Bell's Duke Most Wicked (NO-SPOILER NETGALLEY REVIEW)
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (GAMING HELL; status discrepancy; strong, smart women; made me sing 80’s songs)
Heat rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Cover Rating: The cover is FIRE. The red and gold, PLUS THE PIANO (don’t think I missed that) made me do a triple take. Also, the female model looks very much like I imagined Viola would look. But oh, the male model is perfect—West is described as having the face of a fallen angel, and this captures him. That cover gets a shiny gold A.
This is the third book in the Wallflowers vs. Rogues series (which is definitely in the running for best series title). Now, I’d read several Lenora Bell books before (including the Disgraceful Dukes series and the School for Dukes series, which is related to this one), but not the books in this series. What to do?
I don’t think it is in your best interest to review books if you haven’t read the previous books in the series (and any connected series, actually), so I grabbed the first two books (Love is a Rogue and The Devil’s Own Duke) and started reading. (The things Squirrel does for the MARfans! Okay, it was in no way a hardship because I really enjoyed myself.) Once I finished those, I felt ready to delve into this one!
This book is about Brandan Delamar, or West, Duke of Westbury, and Viola Beaton. Now, this is where the other books in the series (as well as the third in the School for Dukes, One Fine Duke) are important. Because we have heard a lot about Viola and West in the other books. Viola is best friends with Beatrice, the heroine in the first book, Love is a Rogue. We’ve actually gotten significant background on Viola from that book, as well as The Devil’s Own Duke. They are part of the Mayfair Ladies Knitting League, which is NOT about knitting, btw. I loved Viola from the first time she was mentioned. Viola’s father is a famous composer who is aging and going deaf, and Viola is a very gifted musician and composer on her own—yet surreptitiously. She’s been writing music as her father, as well as under a male pseudonym. Their other bestie, Isobel, is definitely not a romantic like Viola. She is usually undercover as a man, attending a School of Law as her invalid brother. Anyway, Viola is also making ends meet by working as the music instructor for the Duke of Westbury’s five sisters. You learn a lot about Viola in the first book, but you don’t hear much about Westbury in this book. That changes in the second book.
In The Devil’s Own Duke, you find out a lot more about Westbury, specifically that he’s gambled away his entire fortune in gaming hells. (What was that? A scream of delight from Squirrel, who loves anything to do with gaming hells? Why yes, it was!) You also learn more about Viola’s feelings for the Duke—when she learns that Hetty (the heroine of the 2nd book) wants to confront Ash (who is the gaming hell owner who took all Westbury’s money), Viola’s immediate response is: “He ruined Westbury. I’ll help you defeat him” (The Devil’s Own Duke, p. 41). And believe me, she doesn’t hold her tongue. Viola’s friends know that she has a tendre for the Duke—even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself; in fact, she’s been working there for free.
West’s description in the second book is one of my favorite in any romance novel: “He was the very picture of a golden-haired Adonis of an English lord . . . if that Adonis was dipped in a vat of whisky, deprived of sleep for a week, and turned upside down to empty his pockets” (The Devil’s Own Duke, p. 294). Now you know why I like Lenora Bell so much!
Anyway, so now we are up to speed for delightful book 3. I am serious, though—you’ve got until late September before this book is published, so read the other two books (and the previous series). Take advantage of that. You won’t be disappointed.
So, Duke Most Wicked—ah, West is definitely that. He’s been a holy terror in women’s beds, gaming hells, you name it. He’s a wild man, subject of the Ton’s most salacious gossip—and it’s all true! So how is it that Viola, one of the most genuine and caring people on earth, falls head over heels for this man? Not only is he wicked, but they’re vastly separated in status. He doesn’t even know her name, or does he?
As you can probably guess, their feelings are about to change, but what can come of it? See, as we learned in the previous book, his coffers are empty, he’s got FIVE sisters to set up with Seasons and marriage—the only thing he can do is find an heiress and marry her for the money. And he’s got to marry those sisters off as well—Seasons are expensive, you know? So he’ll choose husbands for them. The sisters are aghast, as is Viola, who has become far more than just a music tutor—she’s the glue that’s held the household together while West is acting like some sort of sexual Dracula (which would be the BEST name for a band, wouldn’t it? I’m thinking latex and fangs . . . OMG, you let Squirrel out, didn’t you?), sleeping all day and being oh-so-naughty all night. What about love? Viola asks. (Now you’ve got Squirrel singing Heart. That video, y’all. Smoke and anvils and it’s amazing nobody’s hair caught fire, what with all the hairspray that they must’ve used to keep their locks completely immobile. Plus berets and fingerless gloves—ah, I miss the 80s!)
Okay—Ground Control to Major Tom—focus. Btw, y’all know none of this part goes into my NetGalley reviews because they would run screaming and deny everything I ask for, lol. This is all for you, Constant Reader.
Ahem.
As I said, this is a spoiler-free NetGalley review, so I will not say any more about the plot (everything I’ve mentioned previously is in the other books in the series or the book description). But I loved this book. The previous books had me interested in West—his character is a very mysterious one and I didn’t know whether to like him or not. Well, you will fall in love with him in this book. He’s so conflicted, he has so much on him, and . . . he sounds hot as fire: “He had the same gilded hair and dark blue eyes as his sisters, but he was a colossus of a man, with broad shoulders, a chiseled jaw, and the dangerously handsome face of a fallen angel” (Loc. 417). Oh yeah, he sounds like a Hemsworth—not sure if he’s Chris or Liam. Probably Chris. Hot body and face of an angel? Oh yeah, he’s Chris. (I want you to know that Squirrel just spent 20 minutes looking at Chris Hemsworth pics online. Do you people appreciate the things I do for you? BRB—need a cold shower.)
Yeah, so no Sex-and-Spoilers section in the NG reviews, but I will let you know that the scenes are hot and MAR was pleased, lol. There weren’t a lot of scenes, but the ones in there were definitely a 4.
Get this book. Pre-order it now; you won’t be disappointed. Tell ‘em Squirrel sent ya.
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