The Duke of Dark Desires

September 29, 2014
Jeanne de Falleron, alias Jane Grey, has spent nine years searching for someone named Denford who sent her family to the guillotine. When Julian Fortescue, current Duke of Denford, suddenly needs a governess for his half-sisters, she lies her way into the job. Julian is dealing with his own guilt over the Fallerons’ deaths, but his search for the man who betrayed them still gives him plenty of time to admire the beautiful, secretive new governess. As the family moves from London to Denford’s country estate, Jane struggles to keep her past secret while continuing her investigation and exploring her attraction to Julian. The final book in Neville’s Wild Quartet follows from the hints given in Lady Windermere’s Lover to explore the repercussions of Julian’s participation in the French Revolution, but the focus is more on Jane than on Julian. Jane is a more worldly heroine than the previous wives; fans of the previous books may miss the wry rake in the reformed Duke.

November 1, 2014
Years after the French Revolution, the only surviving daughter of a marquis travels to England to avenge herself on her family's betrayer. Neville (Lady Windermere's Lover, 2014, etc.) returns with the final installment in her Wild Quartet. Jeanne de Falleron survived the slaughter of her family by sacrificing her virtue, although she was only 15 at the time. But she's determined to deliver justice to the man she's convinced betrayed her family, a man she knew only as Mr. Fortescue. Disguised as an English governess named Jane Grey, she manages to find work in the home of Julian Fortescue, the Duke of Denford and the head of the Fortescue family. Although she has no experience as a governess, Jane is determined to provide a good education to the Duke's three young sisters, even while she investigates Fortescue relatives to find the culprit who caused the deaths of her parents and sisters. Little does she know that Julian himself was plain Mr. Fortescue at the time of her family's deaths. Julian is haunted by his own guilt over the deaths of the Falleron family. He blames himself for his youthful stupidity in the incident, although he did not directly betray Jane's father. At the heart of the story is the Marquis de Falleron's unrivaled art collection, which Julian is waiting to retrieve from its hiding place in Belgium. The story is further strengthened by the Duke's three sisters. Fenella, the middle sister, is a perfect depiction of a troubled young woman in a world that values looks over brains. The main characters' appreciation of art adds color to the story, which is otherwise an entertaining but unsurprising tale about falling in love with the enemy.

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December 1, 2014

Julian Fortescue, Duke of Denford, is overwhelmed when his self-centered mother leaves his three half-sisters in his care while she goes off to America with her new husband. He needs a governess to deal with the chits--and attractive Jane Grey is perfect for the position. But Jane is not at all what she seems. Lady Jeanne de Falleron is on a mission to kill the Fortescue who betrayed her family and sent them to the guillotine. She's not about to let anything get in her way--not even her growing feelings for Julian, the man she fears may have been involved. VERDICT A smart, determined French emigre and a reluctant, guilt-ridden duke find love and a few surprising answers in this densely plotted, passionate tale that is enhanced by a dash of danger and a lively trio of girls who will eventually merit their own stories. Neville (Lady Windermere's Lover) lives in rural Vermont.

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