Ruthless, wicked, and dark, the Marquess of Rutland rouses terror in the breast of ladies and nobleman alike. All Edmund wants in life is power. After he was publically humiliated by his one love Lady Margaret, he vowed vengeance, using Margaret’s niece, as his pawn. Except, he’s thwarted by another, more enticing target—Miss Phoebe Barrett.Miss Phoebe Barrett knows precisely the shame she’s been … she’s been born to. Because her father is a shocking letch she’s learned to form her own opinions on a person’s worth. After a chance meeting with the Marquess of Rutland, she is captivated by the mysterious man. He, too, is a victim of society’s scorn, but the more encounters she has with Edmund, the more she knows there is powerful depth and emotion to the jaded marquess.
The lady wreaks havoc on Edmund’s plans for revenge and he finds he wants Phoebe, at all costs. As she’s drawn into the darkness of his world, Phoebe risks being destroyed by Edmund’s ruthlessness. And Phoebe who desires love at all costs, has to determine if she can ever truly trust the heart of a scoundrel.
more
Edmund, Marquess of Rutland, was introduced in previous books in this series. Power hungry and cold, on a path of revenge, he is determined to never allow feelings to weaken him. We get a glimpse of his heart in book 2 – a tease that he is not beyond redemption. In his quest to punish a former love from 11 years ago, Edmund seeks to ruin her niece (Honoria), to whom she is close. Fate steps in the person of Miss Phoebe Barrett, Honoria’s best friend. From their first encounter, Edmund felt an unwanted attraction to the pretty, romantic lady. He uses her as a pawn to get to Honoria. But somewhere along the way, Edmund becomes enchanted with Phoebe, who is also a child of a dissolute father. Edmund’s childhood ended when he was 7 with both his parents using him to hurt the other. He vowed never to allow feelings that would weaken him and started on his path of loneliness and darkness and life without joy. Phoebe took the higher road promising herself not to allow her worthless father, a womanizer and gambler, to bring misery to her life – she only wants to love and be loved. Pulled into the goodness of Phoebe’s aura, Edmund feeds her the lies she wants to hear – and decides he wants Phoebe at any cost. Phoebe is deliriously happy until she hears the truth through the door in a conversation between her father and Edmund. Heart broken she decides to break off the wedding – until her father offers her younger sister instead. Although Edmund has no interest, he uses that to get Phoebe to agree to marry him. Although her mind tells her to hate Edmund, Phoebe cannot deny her attraction. Can she once again put the hurt and shame aside and cling to the goodness of her heart, hoping she can turn Edmund away from revenge and hate and prove his parents wrong and bring both of them into the light of love?? Wonderful enchanting story of how to be true to your heart and defeat darkness – for love is the strongest power and everlasting!!
One of the most important goals of an author is to create characters that you will remember.
Christi Caldwell has definitely done this with Edmund Deering, Marquess of Rutland. He is deplorable, detestable, loathsome, vile, manipulative, and every other derogatory word for a man.
The many stories he is in, you learn to literally HATE him.
And, then, we are introduced to Phoebe Barrett. The light to his dark. The innocent to his guilt. The honest to his lies.
What we receive is a chance to see if Lord Rutland can be redeemed.
Thank you, Christi!!!!
Flawless.
I love Christi’s books and am never disappointed as she always finds a way to grab and pull you and your emotions in to the story.
Our hero, Edmund, Marquess of Rutland, has been a broken, dark, miserable person since childhood and does not care whether the Ton likes him and all he desires is to drink, gamble and bed any women that want him – marital status not mattering.
He then meets our heroine, Miss Phoebe Barrett and she manages to upset his organized world. She forces him to look at his past and find ways to heal his dark, unloving and uncaring ways. Phoebe brings light to his otherwise dark life but will he ever be willing to admit it. She is such a strong young lady and even though she grew up with a disgusting, gambling, womanizing father, she still stays happy and positive. sudden he is struck dumbfounded by Miss Phoebe Barrett. She turns his world upside down. He is confronted with feelings he did not know how to handle. Phoebe is like a breath of fresh air in his stale life.
There were times in the story that I just wanted to smack Edmund over the head with a 2 X 4 to get his attention – but eventually he came around and I celebrated for Phoebe and Edmund’s HEA. I highly recommend this book with all its up and down emotions – the entire series is a wonderful read!
I love this author. Her Heart of a Duke Series is fabulous. I have re-read all her books. It was a marriage for revenge and the H was dark and a scoundrel, and I loved the h, Phoebe.