When his father, the Duke of Wolfford, is hanged for an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, Marcus Stanwick is stripped of everything. Vowing to return honor to his family, he seeks to expose the others involved in the treasonous plot and bring them to justice. His search forces him to turn to a woman he despises for her unforgiveable betrayal—a woman known as the heartless harlot.
Harboring secrets, Esme Lancaster has her own reasons for wanting to discover who’s behind the conspiracy that’s still afoot. She doesn’t trust Marcus but can’t deny the handsome devil makes her wonder if she does indeed possess a heart, one he could very easily steal.
As their hunt for the truth leads them into danger, Marcus finds Esme isn’t cold and calculating as he’d assumed but fire and brimstone, with courage and determination to match his own. Soon, they’re unable to deny their growing desire for each other. But giving into temptation comes at a cost, and they must decide if love is worth the risk of losing their one chance for redemption.
Release Date: Jul 26, 2022
Series: Once Upon a Dukedom
Book: 3
Heat Level: Scorching
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon Books
Price: $5.99
Marcus Stanwick was stripped of everything, when his father, the Duke of Wolfford, was hanged for treason. Vowing to expose others involved in the assassination plot, he turns his sights on Miss Esme Lancaster. Marcus believes that Esme was his father’s mistress, but she’s not what he believes. Esme has her own reasons for wanting to know more about the conspiracy, but can they trust each other long enough to get to the bottom of things?
This is the third book in the Once Upon a Dukedom series. It stands alone fairly well, but the first book in this series is about Marcus’s brother Griffin. There is also a connection to the previous series, Sins For All Seasons, in which Marcus’s sister is the heroine of book six and the Stanwick family is introduced. All of those characters make small appearances.
I really loved this story! I find most Lorraine Heath books to be winners, and this definitely falls into that category. I thought the characters were really interesting and the plot drew in right from the start. Marcus and Esme had a great back and forth, until they finally were able to trust each other. There were some twists and turns that kept me from figuring out the ending too easily. Great conclusion to the series, and bring on the Chessmen!
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Revenge, Spy/Govt Work, Secret Job, Fake Relationship
~ Leslie
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