The Devilish Duke

Funny and surprising! It is not often I am caught off guard when determining the perp in a mystery. I was completely and wonderfully surprised by who the villain turned out to be. The comedy, drama and the addition of a little sociopathic suspense was a refreshing divergence from the usual historical romance tropes. Definitely recommend!!

Devlin Markham, the notorious “Devil Duke” of Huntington, needs a woman. And not just any woman. If he can’t woo one of the most eccentric bluestockings of the Ton within the month, he can kiss his hard-earned fortune goodbye. But he’s always thought love a wasted emotion and marriage an inconvenience at best. And oddly enough, Lady Sophie Wolcott seems unmoved by his charm... When Sophie learns her beloved orphanage on Grey Street is in imminent danger, she will do anything to save it. I was drawn into the story from the start & found myself laughing out loud at Sophie’s climbing fiasco. I thought it would just be a light hearted but I was wrong, the mystery of who’s murdering servants & how it’s linked to Devlin & Sophie added another dimension. The characters are very well fleshed, Devlin (sigh) has an awful reputation but as Sophie gets to know him more of his backstory is revealed we find everything shouldn’t be taken at face value. Sophie is no simpering miss but an intelligent, independent woman who will do almost anything for her orphans. The attraction between the pair is immediate & just grows which perplexes both of them. The secondary characters are also delightful especially Mabel – loved her & Nicholas is a scene stealer. I thoroughly enjoyed this engrossing debut novel which was very accomplished, there was everything you could want in a historical romance, mystery, murder, humour, a tortured gorgeous hero, a determined heroine & of course romance. I’ll be impatiently awaiting the next novel. My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Absolutely captivating and witty, The Devilish Duke by Maddison Michaels was a great historical romance! I loved it, couldn’t put it down. She had me from the very first chapter, this book was engaging and entertaining. It had me laughing out loud, but it was also heartfelt and at times suspenseful. I think Maddison did an excellent job bringing these characters and their story to life. Lady Sophie Wolcott is hard not to love. She is very strong willed, independent, smart and beautiful, the full package. She finds herself in a predicament when she falls off of a tree while spying on the man she thinks she is in love with. She literally falls at the feet of Duke Devlin Markham, the Devil Duke himself. Her first impression of Devlin was not a good one, he helps her after her fall but then they both go their own ways. She goes an entire year without seeing Devlin, but that didn’t stop her from thinking about him from time to time. Duke Devlin Markham had made quite a name for himself, but his reputation is another story. He isn’t called the Devil Duke for nothing. Not only does his title give him privileges, but it helps that the man is also extremely handsome and charming. He has all of the ladies chasing after him. All except Lady Sophie. He couldn’t figure out why Sophie had made an impression, and little did he know that she would turn his world upside down in the best possible way. When Devlins reputation gets in the way of a business deal, he is left without many options. He decides if settling down and getting married is what he needs to do to continue with his business deal, he will do just that. Having a hard time being able to forget the one encounter he had with Sophie, he decides she would be the perfect bride. Except Sophie wants absolutely nothing to do with him or marriage. Devlin and Sophie had the most undeniable chemistry, and their interactions were gold. They were most definitely meant to be. He pushed and she pushed right back. They quickly became one of my favorite couples. I was immersed in their story. The book had just the right amount of suspense, humor, and romance. I was impressed with the flow of the book. Everything just worked! Maddison gave us a flawless, well written story. I can not wait to see what else she has in store for us. Definitely worth all 5 stars!