Ratings Overall: 9 Sensuality: 9 Historical Element: 9

This is an Official Review by a Historical Romance Writer Official Reviewer

Review for Duke of Sin
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Date of Review: 04/02/16
Reviewed by:

Reviewer Comments: Elizabeth Hoyt continues her Maiden Lane series in her newest book. This time around, she asks what would happen if instead of falling for the hero, you fell for the villain. Are there redemptive qualities in the villain? Can he become the hero? Bridget Crumb takes the position of housekeeper in the Duke of Montgomery’s household in order to look for the letters he has been using to blackmail her mother. Bridget was born on the wrong side of the blanket and raised by a foster family. She doesn’t mind that her mother is a member of the ton, Lady Caire, while she works for a living. Bridget likes being a housekeeper. Unfortunately, she finds herself becoming more and more attracted to Valentine Napier despite all of the horrible things that she learns about him. Valentine Napier, Duke of Montgomery, doesn’t deny that he is a villain. He spends most of his time using blackmail to get what he wants and he leads a debauched life. He has never minded before, but now that he sees himself through the eyes of his new housekeeper, Val begins to question who he is. He isn’t used to having his motives and actions questioned. Bridget makes him think and challenges him. He also finds her resistant to his charms which further intrigues him. Bridget not only is looking for her mother’s letters, but she is also looking for a miniature that belongs to a friend of her mother. The deception inherit in Val’s blackmail adds part of the suspense in this book, but the mystery of both Bridget’s background and Val’s background enhance the suspense. We want to know why they act as they do and what happened to make them who they are. Throughout the story, we see glimpses of goodness in Val. This helps us to accept that Bridget is attracted to him. We also see the strength in Bridget and her understanding of who Val is. Watching these two characters work together and against each other makes for a compelling story. At the end of the book, you will also be asking if you could fall for a man you think is a villain. It will be interesting to see what happens to Val and Bridget in the next books in the series. Yes, this book is part of a series, but you do not need to read the series in order in order to understand and enjoy this story. We learn a lot about the background of both of these characters and anyone from other books in the series are incidental characters whose roles are easily explained.