A
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Theme: Class Differences, Trauma, Workplace
Archetype: Spy/Assassin
I have been waiting for this book for SO LONG and it was worth it. Every time Hoyt released a book in the Maiden Lane series I would gobble it up and then whine on Twitter “But when is Val’s book coming?” Well, it’s here now and it’s 100% what I was hoping for.
Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt is one of those books that worked for me on all levels, but I can see where it would problematic for some readers. First of all, it’s pretty damn dark. Secondly the hero, Valentine Napier, Duke of Montgomery is going to be one of those heroes that readers either love or hate. And I loved him. God, I loved him.
If you’ve read the other Maiden Lane novels (and I strongly suggest you do) then you know that Val, if not an outright villain (and that’s an arguable point), is at the very least an antagonist. He’s a master manipulator, a blackmailer, a man playing chess with human lives. His actions have moved along the plots of previous novels. He’s vain. He’s debauched. He’s ridiculously handsome. He’s erudite. He’s wicked. He’s at least a little bit insane. Since I stalk Hoyt’s Pinterest boards I know that Val was inspired both by Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Patrick Jane from The Mentalist. If you loved Sebastian from The Devil in Winter and/or the Duke of Villiers from A Duke of Her Own then odds are you will love Val.
In Duke of Sin Val has upped his blackmail game to include royalty. He’s working to expose a secret order known as the Lords of Chaos–powerful club of noblemen who revel in sex and violence. His personal history is tied into the club, and it’s not a pretty one. He’s determined to right some wrongs and destroy the men who fucked up his life.
The heroine of this novel is Bridget Crumb, bastard daughter of a noblewoman and Val’s housekeeper. Bridget is undercover in Val’s household searching for blackmail material that he has against her mother. Val suspects she’s up to no good and he’s delighted to have a worthy opponent running a con under his roof. He also wants to bang her.
This book has tropes I love: the redemption of an anti-hero, cat-and-mouse games, and battles of wit. Bridget is a worthy adversary to Val, which intrigues him. When he tries to shock her, to scandalize her, or to outright threaten her, she just does judgey eyebrows because she is Not Having His Shit.
The trick to a good villain-hero is giving him a decent reason for being villainous. Val has that in spades. His father was a monster, and I want to warn readers that this book contains very dark themes. The abuse Val suffered as a child made me cry. There are descriptions of violence to animals that made me nauseated, but provided important context for the story. The are discussions of physical and sexual abuse to children, although none of it is explicit or happens on screen.
As Bridget tries to outsmart Val she finds herself in closer quarters to him. She sees him in a vulnerable state and begins to realize how much of his personality is built on tragedy. Once she sees his humanity, she’s able to take him down a peg and they are more evenly matched.
To add to the Elyse-bait that this novel so obviously is, the final section takes place in the crumbling gothic castle that’s Val’s ancestral home.
Like I said, Duke of Sin will either be a love or a hate with a lot of readers. Val is never totally, completely redeemed. He’s not outright villainous at the end, but he’s definitely not transformed into prince charming. His actions in this book certainly have the potential to be polarizing. I was willing to forgive Val because I knew what I was getting into. He represents a serious bad-boy fantasy. When I put the book down I felt like Val had grown as a person, but that he was absolutely still capable of violence and deceit.
If you love a hero with an ulterior motive, a man who is capable of doing dark and monstrous things to achieve his version of justice, then you’re going to love Duke of Sin.
This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well.
Thanks!
I cannot wait to read this, and have also highly anticipated Val’s book!I stalk Hoyt’s pinterest, too, and OHMYTHATDRAGONROBE!!
Read it in one sitting. One. Sitting. I never do that. Now I have to work with almost no sleep.
I cannot wait to read this for all the reasons you gave but you had me at “Sebastan from Devil in Winter”. I was late to the Maiden Lane party a good thing for someone who loves binge reading a series but not so good on the wallet all at once. My kind of series!
@CS welcome to the Bad Decisions Book Club
Read this early. Had to wait for ages to talk about it. Thanks for putting into words why I loved it too!
Patiently waiting for them to pull it at the library. SOON.
I’ve really enjoyed some of the Maiden Lane books while others I haven’t finished. This one does sound good; I’ll definitely be picking it up.
Wait Hoyt has a Pinterest???
1) I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. I pre-ordered it. A couple of the Maiden Lane books have been DNF duds for me, but most of them are good, and a couple of them are my favorites. I just re-read DUKE OF MIDNIGHT this weekend. I love it so much. Artemis and Wakefield are one of my favorite romance couples – I really believe that they have a specific and unique connection.
2) Does anyone have any recommendations for things that feel like DUKE OF MIDNIGHT? What I love about it: it feels historically real, people are constrained by their circumstances, there are real repercussions to their sexual choices, the main characters feel like they really do fall in love rather than insta-lust, and there is exactly the right amount of angst. I’ve looked through all of the Goodreads “people also enjoyed” books, but I find that they are all super frothy Tessa Dare type stuff, which is not what I’m into.
This book sounds so good, but I’ve never been able to get into the Maiden Lane series. Hoyt’s language nearly killed me. I reviewed the first book on my blog (https://thefictionvixen.com/2015/09/03/review-of-wicked-intentions-by-elizabeth-hoyt/) and mocked it so much.
I’m tempted to try this one, but I just can’t deal with Hoyt’s style.
Can’t wait to read this. Thank you for review Elyse.
Please Please review Julie Anne Long’s new Contemprary: Hot in Hellcat Canyon. It is SQUEE Worthy. I can’t stop smiling…… Sooooooo Goooood
Duke of Sin made me raise my lorgnette, tease my wig a bit to make sure the jewel encrusted bird nest was still affixed at a jaunty angle, and then drawl that, while the marketing surrounding Valentine Napier’s book is pushing the “love him vs. hate him” angle, frankly, I, jaded twist that I am, just don’t care.
Val has all the earmarks of a gamma hero: He’s a sociopath, with such tendencies as kidnapping multiple ladies at the drop of a snuff box (and then waging revengeful battles against the male family members of said ladies who have the gall to rescue them/not be okay with his actions), blackmailing all and sundry for fun and Reasons, hangin’ with pedophiles and murderers for more blackmail ops, committing near (?) treasonous acts against British royalty, and…have I forgotten anything? Oh, yeah, he’s batshit crazy, ladies and gents of the ton. Srsly. Abuse suffered as a child (of course) sent him into madness, from which he – it appears – will never recover, as his mental health issues aren’t ever seriously addressed in this or the previous books. Yikes. That’s a shitload of crap to throw on a character, let alone an anti-hero expected to carry a romance, and truthfully, Duke of Sin collapses under all the downer vibes.
Then, factor in the most disappointingly boring love scenes EVER between Val and Bridget – the dude can’t even bother getting undressed for most of their sex scenes due to fears of premature ejaculation – and a meta heroine whose job as housekeeper is also her construct in the story’s plot – Bridget repeatedly cleans up Val’s shit, keeps a tight hold on his leading strings as he vaguely ponders morality every once in a while, and plays apologist to herself (for loving him) and every other frickin’ character in the book (for his douchery) and..ya lost me, Ms. Hoyt. If you’re gonna tout a duke of sin, he better be bringin’ it in the sexytimes, ya know?
(I’m not even going to address the clunky Turkish/Muslim/plot muppet thread that runs through the novel.)
As with any series, Maiden Lane has its ups and downs. Several of the titles – Wicked Intentions, Scandalous Desires, Thief of Shadows, Duke of Midnight – are some of my favorite romances of all times. Sadly, Duke of Sin is one heck of a letdown.
Fellini wave, Val!
Just gobbled this up. I love the 1740s time setting. It is a much more raw, violent society and aristocratic privilege was essentially unlimited. Mohawks roamed the unlit streets of Lonfon: aristocratic young thugs robbing, raping and occasionally killing. It was not just a night of tipping the watch à la 1820. Val is at home in this world, although at the outer edge of the spectrum due to his childhood. The whole story rang true and the romance was sublime. Bravo Mme Hoyt!
I’m about half way through the book — I often enjoy a good “bad boy” story — but I gotta say that the only thing keeping me going here is the heroine. She actually a housekeeper. Not a lady-in-disguise-pretending-to-be. And she doesn’t seem to have many illusions about the duke (or the rest of the aristocracy for that matter). The psychopathic duke, on the other hand, seems just too much. When he’s not kidnapping, blackmailing or murdering folks, he’s pondering his childhood kitty-killing experiences, and so forth. Yeah, he was abused, so sad, now can we lock him up in the loony bin?
I’ll keep going, just to see what happens to our heroine, but really, I don’t think I even want a happily-ever-after for this guy. It may be better to let his depraved family just die out!
Her writing is amazing and her characters are rich and complex. Maiden Lane like any series has some variance – but her female characters are all powerful heroines. Wow I am weirded out that people are so down on Hoyt. What the hell do you people like? Historical accuracy? Really make it me believe it…I will buy it. I am reading a novel not a history book. Val is a troubled hot mess – and at one point I was not sure if I was going like him. He is very broken. But Bridget saves him because she is hero and that’s what heroes do ….with dignity and courage. She loves being a housekeeper and it why she is strong heroine because she knows how to clean up vomit in corners. The sex scenes were weird but then I suddenly realized they were completely right for Val. Val is weird – he wouldn’t have sex like other heroes. Brilliant. Best book since Duke of Midnight. Recently, I have been tortured reading sh*tty contemporary romance with crappy first person snappy observations and boring detailed sex scenes. I read Hoyt and it’s like eating real food after eating vending machine snacks.
I agree with you Katherine, esp the comment about so so contemporaries. Hoyt is a brilliant writer and has spoiled me to expect that from other romance novels. I was completely immersed and riveted during every scene that Val was in. I also felt that he grew through being in a relationship with Brigid. I read this one and the new Kleypas back to back, and I loved Rhys (from Marrying Mr. Winterbourne) but felt there wasn’t enough scenes with him in the book and that he didn’t particularly grow. Btw: my kindle auto corrected Mr. Winterbourne to Mr. Intercourse…glad I caught it!
I’m mostly done with this. MAH THOUGHTS:
1) I also don’t get people who don’t like Elizabeth Hoyt. Not all of her work is running on all cylinders (I would file this book under “not the very best”, alas) but she’s such a good prose stylist. I feel like maybe people who dislike her historicals are fundamentally looking for something very different and much frothier and lighter and sillier in a romance than I am. Which is fine!!! But I don’t think it’s really fair to say that her work is “bad”. I feel that her work is much more historically accurate-feeling (TBH I think few of us really want to read romances set in past eras that are factually accurate rather than just accurate-feeling – the body odors, dental problems, and STDs would be enough to put a person off before you even got to the horrible inequality and social ills) than that of many, many other authors of historicals writing today. So I don’t really understand gripes about that part, either.
2) This is not my favorite Maiden Lane book. There are parts I really like (Yes! Extremely villainous Georgian dandies who are highly weird! Yes, long descriptions of management of great houses! Yes to the early parts of Val vs Bridget!) but I am not feeling the characters and their romance with each other the way I have in some other Hoyt books. It feels a little paint by numbers. The characters don’t feel totally organic to me.
3) But I like Hoyt’s work enough that even something a little paint by numbers is still pretty good. I enjoy Val and I enjoy it when Bridget is doing housekeeping – I am not that enthused about them together, but given how picky I am about books and how few things I finish, I’ll still take it.
This was essentially Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones as a romance novel. Since Howl is probably my first love, I adored it. While the heroine, Bridget, was at no point magically transformed into an old lady (nothing is perfect), she nonetheless did a fair job of being crotchety and demanding.
I did not make it into the office until 3 pm because of this book.
Love Elizabeth Hoyt’s work (nearly always). Val and Duke of Sin? Nope. Nopety nope. Not for me.
Oh I loved this, and I thought from the previews I wouldn’t. I was expecting Val to be a bit manipulative and sleazy and not massively interesting , but Hoyt shifted him up into magnificent wierdo. I loved how his poetic rants continue in his own internal POV, and his completely alien understanding of other people’s interactions. Also, while Hoyt has always played around with subtle stylistic shifts between books, this was really lyrical and fairytale like, and a really a big change from the last few books. Oh yeah, and Bridget was one of my favourite heroines too. (But I wasn’t a fan of the angsty backstory. I grew up with a father that, while nothing like Vals, killed pets as punishment and other abuse, and the three of us didn’t turn into homicidal geniuses, we just have the standard depression self-esteem issues. And my Dad’s family was pretty lovely, there doesn’t need to be an obvious reason for people to have personality disorders. )
I finally got a chance to read this and enjoyed it very much. I agree wholeheartedly with your review, Elyse.
I have read this book at least 4 times, and use it as a reference for HOW TO ACTUALLY WRITE WORTH A DAMN. It’s better than food, water and conversation. Or at least 2 of those three. Gamma heroes are my catnip, but there are so few good ones. And his last name is Napier, sometimes surname of my favorite villain. This could not be a more perfect book if it came from hell itself.
I really liked Valentine also. I would like to add there are some very funny lines in this book. Because I don’t fly in planes, I drive everywhere. I must say, that listening to MacNabb read this story is nothing short of perfect. In fact I enjoyed her reading “The Duke of Sin” so much, I bought all the other Maiden Lane books read by her.
I too enjoyed The Devil in Winter and A Duke of Her Own. I do enjoy villains. I like the good guy too. Try this book, I think you will enjoy it. I would give it an A+ myself.
Read it and loved it! I just don’t understand how a ‘rake’ becomes all gooey because he’s got the love of a good woman who Will STand Up for HIm and Believe in Him Whatever The World Thinks.
I love how Bridget comes to terms with Val’s capriciousness and how Val wants to TALK to Bridget even with all the hot sex. That almost never happens in those novels with Bad Boys-redeemed-by-Sweet-Pure-Heroines.
You are right about Val’s never being totally good-two-shoes at the end. Turning a shiny new leaf is a process especially for someone who was broken so young.
My new favourite Historical Romance for now.
No. Just no. In a previous novel, he arranges the kidnapping of a young woman as revenge on her brother. No. Just no. Not redeemable under any measure.