Review: One Night in London: The Truth About the Duke

One Night in London: The Truth About the Duke by Caroline Linden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


From Goodreads: A bargain that was all business . . . and pure passion.

Neither wealth nor beauty will help Lady Francesca Gordon win custody of her young niece Georgina, saving the girl from a cruel stepmother; she needs London’s top solicitor for that. But when Edward de Lacey, son of the powerful Duke of Durham, hires away the one man who can do the job, Francesca decides Edward himself must champion her case . . . if only she can melt the dashing lord’s stony heart.

Edward has reason to be guarded, though. London’s tabloids have just exposed a secret that could ruin his entire family. When Francesca offers a unique chance to undo the damage, Edward is forced to agree to a partnership . . . and now, each moment together feeds the flames of his scandalous longing for the passionate widow. But when Georgina disappears, fate will test them both . . . and leave their love hanging in the balance.

My Thoughts: I read the "intro" novella to this series, and was excited to see what the first book would offer. There were parts I really liked, but one thing that struck me was that the "mystery" that runs throughout the series was hardly a part of the story at all. Instead, the story really focused on Francesca and her search for her niece.

I liked the hero and heroine and the extended cast of characters. Edward is all he was raised to be, but has hidden depths (like and good hero). Francesca, who is strong, independent and not afraid to walk the edge of propriety at times, is fortunate enough to go beyond her initial opinion of Edward and see what more he has to offer. I liked seeing the two of them grow closer and come together, getting past a few obstacles in the way.

I never expected the "mystery" to be solved in the first book of the series, after all there are two more to come, but I did expect to get a bit more background or information on the old Duke and the potential scandal, perhaps a bit more to advance the story in the current time too. Needless to say, that makes me wonder what we'll find in Book 2, the youngest brother's story. All in all, the first book was a fun read.



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