Elizabeth Hoyt - Duke of Sin

Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.
Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.
Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets—and neither may be as nefarious—or as innocent—as they appear . . .

Comment: This is the 10th installment in the Maiden Lane series by author Elizabeth Hoyt and when it was released it was quite hyped for fans because it features the series' anti-hero or villain (as considered by some).

In this story we finally follow Valentine Napier, the duke of Montgomery, as he finds his way into a loving relationship after all the blackmail and kidnapping and considerable anxiety he caused in other characters.

Bridget Crumb is a brilliant young housekeeper, much sought after because of her skills in governing a house and making the other servants behave properly. She has been working int he duke's house for some time and the main reason is that she is looking for the blackmail proof her employer has on some people she knows. Of course, Bridget herself hides some secrets she wouldn't want the duke to know about but he is her employer and despite her attempts, she can't help but defend him when some bad things happen.

But with so many people wronged by the duke - and despite the path in life that lead them into who they are know - can they help one another to finally be accepted by those surrounding them?

In general, I liked this story. I expected some ambiguity regarding the duke of Montgomery's past actions and how they were seen by others now but I think the author has managed a good balance between two important factors:

1) the reasons why the duke became the tough person he is and why he is so sly in his behavior and

2) how to "redeem" him in the eyes of the reader if not as much in the way the other characters deal with him.

Of course the reader will be aware of why the duke behaves like this, why he shaped his persona into someone most people wouldn't care about and even those characters part of his life who do, somehow don't see him as just misunderstood. In fact, this was probably the element I liked the best about the duke's character, the fact he never really changes and for the majority of the characters that deal with him or interact with him, he is still a person to be away from, except in a scene here and there.

The duke's past is not a good one. If this excuses his behavior now I can't say, but it does make it possible to understand him a little better.

As one could imagine, love does impact him a bit and I did feel a little sorry for him when some people he cares about showed they were disappointed in him. He does gain their favor by honest emotions and that is obviously positive for the reader to also accept him at least.

The romance isn't as spectacular as I imagined (not only for who they both are individually nor for the role they occupy in society) but I'm glad they were able to communicate and accept each other, faults and all.

Bridget is a very realistic heroine, very aware of what she is doing and the fact she thinks she wouldn't find love with the duke is what makes her more interesting for me. I'd have liked the class difference to have been addressed in a more obvious way but the focus was definitely what surrounded the duke's past and his current life.

All in all, this was a likeable story with a approachable way of looking at the character's choices and options and decisions later on. It could have been even more romantic but I'm glad enough they were able to fall in love and try their best.

Grade: 7/10