Tracy’s review of Duchess of Sin (Daughters of Erin #2) by Laurel McKee.
Blonde and beautiful Lady Anna Blacknall is in the mood for mischief. Entering Dublin’s most notorious den of vice, she finds herself in the arms of a mysterious, emerald-eyed Irishman. And although he is masked, his tender kiss is hauntingly familiar.
Conlan McTeer, Duke of Adair, has come to Dublin to fight for a free Ireland. But he’s suddenly reunited with the young Englishwoman who had once claimed his heart, and his passion turns from politics to pleasure. When their sizzling encounter brings danger to Anna’s door, she must decide where her loyalties lie-and quickly. For someone will do whatever it takes to destroy Conlan . . . and anyone he dares to love.
Anna is the daughter of an Earl. She’s been trained in deportment, dancing, music and of course will be the perfect hostess when she becomes a wife and has a house of her own. But Anna is decidedly unhappy. Not that she doesn’t appreciate what she has in life, but she’s tired of the hollow feeling that’s inside her with no idea how to fill it. Everyone around her thinks that she’s this vapid woman when really she hides quite an intelligent person under the whole façade.
When she sneaks out of her house and goes to a private club with a friend she meets the one man who has ever made her feel. He is the Duke of Adair but he is not just a pretty face. Conlan McTeer is a fighter. He fights for himself, for the tenants on his land and he fights for Ireland. He has to do this all under cover but he works quite hard, and stealthily, against the union debate of 1799. Anna had met Conlan two years prior, in a stable, during the uprising in 1798 and she had never forgotten him.
After the initial meeting at the club the pair can’t stay away from each other. She sought him out and he loved it. The two felt so comfortable together but there was always tension due to politics lurking in the background. But Anna was expected to marry an English Lord and the one that was looking to marry her was none other that Conlan’s cousin Grant, and there was no love lost between the two men. Anna must make a decision for her future, but will she choose duty or love?
I have to say that I very much enjoyed the relationship between Conlan and Anna. Though their meetings were mostly on the down low they managed to really spend quality time together. They would talk and yes, have sex, but it was so sweet and romantic that never once did I think that they shouldn’t be together. It was more a case of “I know I shouldn’t be here but I just love being with you so much that I just can’t help myself” and I loved that!
Now I have to admit that I was not familiar with the whole Irish plight back in the 1700’s so that did throw me off a bit at first, but the story was told in such a way that you really didn’t need to know all of the history to enjoy the book.
I only had a couple of niggles with the book:
* I never found out how old Conlan was. Anna’s 18 and he didn’t’ seem that old, but really, how can you tell in books unless they give you a telltale sign? IDK
* The initial meeting between Conlan and Anna was mentioned more than a few times but we never found out exactly what happened back then. I still have no idea what went on in the stable two years prior to this book. I would have liked to have gotten a bit more information about that initial meeting but I guess I’ll have to read book 1 and jut find out for myself.
During the book there was also a small side love story between Anna’s mother, Katherine, and the drawing teacher, Nicolas, that had been hired for Anna’s sister. It was not played up too much but it was very sweet.
Overall I really liked this book. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series when it releases.
Rating: 4 out of 5
This book is available from Grand Central Publishing. You can buy it here.
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place.
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