Scoundrel of My Heart (Once upon a Dukedom)

In order to inherit her grandmother’s cottage by the sea, Lady Kathryn Lambert must marry a titled gentleman. Unfortunately, the man she has obvious chemistry with, her old friend (and former annoyance) Lord Griffith Stanwick, is a second son… and the son of a convicted traitor. Once he is cast from polite society, she has no reason at all not to marry the Duke of Kingsland.

Except for the fact that Griffith is still in London, and Kathryn still feels the pull that began shortly before meeting the duke. Caught between two desires, Kathryn must decide which is more important to her: her inheritance or her passions.

I was introduced to Lorraine Heath through her A Sin for All Seasons series, and this new series, Once Upon a Dukedom, is a delightful spinoff. Kathryn and Griffith are an enticing couple, the classic pair that can’t stay away from each other despite having every reason in the world to do just that. My one wish is that the reasons had been stronger, at least at the start of the book. Kathryn’s desire for the cottage seemed like a candle compared to the sun of her attraction to Griffith. I greatly enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to the next, featuring none other than the spurned Duke of Kingsland.