Series: League of Rogues, #1
Traits & Tropes: kidnapping; titled hero; heiress; reformed rake; damaged hero
Publication Date: 01.07.14
Genre/Setting: Historical; England
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Rating: 3.5/5
Since the tragic deaths of her parents, Emily Parr has been relegated to living with her uncle and subjected to the unsavory attentions of his business partner. An heiress in her own right, Emily's plan is to find a husband quickly and one who will overlook her lack of connections in favor of her fortune and leave her be, but those plans are derailed when Emily is kidnapped by a duke with a terrible reputation.
Godric St. Laurent, the Duke of Essex, enjoys his carefree lifestyle with his friends and doesn't mind the rakish reputation he's developed. He uses that bad reputation to kidnap the niece of a man who cheated him on an investment, ruining the girl in retaliation for the theft of his money. He's not prepared for his reaction to the sweet-natured but willful Emily and is shocked to find himself entertaining thoughts of love and marriage, something he swore he'd never do. But as he succeeds in charming her, dangerous enemies loom to force them apart.
I have some mixed feelings here. The whole kidnapping, held by force, five men all trying to seduce the heroine premise was a lot. The fact that every single male in the story was so instantaneously enamored of Emily for not much apparent reason got a bit irritating. Emily's constant escape attempts were understandable and I admired her pluck, but her thought process also showed a great amount of naivete and an inability to think ahead on her part. Godric, for all his infuriating ways and high-handedness actually had an intriguing storyline and Emily brought out the best in him. I didn't really understand how she was a great heiress when her parents' shipping company was stated to be failing but oh well. Despite their foibles being somewhat bothersome, I must say I enjoyed these two as a couple and the steam here was excellent. Emily helped Godric overcome the abuse and pain of his past and he finally opened himself up to her while she learned to be honest and trust him. I liked these two as a couple and I especially enjoyed the relationship between Johnathan and Godric, as well as the rest of the League, and I look forward to seeing that dynamic continue to development throughout the rest of the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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