BOOK REVIEW: Waking Up With The Duke Lorraine Heath

 Avon June 28 2011

384 pages    by Lorraine Heath

BLURB ON BACK OF BOOK:

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.

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This is one of the most romantic, heartbreaking, gloriously unabashed romance books I have read so far this year, right up there with Julie Ann Long and Anna Campbell's recent releases.

Read the back blurb and you swear it is a scene out of the "Big Chill' where a woman lends her spouse to help out a dear friend who desperately wants a baby. Turn that on it's ear here and you have the wheelchair ridden Lord Walfort who has a request for his cousin and close friend, give my wife a baby.

Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, who is called Ainsley all through the book, is the cousin and close friend and hero of this romance tale. He is suitably appalled at the suggestion, for a myriad of reasons. One is he has a secret tendre for the Marchioness, Lady Jane Seymour. Plus he feels guilty over is friend's current health state, as the two of them were drunkenly racing when the accident occurred.

Lady Jane should be up for sainthood. Not only does she lose her baby in the shocked aftermath of her husband's accident which leaves him paralyzed from the waist down, but she lovingly cares for him. Walfort does not give his wife any affection at all, no kisses, no embraces, he remains distant, but seems to care for her in his weird way. Jane misses the closeness they once had, so when this proposal is made to her from her husband, she is shocked and angry. She hates Ainsley, he is responsible for her heartbreak and tragedy.

Walfort plays on both Jane and Ainsley's guilt until finally they agree to this impossible scheme. Really, you do have to suspend your belief here, and just go with it. They both sequester themselves away for a month at Ainsley's country cottage. Jane has convinced herself she can go through with this, stay detached, after all, Ainsley is a known rake of some reputation in the bedroom, it will mean nothing to him as well! Right.

Their month together was intense, hot, steamy, romantic and ultimately heartbreaking. Ainsley, it turns out, is a caring, passionate man, not the cold rake she imagined him to be. Jane aches for a man's touch after three years of neglect, and Ainsley gets past her defenses on all levels. When they parted after the month alone together, I teared up.

I won't give away what happens, it is a bumpy road to their happily ever after, I had doubts about how it could be achieved, but Lorraine Heath pulls it off. Walfort it seems, had his own agenda, which does not exactly endear him.
The emotion in this is raw and real, and I think I fell a little in love with Ainsley myself. Fantastic hero. Lush and romantic on all levels, I highly recommend!

4 out of 4 stars for the book


Should mention I went to our tiny library to see if it had any Heath books, there were a few, I just finished 'Just Wicked Enough'(2007) Fantastic, loved the hero Micheal, The Marquess of Falconbridge, he is strong and vulnerable all at once. 3.75 out of 4 stars for that one!

Also check out this review from Barbara at Happily Forever After, she loved it as much as I did click HERE