The Decadent Duke
Virginia HenleyHistorical romance
Available from Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-451-22542-9
November 2008
| Lady Jane Gordon has managed to marry off most of her daughters to men of title. Now she has the challenge of marrying off her youngest, most independent child, Georgina. Georgy loves children, politics and people. She knows enough about the ways of the aristocracy and the man her mother wants her to marry to think the Duke of Bedford, Francis Russell, is the last man she'd ever want to share her life with. He may be the wealthiest Duke in the kingdom but she knows the man is only chasing her for the conquest and she'd lose him once she gives in. She much prefers John Russell, the man's younger brother.
Virginia Henley does a great job giving us a well crafted romance with tidbits of history in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The characters are well done to fit the times of debauchery, gambling, fashion, and marital infidelities among the titled couples. Georgina is well ahead of the times in her sense of independence and free spirited ways. When her own mother tries to trap her into a liaison with Francis it would be shocking without frequent revelations about Lady Jane's own trips outside the marital vows and those of her husband. The author weaves the story well as we are teased with the ups and downs of Georgy's and John's meetings mixed with their dreams of one another. It's easy to read the tale to see what Ms. Henley will use to get the two together. I enjoy the mixture of Georgy's day to day relations with her nieces, nephews, and public figures. Ms. Henley's blend of fact with fiction makes this a fun read for all of us who are fans of historical romance.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Dee Dailey |
