Tuesday, November 26, 2013

4 stars! No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (Rule of Scoundrels #3) by Sarah MacLean


He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night, Temple has reigned over the darkest of London’s corners for twelve years, wealthy and powerful, but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he’s dreamed of . . . absolution.

Mara planned never to return to the world from which she’d run, but when her brother falls deep into debt at Temple’s exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade that ends in her returning to society and proving to the world what only she knows . . . that he is no killer.

It’s a fine trade, until Temple realizes that the lady—and her past—are more than they seem. It will take every bit of his strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything for honor . . . and to keep from putting himself on the line for love.

Type: Historical Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5 (but very little)
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Yeah you know things are going to be interesting when the woman everyone thinks you killed years earlier shows up on your doorstep. Alive and well. *nods* Mmmhmm. Real interesting. No Good Duke Goes Unpunished was quite the story as Mara comes back from the dead *cue spooky bwahaha* and shakes Temple's life up... all over again.

For over a decade Mara's "death" has hung over Temple's head. He's struggled and fought his way into a new life for himself as a fighter and owner of a gaming hell and is, if not completely happy, content with things and his friends. And now, the very woman who ruined him so many years ago is bribing him and will only reveal the truth if he pays her.

*slow blink* Yeah I was fulling on board with not liking this chick. At. All.

But I kept reading. Because MacLean weaves a story that pulls you in completely and is just impossible to put down. So on I read as Mara and Temple butt heads, battle and all around drive each other crazy. And at the same time realize their "enemy" might not be an enemy all.

And damn if I didn't start falling for Mara bit by bit just as Temple did while they negotiated and battled over the past and how to deal with it. Color me really blasted surprised, right? I ended up really liking these two. Temple is just raw sex appeal--he's dark and powerful and it just radiates off of him. And Mara, while she could be frustrating, turned out to have a good heart and honorable. And I came to understand her reasonings behind what happened in the past and why she was behaving how she was in the present. I just couldn't help but like her in the end and really enjoy the two together. They're fierce, passionate and incredibly strong willed and really just perfect for each other despite it all.
Lydia continued. "And sport? I think sport has been neglected from the boy's education for far too long."

Mara huffed at that. "The man is built like a Greek god. I think sport is the one thing he can teach them."

The words rattled around the room, shocking everyone. Lydia's eyes went wide. Temple went still.

Mara's mouth dropped open.

She hadn't said it.

A Greek god?

It was his fault. He'd scrambled her thoughts. And he was interjecting himself into every aspect of her life--every bit for which she'd worked so hard and fought so long. Surely that was what had made her say it.

A Greek god??

She closed her eyes and willed him to lose the power of speech. Immediately and irreversibly. "Obviously, I didn't mean---"

"Well. Thank you."

In the entire history of time, had willing ever worked?
MacLean won me over once again with a unique romance that was brimming with tension, chemistry, the unexpected and even a little humor. I chuckled a number of times, gasped out loud, squirmed and just had a wonderful time. No Good Duke Goes Unpunished was delightfully surprising and left me eager for the next book in the series.

Have you read MacLean? What did you think?
Do you have a favorite enemies to lovers story?

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