Loretta Chase’s DUKES PREFER BLONDES – An Intelligent Regency Romance

Set in the late Regency era (prologue 1817, 1822 and then 1835), this tells the story of Lady Clara Fairfax. Ever gorgeous, she was raised to marry a duke. Alas (from her mother’s perspective), she falls in love with a barrister, Oliver Radford, who is cousin to the Duke of Malvern, who calls Radford “Raven” for his black hair.

 

It seems that Lady Clara has a head on her shoulders and is tired of the swains who propose to her who expect she does not. In an unexpected encounter, she re-connects with a boy she had once saved from Radford’s cousin, Bernard, an ignorant bully.

 

Radford is committed to his career and, by all reports, he is a splendid barrister. He loves to argue and so does Clara. When a poor child she is helping asks for help to save her brother from some petty thieves, Clara turns to Radford. He warns her not to get involved but he likes her so he helps. Overwhelmed by the intelligent beauty, Radford is soon entangled in Clara’s affairs.

 

I liked this book… the witty dialog, the clever arguments and the research reflected in the story. Kudos to Chase for that. I have not read the other books in the series and, though I could tell there were stories (references to three seamstresses who married into the nobility abound), I could still enjoy this as a stand alone.

 

Recommended for romance readers who like intelligent reads and heroes with more than good looks. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was its title. I assume that is the publisher pandering to the readers who insist upon a duke in the title. While Radford eventually got his title, it came late and really didn’t figure into who he was at all.

 

The Dressmaker Series (which I only learned about after I read the book):

 

Silk is for Seduction

Scandal Wears Satin

Vixen in Velvet

Dukes Prefer Blondes

 

Loretta Chase’s CAPTIVES OF THE NIGHT – A Captivating Story Set in Paris

I bought all the romances in this loosely woven series before I read one of them. They include The Lion’s Daughter, set primarily in Albania, Captives of the Night, Lord of Scoundrels, and The Last Hellion. The last two are as related as the first two.

 

Captives is set in Paris and London. It’s the story of Leila Beaumont, a brilliant artist, who through a series of events, is forced by circumstances to marry a degenerate, who actually loves her but is incapable, as a result of his own bad choices, of being a good husband. She decides to shut him out of her bedroom but she remains celibate and faithful.

Meanwhile, her husband basically lives his separate debauched lifestyle. Now in her mid 20s, Leila comes to the attention of the handsome and sophisticated comte d’Esmond (who is the attractive villain Ismal from The Lion’s Daughter but with a new identity). They first meet in Paris and later, in London, where Leila and he are thrown together to solve a murder.

 

The sexual tension is well done and runs high throughout. Both are interesting and attractive people and have much to bring to a relationship. There are secrets lingering from The Lion's Daughter so you'll want to read that before this one. (The secrets are interesting and worth discovering.)

Loretta Chase’s CAPTIVES OF THE NIGHT – A Captivating Story

I bought all the romances in this loosely woven series before I read one of them. They include The Lion’s Daughter, set primarily in Albania, Captives of the Night, Lord of Scoundrels, and The Last Hellion. The last two are not so related as the first two. I found the writing to be inconsistent in these books and the stories vary considerably, some more interesting than others. But I did like this story very much.

Set in Paris and London, Captives is the story of Leila Beaumont, a brilliant artist, who, through a series of events, is forced by circumstances to marry a degenerate, who actually loves her but is incapable by his own bad choices of being a good husband. She decides to shut him out of her bedroom when she is only 20 but she remains celibate and faithful.

Meanwhile, her husband basically lives his separate debauched lifestyle. Now in her mid 20s, Leila comes to the attention of the handsome and sophisticated comte d’Esmond (who is the attractive villain Ismal from The Lion’s Daughter but with a new identity). They first meet in Paris and later, in London, where Leila and he are thrown together to solve a murder. The sexual tension is well done and runs high throughout. Both are interesting and attractive people and have much to bring to a relationship. There are secrets lingering from The Lion's Daughter so you'll want to read that one before this one. (The secrets are interesting and worth discovering.)

I recommend this book.

Review: Loretta Chase’s DUKES PREFER BLONDES – An Intelligent Regency Romance

Set in the late Regency era (prologue 1817, 1822 and then 1835), this tells the story of Lady Clara Fairfax. Ever gorgeous, she was raised to marry a duke. Alas (from her mother’s perspective), she falls in love with a barrister, Oliver Radford, who is cousin to the Duke of Malvern, who calls Radford “Raven” for his black hair.

It seems that Lady Clara has a head on her shoulders and is tired of the swains who propose to her who expect she does not. In an unexpected encounter, she re-connects with a boy she had once saved from Radford’s cousin, Bernard, an ignorant bully.

Radford is committed to his career and, by all reports, he is a splendid barrister. He loves to argue and so does Clara. When a poor child she is helping asks for help to save her brother from some petty thieves, Clara turns to Radford. He warns her not to get involved but he likes her so he helps. Overwhelmed by the intelligent beauty, Radford is soon entangled in Clara’s affairs.

I liked this book… the witty dialog, the clever arguments and the research reflected in the story. Kudos to Chase for that. I have not read the other books in the series and, though I could tell there were stories (references to three seamstresses who married into the nobility abound), I could still enjoy this as a stand alone.

Recommended for romance readers who like intelligent reads and heroes with more than good looks. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was its title. I assume that is the publisher pandering to the readers who insist upon a duke in the title. While Radford eventually got his title, it came late and really didn’t figure into who he was at all.

The Dressmaker Series:

Silk is for Seduction

Scandal Wears Satin

Vixen in Velvet

Dukes Prefer Blondes