The
Courtesan Duchess
Wicked Deceptions # 1
Wicked Deceptions # 1
By: Joanna Shupe
Releasing March 31, 2015
Zebra
Blurb
Can
a bold-faced lie lead to everlasting love? One by one, the impetuous heroines
in the Wicked Deceptions series intend to find out, each in her unique way…
How
to seduce an estranged husband—and banish debt!—in four wickedly improper,
shockingly pleasurable steps...
- Learn the most intimate secrets of London’s leading
courtesan.
- Pretend to be
a courtesan yourself, using the name Juliet Leighton.
- Travel to
Venice and locate said husband.
- Seduce husband, conceive an heir, and voila, your future is secure!
For
Julia, the Duchess of Colton, such a ruse promises to be foolproof. After all,
her husband has not bothered to lay eyes on her in eight years, since their
hasty wedding day when she was only sixteen. But what begins as a tempestuous
flirtation escalates into full-blown passion—and the feeling is mutual!
Could the man the Courtesan Duchess married actually turn out to be the love of her life?
Could the man the Courtesan Duchess married actually turn out to be the love of her life?
Review- 4.5 Stars
This is a
sexy historical romance with sweetness, angst, and intrigue! This is one of my
favorite time periods to read about and I enjoyed this books immensely.
Desperate
times call for desperate measures. No truer words could be spoken about Julia’s
situation. Married at sixteen to a man who wanted nothing to do with his title
or his wife, she is abandoned and ignored for eight long years. Her
mother-in-law is a tyrant and hates everything to do with her younger son and
therefore, by his extension, Julia. In Nick’s absence, his cousin has been
“managing” (mismanaging really) his estates and has been slowly dwindling down
Julia’s income until she is forced to do something drastic, or end up in the poor
house.
Her
pride keeps her from going to her friend, Simon, for money. However, she does
ask him to help her locate her wayward husband and find a way for her to meet
him. Her plan? To find him in Venice, pretend to be a renowned courtesan, and
seduce her husband in hopes of producing an heir. But, plans are just
guidelines because fate has her own ideas for your future.
Nick
is bitter and heartbroken over his childhood, the death of his brother, and the
rumors that are a catalyst to his running away and leaving his problems behind.
He roams the world (with the exception of England), gambling to survive and
spending time with mistresses. He is somewhat content with this life, until he
meets the beautiful and mysterious Juliet Leighton. He is immediately addicted
to her and sweeps her off of her feet to spend an incredible week lost to
everyone but each other.
After
the magical week, Mrs. Leighton or Julia, as she is better known, realizes that
she has made a huge mistake by duping her husband. She has grown attached to
him and he has confided in her enough that she’s knows her assumptions about
him were wrong. In an effort to keep her deception from going any further, she
disappears without a word. Well, not a word from her, anyway.
When
Nick realizes the truth of what has happened, he feels as though he has been
played the fool and due to his already cynical nature, he believes the worst of
Julia. These two strong willed lovers are at odds, both being justified in
their anger toward each other. However, Nick takes it too far and he endangers
any future he might have with Julia by doing and saying things that are
potentially unforgiveable.
All
the while, they must figure out what is going on around them, because every
day, it appears more and more likely that both Nick and Julia’s lives are in
danger.
Nick
and Julia are great leading characters. So full of life and personality that
they keep you interested in their story. They are both hardheaded, independent,
intelligent, and despite their wish to believe otherwise, incredibly loving. During
their time in Venice, they have a wonderful repartee that made me smile. Their
romance was sweet at times and incredibly steamy at others.
The
secondary cast of characters definitely help to shape the story. Simon, Aunt
Theo, Fitz, and Sophie are little burst of light and laughter among the angst
of the hero and heroine. The mystery in the book is good, although it takes a
backseat to the relationship of the leading man and lady. That’s not a bad
thing, however, I felt the story would have gripped me a little stronger if it
had been more prevalent. I figured out who the bad guy was pretty quickly, hut
it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.
If
you like historical romance, I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward
to continuing the series and reading about the lives of a few of the characters
we have been introduced to! Excellent read, 4.5 stars!
Award-winning author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. While in college, Joanna read every romance she could get her hands on and soon started crafting her own racy historical novels. She now lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and dashing husband.
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for hosting THE COURTESAN DUCHESS!
ReplyDelete