Never Seduce a Duke
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4.2 • 94 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
In USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret’s latest romance, a young lady engages in a steamy flirtation with a bespectacled, studious duke while on holiday, only to return with more than just memories...
After being jilted, Margaret Stredwick has sworn off men and marriage. What she needs is a holiday. But a detour along the way takes a surprising turn that leads Meg to him. And soon she starts to wonder if she should indulge in one grand flirtation before she’s firmly on the shelf.
The instant Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, finds a strange woman touring the halls of his ancient estate, he knows the minx is up to something. So, when a family heirloom is stolen, it’s clear who the culprit is. She may tempt him beyond reason, but he isn’t about to let her get away, even if he has to chase her across the continent.
Meg never imagined that anyone would mistake her for a notorious thief, known for seducing men to distraction. It’s the most thrilling thing ever! She eagerly plays along. . . until she finds herself falling in love with a man who has no idea who she really is. And by the time she returns to her ordinary life, she discovers that her grand flirtation won’t be a secret for long. Apparently, she brought home an unexpected souvenir...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lorret's tantalizing fifth Mating Habits of Scoundrels romance (after How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart) begins with Meg Stredwick and her aunts Maeve and Myrtle heading to Europe to collect recipes. On the way, they take a detour to the estate of academic Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, believing the duke may have hidden a secret recipe. As her aunts search for the recipe, Meg is caught by the duke himself, who doesn't totally buy her story that she and her aunts just needed a place to freshen up on their journey. After the women leave, Lucien discovers a bejeweled family recipe book missing and becomes convinced that Meg is the mysterious Lady Avalon, a thief who has been wreaking havoc on upper-crust society. He tracks Meg to France, where, thanks to close quarters, palpable chemistry, and (Lucien believes) some kind of aphrodisiac, they embark on a sensuous affair—with an unintended consequence. Lorret's sparkling characters, including Meg's delightfully flirtatious older aunts and an intellectual duke comically devoid of common sense, light up the pages of this un-put-downable tale. Historical romance fans will be captivated by Lucien and Meg's cat-and-mouse romance.
Customer Reviews
Grand flirtation
Many F-words in and to describe “Never Seduce a Duke” by Vivienne Lorret… such fun!!
Miss Margaret Stredwick aka Meg goes on a grand tour with her twin aunts-in-law after being jilted, and she decides to have a grand flirtation before spinsterhood. First, they stop over at an ancient estate in England, she gets separated from an aunt when sneaking around, and she meets the bespectacled Duke of Merleton.
Lucien Ambrose obsesses over his family’s ancient book of recipes, especially keeping it safe and secret. However, after the mouthy encounter with Meg, he discovers the book gone and replaced with a note from Lady Avalon. There are only three strangers who toured the estate recently and he goes on a grand mission to get his family’s recipe book back.
Arthurian and food themed, what a great combo!! This appeals to those who know and watched anything about a sword in a stone. Plus, there are real references to the legend such as Avalon, yes, I did some research. Also, this book appeals to foodies in a unique way. I love how each chapter begins with food!
The banter and chemistry between Meg and Lucien is entertaining! Lucien being analytical and Meg being free-spirited, we never know if his social awkwardness will prolong or halt her flirting practice.
Their journey to happily ever after is slow, even though this is not a slow burn romance. It is unexpected, but it makes the twists and mystery reveal more delicious, heartbreaking, and wild!
If you enjoy reading about fate, flirting, food, legends, opposites attract, road trips, and who-dun-it to name a few, then I highly recommend this fantastic book!!
Thank you to Net Galley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Boring….
Mind-numbingly, eye-crossingly, dreadfully boring.
I was going to say neither of the main characters was interesting, but in reality none of the characters were interesting. I can’t believe I paid for this. I skipped chapter after chapter just waiting for something, anything intriguing to occur. Even the epilogue was ridiculously mundane. Tepid, at best.
3 Stars!
3 Stars!! This is the 5th book in ‘The Mating Habits of Scoundrels‘ series and can be read as a standalone book. This is the first book in said series that I’ve read. I wanted to love this but I couldn’t get past how all the problems they seemed to have was because of their lack of communication. The bad guy was kinda easy for me to pick out and I kept getting frustrated that nobody else seemed to notice. For such a smart guy, Lucien, the main male character, seemed to be kinda dumb, or oblivious. And Meg was getting on my last nerve with always keeping important information to herself. All in all an entertaining book that did tick me off enough to vent to my Mom about it. However I love when just reading a book stirs up emotions, good or bad.
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*