The Duke's Scandalous Secret

by Connie Lane

Book Overview

Faced with the loss of his fortune, Thomas Flander, the Duke of Ravensfield, comes up with a scheme to write Gothic romances under a female pseudonym in order to support his estate, but his plan faces an obstacle when feisty Lynnette Overton arrives, determined to uncover the secret behind the duke

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743462874
• ISBN13: 9780743462877
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Delightful. 4.7 stars.

This is the first time I've read Connie Lane; I immediately sought out "The Viscount's Bawdy Bargain" too. The heroine & hero are both superbly drawn and enchanting. Their chemistry is apparent, and their relationship marvelous. Lynnette is bold and crafty (in a good way). Ravensfield is intelligent and has a way with words. The bits of suspense add just the right touch to the romance. Delicious reading.

A pleasant surprise!!

I loved this book. I read the first chapter online and bought the book because of that. I was pleasantly surprised that this book actually lived up to the promise of that chapter. I loved the premise of this book and the duke's means of supporting himself. I remember some of the first books I read were Gothic romances and this book had that feel with the chapters from the book Lynette was reading. The book I read before this one left a bad taste in my mouth (Lady in Waiting by K. Caskie--I hated that book!!). But I read TDSS in one sitting. The characters were all excellent. When Lynette veered even the slightest toward TSTL status, she was reeled back in quickly. She was spunky, but not overbearingly so. I liked her, but I especially liked Ravensfield. He was yummy. In Caskie's books, I could never really get a good picture of what the hero looked like, but the way Connie Lane described Ravensfield--I immediately got a picture of Gerard Butler in Phantom, only with two perfect sides to his face. And, we got to know the story from Ravensfield's POV. That was what was missing from Lady in Waiting--poor development of the male lead. The sexual tension between Lynette and Thomas was sizzling and their chemistry was crackling from the start. This was a great book. I look forward to more from Ms. Lane.

enjoyed very much

I really liked this book. Very definitely kept my interest and curiosity til the end of the story. I have been in a kind of a reading funk and this book got me out of it! Liked both the hero and heroine, real characters, enough tension between them, and a few well-kept secrets that kept you interested to read til the end. Romantic and funny and clever too. try it, you will like it.

solid Regency romance

The Blades want to bet the Dashers that they can learn the dark secret of the Duke of Ravensfield before their rivals. The Dashers are uninterested in finding out why Thomas Flanders rusticates for long stretches of time. However, Dasher Lynette Overton has loved Thomas from the first moment she saw him and thinks this is the right time to gain his love by arriving unannounced in a state of peril. Without informing her friends, Lynette travels to Ravensfield where Thomas is unhappy to see her. He tries to get rid of her because he does not want her to know his secret that he writes gothic romances under an alias. She is keeping him from his work that is needed to pay bills. As Lynnette refuses to leave and shams illness, her efforts to learn who set up her late mother to be called a thief and treated by the Ton as a pariah leads to her peril as someone wants that kept secret. With Lynnette in danger, Thomas realizes he loves her and will keep her safe although it means not new novels at least at this time. THE DUKE'S SCANDALOUS SECRET is a solid Regency romance that will provide readers with plenty of pleasure. The story line has two subplots with Lynette in the middle of both. The resolution of stopping the villain who destroyed her mother and wants to do likewise with Lynnette is clever as it ultimately intertwines the tale into a delightful cohesive novel starring two fine protagonists. Harriet Klausner