"The Duke of Dark Desires" is the fourth and final book in the Wild Quartet series by Miranda Neville. I read all four books back to back because they were that good. Miranda Neville's prose is effective, creative, and witty, and I love the way she uses subtext to convey complex emotions. Her Wild Quartet characters are well-drawn, unconventional, and conflicted. The sex scenes and lovemaking are both tender and erotic; in some scenes her characters get to play out their most erotic fantasies.
Briefly, the series centers on four friends who were expelled from Eton and were known as being a wild set. They are not however typical "rakes" (except possibly for Robert Townsend, their ringleader) but are flawed men, whose weaknesses, mistakes, reckless and irresponsible behavior in their youth damaged their relationships and friendships and ostracized them from "Society."
The first novel in the series "The Importance of Being Wicked" tells the story of Robert's widow Caro, while the sequels tell the stories of the remaining three men of the "wild quartet." Each of Robert's "survivors" undergo character transformations and question their values. They learn that love is not selfish, to make sacrifices for the ones they love, and to believe in their inherent goodness.
I would give the entire series 5 Stars, though I rated the third book "Lady Windermere's Lover" 4, because the hero Darius had a lot to make up for, while the heroine Cynthia had to go through a complete makeover in order for Darius to notice and appreciate her. In contrast, the hero Thomas in "The Importance of Being Wicked" loved everything about Caro, even though he didn't approve of her friends and her parties. She didn't have to change so much in order for him to love her.
What I liked most about the second book in the series "The Ruin of a Rogue" was the emotional depth and complexity of the hero Marcus and the great passion Marcus and Anne share. One of my favorite passages in the entire series occurs in the scene [SPOILER] in which Marcus's father dies:
"Marcus knelt beside his father and looked at that handsome face for the last time. All he could think of was that he was glad he didn't resemble his sire in looks, had taken after his mother. He was glad that this time he could see the body, be certain that Lewis would never rise again. He was glad that his father was dead. He was also glad he hadn't had to kill him himself.
He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. Anne knelt beside him, put her arms around him. He buried his head in her shoulder."
[END SPOILER]
It was also lots of fun to see how Anne and Marcus's courtship played out and how they tried to outplay each other.
Finally, Julian Fortesque, "The Duke of Dark Desires," is a man to die for (almost literally as it turns out). The way he is described from Thomas's point-of-view in "The Importance of Being Wicked" is so delicious:
"A tall figure stood in the doorway wearing a sneer that confirmed Thomas's impression of the arrival's voice. Arrogant and immoral. And though he didn't recognize him, he was oddly familiar. With his lithe body clad entirely in black to match ebony hair worn long and tied back in a queue, he looked outlandish, dangerous even, and quite unlike the sort of people Thomas encountered in rural Hampshire or the respectable confines of Nerot's Hotel. Where had he seen this man, with his prominent nose and blazing blue eyes, so incongruous in his tanned face? If he'd spoken with even a hint of a brogue, Thomas would have guessed him an Irishman, but his accents were quite English."
This description of Julian's first appearance in the series is as good as Georgette Heyer's description of the Duke of Avon in the opening paragraph of
These Old Shades (Historical Romances)
and Jo Beverley's description of Lord Cynric Malloren in the opening paragraph of
My Lady Notorious
(both Georgian novels).
Incongruous is an apt description, because Julian is a both cynical and beautiful man. When one of his sisters asks him why he never came to visit them, his reply is curt and his reaction shows the reader his vulnerability.
'"I was busy," he said shortly, having no intention of going into the cruelty inflicted on him by a stepfather who resented any attention paid him by his beautiful mother and made it very clear he wasn't welcome in their home, with their new family. He'd locked the door on that part of his life, and Osbourne's death meant he could throw away the key. Withdrawing from the group, he stared out of the window with his back to the room. He emptied his mind, taking himself out of the company, even that of the delectable Miss Grey. The early spring garden in the middle of Hanover Square, a prosaic collection of trees and shrubs bearing their first leaves like a misty green veil, held no interest for him, and he let his mind drift to the limpid skies of the Italian Renaissance. No wonder England rarely produced decent artists. They might have the skill but they lacked the inspiration.'
The "delectable Miss Grey" is Julian's love interest. I love the way she both acknowledges his beauty and resists his advances:
"When he came through the door she rose and curtseyed, keeping her eyes low so they wouldn't be seduced by his dark magnificence."
(I love that phrase: "his dark magnificence.")
And I love Jane's cheekiness:
'He let his gaze burn into hers, knowing full well the devastation his Irish eyes could wreak.
Cynthia had always become adorably flustered when he exerted his wiles. Jane Grey was made of sterner stuff. She returned his stare gravely, tilting her head as though he were an interesting botanical specimen, then her lips curved into a smile.
"That's very good, Your Grace." Her intriguing, slightly foreign voice carried a note of amusement. "Do you find those blue eyes knock the ladies over like kittle-pins?"
"Sometimes. You remain distressingly upright."'
Made me laugh! And smile :)
There is so much to say about Jane's inner strength. The author captured her character and Julian's great respect and admiration for her in a way that also expressed his intelligence:
He stood in the doorway and watched for a while, trying to define what it was about her he found so fascinating. His reaction was akin to what he felt when he saw a great picture, an instant recognition of extraordinary quality. But while he'd often experienced that frisson in the presence of a painted masterpiece, he couldn't remember ever having such a feeling about a woman.
5 Stars to the magnificent "The Duke of Dark Desires." It's a keeper and one I'll certainly reread.
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