A Devil of a Duke
Book 2 of the Decadent Dukes Society series features intriguing characters as the plot develops around a duke and a thief. Gabriel the Duke learns what love is and Amanda the thief learns she is not a thief at heart. These lessons are learned as Amanda and Gabriel find out the reasons behind the thefts. Also in the mix is Amanda’s mother - - a character that I simply could not like. The book is yet another great read in the series.

A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter is book Two in the Decadent Dukes Society series. This is the story of Gabriel St. James, Duke of Langford and Amanda Waverly. I have read the previous book but feel this can easily be a standalone book.
Amanda was born into a family of thieves and was taught the trade but around 12 years old her mother realized that her daughter Amanda didn't want that life of thieving and would only hold them back. So she send Amanda off to school...there she was educated and became a ladies companion. Then Amanda went on to become a secretary for a eccentric women who also introduced her to other women to help. But her past comes back to her in the form of her mother being held against her will and Amanda has to gather certain items to send as ransom to set her mother free.
Gabriel doesn't bother with the town nor what they say about him but when a story comes out about how he is not concerned of the welfare of his people and careless of the title he moves forward to do better.
Gabriel and Amanda have instant attraction but Amanda is living a double life to maintain her day job and to steal the items to satisfy the ransom.
I loved reading their story.

In A Devil of a Duke, the second book in Madeline Hunter’s Decadent Dukes Society series, attention turns to the roguish, devilishly handsome ladies’ man Gabriel St. James, Duke of Langdon, who is inadvertently entangled in the hunt for a thief and blackmailer when he becomes intent on the seduction of a young woman he encounters at a masked ball. The premise is intriguing and while cross-class romances can be difficult to pull off, Ms. Hunter has done so before and I had confidence she would do so here – but while I’ve enjoyed a number of her books, this one just didn’t work for me. For one thing, I’m suffering slightly from ‘duke fatigue’ – it seems that nine out of ten historical romance heroes these days are dukes and it’s something of an understatement when I say that I’m getting just a little bit tired of them – and for another, the story simply failed to draw me in and hold my attention. The pacing, especially in the first half, is very slow, there is hardly any chemistry or emotional connection between the principals and their relationship is based entirely on physical attraction, and never goes beyond that.

Amanda Waverly is something of an oddity – a female secretary. Employed by the eccentric Lady Farnsworth at a time when even ladies were supposed to have male secretaries, Amanda has worked for the lady for five months and has proved herself to be extremely competent and able to handle whatever task she is assigned. But Amanda is living a lie. The daughter of jewel thieves, Amanda’s father abandoned her and her mother some years ago after a job-gone-wrong, and not long after that, her mother left after enrolling Amanda in a good school. Now, Mrs. Waverly has fallen into the hands of a man who is blackmailing Amanda into pulling jobs for him in order to guarantee her mother’s safety. His latest demand is that Amanda must steal an item of great value from the home of Sir Malcolm Nutley, which is located not too far from the British Museum. The house is very securely closed up and gaining entry is going to be difficult – but Amanda cannot bear the thought of letting her mother come to harm, so over the next couple of days, she conceives a daring plan. Learning that the house next door to Sir Malcolm’s is owned by the younger brother of the Duke of Langdon, she determines to seduce the young man and then to break in to the house next door by means of a second-floor window at the side while he lies sated and asleep in bed. The trouble is, that when Amanda tries to get close to Lord Harry St. James at a masked ball, he is unresponsive and obviously uncomfortable with her interest and attempts at flirtation – and it’s the other St. James brother with whom she finds herself on the darkened terrace.

Gabriel St. James is a somewhat stereotypical hero; rich, handsome and charming, he’s cut a dash through the beds of half the females in London, and is starting to find his rather carefree lifestyle a bit on the dull side. But he is immediately intrigued by the masked shepherdess who had so clearly been trying to ingratiate herself with his brother, and determines to find out more. Her speech and quick wit indicate she is well-educated and while not of the ton, is unlikely to be a member of the demimonde; and her obvious spirit and lack of reverence for his station pique his pride, his interest, and his lust. Stealing a kiss from the woman does nothing to quench his desire, and he suggests an assignation the following evening… at his brother’s house.

That is, of course, exactly what Amanda had been angling for, but she is unprepared for the intensity of the desire Langdon stirs deep inside her, and can’t help regretting that her scheme requires her to forego the sensual pleasure she has no doubt she would find in his arms.

The first part of the story is, as I said before, rather slow to unfold as Amanda practices her deception on Langdon while at the same time being unable to resist him. However, when his brother – a studious young man – informs him of a theft of an extremely valuable ancient artefact from the British Museum and the even more recent theft of something similar from the house next door to his, Langdon begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together and is, of course, furious when he realises he has been duped. While I would normally be praising an author for taking the time to develop the romance in her story, here, I just wanted things to get moving in terms of the plot. In spite of Amanda’s unusual upbringing, she’s not a particularly interesting character, and I wasn’t impressed by the way she so often ignores her own good advice and instincts. She decides to meet Langton against her better judgement; she decides to go to bed with him against her better judgement but hey, his reputation means he must know how to show a girl a good time, so why not? Langdon is your typical man-whore who is felled by love – or so we’re told, but I never felt it. For sure, he wants to help Amanda when he discovers the truth and really goes out on a limb for her – but even so, I never believed he was doing it all out of love. In fact, even the insta-lust is barely felt and there is no element of sexual tension present at all. Quite honestly, I didn’t care for either protagonist, and not connecting with the hero and heroine is the death-knell to any romance. The lack of chemistry between them just compounds the book’s flaws and made it extremely easy to walk away from.

The second half of the story, in which Amanda and Langdon work together to discover who is behind the blackmail and to rescue Amanda’s mother, proceeds at a much livelier pace and is far more engaging, but it comes too late to save the book from the middling grade I’ve awarded it. The best part of the novel is the friendship Ms. Hunter has created between the three dukes, which is full of bonhomie and manly teasing, but which, when push comes to shove, is the sort of bond which would see each man do absolutely anything for the other two.

As one would expect of such an experienced author, the writing flows easily, although I could have done without lines like “… she screamed into the night while her moisture flowed.” Just – no.

Uneven pacing, unmemorable characters and a romance that lacked even the smallest of sparks meant A Devil of a Duke proved to be a devil of a struggle to get through – and I can’t recommend it.

Intrigue, secrets, deception, lies, all lead to adventure, love found in a completely unconventional place and a wonderful happy ending that made me cry. It took me a while to get into this story, but I never gave up on it and finally found the spark I was looking for. It is an interesting plot and fleshed out story.

3.75*

The second book in the Decadent Dukes series brings us the story of Gabriel St. James, Duke of Langford, and Amanda Waverly, a secretary whose parents were thieves and taught her the trade – until she didn’t want to do it anymore.

Gabriel never really believed in getting married – or actually loving someone. Love for him was just an infatuation that would eventually disappear – until he met Amanda Waverly. As a simple secretary, Amanda was happy with her life, at least in most aspects. That is, until she is blackmailed to do something that could get her in jail…. or worse.

I really liked Gabriel, he was dashing and sweet, more than your regular roguish duke. He was helpful, and always there for Amanda, almost no questions asked. Amanda, on the other hand, wasn’t one of my favourite characters. I liked how she was with the ladies that wrote the Parnassus (a newspaper of sorts) but I didn’t like how she handled the situation that actually got her in danger. At the end of the book, however, she was way more likeable.

It was a pleasure to reunite with the other dukes, both Stratton and Brentworth as such amazing characters, and I can’t wait to read Brentworth’s story – I have a feeling it’s going to be the best of the series.

The plot was interesting, with theft, blackmail, and love all in the mix, but because I couldn’t connect so much with the main female character, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous one. But I still recommend it, it’s a book with a good and strong hero, good friends that back up the whole story and keep the plot going by keeping the main characters mostly in line and, in the end, it’s a pleasurable read.

I really liked this historical read! Gabriel is a Duke, and a rake but he is also an older brother to Harry who is nursing a broken heart. Amanda is a secretary to Lady Farnsworth and the daughter of thieves. When her mother gets into trouble, Amanda is the only one who can save her unfortunately her plan to seduce Harry doesn’t work, luckily Gabriel is happy to step in. This is a fun and entertaining read; the characters are great and their chemistry is steamy. I was hooked from beginning to end.

A Devil of a Duke
by Madeline Martin
This is the 2nd in the series of the Decadent Dukes Society.

The story of three dukes that became friends as boys at school.
This book is Gabriels story the Duke of Langford and the woman that captures his heart the unconventional Amanda Waverly, who was trained as a thief by her parents, but she’s trying to be better than the legacy her parents left for her, she’s trying to do her best stay on the right path. Langford is a Duke in the upper crust of society.
Amanda is making her way in the world as a secretary but she needs to finish with a blackmailer who is threatening her mother’s life. She needs to save her mother then leave England. She never expected to fall for the enigmatic Duke. I enjoyed reading about Langford and Amanda's relationship she had secrets and he stepped up to the plate by being the man she needed regardless of their difference in stations and how they overcome the obstacles facing them.

I really enjoyed reading about Gabriel and Amanda they had such chemistry and I enjoyed watching him being a man only thinking of himself to a man worthy of her love. I can’t wait for the next book!

I received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/kensington books in exchange for my honest review.

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed the interplay between Gabriel and Amanda. There story seems hopeless at times which makes the story poignant, but I wished for something more from the grand gesture at the end.

THE STORY: Gabriel St. James, Duke of Langford is used to getting what he wants. When he meets a mysterious woman who is willing to meet with him but doesn't want to reveal anything about herself, Gabriel is intrigued and determined to uncover her secrets. Amanda Waverly is being forced into a double life. She is acting the respectable secretary to a society matron while plotting thefts. When she gets tangled up with Langford, she fears that everything will collapse around her.

OPINION: I enjoyed this book because of the couple. Gabriel and Amanda are a prickly couple. She has lot of secrets and he is determined to find out everything about her. I liked that she outsmarts him in the beginning and that he is ultimately willing to risk everything for her.

The book manages to have more fun than I expect because it operates on the fringes of society. Amanda is desperate but determined to do what she can to protect her loved ones. I thought that she was foolish for doing so much, but it also shows her kind heart. And her kindness is an essential part of her character along with her cleverness.

The weakness of this book for me was that we never really get to see Gabriel's inner decisions regarding Amanda. He ultimately risks everything for her, but I suppose I wanted to see his turmoil or hear him verbalize more. The grand romantic moment was a bit muted for me as a result.

But I enjoyed these characters matching wits and I really liked Amanda's character.

WORTH MENTIONING: I'm hoping we will eventually get to know more about Harry and Emilia.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A DEVIL OF A DUKE is the second book in the Decadent Dukes Society. Although there are some overlapping characters, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Entertaining from beginning to end, A Devil of A Duke made me remember why I love stories by Madeline Hunter!! Amanda Waverly is trying to get her life together Working as a secretary to Lady Farnsworth she feels respectability is within her reach. That is until she finds out her mother needs her help, she has to go back to the criminal life as a thief at night to raise funds.
Our hero, Gabriel, the Duke of Landford has come to be know for his wastrel life. Wanting to take a seat in the House of Lords, he tries to become more serious and starts to think about his life. An unexpected encounter at a masked ball between Amanda and Gabriel, has her using him to acquire the object she is searching for to steal! She is very attracted to him (did I mention he was a handsome rake?) and he is enchanted by her but they do not know each other's names at this point. Gabriel is determined to find out who she is but watching the passion that erupts between the two is sizzling!! Can a thief and an high member of society ever be together? How does Amanda save her mother? I loved this story and although this can be read as a standalone, I intend to go back and read the first book! Don't miss this wonderful tale, sure to keep you thinking about it after you turn the last page!!

This book was ... boring. I'm not entirely sure what story Hunter wanted to tel here, but I couldn't really discern one through the fog of words. Out of respect for an author I normally really enjoy, I will not be sharing this review on social media.

A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter, book two in the Decadent Dukes Society series. I would consider this a regency romance with some mystery put in. I haven't read the first book in this series but I believe this book is still enjoyable as a standalone. A intriguing storyline and character that keep pulling you back to read more about. I look forward to read more books by Madeline Hunter.

This book was well written as was the other two in this series. This one may have left a few loose ends which may bother some. The characters were well developed but the romance was not as clearly recognized. If you, have read the others you should read if not it can be read as a stand alone.

I received a electronic ARC in exchange for a review.
Another great story from Madeline Hunter! I couldn't put it down.
What do you do when you think you've been used by someone to commit a crime? You hunt them down of course. What ensues is an entertaining battle of wits between the Duke of Langford and Amanda Waverly. When the Duke discovers that Amanda is being blackmailed into stealing things, he and his friends do what they can to help her save her mother.
Overall, a well developed story with a happily ever after with the intrigue of a "mystery woman" thrown in. Well worth the read!

Its always exciting to pick up the second book in a new series, especially when you thoroughly enjoyed the first installment. The Most Dangerous Duke in London is not a required read if you want to indulge in this decedent tale but I highly recommend picking it up. It’s a great introduction to our hero and some of the other side characters in addition to being a great read. This newest book by Ms. Hunter is a well paced, sensual adventure with a touch of mystery sure to keep you entertained from beginning to end.

Gabriel St James, the Duke of Langford, is so good at seducing women he surprises himself sometimes. He is wickedly sensual and not nearly as discreet as he should be when it comes to his love affairs. Matchmaking Mama’s and lonely widows alike flock to his side for a taste of his wickedness. But his adventures through the bedrooms of London are becoming stale and after an article published in a local ladies’ periodical bashes his lifestyle and his character, he vows to change his public image. But then he meets temptation personified in Amanda Waverly.

Amanda might seem like the simple secretary to a notable Lady of influence but she is far, far more. With those she loves in danger, Amanda must revert back to a lifestyle she has spent the last few years trying to escape. Danger surrounds her and the last thing she needs is a fierce attraction to a devilish Duke who could discover her secrets….

Having met Gabriel in the previous novel in this series, I was very happy to see him get his own story and be pitted against a heroine like Amanda. They have instant chemistry and I love the way Ms. Hunter builds the sensual tension between them as the story progresses. He might be trying to redeem himself but Amanda makes him a little crazy and he knows she is hiding something from him. I usually get a little tired of heros who are your typical womanizer and somehow manage to be tamed and settle down once they find the right woman. Gabriel has more to his personality which gave him more dimension than other characters I have encountered. Let’s just say I was relieved to like him as much as I did.

Amanda is a different type of heroine than I am normally introduced to so that was also a pleasant addition to a story I enjoyed. I love that she is a master criminal with a less than squeaky clean past and a personality to match. She personifies the strong, determined female lead that I usually gravitate to and gives the reader some fun and adventure with the romance and mystery. If you like a heroine that you feel you haven’t read about a million times, this book is totally for you.

Overall, this is one late regency-era love story you need to add to your reading list this spring. While you are at it, add the first book in the series to that list and maybe a few others by Ms. Hunter… promise you won’t regret it!

~ Danielle

when gabriel, duke of langford crosses paths with miss amanda waverly in a devil of a duke he barely registers what he sees. later he will remember this moment and know that even then she pulled at him. but it's the second time they encounter each other that is truly memorable. it's part manipulation, part desire. the way they connect and come together is all flame and moths and out of control chemistry.

amanda has secrets. getting entangled with gabriel is not conducive to her end goal. but she finds she can't stay away. even when she wants to. and soon enough he is embroiled in her schemes and it's all so complicated. except for that chemistry.

i really loved gabriel and amanda's relationship. i loved how he treats her as an equal. how he loves her without regard to her social status. she challenges him. she makes him better. it's just a delight to spend time with these two.

**a devil of a duke will publish on april 24, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/kensington books (zebra) in exchange for my honest review.

** Rating 3.5 stars rounded up **

The writing in this book is excellent and while it is part of a series, it can totally be read as a stand-alone book. I liked all of the characters in the book, but I especially liked the Decadent Dukes as well as the hero and heroine. The premise of the book is a good one and it is unique – which is a good thing when so many stories are just different versions of the same premise. However, what I couldn’t buy was a marriage between a rich and powerful duke and the daughter of a pair of thieves. I like the idea, but for that period of time, it just isn’t something I could buy. Yes, the author did mention that he’d still be accepted by society but she’d be cut. It doesn’t mention any care and/or concern for their children’s future in society and how they’d be treated. I don’t know – if her parents were still thieves, but she was the granddaughter of an earl or viscount or baron or something, then maybe I could buy it. I guess overall it just felt more like modern mores rather than 1800’s.

Gabriel St. James, Duke of Langford, is a rake of the first order and he is convinced that he doesn’t care what society thinks of him. However, that isn’t necessarily true because an article was written about him a year ago – and it really rankles. It accused him of not caring about his duties and responsibilities, etc. While it didn’t name him directly, he knew it was definitely about him. So, he had been doing a bit of clean-up in his life – he’d even started attending sessions of Parliament more and there were a couple of bills that he’d even become impassioned about. He was still a rake – but he was doing better – and he probably did care at least a little about what society thought of him.

Amanda Waverly thought she was free from her former life. Her parents were thieves and they had taught her all of those skills as a child– lock-picking, stealth, pick-pocketing, high work, etc., but she had rebelled at a very young age. She wanted no part of that life. Once her mother recognized that she wanted no part of the life and that she would be more of a hindrance than a help, she sent Amanda off to a very good school. Amanda had little contact with her mother from that point (about age twelve) forward. After she was through with school, she worked as a companion to a couple of ladies in the country before coming to London getting a position as secretary (a man’s position) to an eccentric older lady. She was exceedingly successful in her position and her employer introduced her to her ladies society and asked her to take on some secretarial duties for them as well.

Life rarely goes smoothly for a long period of time – and Amanda’s was certainly no exception. Her past stepped in to exact a high price from her. Her mother is being held prisoner and her life is in danger if Amanda doesn’t procure (read that as steal) certain objects and forward them to the person holding her mother hostage. While they haven’t been close – she is Amanda’s mother – so Amanda does as she is told. She’s successfully liberated one item – her next one may be a little trickier.

In order to liberate the second item, she needs access to the house next door to the home where the item resides. Her best option is to seduce (or appear to) the owner of the home, but she is thoroughly thwarted when she tries to do that. The owner’s brother steps in and he is the smooth, seductive, devastatingly handsome Gabriel St. James. He propositions her with an assignation and she creatively gets him to set the assignation at the home of his brother.

That sets up a wild ride of a story. Amanda fascinates Gabriel for so many reasons – most of them centering around the fact that she is totally unimpressed that he is a duke. She sets rules for the assignations that preclude any intimacies – and he can’t believe he agrees to them. He is obsessed with her and he doesn’t even know her name. How can he find her? How can he make her want him as much as he wants her? I like that it takes place over a longer period of time.

I really like that the heroine is strong – definitely NOT a doormat. She takes her future into her own hands and sets her plan in action. The Duke and his buddies interfere, but she still doesn’t end up blubbering – she just amends her plan, includes the Duke and off they go.

I thought the resolution was just a tad too quick and easy – and the bad guys really didn’t get any punishment at all. I always like to see the villains punished.

Overall, I thought the writing was excellent and the story was unique and enjoyable – it just thought it was a bit too far-fetched.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

This is book #2 of the Decadent Dukes series, but can be read as a atand-alone story.
At a masquerade party, Gabriel St. James, the Duke of Langford, notices a woman trying to attract his brother's attraction. His brother (Lord Harry), who appeared in book #1 is unhappy for having been dumped and is not interested in any other lady. Gabriel, protective as he is of his younger brother, goes for his rescue and ends up meeting a lady who intrigues him, but doesn't tell him her name.
Amanda Waverly is after Lord Harry at the masquerade party because she is interested in his house - as a mean of access to a neighbor's house. Amanda has been blackmailed to steal ancient objects, by someone who holds her mother captive. Meeting the duke interferes with her initial plan, still she is able to get an assignation with the duke two nights later.
I enjoyed this book very much and was happy to see Ms. Hunter back at her best. Gabriel and Amanda's relationship is at balance with the blackmail plot and things are not solved out in a hurry at the end. Despite Gabriel being too conceited at the beginning, he turns up to be caring and attentive along the book. Amanda is a nice character too - different from Clara, from book #1, whom I couldn't stand.
I'm looking forward to book #3 and, perhaps, a novella with Lord Harry and his Emilia!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before writing this review, I went back and read what I wrote for the first in the series, which I really enjoyed. This was a letdown in comparison, for me. The writing is still very good, but most aspects of the story feel like the lesser version of the first series. The main characters are less compelling, the romance was staid, and the mystery was boring.

The Duke of Langford is the hero in this story, and he is supposed to be a notorious rake. He has recently been the subject of an op-ed that has him chafing and reconsidering life choices in a roundabout way. He is taking his seat in the Lords more seriously and has put forth new bills addressing criminal sentencing and penal conditions.

Amanda is secretary to a lady and feels her life is starting to line-up when her past comes back to haunt her. She was raised a thief by parents that are confidence artists/ thieves. Just as she finally feels settled, she hears from her mother who is in trouble. If she follows directions, her mother will be unharmed and released. In pursuit of these directions, she meets the Duke.

While I was interested in how it would play out in the beginning, I never felt an anticipation for the romance. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of true romance. The mystery was predictable also, so it couldn’t save the romance elements. Besides the main romance, there was mention of one for the Duke’s brother. Besides the less than exciting aspects of the book, there also were a few loose ends that didn’t get resolved.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

5 helms

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What a decadent romance! My goodness! I loved it! I was so swept up with Amanda and Gabriel I could not stop thinking about them! This was my first Madeline Hunter novel....I've always heard good things but never had a chance to read her till now...very impressed :)

Amanda Waverly is currently leading a double life....By day, a respectable secretary to the eccentric widow, Lady Farnsworth and by night, a thief involved in illegal activity in hopes of freeing her mother. Gabriel St. James, the Duke of Langford is temptation incarnate, reckless, has a wicked reputation around town and is not shy about it.
Amanda encounters Gabriel at a masked ball and realises he is her only way to acquire her next object so she allows herself to indulge in the temptation of Gabriel while she plots her next move. She is entranced by him and he is enraptured by her but he still doesn't know her name or who she is...She is the enigma that plagues him until he figures out who she is and what she means to him.....


Wow what a read....I really am quite impressed by Madeline Hunter's charming H/h and the cast of secondary characters too! Amanda and Gabriel are quite a unique couple as you really have them at opposite ends of the spectrum in their social standing and throughout the entire book I was like HOW ARE THESE TWO GOING TO WORK IT OUT!?! I was quite stressed and emotional actually haha...Luckily for me, as the reader, I knew this was a romance and it would end well, but placing myself in Amanda's shoes, I just couldn't imagine what she was going through! (hahaha see I told you I was really caught up in this :P )

Amanda is clever, quick-witted and quite a lovely heroine. She is also a bit of a mystery at the start even to us as readers, which really increases her appeal. I thoroughly enjoyed Amanda, her personality and her uniqueness...I also really liked how Amanda was always so real about her situation and social standing when it came to Gabriel. She definitely was not a gold digger and never expected anything more than a fleeting friendship from him towards the end. And, when he finally did propose and take her by surprise, I found this scene so touching <sniff>.

Gabriel is very cute too and oh so lovable as a match for Amanda! His stoic acceptance of her reasons for her thieving ways is surprising but commendable...Never once did I feel like this situation sounded absurd...Their relationship and camaraderie with one other were lovely and I really enjoyed seeing their growth and passion as a couple.

If you aren't convinced enough, here are some other points I liked about the book:

1) The heroine is not a virgin (hooray for some variation in the HR genre!)
2) The trio of Decadent Dukes and their friendship is to die for and their hilarious playfulness and banter with each other is just too cute! #frienshipgoals #bromance
3) Madeline Hunter's mastery of the historical genre is spot on really really well done!
4) The banter! Oh, the banter! The H/h, the friends, the secondary characters everyone just had some witty comment or comeback and it just made me grin stupidly most of the time...it was just too good!
5) The menagerie of secondary characters...everyone was charming especially Amanda's employer Lady Farnsworth! She was my absolute favourite...

This can be read as a stand alone as I haven't read the first in series either!

Read it! Read it NOW! Beg, Borrow or Steal <take a page from Amanda's book ;) > hahaha THAT WAS A JOKE! But seriously it's that good! I'm gonna go back and read the first one in the series so that I can wait impatiently for Brentworth's story :D He is soooo mysterious! <fanning self>

*Thank-you Madeline Hunter, Netgalley & Zebra Kensington Books for the ARC.

This is a difficult review to write for me because my feelings towards the book are very tepid; it was a so-so read for me. If something is 1 or 2 stars, I have passionate dislike for it and usually many things to rant about; if something is 4 or 5 stars, I can write essays rhapsodizing over my love for it. But A Devil of a Duke was firmly middle-of-the-road. 

I will say that the author's writing is technically well done and the story flows smoothly, I can visualize the events quite clearly. The central mystery was not wholly engaging, but I did skim through the second half primarily to see how this was resolved. However, even that is half-hearted praise; I wanted to see how it ended, but I wasn't interested enough to read the story properly and skipped large chunks along the way to the ending. 

For me, the main failing was with the lead characters because I didn't develop any affection for them, I didn't feel any chemistry between them so I wasn't rooting for their happily-ever-after, and due to this lack of engagement, reading the story was a bit of a slog. I liked the idea of the cat burglar heroine, that was a unique concept I haven't come across before, but Amanda frustrated me because she was ruled by her hormones. She went to great lengths to make Gabriel give his word as a gentleman that he wouldn't sleep with her, and it was all because she was so swoony over him that she didn't trust herself not to fall at his feet. I mean, the stakes are really high here, it's only her mother's life at stake, but she's so hot & bothered by Gabriel that her loins overrule her head, okay then. 

As for Gabriel, I did appreciate that he did hold his honor in high regard and that even when he had a willing woman in his arms practically begging him to do the deed, he still refrained from fully sealing the deal as she had requested previously. But on the other, it was a bad look that she constantly told him she wanted nothing to do with him, and he kept forcing his presence on her and manipulating the situation to ensure that she had no choice but to meet with him.

The funny thing is that the friendships in this book were more realistic and believable than the romance. I could see glimpses of Gabriel's growing feelings for Amanda, although it did seem to be primarily lust for her and the thrill of the chase, but I'm not convinced at all that she developed affection for him, let alone fell in love. In contrast, the bromance between Gabriel and his fellow Decadent Dukes was fun and witty and solid, and I also liked the fellowship of ladies that reached out to include Amanda and to try and protect and nurture her. But unfortunately, while a perk, that's not what I pick up a romance novel for, so this was a bit of a bust.