Holly‘s review of Tempting a Proper Lady by Debra Mullins

A Most Improper Alliance 

Two years ago, dashing Captain Samuel Breedlove disappeared without a word. But he’s resurfaced in London a wealthy man, only to discover his fiancÉe preparing to wed another. Now Samuel needs to restore his good name and expose a villain—and tempting, temptable Cilla seems an ideal accomplice. 

Priscilla Burke knows the marriage of her charge, Annabelle Bailey, to the Earl of Raventhorpe must be perfect. It would be madness for her to even consider doing anything that would mar this beautiful day and destroy her fledgling career as a wedding planner. Why then is she so drawn to this irresistible stranger who insists she help him sabotage the impending affair? 

But a proper lady’s desire is nothing to toy with. And a man whose character has been questioned cannot allow himself to dream of happily ever after. This not-so-innocent seduction may have unforeseen consequences . . .

I wasn’t sure about this one after reading the blurb. I’m not a huge fan of love-triangles and I thought this might head that direction. I’m happy to report Mullins took it somewhere else.

Cilla was a strong woman who had really fought to get where she was. I think I liked that she was from a wealthy family who had a high place in society, but made it on her own. Her father disowned her and she had to survive. I really liked that Cilla no longer trusted her judgment about me, but didn’t hate all men. She didn’t trust herself to choose a good one, but she knew they were out there. That was a refreshing change from so many other romance heroines who hate all men because they were mistreated by one.

Samuel was a very noble man. He was very honorable and did his best to be honest in all things. His disappointment when he realized his surrogate family didn’t believe in him was heartbreaking. And still he kept trying to do the right thing. I loved that once he committed to something he threw himself in it full boar.

I really liked the way the relationship between Samuel and Cilla developed. At first they didn’t care for each other and she was very suspicious of him. It didn’t take long for each of them to realize they needed to work together – in more ways than one.  Once they committed to each other the story really progressed. I understood both their reasons for holding back, and appreciated the way they came together.

While the romance and family dynamic aspects worked extremely well, the mystery plot fell short. The villain was very stereotypical and didn’t really seem all that scary to me. At first he did, but the longer the book went on the more he seemed to morph from a coldhearted man into a somewhat laughable one.

I did really enjoy the secondary characters. The Bailey’s were excellent characters and really added depth to the story. I truly felt for all three of them. I’m also very curious about John Ready, Samuel’s partner and sometimes coachman and the mysterious highwayman who showed up several times throughout the story.

4 out of 5 

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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.