Mending the Duke’s Pride (The Lords of Vice Book 1)

Jared Lippincott, sixth Duke of Wyndmere, has been doing damage control since becoming duke. His brother Oliver, the previous duke, soiled the family name by having numerous affairs with married women and bankrupting the estate. Jared has refreshed the family coffers and is currently working on restoring the family name so his sister will be able to wed a proper gentleman. Unbeknownst to Jared, Viscount Hollingsford has vowed revenge on the entire family because his Viscountess kills herself when an angry husband kills her lover, Oliver. When Jared attends his first ball, he sees a young woman wearing thick spectacles and a hideously colored dress. He sees past the disguise and sees Persephone’s beauty and is attracted.

“Mending the Duke’s Pride” takes readers to a time when one’s name and fortune are all important and without these, one is not accepted into polite society. This is a unique tale because it is two different stories running side by side. They are the tales of romance between Jared and Persephone, and the story of revenge by the quite mad Viscount Hollingsford. The scenes are compelling, and one cannot put this novel down until the last page is turned. It is a disappointment that the last of the book seems hurried. The climax is at the very end and then the novel abruptly ends, combining the end of the book and what could have been an epilogue. From the main characters to the least of the secondary characters, all are interesting and entertaining. A pleasure to get to know them. A fun and suspenseful story, one never knows when or where the viscount will show up!

Belinda Wilson