He’s seeking vengeance…
But might find something else entirely
Knowing his best friend, Marianne Treleven, awaits his presence in a Mayfair ballroom, Vennor, the Duke of Newlyn, must hide his secret—he moonlights as a vigilante in pursuit of his parents’ murderer! But when Marianne’s journalistic ambition draws her into the vigilante’s dangerous world, Vennor realizes his closest friend is no longer the innocent miss from Cornwall. She’s a brave, daring, sensual woman he’s desperate to protect at all costs…
Good friends to lovers story. Though the book is the fourth in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Marianne and Vennor have been friends all their lives and lately have grown even closer. They are each other's protection in Society, as neither wants to marry yet. Both of them have other, more important goals.
Two years earlier, Vennor lost his parents in a brutal murder. Devastated by their deaths, he pursued every usual road to finding their killers but with no success. Unwilling to give up, Vennor donned a mask and became "The Vigilante," searching the underbelly of London for answers. While he made no progress in his quest, his sense of justice made him a hero to those less fortunate. Vennor has sworn that he will not marry until he has brought the killer to justice.
Marianne has one goal in mind - to be a journalist, something that is not done by women. She has already taken the first step, landing a gossip column, but she writes using a man's name. Vennor is the only one who knows her secret. Her parents have begun pressuring her to marry, but there isn't anyone who interests her. Someone is paying very close attention to her, but Marianne doesn't return his interest.
I liked the development of the relationship between Marianne and Vennor. Their friendship is a close one that has grown over the years, and they count on the other one always being there. But when Vennor realizes that Marianne has a suitor who could succeed in marrying her, it opens his eyes to the fact that if she marries, their relationship would never be the same. He also notices that she has grown into a beautiful woman. Likewise, when her mother mentions that Vennor needs to marry, Marianne realizes that she doesn't like the idea.
For Marianne to avoid marriage, she must have a viable alternative. She knows that if she wants to make a career in journalism, she has to get out of the gossip rut and find a real story. She settles on the idea of finding and unmasking The Vigilante. Vennor, of course, is horrified when she tells him her plan. He's never told her about that part of his life and knows she'll be angry when she finds out. He also knows that she has no fear and could put herself into extreme danger if she follows her plan. Forbidding her makes her more determined.
I was glued to the pages when Marianne made her move. She had no idea how much danger she was in until it was too late. I loved how her note to Vennor made him suspicious enough to follow up. I felt his fear when he realized what she did and that he wouldn't be in time to save her. That confrontation was intense, both Vennor's battle with her attackers to Marianne's realization of his identity and her reaction. The strength of their responses exploded into unexpected passion. This is the beginning of a new stage in their relationship. I loved watching them work together, as Vennor introduced Marianne to the real people of that world. Supporting each other strengthened their feelings for each other, but there were still obstacles to a life together.
Marianne's life is complicated by Lord Hayes, who has decided that only she will do for his wife. While on the surface, Hayes appears to be the perfect nobleman, the words "too good to be true" are accurate. The reader learns that Hayes has a hidden agenda for his courtship, and it isn't a pretty one. I admit that he gave me the creeps from the beginning, and I was quickly proved correct. Vennor still focuses on solving his parents' murders before he marries, and that tunnel vision could lose him the woman he loves. He gets a break when a woman he helps as The Vigilante, describes someone he is very familiar with. I liked how Vennor's friends from the previous books in the series stepped in to help set a trap. The situation becomes very intense when Marianne ends up in danger. I was glued to the pages as Vennor raced to the rescue hoping to be in time. The man involved was genuinely twisted, and I was happy to see him get what was coming to him.
I loved the ending and seeing the change in Vennor as he
finally allows himself to be happy. I enjoyed his wedding gift to Marianne and
the tangible evidence of his support for her dreams. I liked hearing about
their plans for the future and would love to see them pop up in some future
book.
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