Download the ebook edition for bonus content!NOTORIOUS NOBLEMAN SEEKS REVENGEName and title: Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton. Affiliation: London’s elite Society of Decadent Dukes. Family history: Scandalous. Personality traits: Dark and brooding, with a thirst for revenge. Ideal romantic partner: A woman of means, with beauty and brains, willing to live with reckless abandon. Desire: … reckless abandon. Desire: Clara Cheswick, gorgeous daughter of his family’s sworn enemy.
FAINT OF HEART NEED NOT APPLY
Clara may be the woman Adam wants, but there’s one problem: she’s far more interested in publishing her women’s journal than getting married—especially to a man said to be dead-set on vengeance. Though, with her nose for a story, Clara wonders if his desire for justice is sincere—along with his incredibly unnerving intention to be her husband. If her weak-kneed response to his kiss is any indication, falling for Adam clearly comes with a cost. But who knew courting danger could be such exhilarating fun?
Madeline Hunter’s novels are:
“Brilliant, compelling . . . An excellent read.” —The Washington Post
“Mesmerizing.” —Publishers Weekly
“Pure passion.” —Booklist
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When I’m writing, the books I tend to read aren’t in my genre of romantic suspense, so historical romances are one of my go-to genres. And Madeline Hunter is one of the best historical romance authors. Her THE MOST DANGEROUS DUKE IN LONDON is a tour de force in the genre. Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton, is one of three young and handsome dukes in her Decadent Dukes trilogy. I loved her portrayal of Adam, who meets his match in Clara. She’s as witty and smart as he is, and they make a fascinating pair. Love this book!
The Most Dangerous Duke in London is a very good book. This book is about letting go of the past and setting some records straight. It is about love overcoming all obstacles for a happily ever after.
A Joy to read
Madeline Hunter is one of my favourite authors. She is on my keepers shelf and before Kindle arrived I have a book case full of her books.
There was just so much to love about The Most Dangerous Duke in London.
I loved the hero and his desire to atone for his father or find out the truth. I love how this story could have fallen into a revenge taken out on the heroine story but it doesn’t. The hero never tries to use her. He sees that she is the woman he’s waited for all his life.
The heroine is very modern in her thinking but there were always woman ahead of their time in any look back through history.
My only wish was that there was an epilogue. I thought the ending was very abrupt and would have liked to see more. But then I have not read book 2 or 3 and perhaps there is more in those books.
Ms. Hunter is always a joy to read and I love her works. More please…
I like to read about regency England .
Enjoy all her books. Great characters easy reading
Madeline Hunter always delivers a good romance book.
Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton, is a member of the London’s elite Society of Decadent Dukes. He is a nobleman that is seeking revenge for his father being accused of treason and then killing himself. Adam’s personality has turned dark and brooding and he is easily provoked to dueling which has earned him the moniker of being dangerous. Upon meeting Clara Cheswick, daughter of his family’s sworn enemy, he likes her spirit and desire is instantaneous.
Clara never wants to marry and have a man control her or her property. She can ride and shoot better than any man and is very outspoken. But she’s far more interested in publishing her women’s journal than getting married; especially to the man known to be out for vengeance. Clara wonders if there is a story hidden within a story and if Adam’s desire is sincere or is it just part of his plan for justice. His insistence of them marrying can be ignored but not the kisses that makes her knees weak. Falling for Adam will come with a cost, but who knew that searching for answers while skirting danger could be so much fun?
This was a pleasure to read–slow plot development, humor, actual character development–after reading a lot of books by new writers who seem unaided by copy or story editors, it read like a fine vintage wine.
Quick read for lazy rainy day.
I absolutely loved this book. It was an intelligent, adult and interesting story with a twist at the end that I did not see coming. If you love historical romances, this book is a can’t miss.
4.5*
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think I’ve found my favourite Madeline Hunter’s book so far. Although I always appreciate and like her books, they sometimes seem to be a bit below my expectations – but not this one. The Most Dangerous Duke in London doesn’t fit that category. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down.
The base of the plot is related to revenge, and these are usually my favourite plots, but in this case, the story was so well put together that what mattered wasn’t so much the revenge plan but the growth of the relationship between Adam and Clare.
Clare is a strong, independent woman, who knows what she wants and is very smart and intelligent. Adam is a duke that finds himself confronted with a choice and at that moment he sees Clare, in her horse, at the top of a hill – and, being she the daughter of a deceased man who might have had something to do with Adam’s family tragedy, he cannot put her aside and let her go – she was at the right place, on the right time.
Clare’s family wants to use her younger sister almost like a sacrifice to placate Adam’s supposed anger and rage, but when he sees Clare, he doesn’t even think twice about her little sister.
Clare and Adam have an important attraction, but more than that, what matters is how their relationship grows with friendship and companionship.
With a plot that has mystery, betrayal, connections to France and the war, as well as a romance that keep you holding on to the book, this has become my favourite book by Madeline Hunter.
Madeline Hunter
What makes Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton the most dangerous duke in London? Is it the rules he fought in France before returning to England? Or maybe the revenge he is seeking for wrongs done to his family? When his family’s enemy, the Marwoods invite him to “bury the hatchet” and live in peace be accepts the invite for a meet at their country estate. His curiosity is soon satisfied when he is offered the hand of the younger sister of the current Earl. Although not interested in Emilia, he spies the older half sister and finds himself very interested. I love to see a strong heroine, one who is intelligent, knows her own mind, and is not afraid to speak it. It is these very characteristics that catch Adam’s attention. Clara gives him quite the run for his money. The storyline carries a bit of a mystery within it. When it is resolved, the person(s) involved were not on the original list of suspects. I have not read many of Madeline Hunter’s books. I did enjoy this one and will read more of her.
I have to say that Madeline books have been a constant favorite throughout time since I picked up my first book from her 17 years ago.And author that has remained on by auto by list no matter what books she publishes but I have to say that I have loved so many of her titles I just could not just pick one.
I enjoyed her latest tale with Adam and Clara it was such a sweet love story and about revenge.I loved seeing a strong independent heroine in this story especially for its time period when women were controlled by their husbands.I loved Clara’s personality right off the bat.She was she what she seemed to be strong independent,funny,smart and intoxicating.She was definitely not the kind of women that would be controlled by any man and if any man tried he would find out soon enough that she was not going to be the women for him.Adam although is up to the challenge.At first his motives are all about revenge but he soon learns that he is going have to choose one over the other if he plans to keep her.
I loved the cat a mouse game this couple played together as it made for some heated interludes as well as the constant bantering back in forth with one another that caused you to smile more than once.Clara from the onset was very attracted to Adam and him to her but she fights it constantly as she is not wanting to give up her independence to any man.I can’t blame her for it but applauded her.Adam although is persistent in a sneaky predatory way where he does his wooing.He is constantly maneuvering her to be actually where he wants her without actually being the source involved.Very shrewed of him.(smiles)
I loved Adam as well as I know he was all about revenge from the onset to get justice for his father but I never thought that he was a major threat to Clara in that he would harm her only that he would break her heart when his real intentions would be revealed.As the story progressed and I learned more about where the title for this had come from . I never saw him as the dangerous type at all in the physical sense anyway but then it made perfect sense that he was always defending his fathers honor one way or another whether it with dueling or with words.
I loved how he persisted in wooing his Clara.I admired him actually it might have been a little bit about revenge but so much more.I felt that he really saw her as an equal.I loved that he was up to the challenge she would be providing him.I loved that he admired her and was attracted to Clara and all her eccentricities and was not about changing her.You have to fall a little bit in love with a man like him for evening perusing someone like her that will never really fit the mold in the society you live in.
I really loved it from cover to cover .The story had love,intrigue,,humor secrets coming to life and more of it being about justice then revenge.I loved how Clara was willing to sacrifice her own families honor to endure the man she loved would finally be about to put the old ghost to rest.
A fantastic romantic tale with characters that were easy to connect with and love from the onset of the story.I love when that happens as you know right then and there you are going to enjoy the story as it unfolds.
This was a great start in this latest series and looking forward to the tales to come.
5 stars from us full review @angelswithattitudebookreviews
Another winner from Madeline Hunter and I was lucky enough to procure a ARC from netgally.com. This is the first book in a new series in whihc we are introduced to the hero and his friends who will subsequently have their own books with their own romance. In this one, Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton, has returned from France after a 5(?) year absence, which had followed the suicide of his father. While gone he fought and won many duels, against those who slighted his family name. Now he is back with a deadly reputation and wants answers. His country neighbor, the Dowager Countess of Marwood, fears he, for good reason. Aside from the fact that there has been animosity between the two families for generations over a plot of land, she knows why his father was falsely accused of treason and who was behind it. Now she offers her youngest granddaughter, Emilia, as a wife to the duke, but he only has eyes for Emilia’s older sister, Clara. Clara, however, is an independent woman, who has no desire to marry. While Adam investigates who was behind the allegations against his father, he woes Clara against her wishes. As the truth comes out, so does the realization that the two of them were made for each other. As always, well developed characters and plot with well researched background of the period.
The Most Dangerous Duke in London is the first book in the Decadent Dukes Society. The plot is typical romance with a happily ever after end but not what I expected. The Duke is Adam Penrose returning to England from France after a self-imposed exile following the suicide of this beloved father. The Duke is requested to visit a neighbor and is offered the hand of the younger daughter only to view the oldest daughter Lady Clara riding across the property. When Lady Clara’s brother waves at her to return to the house, she takes off on her horse ignoring her brother. This begins the romance of the Duke and Lady Clara in the usual romance formula. The Most Dangerous Duke in London is a good book to relax into a story knowing the ending of at least thinking you do because this time there is a twist. Should the pages of “adult content” disturb your enjoyment of the book, you may skip those paragraphs and still enjoy the storyline.
My Thoughts:
I wish there had been a prequel to this new trilogy so that I would have had a little background information on these characters.
I did feel these characters were nicely developed but as I said before I would have liked a little more background building up to their meeting and subsequent attraction to each other.
I did enjoy the read but at times it felt like the second or third book in a series instead of the first one.
The fact that Adam has a score to settle is apparent from the start. It is also quite evident that although she desires him and he, her, Clara is not interested in marriage.
Is there any way that these two can reconcile their differences and reach their own version of Happily Ever After?
I read this book over a period of three days. It was my weekend read and though I often read more than one book over that time period, it turned out to be my primary read.
I gave this book 4.25 of 5 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 4 of 5 flames.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series “A Devil of a Duke” due to release May 2018.
I only wish the release date was not so far away.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Truly loved this story! Great characters, conflict, revenge, redemption! Of course, the best part is Happily Ever After! I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
Carolintallahassee