The Virtuoso (The Duke's Obsession) [Mass Market Paperback]

Grace Burrowes (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 1, 2011 | Series: The Duke's Obsession

Starred review for The Soldier:

"Captivating. . .Burrowes' sensual love story is intelligent and tender." – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A genius with a terrible loss. . .

Gifted pianist Valentine Windham, youngest son of the Duke of Moreland, has little interest in his father's obsession to see his sons married, and instead pours passion into his music. But when Val loses his music, he flees to the country, alone and tormented by what has been robbed from him.

A widow with a heartbreaking secret. . .

Grieving Ellen Markham has hidden herself away, looking for safety in solitude. Her curious new neighbor offers a kindred lonely soul whose desperation is matched only by his desire, but Ellen's devastating secret could be the one thing that destroys them both.

Together they'll find there's no rescue from the past, but sometimes losing everything can help you find what you need most.

Praise for The Heir:

"Sweet, sexy, tender romance between two characters so vibrant they seem to leap off the page." – Meredith Duran, author of Wicked Becomes You

"Burrowes' enchanting romance charms from the beginning!" – RT Book Reviews, 4 starts

"Refreshing. . .a luminous and graceful erotic Regency." – Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Reminiscent of the heroines in Amanda Quick's romances... Another outstanding entry in a strong series." - Booklist

"Burrowes creates memorable heroes... intelligent, sensual love stories show us this author knows what romance readers adore. 4 Stars" - RT Book Reviews

"Burrowes's exceptional writing and originality catch the reader and keep the story moving." - Publishers Weekly

"Perfection, enchanting and stunningly sensual..." - The Romance Reviews

"A charming tale..." - Fresh Fiction

"Grace Burrowes' writing is comfort food for the romantic soul... A sweet savory story with just the right amount of spice in the ultimately perfect moments." - Yankee Romance Reviewers

"Filled with wonderfully touching relationships, interesting and intriguing characters, witty and delightful humor, and steamy and romantic seduction... Outstanding. 5 Stars, Reviewer Top Pick" - Night Owl Reviews

"I had a really hard time putting The Virtuoso down. It was a refreshing change from the usual fare of rakes and titled society men." - All About Romance

"A splendid, sparkling, sensual love story--a keeper." - The Long and Short of It Reviews

"Burrowes has become a auto buy author for me..." - Ladies of Leisure Love Books

"An intensely romantic and emotional story..." - Historical Hilarity

"Quite sensual." - USA Today Happy Ever After

"The tone of the story is gentle; the physical relationship graphic and sensual; the unwinding languorous... Engaging." - Dear Author

"A charming read... Elegant, witty and deliciously sexy." - Anna's Book Blog

"Sensual, passionate, and sweet..." - BookLoons.com

"[Burrowes] never fails to astound me by giving her characters real life crises; real life emotions; real life passions; and with that, bring them so vividly to life!" - Romance Reader at Heart

"Burrowes' strong characters and writing style are what make these stories for me" - The Good, The Bad, and the Unread

"With these vibrant and lovable characters, the book is unforgettable." - Romance Fiction on Suite101.com

"[Burrowes] wrote some of the most vivid descriptions." - Romance Book Junkies

"A sweet romance with a hero you will fall for at once." - Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

"Definitely going on my keeper shelf." - In the Hammock Book Reviews

"A wonderful historical romance that I absolutely could not put down. The passion between Ellen and Val literally leaps off of the page." - Eva's Sanctuary

"A delightful couple who were good people whose relationship grew and deepened with time.... Definite heat and passion between these two." - Love to Read for Fun

"Burrowes transports readers back in time and fills them with love and longing..." - Debbie's Book Bag

"I always enjoy Burrowes' writing, and The Virtuoso was no exception." - Sexy Women Read

"Burrowes really knows how to build chemistry and relationships..." - Books Like Breathing

"A must-read for fans of historicals... [Burrowes'] writing is a fresh twist to the genre." - The Romance Reader

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes hit the bestseller lists with her debut, The Heir, followed by The Soldier and Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal. The Heir was also named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was named a Publishers Weekly Best Spring Romance of 2011, and Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish was named Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 by RT Reviewers' Choice Awards. All of her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140224570X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402245701
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.2 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.

It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.

While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")

Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)

To contact Grace, email her at [e-mail].

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#8 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#10 in Books > Romance > Historical

#8 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#10 in Books > Romance > Historical

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid 3 or a very low 4 November 10, 2011

By romancecritic

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Virtuoso" is most definitely not my preference when it comes to Historical Romance. It is a very romantic romance, but it wasn't cloyingly sweet (except the ending), and the book does have good, scenic descriptions, flows smoothly, has witty dialogue, especially between and from the secondary characters, and offers a resolution to the internal struggles, if a bit contrived struggles, of the main protagonists.

Blackmailed by her husband's heir, widowed Baroness Roxbury, now masquerading as Mrs. Ellen FitzEngle, resides in a small cottage on an estate in Little Meldon, where she toils away in her gardens, selling her blooms at market and to perfumeries or such for profit. She soon finds herself with a new neighbor, one Lord Valentine Windham - pianist, fifth son of the Duke of Moreland, and one-passionate-kiss-a-year-ago acquaintance of Mrs. FitzEngle - who has won the terribly neglected property and its dilapidated manor in a game of cards from the above mentioned extortionist. And as the repairs on the house begin, so does our love story.

As to our main characters, they are, as Pink Floyd put it, "two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year." They hide behind the figuratively erected facades and assumed identities. Valentine, now plain-old Mr. Windham, successful merchant, is trying to discover who he is apart from the piano (which, because of a hand inflammation, he cannot now play). And Ellen, guilt ridden and annoyingly untrusting, is trying to cope with her lot in life. But these flaws make our characters rich and interesting - quiet a change from the typical hoyden, debutant, or rake encountered in this genre.

What brings this novel down in my estimation is Ellen. While Val is beyond humanly romantic, understanding, and accepting, Mrs. FitzEngle is infuriatingly untrusting, naďve, and inexperienced, sexually (she's been wed for five years, I mean come on!!). Ellen's fear and guilt, which of course lead to her prevarications, are rather contrived. She is well aware of her innocence, yet torments herself and Val, especially toward the end of the novel, refusing to confide, to accept his good intentions, and to commit because she believes she has committed great crimes (but, she knows she is innocent - hmmm!!!). Burrowes could have done better with Ellen's internal struggle. What Burrowes offers with Ellen, left me shaking my head.

Now, the relationship between Ellen and Val takes time to form. However, it is imbued with such serious discussions and mature understandings that, at times, it feels more fictional than real. The sexual tension, attraction could not be felt, and there are two reasons for this: one, because the two protagonists had already met and kissed and two, because Grace Burrowes fails in describing her characters' physiognomies and characteristics as well as their attraction toward each other. The sex scenes, or shall I say sex scene - there was just the one, with the accompaniment of two make-out sessions - were a PG-13 affair, and tarnished with musical metaphors. However, there were no "predator/feral" descriptions in this novel, for which I am profoundly grateful.

Also, there are aspects of this work that defy the reader's expectations of the time period, especially when it comes to character behavior, even secondary character behavior. For example, it is not generally accepted for a Baroness, whether hiding that title or not, to toil away and work for a living. And, a member of the ton, fifth son of a Duke or not or even an Earl, does not typically engage in manual labor, repairing roofs, and barns, and whatnot. However, one could overlook these behaviors, as they adhere and contribute to the bucolic feel of this romance.

Overall, this is not a bad book. It targets the exceedingly sentimental reader; the reader who likes an exaggeratedly tender male protagonist, a very syrupy happy ending, but who does not desire much sizzle. If this is you, then pick this up.
originally on romancecritic

65 of 80 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What book did I get? November 9, 2011

By Bibliolati

Format:Kindle Edition

Cause it clearly can't have been the same one being praised by all the glowing reviews here. Calling this mess a wallpaper historical is an insult to actual wallpaper historicals. Lumping it in with the works of Quinn and James (let alone Beverley) is appalling. Those women at least have a basic understanding of the social mores of the era and they might have actually read a book or two about the Regency (or at least Googled the basics).

A FEW of the more egregious problems: An earl who act as valet to their friend. A baroness who sells wares off a cart like a tinker! Incorrect terms of address. And please, there are no fruit muffins in the Regency! Basically this book (and I assure her others) is a tale of modern people dropped in to a fantasy land of pretty dresses and bizarre manual labor (cause so many lords knew how to put a roof on a house and all their friends would have been totally willing to pitch in, kind of like frat boys building a deck).

Romance? Maybe. HISTORICAL romance? Not even close.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intensely Romantic and Emotional November 1, 2011

By Linda Banche

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Grace Burrowes's THE VIRTUOSO, the third book in THE DUKE'S OBSESSION series, is an intensely romantic and emotional story of two damaged people finding healing with each other.

For virtuoso pianist Lord Valentine Windham, the Duke of Windham's youngest son, music is his life--until a hand injury prevents him from playing. Terrified his music might be lost to him forever, he must find something to fill the void while, and if, his hand heals. He wins a dilapidated estate at cards and throws himself into setting the property to rights.

Widowed Mrs. Ellen FitzEngle lives alone on Val's new estate. Ostensibly a grower of flowers and herbs, the lady carries a weighty secret. Damaged in a different way than Val is, she seeks to help him heal. And maybe Val can help her heal, too.

I don't have much sympathy for the sufferings of the rich and powerful. Their money provides a cushion poor people with the same problems don't have. Ms. Burrowes has overcome most of my objections by saddling Val with a condition no amount of wealth or privilege can overcome. I also like Val. He's another of my favorite kind of hero, the decent man. I also like that he's an accomplished musician, something he attained solely through his own efforts. In the previous two books of the series (THE HEIR and THE SOLDIER), he played the role of comedy counterpoint to the weighty emotions of the principals. This book strips away the camouflage to reveal the lonely, isolated man beneath.

The author has also balanced Val's privileges with Ellen's lack of them. Ellen is one of those poor people without money to cushion her suffering. Her plight is a mystery we and Val must unravel, and Ms. Burrowes keeps us guessing almost to the end exactly what horrors Ellen has endured.

But the mood is not all gloom. Abundant humor from the secondary characters as well as Val, who still can crack a smile or two through his distress, lightens the tone as we cheer Val and Ellen on.

I like all three books in the series, but THE VIRTUOSO is my favorite. Enjoy.

ARC provided by Sourcebooks