Review: What The Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries

What The Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries

Book One of The Duke's Men series

Publisher: Pocket Books

Publication Date: June 18, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

Maximilian Cale, the Duke of Lyons, accepted long ago that his kidnapped brother was dead. When a cryptic note from investigator Tristan Bonnaud claims otherwise, Max seeks out Tristan’s sister, Lisette—and is infuriated to learn that Tristan has also mysteriously vanished. Have the siblings perpetrated an elaborate hoax? Or is the fiercely protective beauty as innocent as she claims them to be?

Fearful that the powerful Duke will destroy Tristan’s career in his zeal for the truth, the clever Lisette convinces Max to accompany her to Paris in a joint search for their loved ones. But their journey takes a seductive twist when they pose as an ordinary husband and wife—not an English Duke with a tarnished family name and the illegitimate daughter of a viscount—and discover an exhilarating passion free from the damning secrets of the past. With the line between danger and desire enticingly blurred, they discover that some mysteries, like those of the heart, are answered tenfold in the bliss of a true and trusting love.

What I Liked:

You all KNOW how much I enjoy a historical romance novel every now and then. Okay, fine. More than every now and then! So I have some experience with historical romance. Not every one of them I like, or love. This one was pretty good though! It was different, because it was not about balls and marriage and suitors.

I was almost immediately intrigued by this book, right from the start. The novel begins with Lisette's past, and what her family did to her and Tristan. That was sad and heartbreaking to read! But it really gave depth to Lisette and Tristan. I feel like I probably would not have been on Tristan's side throughout the book, had the beginning not been about Lisette's childhood.

The romance is a huge part of this story (but not the largest part of the plot). I love Max and Lisette's relationship. It was so funny in the beginning - when Lisette needed to come up with a cover story for her and Max, and suddenly, they were a "married couple". The scene in the carriage with the neighbors - priceless!

Nevertheless, I loved watching the relationship between Max and Lisette blossom. It was not necessarily a different romance, but it was sweet. Max is tortured in his own way, and that made tough Lisette come down hard on him, but then comfort him. It was so nice to see them help each other with their pasts.

The plot was not completely romance-driven, which was nice. I liked how the wild goose chase for Tristan turned out, as it gave way to some special scenes between Lisette and Max. Also, in the end, we get to see a part of Max's past unfold! I thought that was a nice touch, at the end. 

So, the ending was a great ending. This one person got exactly what he deserved. Lisette and Max and Tristan and Victor (I covertly mentioned him without mentioning his name) each had satisfying endings. 

So basically, I liked this book!

What I Did Not Like:

There was not much about this book that I did not like! I enjoyed the book as I read it. 

So, why not five stars? It feels like a 4-star book, in my opinion. I liked this book, but I did not absolutely love it like I want to hug it after I am finished. Yes, that HAS happened before :D

Would I Recommend It:

Sure! A bit long, for some readers (length, on the long extreme, never bothers me), but I think historical romance lovers will devour this one! Of course, Sabrina Jeffries fans know she can write a good historical romance novel. Well, this one does NOT disappoint!

Rating:

4 stars. This is a pretty great historical romance novel!

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