Lady Valiant is facing the challenge of her life as she faces the murderous, handsome brute, the Duke of Cartelle.Three Reasons Lady Valiant Chase Should Avoid the Dashing Duke of Cartelle:1- He’s a murderer, a brute, and will challenge any man to a duel for the barest of slights- including those gentlemen who offend her.2- He’s a shameless flirt… and his kisses leave her breathless.3- She’s a … her breathless.
3- She’s a widow and her first marriage was terrible.
.
So… instead of giving into the desires that build whenever the Duke of Cartelle is near, she runs.
But… Anthony Balfour, the Duke of Cartelle, will not allow Valiant to get away that easily.
But… Anthony Balfour, the Duke of Cartelle, will not allow Valiant to get away that easily.
Years ago, they struck a deal.
.She’d find him a wife capable of loving the brute that he was.
Or… bed him herself.
And win or lose, he wants her.
Or… bed him herself.
And win or lose, he wants her.
.
But with danger around every corner, Valiant will have to decide the safest place for her to be. Far away from the man who’s awakened a passion she never knew herself capable of?
Or in the arms of the last duke she’d ever thought to love?
Or in the arms of the last duke she’d ever thought to love?
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In this book, the last of the Curbains find love. Valiant has helped her brothers, Hero, Lore and Asher find their soul mates, but during the stories, her husband died in a fire while she was at her brother’s home in the country.
Now, she has finished mourning and still faced a deal she made with the Duke of Cartelle way back in the first book, The perfect lady. Valiant promised to find Cartelle a wife or spend a night with him should she fail. If only he would set his claim on Beatrix aside so she could marry Hero.
Cartelle had already decided to let Beatrix go and was so taken by Valiant that he could not resist making a deal with her. The only problem is that Cartelle wants Valiant for his wife. She comes to care for him, but the label of murderer still hangs over Anthony’s head, and when the gossip rags link his name with the Lords who have gone missing, the Curbain brothers do not want him for their sister. Then one of their friends go missing, and an intriguing mystery unfolds.
I still like this series because it has enough sexual tension to make the relationships real. Still, the books are written without explicit sexual content, which may disappoint some readers; however, these books are a wonderful asset for the young girls who are starry-eyed about romance and the Regency period.
I would gladly recommend these books to young adult readers and those of us who do not want all the graphic detail.
A womanizing duke, Anthony, falls for Valiant. The question is, will she be receptive to him after her first husband died while being unfaithful. An exciting turn of events leads Anthony on a quest to find some missing royals that he had been accused of murdering and return them home to clear his name. I found Anthony and Valiant’s relationship very entertaining. Valiant’s brothers were extremely overprotective but that was a sign of a close knit family who cares for their own. I especially appreciated the HEA at the end which was most satisfying and left a smile on my face when I finished the book.
I love the Curbain Family – the brothers Hero, Lore, Ash and Lady Valiant Chase, the Countess of Beaumont who is the only girl in the family, are a loving, close knit group. Lady Valiant agrees to find a wife for Anthony Balfour, the fourth Duke of Castelle if he will call off the betrothal to Beatrix who is in love with Valiant’s brother, Hero. They have been betrothed since they were children and the time has come for them to marry. Balfour is a supposed murderer, handsome, rich, a rake and a wildly sexy flirt. He, unknown to Valiant, has already decided to release Beatrix after overhearing a conversation that she was in love with Hero, but he agrees to the breaking off if Valiant finds him a suitable wife – and if she does not, he will be able to pick his requirement of her. Two years pass and Valiant’s husband dies, she goes in mourning and now she must honor their agreement. The next fun, romance, love and HEA take place with a great story to help with the wonderful characters. I loved this and the series and highly recommend it to all historical romance readers!
A dark Duke, Anthony Balfour, Duke of Castelle, with a reputation for dueling, and Lady Valient, Sister to the Curbain brothers, are the center of a mystery-romance.
The mystery: 5 Lords have disappeared over the last 4 years, without a trace, and never heard from again. Although there was no known connection between the Duke of Castelle and any of the first 4 men, only 2 weeks before the disappearance of the last man, there was an ugly public encounter between the 2 men in a gentleman’s club.
The romance: Lady Valiant, now a widow, finds herself attracted to the very man she has set out to match up with a suitable woman. The attraction is mutual. However, when the 5th man disappears, and the incident between the Duke and the missing man becomes known, their relationship is put on hold by her brothers until matters can be sorted out.
Did the Duke have a hand in all 5 men’s disappearance? If not, how can he prove his innocence? Will Valiant believe in the Duke’s innocence, or turn away from him as have so many in society?
CRITIQUE: After the brief replay of past events to set the stage, the book becomes compelling to read. Surprising events keep the reader guessing as to the fate of the missing men, until the mystery is solved. There are minor subplots along the way to fill out the story and which allow both Lady Valiant and the Duke to explore their feelings and their relationship. There is a HEA for them, but justice is done for the perpetrators of evil in this story. Left hanging, perhaps for another story, are the fates of the 5 men. Will they eventually have HEAs all their own?
A suspenseful Regency romance, this story has shades of light and dark as the Duke of Cartelle takes on the world single-handedly. Even when he is unfairly accused of sins that he did not commit, he does nothing to defend himself but rather investigates the crimes without bringing notice to his efforts. Lady Valiant has had her own brush with the Duke in the past and is left shaken and slightly disorientated by their interaction. Circumstances change, but even when Valiant is free to pursue her own interests, she still walks the straight and narrow – after all her brothers give her very little leeway to do anything else. There is a certain amount of humour in this book amidst some real tragedy, but the undeniable attraction between Anthony and Valiant is tangible and brings redemption in its own way. Although there is a very good plot, I was disappointed by the ending as well as some of the editing, as this book was not up to the author’s usual standard. Although this novel is part of series and some of the characters from previous books appear in this one too, it is nevertheless a standalone.
Anthony Balfour, the fourth Duke Castelle left the ball he was attending. He waited for his carriage and then got into it deciding that he would not marry Beatrix because she loved another man. As he was getting ready to leave Valiant Chase, the Countess of Beaumont to try and convince him not to marry Beatrix. He made a deal with her that he had that she had to the end of the season to find him a wife or she would spend the night in his bed. At first she was not going to do it then she remembered there was a lady who wasn’t enamored with him so she agreed to the bed. The next day her father died in a year later her husband died so she was unable to do anything about finding him a wife. Anthony had challenged a man, Lord Rosamund to a duel. Valiant came to his home to prevent the duel from happening Anthony brought up the bet she reaffirmed it find him a bride before the end of the season which was approximately two months. To find out what happens with the Duke, the Countess, and Lord Rosamund you must read the book. Its good book and everyone should read…
I love books by this author. She has wonderful characters and her stories take turns you don’t expect.
“He’d never be what she’d consider ‘good,’ and he was never inclined to lie about his nature. Therefore, he’d have to work to change her mind and get her to bend her well-developed discernment to the side. Just for him.”
Had Valiant not known him as a child, she would never have been this forward with Anthony Balfour. Had it not been Valiant, Balfour wouldn’t have even listened to her when she told him Beatrix loved his brother and everyone deserved love despite the ton’s “rules”. Did HE deserve love?
This is a very interesting book by Deborah Wilson. I like her intelligent characters set is a world where the best match that was expected often had no love involved. The plot is solid despite what some others have said. The only disappointment is that there are times when characters sound more like contemporary actors than regency “royalty”. However, I remember that this is fiction so it doesn’t spoil the series or the writing. My respect to and for Deborah Wilson remains intact. Highly recommended 5/5
This entire series is wonderful, but I think the H and h in this one might be my favorite. I love the family dynamics and the story was a good mystery as well. Only problem is the our author needs to find a better proofreader. Also, without giving away the ending, I feel there should have been a little more regarding how Anthony finally got her to enjoy “being” with him other than just his patience. Other than that a great read. Will definitely read more from this author.
Valiant and Anthony
Calling in a debt. Lady Valiant always tries to see the best in people but even Anthony will tax her ability to keep a cheerful face when he decides to call in her debt.
Anthony is the Duke of Cartelle with a dangerous reputation. He gives no quarter so people always think the worst of him.
Then one night Lady Valiant agrees to a debt that she thinks will help a family member thinking she will not lose.
This is a standalone but reading the other books helps to understand what has shaped all of the characters especially Lady Valiant up to this point.
An entraining story that will kept you company until the end…
Two hearts healing together with some surprises and twist along the process…
A mystery to be solve… and some difficult moments… until the surprising end…
You will love it!
Ms Wilson saved the best for last! I was absolutely spellbound by this book and these characters. She really did outdo herself in this story. Lady Valiant, now a widow when her philandering husband dies with another woman, believes she no longer needs love but is determined to fix everyone else’s love life. And therefore, she tackles the Duke of Cartelle and promises to find him love, actually bets him, that despite his reputation, she can find him love or……. Well you’ll just have to read the book to see what happens if she loses.
Another wonderful book in the life of the Curbain Family. This is Valiant’s story. This is an action adventure murder mystery mixed with the difficult romance between Valiant and Anthony. There are a lot of dark secrets, plenty of twists and turns in the story and an excellent plot with awesome subplots. This is not a boring story. It will keep you glued to each page, keep your attention and completely have you engaged into the story. Real feeling, real emotions, sensational characters that are so realistic. This is a must read. You will not be disappointed.
This was the last book of this series. I hope this author starts another series soon! I loved the Curbain family and being there as it grew!
This was the story of the only sister, Valiant, and how she helped bring the Duke of Cartelle, who many thought a horrible person, out of himself, to show that not only was he truly a good person, but also the person she needed to help heal her hidden wounds.