Duke of Debauchery

The wicked Duke of Montrose has been on a path of debauchery and hedonism since his youth. However, one foolish, drunken race a year ago left his best friend with with severe head-injury and amnesia. Montrose himself suffers ongoing chronic pain from the injuries sustained in the accident. Moreover, he suffers a rare case of guilt over his role that fateful night in turning his friend, Viscount Torrington, into a shell of the man he once was. In a moment of clarity amidst the drug and alcohol induced haze affecting his brain, he decides to atone for his sin by marrying Torrie's younger sister, Hattie, his own sister's bosom friend. <br><br>Hattie is not a willing charity bride however.<br><br><i>“I am no sacrificial lamb, Montrose.” Her chin tipped up, and her voice was steeped in haughtiness. “Marry someone else if you feel it will unburden you. Marry anyone else for all I care. All I know is, it shan’t be me.”</i><br><br>She is none too impressed by his ducal title nor his method of 'proposing'.<br><i> "A moment more in your presence, and I shall be addlepated myself from the fumes on your breath alone.”</i><br><br>She is almost on-the-shelf but is determined not to be trapped in a loveless marriage. Or rather where love is one-sided, for she has been in love with Montrose for many years, all the while watching him dallying with various paramours while she remains in the shadows alongside the other wallflowers. And now he is finally looking at her, but is it just with kindness and pity? <br><br><i><br>“I noticed you, Hattie.” He glanced back at her. “How could a man fail to notice you?” Her cheeks flushed, and she turned toward him, her gaze burning into his. “Many have failed. Legions, in fact." </i><br><br><br>The book started out well with lively bantering between the two as Hattie stood her ground forcing Montrose to utilise the full repertoire of his persuasive skills. It was not difficult to guess why Montrose became dependent on first alcohol and then later laudanum to block out memories of the past. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="c467a39e-3e5a-48e1-a3e7-7c6cc1227e17" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="c467a39e-3e5a-48e1-a3e7-7c6cc1227e17"> He was molested by his uncle as a young boy. </label> The book weakened once Hattie agreed to the marriage. She lost her pluck and instead of going toe to toe with him, she became his bouncing ball, his sex toy. And boy did it get tedious, the repetitive sex scenes: different rooms, different poses, same inappropriately crude language which really did not fit the period. Neither went into the marriage expecting long term fidelity from him, and she who initially did not want a loveless union somehow ended up being content with getting crumbs. He goes hot and cold on her, sometimes downright cruel. She pathetically responds with sad eyes and :<br><br><i>“Have I done something wrong, Ewan? Have I displeased you in some way?” </i><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1601733609i/30189028._SX540_.jpg" width="400" height="340" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><br>She thus enabled him to continue his emotional abuse of her <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="feb1d61d-2cb9-4536-87b8-63c78e297f72" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="feb1d61d-2cb9-4536-87b8-63c78e297f72">, culminating in him organising for her to catch him entangled with two scantily glad women. </label> Because it makes perfect sense that he should repel her and break her heart this way, than her finding out about his past and potentially be repelled by it. <br><br>There are other inconsistencies that ended up pulling down the rating for me. The premise itself is rather nonsensical also, for why would he believe that marrying Hattie will be atonement for his sins against Torrie and her family, considering apart from being a duke, he knew that he would make a lousy, unfaithful husband. Yes, she is several seasons past her debut, but she was not exactly desperate for a husband and her family was not financially struggling.</["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

I am thinking that this book is the last of the series as prior couples were all together in the epilogue.Now I have to go back and read the other entries as I did not read them as yet!<br />The hero of this book is a Duke.<br />He is an Opium addict who loves his gin and goes thru the women like water.He has a massive guilt complex over the carriage accident that left his best friend with amnesia,and Ieast I not forget has a deep,deep dark secret of childhood sexual molestation by his uncle.<br />The heroine is the sister of his best friend.He wants to marry her to make amends for the carriage accident that caused her brother's amnesia.<br />After much waffling,the heroine finally says yes to the proposal and they marry. <br />I really enjoyed this one and this couple.<br /> The heroine was perfect for the hero and she is exactly who he needed in his life to finally get over his addiction.He wanted to be a better person for her which he did at the end.<br />There was a section towards the end where he acted like an ass, but that was because the source of his childhood torment came back to attempt blackmail.<br />Really lovely epilogue and I hope that the heroine's brother has a story.<br />Loved this one!

<strong>I am torn on the rating</strong><br /><br />I liked the hero and I loathed him too. He was not my favorite. He wanted to marry Harriet because he raced her brother and he was hurt during the race. They had known each other for a long time but he never really saw her. He was too busy being a drunk rake with no morals. Didn't like him much. But I did like when he first started to pursue her and I loved it until she said yes then he decided once he had her he wasn't going to be faithful. He knew he would get bored, etc etc etc and I hated him. He was such a jerk. She marries him and things are getting better when a secret from the past comes up. He then does the most heinous thing possible in the name of Love and it was awful. He arranges for her to find him with two other women of the night. I felt her pain. It was just gross. And even though I know why he did it I didn't like it. It was just cruel to do that to a woman you supposedly love. I am not going to say anymore but there is an HEA and I did feel good after I read the epilogue. But I didn't totally love the hero because of his character in previous books and because of his attitude. The epilogue was good though so I almost want to raise it to four stars instead of three. I probably will because he was a victim too but it is hard to like him after she said yes. I hated his thinking. He did redeem himself. I do like this author most of the time.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️<br />???<br /><br />Powerful stuff.<br />Steamy, dangerously addictive Duke seeks what he thinks is a mild and sweet wife, what he gets is a passionate wildcat who will turn his life upside down. <br /><br />This is a debauching Duke who has a Gin/Opium/Women addiction, he also has a damaged soul due to a deep and traumatic experience from his childhood days.<br />He has a best friend with amnesia, our Duke has guilt of that too.<br />That mans sister is Hattie now his Duchess.<br /><br />The two have a fiery relationship, but the passion and chemistry is not to be denied.<br /><br />I loved this book and the series has been wonderful.<br />You won’t be able to get enough of Duke Ewan, he is so cheeky and hot, Hatty is his perfect match .<br /><br />Great reading and romance. <br />I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

It should be a novella.

This book was so sensitively written that you could feel Monty's anguish as he over came his addictions and his shame at what had happened during his youth. The author gently laid clues as to the abuse he had suffered and handled the reveal very well as the victim often feels they are to blame.<br /><br />Hattie what can I say she was magnificent, strong and yet vulnerable. She became Monty's strength and his love. Lovely - sigh!<br /><br />I'm looking for more in this series and hope Torrie, Hattie's brother has a story - sure I saw that somewhere.<br /><br />August 2021<br />just as enjoyable on the second reading.

Despite this being predictable I liked it. The heroine held out for quite long.

Rating: 4.5/5.0<br /><br />Scarlett Scott’s entertaining tale of love set in the time of dukes and duchesses will have the reader rooting for these seemingly opposite lovers! <br /><br />Read full review in the <a href="https://indtale.com/reviews/historical/duke-debauchery" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">2020 June issue of InD'tale Magazine.</a>

The Duke of Montrose devil may care attitude leave his best friend Terrie, Viscount Torrington aka Torrie is gravely injured with a head injury and lost his memory lost. He's determined to make amends and his friend’s sister Hattie Lethbridge is the solution, he’ll marry her after all he needs and heir and who better than his best friends sister. Hattie is perfectly happy being a wallflower, she doesn’t need Montrose interfering with her life. She flat refusing his proposal of marriage. He tries to hide his addiction from her. then he’s blackmailed and his life starts spiraling out of control and only Hattie can save him. I loved this funny romantic book and the witty banter between Hattie and Montrose as passion sizzles between them until it can no longer be denied. I love how they’re lives are intertwined as they fall in love and find their HEA. An excellent story I loved and I voluntarily wrote a review.

Absolutely exquisite! My heart broke in pieces for the tortured, haunted Monty. This book hit me hard; many of my real-life clients self-medicated with alcohol and substance to drown out the pain and trauma of abuse. <br /><br />I wanted to garrote Monty’s disgusting, foul uncle and confront his clueless mother. <br /><br />I loved Hattie; she is such a gracious, non judgmental, fierce heroine. This is the type heroine I admire as a character. I could see her picking up a sword to defend Monty from the world. <br /><br />I’m so excited Hattie’s brother, Torrie, will be getting his own book. I pray his heroine is a wonderful, virtuous lady who is devoted only to him.