This is my first time reading Duran, but not the last, as I loved this book. Our romantic leads were wonderfully appealing and the could-have-been-schlocky-but-wasn't plot line exciting and escapist.
Jane can't access her inheritance until she's married, and her vile uncle plans to compromise her reputation so she must marry her cousin. Crispin is an ambitious, ruthless politician who works with Jane's uncle, and he helps extricate Jane from her uncle's trap -- but forces Jane to spy for him.
When Crispin is violently attacked and left for dead, Jane does what she needs to escape her uncle: she has a marriage certificate forged, saying she and Crispin married. It is, she tells herself, a lie that will impact no one but her, as Crispin is expected to die any day. She won't impose on his family, but will simply take her money and escape to America.
Except Crispin miraculously recovers.
The plot seems laughable when badly distilled by me, but I'm telling you, it works and I loved it. Jane is caught because of her lie, made all the worse because Crispin has amnesia, rendering him unable to recall the last five years. All he knows is that he has a guarded wife, a rather unsavory reputation, and a family that expects the worst of him. He tries to make sense of the life he wakes up to, and as the bureaucratic wheels slowly move to release Jane's money, she has to make the best of the marriage she invented.
This over-the-top plot works because Jane and Crispin are both flawed but appealing characters, and they behave normally under these extraordinary circumstances. They both wrestle with the morality/ethics of their behavior and choices, the possibility of redemption, and most delightfully, both get called out on their BS. They have the kind of conversations you wish people doing something dysfunctional would do, and it makes this improbably dramatic plot feel touching and tender. The romance between them unfolds realistically, with a minimal of protests, and I one hundred percent rooted for them as a couple. (The sex was believable, without cringe-worthy phrases or euphemisms, and no shame, hooray!) The secondary characters are charming and fill out the story, and the more outrageous plot elements are deliciously fun.
I inhaled this book in less than two days; it hit every right note for me. If winter (or current events) has you down, pick this book up.
First line: The first sensation was light.
Title: A Lady’s Code of Misconduct
Author: Meredith Duran
Genre: Fiction (Historical / Romance / Victorian / Mid-19th Century / Amnesia / Politics / Conspiracy)
Publisher/Publication Date: Pocket Books (2/28/2017)
Source: The publisher
Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction
*** *** ***
GIVEAWAY!
I'm thrilled to offer one set (Reckless Reward!) of three autographed copies in the Rules for the Reckless series: Fool Me Twice, Lady Be Good, and Luck Be A Lady. You can enter on all participating sites (listed below, with a *), but you can only win once. To celebrate the fifth in the series, there will be five Reckless Reward giveaways per day beginning publication day, Tuesday, February 28th – Friday, March 3rd. U.S. only.
To enter, fill out this brief form. Ends March 1.
Blog Tour
Bookaholics Romance Book Club INTERVIEW WITH MEREDITH DURAN and GIVEAWAY
Sunday, February 26th
Nikbooklovers Blog
Monday, February 27th
Books for Her
Tuesday, February 28th
*The Romance Dish
*Canadian Book Addict
*Just Another New Blog
*Top 10 Romance Books
*Unabridged Chick
Buried Under Romance
Dear Author
Toot’s Book Reviews – Feature
Il Profumo delle Pergamene
Marvelous Things
My Book Addiction and More
Wednesday, March 1st
*Book Nerd
*Reviews by Crystal
*All About Romance
*Booktalk with Eileen
*We So Nerdy
Roses Are Blue
In the Hammock
Feeding My Addiction Book Reviews – Spotlight
Romance Book Reviews for You
Thursday, March 2nd
*I am, Indeed
*A Midlife Wife
*Literary Gossip
*Undeniably Book Nerdy
*Dew On The Kudzu
Books and Beauty Are My Bag
Ebook Obsessed
Abigail Books Addiction
Dirty Girl Romance - Spotlight
Bookhounds – Q&A
Friday, March 3rd
*Black ‘N Gold Girl’s Book Spot
*JoJo the Bookaholic
*Sportochick’s Musings
*The Reading Wench
*Got Fiction Book Blog
Cup of Tea and Book
The Reading Addict
Nicely Phrased
Ladeetda Reads
Silvatrend8553 Book Blog
Night Owl Reviews – Author Guest Post
Bookbitch
Saturday, March 4th
Passionate Encounters
Sunday, March 5th
My Little Book Corner
Monday, March 6th
Reading Frenzy – Spotlight
Bookish - Giveaway
Foreign Circus Library
Poof Books
Tuesday, March 7th
I Love Romance
Bookworm2bookworm – Spotlight, Excerpt, and Review
Dirty and Thirty
Wild Wordy Women
Polished Bookworm
Sammi's Bookish Reality
Passionate Reads
Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh my!
Celtic Lady’s Reviews – Spotlight
Wednesday, March 8th
Moonlight Rendezvous
One More Chapter
Fresh Fiction - Spotlight
Thursday, March 9th
Happy Ever After Romance Book Reviews
The Book Junkie Reads
Three Boys and an Old Lady blog
Friday, March 10th
Smitten by Books
Celtic Guardian
Hi Audra, looks like a good one! It would be great if you added your review to the Books You Loved: March collection over at Carole's Chatter. If you would like to join in the fun please schedule a reminder for the first Wednesday of each month. The collection starts at 7am New Zealand time – which is probably some time Tuesday your time Cheers
ReplyDeleteYayyyyy! I missed the giveaway, but I'm thrilled you enjoyed your first Meredith Duran book. She's among my favorite romance authors ever -- I just read a novella of hers and it made me totally happy. Can't wait to read this too!
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