Lady Vivian Worth had set herself up by her innocence when she was younger, and now she may pay dearly if the gossip mongers bring back the horrible and not so true rumors of her past. She is betrothed to a Duke now which has been arranged by her family and as each day passes, her concern grows stronger that her future with the Duke, Luke Forest, will never be. Vivian finds herself falling deeply in love with Luke and he with her, but will one woman or two, stop at nothing to ruin this couple's happiness? Will Luke believe that what Vivian had done years ago was naught but pure innocence? She is determined to be the perfect lady to fill the shoes of a Duchess for Luke and will give her all to accomplishing this task.

When Luke Forest, Duke of Foxhaven first meets Vivian, he wants none of the responsibilities his father had bequest upon him, but her brother insists the agreement for them to wed was made when they were young and Luke must honor this. Vivian's brother tells Luke that his sister is obedient, shy and ready for marriage to a Duke. But when Luke truly gets to know Vivian, he's awakened by her passion for riding horses like a man, swims in the water like a fish, can shoot a pistol and is inclined to act before she thinks things out.

When Luke was a youth, he had a near death accident which changed his entire world. He has developed disabilities and has left his brother Richard with all the mess of cleaning up the work Luke should have been doing all of these years. When they arrive at his mother's, Luke tries to set things right with his brother and take charge of cleaning up the mess he left behind. At one point in time, Luke feels he must find another for Vivian to marry, but nobody is good enough for her, except him. As other characters evolve into the story, Vivian's concerns grow stronger of her past mistake, she worries that she will bring shame upon Luke and his family and it will take only one woman to bring her down, but as I've mentioned, there may be more than one. Sorry, but I must keep you guessing, for this is a great read and I would feel terrible to give any spoilers!

As I read on into the story, the characters that evolved brought me to the edge of my seat, for characters such as Mr. Collier, a rakehell of a man who can not be trusted and Johanna Truax, a cousin of Luke's mother, will make you want to jump into the book and forewarn Vivian and Luke of what's coming their way. You will also meet some family members of Luke's, his brother Andrew and his beloved wife and children, Richard his other brother and his family. Vivian's family cousin Patrice and Vicar Ramsey, her brother Ash and his not so nice wife Muriel. There are times I laughed out loud, sat on the edge of my seat during scary moments, but most of all, enjoyed the sensual moments between Luke and Vivian!

LADY VIVIAN DEFIES A DUKE is a great read! I am excited about more from this author.

Book Summary