Historical
Waking Up With the Duke
(London’s Greatest Lovers, #3)
by Lorraine Heath
July 1st 2011 by AvonAuthor’s Website | Amazon.com
What Makes a Romance Novel a Great Love Story?
Interesting question.
When I was growing up, my aunt would come visit my mother every few days. She would talk about her friends. They had the most tragic lives. I always found myself sitting on the edge of the conversation, eavesdropping unnoticed, listening to all the horrible things happening to my aunt’s friends: unexpected pregnancies, cheating spouses, being in love with someone but never noticed. It was years before I realized these people lived in a place known as General Hospital (a very popular soap opera at the time).
This is where the great love stories begin: with the characters. Characters that the readers will view as real people, will consider friends. Their sorrows become the readers’ sorrows. And when they fall in love, the readers are rooting for them.Great love stories have universal truths. They have characters who may contain flaws, but they rise above them—even if it’s only for a brief moment of time. The relationship they are in causes them to grow, to look beyond themselves.
And of course, the readers need to fall in love with the characters as much as the characters fall in love. So they need to be likable on some level or we have to understand their motivation for being unlikeable. It’s also fun if the hero is a bit of a rake.
Quite honestly, I didn’t care for spoiled Scarlett O’Hara, but I loved black sheep Rhett Butler. While Gone With the Wind isn’t a romance, it’s a wonderful love story because Rhett, at his core, loved Scarlett and would do anything for her.
I have to admit that what I think makes a romance a great love story is that you always get your happy ending.
My favorite romance love story is LaVyrle Spencer’s Morning Glory. What is yours?
They are masters of seduction, London’s greatest lovers . . .
Renowned for his bedchamber prowess, Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owes a debt to a friend. But the payment expected is most shocking, even to an unrepentant rake—for he’s being asked to provide his friend’s exquisite wife with what she most dearly covets: a child.
Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one . . .
Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort, is furious that such a scandalous agreement would be made. If she acquiesces, there must be rules: no kissing . . . and, certainly, no pleasure.
Until love takes them by surprise.
But unexpected things occur with the surprisingly tender duke—especially once Lady Jayne discovers the rogue can make her dream again . . . and Ransom realizes he’s found the one woman he truly cannot live without. - Goodreads
My Thoughts:
Waking Up With The Duke is one of the most touching historical romance books I read this year. It’s full of fairytale-like moments and heartbreaking, with very intense scenes.
I was captivated, hanging on every word till the end of this story. The characters seem to fit perfectly, and even though this is the third instalment of this series, it can be read as a stand alone. But be aware you’ll want to read the other books after that, so you may wanna start with the first one, Passions Of A Wicked Earl, one of my next reads!
It’s a very special book. Something that made it dear to me is the analogy between the stars, very well put and graciously written. It’s so much more, but essentially, a romantic tale about not allowing others hold you back and get in the way of your true desires.
“When you wish upon a star…”
SEXUAL CONTENT: 4/5
RATING: 5/5
This book was received through the Goddess Fish Book Tour. That doesn’t affect my opinion about the book.
Previous/Next TOUR STOPS:
June 27: A Bookish Affair
June 28: Black Velvet Seductions Reader’s Blog
June 29: Tracy’s Treasury of Books
June 30: Reading Romances
July 1: Brazen Bookwork
