Review: Scoundrel of My Heart (Once Upon a Dukedom #1) by Lorraine Heath
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Series: Once Upon a Dukedom #1
Author: Lorraine Heath
Published March 30th 2021 by Avon
Goodreads Synopsis
Lorraine Heath begins an exciting new series with a breathtaking romance about a young woman who must marry a titled gentleman to obtain her inheritance and the usuitable man she begins to fall madly in love with...
She is desperate to wed a duke...
Lady Kathryn Lambert must marry a titled gentleman to claim her inheritance and has finally gained the attention of a duke. Yet she is unable to forget the scandalous second son who aided in her achievement—or his betrayal.
He wants what he can never possess...
Lord Griffith Stanwick is tormented by the bitter truth that as a “spare,” he will never be able to give Kathryn what she yearns to possess. But when his father is found guilty of treason, Griff detours into the dark and dangerous corners of London, haunted by memories of the woman lost to him forever.
Love not to be denied...
As the duke’s courtship intensifies, Kathryn discovers Griff has become a man to be reckoned with. When old passions flare and new desires ignite, she must decide if sacrificing her legacy is worth a lifetime shared with the scoundrel of her heart.
Goodreads
Review
Lady Kathryn Lambert has always known that she would have to marry a titled gentlemen. First, because of her own position in society, but secondly - and more importantly - in order to claim her inheritance from her grandmother for a seaside cottage. She's getting older, and there's not many first born nobles out there, so when the aloof Duke of Kingsland announces in the paper that he wants to find his duchess, and anyone who wants to put her hat in the ring should write to his secretary, and he'll decide by the end of the current season. Kathryn knows that it'll be difficult to get Kingsland's attention, so asks her best friends brother, Lord Griffith Stanwick, to help her. The only thing is, she doesn't know that Griff has wanted her for himself for years now, and the idea of her marrying someone else is heartbreaking. But, as a second son, he knows Kathryn deserves better, and once his family's fortune tumbles, and he is thrown out of society, he's comforted by the knowledge that Kathryn will be happy. But, after Kingsland announces Kathryn is the one he wants to court, and hopefully marry, she can't help thinking about Griff, and is a cottage enough to comfort the loss of someone she may well have lost her heart to?
I was simply blown away by this book. Scoundrel of My Heart is my first book by Heath, and I'd had it on my TBR since the first ARC reviews started to come in, and when I was approved for an ARC of book 2, The Duchess Hunt, without realising it was a sequel, well it was like fate. Once my copy arrived, I dove right in, and being the Easter holidays, I was able to read it all in one sitting - and I'm so glad for that. Starting off, it seemed like your normal Regency romance, with the best friend's brother trope thrown in, and I'm a sucker for those books on the best of days. I loved Kathryn and Griff, and especially their banter and chemistry together. Even when it was clear than Kathryn hadn't noticed the obvious affection Griff felt for her, they were witty and playful, and had such a friendship, that once it formed into romance, it was perfect. And then, events happened to pull them apart. I know now that the plot line here is mentioned in another book of Heath's, Beauty Tempts The Beast, about Griff's sister, Althea, so it was obvious for some readers, but completely took me by surprise. And once that had happened, it was difficult to see if Kathryn and Griff could ever find their way back to one another. There were so many twists and turns, and soulful moments in this story, that Heath has quickly become a favourite of mine, and I'll be reading The Duchess Hunt - Kingsland's story - asap, and getting my hands of all backlist books I can! Such an amazing book!
Dates Read:
April 15, 2021
Rating
5 Stars
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