Duke of Sin (Duke Trilogy, Book One): Adele Ashworth

"He is called the "DUKE OF SIN..."

"...a notorious rogue and recluse whose reputation in as black as the Cornish night. They speak of his conquests, his past, and his mysteries in breathless whispers. And now lovely and desperate Vivian Real-Lamont has no choice but to enter William Raleigh's lair.

"Vivian prayed that the scandal that drove her from London would neved be revealed--but now she will be exposed to the world...unless William can protect her. She has heard the rumors about the infamous Duke of Sin, yet she is unprepared for the man's raw, sensuous power...or for the tratorous response of her own body. Surrender, however, could prove most dangerous indeed--for both of them. For while the duke is intrigued by the guarded, intoxicating lady who has invaded his solitude--and fully intends to discern her every secret through sweet, unhurried seduction--it is his own heart that will be imperiled when passion takes them further than he ever intended."

This was the first book by Adele Ashworth that I've read and it was different. To be honest, I could tell that this was one of her earlier books... Not to be mean, but there was just something that was off with the writing style. Some of the sentences were way, way too long. Though the plot was fun and interesting and I loved the bit of Shakespeare involved, this was just not one of my favorite works. I really appreciate all of the work that so obviously went into this book. However, there was this one part in particular that bothered me a bit. Not to give too much away, but it's where Will was meeting with his friends at a crucial point in the plot. I was SO lost! I must have gotten turned around somehow because something just didn't make sense while I was reading it. Granted, it was all explained later, but it just wasn't very much fun to read. I actually went and checked to see if I was missing a page or two!

Oh, that and the fact that Vivian and Will call one another by their first names. I totally understand what the author was trying to do with this--creating the whole atmosphere of intimacy--but it was not very natural. Titled couples in this period would very rarely use their first names in any situation and the fact that Will nearly immediately insists that she call him "Will" was a little off. At the least, he would have given her permission to call him "Trent" instead of "Your Grace" or some other similar address for a Duke.

Overall, I really enjoyed the plot and story of this book, but the writing was not all there for me. The characters were good, but fell slightly flat sometimes. I will probably end up reading the next two books in this trilogy, but not right away.