A gripping love story in a most unexpected way… You won’t be able to put this one down!

I am one of those readers who absolutely MUST read all the other books in a series before I can pick up a connected book. Yes, I must drive people crazy with my insistence on knowing the story and background of featured characters and in some cases it pays off to have read the other books first. In this case, I had the very great pleasure of reading both the other books in this series, Passions of a Wicked Earl and Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman, and I recommend them both highly. So, I anticipated Ainsley’s story far too much as the Duke has been portrayed and the strong, responsible brother in each of the other books. But when I read the background for this book I didn’t want to read it… A married woman? An injured friend? Dare I say that it could be a touch like the D.H Lawrence classic Lady Chatterley’s Lover? I almost couldn’t stomach the thought of a romance coming from a situation that makes me cringe.

But boy, am I glad I sucked it up and opened the first page.

From the moment Ransom Seymour, Duke of Ainsley, laid eyes on his close friend and cousin’s soon to be wife Jayne, he knew there would be trouble. So, being the responsible duke that he is, he stayed away from a woman who would have no trouble stealing his heart. Over the years they barely spoke until her husband is crippled in an accident that leaves Ainsley unharmed but with a mountain of regret and blame heaped on his shoulders. Jayne will never forgive him for the acts that lead to her beloved husbands injuries and she is determined never to speak with Ransom again. Lonely and childless, Jayne knows that she must spend her life caring for her husband and dealing with the heartache of losing all her dreams of a family and active life. Until her husband make a scandalous suggestion of having Ainsley father a child on her so that both of them can have the family they want. A plan that seems simple enough turns into a sad series of events leaving both Jayne and Ainsley yearning for each other and a resentful man who just wants his wife to be happy.

This plot is filled with so much tension and emotion that I found myself near tears many times. The love story is unconventional and moving yet beautiful in its own way with some expected results and some surprises along the way. It moves well with a bit of lag as the last third of the book begins but the author rushes you forward as the plot heats up so I found I didn’t care all that much.

The characters are also well written. Having met Ainsley before, I found myself excited to get to know him better. I love his playfulness and strength as a hero even more so his unpretentiousness as a ducal hero. This is one duke I would love to get my hands on. Jayne is a quieter heroine, not in nature but in the way she is presented in the book. The hero was very much front and center while Jayne made but a subtle impact on me. That does not mean that I didn’t like her. She makes all the right moves and objections to endure herself to me as a reader and I liked her instantly. She possesses a strength that really inspires you.

With the end of this series, the final book closes all the doors and leaves a very satisfying taste in your mouth. Great characters, a good plot, and a brilliant – if unconventional – love story, this is a keeper for my shelf.

~ Danielle