Review: Never Seduce a Duke (The Mating Habits of Scoundrels, #5) by Vivienne Lorret

       

Print Length: 384 pages

Publisher:  Avon (February 21, 2023)

From Goodreads.com: After being jilted, Margaret Stredwick has sworn off men and marriage. What she needs is a holiday. But a detour along the way takes a surprising turn that leads Meg to him. And soon she starts to wonder if she should indulge in one grand flirtation before she's firmly on the shelf.

The instant Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, finds a strange woman touring the halls of his ancient estate, he knows the minx is up to something. So, when a family heirloom is stolen, it's clear who the culprit is. She may tempt him beyond reason, but he isn't about to let her get away, even if he has to chase her across the continent.

Meg never imagined that anyone would mistake her for a notorious thief, known for seducing men to distraction. It's the most thrilling thing ever! She eagerly plays along. . . until she finds herself falling in love with a man who has no idea who she really is. And by the time she returns to her ordinary life, she discovers that her grand flirtation won't be a secret for long. Apparently, she brought home an unexpected souvenir...

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

I had a lot of issues with this one. But sadly, I still saw enough potential here that I decided to overlook my 2023 resolution that when a book just wasn't doing it for me I would just DNF it and move on. 

To begin with, seperately these characters were okay. I found Meg to be a bit annoying in that she constantly complained that the man she was in love with married someone else, even though it was obvious that not only did the man not love Meg in the slightest, but she was almost infatuated with him than she was in love with him. However, I did enjoy watching her attempts at flirtations with Lucien (even if she does come across more of an accomplished flirt than she actually is). I also ejoyed how analytical Lucien was in his manner of speaking (although seriously? For someone as smart as he was supposed to be he really was quite obtuse when it came to the matter of Lady Avalon). 

When you put them together however? My goodness, I wanted to shake them both. Their entire relationship (if you can call it that as I never bought into them actually having feelings for each other beyond lust), was build on lies, misunderstandings and half-truths. I mean for crying out loud the only reason he persued her in the first place was because he believed she had stolen something from him. Meg was no better, she played into the role he cast her in making it so that even when she told him the truth, she did it in such a way that she knew he wouldn't believe her. 

Then their two year seperation happened. And when they were reunited? Meg continued to keep a huge secret from him. Something she should have told him about immediately. It made me dislike her (and their so-called relationship) even more. 

All in all, while this one didn't work for me, I can see where it may appeal to other readers. If this book sounds like something you would enjoy, then I encourage you to give it a shot! 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                         Never Seduce a Duke is available on Amazon.com