Duke of Desire

I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Duke of Desire from Elizabeth Hoyt to review the book. The first half was fun, sexy, and thrilling. Iris and Raphael had great chemistry and fascinating backstories. They were like a “Greatest Hits” collage of Hoyt’s other Maiden Lane heroes and heroines - though built with familiar themes, they added together into something new and fun. However, like many Greatest Hits albums, after the initial excitement, it started to feel like a retread. Though this book is fun and sexy throughout, the recycled plot lines and character motivation starts showing its wear by the ending. That said, Hoyt’s sex scenes have reached peak intensity. Seeing so many from Raphael’s male perspective was very arousing and different. I’d been wishing for more male POV sex scenes since the series’ beginning, and Hoyt delivered in spades! While it’s not a series best by any means, it is the series’ end, and it’s one Hoyt should definitely be proud of.

Far too dark and over the top dramatic. The other books in the series were great. This one does no real build up of the main characters. The “secret” villain wasn’t a very good secret and was very obvious almost from the start. The hero was just too angst-filled to make any sense at all. His actions were contradictory from one to the next. Usually Hoyt’s books make a great read but, not this one.

Duke of Desire is a deeply emotional story that brings together a scarred hero with horrible dark secrets and a woman whose light he craves, but is afraid to reach for. Believing she is the new wife of the Duke of Kyle, the leader of the Lords of Chaos has Iris kidnapped as sacrifice in the group’s evil ceremony. Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, interrupts his quest to destroy the Lords of Chaos to rescue Lady Iris Jordan. To protect her from the group, he marries her. There are actually two themes to the rest of the story. Raphael is still determined to crush the Lords of Chaos. Iris is determined to break through Raphael’s barriers, gain his trust, and give them both a happily ever after. Tough challenges for both. The Maiden Lane series ends with a heart wrenching love story and a battle to end the nightmare of the Lords of Chaos. Memorable characters and a captivating plot make Duke of Desire an exciting end to a fantastic series. A great read.

The Duke of Desire is a dark, gritty, and captivating historical fiction romance. Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore returned home for one purpose, and that was to infiltrate the Lords of Chaos and bring them down. His depraved, now deceased, father, had once been the head of that vile organization. When Iris Jordan, a woman Raphael had secretly desired, was kidnapped, by the Lords of Chaos, Raphael was compelled to save her. He knew of all the horrid things that Iris would have to endure before the despicable group would end her agonizing torture and put her to death. Raphael couldn’t allow that to happen. It didn’t matter that Iris tried to murder him, or that he would never enjoy a consummated marriage with her; he just needed to keep her safe. Iris couldn’t stop her traitorous heart from falling for Raphael, the man who forced her to marry him. Raphael considered himself a hideous and detestable man. How could he not be? He had his father’s evil blood running through his veins. Iris, however, knew differently. She just had to convince Raphael of that, before he sent her away, or ended up getting himself killed. The Duke of Desire is an engrossing adult historical fiction romance. If you like dark and gritty, then this book is for you. Thank you, Forever-Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy.