A Lady's Code of Misconduct

Starred review from February 6, 2017
Political intrigue and conspiracies abound in Duran’s engrossing fifth Rules for the Reckless Victorian romance (after Luck Be a Lady), which boasts plot twists galore. At the center of the complex love story is heiress Jane Mason’s sham marriage to Crispin Burke, one of the most ruthless men in England’s House of Commons. Crispin is bewildered when he wakes up from a coma after a brutal attack and doesn’t remember anything from the past five years—not his career or his brand of political machinations, and not why he secretly married Jane, the niece of one of his cronies. Jane, who lied about being married to Crispin in order to escape her odious uncle’s plans for her money, is terrified of what her “husband” will do when he regains his memory, but she is also falling in love with the new, kinder Crispin. Duran is at the pinnacle of her craft as she weaves together humor, forgiveness, and love in a flawlessly executed plot. Jane, Crispin, and the rest of the characters are all well drawn, and the love scenes strike the perfect balance of steamy and sweet. Each layer in the story is suspenseful and delightful, making this the best installment so far. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary.

Starred review from January 1, 2017
A sham marriage, political intrigue, and a case of amnesia provide a backdrop for this absorbing Victorian romance.Jane Mason's inheritance is funding her loathsome uncle's political career--at least until she marries and gains control of it herself. But her uncle has kept her isolated from society for six long years to prevent her from escaping him. When her uncle's handsome but unscrupulous colleague, Crispin Burke, is brutally attacked, Jane sees an opportunity to pass herself off as his wife while he lies unconscious. He will die, she assumes, and she will be free to use her money for the good of humankind. But Crispin lives, and Jane is trapped in her lie. Crispin's head injury has caused him to forget not only the attack, but the five years that preceded it. He doesn't remember his political career or his aspirations to the prime ministership, and he certainly doesn't remember taking a wife. Jane finds herself falling in love with this softer, more innocent Crispin. But she's terrified that he'll regain his memory and expose their marriage as false. Crispin, meanwhile, doesn't care how or why he married Jane Mason. He only wants to keep her by his side. She promises to be a brilliant political helpmeet, and she keeps his more ruthless tendencies in check. Although Duran (Luck Be a Lady, 2015, etc.) has written a novel as layered as an onion, the characters are well-drawn and the plot flawlessly executed. Add in some very steamy sex, and the fifth installment of Duran's Rules for the Reckless series can't help but delight. This book weaves its spell so thoroughly that the most fortunate reader will be the one who has time to read the entire thing in one sitting. A masterful tale of suspense, forgiveness, and love.

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