Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover - Sarah MacLean (Avon - Nov 2014)

Series: Rules of Scoundrels (Book 4)

By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking -- in London's darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city's most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered . . . until now.

Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems, and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana's secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear . . . including her heart.

Fantastic conclusion to the series. Lady Georgiana has three identities: she is Georgiana, disgraced sister of a duke, she is Chase, founder of The Fallen Angel gaming club, and she is Anna, the head prostitute of the club and believed to be Chase's mistress. No one except her co-owners knows that Chase is actually a woman. She has been content to live her life as it is until now. But a recent cartoon in a scandal sheet has included her nine year old daughter and Georgiana realizes that if she wants Caroline to have a chance at a respectable future she needs to marry a man with a title.

Duncan West is a newspaperman who has made a success of his life out of nothing. As the owner of five papers he wields quite a lot of power himself. He feels badly that it was one of his papers that published the cartoon as he doesn't believe is going after children. He meets Georgiana at a ball, and apologizes to her. He is intrigued by the strength of her determination to do whatever she must to make her daughter's life better. He is also attracted to her, but knows that he doesn't have what she needs - or does he? When he accidentally discovers her connection to Anna, he realizes that they can help each other. He offers to use his papers to make her acceptable to society, if she will use her connection to Chase to get him some information he needs on the man who is blackmailing him.

It was interesting to see the relationship that developed between Georgiana and Duncan. Both are using each other to get what they want, but something more begins to grow between them. Unfortunately, neither can see a way to make it happen. Georgiana needs the respectability of the title, something that Duncan doesn't have. Duncan would love to make her his, but he has a secret in his past that ensures that he will never be able to do so. It doesn't stop Duncan from being insanely jealous of the relationship between Chase and Georgiana. She can't tell him the truth because she is unable to trust that he would keep her secret.

There were times that I really wanted to smack her and tell her to trust him, that he wouldn't betray her. I could also understand why she wanted the title, but if she had just trusted him she would see that he could give her more than the title. Meanwhile, for such a smart man, Duncan could be pretty oblivious. With as well as he was getting to know her, he really should have been able to see the truth. I really ached for the two of them because the love that grew between them was so strong, but neither could see a way to make it possible to be together.

The story of the secrets that brought them together was really good. Duncan desperately needed that information about Tremley, not just to save himself, but because of what that information was. Tremley was definitely a nasty piece of work, and I enjoyed seeing how the information was acquired, and the determination Georgiana had to protect the source. Unfortunately, Duncan's blindness about Chase's identity made it possible for Tremley to prey upon Duncan's own fears. The resolution of the problem was pretty intense and I wasn't sure how they were going to pull it off. Everything was very complicated.

I really enjoyed seeing the men from the previous books and how well they all worked together. It was fun to see that Georgiana was now on the receiving end of their help when it came to her relationship with Duncan. The scene with her and their wives was pretty funny. I also loved Georgiana's daughter Caroline, and her way of looking at the world. I especially liked her words to her mother at the end, as she pointed out the truth about what she wanted for herself.  I liked the epilogue and seeing where they were a year later.

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished - Sarah MacLean (Avon - Dec 2013)

Series: Rules of Scoundrels (Book 3)

A rogue ruined . . .

He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night, Temple has reigned over the darkest of London's corners for twelve years, wealthy and powerful, but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he's dreamed of . . . absolution.

A lady returned . . .

Mara planned never to return to the world from which she'd run, but when her brother falls deep into debt at Temple's exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade that ends in her returning to society and proving to the world what only she knows...that he is no killer.

A scandal revealed . . .

It's a fine trade, until Temple realizes that the lady--and her past--are more than they seem. It will take every bit of his strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything for honor . . . and to keep from putting himself on the line for love.

Very good book. Temple has been an interesting character since the first book and I was really happy to see him get his own story. All of the club owners have had interesting stories and this was no exception. Temple is a big, physically powerful man who defends the casino's winnings. He's known as the Killer Duke because he was thought to have murdered Mara Lowe, even though a body was never found. He lost his reputation and his way of life that night, and has been haunted by the fact that he remembers nothing about it.

One night Mara appears at his home, offering to set the record straight in exchange for the forgiveness of her brother's debt to the casino. Temple is stunned to see her and furious that his life was ruined by her. He isn't interested in what she wants, he wants revenge and retribution and comes up with a plan to make it happen. He doesn't count on becoming fascinated by the woman herself.

I had conflicted feelings about Mara through a lot of the book. The actions she had taken twelve years earlier, resulting in Temple's disgrace, seemed thoughtless and cruel. Eventually we learn of why she had done it and that what had happened to him was not part of the plan. Her insistence on bargaining for clearing his name also seems wrong, but again, there is a reason behind her demands that is not as selfish as it sounds at the beginning. Confronting him is frightening for her, but she soon discovers that in spite of everything she feels physically safe with him. Emotionally is something else entirely. She is attracted to him, but knows there is no chance of him wanting to be with the woman who ruined his life. I really enjoyed their encounters, as Mara is not a woman to back down over anything. Twelve years on her own has given her a backbone of steel and she challenges him at every step. There comes a time when she needs that steel to stand up to his friends as she tries to save his life. That particular scene is both heart wrenching and funny, as she faces off with Bourne and is supported by an unexpected ally. As her feelings for Temple grow, it is fascinating to see how she revises her plans, in the end sacrificing everything for love.

Temple was a complicated man. His early life had been blessed with good looks, a friendly personality, and a self-confidence that got him just about anything he wanted. Not being able to remember anything about the events of that night has him convinced that he really could have killed Mara. This has had a profound effect on his life ever since. Mara's reappearance stuns him. At first he experiences the relief that he isn't a murderer after all, but that is followed by the fury of knowing how much he has lost over the years. He doesn't care about the why, he just wants the satisfaction of her paying for what she has done. But he's soon fascinated by the woman who doesn't back down from her own demands. He's attracted to her and doesn't want to be. He tries to remain focused on his revenge, but finds moments of protectiveness creeping in. When he can look past what she did, Mara's strength and wit and feistiness are exactly the qualities that appeal to him in a woman he could make a life with. Those growing feelings are in direct conflict with the anger he still feels over what she did. In the end, he has to decide if revenge is worth the price they would pay. The ending was both everything I expected and nothing like what I thought would happen. I loved seeing Temple finally get the happiness he deserved.

I really liked seeing the two previous couples make appearances in this book. It was quite fun seeing the ladies standing up to their husbands, even to the point of supporting Mara. The scenes in the sickroom were great. I also enjoyed seeing the men get back at Temple a little as he starts to experience the tribulations of love. The epilogue has me ready to read Chase's story, as the information revealed was completely unexpected.