Waking Up With the Duke (London's Greatest Lovers) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lorraine Heath (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 28, 2011 | Series: London's Greatest Lovers

“Lorraine Heath’s books are always magic.”
—Cathy Maxwell

“She writes the most powerfully moving love stories in romance today.”
—Jill Barnett

“Heath steals your heart, then takes you on a journey that will leave you torn between tears and joy.”
—Christina Dodd

Meet London’s Greatest Lovers! New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath’s delights and enchants, moves and mesmerizes historical romance readers with Waking Up With the Duke, the third installment in her unforgettable series in which the rakish sons of a scandalous Dowager Duchess, discover passion, pleasure, and true love. Perfect for Lisa Kleypas and Liz Carlyle fans, Waking Up With the Duke transports readers back to Victorian England, where a dangerous passion is born when a handsome rogue nobleman is approached with a most unusual request…

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

They are masters of seduction,London's greatest lovers . . .

Renowned for his bedchamber prowess,Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley,owes a debt to a friend. But the paymentexpected is most shocking, even to anunrepentant rake—for he's being asked toprovide his friend's exquisite wife withwhat she most dearly covets: a child.

Living for pleasure, they willgive their hearts to no one . . .

Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort,is furious that such a scandalous agreementwould be made. If she acquiesces, theremust be rules: no kissing . . . and, certainly,no pleasure.

Until love takes them by surprise.

But unexpected things occur with thesurprisingly tender duke—especially onceLady Jayne discovers the rogue can makeher dream again . . . and Ransom realizeshe's found the one woman he trulycannot live without.

About the Author

Lorraine Heath wrote her first story at seven, and it involved a fisherman who fell in love with a mermaid. She has since moved on to writing about sexy cowboys and dashing English lords (and sometimes, cleverly, in the same book!). Publishers Weekly says she is a "master of her craft." She is, indeed, and along with being a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, she has won the RITA® Award, three Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards, and a Career Achievement Award.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062022458
• ISBN-13: 978-0062022455
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases for a publicist, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. In 1990, she read a romance novel and became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She's been writing about them ever since, for both adult and young adult readers (as Rachel Hawthorne, Jade Parker, and with her son as J. A. London). Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards including RWA's RITA(R), a HOLT medallion, a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, and four Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards. Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA Today and the New York Times.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#18 in Books > Romance > Historical

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

#18 in Books > Romance > Historical

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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The story is OK, but not great July 4, 2011

By Rain

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In short, the hero, the Duke of Ainsley, and his cousin were involved in a carriage accident a few years ago. The cousin ended up in a wheelchair while Ainsley got nothing but a scratch. Of course, our hero feels guilty, so much that he accepts to sleep with Jayne, his cousin's wife, to get her pregnant and thus give his cousin an heir.

**Spoiler**
Ainsley is already half in love with Jayne. She, on the other hand, hates him and blames him for all that she lost since the accident: her husband (he's handicapped), her child (she was pregnant at the time of the accident and she miscarried) and her chance to ever be a mother.

He has one month to get her pregnant and the task seems impossible.

So far so good, but this is when the story gets unbelievable...

For someone who is supposed to despise the hero, Jayne changes her mind too quickly. She was so disgusted by Ainsley that I thought it would take him the whole month to seduce her. On the first night, she acts as a martyr (OK, that was to be expected), but on the second night she turns around and offers her body almost willingly (WHAT?!). All her hate and resentment gone in two days?! Nope. I just can't believe it.

That's where the author lost me.
**End**

The rest of the book is predictable, but way too long. We are just waiting and waiting for something to happen.

Moreover, I found it weird that the author decides to include the story of Ainsley's mother. I thought it was out of place and not really related to the story. Also, I didn't like the fact that the author never uses the hero's first name throughout the book. She mentions it on page 1 and that's it.

Overall, the story is OK, but not great.

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Needed it to make more sense... July 5, 2011

By S K

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I won't provide a plot re-cap (many others have done that already quite well) so I'll cut to the chase of my dislikes for Waking Up With the Duke.

***SPOILERS*** No, Seriously- ******SPOILERS******

1. Ainsley, our hero, was a little too "Father Figure" for my tastes. He was enchanted by the slightest show of sass or spirit from the heroine and would note how he would never curb her curiosity or zest or what have you. And it kind of reminded me of a father indulging his child or an owner indulging his pet. It's not like the book was riddled with these incidents but there were enough that it made me wince.

2. The "honorable" characters' choices were a little sketchy in terms of Honor. First, they've all rationalized the sleeping together/conception deal and still have misgivings but whatever because they all want the heroine to have a baby. All right- I knew that going in and was intrigued to see how this could be pulled off. But THEN we find out the truth about Walfort's mistress and children and who was actually driving that night and the obvious solution (with Walfort's demise) would be that the hero and heroine (who are in love with each other) marry and the baby will know his actual father and be raised to inherit what is rightly his. And this is where the Honor of our heroine prevents her from doing what is clearly best for all concerned. Because she'd made a promise to Walfort? Because her trust had been abused? You've got a frickin' hot Duke you're in love with who is rich and powerful and wants to claim your son and you're going to say no? And deny some other idiot their rightful inheritance and subject your unborn baby to growing up fatherless? I understand her trust issues, but come on! And then waiting until she's far into labor to consent to wed the Duke! Give me a break.

3. Back to Ainsely, our hero. What drew him to our ninny of a heroine? She was pretty? She really didn't have a winning personality. She had skinned her knee when she was a kid (enchanting our Hero with her zest and verve which he would never curb!) and was willing to climb a tree. The heart wants what it wants, sure, but I needed it to make more sense WHY he would want her! I found her bouts of properness ("we can't have sex during the day!") irritating and inconsistent ("but we can have sex even though I'm married and blame you for my husband's paralysis"). Please don't remind me that women during those times didn't ________, yes, I know, I understand but I just got tired of her objecting to each small thing (only to enjoy it later) when I thought we were being led to admire her adventuresome sass and whatnot.

4. Finally, I found most of the characters to be flat and I was left emotionally unengaged. There was too much telling that someone was a certain way, and not enough showing through action and dialogue. This has been my primary complaint with other Lorraine Heath novels I've read, too. (I can hear her fans now growling "Get a rope!")

I wanted to like this author and this book, especially after reading other reviews on Amazon from other reviewers that I respect. I don't mind an "angsty" romance or getting my heart torn apart in the course of a story (and this premise seemed to promise just that) but I was frustrated by how all the ingredients of this story came together.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Drivel with plot spoilers in review - sorry July 25, 2011

By CJ

Format:Mass Market Paperback

After I hated 'In Bed with the Devil' by Lorraine Heath I swore never to read another of her historicals but because I'd read rave reviews on Amazon.com and by someone who compared her to one of my favourite authors, Loretta Chase, I thought I'd give this author another chance. Big mistake. The plot premise was the most utter nonsense and totally out of period, the characters were non dimensional and I couldn't have cared less about any of them. Plot summary with spoilers: Heroine's husband is crippled and incapable after accident, husband asks his best friend the Duke(as you do) to make love with his wife and get her pregnant. She can't stand said Duke because she blames him for husband's accident. For some strange reason she then agrees and they have a whole month (between her menses natch) in a secluded cottage together to do the deed. Oh and BTW we are supposed to believe that the h can spend a whole month living with the H with impunity in the society of those times with the excuse that she is there 'on holiday'. Strangely enough Duke turns out to be noble, sensitive, good in bed and totally wonderful and has secretly always loved her. Stranger still she falls for him. She does fall pregnant and guess what, husband conveniently wastes away in time for Duke and H to marry before baby is born.

I never read the other books in the series prior to this one so perhaps there was a good reason for the youngest of three sons to be the Duke but I don't care enough to check - still that sentence threw me out of the story right at the outset. Then there were some really crass lines like "she erased the evidence of her tears with such delicacy" and his comment after one of their love making sessions "you seemed to enjoy things." After he asks her if she will weep tonight when he leaves she comes out with "I don't think so. I'm too sated." Errrrr - eloquent, moving, sensitive, emotional? There is some sub plot about a romance between the hero's mother and a younger man that was not very interesting. All in all it was for me a complete waste of time. Just before reading this book I had read two other new recent releases - Meredith Duran's "A Lady's Lesson in Scandal" which is totally brilliant and and Loretta Chase's new one "Silk is for Seduction" also brilliant and both way better written than this book. Both books have plots which are perhaps a little far fetched but they become completely involving because they are so beautifully written and you get that emotional wrenching feeling that I for one am looking for when I read a historical romance. This book is not worth your time in my view. Try Meredith Duran or Loretta Chase instead.