Holly’s review of To Ruin The Duke by Debra Mullins
A disreputable duke All of London is abuzz with the shocking exploits of Thornton Matherton, Duke of Wyldehaven, a man as sinful and wild as his name. He plays fast and loose with money, drink, and women. Or does he? An impostor has tarnished Thornton’s good name, and the real duke will not rest until he has proven his virtue.
A righteous lady Abandoned by her aristocratic father when she was a child, Miranda Fontaine despises the nobility. Despite her distrust, she visits the Duke of Wyldehaven on an urgent mission. Determined to keep a deathbed promise, Miranda will do whatever it takes to pin down the notorious duke . . . even if it means seducing him herself.
Passion’s ruin Desperate to escape the web of deceit and clear his name, Thomas cannot bear the distraction of Miranda’s supple skin and alluring eyes. Her beauty will be his undoing . . . and her bed will be the site of his most wicked ruin . . .
Years ago I read Three Nights by Debra Mullins. It was a sweet story that immediately grabbed my attention. I was so impressed with it I went out and bought her entire backlist. Sadly none of the others I read lived up to my expectations. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall feeling very strongly about the last one I read. Disillusioned, I wrote her off. Even so, each time a new book is released, I feel compelled to check it out. This one tempted me, despite my experiences with her in the past.
The Duke of Wyldehaven, Wylde, has been hidden away at his country estate for the past two years, mourning his late wife. In his absence an impostor – who resembles Wylde enough to pass for him – has been gallivanting around London, ruining his good name. Unfortunately Wylde doesn’t discover this until much damage has been done to his reputation. Although he initially plans to stay in London only a few days – he’s there to attend the funeral of one of his best friends – he decides to stay and get to the bottom of the issue.
Miranda Fontaine has arrived in London with one goal in mind – to get the Duke of Wyldehaven to acknowledge his son. He seduced her best friend and then abandoned her, where she fled to the country to have his child. Sadly she died in childbirth, but not before securing a promise from Miranda that she’d take her baby, James, to London and make sure he received his rightful place in society.
Although Miranda is determined to honor her friend’s wishes, she’s not sure the Duke is the right person to care for little James. Since Miranda’s own father refused to acknowledge her, she knows what it feels like to be cast aside. She wants better than that for James. When she arrives to hear awful tales of the good Duke, she’s even more dubious. And when he flat denies that the child is his? She convinced. But then he spins a fantastical story about some impostor acting like him. Although Miranda doesn’t believe his tale for a moment, she is willing to let him do right by his son. That does not mean, however, that she’ll become his mistress. Despite the growing attraction between them, she’s vowed never to be put in a position where she must be at the mercy of someone else.
One of the things I loved best about Three Nights, the other Mullins book I enjoyed so much, was that the focus is on the relationship between the hero and heroine throughout most of the book. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for this one. Much of the focus is put on the situation with Wylde and his impostor, plus a separate mystery that arises when Miranda begins receiving threatening notes.
Even so, I did feel a deep connection between them. They really seemed to compliment each other. Miranda really reminds Wylde that he didn’t die along with his wife and he reminds her that there’s more to life than being alone. I thought it was sweet they way they leaned on and drew strength from each other. Even though they didn’t have as much time together as I would have liked, I still believed totally in their love for one another.
I especially loved Miranda. She was practical and levelheaded. Although she knew she wanted Wylde, she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she became his mistress. She was also very practical about her personal safety. Unlike many other historical romance heroines, she didn’t rush headfirst into danger, or insist she could care for herself and spurn all offered help. She was careful to guard her heart, but equally as careful with her personal safety.
Wylde’s character was hard to pin down. At first he comes off as very tortured and almost self-pitying. It isn’t long before we see another side of him, however. He was very suspicious of Miranda’s motives in the beginning and therefore somewhat callous to her. After he got to know her, however, he became very tender toward her and we saw the true person underneath his gruff exterior.
I wasn’t very impressed with the mystery angle. It isn’t a secret who the villain of the piece is (he’s introduced fairly early on) and really felt that part of the story served only as a purpose for conflict between the hero and heroine. I didn’t really see the point otherwise. The ending came about rather quickly, which left several loose ends dangling. I’m hoping she plans to make this a series, and that’s why she left things as open as she did. If not I’ll be seriously disappointed.
Although I found the mystery to be less than impressive, I really enjoyed the characters. They really drew me in and made me care about them.
Overall the mystery lacks, but the romance definitely makes up for any shortcomings.
3.75 out of 5
This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
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