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Most Unsuitable Men #2
The Dark Duke
A Most Unsuitable Duke!
Adrian Fitzwalter, the Duke of Barroughby, wore the taint of scandal with flair, his very presence charged with the promise of forbidden things. But the gentle Lady Hester knew the rakish pose was only a mask, hiding a desperate and lonely man.
With her knowing eyes and quiet beauty, the spinsterish Lady Hester was a far cry from Adrian's usual amours. Yet though her goodness stirred him beyond imagining, he dared not give in to the longing to seek comfort of her waiting arms, for his happiness would surely be her ruin.
Adrian Fitzwalter, the Duke of Barroughby, wore the taint of scandal with flair, his very presence charged with the promise of forbidden things. But the gentle Lady Hester knew the rakish pose was only a mask, hiding a desperate and lonely man.
With her knowing eyes and quiet beauty, the spinsterish Lady Hester was a far cry from Adrian's usual amours. Yet though her goodness stirred him beyond imagining, he dared not give in to the longing to seek comfort of her waiting arms, for his happiness would surely be her ruin.
297 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1997
8 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Moore
226 books175 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Award-winning author Margaret Moore actually began her career at the age of eight, when she and a friend concocted stories featuring a lovely, spirited damsel and a handsome, misunderstood thief nicknamed "The Red Sheik."
Unknowingly pursuing her destiny, Margaret graduated with distinction from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. During that time, she also became a Leading Wren with the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, where she learned to use a variety of weapons and had the weepy experience of being tear-gassed.
In addition to being a wife and mother of two, she's also been an award-winning public speaker, synchronized swimmer, an archer, and studied fencing and ballroom dancing.
Margaret sold her first historical romance and the premiere book of her Warrior series, A WARRIOR'S HEART, to Harlequin Historicals® in 1991. Since that time, she's written over 25 historical romance novels and novellas. She has also written for Avon Books, as well as a young adult historical romance for HarperCollins Childrens Books. She now writes for Harlequin's new single title imprint, HQN.
Her books have been published in France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, Poland and India.
Award-winning author Margaret Moore actually began her career at the age of eight, when she and a friend concocted stories featuring a lovely, spirited damsel and a handsome, misunderstood thief nicknamed "The Red Sheik."
Unknowingly pursuing her destiny, Margaret graduated with distinction from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. During that time, she also became a Leading Wren with the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, where she learned to use a variety of weapons and had the weepy experience of being tear-gassed.
In addition to being a wife and mother of two, she's also been an award-winning public speaker, synchronized swimmer, an archer, and studied fencing and ballroom dancing.
Margaret sold her first historical romance and the premiere book of her Warrior series, A WARRIOR'S HEART, to Harlequin Historicals® in 1991. Since that time, she's written over 25 historical romance novels and novellas. She has also written for Avon Books, as well as a young adult historical romance for HarperCollins Childrens Books. She now writes for Harlequin's new single title imprint, HQN.
Her books have been published in France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, Poland and India.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 12, 2023
I was leaning towards a 3.5* rating but the story and its sensibility plummet as it goes on.
The h is the companion to the H's stepmother. She herself is the daughter of an earl but has always been over shadowed by her beautiful sisters. The duchess hates her stepson and imbues all great qualities to her son who in fact is an unconscionable rogue. The H visits to the old lady's annoyance and then the brother. The h is caught in between as she tries to determine whom to trust. Many local characters and their drama fill up the pages.
The h is the companion to the H's stepmother. She herself is the daughter of an earl but has always been over shadowed by her beautiful sisters. The duchess hates her stepson and imbues all great qualities to her son who in fact is an unconscionable rogue. The H visits to the old lady's annoyance and then the brother. The h is caught in between as she tries to determine whom to trust. Many local characters and their drama fill up the pages.
December 9, 2021
If you have read a large number of Regency romances as I have, I would categorize this as a middle-of-the-road story. I liked Lady Hester's character. If I had met someone like her in real life, I'd consider her a trustworthy friend. She was neither silly nor naive; she had accepted her lot in life as the companion of a duchess.
What I didn't care for was the constant reminder by everyone of her plain appearance. The saying, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, came to mind more than once.
Regarding The Dark Duke, Adrian Fitzwalter, I sensed from the beginning he was holding on to secrets for a long time. Along with his annoying stepmother, he had been enabling his younger brother, Elliot, what seemed like forever. It wasn't until Hester came in to his life, that he finally found forgiveness.
Though I have tagged this as a kisses-only romance, and it was, the H's thoughts were another story. I know that makes a difference for some readers.
What I didn't care for was the constant reminder by everyone of her plain appearance. The saying, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, came to mind more than once.
Regarding The Dark Duke, Adrian Fitzwalter, I sensed from the beginning he was holding on to secrets for a long time. Along with his annoying stepmother, he had been enabling his younger brother, Elliot, what seemed like forever. It wasn't until Hester came in to his life, that he finally found forgiveness.
Though I have tagged this as a kisses-only romance, and it was, the H's thoughts were another story. I know that makes a difference for some readers.
November 22, 2020
Reviewed for THC Reviews
The Dark Duke is the second book in Margaret Moore’s Most Unsuitable Men series, and another Harlequin Historical that’s been languishing on my TBR bookshelf ever since I was a subscriber to the Harlequin book service eons ago. I’d generally enjoyed the two books I’d previously read by this author, so I was looking forward to this one, and overall it was a pretty good read. It tells the story of Adrian, a young duke who has earned a somewhat undeserved bad reputation as the The Dark Duke because of all the scandals in which he’s been embroiled. He’s paired with Hester, an intelligent, bookish young woman who is acting as a ladies’ companion to Adrian’s stepmother. An attraction begins simmering soon after they meet, as each of them sees the hidden depths in one another, but a great deal of family drama ensues when Adrian’s dissolute half-brother, Elliot, returns home and stirs up some trouble between them.
Adrian deeply loved both of his parents, but after his mother’s death and his father’s subsequent remarriage, he didn’t always get on well with his stepmother. Then his father passed on, too, but before he died, he extracted a death bed promise from Adrian to look out for and protect his younger half-brother. Wracked with guilt because of an unfortunate incident that occurred when he was at Oxford and feeling that the scandal of it somehow caused his father’s death, he felt it was his duty and just penance to comply. Adrian hasn’t always been an entirely upstanding member of society, but his reputation as The Dark Duke is mostly undeserved. Because of the promise he made, he’s spent the ensuing years cleaning up his brother, Elliot’s messes and taking most of the blame for his bad behavior. After one such ugly incident, Adrian returns home to his country estate to find that his stepmother has hired a new companion. The young woman isn’t the most attractive female he’s ever seen, but as he gets to know her, he recognizes the kind, generous person she is and can’t help falling for her. Because of his past, though, he doesn’t feel he’s good enough for her, and when Elliot comes home, too, Adrian worries that his brother might either ruin her or try to steal her if he lets his feelings be known. Adrian has made some mistakes in the past, not the least of which is coddling Elliot, but underneath it all, he’s an honorable man who had good intentions that went astray. He also sees beyond the plain outer wrapping to the beauty inside Hester and knows that she’s exactly what he needs to help him become a better man.
Hester is the middle child in a trio of sisters and the only one of the three who ended up being rather plain. As such, she was always the wallflower, the smart, bookish young woman who would really rather be reading or learning, except that her father held no store in furthering her education. She’s accepted her lot in life graciously and doesn’t dwell on her lack of beauty, but she’s a realist who chose the path of becoming a ladies’ companion when it appeared that she was unlikely to find a suitable husband who would love her for herself. When Adrian returns home, Hester is wary of him at first, because his reputation precedes him. But she’s a perceptive woman who gradually figures out that Adrian doesn’t deserve much of the scorn that society has heaped upon him. Even when he finally reveals some of the darker parts of his past, she’s very understanding and compassionate. She also senses that, despite his charming veneer, Elliot is not the person he appears to be on the surface or the person his mother believes him to be. Hester is an intelligent woman who sees the things that others miss and gently pushes Adrian to be a better man. There were a couple of times, I worried that she might make the wrong choice that could lead to trouble, but I’m happy to report that she always uses her excellent discernment to do the right thing.
Overall, The Dark Duke was a pretty good read. It’s a little slow-paced in the beginning, but around the halfway mark, it picked up a bit. I like how Margaret Moore writes strong, intelligent women and men who appreciate them for more than their outward appearance. Her couples always seem to compliment each other well, and Adrian and Hester are no exception. I’d say that my main issue with the story that dropped the star was that the romance is somewhat overshadowed by the family drama between Adrian and Elliot. It’s the main source of conflict and sometimes stifled the romance because of Adrian’s fear that Elliot might try something with Hester if he knew how much Adrian cared for her. Also it takes up so much page time that there simply isn’t a lot of room for crafting that all-important emotional connection. Adrian and Hester’s relationship is built mostly on their individual intuitiveness about the other one, rather than actual romantic interludes. It’s admittedly a fairly strong foundation, but there was still a little something missing for me. There are no love scenes, either overt or implied, which isn’t usually a major detractor for me except when there’s not a lot else going on with regards to the romance. However, despite the weakness in the romantic pairing, I still managed to enjoy the story. The final book of the Most Unsuitable Men trilogy, The Rogue's Return, is going to be Elliot’s story, but given his bad behavior, I’m not sure how eager I am to read it. The author is going to have her work cut out for her redeeming him to my satisfaction. I probably will pick it up at some point since I’ve had mostly good experiences with this author’s work so far. I just might not be in a hurry to get to it.
The Dark Duke is the second book in Margaret Moore’s Most Unsuitable Men series, and another Harlequin Historical that’s been languishing on my TBR bookshelf ever since I was a subscriber to the Harlequin book service eons ago. I’d generally enjoyed the two books I’d previously read by this author, so I was looking forward to this one, and overall it was a pretty good read. It tells the story of Adrian, a young duke who has earned a somewhat undeserved bad reputation as the The Dark Duke because of all the scandals in which he’s been embroiled. He’s paired with Hester, an intelligent, bookish young woman who is acting as a ladies’ companion to Adrian’s stepmother. An attraction begins simmering soon after they meet, as each of them sees the hidden depths in one another, but a great deal of family drama ensues when Adrian’s dissolute half-brother, Elliot, returns home and stirs up some trouble between them.
Adrian deeply loved both of his parents, but after his mother’s death and his father’s subsequent remarriage, he didn’t always get on well with his stepmother. Then his father passed on, too, but before he died, he extracted a death bed promise from Adrian to look out for and protect his younger half-brother. Wracked with guilt because of an unfortunate incident that occurred when he was at Oxford and feeling that the scandal of it somehow caused his father’s death, he felt it was his duty and just penance to comply. Adrian hasn’t always been an entirely upstanding member of society, but his reputation as The Dark Duke is mostly undeserved. Because of the promise he made, he’s spent the ensuing years cleaning up his brother, Elliot’s messes and taking most of the blame for his bad behavior. After one such ugly incident, Adrian returns home to his country estate to find that his stepmother has hired a new companion. The young woman isn’t the most attractive female he’s ever seen, but as he gets to know her, he recognizes the kind, generous person she is and can’t help falling for her. Because of his past, though, he doesn’t feel he’s good enough for her, and when Elliot comes home, too, Adrian worries that his brother might either ruin her or try to steal her if he lets his feelings be known. Adrian has made some mistakes in the past, not the least of which is coddling Elliot, but underneath it all, he’s an honorable man who had good intentions that went astray. He also sees beyond the plain outer wrapping to the beauty inside Hester and knows that she’s exactly what he needs to help him become a better man.
Hester is the middle child in a trio of sisters and the only one of the three who ended up being rather plain. As such, she was always the wallflower, the smart, bookish young woman who would really rather be reading or learning, except that her father held no store in furthering her education. She’s accepted her lot in life graciously and doesn’t dwell on her lack of beauty, but she’s a realist who chose the path of becoming a ladies’ companion when it appeared that she was unlikely to find a suitable husband who would love her for herself. When Adrian returns home, Hester is wary of him at first, because his reputation precedes him. But she’s a perceptive woman who gradually figures out that Adrian doesn’t deserve much of the scorn that society has heaped upon him. Even when he finally reveals some of the darker parts of his past, she’s very understanding and compassionate. She also senses that, despite his charming veneer, Elliot is not the person he appears to be on the surface or the person his mother believes him to be. Hester is an intelligent woman who sees the things that others miss and gently pushes Adrian to be a better man. There were a couple of times, I worried that she might make the wrong choice that could lead to trouble, but I’m happy to report that she always uses her excellent discernment to do the right thing.
Overall, The Dark Duke was a pretty good read. It’s a little slow-paced in the beginning, but around the halfway mark, it picked up a bit. I like how Margaret Moore writes strong, intelligent women and men who appreciate them for more than their outward appearance. Her couples always seem to compliment each other well, and Adrian and Hester are no exception. I’d say that my main issue with the story that dropped the star was that the romance is somewhat overshadowed by the family drama between Adrian and Elliot. It’s the main source of conflict and sometimes stifled the romance because of Adrian’s fear that Elliot might try something with Hester if he knew how much Adrian cared for her. Also it takes up so much page time that there simply isn’t a lot of room for crafting that all-important emotional connection. Adrian and Hester’s relationship is built mostly on their individual intuitiveness about the other one, rather than actual romantic interludes. It’s admittedly a fairly strong foundation, but there was still a little something missing for me. There are no love scenes, either overt or implied, which isn’t usually a major detractor for me except when there’s not a lot else going on with regards to the romance. However, despite the weakness in the romantic pairing, I still managed to enjoy the story. The final book of the Most Unsuitable Men trilogy, The Rogue's Return, is going to be Elliot’s story, but given his bad behavior, I’m not sure how eager I am to read it. The author is going to have her work cut out for her redeeming him to my satisfaction. I probably will pick it up at some point since I’ve had mostly good experiences with this author’s work so far. I just might not be in a hurry to get to it.
March 6, 2010
England 1863; Years of England’s upper class believing him the most notorious scoundrel (Oxford American Dictionary - scoundrel: an unscrupulous villain; a mischievous person), Duke Adrian Fitzwalter never argued because he knew he could ride out the storm of scandals. Meeting his stepmothers newest companion had him wondering if he really was anything that resembled his reputation. Adrian couldn’t pull his attention away from the lovely Lady Hester Pimblett, she did not seem to realize her own attributes of honesty, diplomacy and even wit. How could she not act the way most women did, especially around him? With the arrival of Adrian’s half brother, Lady Hester began to wonder which of the two brothers really was the scoundrel of the family, although the Duke never denied any of the charges, his character did not seem true to form. The feeling she had around the younger Lord Elliot were much more in accordance to the reputation of the Dark Duke, how curious and intriguing.
Interesting to see just how far someone will go for the honor of family, and pride. How much one sacrifices for another, and the repercussions those decisions make on all parties included. Going into this story, you know right away what a honorable person Hester is (especially if you have read The Wastrel), but to see through the façade that Adrian portrays is almost too easy. The writing style gives every emotion its due, even the ones that are typically hard to convey, come through the pages of the book. This is an older Harlequin Historical, (1997) that I dug out to re-read.
Interesting to see just how far someone will go for the honor of family, and pride. How much one sacrifices for another, and the repercussions those decisions make on all parties included. Going into this story, you know right away what a honorable person Hester is (especially if you have read The Wastrel), but to see through the façade that Adrian portrays is almost too easy. The writing style gives every emotion its due, even the ones that are typically hard to convey, come through the pages of the book. This is an older Harlequin Historical, (1997) that I dug out to re-read.
September 23, 2012
Lady Hester, mousy daughter of the social-climbing Pimbletts, is sent to be companion to the unpleasant mother of the scandalous Duke of Barroughby. She sees through the facade of the Duke, which of course brings them together. She also sees through the Duke's brother, who is the true villain that the Duke is not. When I read these books I want light pleasure; I don't want to have to tolerate the presence of rotten people.
May 9, 2013
Awesome romance, except for elliot towards the end. Vulgar than necessary.
June 4, 2015
This is one of my favorites of Margaret Moore!
April 26, 2019
My Review
Some people may doubt there is such a thing as a reformed rake but to me Adrian is one of the most endearing scoundrels I can never get enough of. Dreaming impossible dreams!
Some people may doubt there is such a thing as a reformed rake but to me Adrian is one of the most endearing scoundrels I can never get enough of. Dreaming impossible dreams!
July 30, 2021
Eu to bem surpresa com esse livro. Não dava nada, mas é uma história gostosinha, curta, com um casal bem desenvolvido e sem grandes firulas. O plot não é um dos meus favoritos, mas me envolveu muito fácil. Ótima leitura.
March 11, 2024
i didn't enjoy this book much. i wish there was more talks between the hero and heroine. i didn't like the stepmother and hated the half brother. i can't see him coming back from this really.
November 21, 2018
I think this next book of the wastrel, was as amazing as the latter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 10, 2014For a time back in the 80’s & 90’s, my reading material of choice was frequently bodice rippers, historical fiction, and regency romances with a few contemporary best sellers thrown in for good measure. Most of them were pretty steamy (blush) &/or overly romantic, but I read them during a time in my life when I found myself as a single parent, and these books fit the bill. I found them to be highly entertaining.
I recently donated a slew of them, but I wanted to catalog them all the same. So if there is no rating here from me, it means that I don’t remember anything about the book other than I obviously read it. If there is a rating, it must have been in some way memorable for me.
I only wish that GoodReads had been around years ago so that I had some idea of the many books I have read – there were thousands! I did own a copy of this book, but most others came from the library because back then I could never have afforded the 100+ books I generally read in any given year.
And by the way, I still read bodice rippers – just not quite so many as I used to!
I recently donated a slew of them, but I wanted to catalog them all the same. So if there is no rating here from me, it means that I don’t remember anything about the book other than I obviously read it. If there is a rating, it must have been in some way memorable for me.
I only wish that GoodReads had been around years ago so that I had some idea of the many books I have read – there were thousands! I did own a copy of this book, but most others came from the library because back then I could never have afforded the 100+ books I generally read in any given year.
And by the way, I still read bodice rippers – just not quite so many as I used to!
April 19, 2015
Fairly solid romance story. Even a small drop of mystery. =)
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January 16, 2018did not read
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews