Review: Not that great
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 03 4, 2013
I usually like historical romance books about reformed rakes but this one just didn't live up to expectations.  It was interesting enough to begin with but most of the plot is revealed in the first quarter to half of the book and then the rest is basically just filled in with more of the same, which became rather boring.Most of the rakes I've read about have a little sense of decency about them, i.e. they don't ruin innocents (virgins) but Lucien apparently had no qualms about this and was said to have ruined many such females and was hell-bent on doing the same to Madeline.  Admittedly, he did offer for her when they were discovered.  As he was rich and Madeline was only getting married because she desperately needed money, it was hard to believe she would not have been allowed to marry him at that stage.  Instead she was forced to stick with the dull but stable and reliable Marquess, Charles, to whom she was betrothed.  This made no sense.  It was just too unbelieveable.Lastly, I felt the ending was also unrealistic.  After dragging it out, the author seemed to be in a rush to give everyone their happy ending.  I think the story would have been more plausible (albeit a little sadder) if Juliet had died - after all she had finally confessed her long-held secret.  With so many shallow, hedonistic characters, not everyone deserves a happy ending.