Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Sins of a Wicked Duke-Sophie Jordan

Sins of a Wicked Duke
Sophie Jordan
Avon, Apr 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 9780061579172

Orphan Fallon O'Rourke is sent to the Penwich School for Virtuous Girls where forty or so young girls are routinely punished. Master Brocklehurst battered Fallen with a strap for removing her cap. The beating leads her to make friends with Evie and Marguerite who all make a wish on a shooting star.

Upon leaving the abusive school, Fallon finds work as a servant, but her beauty and unwillingness to be a sex toy for the males in the households consistently lead to her firing. Desperate and tall and solid at least for a female, she cuts her hair and dresses up as a male. She obtains a job as a footman working for Dominic “Demon Duke” Hale. However, Fallon never counted on falling in love with her employer who is renowned for his seductions. Meanwhile he wonders why the new footman remains in his head seemingly all the time until he realizes why and plans his next seduction.

This is a fabulous historical romance starring two individuals with deep scars caused by childhood tragedies. The theme of a woman masquerading as a man has been done many times (Shakespeare in Love for instance), but Sophie Jordan keeps it brisk and amusing through her lead couple who know life’s prime lesson is you always walk alone; that is until now. Fans will enjoy this fun frolic as the Demon Duke falls in love with his “footman”.

Harriet Klausner

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