Never a Gentleman

Eileen Dreyer

The last thing Grace expected was to wake up next to Diccan, be forced into marriage, then be ignored.

After spending her life accompanying her general father to war zones and military posts, plain, limping Grace Fairchild looks forward to her chance to escape to her country home and live her life the way she wants. But when she is traveling with her friends back home, they stay at different homes.

One morning Grace wakes up from an erotic dream only to discover that a man is actually laying curled up with her. Diccan Hilliard, one of the most fashionable men in society and a secret spy, realizes he's being blackmailed. Despite that, he decides to marry Grace rather than ruin her reputation. Grace is not the beautiful woman he had visualized as her future wife, but he knows she will be a good wife. They marry immediately.

Grace had never imagined someone would marry her. She and Diccan have irritated each other each time they met. She can't deny he excites her as a woman, though. Unfortunately, after only one night together, Diccan's mistress shows up in London from Europe. From then on he is gone every evening, He occasionally shows up to escort to a society function, but otherwise that's about the only times she sees him.

Diccan is forced to ignore Grace. Almost as soon as they're married he starts to realize there's more to Grace than he had noticed before. But he has to take his part as one of Drake's Rakes to ferret out a traitor. Someone has threatened those who are important to him. He believes the only way to protect Grace is to make it appear that he doesn't care for her at all. He also hopes his past mistress has the secret verse that is needed to find out who is behind the group trying to overthrow the current English Royalty and kill Wellington. The more he sees of the real Grace the more he is interested...and the more he has to ignore her.

Eileen Dreyer is a good writer. She makes Grace believable and poignant the longer she longs for a husband who bare acknowledges her. I found my emotions getting tied up in this historical romance. It's really too bad the story line is dumb...

Never a Gentleman has a very good character in Grace Fairchild. Plus this book has some very hot bedroom scenes. But Diccan's character isn't. Dreyer tries to make his role in this book desperate and daring but the character doesn't come up to snuff. He doesn't talk to his wife when he should - one of those bad communication novels. There are unnecessary tangled story lines that don't ring real. Nevertheless, the last scene in the book is good and gives the reader a grin.

A reader can appreciate Grace and the overall Drake's Rakes story arc. If you haven't read the first book in this series, don't pick up this one yet. The characters are introduced much better in Barely a Lady.

Notice:  Explicit sexual content, Non-graphic violence

Publicist provided for review

Barely a Lady
Never a Gentleman
Always a Temptress