Never Seduce a Duke

by Vivienne Lorret

Overview

In USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret’s latest romance, a young lady engages in a steamy flirtation with a bespectacled, studious duke while on holiday, only to return with more than just memories...  

After being jilted, Margaret Stredwick has sworn off men and marriage. What she needs is a holiday. But a detour along the way takes a surprising turn that leads Meg to him. And soon she starts to wonder if she should indulge in one grand flirtation before she’s firmly on the shelf.

The instant Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, finds a strange woman touring the halls of his ancient estate, he knows the minx is up to something. So, when a family heirloom is stolen, it’s clear who the culprit is. She may tempt him beyond reason, but he isn’t about to let her get away, even if he has to chase her across the continent. 

Meg never imagined that anyone would mistake her for a notorious thief, known for seducing men to distraction. It’s the most thrilling thing ever! She eagerly plays along. . . until she finds herself falling in love with a man who has no idea who she really is. And by the time she returns to her ordinary life, she discovers that her grand flirtation won’t be a secret for long. Apparently, she brought home an unexpected souvenir...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063143098
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/21/2023
Series:	The Mating Habits of Scoundrels , #5
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	12,694
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author, VIVIENNE LORRET transforms copious amounts of tea into words. She is an Avon author of works including: The Wallflower Wedding Series, The Rakes of Fallow Hall Series, The Season’s Original Series, and the Misadventures in Matchmaking series. For more information on her books, sign up for her newsletter at www.vivlorret.net.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/02/2023

Lorret’s tantalizing fifth Mating Habits of Scoundrels romance (after How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart) begins with Meg Stredwick and her aunts Maeve and Myrtle heading to Europe to collect recipes. On the way, they take a detour to the estate of academic Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, believing the duke may have hidden a secret recipe. As her aunts search for the recipe, Meg is caught by the duke himself, who doesn’t totally buy her story that she and her aunts just needed a place to freshen up on their journey. After the women leave, Lucien discovers a bejeweled family recipe book missing and becomes convinced that Meg is the mysterious Lady Avalon, a thief who has been wreaking havoc on upper-crust society. He tracks Meg to France, where, thanks to close quarters, palpable chemistry, and (Lucien believes) some kind of aphrodisiac, they embark on a sensuous affair—with an unintended consequence. Lorret’s sparkling characters, including Meg’s delightfully flirtatious older aunts and an intellectual duke comically devoid of common sense, light up the pages of this un-put-downable tale. Historical romance fans will be captivated by Lucien and Meg’s cat-and-mouse romance. Agent: Stefanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Tantalizing...Lorret’s sparkling characters, including Meg’s delightfully flirtatious older aunts and an intellectual duke comically devoid of common sense, light up the pages of this un-put-downable tale. Historical romance fans will be captivated by Lucien and Meg’s cat-and-mouse romance." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Viv Lorret is up there with Sarah MacLean and Lisa Kleypas on my historical auto-buy list!” — Lauren Layne, USA Today bestselling author

“This is the author you’ve been waiting for!” — Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author

“The perfect blend of deep emotion, compelling characters and the sort of romance that goes straight to the reader’s heart.” — Sophie Barnes, author of The Duke of Her Desire

“Will charm Lorret’s fans thoroughly, combining classic Regency tropes and storytelling with contemporary sensibilities…A compelling marriage-of-convenience story in a beloved series.” — Kirkus Reviews on How to Steal a Scoundrel’s Heart

“Lorret has created a delicious world filled with complex, charming characters. A touch of passion and some comic relief make this a well-blended novel that includes an alluring setup for the next in the series.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Wrong Marquess

"Readers who swoon over “fated to be together” romances will love it..." — Library Journal

From the Publisher

01/01/2023

Lorret's fifth installment in the "Mating Habits of Scoundrels" series (after How To Steal a Scoundrel's Heart) features a determined heroine and the bespectacled hero who pursues her across Europe. Lucien, the Duke of Merleton, unexpectedly runs into Meg Stredwick on his estate the day a precious family recipe book is stolen. Believing her to be the thief, Lucien follows Meg and her aunts to France. Meg is nursing a broken heart and wants to practice her flirting with Lucien, while also helping her aunts steal recipes from famous kitchens. The trust is low between the two protagonists, and they fight attraction and each other while travelling the continent. The story takes an abrupt and unexpected turn in the second half of the book, which may catch some readers off guard. But a touch of mystical fate (Lucien's family claims to have ties to King Arthur) all but ensures a happy ending. VERDICT Readers who swoon over "fated to be together" romances will love it, but those who don't like the couple keeping big secrets from each other should be forewarned.—Kathryn Howe

Library Journal

2023-01-12
A debutante is determined to have one grand flirtation before retiring to the country to enjoy life as a spinster aunt.

Margaret Stredwick has suffered heartbreak and disappointment in Regency London’s marriage mart. She decides to go on a tour of the Continent before returning to her brother’s home to spoil his children for the rest of her life. Meg's traveling companions are her beloved sister-in-law's elderly aunts, who have an unfortunate habit of pilfering secret recipes everywhere they go. But when the aunts attempt to steal an ancient Arthurian recipe book from Lucien Ambrose, the Duke of Merleton, when they stop for a tour of his home on their way to the Continent, it is Meg who is accused of theft. Lucien pursues the three women to Europe and follows them from inn to inn, trying to coerce Meg into revealing where she has hidden the book. Meg flirts with the duke, wanting just one spicy memory before she gives up on finding love. When she returns to England, Meg is carrying a spicy memory indeed—and a living reminder of her encounter with the duke. She writes to Lucien, but her letters are intercepted by a mysterious adversary. Meg thinks the duke has discarded her and their baby daughter. Lucien thinks Meg has abandoned him and made off with his family heirloom. When they meet up again, the reader follows the tedious and predictable path to their reconciliation. Readers looking for a romance novel that incorporates recipes and food will be disappointed—there is only one recipe in the book and few descriptions of food.

An eccentric duke and a spinster suffer through misunderstandings and minor deceptions, trying the reader’s patience.

Kirkus Reviews