Reviewed by Sarah Brew
A rogue ruined...
He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night, Temple has reigned over the darkest of London's corners for twelve years, wealthy and powerful but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he's dreamed of...absolution.
A lady returned...
Mara planned never to return to the world from which she'd run but when her brother falls deep into debt at Temple's exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade that ends in her returning to society and proving to the world what only she knows...that he is no killer.
A scandal revealed...
It's a fine trade, until Temple realizes that the lady - and her past - are more than they seem. It will take every bit of his strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything . . . even true love.
Lady Philippa Marbury is . . . odd.
The
brilliant, bespectacled daughter of a double marquess cares more for
books than balls, for science than the season, and for laboratories than
love. She's looking forward to marrying her simple fiancé and quietly
living out her days with her dogs and her scientific experiments. But
before that, Pippa has two weeks to experience all the rest - fourteen
days to research the exciting parts of life. It's not much time, and to
do it right she needs a guide familiar with London's darker corners.
She needs . . . a scoundrel.
She
needs Cross, the clever, controlled partner in London's most exclusive
gaming hell, with a carefully crafted reputation for wickedness. But
reputations often hide the darkest secrets, and when the unconventional
Pippa boldly propositions him, seeking science without emotion, she
threatens all he works to protect. He is tempted to give Pippa precisely
what she wants . . . but the scoundrel is more than he seems, and it
will take every ounce of willpower to resist giving the lady more than
she ever imagined.
