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Rules for the Reckless #2
Fool Me Twice
In the vein of Sarah MacLean, a sexy and evocative Victorian romance between a vengeful duke and a fiery redhead from an author who is a veritable tour de force in the genre.
A Lady With a Secret
Running for her life, exhausted and out of options, Olivia Holladay wants nothing more than the chance to make a home for herself. So when she realizes that the infamous Duke of Marwick might hold the key to her freedom, she boldly disguises herself as the newest and bravest in a long line of the duke’s notoriously temperamental housekeepers. Little does she know that the wickedly handsome Alastair de Grey has very different plans for her.
A Man With a Passion—For Vengeance
As his new employee, Olivia is a fearless upstart. As a woman, the daring redhead is just what Alastair needs to rouse him from darkness to the siren call of revenge. He has suffered a betrayal so deep that he will use whatever means necessary to destroy his enemies—even his brazen and beautiful domestic. But his vengeful plan fails to account for his single weakness: an irresistible and growing passion for the enigmatic Olivia.
A Lady With a Secret
Running for her life, exhausted and out of options, Olivia Holladay wants nothing more than the chance to make a home for herself. So when she realizes that the infamous Duke of Marwick might hold the key to her freedom, she boldly disguises herself as the newest and bravest in a long line of the duke’s notoriously temperamental housekeepers. Little does she know that the wickedly handsome Alastair de Grey has very different plans for her.
A Man With a Passion—For Vengeance
As his new employee, Olivia is a fearless upstart. As a woman, the daring redhead is just what Alastair needs to rouse him from darkness to the siren call of revenge. He has suffered a betrayal so deep that he will use whatever means necessary to destroy his enemies—even his brazen and beautiful domestic. But his vengeful plan fails to account for his single weakness: an irresistible and growing passion for the enigmatic Olivia.
365 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 25, 2014
201 people are currently reading
4,000 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Duran
21books1,789followersMEREDITH DURAN blames Anne Boleyn for sparking her lifelong obsession with British history. She is the author of twelve novels, all published by Pocket Books. Her debut, The Duke of Shadows, has been translated into thirteen languages and was ranked among the top 100 romances of all time by NPR and All About Romance. Her other books include RITA award winner Fool Me Twice and her February 2017 release, A Lady's Code of Misconduct, which was called one of the best romances of the year by BookList and Amazon, and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, the latter of which opined: “This book weaves its spell so thoroughly that the most fortunate reader will be the one who has time to read the entire thing in one sitting.� Her next release, THE SINS OF LORD LOCKWOOD, hits the shelves on February 27, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 683 reviews
June 1, 2014
*** 3,25 less enthusiastic than I expected stars ***
Don't get me wrong, this book was thoroughly enjoyable, better than the average fare for sure and worth a try in any case no matter what I'm going to say, as I recognise that the quibbles I had were totally of a "personal tastes" quality and are not true objective flaws at all but, alas, I mainly rate according to my subjective enjoyment. In other words, where I saw a shortcoming some of you might see a merit and it would be a pity for the genre's aficionados to miss the opportunity of savouring an undoubtedly outstanding read.
Duran's writing style is brilliant and vivid, with neat and polished phrasing, sharp humour and the right balance between descriptiveness and dialogues. The plot is solidly built, showing an even pace and a fair consistency along the whole denouement (but with a decidedly more interesting first half), with no dragging parts and a couple of welcome twist I didn't see coming. The characterization of the main leads is satisfyingly fleshed out, there's more to both than meets the eye and their personalities are in no way merely cardboard-ish. If anything, the novel is lacking in the setting department, no glaring anachronisms, just a sort of hazy 19th Century atmosphere; there are mentions of a train travel and a tram ride but, besides these facts, the book could easily take place somewhere indefinitely between 1850 and 1901, with no more precise cultural references that firmly framed the scene in the last two decades of the Victorian Era, not even some lingering on the clothes which potential, when dosed correctly, of creating a charming backdrop is sometimes underestimated in more recent historical romances.
There with the due technicalities...
Now, where are the problems for me then? In the "essence" of some things and actions and in a romantic relationship which I didn't rewardingly enough perceive as such (and being this a romance, that's according to what my rating thermometer is calibrated to). But again, this is really a matter of subjective reception.
Just a warning: to better express my overall impressions I need to quote and describe a couple of scenes more in detail, so some stuff contained in the review may results SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH, especially for those of you who really want to buy sight unseen sensu stricto.
London, 1885
Olivia Holladay is a woman on the run, reluctant thief and blackmailer-in-the-making by dire necessity. She has stolen some compromising letters, fundamental for her plans, from her former employer's home and she's now heading to her next and decisive step towards a hopefully peaceful and enduring freedom. And the last pawn, essential to make her scheme click into motion, is Alastair de Grey, the notorious and reclusive Duke of Marwick, a young political genius and former darling of the Ton.
Olivia's long time nemesis Lord Bertram, a powerful member of the Parliament, has been chasing after her for seven years and hates her to the point of wanting her dead. She barely survived an attempt on her life when one of Bertram's man was sent out to find her and kill her and Olivia knows she's not going to be safe until she has a final showdown with Bertram and the only way she could excogitate to make him stop tormenting her is threatening a public exposure of compromising and incriminating material, a lethal blow to a public figure such as Bertram.
And here's where Alastair enters the picture. Bertram is the duke's greatest political rival and opponent and Olivia knows Alastair, as an eminent MP, is in possession of secret dossiers and documents regarding Bertram's misdeeds, she just needs to infiltrate the ducal household and scour every corner to find them; donning the false identity of a governess, Olivia starts working in Alastair's residence loathing every minute of her betrayal, but it's a matter of life or death to her and she hopes to retrieve the decisive papers in less than a few weeks and then disappear into thin air without causing ulterior damage to her aristocratic employer, a man already brought low by his unfaithful late wife, a cheating Olivia knows everything about thanks to the letters she's hiding. And one of the deceased duchess's lovers was no less than Lord Bertram...
How Alastair is going to find out of her plans and if he is eventually going to help her and why Bertram hates her so much is what keeps you guessing until the end, creating a deliciously suspenseful narrative build-up.
A large part of the book, more than the first half, is taken up by the description of Olivia's coming to know Alastair.
Olivia is a likable heroine, smart and proud, she bears herself with dignity through various obstacles and her pragmatic nature is the perfect foil to Alastair's mood swings to the point that she might, in several occasions, appear more as a countermelody and trigger to the hero's improvements than a fully autonomous character; but that's just nitpicking and their banters and interactions, especially in the first half, are a treat to savour. She's an intelligent and resilient woman with whom life has never been kind and this strong personality reveals itself very useful in dealing with a household and a group of servants gone into chaos after the duke's self-imposed exile from the world, an alienation that seems to have resulted in his insanity. And we're talking about a man who hasn't left his bedroom in six months, hurling objects at well-meaning intruders, crashing furniture and often drinking his pretty self into a stupor. Olivia perceives there is more to this man than the wounded fallen angel he has become and with astounding (and quite implausible at times) ante-freudian awareness and tenacity, our heroine is determined to take matters in her capable hands and coax the hero out of his isolation while attempting to retrieve the papers she needs... and why she engages in therapeutically rescuing a complete stranger when she has a life-threatening situation to solve and no time to waste is the stuff romances are made of, so logical analysis verboten here (but we love and read 'em anyway).
And now to our jewel in the crown, Alastair.
Being the cuckold of the year has reduced such paragon of honour and Mayfair-ish ancestral grace to a feral recluse. His wife, an opium addict, was found dead in an elegant hotel room and after the funeral Alastair discovers the strings of lovers the duchess has been collecting throughout the duration of their marriage, equally picked among political adversaries and fake friends alike, all the way merrily laughing behind his back, the uptight, priggish, intellectual duke.
After a lifetime dedicated to becoming a champion of virtue in front of his peers and the realisation that it has brought him only ridicule and betrayal, Alastair is a hot ball of rage, to the point that he doesn't trust himself stepping outside of his rooms for fear of unleashing his murderous wrath upon his enemies. But trying to contain all this fury and turning it inward is slowly destroying him. The depiction of Alastair's torment is poignant in its intensity as it's really moving witnessing his breaking the boundaries of his mental and physical confinement. He starts seeing himself through Olivia's eyes, a downright mirror-effect that puts him in front of what has become of his life for the first time in months; her drawing the curtains to let the light enter the room again and other small practical changes are apt metaphors and parallels for his gradual consciousness (re)raising, concreteness punctuating and enhancing an immaterial process, all handled with remarkable deftness by Ms. Duran.
But while contemplating the charming mess that Alastair is, I've started wondering about the substance of the whole scenario in terms of emotional plausibility. It's clear from the start that Alastair didn't love his wife; he married her because the perfect duke needed the perfect pedigreed consort and our exemplary aristocrat, by his own admission, didn't disdain resorting to manipulation and lying to secure himself the prime flesh choice, presenting also quite the hypocritical picture in his pre-cuckold-crisis conduct to boot. So, knowing that his suffering, at the realisation of his wife's infidelity, doesn't stem from a profound sentimental wound, but from what has been the pinprick to his ballooning pride that now lies, deflated, next to him in his gloomy bedchamber, makes his whole predicament look rather like a disproportionate egomaniac tantrum than a genuine emotional desolation: what bleeds is his societal self, not his heart.
And unfortunately, as long as I'm concerned, I got the proof of Alastair's true temperament, which his self-absorbed and overdramatic sulking already had me sensing, when he starts interacting with the heroine on a more intimate and open-faced level (well into the second half of the book). He keeps treating her with constant and undercurrent resentment, which at first I attributed to his damaged soul and his general distrust toward women after his wife cheating, but after awhile and given the "good" Olivia has done him, I couldn't excuse him anymore. Some reluctance in admitting one's attraction or feelings I would have understood, being them part of the bargain in creating a satisfying sexual tension, but not a sheer and deliberate condescending attitude. He begrudges Olivia her determination and her miraculously survived optimism and wants to "teach" her an unspecified lesson on life, hope and other amenities...a duke, an extremely privileged man to a grown woman who had to cope on her own through innumerable difficulties... talk about presumption... And what better way to impart philosophical revelations (in the library, how apt) to a woman than using the flicks (literally) of his expert fingers during your first sexual approach (which was not very requested to be honest)? No seriously, and since we've gone this far, why not add some crude language to be more persuasive?
I, I, I, me, me, me... post-adolescent male sexual egocentrism apparently never misses a chance to show pernicious long-term recidivism (he's 35). And what peeves me are not the f and c bombs per se, but the way he uses them; these terms are not part of a shared taste at dirty talking (hey, to each one's own, who am I?) that, by the way, would be highly incongruous to the time setting (maybe fit for a brothel, a mistress, Whitechapel?), but a mean spirited vulgarity he imposes on her, and the fact that at this point she still is just one of his employees makes it even worse (hello, it's called "power abuse" and it's not a nice thing). Bad boys are naughty (and welcome), but never petty.
Later on his endearing habit of using sexual activities as means of behavioural correction doesn't stop at the first attempt above mentioned: when he catches Olivia rifling through his papers, he threateningly fondles her as a form of intimidation. Granted that he's right, as she is indeed stealing from him, why not just stop her and call the authorities? Because this is a romance? Because you're hawt & dark? Because you're a plain ol' @$$hat?
Also, quoted in no precise order, and please notice how the words "teach", "lesson" and "learn" are recurrent: Alastair really missed his call at being a sexual educator for clueless women (was there a Victorian equivalent for that, who knows? Worth researching).
Words that, besides echoing, if extrapolated and decontextualized, the lately "ubiquitous & trite" bdsm script, clearly demonstrate how incapable Alastair is to evolve (note, from the page number I reported, that the book is approaching its end). I am supposed to believe he's falling in love by now, but he still thinks of her through an objectifying perspective, everything still revolves around him, hissex lovemaking is somewhat "exploitative", selfish at best (her mind-blowing orgasms notwithstanding): love is not the reclaiming of ownership, but the nullifying of all demands.
And Olivia... looks more overwhelmed than convinced.
My nagging suspicion is that the author (and mind you, she's in good and substantial company here) chose to bestow on Alastair such overbearing qualities and "arrogant" sexuality as escamotages to add pathos and depth to a fundamentally immature man and to make him appear much more epic and tragic than he really is in a sort of, maybe involuntary I concede, mystifying and eventually warping outcome, very common in romantic fiction nowadays, to the genre's great detriment, in my opinion: if it's a reverberation of the old skool bodice rippers mores or an attuning to the current wave that questionably purports heightened power dynamics (usually in favour of the man) as the apex of passionate romantic relationships, I leave it up to you to decide.
I'm sorry to bash such a well constructed hero, but acknowledging the skilful portrayal of a character doesn't automatically translate in approving what I see... and I'm basically hero-centric, thus my lower rating for a book that could have otherwise easily been a 4 or even a 4,5. Alastair commits a couple of selfless acts before the end (which I cannot go into without giving away too much), they made me accept him, but I couldn't bring myself to like him.
And here is where I reconnect to my initial statement: you may find Alastair's character and personality, granted his undeniable narrative validity, perfectly suiting your tastes or viewing it as ideal romantic hero material. I've just never found highhandedness or self-entitlement in a man palatable, let alone sexy or mixable in a romance-cake recipe.
Alistair kept repeating to Olivia that she "deserved better" and, unfortunately, I found myself agreeing with him more often than not.
Don't get me wrong, this book was thoroughly enjoyable, better than the average fare for sure and worth a try in any case no matter what I'm going to say, as I recognise that the quibbles I had were totally of a "personal tastes" quality and are not true objective flaws at all but, alas, I mainly rate according to my subjective enjoyment. In other words, where I saw a shortcoming some of you might see a merit and it would be a pity for the genre's aficionados to miss the opportunity of savouring an undoubtedly outstanding read.
Duran's writing style is brilliant and vivid, with neat and polished phrasing, sharp humour and the right balance between descriptiveness and dialogues. The plot is solidly built, showing an even pace and a fair consistency along the whole denouement (but with a decidedly more interesting first half), with no dragging parts and a couple of welcome twist I didn't see coming. The characterization of the main leads is satisfyingly fleshed out, there's more to both than meets the eye and their personalities are in no way merely cardboard-ish. If anything, the novel is lacking in the setting department, no glaring anachronisms, just a sort of hazy 19th Century atmosphere; there are mentions of a train travel and a tram ride but, besides these facts, the book could easily take place somewhere indefinitely between 1850 and 1901, with no more precise cultural references that firmly framed the scene in the last two decades of the Victorian Era, not even some lingering on the clothes which potential, when dosed correctly, of creating a charming backdrop is sometimes underestimated in more recent historical romances.
There with the due technicalities...
Now, where are the problems for me then? In the "essence" of some things and actions and in a romantic relationship which I didn't rewardingly enough perceive as such (and being this a romance, that's according to what my rating thermometer is calibrated to). But again, this is really a matter of subjective reception.
Just a warning: to better express my overall impressions I need to quote and describe a couple of scenes more in detail, so some stuff contained in the review may results SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH, especially for those of you who really want to buy sight unseen sensu stricto.
London, 1885
Olivia Holladay is a woman on the run, reluctant thief and blackmailer-in-the-making by dire necessity. She has stolen some compromising letters, fundamental for her plans, from her former employer's home and she's now heading to her next and decisive step towards a hopefully peaceful and enduring freedom. And the last pawn, essential to make her scheme click into motion, is Alastair de Grey, the notorious and reclusive Duke of Marwick, a young political genius and former darling of the Ton.
Olivia's long time nemesis Lord Bertram, a powerful member of the Parliament, has been chasing after her for seven years and hates her to the point of wanting her dead. She barely survived an attempt on her life when one of Bertram's man was sent out to find her and kill her and Olivia knows she's not going to be safe until she has a final showdown with Bertram and the only way she could excogitate to make him stop tormenting her is threatening a public exposure of compromising and incriminating material, a lethal blow to a public figure such as Bertram.
And here's where Alastair enters the picture. Bertram is the duke's greatest political rival and opponent and Olivia knows Alastair, as an eminent MP, is in possession of secret dossiers and documents regarding Bertram's misdeeds, she just needs to infiltrate the ducal household and scour every corner to find them; donning the false identity of a governess, Olivia starts working in Alastair's residence loathing every minute of her betrayal, but it's a matter of life or death to her and she hopes to retrieve the decisive papers in less than a few weeks and then disappear into thin air without causing ulterior damage to her aristocratic employer, a man already brought low by his unfaithful late wife, a cheating Olivia knows everything about thanks to the letters she's hiding. And one of the deceased duchess's lovers was no less than Lord Bertram...
How Alastair is going to find out of her plans and if he is eventually going to help her and why Bertram hates her so much is what keeps you guessing until the end, creating a deliciously suspenseful narrative build-up.
A large part of the book, more than the first half, is taken up by the description of Olivia's coming to know Alastair.
Olivia is a likable heroine, smart and proud, she bears herself with dignity through various obstacles and her pragmatic nature is the perfect foil to Alastair's mood swings to the point that she might, in several occasions, appear more as a countermelody and trigger to the hero's improvements than a fully autonomous character; but that's just nitpicking and their banters and interactions, especially in the first half, are a treat to savour. She's an intelligent and resilient woman with whom life has never been kind and this strong personality reveals itself very useful in dealing with a household and a group of servants gone into chaos after the duke's self-imposed exile from the world, an alienation that seems to have resulted in his insanity. And we're talking about a man who hasn't left his bedroom in six months, hurling objects at well-meaning intruders, crashing furniture and often drinking his pretty self into a stupor. Olivia perceives there is more to this man than the wounded fallen angel he has become and with astounding (and quite implausible at times) ante-freudian awareness and tenacity, our heroine is determined to take matters in her capable hands and coax the hero out of his isolation while attempting to retrieve the papers she needs... and why she engages in therapeutically rescuing a complete stranger when she has a life-threatening situation to solve and no time to waste is the stuff romances are made of, so logical analysis verboten here (but we love and read 'em anyway).
And now to our jewel in the crown, Alastair.
Being the cuckold of the year has reduced such paragon of honour and Mayfair-ish ancestral grace to a feral recluse. His wife, an opium addict, was found dead in an elegant hotel room and after the funeral Alastair discovers the strings of lovers the duchess has been collecting throughout the duration of their marriage, equally picked among political adversaries and fake friends alike, all the way merrily laughing behind his back, the uptight, priggish, intellectual duke.
After a lifetime dedicated to becoming a champion of virtue in front of his peers and the realisation that it has brought him only ridicule and betrayal, Alastair is a hot ball of rage, to the point that he doesn't trust himself stepping outside of his rooms for fear of unleashing his murderous wrath upon his enemies. But trying to contain all this fury and turning it inward is slowly destroying him. The depiction of Alastair's torment is poignant in its intensity as it's really moving witnessing his breaking the boundaries of his mental and physical confinement. He starts seeing himself through Olivia's eyes, a downright mirror-effect that puts him in front of what has become of his life for the first time in months; her drawing the curtains to let the light enter the room again and other small practical changes are apt metaphors and parallels for his gradual consciousness (re)raising, concreteness punctuating and enhancing an immaterial process, all handled with remarkable deftness by Ms. Duran.
But while contemplating the charming mess that Alastair is, I've started wondering about the substance of the whole scenario in terms of emotional plausibility. It's clear from the start that Alastair didn't love his wife; he married her because the perfect duke needed the perfect pedigreed consort and our exemplary aristocrat, by his own admission, didn't disdain resorting to manipulation and lying to secure himself the prime flesh choice, presenting also quite the hypocritical picture in his pre-cuckold-crisis conduct to boot. So, knowing that his suffering, at the realisation of his wife's infidelity, doesn't stem from a profound sentimental wound, but from what has been the pinprick to his ballooning pride that now lies, deflated, next to him in his gloomy bedchamber, makes his whole predicament look rather like a disproportionate egomaniac tantrum than a genuine emotional desolation: what bleeds is his societal self, not his heart.
And unfortunately, as long as I'm concerned, I got the proof of Alastair's true temperament, which his self-absorbed and overdramatic sulking already had me sensing, when he starts interacting with the heroine on a more intimate and open-faced level (well into the second half of the book). He keeps treating her with constant and undercurrent resentment, which at first I attributed to his damaged soul and his general distrust toward women after his wife cheating, but after awhile and given the "good" Olivia has done him, I couldn't excuse him anymore. Some reluctance in admitting one's attraction or feelings I would have understood, being them part of the bargain in creating a satisfying sexual tension, but not a sheer and deliberate condescending attitude. He begrudges Olivia her determination and her miraculously survived optimism and wants to "teach" her an unspecified lesson on life, hope and other amenities...a duke, an extremely privileged man to a grown woman who had to cope on her own through innumerable difficulties... talk about presumption... And what better way to impart philosophical revelations (in the library, how apt) to a woman than using the flicks (literally) of his expert fingers during your first sexual approach (which was not very requested to be honest)? No seriously, and since we've gone this far, why not add some crude language to be more persuasive?
He made himself use the filthiest word. "Your c**t. Do you know what I wish to do with your c**t?"... "I want to f**k you," he said [...] "I want to use you up. I will make you scream, and beg me to stop, and then I will bend you over and f**k you again. This is where hope leads you: do you understand? It leads you to ruin and I will enjoy it. I will ruin you for pleasure, and will make you come for me, and hate yourself in the end for doing so."(pp. 197-198)
I, I, I, me, me, me... post-adolescent male sexual egocentrism apparently never misses a chance to show pernicious long-term recidivism (he's 35). And what peeves me are not the f and c bombs per se, but the way he uses them; these terms are not part of a shared taste at dirty talking (hey, to each one's own, who am I?) that, by the way, would be highly incongruous to the time setting (maybe fit for a brothel, a mistress, Whitechapel?), but a mean spirited vulgarity he imposes on her, and the fact that at this point she still is just one of his employees makes it even worse (hello, it's called "power abuse" and it's not a nice thing). Bad boys are naughty (and welcome), but never petty.
Later on his endearing habit of using sexual activities as means of behavioural correction doesn't stop at the first attempt above mentioned: when he catches Olivia rifling through his papers, he threateningly fondles her as a form of intimidation. Granted that he's right, as she is indeed stealing from him, why not just stop her and call the authorities? Because this is a romance? Because you're hawt & dark? Because you're a plain ol' @$$hat?
Also, quoted in no precise order, and please notice how the words "teach", "lesson" and "learn" are recurrent: Alastair really missed his call at being a sexual educator for clueless women (was there a Victorian equivalent for that, who knows? Worth researching).
- Wildness could be tamed.
- He did not require her cooperation; it was her submission he craved and it was his challenge to earn it.
- This alone he knew. Her hot wet depths posed a challenge that only his body would answer; he would teach her how to be greedy, he would use her and let the world go to hell; she would have no room to think for nothing else.
- Like a scientist, he would devise a way to take her apart. He would own her by the end.
- He pulled her hand away and held it down, in a firm grip, beside her: she would not deny him the sight of her reaction to him.
- There was no goodness in him. But in the smell of her, in her groan, he saw a good use for his evil. He saw a way to accept it, to use it, if it would make her moan.
- Villains tied women to train tracks; had she proved mute, had she resisted, he would have tied her to the train tracks until she cried for mercy, and then he would have f***ed on the rails, against a tree or on the grass, until she knew how to cry out for him, until she had learned her lesson fully.
- [...] to deliver a final imprint, to warn her that she must not forget what he had just shown her. Her body was his. (pp. 304-309)
Words that, besides echoing, if extrapolated and decontextualized, the lately "ubiquitous & trite" bdsm script, clearly demonstrate how incapable Alastair is to evolve (note, from the page number I reported, that the book is approaching its end). I am supposed to believe he's falling in love by now, but he still thinks of her through an objectifying perspective, everything still revolves around him, his
And Olivia... looks more overwhelmed than convinced.
My nagging suspicion is that the author (and mind you, she's in good and substantial company here) chose to bestow on Alastair such overbearing qualities and "arrogant" sexuality as escamotages to add pathos and depth to a fundamentally immature man and to make him appear much more epic and tragic than he really is in a sort of, maybe involuntary I concede, mystifying and eventually warping outcome, very common in romantic fiction nowadays, to the genre's great detriment, in my opinion: if it's a reverberation of the old skool bodice rippers mores or an attuning to the current wave that questionably purports heightened power dynamics (usually in favour of the man) as the apex of passionate romantic relationships, I leave it up to you to decide.
I'm sorry to bash such a well constructed hero, but acknowledging the skilful portrayal of a character doesn't automatically translate in approving what I see... and I'm basically hero-centric, thus my lower rating for a book that could have otherwise easily been a 4 or even a 4,5. Alastair commits a couple of selfless acts before the end (which I cannot go into without giving away too much), they made me accept him, but I couldn't bring myself to like him.
And here is where I reconnect to my initial statement: you may find Alastair's character and personality, granted his undeniable narrative validity, perfectly suiting your tastes or viewing it as ideal romantic hero material. I've just never found highhandedness or self-entitlement in a man palatable, let alone sexy or mixable in a romance-cake recipe.
Alistair kept repeating to Olivia that she "deserved better" and, unfortunately, I found myself agreeing with him more often than not.
July 8, 2015
Meredith Duran unceasingly delights me as a wordsmith and a master at understanding the elements that concoct complex, genuine, and lovable characters.
There is nothing for Olivia and Alastair but the darkness of their pasts and the need to escape them. The intense loneliness as a result of their respective missions is the exact force that exerted a magnetic pull among the two -- Olivia's amazing capacity for love and understanding desperate her own desperate situation, and Alastair's futile attempt to erase all the purity and goodness from his heart.
Olivia has set out to rob Alastair of certain letters to escape her own pursuers, but ends up stealing the precious remains of Alastair's near-frozen heart. He, unwilling to trust and love after the betrayal of his deceased wife, reluctantly opened his heart to the intelligent, dear Olivia, whose unadulterated soul saved him from the depths of despair.
There is a certain brilliance in the minds and hearts of both Olivia and Alastair. He, a shrewd politican with the soul of a true scholar, first enchanted Olivia with his beautifully articulate writings on every scholarly subject there is. She, a former secretary, wanted to harden her heart towards the man from whom she intended to rob, yet stayed on to knock life into him.
Some readers may find Alastair a difficult hero to like, and at first he is, but his wound goes soul deep.
I have done everything right - or so he'd thought. He makes fists. His knuckles crack. He feels no pain (Loc 271)
In just one line, the summation of Alastair's grief is revealed - the perfection he strove as a result of his parents' scandals, and when he had thought he held the world in his hands...it was all a mere illusion.
And in Olivia, his light returned.
He gave her a gentle smile. "Humor and wit, in the quirk of your lips. And in your eyes..." His smile faded. "Hope." (Loc 3369)
Yet, in the way that Alastair dominates the first half of the book, Olivia dominates the second. Her resilience, true of heart and brave of spirit, withstood the pain of her past and gave her the strength to help Alastair in his time of need.
My diction is insufficient to express the intangible grip with which these characters held my heart. Set in the rich and opulent Victorian era, Duran nonetheless showcases the darkness of the era in its class differences, a duality of the historical era reflected through the opaque eyes of Alastair and Olivia. The dichotomy between light and darkness; the morality of man vs. the purity of darkness, are both written in an astoundingly sublime manner within this story. I ached for Alastair, feared for Olivia, and celebrated their joining. This book is a journey which every romance reader should undertake. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
*My sincerest thanks to the publisher for a review copy; yes, it's an honest review.
__________________________
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay. fangirl moment over. :)
There is nothing for Olivia and Alastair but the darkness of their pasts and the need to escape them. The intense loneliness as a result of their respective missions is the exact force that exerted a magnetic pull among the two -- Olivia's amazing capacity for love and understanding desperate her own desperate situation, and Alastair's futile attempt to erase all the purity and goodness from his heart.
Olivia has set out to rob Alastair of certain letters to escape her own pursuers, but ends up stealing the precious remains of Alastair's near-frozen heart. He, unwilling to trust and love after the betrayal of his deceased wife, reluctantly opened his heart to the intelligent, dear Olivia, whose unadulterated soul saved him from the depths of despair.
There is a certain brilliance in the minds and hearts of both Olivia and Alastair. He, a shrewd politican with the soul of a true scholar, first enchanted Olivia with his beautifully articulate writings on every scholarly subject there is. She, a former secretary, wanted to harden her heart towards the man from whom she intended to rob, yet stayed on to knock life into him.
Some readers may find Alastair a difficult hero to like, and at first he is, but his wound goes soul deep.
I have done everything right - or so he'd thought. He makes fists. His knuckles crack. He feels no pain (Loc 271)
In just one line, the summation of Alastair's grief is revealed - the perfection he strove as a result of his parents' scandals, and when he had thought he held the world in his hands...it was all a mere illusion.
And in Olivia, his light returned.
He gave her a gentle smile. "Humor and wit, in the quirk of your lips. And in your eyes..." His smile faded. "Hope." (Loc 3369)
Yet, in the way that Alastair dominates the first half of the book, Olivia dominates the second. Her resilience, true of heart and brave of spirit, withstood the pain of her past and gave her the strength to help Alastair in his time of need.
My diction is insufficient to express the intangible grip with which these characters held my heart. Set in the rich and opulent Victorian era, Duran nonetheless showcases the darkness of the era in its class differences, a duality of the historical era reflected through the opaque eyes of Alastair and Olivia. The dichotomy between light and darkness; the morality of man vs. the purity of darkness, are both written in an astoundingly sublime manner within this story. I ached for Alastair, feared for Olivia, and celebrated their joining. This book is a journey which every romance reader should undertake. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
*My sincerest thanks to the publisher for a review copy; yes, it's an honest review.
__________________________
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay. fangirl moment over. :)
April 25, 2015
I'm getting more and more into historical romance these days and branching out to try new-to-me authors, so I was excited to take a chance on this story. If you can get past the VERY slow start, you are in for a real treat. I found this book to be emotional, sexy, and smart, and the further I read the more I couldn't put it down.
I think part of the reason that this book was SO hard for me to get into was that I haven't read the first in the series. This book works well as a stand-alone, but it would have been helpful to know some of the background information from the first book. I also had to get used to the author's writing style. She is a little more... indirect in the way she writes. There is a lot for the reader to discover on his/her own, so you have to wade through a bit of text before you connect with the characters. But once I got there, I was there. I felt for both of the MCs and I was eagerly awaiting each page.
I loved that Alastair was NOT a rake. He was a one-woman kind of guy, and when he got scorned and cheated on by his first wife, he retreated into a very dark place. I liked that we got to see all the unpleasant sides of him, and that the romance was slow burn.
I liked Olivia too, and that we get to know her in bits and pieces over time. She showed the type of woman that was by her actions, and the author used a lot of showing instead of telling with her character.
I enjoyed this book greatly overall, and I would certainly read another book by this author in the future. It isn't as easily digestible as my usual choices for M/F historical romance, but it was a really well done story.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I think part of the reason that this book was SO hard for me to get into was that I haven't read the first in the series. This book works well as a stand-alone, but it would have been helpful to know some of the background information from the first book. I also had to get used to the author's writing style. She is a little more... indirect in the way she writes. There is a lot for the reader to discover on his/her own, so you have to wade through a bit of text before you connect with the characters. But once I got there, I was there. I felt for both of the MCs and I was eagerly awaiting each page.
I loved that Alastair was NOT a rake. He was a one-woman kind of guy, and when he got scorned and cheated on by his first wife, he retreated into a very dark place. I liked that we got to see all the unpleasant sides of him, and that the romance was slow burn.
I liked Olivia too, and that we get to know her in bits and pieces over time. She showed the type of woman that was by her actions, and the author used a lot of showing instead of telling with her character.
I enjoyed this book greatly overall, and I would certainly read another book by this author in the future. It isn't as easily digestible as my usual choices for M/F historical romance, but it was a really well done story.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
April 15, 2023
(Re-read Easter 2023)
4.25 stars
(Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Disguise, Work Relationship, Forbidden Love, Unstarched (hero), Scar (mental)
Oh wow. Just oh wow. Where has MD been all these years, and how have I failed to pick up her books?
What a terrible thing it was to wish to be known, to be seen, when one’s life depended on remaining unnoticed.
Two very flawed characters, some very witty scenes, and some dark paths we’re forced to stroll.
It’s not all hearts and flowers but comes together so beautifully.
At the end of the book I am not sure Alistair actually deserves Olivia..... buuuut I feel she is right for him, and I do think he is what she wants and needs.
- “I wish to assure you that His Grace is everything one could wish for in an employer.�
Poor Jones. He sounded so disheartened by his lie. Olivia restrained the urge to touch his elbow in comfort. “I have no doubt, sir.�
- “You must be very desperate, Mrs. Johnson, to want this position.�
Again, she caught the note of contempt. But it was not for her, she realized. He meant that it would take a desperate woman to wish to work for him. His contempt was all for himself.
- He stepped into the doorway, staring at her. His hair stood up every which way, but least he had buttoned his shirt. “You are insane,� he said flatly.
“Coming from you, Your Grace, the diagnosis is very persuasive.�
- “You should find a new position,� he said, “in the house of some honorable gentleman. I am not one.� He brought his mouth down onto hers.
- His hand stroked her waist, and it felt as though he had unlocked something; her hips loosened, became sinuous, as she pressed against him. Like that moment when the off-key string finally came into tune and joined with the chord, and the air vibrated with purity: her lips belonged with his; her body came into tune with him.
- She felt herself on the verge of a smile, and instead folded her lips together. They should not be amusing each other. Anyone looking in at this scene, anyone who did not know them, would mistake them for pleasantly bickering lovers. What a strange thought.
- “I would spend a thousand years here.� His voice was rough. “Would you have me?�
“Yes.� Here was what she had forgotten to say, what she had needed to say all along: “Yes, yes, yes.�
- He looped his arm around her waist, then held his breath as her hand tentatively covered his own. Whom did she think she grasped in the darkness? That man whom the newspapers had heralded? Or the man who had gripped a pistol and spoken of murder?
- “You seem to prefer me brazen,� she said.
He put his face in her hair, dragging her into his lungs, hard, deep breaths full of her. Let her settle in his lungs. Let her penetrate every pore.
- "I’ve been making a study of you for quite some time now. Yours was the first face I’d seen in months, after all. The face I saw through the darkness. And it seems that I know it even better than you do, if you doubt your own beauty.�
4.25 stars
(Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Disguise, Work Relationship, Forbidden Love, Unstarched (hero), Scar (mental)
Oh wow. Just oh wow. Where has MD been all these years, and how have I failed to pick up her books?
What a terrible thing it was to wish to be known, to be seen, when one’s life depended on remaining unnoticed.
Two very flawed characters, some very witty scenes, and some dark paths we’re forced to stroll.
It’s not all hearts and flowers but comes together so beautifully.
At the end of the book I am not sure Alistair actually deserves Olivia..... buuuut I feel she is right for him, and I do think he is what she wants and needs.
- “I wish to assure you that His Grace is everything one could wish for in an employer.�
Poor Jones. He sounded so disheartened by his lie. Olivia restrained the urge to touch his elbow in comfort. “I have no doubt, sir.�
- “You must be very desperate, Mrs. Johnson, to want this position.�
Again, she caught the note of contempt. But it was not for her, she realized. He meant that it would take a desperate woman to wish to work for him. His contempt was all for himself.
- He stepped into the doorway, staring at her. His hair stood up every which way, but least he had buttoned his shirt. “You are insane,� he said flatly.
“Coming from you, Your Grace, the diagnosis is very persuasive.�
- “You should find a new position,� he said, “in the house of some honorable gentleman. I am not one.� He brought his mouth down onto hers.
- His hand stroked her waist, and it felt as though he had unlocked something; her hips loosened, became sinuous, as she pressed against him. Like that moment when the off-key string finally came into tune and joined with the chord, and the air vibrated with purity: her lips belonged with his; her body came into tune with him.
- She felt herself on the verge of a smile, and instead folded her lips together. They should not be amusing each other. Anyone looking in at this scene, anyone who did not know them, would mistake them for pleasantly bickering lovers. What a strange thought.
- “I would spend a thousand years here.� His voice was rough. “Would you have me?�
“Yes.� Here was what she had forgotten to say, what she had needed to say all along: “Yes, yes, yes.�
- He looped his arm around her waist, then held his breath as her hand tentatively covered his own. Whom did she think she grasped in the darkness? That man whom the newspapers had heralded? Or the man who had gripped a pistol and spoken of murder?
- “You seem to prefer me brazen,� she said.
He put his face in her hair, dragging her into his lungs, hard, deep breaths full of her. Let her settle in his lungs. Let her penetrate every pore.
- "I’ve been making a study of you for quite some time now. Yours was the first face I’d seen in months, after all. The face I saw through the darkness. And it seems that I know it even better than you do, if you doubt your own beauty.�
March 24, 2014
First off, what a gorgeous cover...such a stand out, it's initially what caught my eye. And what's in the pages of this little gem is just as good.
The story itself is a bit slow to take off. As Olivia Mather infiltrates Alistair Grey, the Duke of Marwick's home, we discover that each of them has secrets and neither has a a happy past. Alistair is a widower, but instead of mourning the death of his beloved wife, he has secluded himself away in his London home, attempting to recover from the discovery that his wife had not only made a cuckold of him by crawling into bed with numerous men, but that she had also been leaching state secrets off of him and utilizing his influence with the Prime Minister to sway opinions. She was using him. And according to the multitude of letters he found, she was laughing at him behind his back.
Olivia is running...literally away from a man intent on harming her, though we don't learn the details for quite sometime. She has weaseled her way into the Duke's home and is now trying to get her hands on some sort of evidence that will help free her from her pursuer.
Olivia's vitality and obvious misplacement as the housekeeper quickly gains the attention of the reclusive Duke, who hasn't left his rooms, let alone his house, in months. Olivia slowly but forcefully brings the Duke back into the light, showing him the cowardice of his situation. For when he was forced to deal with betrayal, he hid and raged. Whereas Olivia fought back.
This was my first book by Meredith Duran but it certainly won't be my last. One thing that struck me is just how real her characterization is. The truth to Olivia and Alistair's actions lent them a remarkably authentic feel. Olivia is not a typical woman...she's extremely tall, redheaded, and has the temperament and feistiness to match. She won't quit, even when I was wishing she would just throw her hands up and let Alistair take over, she was tenacious and persistent and admirable.
Alistair, as well, is not the typical fare when it comes to the typical dashing, rogue/rake historical romance hero. He was faithful to his wife, he didn't sleep around, and though he has the alpha attitude that tended to be a bit overbearing, it felt mostly due to his circumstances. The intensity, I felt, would always be a part of him but the autocratic, tyrannical nature seemed as if it would be reserved for people he held in spite...not those he respected. He was at his lowest point at the beginning of the book and not so easy to love but he WAS easy to empathize with.
I would have liked to get an epilogue, just to see what this couple's back and forth banter would turn into under better, more relaxed circumstances. There was very little down time. But wow, what a storyteller this author is! The sexy times were very sexy, but matched the intensity of these characters perfectly. The beginning was very slow paced but soon I realized that I was clutching my reader, turning pages like crazy and holding my breath to see what was coming up next.
Advance copy provided by the publisher for review.
The story itself is a bit slow to take off. As Olivia Mather infiltrates Alistair Grey, the Duke of Marwick's home, we discover that each of them has secrets and neither has a a happy past. Alistair is a widower, but instead of mourning the death of his beloved wife, he has secluded himself away in his London home, attempting to recover from the discovery that his wife had not only made a cuckold of him by crawling into bed with numerous men, but that she had also been leaching state secrets off of him and utilizing his influence with the Prime Minister to sway opinions. She was using him. And according to the multitude of letters he found, she was laughing at him behind his back.
Olivia is running...literally away from a man intent on harming her, though we don't learn the details for quite sometime. She has weaseled her way into the Duke's home and is now trying to get her hands on some sort of evidence that will help free her from her pursuer.
Olivia's vitality and obvious misplacement as the housekeeper quickly gains the attention of the reclusive Duke, who hasn't left his rooms, let alone his house, in months. Olivia slowly but forcefully brings the Duke back into the light, showing him the cowardice of his situation. For when he was forced to deal with betrayal, he hid and raged. Whereas Olivia fought back.
This was my first book by Meredith Duran but it certainly won't be my last. One thing that struck me is just how real her characterization is. The truth to Olivia and Alistair's actions lent them a remarkably authentic feel. Olivia is not a typical woman...she's extremely tall, redheaded, and has the temperament and feistiness to match. She won't quit, even when I was wishing she would just throw her hands up and let Alistair take over, she was tenacious and persistent and admirable.
Alistair, as well, is not the typical fare when it comes to the typical dashing, rogue/rake historical romance hero. He was faithful to his wife, he didn't sleep around, and though he has the alpha attitude that tended to be a bit overbearing, it felt mostly due to his circumstances. The intensity, I felt, would always be a part of him but the autocratic, tyrannical nature seemed as if it would be reserved for people he held in spite...not those he respected. He was at his lowest point at the beginning of the book and not so easy to love but he WAS easy to empathize with.
I would have liked to get an epilogue, just to see what this couple's back and forth banter would turn into under better, more relaxed circumstances. There was very little down time. But wow, what a storyteller this author is! The sexy times were very sexy, but matched the intensity of these characters perfectly. The beginning was very slow paced but soon I realized that I was clutching my reader, turning pages like crazy and holding my breath to see what was coming up next.
Advance copy provided by the publisher for review.
December 16, 2014
His shoulders jerked. She glanced up and discovered him silently laughing at her. “Your face,� he said. “So shocked. Does ducal hair feel like some strange new variety?�
“Sit still,� she snapped—and then frowned. “There’s a pun in that somewhere, but I can’t find it.
Ducal hair, ducal heir . . .�
“Oh, but I’m not an heir,� he murmured. “I’m the genuine article, I assure you.�
A few days ago, I asked for a recommendation on goodreads:
"Recommend a romance novel to a romance-novel addict who is really really bored and tired of reading romance novels!"
I have been so sick and tired of reading historical romance novels where it is continuously reminded to the girl to be a proper young lady if you want a desirable catch, ( what the heck- are we bartering spices and bolts of fabric?)' women who sew all day ( i can't even put a thread in the needle) and think that knowledge is taboo, sharing separate bedrooms, noble men being rakes, keeping mistresses at the age of seventeen(honestly, how is that possible, wasn't the historical period more rigid before marriage?)., men not believing that they can fall in love, hero feeling that the heroine is tpretty but not traditionally beautiful, etc. And then back to 'life is all about gettting married and then getting an heir-- yep heir, not a child, sigh sigh, stop boring me. Shut up already!
And then I came across the book and ta da! I fell in love with it completely. I read the book in bits and pieces listening to Two pieces, Heart Attack and Nightingale by Demi Lovato at the same time. Every single scene made me feel warm and fluttery all over and the best thing was that the story proceeded the way I anticipated it to ! A breath of fresh air. None of that nonsense, I mentioned above.
And before you read it, check out
-those pictures really gave me a visulaisation and I felt like the book was being replayed out like an epic historical drama.
Basic Plot:
Twenty-five year old illegitimate Olivia is on the run from her politician father Bertram who has been sending assassins to kill her for the past seven years. She finds letters at her previous employer's home which reveal that the famous politician-duke Alistair de Grey-Marwick is in possession of certain documents which could ruin Bertram's career. Olivia decides to steal these documents from Marwick which she can use to blackmail Bertram in order to ensure her safety.
So, she enters Marwick's mansion in the guise of the new housekeeper. But then she realises that stealing those documents won't be as easy as she thought because:
1.) The servants are the most disorganized bunch, flirting and carousing around and not doing their job at all because their employer- the duke has no care for anything anymore. And she needs predictability, to know who is where at what time so no one catches her stealing.
2.) The duke is under depression because his now-dead wife and political opponents betrayed him. So, he never leaves his rooms and drinks all day. And since the documents are in his room, Olivia has to find a way to get him out.
Basically, the plot has 4 parts:
a.) Olivia trying to get the duke out of his room and help him overcome his depression
b.) Olivia and duke slowly becoming friends.
c.) The betrayal-when Olivia finally steals from him and runs away.
d.) Olivia and the duke working together against their common enemy.
What I loved about this story:
- Its realistic and the story actually has substance. The motives were real. I really could understand the duke's depression. To be in love with your wife for 5 years and hen realize after her death, from an outside source, that it was all a sham and that his defeats in the parliament were planned together by his cheating wife and his enemy. To think that you are a perfect judge of character and then realise you couldn't spot the biggest lie of all.
In ordinary romance novels, I am absolutely exhausted of the hero being depressed because of his scarred features or cause his 'true love' left him. Seriously, get over it ! So, it was great to meet a real hero with real problems.
- Olivia character: She is the first heroine I have found I can relate to. She wants to be safe and feels extremely guilty of stealing. In fact she often decides to give up and continue running for her life but then continues with her goal as she is desperate.
--> Absolutely love this scene :)
He leaned forward onto his elbows, nostrils flaring. “You paint a very rosy picture of yourself, don’t you?�
“And you paint a very black one.�
In ordinary romance novels, I wonder how can the heroine be so feisty and so packed with courage. How? I can't have so much of confidence and courage to take over the world and complete my goals. So, that's why, I could relate to Olivia's mixed emotions and how she continues to waver.
I also loved what she did at the end.
- The Power Play & Class differences:
* The duke is not afraid to use his power. He behaves as a figure of complete authority, intimidating everyone.
He made a contemptuous noise and dropped his hand. “Disobedience,� he said. “The taste of it does not suit me.�
He took another step back, looking at her with sudden cruel amusement. “However. The correction of impertinent domestics has always been one of my skills.�
* The duke knows that the master-servant relationship is forbidden and he does his best to stay away from her sexually. He know their differences in station and hence tries to remain honorable.
These aspects of the story really made my feel like I am reading a historical story and not a modern one. Keeping with the culture, customs and demands of the olden society is what makes a story feel like you are reading into history. Often, romance authors, for convenience sake, to get the hero and heroine forego this 'major' detail.
- The hero's drunken antics: Throwing glass bottles at the heroine, punching the wall where she is standing, sacking her-who knows how many times. And then the heroines continuous spunk and determination to get him out of his hell-hole.
She turned her face away. Staring at the wall, she said rapidly, “The staff assures me that you have never been the kind of cowardly man who abuses his servants—�
His fist slammed into the wall.
She opened her mouth. Nothing came out. His fist had missed her ear by an inch, no more.
“I beg,� he said softly, “your pardon, girl. And now, I advise you to go downstairs and pack your things. You are sacked.�
As simply as that? No. She did not dare glance over her shoulder to find out if Jones had heard the news.
“That would be foolish, Your Grace.�
The sound of her voice, so fierce, gave her fresh
courage. “Your staff is running wild. They need a strong hand to put them to rights.�
“Get. Out.�
A wild idea came to her, borne of desperation. Lowering her voice, she said, “I should hate to be forced to tell the newspapers that I was attacked by my employer, and then thrown out on my ear for
complaining of it.�
He stepped back as though to see her better. But as he studied her, his perfect face held an absolute
lack of expression. “Was that a threat?�
- The whole political scenario. Rather refreshing to find a duke who actually works to help the poor and slum-dwellers to rise.
- The servants are alive! Yeah! They play a role in the awakening of the entire household and it's master.
- The duke always longed for a family unlike his own scandalous-always fighting parents and so he actually remains virgin for his first wife! And then celibate till the heroine! Love that about a hero. You know, I often find it hypocritical in many romance novels, where a hero loved his childhood friend but still does not mind to sow his wild oats. Honestly, Where is the commitment?
- The truffle mystery : Yeah, read that to find out: who stole 5 pounds of dirt looking fungi!
- The reactions and emotions after the betrayal.
“So you continue to protest. Very well.� He reached into his jacket and extracted a pocket watch that he laid beside him. “You have five minutes to tell your story. If I am satisfied, we will discuss
the specific nature of my offer. And if I am not . . .� He made a soft click of his tongue, a preemptive chide. “The authorities don’t know the half of what you’ve done. In addition to forgery and extortion,
there is also the matter of your theft from me.�
She stared at him. He had not managed to intimidate her when she’d been his servant. Why permit him to do so now? Her pride demanded better of her. “Not only that, Your Grace. You mustn’t forget
my theft from your brother’s wife. I was her secretary—did you know that? All those letters, I stole from her. Indeed, in the interest of good relations, you should give her a chance to convict me, too.
And perhaps Lady Ripton?� She would make sure he never blamed Amanda. “For I forged a reference from her. Yes, why not contact her as well?�
His pause suggested surprise. She took a ridiculous pleasure in it.
But then, with a shrug, he said, “Good. A piece of honesty; you are learning. Well, do begin your tale, Miss Holladay. The clock ticks.�
- The title; Fool me Twice. Very apt. Thankfully, it was not a crazy title like - The virgin secretary, falling in love with the mistress, blah blah, you get it.
- Should I mention ... ... He he !
- In ordinary romance novels, to resolve the conflict between the hero and heroine, the author adds in a bad guy who kidnaps the heroine. The hero rescues the hero-they kiss, make up and confess their love. (Ugh, hate it when a near-tragedy has to make you realize that you love someone) The heroine happily forgets the whole scary encounter of kidnapping and then the novels ends. No therapy needed. How abrupt!
So, I can't explain how much relief it was when did not happen in this story ! :)
I could go on and on about how much I have adore--love this story. But now, its time for you to read it.( they really should make a movie on this- at least it would have a happily ever after-unlike the current historical drama movies)
And I could seriously go with a part 2 of this book; their life after marriage. I bet Meredith Duran would make that a great story too.
My Favourite line, said by the duke repeatedly to Olivia:
"How do you dare?"
Two of my favorite scenes:-
Imitating the dog scene -->
Sitting by the pond scene -->
April 24, 2021
If I have a complaint about Meredith Duran, it's her pacing. I was reading and thoroughly enjoying this, but at about the 60% mark I felt there's no way I could buy into the romance. I was convinced, at some point, it would just be manufactured and suddenly Alastair would melt and nothing would make sense, and it would be unconvincing.
However, I put Meredith Duran in a tier of brilliant romance novelists. Infallible, of course not. But the kind that can pull off magic.
Alastair was a complete and utter monster. And while the lizard part of my brain can be like "Oh, dangerous and sexy," and the logical part can be "Oh, pathetic and abusive," the part that Duran as an author can wave like a magic wand is the romance. Because at 75% - 75%! - (or something) I was suddenly fully invested in them. And oddly, I liked the complete jackasses voice just as much if not more than the Olivia's. And that's saying something, because Olivia is on that shelf reserved for the best of them.
Anyway, I'm not actually complaining about her pacing here, I'm marveling at it. And I am astonished by Duran's ability to turn the villain into the hero while he still maintains his edge. And her ability to write a heroine like Olivia, a romance and a book like this, which gives me joy.
I would guess this isn't going to work for everyone, but I do like her struggling heroes so much.
However, I put Meredith Duran in a tier of brilliant romance novelists. Infallible, of course not. But the kind that can pull off magic.
Alastair was a complete and utter monster. And while the lizard part of my brain can be like "Oh, dangerous and sexy," and the logical part can be "Oh, pathetic and abusive," the part that Duran as an author can wave like a magic wand is the romance. Because at 75% - 75%! - (or something) I was suddenly fully invested in them. And oddly, I liked the complete jackasses voice just as much if not more than the Olivia's. And that's saying something, because Olivia is on that shelf reserved for the best of them.
Anyway, I'm not actually complaining about her pacing here, I'm marveling at it. And I am astonished by Duran's ability to turn the villain into the hero while he still maintains his edge. And her ability to write a heroine like Olivia, a romance and a book like this, which gives me joy.
I would guess this isn't going to work for everyone, but I do like her struggling heroes so much.
February 9, 2021
Normally I Don't Enjoy The Recluse Story But Meredith Hooked Me With A Teaser And I Could Not Put It Down.
“Was it her imagination, or did the townhouse loom? All the other mansions on this street looked polite and elegant, neatly confining themselves within rows of trimmed hedges. This house, on the other hand, sprawled. She spied a gargoyle lurking above one cornice, glowering at her. Of course the Duke of Marwick would have a gargoyle carved into his house!"
Depressed Recluse Anti-Hero Duke Of Marwick Alastair de Grey
“Well. You must admit, you do need a haircut.� A faint smile ghosted over his mouth. His fingers loosened; they slipped over hers as they withdrew. “Is there anyone in this house whom I could trust to wield the scissors? I have given them all cause to aim for my throat.� Was that a joke? Miracle of miracles! “Come now,� she said hoarsely. “Be sensible. Dead men pay no salaries.�
Clever Independent Sassy Heroine
"Her bones should be made of iron, for what else was fit to support her bravado? It would shame generals, Emperors, Professional pirates."
We See How Alastair Is Brought Out Of The Darkness By Olivia
"After all, it’s very easy to resist men, isn’t it? But managing to pick the right one—that is truly worthy of praise. Nobody would judge this man the right one. He was fashioned after Byron’s own model: mad, bad, and dangerous to know. But she knew him as no one else did. He was not the man he’d once been; he was the man that only she knew."
There Is An Unpredictable Twist And We Are Taken On An Adventure
Steamy Sexual Tension
"A master seducing his servant—it was a tale so old that it had become a cliché"
Can Be Read As A Stand-Alone
The Duke Is A Widower And Talks About His Deceased Wife (Therefore The Star Deduction)
Has A Way Of Making You Forget Your Triggers Or Frustrations With The Recluse, Widower, Servant Seduction Trope.
I Highly Recommend This Series.
Is My Favorite
/review/show...
“Was it her imagination, or did the townhouse loom? All the other mansions on this street looked polite and elegant, neatly confining themselves within rows of trimmed hedges. This house, on the other hand, sprawled. She spied a gargoyle lurking above one cornice, glowering at her. Of course the Duke of Marwick would have a gargoyle carved into his house!"
Depressed Recluse Anti-Hero Duke Of Marwick Alastair de Grey
“Well. You must admit, you do need a haircut.� A faint smile ghosted over his mouth. His fingers loosened; they slipped over hers as they withdrew. “Is there anyone in this house whom I could trust to wield the scissors? I have given them all cause to aim for my throat.� Was that a joke? Miracle of miracles! “Come now,� she said hoarsely. “Be sensible. Dead men pay no salaries.�
Clever Independent Sassy Heroine
"Her bones should be made of iron, for what else was fit to support her bravado? It would shame generals, Emperors, Professional pirates."
We See How Alastair Is Brought Out Of The Darkness By Olivia
"After all, it’s very easy to resist men, isn’t it? But managing to pick the right one—that is truly worthy of praise. Nobody would judge this man the right one. He was fashioned after Byron’s own model: mad, bad, and dangerous to know. But she knew him as no one else did. He was not the man he’d once been; he was the man that only she knew."
There Is An Unpredictable Twist And We Are Taken On An Adventure
Steamy Sexual Tension
"A master seducing his servant—it was a tale so old that it had become a cliché"
Can Be Read As A Stand-Alone
The Duke Is A Widower And Talks About His Deceased Wife (Therefore The Star Deduction)
Has A Way Of Making You Forget Your Triggers Or Frustrations With The Recluse, Widower, Servant Seduction Trope.
I Highly Recommend This Series.
Is My Favorite
/review/show...
March 11, 2018
This was a difficult book and I cannot say I enjoyed it as such. It was beautifully written, as Duran books always are. But the hero, Marwick, was very problematic for me. And that significantly diminished my pleasure as I read the book.
Here's the thing: I am all for the tortured hero or heroine (although in HR it is usually the hero....why is that, I wonder?). I get that life damages people and everyone is flawed. But this hero- boy, he was one step way from (and I LOVE this American idiom!) going postal. I don't want to go into why- you have to read the book. Suffice to say, from where he had been in his life, there was a very long way to fall. And he fell. Mostly it was to do with his public life, ironically. Emotionally, I am not sure whether he really had the full range, so his pain seemed more wrapped up in the public humiliation that he feared, rather than the personal pain of realising his wife had betrayed him. After all, he had not really married her out of love but rather as a political accessory on his path to becoming Prime Minister. So he became a savage recluse, living in filth in his rooms, allowing his household to go to rack and ruin while he raged and dreamed of murdering the men who had slept with his wife, a woman who had told these men his secrets to undermine him in Parliament. (That was her revenge, because he had ruined her chance of marrying the man she has really wanted. The hero clearly had no sense of irony (along with his frightening lack of a sense of humour) as he cowered in his room, plotting his own murderous revenge.)
The heroine, Olivia, while sweet and in many ways very strong, was just putty when it came to him. Her own life, her origins, were so much more difficult than his had been, but instead of wallowing in self-pity as Marwick did, (when he wasn't being a bastard to everyone, even to his own brother, whom he purportedly loved) she was pro-active, taking charge and trying to make a life for herself in spite of the odds stacked against her. In large part, she actually shamed the hero into snapping out of it, although the way he treated her was nothing short of disgusting. And the crude way he spoke to her, the violence and contempt in those words, was really off-putting. I suppose you could put another construction on it and say it was also self-contempt that triggered the language, (I am talking the "C" word here. Yup.) but that is no excuse for his disrespectful and cruel behaviour towards Olivia.
Finally, she was in his employ. After Weinstein and the #metoo stuff that is going on at the moment, this was really hard to swallow. To bully, intimidate and ultimately seduce your housekeeper, because you are a Duke and you can is unforgivable. To refuse to listen to Olivia when she tries to explain her situation, so that you cause her to nearly be murdered, well, that is just arse-hole behaviour and he just could not come back from there for me. I never felt Marwick was truly remorseful or sorry ( and he never articulated any regrets or apologies for what he did. I guess he felt he was having such a hard time, poor thing, that he was justified in his actions.
Ms Duran has created some much more sympathetic heroes. Tortured, flawed, yet uncompromisingly honest with themselves, and in the end, able to achieve a moment of self-realisation that permits them to make amends, to redeem themselves and grow into better people. Unfortunately, Marwick was not one of them.
Here's the thing: I am all for the tortured hero or heroine (although in HR it is usually the hero....why is that, I wonder?). I get that life damages people and everyone is flawed. But this hero- boy, he was one step way from (and I LOVE this American idiom!) going postal. I don't want to go into why- you have to read the book. Suffice to say, from where he had been in his life, there was a very long way to fall. And he fell. Mostly it was to do with his public life, ironically. Emotionally, I am not sure whether he really had the full range, so his pain seemed more wrapped up in the public humiliation that he feared, rather than the personal pain of realising his wife had betrayed him. After all, he had not really married her out of love but rather as a political accessory on his path to becoming Prime Minister. So he became a savage recluse, living in filth in his rooms, allowing his household to go to rack and ruin while he raged and dreamed of murdering the men who had slept with his wife, a woman who had told these men his secrets to undermine him in Parliament. (That was her revenge, because he had ruined her chance of marrying the man she has really wanted. The hero clearly had no sense of irony (along with his frightening lack of a sense of humour) as he cowered in his room, plotting his own murderous revenge.)
The heroine, Olivia, while sweet and in many ways very strong, was just putty when it came to him. Her own life, her origins, were so much more difficult than his had been, but instead of wallowing in self-pity as Marwick did, (when he wasn't being a bastard to everyone, even to his own brother, whom he purportedly loved) she was pro-active, taking charge and trying to make a life for herself in spite of the odds stacked against her. In large part, she actually shamed the hero into snapping out of it, although the way he treated her was nothing short of disgusting. And the crude way he spoke to her, the violence and contempt in those words, was really off-putting. I suppose you could put another construction on it and say it was also self-contempt that triggered the language, (I am talking the "C" word here. Yup.) but that is no excuse for his disrespectful and cruel behaviour towards Olivia.
Finally, she was in his employ. After Weinstein and the #metoo stuff that is going on at the moment, this was really hard to swallow. To bully, intimidate and ultimately seduce your housekeeper, because you are a Duke and you can is unforgivable. To refuse to listen to Olivia when she tries to explain her situation, so that you cause her to nearly be murdered, well, that is just arse-hole behaviour and he just could not come back from there for me. I never felt Marwick was truly remorseful or sorry ( and he never articulated any regrets or apologies for what he did. I guess he felt he was having such a hard time, poor thing, that he was justified in his actions.
Ms Duran has created some much more sympathetic heroes. Tortured, flawed, yet uncompromisingly honest with themselves, and in the end, able to achieve a moment of self-realisation that permits them to make amends, to redeem themselves and grow into better people. Unfortunately, Marwick was not one of them.
November 25, 2022
5 Stars
is so talented. This story is a wonderfully written combination of hurt, betrayal, companionship, and a saviour complex culminating into a great romance. Duran went for her signature shock and awe!
- The conversations between Alastair and Olivia were amazing, it was like watching a tennis match.
- Great chemistry.
- Lovely romance.
- Intriguing plot.
is so talented. This story is a wonderfully written combination of hurt, betrayal, companionship, and a saviour complex culminating into a great romance. Duran went for her signature shock and awe!
- The conversations between Alastair and Olivia were amazing, it was like watching a tennis match.
- Great chemistry.
- Lovely romance.
- Intriguing plot.
August 12, 2014
Alastair de Grey, Duke of Marwick was one of the most important political masterminds in the country, a man tipped as a potential prime minister, as well one whose power and connections behind the schemes earned him the moniker of “kingmaker�.
Following the sudden death of his wife, Margaret, Alastair discovered that what he had considered to be the perfect marriage was nothing but a sham. His wife was not only regularly unfaithful to him, but the men she chose to betray him with were his political enemies men, to whom she would divulge his plans and political secrets. From the letters that emerged after her death, not only was she actively conspiring against him, she and her lovers were laughing at him behind his back.
The manner of her death � from an overdose of opium � and his discovery of her treachery sent Alastair into a downward spiral. At the beginning of the previous book in the series - - he was arguing with his brother Michael, over the fact that Alastair, wanting nothing more to do with marriage, was demanding his brother marry and get to work producing an heir without delay. That argument led to a rift between them, and to Alastair’s committing a number of spiteful, vengeful acts (such as closing down the hospital he funded), which certainly painted him in a most appalling light.
The overwhelming rage he feels at the actions of his wife and her lovers, and at himself for allowing himself to be duped; his self-pitying frustration and the constant temptations to violence he feels have turned him into a recluse. He doesn’t leave his rooms, he barely eats and takes no interest in anything at all. His servants are terrified of going near him because of the threat of violence and as a result are running wild in the house with nobody to care what becomes of either house or master.
Olivia Mather � now going by the name of Olivia Johnson � appeared in That Scandalous Summer as companion and secretary to the heroine, Elizabeth Chudderly, who is now married to Michael de Grey. It was clear throughout that book that Olivia had something to hide, and at the end, she left Elizabeth’s employ, having stolen some letters that had been written by the late Duchess of Marwick. She plans to enter the duke’s house in order to steal information from him relating to Lord Bertram, a political associate of Alastair’s, and the man who threatens her very existence. Once in possession of what she believes to be damning evidence that could ruin him, Olivia plans to blackmail Bertram into leaving her alone.
Olivia presents herself at the house as an applicant � the sole applicant � for the position of housemaid, only to find herself offered the job of temporary housekeeper. She doesn’t want that, but circumstances conspire to force her hand, and she accepts the post.
What follows is a delicious slow-burn of a story in which Alastair is gradually coaxed back into the world of the living by OIivia, who stands up to him, regularly disobeys his orders, answers him back and, most importantly, tells him the truth and refuses to allow him to wallow in self-pity when he has so much to offer. Marwick insists he’s not a good man � and it’s true that he’s not your run-of-the-mill romantic hero. He’s rude, arrogant and downright unpleasant, but there’s an incredible intensity about him that is immediately captivating and attractive, in spite of the nasty side of him we see initially. He can’t let go of his rage, but the reason he won’t leave his rooms or the house is not the expected one � he won’t go out because he’s afraid that if he does, he’ll kill someone.
By degrees, Olivia re-humanises him, and along the way the reclusive duke and his no-nonsense housekeeper indulge in a number of completely inappropriate (given their relative statuses) conversations in which they argue and bicker constantly. Marwick sacks Olivia several times, but she always ignores him. (At this point, I had to wonder if Ms Duran is a West Wing fan � fellow fans will no doubt recall that in the early days, Josh Lyman was forever firing his devoted assistant, Donna � who was delightfully “impervious� and never listened to him, either).
He held it up so she could see the spine:The Count of Monte Cristo, by Dumas.
“Ah, a tale of revenge. Are you seeking inspiration?�
He gave her a rather threatening smile. “So far, our hero seems spineless.�
“You must be in the early section, then. I assure you, after Dantes spends years and years locked away, growing into a ragamuffin, he emerges quite deadly. Why, the first thing he does is to cut his hair.�
He slammed shut the book. “You are peculiarly deaf to the cues most servants know to listen for. Was there some purpose to your visit? If not, you are dismissed.�
She held up the mirror again. “Here is my purpose: you look like a wildebeest. If your valet—�
“I don’t believe you know what a wildebeest looks like,� he said mildly.
Hesitantly she lowered the mirror. He was right; she hadn’t the faintest idea what a wildebeest looked like. “Well, you look how a wildebeest sounds like it should look.�
“That doesn’t even make sense.� He opened his book again. “ ‘Sheepdog� was the better choice.�
As the story develops and as Olivia discovers more about her employer � about his intellect, his altruism and real commitment to good governance � as well as getting to know him as a person (they have a lovely conversation about books which reveals much about them as individuals and shows why they belong together) � the harder she finds it to go through with her plans to deceive him and steal the information she needs. But she is getting desperate, and with time running out, she has to take her chances which, unfortunately, don’t go to plan.
The pace speeds up once Alastair discovers Olivia’s duplicity, and revelations and plot developments come thick and fast. But through it all, there are these two, wounded people who share a deep emotional connection and who need each other very much. It’s a mark of how far he has travelled that Alastair is able to forgive Olivia for her betrayal, and there is a crucial and wonderful moment in which he finally realise the selfishness and weakness of his actions in closeting himself away with his thoughts of revenge. When he learns Olivia’s true identity and her reasons for concealing it, he is floored to think that this young woman � who has no family or friends, no-one to care for her, look after her or fight her battles against someone who would do her harm � has been fighting against the darkness since she was sixteen years old. His way of dealing with betrayal was to retreat into himself. He had that luxury. Olivia, alone and friendless - and a woman - had no alternative but to fight.
The romance is beautifully written, and Ms Duran takes her time with it, building the sexual tension gradually but potently, giving even the slightest touch a real emotional and sensual punch:
A little shock bolted through her. She stared down at his head, all that luxuriantly waving blond hair, and suddenly felt unable to move. This job required her to touch him. To plunge her hands through his hair and . . . handle him.
For no apparent reason, she suddenly recalled the feel of his hands on her wrists. His thumbs slipping across her pulse. Her stomach somersaulted.
[. . . ]
As she gathered up his locks, her fingers brushed along the base of his neck. His shoulders were solid muscle—even here, at their tops. She could feel them flex a little beneath her fingertips, and the sensation made her redden.
She shifted her hand up, to avoid that muscled bulk. But now her knuckles skated along the nape of his neck, and his bare skin was startlingly warm, very smooth. Three snips bared his nape—and she found herself staring, somehow startled by it: the whole strong shape of his neck, thick and muscled, corded as he bent forward to allow her better access.
His spine made a hard knob of bone at the base of his neck. In public, his collar would always hide this nexus of muscle and bone, even when his hair did not. It was a secret, intimate, vulnerable place. How many eyes had beheld it? His valet . . . and his late wife. Perhaps she had kissed it. It seemed like a spot one would enjoy kissing, were one his lover.
I think that might win the prize for the sexiest hair-cut ever :P
The characterisation is excellent all-round, but both Alastair and Olivia are among the most strongly written characters I’ve encountered in a while. Olivia is stubborn, sensible and independent, determined to do what she must alone, as always - yet she can’t help but be intrigued by and drawn to Alastair, who has become so convinced of his unworthiness and of the world’s darkness that he at first, thinks to drag her down with him. She sees that he’s not as devoid of hope as he wants to believe, and he finds it impossible to resist her challenges and her blandishments, so that eventually he wants to haul himself out of the pit he’s been digging for himself. I said before that he’s an unusual romantic hero because of the fact he’s so bloody unpleasant to start with, but, unlike so many heroes who have tortured pasts, or terrible experiences, who merely curl their lips and look down their noses at people, Alastair behaves in a way that makes complete sense. He’s an out-and-out pain in the arse whose position as a duke gives him the power and the right to do as he wants with and to whom he wants without a qualm. He’s nasty, he’s rude, he’s insulting, yet his behaviour, following the shattering of his life and his illusions about his marriage, is that of a wounded animal � creeping away to lick its wounds it will also lash out at anything that threatens it. And that, for me, is Alastair at the beginning of the book.
It’s a mark of how good a writer Ms Duran is that she can make the reader care about him, even when he’s behaving like a total bastard. And when he finally emerges from his bastard-dom, he's true hero material; the intensity he exhibited when in his "beast" phase never really goes away, and serves to make him even more compelling.
My one complaint about the book is that the ending feels a bit rushed, but that’s a minor point because I loved it and was gripped from beginning to end.
Following the sudden death of his wife, Margaret, Alastair discovered that what he had considered to be the perfect marriage was nothing but a sham. His wife was not only regularly unfaithful to him, but the men she chose to betray him with were his political enemies men, to whom she would divulge his plans and political secrets. From the letters that emerged after her death, not only was she actively conspiring against him, she and her lovers were laughing at him behind his back.
The manner of her death � from an overdose of opium � and his discovery of her treachery sent Alastair into a downward spiral. At the beginning of the previous book in the series - - he was arguing with his brother Michael, over the fact that Alastair, wanting nothing more to do with marriage, was demanding his brother marry and get to work producing an heir without delay. That argument led to a rift between them, and to Alastair’s committing a number of spiteful, vengeful acts (such as closing down the hospital he funded), which certainly painted him in a most appalling light.
The overwhelming rage he feels at the actions of his wife and her lovers, and at himself for allowing himself to be duped; his self-pitying frustration and the constant temptations to violence he feels have turned him into a recluse. He doesn’t leave his rooms, he barely eats and takes no interest in anything at all. His servants are terrified of going near him because of the threat of violence and as a result are running wild in the house with nobody to care what becomes of either house or master.
Olivia Mather � now going by the name of Olivia Johnson � appeared in That Scandalous Summer as companion and secretary to the heroine, Elizabeth Chudderly, who is now married to Michael de Grey. It was clear throughout that book that Olivia had something to hide, and at the end, she left Elizabeth’s employ, having stolen some letters that had been written by the late Duchess of Marwick. She plans to enter the duke’s house in order to steal information from him relating to Lord Bertram, a political associate of Alastair’s, and the man who threatens her very existence. Once in possession of what she believes to be damning evidence that could ruin him, Olivia plans to blackmail Bertram into leaving her alone.
Olivia presents herself at the house as an applicant � the sole applicant � for the position of housemaid, only to find herself offered the job of temporary housekeeper. She doesn’t want that, but circumstances conspire to force her hand, and she accepts the post.
What follows is a delicious slow-burn of a story in which Alastair is gradually coaxed back into the world of the living by OIivia, who stands up to him, regularly disobeys his orders, answers him back and, most importantly, tells him the truth and refuses to allow him to wallow in self-pity when he has so much to offer. Marwick insists he’s not a good man � and it’s true that he’s not your run-of-the-mill romantic hero. He’s rude, arrogant and downright unpleasant, but there’s an incredible intensity about him that is immediately captivating and attractive, in spite of the nasty side of him we see initially. He can’t let go of his rage, but the reason he won’t leave his rooms or the house is not the expected one � he won’t go out because he’s afraid that if he does, he’ll kill someone.
By degrees, Olivia re-humanises him, and along the way the reclusive duke and his no-nonsense housekeeper indulge in a number of completely inappropriate (given their relative statuses) conversations in which they argue and bicker constantly. Marwick sacks Olivia several times, but she always ignores him. (At this point, I had to wonder if Ms Duran is a West Wing fan � fellow fans will no doubt recall that in the early days, Josh Lyman was forever firing his devoted assistant, Donna � who was delightfully “impervious� and never listened to him, either).
He held it up so she could see the spine:The Count of Monte Cristo, by Dumas.
“Ah, a tale of revenge. Are you seeking inspiration?�
He gave her a rather threatening smile. “So far, our hero seems spineless.�
“You must be in the early section, then. I assure you, after Dantes spends years and years locked away, growing into a ragamuffin, he emerges quite deadly. Why, the first thing he does is to cut his hair.�
He slammed shut the book. “You are peculiarly deaf to the cues most servants know to listen for. Was there some purpose to your visit? If not, you are dismissed.�
She held up the mirror again. “Here is my purpose: you look like a wildebeest. If your valet—�
“I don’t believe you know what a wildebeest looks like,� he said mildly.
Hesitantly she lowered the mirror. He was right; she hadn’t the faintest idea what a wildebeest looked like. “Well, you look how a wildebeest sounds like it should look.�
“That doesn’t even make sense.� He opened his book again. “ ‘Sheepdog� was the better choice.�
As the story develops and as Olivia discovers more about her employer � about his intellect, his altruism and real commitment to good governance � as well as getting to know him as a person (they have a lovely conversation about books which reveals much about them as individuals and shows why they belong together) � the harder she finds it to go through with her plans to deceive him and steal the information she needs. But she is getting desperate, and with time running out, she has to take her chances which, unfortunately, don’t go to plan.
The pace speeds up once Alastair discovers Olivia’s duplicity, and revelations and plot developments come thick and fast. But through it all, there are these two, wounded people who share a deep emotional connection and who need each other very much. It’s a mark of how far he has travelled that Alastair is able to forgive Olivia for her betrayal, and there is a crucial and wonderful moment in which he finally realise the selfishness and weakness of his actions in closeting himself away with his thoughts of revenge. When he learns Olivia’s true identity and her reasons for concealing it, he is floored to think that this young woman � who has no family or friends, no-one to care for her, look after her or fight her battles against someone who would do her harm � has been fighting against the darkness since she was sixteen years old. His way of dealing with betrayal was to retreat into himself. He had that luxury. Olivia, alone and friendless - and a woman - had no alternative but to fight.
The romance is beautifully written, and Ms Duran takes her time with it, building the sexual tension gradually but potently, giving even the slightest touch a real emotional and sensual punch:
A little shock bolted through her. She stared down at his head, all that luxuriantly waving blond hair, and suddenly felt unable to move. This job required her to touch him. To plunge her hands through his hair and . . . handle him.
For no apparent reason, she suddenly recalled the feel of his hands on her wrists. His thumbs slipping across her pulse. Her stomach somersaulted.
[. . . ]
As she gathered up his locks, her fingers brushed along the base of his neck. His shoulders were solid muscle—even here, at their tops. She could feel them flex a little beneath her fingertips, and the sensation made her redden.
She shifted her hand up, to avoid that muscled bulk. But now her knuckles skated along the nape of his neck, and his bare skin was startlingly warm, very smooth. Three snips bared his nape—and she found herself staring, somehow startled by it: the whole strong shape of his neck, thick and muscled, corded as he bent forward to allow her better access.
His spine made a hard knob of bone at the base of his neck. In public, his collar would always hide this nexus of muscle and bone, even when his hair did not. It was a secret, intimate, vulnerable place. How many eyes had beheld it? His valet . . . and his late wife. Perhaps she had kissed it. It seemed like a spot one would enjoy kissing, were one his lover.
I think that might win the prize for the sexiest hair-cut ever :P
The characterisation is excellent all-round, but both Alastair and Olivia are among the most strongly written characters I’ve encountered in a while. Olivia is stubborn, sensible and independent, determined to do what she must alone, as always - yet she can’t help but be intrigued by and drawn to Alastair, who has become so convinced of his unworthiness and of the world’s darkness that he at first, thinks to drag her down with him. She sees that he’s not as devoid of hope as he wants to believe, and he finds it impossible to resist her challenges and her blandishments, so that eventually he wants to haul himself out of the pit he’s been digging for himself. I said before that he’s an unusual romantic hero because of the fact he’s so bloody unpleasant to start with, but, unlike so many heroes who have tortured pasts, or terrible experiences, who merely curl their lips and look down their noses at people, Alastair behaves in a way that makes complete sense. He’s an out-and-out pain in the arse whose position as a duke gives him the power and the right to do as he wants with and to whom he wants without a qualm. He’s nasty, he’s rude, he’s insulting, yet his behaviour, following the shattering of his life and his illusions about his marriage, is that of a wounded animal � creeping away to lick its wounds it will also lash out at anything that threatens it. And that, for me, is Alastair at the beginning of the book.
It’s a mark of how good a writer Ms Duran is that she can make the reader care about him, even when he’s behaving like a total bastard. And when he finally emerges from his bastard-dom, he's true hero material; the intensity he exhibited when in his "beast" phase never really goes away, and serves to make him even more compelling.
My one complaint about the book is that the ending feels a bit rushed, but that’s a minor point because I loved it and was gripped from beginning to end.
December 3, 2019
Even though I dislike revenge plots, I must get finally got around to reading this one, which won the 2015 RITA for long historical romance.
Unlike some revenge-based stories, this one is cleverly done, as one would expect from such a talented author. The romance between Olivia and the duke builds gradually, and the cross-class nature of their relationship is not glossed over.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook narrated by Alison Larkin. Now, on to the rest of the series!
Unlike some revenge-based stories, this one is cleverly done, as one would expect from such a talented author. The romance between Olivia and the duke builds gradually, and the cross-class nature of their relationship is not glossed over.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook narrated by Alison Larkin. Now, on to the rest of the series!
January 2, 2022
How is it possible that there are only 2 Meredith Duran audio books? A missed opportunity by her publisher.
November 16, 2021
Indeed, she seemed made of some new substance, impossibly and unnaturally resilient, cooked up in a chemist’s basement against all laws of nature.
Loved this. What a difference a book and couple makes. Debating between a 4 and 5 star, this is probably more like 4.5 star but the smart writing and the heroine is making me round it up to a 5 star. I just adored Olivia. Her strength, her courage, her wit, her self-possession, her heart, her self-respect, her resilience. This is how you write a layered, independent, strong HR heroine. I think Meredith Duran gets it. She really does. A heroine who uses her intelligence and bravery to push against social barriers in her own way that fits within the historical setting. Something that is a hard balance to find and often amiss in recent HR offerings IMO. This is only my second read by Duran but I already see she loves to write deeply flawed but smart characters. The self-awareness of her characters is the saving grace for me or I should say what gives them depth. They know their flaws but also their strengths and stand firm in it. Olivia Holloday is perfect example of that. Alastair took some time to get there considering he's an anti-hero but his intelligence and keen perception were consistent. He has his self-righteous moments, that's to be expected, but I found him so layered even so.
And he was very close now, he suddenly realized, to memorizing the arrangements of her freckles. Her left cheek bore seven beauty marks (could freckles be beauty marks? He suddenly thought so) arranged like the stars of Pleiades. Her right cheek showed the constellation of Cassiopeia, minus the southernmost star.
The power dynamic here in wit and intellect was very nicely done, you have a powerful Duke who is used to bending people to his will but for the first time meets someone who challenges him and calls him out on his nonsense and fears. Olivia, a bastard daughter, comes from poor origins who had to make her way through life on her own while on the run but manages to cling to hope and her principles and that astounds, befuddles and perplexes our Dukely hero. She has the courage and strength that Alastair with all his status and power lacks and it clearly humbles and shames him. The irony of that I found very delicious and very clever of the author. I loved their sparring matches, so sharp and so hilarious. It was a nice balance of dark humor and silly moments. Olivia keeps him on his toes which is exactly what he needed to snap out of his permanent sulking mode and pity party. Granted there were a few times in this that the hero made me want to ram his head against a wall, but his character growth and build up made up for my frustrations. He's definitely a very grey character who mucks things up.
“Say good-bye to this book.�
“You heathen,� she cried. “You shaggy mongrel!�
“Mongrel I am not,� he snarled. “And so help me God”—he smirked—“or shall I say, the Devil”—she gasped—“but if you do not bring me those goddamned newspapers this minute—�
“Woof!� she cried. “Woof woof, yap away!�
How shadowed, how complex and inscrutable—like an uncut gemstone that, in odd lights, suddenly revealed itself clear and sparkling. The light was his hidden kindness, the goodness he tried so hard now to deny. But it flashed through his face as he beheld her. His expression softened.
This was such a wonderful slow burn that reminded me in parts of Beauty and the Beast with the way the heroine managed to help lure out a hero who is in the depths of deep depression and manic, locked up in his bedroom for 6 months refusing to come out because of an ugly scandal. Duran did a nice job pacing it out. Nothing felt rushed or dragged out. And once again her depth at writing and prose is just wonderful. I will definitely be reading more by her! Book 5 from this series is already on my shelf. :)
“And will you be able to bear it?� Elizabeth hesitated. “I have endured that kind of attention. It’s a heavy weight to bear the way others stare. . . .�
Smiling, she repeated what Alastair had said to her recently: “All that matters is how we look at each other. How I look at him.� She blushed and looked down at her hands, at the pearl bracelet he’d given her. He was right, she realized wonderingly: it did match her skin.
May 10, 2021
This book was nice. But usually a reclusive person would do it in the country side, far away from people, right? But the hero was a reclusive in London, I thought it a bit weird.
Anyway, I liked the plot, was a little confused in the beginning because I couldn't finish reading the 1st book of the series and there are a lot of mentions about it in this second book, but I understood things soon enough. This would be a very fantastical plot were it not for the way the entire household was crazy along with their master.
I must say though that I would have loved for the couple to have ended up being just friends. I couldn't see them loving each other in a romantic way. I thought it supper funny to see her helping him getting out of his deeply dark state, some childish things that were funny and cute, but I thought the romance was nothing more than simple gratitude.
The first half of this book was great, the second half not so much.
Anyway, I liked the plot, was a little confused in the beginning because I couldn't finish reading the 1st book of the series and there are a lot of mentions about it in this second book, but I understood things soon enough. This would be a very fantastical plot were it not for the way the entire household was crazy along with their master.
I must say though that I would have loved for the couple to have ended up being just friends. I couldn't see them loving each other in a romantic way. I thought it supper funny to see her helping him getting out of his deeply dark state, some childish things that were funny and cute, but I thought the romance was nothing more than simple gratitude.
The first half of this book was great, the second half not so much.
October 3, 2022
Reread 10/3/2022: I still love this book after reading it for the third time in as many years. It’s one of my absolute favorite HR romance novels - and I know I’ll be rereading it many times in the future. Both of the MCs have amazing depth, the story is well crafted, there’s great banter & dialogue, and the writing itself is simply excellent. I’ve seen a few reviews that mention the violence the hero displayed towards the heroine at the beginning. I just want to point out that he was in a really bad place and was not in his right mind. Is that an excuse? Maybe not. But he did not behave this way when he was no longer drinking and acting the embittered recluse. This part didn’t bother me, since this behavior ended fairly quickly, but I understand that it’s not for everyone. I still wish this had an epilogue!!
Reread 2021: 4.5 stars. I decided that I wanted to reread this book because I had fond memories of the story but couldn’t quite remember the whole thing. I find myself now blown away that I could have rated this at only 4 stars. The dialogue in this story is on a different level from most typical HR books. Meredith Duran really did credit to her MCs, who were both intelligent, witty, and beautifully written. It’s not easy to find excellent writing in this genre, but this book (which stands beautifully on its own btw) is really a cut above most. I would have given this 5 stars if it had an epilogue. As it stands, I’m adding it to my favorites list now, and hope to enjoy the story again one day.
Safe; see below for details
Original review 2020: 4 stars, but this book would have rated higher with an epilogue. Damn this author and her abrupt endings!! This really is a well-told story otherwise. The hero and heroine were both really interesting and I could easily read a second book about them. How do I put in a request for an epilogue??
Olivia, the heroine, was the secretary to the heroine in the previous book. At the end of that book, she runs away and steals some letters that were written by Alastair's (the hero & duke) dead wife. She reads in the letters that Alastair has some dirt on Bertram, a man trying to hurt Olivia. She is desperate to get this information because Bertram has been trying to kill her for years. She wants to be free of constantly having to run, and she figures she can use whatever information Alastair has to blackmail him into leaving her alone. She goes to Alastair's house and is hired in the position of housekeeper. Meanwhile, Alastair has been withdrawn and depressed as a result of his (now dead) wife's treachery. As it turns out, his wife was having affairs with several of his political rivals (including Bertram) and sharing information that he gave her to ruin his chances politically. He was deeply hurt and embarrassed to find out about her deceit and let himself go down a dark path where he hid away in his house and slowly made a descent into madness. His first meeting with Olivia resulted in him throwing a bottle at her to make her go away. He stayed hidden away in his room, and she desperately needed him to leave so she could search through the papers he had hidden in there. As a result, she had no choice but to force him out of his self-made tomb. Her reasons were selfish, but she also found herself wanting for him to improve and get better. She had to be very brave in the face of his outrage at her actions, and when she finally succeeded in luring him out, she had to destroy his trust in her by stealing from him.
This story has so many layers...it's like an onion. The hero and heroine both have a ton of depth to their characters. The hero has to deal with betrayal, trust issues, depression, identity issues, and so much more. The heroine is trying to find a place in the world, and is questioning her own character and what she thought she knew about herself. They both grow and discover a lot about themselves and each other. I loved them together, both are smart and interesting and worthy of the titles of hero and heroine.
One part that really bothered me about this story was that the hero was a virgin until he married his ex wife and remained faithful to her, then had no partners after his ex wife (until the heroine). IF there was EVER a book to make the hero a manwhore, this was it! DAMN IT. It always irritates me greatly to read about all the HR heroes who are total sluts, and for shitty reasons. This was a book where it could have easily been forgiven, and yet we got a wholesome hero who had stayed true to an evil woman. Why do HR novels consistently seem unfair?
Safe; Heroine was a virgin, hero is widowed. Hero was only ever with his wife before the heroine, he was cheated on by his wife, no om/ow drama, no scenes with om/ow, no cheating between H&h.
TW: physical assault, kidnapping and attempted murder, slut shaming, slight dub con.
Reread 2021: 4.5 stars. I decided that I wanted to reread this book because I had fond memories of the story but couldn’t quite remember the whole thing. I find myself now blown away that I could have rated this at only 4 stars. The dialogue in this story is on a different level from most typical HR books. Meredith Duran really did credit to her MCs, who were both intelligent, witty, and beautifully written. It’s not easy to find excellent writing in this genre, but this book (which stands beautifully on its own btw) is really a cut above most. I would have given this 5 stars if it had an epilogue. As it stands, I’m adding it to my favorites list now, and hope to enjoy the story again one day.
Safe; see below for details
Original review 2020: 4 stars, but this book would have rated higher with an epilogue. Damn this author and her abrupt endings!! This really is a well-told story otherwise. The hero and heroine were both really interesting and I could easily read a second book about them. How do I put in a request for an epilogue??
Olivia, the heroine, was the secretary to the heroine in the previous book. At the end of that book, she runs away and steals some letters that were written by Alastair's (the hero & duke) dead wife. She reads in the letters that Alastair has some dirt on Bertram, a man trying to hurt Olivia. She is desperate to get this information because Bertram has been trying to kill her for years. She wants to be free of constantly having to run, and she figures she can use whatever information Alastair has to blackmail him into leaving her alone. She goes to Alastair's house and is hired in the position of housekeeper. Meanwhile, Alastair has been withdrawn and depressed as a result of his (now dead) wife's treachery. As it turns out, his wife was having affairs with several of his political rivals (including Bertram) and sharing information that he gave her to ruin his chances politically. He was deeply hurt and embarrassed to find out about her deceit and let himself go down a dark path where he hid away in his house and slowly made a descent into madness. His first meeting with Olivia resulted in him throwing a bottle at her to make her go away. He stayed hidden away in his room, and she desperately needed him to leave so she could search through the papers he had hidden in there. As a result, she had no choice but to force him out of his self-made tomb. Her reasons were selfish, but she also found herself wanting for him to improve and get better. She had to be very brave in the face of his outrage at her actions, and when she finally succeeded in luring him out, she had to destroy his trust in her by stealing from him.
This story has so many layers...it's like an onion. The hero and heroine both have a ton of depth to their characters. The hero has to deal with betrayal, trust issues, depression, identity issues, and so much more. The heroine is trying to find a place in the world, and is questioning her own character and what she thought she knew about herself. They both grow and discover a lot about themselves and each other. I loved them together, both are smart and interesting and worthy of the titles of hero and heroine.
One part that really bothered me about this story was that the hero was a virgin until he married his ex wife and remained faithful to her, then had no partners after his ex wife (until the heroine). IF there was EVER a book to make the hero a manwhore, this was it! DAMN IT. It always irritates me greatly to read about all the HR heroes who are total sluts, and for shitty reasons. This was a book where it could have easily been forgiven, and yet we got a wholesome hero who had stayed true to an evil woman. Why do HR novels consistently seem unfair?
Safe; Heroine was a virgin, hero is widowed. Hero was only ever with his wife before the heroine, he was cheated on by his wife, no om/ow drama, no scenes with om/ow, no cheating between H&h.
TW: physical assault, kidnapping and attempted murder, slut shaming, slight dub con.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2023
⭐⭐�
3 stars.
What I liked:
Tall heroine.
The characterization of the main characters are well fleshed out and multi-layered.
The hero tries to redeem himself and his behavior before the end of the story. (he does some selfless acts etc.)
What I disliked:
The hero had anger management issues and they went on way too long in the story.
The hero also was a jerk to the heroine in most parts of the story.
The hero is also portrayed in a rather imperious/tyrannical and overbearing way that is not romantic and also over the top.
The heroine was kind of a pushover and did some rather dumb things.
The romantic build up and chemistry between the main characters is unconvincing/lacking.
There was some scenes that were of dubious consent.
Believability issues. (many parts were a little too over the top.)
No epilogue.
3 stars.
What I liked:
Tall heroine.
The characterization of the main characters are well fleshed out and multi-layered.
The hero tries to redeem himself and his behavior before the end of the story. (he does some selfless acts etc.)
What I disliked:
The hero had anger management issues and they went on way too long in the story.
The hero also was a jerk to the heroine in most parts of the story.
The hero is also portrayed in a rather imperious/tyrannical and overbearing way that is not romantic and also over the top.
The heroine was kind of a pushover and did some rather dumb things.
The romantic build up and chemistry between the main characters is unconvincing/lacking.
There was some scenes that were of dubious consent.
Believability issues. (many parts were a little too over the top.)
No epilogue.
July 29, 2017
I actually have to re-read this one to write a review. I loved it when I first read it but I wonder how I'd read it now.
February 27, 2016
Oh, this was good. I didn't expect too much from it, despite the high ratings, likely because the set-up seemed doomed from the start but, this book. It's a difficult one to explain, only because it doesn't sound good--Olivia, an intelligent young girl, is on the run from a powerful duke who, for a reason unknown, wants Olivia dead. A poor orphan, completely alone in the world, Olivia is tired of running every time she begins to settle down. When she uncovers a secret that the Duke of Marwick harbors blackmail material against all the powerful lords of England, she makes it her mission to infiltrate his household and escape with the papers that will grant her freedom. But the Duke of Marwick has been locked in his room for months. Ever since the death of his first wife, he has not been himself and, as Olivia enters his household as a housekeeper, she realizes that before she can get her hands on the documents she needs, she will first have to lure the beast out of his lair.
Olivia is no physical beauty and Alastair is far from a beast, in appearance, but Fool Me Twice reads much like a classic tale of Beauty and the Beast with a historical twist. Olivia is snarky, witty, and brave, taunting Alastair and forcing him, slowly, to resume living. Meanwhile, she never ceases to search his house, whipping it into shape from her position as housekeeper and struggling to earn the respect, both of the lazy servants in the home and of Alastair who is both amused and enraged by her disregard of his authority. Their sexual chemistry isn't evident from the start but it grows, slowly but surely, and as Alastair grows into himself we begin to see that he is a true match for Olivia's strength and courage.
Another aspect I simply love about this book is that it doesn't venture down the path we expect it to. It doesn't follow a typical romantic set-up in the least and the unpredictability of what is about to happen--the sheer thrill and adventure of it--make it exceptional. I've read a lot of romance novels this month where the set-up has been stellar and the sexual tension simply leaping off the page but the ultimate pay-off seems too hollow for the struggle it took these characters to be together. With Fool Me Twice, though, that pay-off is well worth the wait and every page is perfectly crafted. I enjoyed this immensely, from the secondary characters to the revenge/blackmail schemes and, of course, the actual love story at the heart of this novel. I only wish I could re-read it as it if were the first time because that experience was ever so lovely. Nevertheless, I know this is one I'll be picking up in a few weeks, months, or years and sinking into; just like coming home.
Olivia is no physical beauty and Alastair is far from a beast, in appearance, but Fool Me Twice reads much like a classic tale of Beauty and the Beast with a historical twist. Olivia is snarky, witty, and brave, taunting Alastair and forcing him, slowly, to resume living. Meanwhile, she never ceases to search his house, whipping it into shape from her position as housekeeper and struggling to earn the respect, both of the lazy servants in the home and of Alastair who is both amused and enraged by her disregard of his authority. Their sexual chemistry isn't evident from the start but it grows, slowly but surely, and as Alastair grows into himself we begin to see that he is a true match for Olivia's strength and courage.
Another aspect I simply love about this book is that it doesn't venture down the path we expect it to. It doesn't follow a typical romantic set-up in the least and the unpredictability of what is about to happen--the sheer thrill and adventure of it--make it exceptional. I've read a lot of romance novels this month where the set-up has been stellar and the sexual tension simply leaping off the page but the ultimate pay-off seems too hollow for the struggle it took these characters to be together. With Fool Me Twice, though, that pay-off is well worth the wait and every page is perfectly crafted. I enjoyed this immensely, from the secondary characters to the revenge/blackmail schemes and, of course, the actual love story at the heart of this novel. I only wish I could re-read it as it if were the first time because that experience was ever so lovely. Nevertheless, I know this is one I'll be picking up in a few weeks, months, or years and sinking into; just like coming home.
April 27, 2021
Alastair, Michael de Grey's duke of a brother, famously went off the rails in the previous book to the Rules for the Reckless series after he found out the extent of his beloved wife's treachery. He hasn't left his home, natch his bedroom, in about 10 months? Since he arranged his wife's funeral.
Olivia Holladay AKA Elizabeth Chudderley's very competent secretary has decided to infiltrate Alastair's disorderly household in order to seek papers that would implicate her Nemesis. Olivia realizes evidence of her Nemesis exists, after learning that Alastair has kept information on politicians, as part of his role as a kingmaker. She originally applies to be a housemaid but Alastair's household is on its last legs, the servants not really doing much due to a master that has abdicated control. The butler, desperate for some consistent, reliable help, offers Olivia the housekeeper role.
There's a darker touch to Fool Me Twice, but there's some levity here and there, in particular with the truffles. Also some memorable moments of lust as well as angst early on that got me In. My. Feels. When Alastair and Olivia verbally argue, and he tells her to address him as "your grace" or when Olivia goes through his papers and finds a much belaboured love letter addressed to his wife that did such a wonderful job of showing a human and vulnerable side to him.
Overall, this felt darker since the majority of the story is Alastair picking up the pieces of himself. Also, they don't get together until way later in the story, and the sensuality factor doesn't really kick in here.
If you enjoy governess/secretaries with hidden pasts paired up with autocratic dukes, and if you enjoy sassy housekeepers with intimidating lords, Fool Me Twice is a welcome addition to this H+h pairing.
Olivia Holladay AKA Elizabeth Chudderley's very competent secretary has decided to infiltrate Alastair's disorderly household in order to seek papers that would implicate her Nemesis. Olivia realizes evidence of her Nemesis exists, after learning that Alastair has kept information on politicians, as part of his role as a kingmaker. She originally applies to be a housemaid but Alastair's household is on its last legs, the servants not really doing much due to a master that has abdicated control. The butler, desperate for some consistent, reliable help, offers Olivia the housekeeper role.
There's a darker touch to Fool Me Twice, but there's some levity here and there, in particular with the truffles. Also some memorable moments of lust as well as angst early on that got me In. My. Feels. When Alastair and Olivia verbally argue, and he tells her to address him as "your grace" or when Olivia goes through his papers and finds a much belaboured love letter addressed to his wife that did such a wonderful job of showing a human and vulnerable side to him.
Overall, this felt darker since the majority of the story is Alastair picking up the pieces of himself. Also, they don't get together until way later in the story, and the sensuality factor doesn't really kick in here.
If you enjoy governess/secretaries with hidden pasts paired up with autocratic dukes, and if you enjoy sassy housekeepers with intimidating lords, Fool Me Twice is a welcome addition to this H+h pairing.
December 26, 2022
I think it's better to read Book 1 in this series first, because when I first read this one I found it a little confusing. Who were these people and how did they relate to each other? And what were all of these stolen letters? Who were they stolen from? etc. But I warmed to it as I read further and began to understand what was happening. On this reread after having read the first book, I found the story clearer and easier to follow.
The basis of the plot did seem rather far-fetched - a duke who had refused to leave his room in months, with his servants running riot in the household. And a woman who sneaks her way into his employ with nefarious intentions. A woman who was formerly 'shabby-genteel', but by no means a servant. Yet now she is a duke's housekeeper. And of course, you know she will end up as his duchess. Riiiiggghhhtttt.
But Ms Duran pulled it off. As you read on and become more involved in the story, you come to believe that, yes, a brilliant man such as Alastair, who was foully and repeatedly betrayed by his late wife, has credible reasons for his behaviour. And his gradual emergence from the depths of his depression is done quite convincingly. Olivia also becomes more believable as you learn more about her and the plot unfolds.
It doesn't take too long for the reader to wake up to Olivia's real history, although there are some surprises yet in store for the reader. (This reader at least didn't expect them LOL). And the unexpected revelation of who stole the truffles is a nice touch too! But by the later part of the book, you are really rooting for Alastair and Olivia.
I like Meredith Duran's 'voice' in her HRs. There is a real emotional connection with and between her characters. She is a strong writer.
The basis of the plot did seem rather far-fetched - a duke who had refused to leave his room in months, with his servants running riot in the household. And a woman who sneaks her way into his employ with nefarious intentions. A woman who was formerly 'shabby-genteel', but by no means a servant. Yet now she is a duke's housekeeper. And of course, you know she will end up as his duchess. Riiiiggghhhtttt.
But Ms Duran pulled it off. As you read on and become more involved in the story, you come to believe that, yes, a brilliant man such as Alastair, who was foully and repeatedly betrayed by his late wife, has credible reasons for his behaviour. And his gradual emergence from the depths of his depression is done quite convincingly. Olivia also becomes more believable as you learn more about her and the plot unfolds.
It doesn't take too long for the reader to wake up to Olivia's real history, although there are some surprises yet in store for the reader. (This reader at least didn't expect them LOL). And the unexpected revelation of who stole the truffles is a nice touch too! But by the later part of the book, you are really rooting for Alastair and Olivia.
I like Meredith Duran's 'voice' in her HRs. There is a real emotional connection with and between her characters. She is a strong writer.
January 26, 2023
Beautifully written but unexciting.
October 4, 2015
I got sick of reading how golden and beautiful and angel-like Alastair is pretty much after the very first time I read it. He was such a rude, unnecessarily cruel and wrist-grabbing vat of angry that I couldn't even pretend to like him or try and overlook some negative aspects of his character (that, admittedly, I've done with some other characters).
Honestly, at what point was I expected to start liking him? First he's just an ass and throwing bottles and fists against walls and being a recluse...and then he's all I MUST CONTROL HER AND TAKE HER HOPE AND RUIN HER. Really...at which part of the story was I supposed to start supporting the Alastair and this pairing?
Oh. AND. It has the type of resolution that I hate: Also, there was some weird tensing changes near the beginning of the novel -- past to present to past tense.
Oh, and Olivia, too. I liked her...I did ("I was rooting for you...we were all rooting for you!" etc...). But, then again, she made him her choice and that says enough about her, I suppose. She literally says (and I quote...) "we met when you threw a bottle at my head, and then punched a wall."
That ain't romantic. Girl. That ain't romantic in the least! And then they're all being kiss-y and romantic and:
Girl. Girl. During your first meeting he threw a bottle at your head. Within ten minutes of your first verbal exchange, he slammed a fist next to your head while crowding you against a wall and touching you. He uses sexual innuendo and touching to run you off whenever he pleases. He felt you up post-betrayal after refusing to listen to your reasoning...to the point you only felt safe only once you'd pulled a gun on him.
Girl. What are you on??
Honestly, at what point was I expected to start liking him? First he's just an ass and throwing bottles and fists against walls and being a recluse...and then he's all I MUST CONTROL HER AND TAKE HER HOPE AND RUIN HER. Really...at which part of the story was I supposed to start supporting the Alastair and this pairing?
Oh. AND. It has the type of resolution that I hate: Also, there was some weird tensing changes near the beginning of the novel -- past to present to past tense.
Oh, and Olivia, too. I liked her...I did ("I was rooting for you...we were all rooting for you!" etc...). But, then again, she made him her choice and that says enough about her, I suppose. She literally says (and I quote...) "we met when you threw a bottle at my head, and then punched a wall."
That ain't romantic. Girl. That ain't romantic in the least! And then they're all being kiss-y and romantic and:
Alastair: I was a perfect villain.
Olivia: Never, not really.
Girl. Girl. During your first meeting he threw a bottle at your head. Within ten minutes of your first verbal exchange, he slammed a fist next to your head while crowding you against a wall and touching you. He uses sexual innuendo and touching to run you off whenever he pleases. He felt you up post-betrayal after refusing to listen to your reasoning...to the point you only felt safe only once you'd pulled a gun on him.
Girl. What are you on??
September 22, 2021
I am, generally, so understanding when a reader doesn’t love a particular author. But I’ll never understand not adoring Duran.
February 18, 2017
This is the second in a series and both main characters first appear there in some detail. So I recommend reading in order, even though this is a much better story.
I'm going to get this out of the way because it's all the negative I have to say about this story: Alastair's reaction to finding out his dead-of-opium-abuse wife was cheating on him and deliberately undermining his political goals is all of the self-pity in the world wrapped into a single, egotistical package and lit on fire by the holy brand of St. PityMeGreatly. Which means for the first parts of the book, I had the hardest time taking anything about him seriously. Put your man-panties on, bucko, and soldier on for pity's sake. You're making us all look bad with your "I can't leave my bedroom because of the pain".
Fortunately, Olivia doesn't coddle the big baby which means lots of lovely sparks fly (and at least one empty bottle). I loved how well-matched these two were and the foundation of respect they build (yes, even though Alastair is being a big whiner). Part of that is accomplished by her going through his household papers that include descriptions and notes and rough drafts of his past political efforts. So she gets to know more than what she sees. And he gets to know who she is directly and that was lots of fun, too. Duran proves a great hand with dialogue in conflict and I just loved seeing these two push at each other for their respective reasons—up to and including the hidden landmines that were eventually going to blow them to hell and back (because the mines made sense, including why neither character could clear them sooner even as reasoning, brave adults).
And I loved who they ended up becoming and that both realized that while they couldn't go back to the memories of the best selves they idealized in memory, they might just end up in a happier, more fulfilled place being who they became. Together. Man I love when I can buy into the long-term happiness in a story.
Anyway, I'm knocking a star off for the place Duran has Alastair in at the beginning. The rest of the story was outstanding and I enjoyed it immensely.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes and some extras that probably add up to a bit more than another. And they weren't short. So this is on the way to the high side of my steam tolerance, but not quite there yet. Frankly, the book could have done without it. Their relationship was as much about them coming together emotionally and mentally and the physicality of it was more a distraction than anything else.
I'm going to get this out of the way because it's all the negative I have to say about this story: Alastair's reaction to finding out his dead-of-opium-abuse wife was cheating on him and deliberately undermining his political goals is all of the self-pity in the world wrapped into a single, egotistical package and lit on fire by the holy brand of St. PityMeGreatly. Which means for the first parts of the book, I had the hardest time taking anything about him seriously. Put your man-panties on, bucko, and soldier on for pity's sake. You're making us all look bad with your "I can't leave my bedroom because of the pain".
Fortunately, Olivia doesn't coddle the big baby which means lots of lovely sparks fly (and at least one empty bottle). I loved how well-matched these two were and the foundation of respect they build (yes, even though Alastair is being a big whiner). Part of that is accomplished by her going through his household papers that include descriptions and notes and rough drafts of his past political efforts. So she gets to know more than what she sees. And he gets to know who she is directly and that was lots of fun, too. Duran proves a great hand with dialogue in conflict and I just loved seeing these two push at each other for their respective reasons—up to and including the hidden landmines that were eventually going to blow them to hell and back (because the mines made sense, including why neither character could clear them sooner even as reasoning, brave adults).
And I loved who they ended up becoming and that both realized that while they couldn't go back to the memories of the best selves they idealized in memory, they might just end up in a happier, more fulfilled place being who they became. Together. Man I love when I can buy into the long-term happiness in a story.
Anyway, I'm knocking a star off for the place Duran has Alastair in at the beginning. The rest of the story was outstanding and I enjoyed it immensely.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes and some extras that probably add up to a bit more than another. And they weren't short. So this is on the way to the high side of my steam tolerance, but not quite there yet. Frankly, the book could have done without it. Their relationship was as much about them coming together emotionally and mentally and the physicality of it was more a distraction than anything else.
April 14, 2015
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Fool Me Twice started off with a lot of potential. I loved the idea of a maid searching the house of a rich Duke to clear her name; however as the novel quickly started to take on darker tones the less I started to like it. Though the writing itself was good I just couldn't get my self into the story because of how much I ended up hating the characters and lackluster plot.
The number one thing I disliked about this novel was our hero, Alastair. Cruel, abusive, and brooding, the more I read about him the more I hated him. There was absolutely no affection between him and Olivia and he spent the bulk of the novel plotting all the ways in which he wanted to hurt her and then (sort of) forcing her to have sex with him. Though she never said no she never said yes either and that bordered so closely to the edge of rape that I just wasn't okay with it. Not only that but Alastair didn't even feel a bit of remorse later, I might have had at least a smidge of respect for him if he felt bad later, but he only got more abusive as the novel went on, making me absolutely hate him.
Olivia wasn't as bad as Alastair but I didn't particularly care for her either. She had an interesting back story but I spent most of the novel just plain confused about what that whole back story was. I think Duran was going for a slow reveal of information to keep the reader guessing but she didn't reveal enough in the beginning of the story to make me curious about what happened next, I was just plain confused. Not to mention she was such a pushover when it came to Alastair; instead of standing up for herself she lets him use her over and over again. There were moments she was so dumb I wanted to throw this novel across the room.
Honestly, the only redeemable aspect of this novel was the cover, and maybe some of the side characters. Polly, Jones, and the other maids occasionally me laugh and even though they irritated me a little sometimes I enjoyed the banter between them and Oliva. They were the most real characters in the whole novel, though annoying they added at least a bit of lightheartedness to an otherwise dark and abusive tale. I didn't like them, but they were honestly the most likable characters in the whole novel.
Though the premise sounds interesting I just can't recommend this novel. Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and the like may enjoy it but as someone who doesn't care much for semi- abusive characters and dubious consent I just couldn't enjoy this one.
Fool Me Twice started off with a lot of potential. I loved the idea of a maid searching the house of a rich Duke to clear her name; however as the novel quickly started to take on darker tones the less I started to like it. Though the writing itself was good I just couldn't get my self into the story because of how much I ended up hating the characters and lackluster plot.
The number one thing I disliked about this novel was our hero, Alastair. Cruel, abusive, and brooding, the more I read about him the more I hated him. There was absolutely no affection between him and Olivia and he spent the bulk of the novel plotting all the ways in which he wanted to hurt her and then (sort of) forcing her to have sex with him. Though she never said no she never said yes either and that bordered so closely to the edge of rape that I just wasn't okay with it. Not only that but Alastair didn't even feel a bit of remorse later, I might have had at least a smidge of respect for him if he felt bad later, but he only got more abusive as the novel went on, making me absolutely hate him.
Olivia wasn't as bad as Alastair but I didn't particularly care for her either. She had an interesting back story but I spent most of the novel just plain confused about what that whole back story was. I think Duran was going for a slow reveal of information to keep the reader guessing but she didn't reveal enough in the beginning of the story to make me curious about what happened next, I was just plain confused. Not to mention she was such a pushover when it came to Alastair; instead of standing up for herself she lets him use her over and over again. There were moments she was so dumb I wanted to throw this novel across the room.
Honestly, the only redeemable aspect of this novel was the cover, and maybe some of the side characters. Polly, Jones, and the other maids occasionally me laugh and even though they irritated me a little sometimes I enjoyed the banter between them and Oliva. They were the most real characters in the whole novel, though annoying they added at least a bit of lightheartedness to an otherwise dark and abusive tale. I didn't like them, but they were honestly the most likable characters in the whole novel.
Though the premise sounds interesting I just can't recommend this novel. Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and the like may enjoy it but as someone who doesn't care much for semi- abusive characters and dubious consent I just couldn't enjoy this one.
July 27, 2024
Very little romance. It kind of appeared around the 75% mark. I said “kind of� because it was them giving into their lust. Up until this point, the hero didn’t even like the heroine. Very disappointed in the lack of romance.
Sometime around the 55% mark, the hero uses explicit language when he’s about to ravish the heroine in the library, mostly to scare her off. The language was 🔥 but the scene was a little uncomfortable to read because of the dubious/non consent. I can handle dub/non con most of the time, just not this time.
The plot was so boring. The heroine’s father hires someone to kill her because she may know her father’s secret that could ruin him. The hero’s wife (now deceased) had affairs with four of his political opponents and betrayed his strategies to them knowingly (that’s the betrayal mentioned in the blurb). One of them happens to be the heroine’s father (although I think the father may had been an ally in Parliament).
Somehow the heroine knows that the hero has evidence that can ruin her father so she wants to use it to blackmail her father so she wouldn’t have to run and hide for her life anymore. She gets hired on as a housekeeper at the duke’s house. He’s been a beast and locked himself in his bed chamber since his wife’s death and the truth of her betrayal came to light in the forms of love letters. His servants are afraid to go near him (I think he throws things at them if he is bothered), so they (at least the maids) kind of stop doing their jobs. I didn’t care for the servants, particularly the maids. I didn’t see their purpose in the story. At first, I thought this was going to be a Beauty and the Beast-inspired romance but nope!
The heroine tries to convince the hero to leave his room so she can search for the evidence against her father. He doesn’t like her and tries to fire her twice.
So the first half (or two-thirds) of the book is basically the heroine dealing with the servants and the duke. 🥱😴
The last third of the book is the H/h traveling to her home village and then her grandparents� home to learn what her father’s big secret was. I was surprised by the secret because I forgot it was a possibility and a crime.
So yeah, very disappointed in this book. I probably won’t read anymore from this author in a while, which is a shame because I had planned to read this series after completing the Duke of Shadows, particularly The Sins of Lord Lockwood since Lockwood was a character in the Duke of Shadows.
Sometime around the 55% mark, the hero uses explicit language when he’s about to ravish the heroine in the library, mostly to scare her off. The language was 🔥 but the scene was a little uncomfortable to read because of the dubious/non consent. I can handle dub/non con most of the time, just not this time.
The plot was so boring. The heroine’s father hires someone to kill her because she may know her father’s secret that could ruin him. The hero’s wife (now deceased) had affairs with four of his political opponents and betrayed his strategies to them knowingly (that’s the betrayal mentioned in the blurb). One of them happens to be the heroine’s father (although I think the father may had been an ally in Parliament).
Somehow the heroine knows that the hero has evidence that can ruin her father so she wants to use it to blackmail her father so she wouldn’t have to run and hide for her life anymore. She gets hired on as a housekeeper at the duke’s house. He’s been a beast and locked himself in his bed chamber since his wife’s death and the truth of her betrayal came to light in the forms of love letters. His servants are afraid to go near him (I think he throws things at them if he is bothered), so they (at least the maids) kind of stop doing their jobs. I didn’t care for the servants, particularly the maids. I didn’t see their purpose in the story. At first, I thought this was going to be a Beauty and the Beast-inspired romance but nope!
The heroine tries to convince the hero to leave his room so she can search for the evidence against her father. He doesn’t like her and tries to fire her twice.
So the first half (or two-thirds) of the book is basically the heroine dealing with the servants and the duke. 🥱😴
The last third of the book is the H/h traveling to her home village and then her grandparents� home to learn what her father’s big secret was. I was surprised by the secret because I forgot it was a possibility and a crime.
So yeah, very disappointed in this book. I probably won’t read anymore from this author in a while, which is a shame because I had planned to read this series after completing the Duke of Shadows, particularly The Sins of Lord Lockwood since Lockwood was a character in the Duke of Shadows.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Shelved as 'hr-purgatory'
January 10, 2016Welcome to my
HR Purgatory shelf
!
In Roman Catholicism, the purgatory is where the souls of the dead wander in an indefinite state. They stay in such a state unless they "become fit for heaven" at some point. Similarly, this shelf is where books that I am warned about stay—untouched and unread—unless a very compelling reason forces me to read them.
***
Reason(s) for putting Fool Me Twice in this shelf:
The hero needs to take an anger management class, apparently. I hear he throws a bottle at the heroine, and does this angsty man thing where he punches the wall next to her. Pfft.
And he keeps getting better! After he fucks the heroine, he says this:
WANTING to warn her, is vastly different from ACTUALLY warning her, you fool.
***
Thank you, sraxe, for your review and for flagging this for me!
sraxe's Review: /review/show...
In Roman Catholicism, the purgatory is where the souls of the dead wander in an indefinite state. They stay in such a state unless they "become fit for heaven" at some point. Similarly, this shelf is where books that I am warned about stay—untouched and unread—unless a very compelling reason forces me to read them.
***
Reason(s) for putting Fool Me Twice in this shelf:
The hero needs to take an anger management class, apparently. I hear he throws a bottle at the heroine, and does this angsty man thing where he punches the wall next to her. Pfft.
And he keeps getting better! After he fucks the heroine, he says this:
This meant nothing, he wanted to warn her. This was for my own pleasure. I have promised you nothing. I am no man to make promises, anymore.
WANTING to warn her, is vastly different from ACTUALLY warning her, you fool.
***
Thank you, sraxe, for your review and for flagging this for me!
sraxe's Review: /review/show...
July 23, 2018
Me encantado la relación de pareja: cómo se conocen, cómo se va desarrollando y cómo culmina. Las personalidades de ambos, además, son dispares y muy bien construidas y atrayentes para la lectora de romántica. Solo puedo encontrarle a ella un pequeño fallo en un momento dado, pero quizá es cosa mía y la incoherencia que le veo no lo sea tanto. Personajes profundos, un romance muy creíble en el que el buen diálogo se interrumpe a menudo, pero con pensamientos acertados y una prosa muy cuidada de alto nivel. Ningún momento empalagoso y alguno de pasión, aunque estos no son lo que mejor se le da a la autora (por las tres novelas que he leído ya de ella).
Tampoco se le da bien construir un misterio, y es lo que me impide darle las 5 estrellas que merece todo lo demás. Cierto es que, en la romántica, lo que importa es la historia de amor, pero si esta se desarrolla partiendo de un conflicto que luego resulta un fiasco, me molesta, porque toda la novela me pierde credibilidad. Podría no haber sido un fiasco si la autora nos hubiera ido colando pistas sutiles a lo largo de la historia, pero no lo ha hecho (y podía). Se saca de repente el “as� escondido, casi al final (sorprende el giro, sí, pero no tiene sentido), y todavía más al final aparece el culpable por primera vez. Como lectora que aprecia tanto un buen misterio como un buen romance, me siento un poco engañada. Pero a las que deis prioridad absoluta a la historia de amor, no os importará y la novela os encantará. Así pues, recomiendo su lectura a las que os guste la romántica en general, y sobre todo el subgénero histórico.
February 12, 2023
This is one of those stories in which the main couple is always together and mostly in closed settings. They get a lot of time to get know one another and to grow into truly beautiful relationship.
The beginning is sort of rocky and a lot of disbelief had to be suspended on my part, specially in regards to our heroine but I eventually I grew to like her. She is such a sweet incurable romantic, hiding behind the job of a thief, burglar and housekeeper.
Our hero, Alistair, is in dark, brooding (possibly murderous) attitude and doesn’t leave his room, only once a day he does some vigorous exercises. So even though he didn’t leave his room in about a year, he is still very fit 😉
A detail that I loved was when he realizes that Olivia (our heroine) is attracted to him even before she admits it herself. She is always in his room, bothering him about something, bringing bookshelves to his room, when in reality she is crushing on him. I loved that.
The second half is really good and sweet.
But I wanted more of their happiness together.
The reason for star down though is this awkwardness of her being a thief, and the fact that she wasn’t truly a housekeeper/thief marrying a duke but secretly a true lady.
The beginning is sort of rocky and a lot of disbelief had to be suspended on my part, specially in regards to our heroine but I eventually I grew to like her. She is such a sweet incurable romantic, hiding behind the job of a thief, burglar and housekeeper.
Our hero, Alistair, is in dark, brooding (possibly murderous) attitude and doesn’t leave his room, only once a day he does some vigorous exercises. So even though he didn’t leave his room in about a year, he is still very fit 😉
A detail that I loved was when he realizes that Olivia (our heroine) is attracted to him even before she admits it herself. She is always in his room, bothering him about something, bringing bookshelves to his room, when in reality she is crushing on him. I loved that.
The second half is really good and sweet.
But I wanted more of their happiness together.
The reason for star down though is this awkwardness of her being a thief, and the fact that she wasn’t truly a housekeeper/thief marrying a duke but secretly a true lady.
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