His gut disappears, and he rediscovers his sexual prowess by becoming Imogen's 'demon lover.' It seemed a bit of a cop out to me. But for reasons that are a little foggy to me, Rafe, preparatory to becoming the star in his own romance, suddenly decides to stop drinking. Many references are made to Rafe's dissolute, debauched ways in the previous books and, wonder of wonders, his body actually reflects his lifestyle! There are plenty of heroines out there who are plump but I had yet to come across a hero with a bit of a gut.

(I know this is supposed to be light and fun, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be believable too.) I liked the idea of a hero who is less than physically spectacular. Even worse is the game of disguise that Rafe plays with Imogen, who thinks she's embarking on an affair with Gabe (when it's really Rafe in a mustache.) Rafe's transformation from pickled duke (he's an alcoholic, or the 19th century equivalent of one) to virile hero seemed too swift and easy for me. Sounds a bit convoluted/contrived? Well, it is.

Rafe discovers and embraces his long lost, illegitimate half-brother Gabe, who brings with him his own illegitimate daughter and a request to help out his baby's mama, an actress, by putting on a play in which she, Loretta Hawes, will star and thus be launched into her brilliant acting career. Unfortunately, when they're brought together for their romance in this third installment of the Essex Sisters series, things didn't work out so well for me. They had such personality, with their flaws and their foibles that could be equally endearing and frustrating.

The taming of the duke by eloisa james