Sportochick's Musings ~ The author is brilliant in how she develops this story.

Having read or listened to almost every book to this series I was looking forward to this story regarding Raphael and Iris. Though this book was a little darker than the previous books regarding the Lords of Chaos, it honestly was perfect for the plot of this story.

With the dramatic chapter one the reader is quickly drawn into the drama of what the Lords of Chaos do for entertainment. It is described in clear spine tingling detail making this reader wonder how this book could possibly end up a love story. But never fear this author is brilliant in how she develops this story.

The somewhat meek and loving Iris shines in this story as a woman who finds her backbone and becomes stronger than she could ever imagine. I enjoyed watching her character expand on each page to create a fearless woman with a loving heart.

From the start Raphael is just plain dark with no heart. But as the story progresses the reader will get a detailed glimpse into how he became the person he is and why he does what he does. From the first page his tortured soul spoke to me and I wanted him to have something more out of his life. His character brought to mind the saying "Never judge a book by its cover".

This book will get your heart racing, your heart aching and your tears flowing. For this reason I give it 4 STARS.

Iris Jordan finds herself in the middle of the Lords of Chaos latest diabolical plan when they mistake her for the Duke of Kyle’s wife and kidnap her. Lucky for her Raphael is there, trying to infiltrate their horrid group rescues her from rape, torture, and possibly death. These men are despicable! Unaware of Raphael’s true intentions, Iris shoots Raphael as he’s trying to get her to safety. Ooops!

Snatching Iris away from the Lords of Chaos as his own was no easy task. To continue the deception Raphael realizes he must marry her to keep her safe. Which is in no way a hardship since he’s longed for Iris from afar for quite some time now. Unfortunately, Raphael believes his tainted line must die with him and, so he plans on the marriage to be in name only. Poor Raphael.

Iris has met Raphael before, they shared a dance and she was fascinated and maybe a little afraid of the man. Just being next to him felt dangerous and thrilling, but she never counted on marrying him! As they get to know each other well in a short period of time, she hopes their marriage can be a love match after all. Raphael may feel responsible for the sins of his father, but Iris has other ideas for the two of them. She’s drawn to him and she knows he’s attracted to her even though he fights it every step of the way. Can she dispel his fears? Add to their dilemmas are the Lords of Chaos scheming to take them out for good.

Iris and Raphael had some obstacles to overcome with their romance, and I loved their journey! Raphael had damage from the past, but Iris was determined to help him to see the light, and prove he was someone worthy of love and happiness. My heart ached for Raphael, so I was happy he had Iris to help with his dark times. Raphael couldn’t resist his desire for Iris and every time they were alone they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Lusty, heated encounters between them crumbled Raphael’s resolve a little more each time.

Duke of Desire was full of passion, peril, and conflicted emotion, but wrapped up so very sweetly! I’ve read and loved the Maiden Lane series, so I’m sorry that this is the last book! Elizabeth Hoyt’s beautiful writing made this series come alive; exciting and daring, making each book a thrilling read! I’m anxious to find out what she plans next!

~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~

Duke of Desire is the 12th book in the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt.

Lady Iris Jordan, a widow, has been kidnapped by the evil Lords of Chaos. Practically at their altar where they intended to have their perverted way with her, she manages to get them to listen to the fact that she isn’t the wife of the Duke of Kyle the woman they thought they had kidnapped. They decide that she still can’t live because she knows too much. That gives her rescuer a perfect opportunity to get her to safety.

Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore is to be her rescuer and he has very personal reasons for wanting to bring down the Lords of Chaos. He has infiltrated the group as one of them, and he cannot let anything happen to Iris. He pleas to the head man to let him have the ‘woman’, insinuating that he will have his way with her then kill her. When he is allowed to take her he then whisks her away to his carriage and to his home.

What follows is the fascinating, exciting, story of how Raphael and Iris deal with what happened to her, how their relationship develops amongst such dreadful times, and how he will do anything in his power to keep her safe. When the Lords of Chaos discover that Raphael hasn’t killed Iris they will both be targets for them. He will do anything, including marrying Iris all in a bid to help keep her safe. All that along with his plans to bring down the Lords of Chaos equals a book that you cannot put down until you have read it all to see how it ends!

I love how Iris brings light to Raphael’s life, how she sees past who he believes he is, sees past his physical flaws that have other women gasping. She is light to his shade, and as much as he rescues her, she also needs to rescue him from his dark thoughts, his misapprehension that he could be evil just like his father who used to be the head of the Lords of Chaos!

This may be the 12th book in this series, but by far I believe it to be the very best. Yes, part of that is because we finally find out who is behind the Lords of Chaos, but it’s also because I loved Iris and Raphael as a couple. I loved the emotion of the story, I cried for Raphael when he told Iris what he had endured in his past. Then I cheered when Iris loved him even more rather than be scared away in disgust as Raphael thought she would. Their physical relationship was off the charts (18+) despite the fact that he didn’t want to have full on sex with her for fear of her falling pregnant. I cannot praise this book enough, and I definitely recommend it. Even read as a standalone book you can fully appreciate and enjoy the story. But to really get that wow impact, especially when it comes to finding out who is behind the Lords of Chaos, reading the other books first will increase your enjoyment of this book tenfold.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers’ copy of this book.

Duke of Desire is the twelfth and final full-length book in Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series and, in my opinion, one of her best. As fans of this series would expect, this is not a light and fluffy tale. Raphael is one of Hoyt's most tortured heroes and one of my favorites. His backstory is complex, compelling, and heartbreaking. When he and Iris meet, he is a broken man with nothing to give, save his name and his protection. He is filled with rage, shame, and a cold determination to bring an end to the debauched evil of the Lords of Chaos once and for all.

It will take a very strong woman, with equal determination, to break through the shell of ice that has hardened around Raphael's heart and soul in the past nineteen years. A woman of goodness and light, with the intelligence, the sensitivity, the tenacity, and the heart to not give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Fortunately, Hoyt has created just such a woman in the character of Iris. Consider Raphael's thoughts on the night they marry:

"She was...different from other women in some way he still was unable to understand. She was more pure, more bright, more golden. She called to him on an animal level. Her song had seeped into his veins, his lungs, and his liver until he could no longer divide her from his marrow."

There are many beautifully written passages in this book. Hoyt breathes life into these complex characters, creating a harrowing story with danger around every corner, a heart-wrenching emotional journey that affected me at a visceral level, and a hard-won triumph of love over evil that filled me with hope and joy. This is a story that is going to stay with me for a long time.

Ever since reading the last Maiden Lane book I have been so excited to get my hands on Duke of Desire so when I got the chance to read this story I was so excited and I dived into this book the minute I could, It was fantastic and surpassed all my expectations.
Watching Iris and Raphael's story play out was just wonderful . We also got to see more of the dreaded evil group the Lords of Chaos and it is frankly terrifying seeing the amount of power this group has. I was at at the edge of my seat seeing how things were going to play out because make no mistake they were put in some serious Life and Death situations in this book.

The way that Elizabeth hoyt was able to balance the swoon-worthy romance and everything going on with the Lords of Chaos so excellently just shows you how talented she is as a writer. Iris and Raphael both have there inner demons Rapheal more than Iris and to be honest and there were many times where I was concerned about them , but love always finds away and they found there way back to each other no matter what happened , Iris and Rapheal got a perfect story together and Iam so happy for them . Duke of Desire is a sexy , addicting ,thrilling, swoonworth historical romance and If you love all these things in your books you should definately get a copy as soon as you can,

The Maiden Lane series has long been one of my favorites in historical romance and this 12th installment had me glued to the pages from beginning to end. I need to tell you before we get too far, though, that this book is dark—darker than anything I have read from Elizabeth Hoyt in the past. That was more than ok with me, and frankly was what I signed up for with a scarred, tortured hero whose father once ran a debauched sex club featuring rape, child abuse, and torture. But still, I’ve seen some reviews that were taken aback by this, so go in with your eyes open.

We were introduced to the Lords of Chaos in earlier books of the series. They are the meat of this story. No Ghost of St. Giles or other Maiden Lane storylines. Raphael, the Duke of Dyemore, is back to take down the sadistic men who his father once led. As the story begins, he has infiltrated the group, posing as one of them, just as Iris has been taken captive. The bad guys think she is the Duke of Kyle’s new wife, and they want to get even with him for trying destroy them. Obviously, she is not Kyle’s wife, but Raphael can’t let her get gang-raped and killed. He spirits her away, intending to save her, but she doesn’t know his intentions and ends up shooting him. He survives, but he offers to marry her so he can keep her safe from the other Lords.

Raphael had a horrible childhood. His dad was a child-rapist. You do the math.

Now he refuses to carry on his family line, afraid of passing on his sick blood to a child. It doesn’t take Iris long to fall for him, despite the huge scar on his face or all of his broody and angst-ridden behavior. She wants their marriage to be one in truth, but he’s just not capable of it. His only mission is to keep her safe long enough to rid the world of the Lords; he doesn’t even expect to live through it all. It’s pretty bleak.

But it’s also amazing. The romantic pull and the sexual tension between these two was off the charts. Raphael hates himself but he grows to love Iris and she is a temptation he just can’t resist. This book gave me so many feels!

I think this may be the last novel in the series, and though it does wrap up the Lords of Chaos arc, it doesn’t feel like a big finale. There are a couple of novellas on the horizon, so maybe they will give me the series closure I need.

Still, I loved this book, in all its angsty tortured-hero glory.

Rating: A-

Duke of Desire is the twelfth, yes twelfth book in the Maiden Lane series. It makes me feel bittersweet to say that this is going to be the last book in the Maiden Lane series. Before I continue on with the review I'd like to say that Elizabeth Hoyt is one of the most amazing authors and she is one of my favourite historical romance authors. I can't wait to read more from her and the entire Maiden Lane series is one of her best works. Now, getting back to Duke of Desire, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Let's start with the Duke in question, the Duke of Dyemore. Raphael is scarred and cynical. He does not mingle in society nor does he care what the society thinks of him. Raphael is on a mission to bring down the Lords of Chaos and destroy them and he will do anything to achieve that. What he does not expect is to fall for Lady Iris. I really liked Raphael. The poor man had a horrible childhood and suffered abuse from the hands of a loved one. This makes him question love and everything along with it.

Lady Iris Jordan does not expect to be kidnapped by the Lords of Chaos nor does she expect to be rescued by Rapheal and then marry him. Duke of Desire follows the classic example of marriage of convenience and it works so well for Iris and Raphael. Iris was a lady who'd been through a lot. She just wanted a husband and a companion whom she could love and cherish. Iris was determined and strong and sometimes stubborn- basically just what Raphael needed.

The romance between Iris and Raphael was swoon worthy. They were sweet together and Iris was definitely not hesitant to speak her mind. Raphael was protective and though he tried to keep his heart out of the relationship he failed. We also get to see a few familiar faces from the previous books here.

One thing to be noted is that Duke of Desire has a much darker undertone as compared to some of the previous Maiden Lane books. It gives the book and its characters more depth. We can see the meaning behind their actions and the circumstances which led them to be the people they are in the present. Elizabeth Hoyt's writing is smooth and highly engaging. Overall, I really enjoyed Duke of Desire.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

oh um I was very kind of bored. I honestly didn't like either of the characters and that surprised me. I always love a scarred hero but he didn't do anything for me.

Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series has had an impressive run, managing to captivate and entertain readers over a dozen uniformly good novels. More recently, she’s seamlessly merged the long-running Ghost of St. Giles storyline into a new mystery surrounding the secretive and depraved Lords of Chaos. This group has plagued Maiden Lane heroes and heroines over the last three books, but in the excellent Duke of Desire, the Lords finally get their comeuppance. Although I’m sad that Duke of Desire represents an end to the series, I’m happy to tell you this last novel is romantic and profoundly moving, and concludes the series on a high note. A note of caution before I continue: The Lords of Chaos are a depraved and sadistic lot who regularly host revels in which their masked members rape and abuse men, women and children. The hero of Duke of Desire is the son of their former leader, and the victimization of children and rape of women drive the narrative in this book.

The story opens in the midst of a revelry hosted by the Lords of Chaos. They’ve kidnapped and held captive the Duchess of Kyle, and on this evening she’s to be violated and sacrificed as a form of revenge on the group’s hunter and nemesis, Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle. Unfortunately, they’ve kidnapped the wrong woman.

Lady Iris Jordan was returning home from Kyle’s wedding when she was forcibly taken from her carriage. Bound, dirty and hungry, she’s terrified of the naked men in masks arrayed around her in the firelight, diverted only after their leader, Dionysus, introduces her as the Duchess of Kyle. She’s quick to correct him, and then listens as a man wearing a wolf mask approaches Dionysus and claims her for himself. Her original kidnapper attempts to intervene and keep her for the group, but Dionysus allows the wolf to take her away after promising to kill her when he’s done. Iris is marched to a carriage and angrily tossed in – but she hasn’t given up on hopes of escape. She frantically searches under the carriage seats for a weapon and when the wolf returns and reveals himself, she shoots him.

Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, has finally infiltrated the Lords and plans to destroy them for good. But he had to abruptly change strategy when he recognized the woman bound before him. Since meeting her at a ball a few short months ago, he hasn’t been able to put Lady Iris Jordan out of his mind. Claiming her for himself is the only way to save her.

Bleeding and hurt from the bullet wound to his shoulder, Raphael explains to Iris that he was only trying to rescue her, and that when the Lords discover she’s alive, she’ll be in even more danger. Desperate to protect her and destroy their common enemy, Raphael, in a desperate solution to buy them more time, proposes they marry. As his wife, he (and his loyal group of bodyguards) can offer Iris protection as he pursues his revenge on the Lords of Chaos. After arriving home, a clergyman is summoned and before Iris quite knows what’s happening, she’s married.

The revelry, escape and marriage happen in the opening chapters of Duke of Desire, and Ms. Hoyt somehow managed to convince this reader that it all made sense. It’s a bit insane and frantic, but much like her heroine, Iris, I decided to go with it and you should too. The marriage provides the means for Ms. Hoyt to unite two souls who belong together. Raphael is tortured by memories of his father (a former Dionysus), and a childhood trauma that scarred him for life. He’s powerful, cold and consumed with plans for revenge on the Lords of Chaos, but he’s also deeply attracted to and affected by Iris and he’s determined to keep her close and safe. Iris was married to an indifferent, older husband and then after his death, she’s lived a quiet life in her older brother’s household. She’s alarmed by her attraction to her husband – a virtual stranger – but something about him calls to her. She’s determined to demand more from this second marriage despite its less than auspicious beginning, and she’s unwilling to meekly follow Raphael’s directions.

As the novel unfolds, Raphael continues his attempts to infiltrate and destroy the Lords of Chaos, but Ms. Hoyt wisely focuses her attention on developing Iris and Raphael as individuals, and then as a romantic couple once it’s clear they’ve fallen for each other. Duke of Desire deals with some heavy subject matter and Raphael’s secrets aren’t your typical romance novel fare – his past is marked by a deeply troubling climatic event, and even after Iris convinces him to reveal his past, he struggles to overcome it. Though Iris hasn’t ‘suffered’ at quite the same level her husband has, she’s still damaged by her past as the wife of an indifferent husband. I found the relationship between these two profoundly moving, and the way they inch towards each other – physically and emotionally – satisfying on every level. Their physical relationship is particularly well done – they have a passionate attraction to each other – and I loved Iris’s willingness to seduce her husband and satisfy her own curiosities about lovemaking. Raphael is overwhelmed by his attraction to Iris, and his futile attempts to resist her bold attempts to seduce him are priceless. He can’t resist her, and when he allows himself to give in… it’s sexy and naughty and wonderful. They’re a terrific match-up and perhaps one of my favorite Maiden Lane pairings.

I won’t spoil who Dionysus is, or reveal how Raphael’s investigation into the Lords of Chaos eventually concludes, except to say the resolution is a bit convoluted, and the final revelation of Dionysus is anticlimactic. After a three novel build-up, and chapters detailing Dionysus’ machinations against Raphael, I wish Ms. Hoyt had spent a bit more time developing the leader and his backstory. We know a bit about his awful history – enough to feel some sympathy for what he’s become – but the ending to this MAJOR storyline is rushed and unsatisfying.

While Duke of Desire is ostensibly about Raphael’s efforts to destroy the Lords of Chaos, it’s the redemptive love affair – passionate, tender and perfect – forged in a desperate attempt to thwart the depraved Lords of Chaos, that, quite rightly, takes centre stage. It shouldn’t work – but it does. He’s damaged, she’s determined, and though the premise of their marriage seems ludicrous, Ms. Hoyt capably navigates their tricky road to happily ever after.

I wanted their story when it was mentioned in the previous books how he watched her.

And here we are, and omg...I mean there are scarred heroes and then there are scarred heroes with some really big issues.

Raphael saves Iris from the Lords of Chaos and marries her to protect her. First the Lords are some crazy evil creeps. Rapist, pedos, murders, sadist. They really need to be wiped out. Raphael's dad was the leader and now he is out to destroy them. So yes, it is quite obvious that something happened and that is why he want them all gone...but what? And why does he have that big scar. I knew the answer would be bad, and so it was. No wonder he has a chip the size of Everest on his shoulders.

But Iris falls for him, and he tries to keep away (yes yes they are married, but hey the Lords wants to rape and kill her. He just wants to protect her, just not get close.)

Not a lot happen in a way. They talk. Someone is after her. And at last the Lords of Chaos will be brought down. I just hope they stay down.

It was hard to warm up to him, mostly because there is dark and then there is dark. Poor guy, I did want to hug him further into the book.

After the wedding of the Duke of Kyle, Lady Iris Jordan is kidnaped by the Lords of Chaos to be offered as sacrifice in their revel. When it comes to light they have taken the wrong woman, one of the men in question will claim her for him.
While rescuing Lady Jordan from the Lords was not in his plans, being shot by the woman was even further in the mind of Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore. Seriously hurt and with the Lords of Chaos hot on their heels, he’ll have to do whatever possible to keep the woman safe.
This is another great story of crime, intrigue and passion. Raphael’s past makes him a brooding, tormented hero, one who’s been nurturing an unimaginable rage while plotting for revenge most of his life. When Iris comes into his life, he tries to protect her at all cost while basking in the light she brings to his obscure existence. It will be this fierce woman task to penetrate his armor and show him there’s more to him than the tainted blood that runs through his veins.
I really enjoyed the drama and mystery involving these characters. The author’s skill shows as she takes us through glimpses of the secrets and torments in Raphael’s life and his motives for revenge while Iris fights to have an actual marriage with the stranger who saved her life. We’ll see how he reluctantly gives in and, in time, ends up building a relationship with his duchess.
IMO, this book is all one looks for in the genre bringing the reader romance, mystery and adventure accompanied by a sensuality that is hard to forget once you’ve finished reading.

All good things must come to an end, and here we are, at the end (almost – I think there are a couple of novellas to follow) of Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series with the twelfth and final full-length novel, Duke of Desire. I’ve read some of the novels and listened to others (and in many cases, done both) and there’s no doubt that Ms. Hoyt has maintained an incredibly high standard of storytelling throughout the series, gifting us with some wonderful stories, plenty of action and adventure, a group of memorable characters – gorgeous, sexy heroes to sigh over and their equally gorgeous and sexy ladies to envy – and her own brand of steamy, earthy and heartfelt romance. Duke of Desire brings us all of those things, although I’ll say now that anyone expecting a big reunion between all the protagonists from the other eleven books is going to be disappointed, because this isn’t that sort of story, and in fact, I’m glad of it. To have brought back all the earlier heroes and heroines would have been too much and actually, rather implausible, and I’m glad that this book concentrates on a new hero and heroine and gives them their chance to shine.
At the end of the previous book, Duke of Pleasure, Iris, Lady Jordan was abducted from the wedding of her friend, the Duke of Kyle. Days later, she finds herself in the middle of some sort of Bacchanalian revel, surrounded by men wearing animal masks – and nothing else – who are intent on using her as a sacrifice. When a chance of escape presents itself, Iris immediately takes it and, still in fear for her life, shoots the man whom, she later learns, had actually been trying to rescue her. He reveals himself (well, his face anyway!) to be Raphael de Chartres, Duke of Dyemore, and explains that he has infiltrated the secret society, the Lords of Chaos, with the intention of exposing their identities and putting an end, once and for all, to their depraved practices. Listeners to earlier books in the series will recall that Dyemore’s father had once been a leader of the Lords, and that in Duke of Pleasure, the Duke of Kyle had been charged by the king to bring down the society and had almost succeeded.
Raphael is badly wounded and instructs his coachman to make for Dyemore Abbey, the home at which he spends as little time as possible because of the horrible memories that await him there. But it’s close and he needs time to recover before he faces the Lords again; he can’t afford to show any weakness if he is to protect Iris from them while he figures out his next move… which, he quickly decides, is to make her his wife. Raphael is surrounded by a group of fiercely loyal servants from Corsica who will defend him to the death, and such loyalty and devotion will automatically be extended to Iris if she is his duchess. With everything happening so quickly, and the threat to her safety a very real one, Iris can’t see any other alternative and agrees, even though this is certainly not the way she’d envisaged ending her widowhood.
The story this revolves around two different elements; Raphael’s self-imposed mission to expose the identities of the Lords of Chaos – a secret society so secret that even its members don’t know each other’s identities –and the developing relationship between Iris and Raphael, which certainly has a lot of obstacles to overcome. Duke of Desire goes to some pretty dark places and the conflict in the relationship arises because Iris had hoped, after a loveless first marriage, to find love and create a family while Raphael, who has been emotionally crippled as the result of terrible childhood trauma, regards himself as the progeny of a monster and has no wish to pass on his tainted genes.
It’s clear from early on that Raphael has been more than half in love with Iris since he first met her, even though he doesn’t realise it. He wants her desperately but refuses to bed her – not only because he doesn’t want to risk creating a child, but because he doesn’t want the intimacy it will likely engender and because he believes he doesn’t deserve to be happy. Iris is most certainly physically attracted to her darkly brooding, sexy husband and is bewildered when he makes it clear that even though he intends to sleep beside her he doesn’t intend to do anything else in bed with her.
But Iris isn’t prepared to forego the things she wants most from life without good reason; she challenges Raphael to allow her to care for him and love him – and to tell her the truths she knows he is holding back. He stubbornly refuses to let her in, fearing he will lose her once she knows what a disgusting creature she has married, and unwilling to taint her by sharing such dark and horrible secrets with her. And while Raphael and Iris are struggling with the nature of their feelings for one another and with the seemingly unsurmountable gulf lying between them, Raphael is getting closer to discovering the identity of the Dionysus – the leader of the Lords of Chaos – and putting an end to the group and its depraved activities once and for all.
Duke of Desire is an intense and gripping story that is firmly focused on the progression of the central relationship while also picking up threads from the previous two books and wrapping them up. I admit that I’m not wild about the “You are so pure; I will not sully you with my filthiness” thing that Raphael has going on, but I enjoyed the story overall even though, as I said earlier, it is quite dark in places, possibly the darkest of all the books in the series. Raphael is a deeply traumatised man, and while he does eventually allow Iris to break through his barriers, it’s clear that he still has a way to go and a lot of adjustments to make if he is to come out the other side. But it’s also clear that with the woman he loves by his side, he’s going to get there.

Duke of Desire is a well-written, compelling story featuring a couple of captivating central characters, a steamy romance and an intriguing plot. Ms. Hoyt has done us proud over the last few years in creating such an enthralling set of stories, and I’m looking forward to whatever she comes up with next.

Grade: B+ / 4.5 stars

For a romance novel, the ending was rather bittersweet and realistic, meaning Raphael’s memories and pain don’t go away forever even though he and Iris are together in the end, have defeated the villain, and resolved the conflicts in their relationship. This novel was fast-paced and easy to read but emotionally difficult. I liked Raphael and Iris very much. They were both so well-drawn and their romance was convincing. Though Raphael wanted to push Iris away, she didn’t give up on him. Their caring for each other was beautiful and powerful and moving. It made me cry in some places. I think Raphael really did fall in love with Iris the first time they waltzed, and this book clearly showed why they were right for each other.

Because of what Raphael went through, he is a rather tragic character, and I think this book would have felt more complete if readers got to see him laugh more and be happy not just in the epilogue. But though Duke of Desire was by far the darkest Maiden Lane novel, it was very good, well-written, and one of the better books in the series. I wish Raphael never had experienced so much trauma in his childhood, and I wish that people in real life would never have to go through what Raphael went through and what he had to do in order to survive. It’s just so sad. When I was reading this, he seemed so vulnerable at times I wanted to care for him too! Beneath his icy exterior, he was really a nice, sweet guy. He was loyal and protective, and I could tell that he loved Iris very much even though he was afraid to.

The saddest part was when he spoke to Iris in the end about his father, but I had hope for him and their future because he was no longer driven by revenge but to seek justice. I like imagining that he could have friendships with the other characters in the Maiden Lane series, such as Hugh, the Duke of Kyle, and Alf and Iris’s other friends. I think the tone of this novel could have been lightened if other characters from the series appeared in it. Either way, it’s still worth reading, if you’re a fan of and invested in the series, and if you’re willing and able to undergo the emotional toll of this book.

DUKE OF DESIRE is the twelfth installment in Elizabeth Hoyt’s adult MAIDEN LANE historical romance series. This is the Duke of Dyemore Raphael de Chartres, and Lady Iris Jordan’s story line. DUKE OF DESIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty . Any important information from previous installments is revealed where necessary. We were first introduced to our heroine in book eleven DUKE OF PLEASURE. Iris is Hugh Fitzroy’s sister.

NOTE: DUKE OF DESIRE contains references to pedophilia, rape, abuse and torture, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from several third person perspectives DUKE OF DESIRE is a story line that focuses on a dark secret within the notable society of Georgian England. Kidnapped just days after her brother’s marriage to Alf, Lady Iris Jordan comes face to face with the evil that permeates the rich and famous-the Lords of Chaos- a group of sick, twisted and perverted aristocratic men who use their power and position to kidnap and destroy the innocent and young. Enter Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore, Iris’s savior, and the man with whom our heroine will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance between Iris and Raphael, and the potential fall-out as Raphael seeks revenge against the Lords of Chaos for destroying his life, and the lives of so many others.

DUKE OF DESIRE is a darker story line that follows the abduction and rescue of our story line heroine, and the subsequent search for the leader of the Lords of Chaos. Raphael is the reluctant Duke of Dyemore but with his father’s death, Raphael assumes more than his rightful place as Duke but that of his father’s membership and mantle within the group that destroyed Raphael’s life.

Iris never thought of herself as a potential target until the Lords of Chaos kidnapped our heroine in a plot against her newly betrothed brother. Her would-be rescuer is familiar; possibly evil but definitely the man with whom Iris would fall in love. Raphael wants nothing to do with consummating his marriage while our heroine struggles to seduce a man who isn’t willing to play along. The $ex scenes are intimate although Raphael battles too many demons, and memories from his past making for some heartbreaking moments between our newly married couple.

DUKE OF DESIRE is an emotional read about one man’s struggle to move on from the past. Raphael’s need for revenge is all consuming to the point of suicidal actions that could very well end his life, as well as the life of the woman with whom he is falling in love. The premise is sensitive, dramatic and tragic; the characters are broken, strong, passionate and intense; the romance suffers with one man’s inability to let go of the past.

My only concern is the cover image that does not match our hero’s horrific physical scars.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

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I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This series is one that I've been following for a long time and overall have really enjoyed. In the last book in the series, The Duke of Pleasure, we met Lady Iris Jordan, a friend to Hugh , the Duke of Kyle. Iris thought that she might marry Hugh because of their friendship and their common values. After Hugh finds Alf though, Lady Jordan is kidnapped on the way home from attending their wedding. The Lords of Chaos believe her to be the new Duchess Kyle, and have kidnapped her to strike back at Hugh for his involvement in trying to bring down the Lords. Once the Duke of Dyemore (Raphael) sees her there though he knows he must save her. He had infiltrated their revels to overthrow the whole group, as even though his father once led them he can not stand the thought of their existence. To protect Iris,  Raphael marries her. He doesn't expect to fall in love with her though, and he tries to keep her separate so that she won't be tainted by the darkness that consumes his family. Iris is determined that he won't keep her at bay though, and she's ready to fight for their relationship in a way Dyemore never expected.
Overall I liked this book. I thought it was a good addition to the series and I liked hearing Iris's story after being introduced to her in the last book. She was brave and proud (in a good way) and so generous with Raphael with her love. Raphael's story was fairly tragic and it made me quite sad but it turned out alright and Iris was able to kind of save him in a way. Which is fairly common for the Maiden Lane series actually but not a common theme for romance novels. I have said this in previous posts but Hoyt does an amazing job of making the reader fall in love with a flawed man or at times even a villain. This book stays true to that idea, Raphael is a very damaged person but the reader will end up rooting for him to find love. This was a good book for the series, and even though it wasn't my favorite in the series I still enjoyed it!

On the surface, Duke of Desire seems like a much more traditional historical romance than yesterday’s Someone to Wed. In this latest entry in Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series the hero and heroine fall into the standard pattern. He rescues her from grave physical danger. And she, in turn, saves him from the Stygian darkness he believes is inside his own soul.

But the terror that hides in the shadows of those Stygian depths is one that was not spoken of in traditional historical romances. The scarred Duke of Dyemore was the victim of child sexual abuse, at the hands, and other body parts, of his own father. It’s the kind of horror that never truly goes away, even after the death of its perpetrator.

Raphael’s father was the leader of one of the Hellfire Clubs that sometimes appear in historical romance and historical fiction. The Lords of Chaos are demons in human form, and Raphael is determined to bring them down.

But when the Lords kidnap Lady Iris Jordan in the mistaken belief that she is the new wife of their enemy the Duke of Kyle. (His story is told in last year’s Duke of Pleasure), Raphael risks his mission to save her. Iris is not the new Duchess, however she is a friend of Kyle’s. But she’s not the Lords intended victim, and Raphael makes use of the confusion to claim her for himself, right out from the Lords’ disgusting clutches.

Then Raphael’s spur-of-the-moment rescue goes completely awry when Iris shoots him, believing, and understandably so under the circumstances, that he is whisking her away to rape her in private before murdering her.

It is not an auspicious beginning for any relationship. They manage to straight out the mess before he succumbs to his wound. He recovers just enough to bully the local priest into marrying them. She will need the protection of his name to survive the storm that is coming, even if he doesn’t manage to live through her amateur attempt at surgery and the infection that follows.

What he’s not admitting is that he has been thinking of Iris for months, after they danced together once at a ball, and that as much as he believes that she is not for him, he can’t resist the opportunity to keep her for himself now that it has been tossed into his lap.

Iris, the widow of a cold man many years her senior, was hoping for a real marriage on her second time around, one with the possibility of children and even, at least, respect between herself and her husband.

What she has is Raphael, a devastating sexy man, in spite of the horrific scar that mars his face, who is determined to get himself killed in his vendetta against the Lords of Chaos. And who is equally determined not to sire any children before he meets the end he feels he deserves.

It’s up to Iris to probe the darkness that surrounds him, and give him a reason to survive his very necessary fight. Her battle often seems much more difficult than his.

But the rewards should be worth the pain. As long as they both survive.

Escape Rating B+: This was another book that I simply swallowed whole and very quickly. I really enjoyed its riff on the “Beauty and the Beast” tale, including the lovely alternate version of the fairy tale that is included in the chapter headers.

One of the themes underlying the story is about making one’s own choices about the course of one’s life, even if the beginning is in hell. Both the hero and the villain are sons of the previous generation of the Lords of Chaos. As a boy, Raphael chose escape by any means necessary, no matter how terrible. As an adult, he’s chosen to fight back. Instead, his enemy broke, and ended up wallowing in the evil that had broken him. Raphael certainly feels a bit of “there but for the (very questionable in this case), grace of G-d go I.”

It may be a bit of Stockholm Syndrome, but Iris does fall in love with Raphael a tad conveniently. They are effectively trapped together by the Lords’ enmity, and their marriage does make a certain amount of sense, but Iris is all in from very early on – more than just making the best of the situation. And she puts up with some unconscionable behavior on Raphael’s part.

Because he believes he isn’t worthy of love, and that he should never have children for fear that he might become like his father, the early parts of their relationship often feature Raphael at war with himself. He plays a vast game of “come here go away” because he needs Iris and wants her and doesn’t believe he should let himself care for her. So he regularly exhibits the care he believes he shouldn’t feel, and then pushes her away.

She fights back at every turn, as she needs to. But it would be exhausting in real life.

The danger to Iris is very real. The Lords of Chaos are all around them, planning to kill both Iris and Raphael (after raping Iris first, of course) so that they can maintain their secret den of vice, debauchery and murder with no one the wiser of their real identities. Raphael is a threat to their existence, and he must be stamped out.

As the jackals circle closer, Raphael must finally put some of his trust in someone else, and must admit that whether he is worthy of love or not, it has found him anyway, and it is worth preserving at all costs.

It is a difficult but ultimately satisfying lesson, for Raphael, for Iris, and for the reader.

Reviewer’s note: While we all enjoy seeing handsome heroes on the covers of romance novels, the inaccuracy of this particular cover is a bit jarring. Raphael has a terrible scar from above his eyebrow to the side of his mouth. That scar and the reasons for it are part of his story, his pain, his courage, and his redemption. A judicious use of Photoshop would have gone a long way on this cover.

Duke of Desire jumps right into the thick of things, with Iris, the Lady Jordan, kidnapped four days ago as she departed from the Duke of Kyle’s wedding. She is currently bound on an alter in front of the masked Lords of Chaos who are arguing over Iris’s identity, confusing her with the new Duchess of Kyle.

Raphael, Duke of Dyemore, is working to infiltrate and eliminate the atrocious Lords of Chaos, the group his father once proudly ruled. Seeing the innocent Lady Jordan held captive on his own lands pushes him to take action. Demanding she be his to use, he hauls her away, in an effort to save her. However as circumstances become dangerous for Iris and Raphael, he insists marriage is the only way he can protect her.

As a late-comer to the wonderful Maiden Lane series, I was sad to learn that Duke of Desire is the last novel in this delightful world. While this book isn’t my favorite of the series, it puts some issues to rest and leaves readers with a happily-ever-after epilogue. I enjoyed the story, but I felt the plot revolving around the Lords of Chaos and Raphael’s revenge overshadows the romance.

Iris is a strong woman and wonderful character. She’s a different type of heroine from many that I normally read. Rather than push to get her way, she decides she shall convince and plot. Rather than stand up, she goes along, keeping faith and hope she’ll turn things around. She knows what she wants, and is willing to temporarily “settle” for less, with the hope she will get through Raphael’s defenses eventually. Not that she’ll wear him down, but rather that she’ll help him realize there is more to life than revenge. But her nature causes her to appear complacent at times, and I wanted to her to fight harder for herself and those she cares about. It’s a good thing I’m not Iris, or the author, or I’d have ended up pushing Raphael away permanently!

Raphael was left emotionally, physically, and mentally damaged by his father and a horrific childhood. Even though his aunt was able to help him escape the dangers at home, Raphael’s memories will never let him rest. His mind is warped; convinced he will end up a monster like his father. While Raphael’s behaviors and attitude are probably genuine and possibly even a bit tame for someone who suffered as he did, it seemed to overwhelm the story. I wouldn’t want an author to ever minimize abuse or its life-long impacts; but I wanted more dimension from Raphael, instead of a man so focused on the negative in his life. Again, it’s not the author’s fault, it’s just my preference.

In the end, Duke of Desire is another delightful tale set in Ms. Hoyt’s historic England. Filled with robust intrigue, a sweeping plot, and steamy encounters, the book brings to close an overarching plotline, while allowing Iris and Raphael time to get their HEA.

B+

Well I have read and reviewed a bunch of Elizabeth Hoyt's books in the past few years and I have loved the books in this series so far.

Duke Of Desire is book number 12 in the Maiden Lane series and unfortunately, it is the last book (not counting the next 2 novellas that are coming out soon as well).

I very much enjoyed this book and I couldn't put it down. I did find some scenes a little rushed but other than that this book was very well done.

I do recommend this book and I do recommend you start reading this series from the very beginning.

I give this 4 out of 5

The twelfth, and last, full length novel in the Maiden Lane series features a marriage of convenience, a physically and emotionally scarred hero and a strong, stubborn heroine.

The hero of Duke of Desire is Raphael de Chartres, the Duke of Dyemore. He, and his heroine,  were briefly introduced in the previous installment, Duke of Pleasure. Raphael’s entire life is focused on one goal… to end the Lords of Chaos. He will do whatever it takes, and that includes sacrificing himself. Infiltrating the evil group is easy, after all his father was once the leader, but once he realizes that the Lords have mistakenly kidnapped Lady Iris Jordan, he knows he must intervene and rescue her.

Iris Jordan has no idea what is going on. One minute she is attending a good friend’s wedding, the next she’s been kidnapped and forced into some kind of naked, torture, sex ritual. Then suddenly she is thrown over the shoulder of a nude man wearing a mask and forced into a carriage. In defense of her life she takes the gun she found conveniently under the seat and shoots her next would-be assailant…. only to learn that he is actually her savior. What he says next will change her entire life. Marriage? To a man she knows nothing about other than his name and what he looks like naked.

Focusing entirely on the Lords of Chaos and their downfall, Duke of Desire finishes off the Maiden Lane series with a brutal, terrible storyline. I mean yes, we all knew the Lords were into some disgusting, evil things, but damn. Seriously. Raphael is the very definition of a terrorized, scarred, broken hero. From the moment he rescues Iris and takes her back to his home, marrying her in order to save her from his enemies, you just KNOW that his father and the Lords damaged him in ways that he might never recover from. You aren’t quite sure what exactly happened, but from the peeks into the Lord’s leader Dionysius’s mind and what goes on in the revels, you already knows it is going to be horrific.

He and Iris’s marriage is built entirely upon his need to keep her safe. I said it was convenience up top, but that’s really not it. He wants her yes, but he tells her upfront that he will never consummate their marriage, because he doesn’t want to spread his evil DNA around. Iris isn’t about to be stuck in another loveless, affectionless marriage though. Raphael is reckless with his own safety, and once he divulges the truth of his childhood she can’t but feel anger and sadness on his behalf, but she also desires her husband and sees a goodness in him.

The pacing to their relationship felt a little weird to me. Too slow at times, too fast at others. I don’t even know how to describe it. Raphael had so much darkness and evil to deal with, that I almost think he and Iris could have used about 100 more pages to fully develop an intimate relationship. Maybe it was because this storyline seemed so much darker than others in this series, the hero so intractable and standoffish. I don’t know. I did like that Iris stood her ground and didn’t let Raphael push her away time and again. I felt the chemistry between this couple, so maybe the wanting them to slow down at the sex part was all in my head because I knew how much it would mess Raphael up mentally. In the end, I really did like this couple and especially enjoyed the glimpse into their HEA to see what it looked like.

I honestly can’t believe that we’ve reached the end of this series. Well, there is one more novella planned next month, but I’m pretty sure that will bring this series to a close. I’ve long been a fan of the Maiden Lane series and Ms. Hoyt and I’m a bit sad to have to say goodbye. There has been some ups and downs, books and characters I’ve loved more than others, but as a whole this series will be one I recommend time and again to Historical Romance lovers. I am super excited to see what Ms. Hoyt moves onto next.

Favorite Quote:

He wanted her. 
Past reason. Past honor and good taste. Past his own vows and the things me must see done in this life. Perhaps this was madness.

A far different tone and weight than earlier titles in the series, Holt is telling the story of Raphael de Chartres, Duke of Draymore. Scarred, aloof and determined to bring down the Lords of Chaos once and for all, he’s a rather anti-heroic hero, and full of trauma and pain from his past. Believing that the Lords had been disbanded, everyone in society had breathed a sigh of relief until a new leader is chosen, one believed to be more ruthless and unconcerned with society’s censure than ever before.
When Lady Iris Jordan discovers she is the target of their next plot, and is hied off to a carriage by a man, the story starts. Unfortunately for Iris, her story almost stalls here, and while she is determined to play a part in Raphael’s investigation, and has agreed to marry him despite his not really wanting a relationship, particularly not with someone who won’t do his bidding, her story and character becomes a sort of window dressing: always there, constant, allowing Raphael’s story and struggle to take center stage.

And Raphael’s story is a traumatic one: scarred and closed off from much real emotion BUT anger and his desire to do something major, a childhood of sexual and emotional abuse stalled and hindered his well-being, and his attraction to Iris was like a plant turning to the sun – he wanted it, but at a distance. Unfortunately he was so broken and closed off for so much of the book that interactions (what few there were) that could be considered ‘romantic’ and allow the development of true feelings between Iris and he were few, and lacked much of the quick-fire banter, flintiness and lightness of Hoyt’s previous works. Yes, I understand this is a new character with plenty of baggage and a little black cloud that seems to follow him, but even Iris’ attempts to show him (as telling wasn’t even close to acceptable) that she was in his corner, wanted to be there and he was worth having that didn’t make much of an impression. Sadly, the balance of issues with hope and light was off, and the pacing in the first and second halves of the book were uneven, leaving me with conflicted feelings. Hoyt gave us a character in Raphael who was palpable and developed, with enough issues to warrant empathy and sympathy, but he didn’t move from that aloof and suspicious man until far too late. And Iris never really grabbed me: it would take a strong and determined woman, one not afraid of conflict and willing to push, prod and insert herself, challenging his reserve and remove – and she never quite hit those marks.

An interesting installment that diverges greatly from others in the series, and works well on its own as none of the other characters from this world of Maiden Lane appear or move their own earlier stories forward in this one. The highlight for me in this book was Raphael and his own struggles with a past and present that were not the easiest, and his determination to move on, if not exactly forward.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9nX/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>