of Pleasure, but am planning on it soon.

      Reply
      • Alyssa Susanna

        I’ve read all eleven, and the novella! I think I read one of her non-Maiden-Lane books, years ago, but I don’t remember which one. LOL. I haven’t given any of the Maiden Lane books under four stars! Though there are definitely some I liked more than others. Scandalous Desires was a favorite, though again, #’s 6 and 10 are my *favorite* favorite. I have a feeling #12 will be a favorite too. ;D

        Reply
  5. Blodeuedd

    I think I liked him cos he was such an antihero

    Reply
    • Lover Of Romance

      She wrote the best anti hero in this one right? And the heroine just compliments him so well.

      Reply

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