One Dance With A Duke - Romansa Waltz Tengah Malam (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
The beginning of a trilogy about the three remaining members of the Stud Club - scandalous rake Julian Bellamy, scarred war hero Lord Ashworth Rhys St Maur and the enigmatic Duke of Morland, Spencer DuMarque - and what happens after their founder Leo Chatwick is killed one night in an alley in Whitechapel by persons unknown. The men don't know each other and they like each other even less, but eventually they will have to unite to find Leo's killers.... Although before that happens...One Dance with a Duke is the story of the Duke of Morland and Amelia D'Orsay. The opening is absolutely fabulous as the spinsterish Amelia waits at a ball for the enigmatic Duke of Midnight (aka Morland) who has obtained a notoriously romantic reputation for turning up on the stroke of Midnight, picking a blushing debutante, dancing one set with the lucky lady (while barely speaking to her), then escorting her to dinner and leaving again just as mysteriously. Amelia's not expecting him to pick her, in fact although she thinks he's handsome, she also thinks he's an insufferably arrogant self-publicist with his stupid stunt... But she discovers that her brother owes him a large sum of money and so... Circumstances collide and Amelia ends up 'intercepting' Morland while he is making his choice. He is forced to pick her and the conversation that ensues is totally priceless as Amelia boldly asks him to forgive her brother's debt (which he refuses to do) and Spencer struggles to avoid any conversation at all. Rich with wit and revelations and a smouldering undeclared desire between both of them, the scene also reveals the reason for Morland's midnight dance routine (which is far more pragmatic than romantic) and that Amelia isn't quite as immune to his charms as she would have hoped, especially when he carries her from the ballroom and they are then called away by Bellamy and Ashworth after they bring news that Leo is dead. Amelia insists on going along with the bickering men to inform Leo's twin sister Lily of his death - but this leaves her compromised the next morning and to her utter shock Spencer offers her a marriage of convenience... The rest of the book totally lives up to that opening salvo, as Spencer and Amelia negotiate the many pitfalls and growing emotional intimacy and explosive sexual chemistry of their relationship. But be warned if you open this book you will be swept off your feet and waltzed through a fabulously bright funny, broodingly erotic and completely unputdownable romance... Go on, pick it up.... I Dare you! Loved this book! Spencer and Amelia are such great characters. There's a touch of Beauty and the Beast, which makes it sweet, but most of the fun is in the witty banter between them. Spencer is battered and brusque and bewildered, and you cheer for him so hard, despite the fact he's an ass quite often. And Amelia is sweet and charming and you can't wait to see how she beats down Spencer's walls.Love the "Stud Club", too - unlike most trilogies with a group of men, these three don't like each other - even a little bit! Loved that twist.
What do You think about One Dance With A Duke - Romansa Waltz Tengah Malam (2012)?
this is one of the most ROMANTIC books i have EVER read!
—Liz
