Her Deceptive Duke

By: Scarlett Scott

Narrated by: Gabrielle Baker

Georgiana, Duchess of Leeds, hasn't seen her husband since he left her on their wedding day for an extended hunting expedition and never returned. But she isn't the sort to wait around pining for an arrogant oaf who can't bother to recall he has a wife, no matter how sinfully handsome he may be.

She finds all the fulfillment she requires in caring for the stray cats and dogs of London's streets. Until, that is, the duke returns, and she uncovers the truth about where he's been . . .

Kit, Duke of Leeds, never wanted to be duke. He was content with his life as one of Her Majesty's most dedicated spies until his brother's unexpected demise left him forced to marry an American heiress to save the family estate from ruin. The day he married her, he left for a secret assignment in America, with no intention of returning.

Seriously wounded and his cover ruined, Kit's forced back to London where he finds a townhouse brimming with creatures and a wife who can't bear the sight of him.

With husband and wife beneath the same roof at last, their marriage of convenience sparks into a passion that's as undeniable as it is unexpected. But is desire enough to bring two wary hearts together? And once Kit's wounds are healed, will Georgiana's love be enough to make him stay?

©2018 Scarlett Scott

Forgiveness unearned

I’ve been waiting for Georgiana’s book since she was introduced in Daisy’s. What a let down! I was hoping for some redemption for the man who abandoned the heroine before their wedding breakfast and didn’t contact her once in six months.
But the hero, if you can all him that, does absolutely nothing to earn any forgiveness. He is really horrible to his wife— he continually insults her and speaks to her with condescension. In his thoughts? He is disgusted by her upbringing on a farm and believes himself to be so far above her. Even after she basically saves his life, he continues his horrid treatment of her.
The author does all sorts of cartwheels to have Georgiana make excuses for him, maybe it’s this and maybe it’s that— but it’s all imagination because he gives her nothing soft or loving at all. Sure, he’s sexually attracted to her, but he, in his thoughts, makes it clear he wishes he didn’t want someone from such a background (the amount of time he thinks of her as a farm girl and not a woman or his wife is gross— all she is to him is her upbringing and she’s def not good enough for him or to be a duchess).
But no matter how Georgiana imagines the reasons he is as terrible he is, the author makes it impossible for the reader to forget how unworthy he is of his wife.
Then after an orgasm, Georgiana is incredibly, unbelievably in love with the man; a man who been wretched to her. Had he done ANYTHING to earn it, then I could overlook the way the author tells us that Georgiana has fallen in love with him and he cares about her. Unfortunately, the hero does nothing to earn forgiveness. This story called for this hero to fall in love and beg forgiveness, to think he would lose her (to the butler— who would have been a FAR BETTER hero— or to divorce), but the nitwit of a heroine just forgives him with no real reason. And then! He plans to leave her again (he asks to!) and she still doesn’t decide to kick him to the curb. An easy I love you and promise of return and she’s totally cool with him leaving again. The love between the two is unearned and so is the HEA.
She should have run off with Ludlow, a man who not only protects her but recognizes how beautiful she is inside and out, who talks about how amazing she is as much as he can.
I hope the next book with have an actual earned redemption for the husband and a heroine that makes him work for it.
And for a good narrator. The voices sound the same, and she has a lisp. One book is tolerable, but five? Torture. She does speak with some emotion, so I gave her two stars for that. Listened at 1.25 speed because she spoke slow as molasses.