Letto nell'edizione originale americana pubblicata dalla Avon Books (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers). In Italia il romanzo รจ inedito.
A ferocious conflict of wills...Warning: spoilers.
Vere Mallory, the Duke of Ainswood, has everything - he's titled, he's rich, he's devastatingly good-looking - and he seems determined to throw it all away. Disreputable, reckless, and wild, the last of the Mallory hellions is racing headlong to self-destruction... until a mind-numbingly beautiful blone Amazon knocks him off his feet - literally.
An incendiary passion...
Lydia Grenville is dedicated to protecting London's downtrodden. Dissolute noblemen like Ainswood are part of the problem, not the solution. She would like him to get his big, gorgeous carcass out of her way so that she can carry on with her work. The problem is, Ainswood can no more resist a challenge, especially in female form, than he can resist the trouble she seems to attract.
If they can only weather their personal firestorm... they might survive the real danger that threatens all they hold dear.
It 'hard to read another romance immediately after completion Lord of Scoundrels and not make comparisons. The company is even more complicated if the book in question is actually a spin-off of the latter, born to recount the pomp, with the inevitable parallels in the construction of plot and characters.
My feelings during the 378 pages have been ups and downs. At first I could not get into the spirit of the story: I found a hitch, and forced and hard to understand where he could develop the chemistry between the two protagonists. A sense of lack of fluidity accompanied me while watching the early skirmishes phantasmagoric Aylwin between Vere Mallory, the Duke of Ainswood and Lydia Grenville.
him, nearly thirty-two, is "The Last Hellion" where Hellion stands for troublemakers. Tall, dark, green eyes, beautiful and wild.
you, twenty-eight journalist champion of the most marginalized and exploited creatures of the underworld of London, has been endowed by mother nature a fighting spirit and daring of forms and views. Lydia is tall, blond, has blue eyes and personifies the image of the Valkyrie or the Amazon.
The circumstances that compare these two samples are definitely fun, but do not engage now, in my opinion.
The author puts us more at ease when returns to the surreal and compelling character of Bertie Trent, now in-law of the Marquess of Dain and always looking for an idol to follow. Bertie is the thread from which we take the idea of \u200b\u200ba set of relationships between Lords Dain and his old mate spree at Eton, Lord Ainswood.
My doubts were dispelled on the move, because even when I continued to find excessive and over the top behavior of the Duke of Ainswood and Lydia, I was seduced by the expressive power of their dialogue and wonderful orchestration by Loretta Chase. The evolution of the feelings of the characters is almost tangible.
In this novel, like its predecessor, we find a charming use of dialect, which focuses on the picturesque language Bertram Trent. As in Lord of Scoundrels the central pair sports acumen and linguistic brilliance: in the first case was that Jessica Trent churned out titles for his varied Dain, here is Ainswood that emphasizes the multiple talents of its Lydia through imaginative nicknames. Despite
in both novels the female protagonist has a personality marcatissima, is obviously the main male character who has a plus and it is toward him that has focused my attention. Vere Mallory naturally has a turbulent history and a moving experience behind it, which is used to create the right humus in which it develops its restless nature and disrespectful of the conventions. But they are the impetus and determination to enter into the life of Lydia Grenville that makes it really expensive. She has suffered as a sort of forerunner suffragette, who escapes to the canons of his time and is a bit 'tricky to digest. Not only is a reporter for assault, but appendix writes novels under an assumed name, attended the taverns where they spend the evenings and writers from Grub there sometimes disguised as a man puts on a show, interpreting stories and sipping liquor. Or at least these are some situations in which Vere weird surprises. Even
Lydia has a dramatic past and choose to redeem the suffering experienced defend and accept only some girls and poor girls who are likely to succumb from the clutches of the exploiters. Accompanied by his faithful hound dog named Susan, she risks a premature end, wandering around in bad neighborhoods to save those girls in need. A woman
inexhaustible, strong and sensual as Lydia is able to immediately penetrate the soul of the last, irreverent male Mallory and soon the Duke feels unambiguous dense afflict the human heart.
... And I know, When He lifted His arrogant gaze to her beautiful face, he Began to comprehend, Whether he wanted to or not, what The Thing That Was Kept stabbing at His heart.
"I understand," she said. "I've turned out to be a disappointment to you. You might have set aside your personal dislike if I'd been a woman of experience. But to have to tolerate my odious personality as well as play tutor is asking too much". She looked out the window. "It isn't your responsability, as you said. Merely because you started something unintentionally, you aren't obliged to finish it. Merely because you introduced me to a neglected part of my education, I shouldn't assume you must complete my training. The subject is hardly esoteric. It isn't as though I can't find someone else to continue my lessons".
"Someone else? Who the devil do you - but you're not serious". He essayed a laugh while he recalled how Helena Martin had invited her friend to come out and make "a more agreeable surprise" for Sellowby the scandalmonger.
"There's no accounting for tastes," she said. "Some men enjoy my company".
"That lot of drunken lowlife scribblers in the Blue Owl, you mean," he said. "Well, let me explain something to you about men, Miss Messalina Grenville: It isn't your personality they appreciate. Or your intellect".
"We're entering Frith Street". She turned away from her window. "Not a minute too soon for you, I'm sure. Still, you can bear my thanks, I hope? I was exceedingly glad to have you along this night. I found that man very disturbing. It was comforting to know you'd have no trouble dispatching him. As you demonstrated."
The carriage stopped before her house.
Vere was still staring at her, the "someone else" blaring in his head like a bugle in time to the furious drumbeat of his heart. "There isn't going to be anyone else," he choked out above the inner roar. "You only said that to make me -" Not jealous, it was ridiculous to be jealous of a man he only imagined. "To make me do what you want. The way you manipulated me last night. It's a taunt, that's all ."...
(from Chapter 9 - pag. 172)
Another terrific romance Loretta Chase.
*****
