No Good Duke Goes Unpunished ~ Review

The Rules of Scoundrels #3

Back Blurb :

A rogue ruined. . .

He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night. Temple has reigned over the darkest of London’s corners for twelve years, wealthy and powerful, but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he’s dreamed of. . .absolution.

A Lady returned. . .

Mara planned never to come back, but when her brother falls deep into dept at Temples’s exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade: she will return to society and reveal the truth. . .that he is no killer.

A scandal revealed. . .

But the lady – and her past – are more than they seem. It will take every bit of Temple’s strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything. . .even for true love.

My View :

Twelve years earlier the young William Harrow, heir to the Dukedom met a tantalizing and beautiful girl, a girl with magical odd eyes, he fell in love with her there and then. The next day he woke in his to-be stepmother’s bed, with no memory and in a pool of blood and he was accused of murdering her. After fleeing to London he was rescued by an elusive person named Chase who ran a gambling hell called The Fallen Angel, where he changed from suspected murderer to the towering Temple. Now all those years later Mara Lowe the very woman that he was supposed to have murdered turns up, completely and utterly alive and wanting help from the very man who was accused of murdering her all those years ago.

I have been drawn to the huge, bare-knuckle boxer; that is Temple since the very first book, A Rogue by Any Other Name, I have been wanting to get to know who this giant is and looking forward to knowing his story and the reason why he became the Fallen Angels fighter. And now that I have read his tale, I love him all the more.
Temple is everything that I look for in Historical Romance heroes. He is a flawed, monosyllabic giant of a man who makes you want to weep for him and look after him.

Mara huffed at that. “The man is built like a Greek god, I think sport is the one thing he can teach them.”
The word’s ranked around the room, shocking everyone. Lydia’s eyes went wide. Temple went still.
Mara’s mouth dropped open.
She hadn’t said it.
A Greek God?
It was his fault, he’d scrambled her thoughts. And he was interjecting himself into every aspect of her life – everything in which she had worked so hard and fought so long. Surely that was what had made her say it.
A Greek God??
She closed her eyes and willed him to lose the power of speech, immediately and irreversibly “Obviously, I didn’t mean. . .”
“Well. Thank you”

The chemistry between Mara and Temple just sizzles, even though Temple can’t trust her and he doesn’t believe a word she says, he is drawn to her, because she holds the one thing that he has craved for twelve long years. The truth! The truth about what happened on that fateful night changed his life forever. Their relationship isn’t all erotic sex scenes it is built on first distrust from both sides then as they start to get to know each other there is an underlying attraction that just seems to surround them.

I didn’t think that I would take to Mara after what she did to Temple, but you know once you get past that frosty mask that she wears and see the quiet and resilient women beneath then you really start to appreciate just what a great character she is. For me, the tipping point was when Temple was teaching her how to box. It is a beautiful scene between the two of them, she is vowing to him that she doesn’t want to hurt him and that’s when Temple finally realises that what she says is true.

He was whatever she wished.
Temple covered his shock with feigned disinterest. “It was almost over, anyway.”
She nodded, approaching him not seeming to care that he was bruised and bloody. ” I’ve no doubt you would have won, but I grew tired of waiting for that as well.”
“You are impatient today.”
“Twelve years is a long time to wait.”
He stilled, “To wait for what?”
“For love.”
Christ! She loved him, He came at her, caught her in his arms. “Say it again”
And she did, in his ring. In front of the entire membership of The Fallen Angel. “I love you, William Harrow, Duke of Lamont.”
His unashamed, avenging queen. He stole her lips in a long, lush kiss. . .

Temple is a hugely complex character, and yet once you have got to know him it is well worth it, he is a giant of a man and hugely attractive but not in your typical way. He isn’t the kind of man who wears his heart on his sleeve, but those rare glimpses of emotion where he show’s that he isn’t just a piece of meat are beautiful and quite magical. He isn’t your typical brooding aristocrat after the cruelty that was done to him he had to make a new life for himself and he pulled his way out of the gutter where Mara’s action’s had put him, that strength to make a new life is really appealing and he deserves a lot of respect for all he has achieved. Unlike a lot of titled heroes in Historical Romance he wants his title, he wants what is rightfully his.

I just cannot say enough good things about this one, after the disappointment that was One Good earl deserves a Lover this is exactly what we have come to love about this series. It is charming and magical. The plot is entertaining and cleverly written, there are some brilliant on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments eg: when Temple gets stabbed. But the main thing about this is our two leads; Mara and William are the best couples, you go on a roller coaster ride with them and you are willing them to finally pull their act together and give in, but they keep us hanging but when they do finally give in to temptation is so longed for you feeling yourself sighing.

This is about as perfect as you can get, highly recommended.

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