The Duke of Blackbern and the Marquess of Norgrave have a
lifelong friendship, and in their adulthood they've
become companions in vice. Their handsome faces and
noble titles make them much sought after, despite their
debauched lifestyle. They often compete against each
other, in sport and in winning the favor of an available
woman. One such wager happens when they meet Imogen
Sunter, the innocent daughter of an earl. Imogen's
beauty has the rakes wagering that each will be the first
to seduce her.
Imogen is flattered by the attention, though her mother
tries to warn her away from Blackbern and Norgrave, as
their reputations are common knowledge. Soon Imogen
has no doubt that she favors Blackbern, and he begins to
feel some genuine affection for her. Blackbern knows his
friend well enough to know that he won't step back. In
fact, lately Norgrave's actions are becoming more
outrageous than ever. Blackbern tries to make it seem
that he is having no success with Imogen, when, in fact,
the opposite is true. When Norgrave finds out the truth,
he is enraged that his lifelong friend would choose a
woman over their friendship.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there is a
rape in this book. Many readers don't want to read this
in a book, and should be forewarned. While the act
itself is not explicitly described, the events leading up
to, and following it are. It is disturbing, yet it's an
integral part of the story.
Obviously, A DUKE BUT NO GENTLEMAN is a dark story, yet a
compelling one. I
did have an issue with a young debutante, who comes from
a noble family, and has a watchdog of a mother - who
seemes to be able to come and go at will, at all hours,
without a chaperone, or even a maid. Despite this, A
DUKE BUT NO GENTLEMAN by Alexandra Hawkins captivates me. I
enjoyed seeing
Blackbern finally maturing, then becoming a hero. At the
end, I believe he did change, and a heart warming
epilogue assures me of their happy ever after.
In the last opulent days of the eighteenth century, a
friendly wager
turns into a heated feud that spans decades…and a love
affair like none
other.
What does it take to tempt a lady…
London, 1792. The Duke of Blackbern and the
Marquess of Norgrave are
boyhood friends who will still compete at anything.
Racing, drinking,
gambling, even seduction--until Lady Imogen Sunter
crosses their path.
Achingly beautiful, and innocent, she has no
understanding of the jaded
gentlemen who are courting her for favors--of how far
they are willing to
go to get what they want…
In this game of seduce and destroy?
Fighting for Imogen's affection should have been
no more than their
usual spirited rivalry. But when Blackbern discovers his
feelings for
Imogen have deepened, all bets are off. Norgrave, driven
by his own demons,
won't forsake his pride--and with one shocking act of
betrayal that
threatens Imogen and Blackbern's newfound desire,
Norgrave will set the
course for a generation of Regency bad boys who will go
down in history as
the Masters of Seduction...in A DUKE BUT NO
GENTLEMAN by Alexandra
Hawkins.
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