When the Duke Was Wicked

Lorraine Heath

Feb 2014 · Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Place Book 1 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this eBook

They are England's most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways . . .

Lady Grace Mabry's ample inheritance has made it impossible for her to tell whether a suitor is in love with her— or enamored of her riches. Who better to distinguish beau from blackguard than her notorious childhood friend, the Duke of Lovingdon?

With no interest in marriage, Lovingdon has long lived only for pleasure. He sees little harm in helping Grace find a proper match. He simply has to teach the lovely innocent all the ploys a scoundrel uses to gain a woman's favor— by demonstrating his wicked ways. But as lessons lead to torrid passion and Grace becomes ensnared in another man's marriage plot, Lovingdon must wage a desperate gamble: Open his heart fully—or risk losing the woman he adores . . .

Ratings and reviews

The whole issue with Lovingdon's wife got a bit heavy-handed, and THAT was the only thing that kept them apart up until the VERY end was a little frustrating. But other than that he was an excellent hero, and his emotional situation, though the explaining it got repetitive, was well laid out. Grace's secret "ailment" was also kind of a neat idea, refreshing and unexpected in a historical romance. All in all I'm glad I read it. I won't read it again and it's not my favorite, but it kept me entertained.

This is a wonderful story. It has a bit of everything. There is over, intrigue, action, steamy, and so much more. The characters are so wonderful. I love the situations that the characters find themselves in. I love the world building that the author has done. It’s such a nice take on the aristocracy. The banter between all the characters was hilarious. I laughed and cried during this one. A truly beautiful story.

Started off really irritated with the hero of this book, but he turned out to be fun and sexy and perfect for the heroine. Loved also knowing how they were after the wedding and how they were years later. Great story and a wonderful ending!

About the author

Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her novels have been recognized with numerous industry awards and have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.