When Hugh Fitzroy, Duke of Kyle, learns of his estranged
wife's accidental death, he returns home from his self
imposed exile to find his children in a sad state. His
seven year old son resents him for leaving, while his
five year old son is having terrible nightmares due to
his mother's death. In addition to trying to set his
family to rights, Hugh is an agent for the crown, tasked
with bringing down a mysterious, secret society of
noblemen who operate as the Lords of Chaos. As Hugh
returns home one night, he is attacked. While a strong
and capable fighter, he stands little chance against a
dozen men, and things look bleak until the Ghost of St.
Giles appears.
The legendary Ghost of St. Giles is a masked vigilante
who patrols at night, protecting those under attack, and
fighting criminals. Only this ghost is small and slight,
and definitely has a feminine figure. Alf was abandoned
by her mother at the age of six and was lucky enough to
be taken under the wing of an older street boy who taught
her how to survive. He let her know what could happen to
a girl / woman living in the slums, and had her dress and
live as a boy. Now Alf makes a living by buying and
selling information by day, while moonlighting as the
Ghost at night. As she and Hugh fight off the band of
thugs who attacked him, Alf is somewhat smitten with the
handsome man, and she teases him with a kiss before she
leaves.
Although Hugh's life is in chaos, he definitely is
attracted to the mysterious lady Ghost. His
investigation leads him to contacting Alf for
information, and circumstances soon dictate that she
needs to stay at the duke's home to remain safe. Hugh is
neither blind, nor stupid, and soon he realizes Alf is
female. Subsequent encounters between the duke and the
Ghost become more steamy, and soon they are involved in a
passionate affair. How can a relationship between a high
ranking noble and a street child with no last name lead
to anything but heartbreak?
Alf is an amazing woman, and I adore her. She is strong,
talented, brave and fearless. She has no expectations
that her first venture into romance will be lasting, but
she plunges in, heart first, to grab all the joy and
happiness she can, for as long as she can. Hugh is also
a stellar character, and I love that his fears about his
relationship with Alf were not due to the difference in
their stations in life, but to his own doubts about
himself. He was once madly in love with his first wife,
yet their happy marriage disintegrated, and Hugh doesn't
want to make that same mistake.
DUKE OF PLEASURE is a fantastic read on all levels. The
mystery part is exciting, the passion is scintillating,
and the romance is heartwarming. This latest installment
in Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden
Lane series rocks. (I loved
the glimpses into Godric St. John's life - one of my
previous favorites from LORD OF
DARKNESS.) If you love
historical romance with unique characters and storylines,
and lots of heat, I wholeheartedly recommend DUKE OF
PLEASURE.
Bold. Brave. Brutally handsome. Hugh Fitzroy, the
Duke of Kyle, is the king's secret weapon. Sent to defeat
the notorious Lords of Chaos, he is ambushed in a London
alley-and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger
with the unmistakable curves of a woman.
IN THE HEAT OF DESIRE
Cocky. Clever. Courageously independent. Alf has survived on
the perilous streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex. By
day she is a boy, dealing in information and secrets. By
night she's the notorious Ghost of St. Giles, a masked
vigilante. But as she saves Hugh from assassins, she finds
herself succumbing to temptation . . .
ONE KISS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER
When Hugh hires Alf to investigate the Lords of Chaos, her
worlds collide. Once Hugh realizes that the boy and the
Ghost are the same, will Alf find the courage to become the
woman she needs to before the Lords of Chaos destroy them
both?
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