Waking Up With the Duke
London's Greatest Lovers Series - Book 3
By Lorraine Heath
Avon - July 2011
Historical Romance
Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owed his friend. Walfort may be his cousin, but Ainsley had always felt as close to him as one of his brothers. They had enjoyed many times together, but it had been one such evening that had ended in disaster. Walfort was stuck in a wheelchair, and Walfort's wife, Jayne, had lost the child she carried shortly after learning of the accident.
Ainsley had no intention of allowing Walfort to manipulate his grief and guilt. Jayne may have lost a child, but he would not - could not - sleep with his friend's wife. She deserved so much more, and she made no attempt at hiding her resentment of him - his ability to walk and enjoy life, while her husband was stuck in a wheelchair unable to do anything he had once before enjoyed.
But Walfort was persistent, and he knew how much Jayne craved a child. He also knew that not only could he trust Ainsley, but Ainsely owed him. None of them truly anticipated the extent of the consequences of their decisions.
Waking Up With the Duke is a romance between a married woman, and her husband's close friend. Ainsely and Jayne may have the consent of Walfort, and no intention of falling in love, but Walfort had picked Ainsley for a reason.
Lorraine Heath's stories always involve intensely emotional and often controversial subjects, but this one may deter readers. This review does not reveal the ending - but by knowing the premise, readers could anticipate the outcome. Perhaps readers expect Walfort to be an abusive husband, something that would cause them to eagerly await his pain and destruction, but readers of this series would also know that Ainsley would never have been friends with such a man. In fact, readers were introduced to an Ainsley who knew the hidden worlds of London, friends in mysterious places and honorable to a fault. Expectations were not that Ainsley would attempt to impregnate his close friend's wife, with or without his friend's consent.
Kathy Andrico - ReaderToReader.com
FTC Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of the book from Reader To Reader for review. However, this website only posts "good" reviews. If I cannot post a positive review, I notify whoever has provided me with the book/ARC/ebook.