The Duke (Knight Miscellany)

Pretty darned good book. Excellent love story with some deeper issues that were well presented. Surprisingly "meaty" in tone. I have always been pretty indifferent to this author but this made me view her in a different light. May have to give her another look.

A lot of readers are apprehensive of romance novels. They are fearful of the typical plotlines, characters, and outcomes. The novels of Ms. Gaelen Foley seek to break through that stereotype. No need to get past that silliness seemingly inherent in all romance novels, Ms. Foley skips to the chase... truly one of the best romance novelists (aside from the obvious - Diana Gabaldon) on the market today.
You will find the main characters, Belinda - "Bel" and Hawkscliffe - "Hawk", endearing, intelligent and witty. Ms. Foley does an excellent job of making these characters come to life on her pages. There are tear-jerking scenes, and scenes you'll find yourself grinning or laughing aloud. Don't be alarmed if you find yourself thinking about these two long after you've turned out the lights for the night.
For those who love this book as much as I did, you will find yourself anxiously awaiting the accompanying novels about Hawkscliffe's twin brothers (due approx. Jan 2002). It is my hope that we will find more of Bel and Hawk in these upcoming pages.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable read!

I've read many romance novels, but I wanted something that was a little more exciting, although still staying within the whole historical English regency setting which I enjoy so much. This book was the best thing I've come across for a long time. My favorite romance author is Judith McNaught, but waiting anxiously for her new books left me looking for other comparable authors. Foley is amazing! She is extrememely descriptive in her prose and the characters are likeable and heroic. A lot of graphic, sensual scenes too I might add, which is a lot spicier than most. This book is the first in a new series about a bunch of brothers and half-brothers, all whom are handsome and fine. A definite must read!!! I can't wait for her other books on the Georgianna Lineage to come out!

This book really surprised me at how much I enjoyed it. It was very different that the typical romance novel and that's what made it fun to read. The author really took the time to develope the relationship between the main characters and made it exciting to see what was going to happen next.

I really wanted to like this novel by Gaelen Foley, I've loved the Inferno series but I find that the knight miscellenay series is a little bit thin in the plot area. I've also found that the books start to sound too similar. In this book I take issue with the self absorbed Robert (the hero) and poor old Bel the heroine.

I dont think that Robert was very respectful to Bel, I'd hoped that as the hero he would be able to see past the fascade of the courtesan but I found that throughout much of the book Robert behaved like a spoiled child and Bel behaved like a woman whose inner strength was destroyed after she was was physically attacked.

Her decision to become a courtesan confused me, why didnt she just apply to be a governess or at the very least ladies maid? Those roles would have been more in keeping with her character I think.

Not the best work by Gaelen and I really wasn't happy with the way the story about Robert's lost love was concluded.

Absolutely one of the best books ever in the Historical Romance Market, without a doubt. I won't get into the story, I'll only say that the plot is great, the characters unforgettable, well described, beautifully written. I won't mind reading it again and again! Be sure to follow it, by LORD OF FIRE and then LORD OF ICE, the Duke's twins brothers. Hey, Miss Foley when are you going to write about the brother who's abroad Joe(sounded like he's a spy!) and the sister and the shady character from the slumps of London and its underworld (looked like he was in undercover work)from LORD OF ICE, Eh?! All these three books are great and five stars winners all! Do not miss them!

I can't believe how amazing Gaelen Foley have written this book! The first time I picked up this book to read the back of what this is about, I had to get the book right away! And I had also read the book 4 times!!!!! It is so romantic (not in a disgustingly, pathetic romantic way) and absolutely funny! Really made me laugh! I love the characters. Belinda and Robert are both hilarious and romantic. I love that Gaelen always keep us in suspence and not making the bad scenes going on forever and forever. She is always creating new suspense one after another. Unlike other writers, they just keep the story on one problem, and misunderstandings etc. on and on for so long, and you get sick of reading the book before the whole thing is solved. But not Gaelen!!! You just want to keep reading the book until it is done once you've started. This is her first book that I have read, it was so good, I had to read all her other books. Buy a copy!!! You will not be disapppointed!!!

This was a howlingly bad book. First off, there are so many historical and grammatical inaccuracies, it was painful to read. There is no excuse for such shabby editing in this day and age with spellcheckers etc, and an editor who should have a degree in English.
Second of all, the hero was an idiot and she was not much better. The whole predicament she finds herself in is worthy of farce, not romance.
The sinister undertones were never developed, and Belinda goes from being skittish of Robert to orally pleasuring him at the drop of a hat almost as soon as they meet. This from a woman who was supposed to have been a virgin who was brutally raped. who decides to solve the problem by becoming a high-priced courtesan. If she was happy selling oranges to earn a decent living so she would not have to compromise her virtue, this transition is ridiculous.
The hero going off and practically killing her rapist with a steel pipe and stuffing him on a prison hulk to Australia, thus acting as judge, jury and executioner, is not endearing either. He is a prude, full of barely suppressed violence, and their first 'love scene' together on the dining room able is absurd and gross on every level given her history and that fact that he is supposed to be a Paragon.
He is cruel, judgemental, hypocritical. Instructing his own sister to ignore his mistress in public is just awful. his political standpoint is equally terrible. He is a repressive Tory with a small social conscience but is so worried about what other people think of him he allows himself to always be led into doing things which are basically against humanity. You would think at the age of 35 he might be able to get over what his Daddy and other people think of him, but he would rather placate the tabbies of the Town than be kind to Bel. Would be willing to go through an arranged marriage to get political power, and still expect Bel to stay with him as though nothing had changed, even knowing she refuses to take any married lovers. He doesn't ever love her for herself, but who he wants her to be in relation to all HIS needs.
Our heroine Bel is so inconsistent she then starts calling him darling and lavishing every endearment upon him the minute she goes into the house to live with him. The ending with the arranged marriage and the white horse is so trite and unbelievable I wanted to throw this book against the wall. She is a doormat for every man she comes across and all the lessons in how to be a successful courtesan are pretty useless to her, and in a barbaric group of people who have no respect for women. The Regency period was no great, but it wasn't THAT bad either!
The worst offence of all though is that she is supposed to be writing a Regency, but all the dialgoue is modern: when the couple kisses and practical copulates in the Vauxhall Gardens, all the bucks shout "Get a room!" Really, get a history book.
This is the second of her novels I have read, after Lady of Desire, which was deathly dull and featured Jacinda from this book. All I can say is, if you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel for something flat and boring to read, then you will like this book.

This book is getting such great reviews - I'm confused. I was bored.

Another reviewer mentioned she was "brutally raped," it was not extreme. But quick & embarrassing. These feelings come up again when Bel & Hawk get intimate. Flashbacks! Then chemistry between the couple feels awkward. Blah. Most the book is just a lead up and come down around one good sex scene the author, or someone else, penned.

There were moments I couldn't get past. Bel first sets eyes on him and she thinks along the lines of, it feels like I've known him f-o-r-e-v-er... cliche. And I couldn't believe the duel, (without giving anything away, haha); it's something so predictable you just guess it! And, the end? Say "Cheese!" I won't be reading any more of this series.

I looked forward to this book because I enjoyed the trio of books started with the Pirate Prince so much. I read the trilogy after a surgery and hoped that Ms. Foley would soon write another. I wasn't disappointed as I am with some authors that don't get new ideas. This was totally fresh and was good from the beginning pages to the end. It's going to be quite difficult to wait until 2002 for her next two books in this new series. So far each of her books rates 5 stars.

This was an excellent book. I am really looking forward to her others concerning the siblings. Gaelen really knows how to write her characters in a unique and interesting manner. If you haven't read Princess, I suggest you do so. It is the best book out of them all!

I've been reading "romance" novels since I happened to get "ransom" by Garwood, struggling to get out of this indulgence.
After reading quite a number of those books, I felt numb by the romance books 'cause of similar characters and plots.
But this book has something touching. "The Princess" brought me some tears at several scenes, but it had some weak plots compared to this.
Let me tell u this. This has some unique story beween the duke, Richard, and the lady-turned courtesan. As other her books, it has some sensual scenes, and touching ones. I enjoyed it!!!

I loved this book. I especially liked the build up of a relationship between the characters. So many of the romance novels feature people who are in "love" and have barely spent any time together. I thought this story was romantic and I liked the fact that Hawk and Bel liked each other from the start.

Between two people who both want revenge is a very tempting things , especially with how the opposites sex attract between men and women. And that's what happen between Hawk and Belinda. As with every stories it end in happily every after but not before they both conquer their fears and heartache.

I have not been this excited about a romance author or novel for that matter, in a long time. This book was really great. I have already ordered more of Gaelen Foley's books.
If you want a romantic fairy tale, this is the book to read!

Gaelen Foley is an excellent writer. Her characters are well developed and she creates a great Alpha male. She is definetely my favorite author and you can tell by the way that she writes that she really takes pride in her work and just doesn't turn out a lot books for pure profit.

If I could give this novel negative five stars, I would. Now, I am perfectly aware that this space is for a book review, not a personal biography, but because I am a feminist doing a review for a romance novel, people will automatically assume I am criticizing this book on principle.

I assure you I am not. But I believe an introduction is needed. I am NOT across-the-board in-favor-of-abortion-no-matter-what, and neither am I completely against it. I AM livid over the fact that there are some people out there that give feminists a bad name, who think that it is somehow unimportant and sexist when a woman wants to be a wife and mother. They think it is a trivial, time-wasting, or easy job to raise children. I am an ardent, militant feminist, and I'll be damned if I ever see the day I dismiss motherhood as being less important than doing marketing work, sales, etc. in the corporate rat race. I really see motherhood as being feminist because usually, it is the homemaker spouse who is the head of the family and the heart, makes the survival day-to-day decisions, e.g., food, hygiene, and safety, and has to keep track of what everyone is doing. Marriage and family is not a business relationship and the leadership role is not determined by the spouse who makes more money. It is not about a wife being weak & submissive & walking two steps behind her husband.

I do NOT think that when some of these little girls you hear about start getting promiscuity, tattoos, & piercings, general useless rebellion, that's somehow "girl power." That is not body confidence, because body confidence is a good thing, and those are bad things. I DO very much support women entering the professional fields in math, science, engineering, and technology. I DO support women's athletics, and I do think that professions that are historically dominated by women are important foundations of society, such as teaching and nursing. Not because men are now also in these fields, but because they are important in and of themselves.

Believe it or not, I do NOT criticize romance novels simply on principle. There is a lot of crap out there, to be sure, but so are there some really cute ones. Julia Quinn's books are smart, heartfelt, and funny and warm, everything that this book, "The Duke," is not. There's one called "Fairy Magic" by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Barbara Samuel, & Karen Harbaugh -that one is lovely.

To sum up this here book "The Duke," a young woman is brutally raped, then after that, she becomes a high-priced prostitute/escort. A guy named Robert "hires" her. I cannot believe there are other reviews on this page that actually say, this book "challenges women's roles," "has forward-thinking views about women," etc. I assure you it does not. It seems the author, one Miss Gaelen Foley, had good intentions because she says so in the author's note at the end of the book, but the execution of it is filth.

Now, it's not the rape of the character Belinda, from her point of view (not the criminal's -thank god), that I have a problem with. I absolutely do not think the author should have excluded rape from the story because "it is too horrible to think about." If a person does become a victim of someone else's sick disgusting criminal sub-human act, the victim has a right to see that criminal brought to justice, and more importantly, to be able to discuss it with someone trusted and heal. Discussing the trauma of rape from the victim's point of view should not and cannot be taboo/stigma.

What I do have a problem with, is the author's handling of this -the character becomes a prostitute. According to the author, the character does this in a fit of revenge. The reasoning behind this completely eludes me. If a person were raped, why in the world would she want to become a prostitute? Revenge against what? To me, it seems the character is only further serving herself up as a victim. The subject of money is brought up, which is understandable. Why couldn't she have gone into the illegal drug trade? Or perhaps smuggling ivory from elephant tusks? Or perhaps being a bookie? (Yes, these industries did exist in the 1700s/1800s.) I accede these are disgusting, but Don't even think about trying to tell me that prostitution is somehow better. The sick fact is, humans do not respect either prostitutes or drug dealers, but at least we fear drug dealers.

This guy Robert treats her like absolute crap. Worse than absolute crap. Like the stuff that crap craps out, and then wipes off of its shoe and says "eww gross" to. Anyone think I'm being too critical of the book? Then you obviously haven't read it. The guy has absolutely no respect for her, and in fact constantly calls her a whore to her face and implies she is less of a human being because of her line of work. Also, you should know that because Belinda was raped, she is scared to have sex. Call me crazy, but to me, that seems completely understandable. If a person has terrifying memories of an act, would they want to do it again? She has no idea that sex if shared between two adults who love and respect each other is something beautiful - all she knows is something violent and disgusting and sick. But the guy starts to get furious as she constantly denies his demands for sex, as if he's thinking, "what the hell am I paying for?" They do eventually have many sadistic forms of sex. Also, near the end, he tells his little sister and her friend to completely ignore Belinda in public -and he will do the same - so that they won't be associated with a prostitute. It just goes to show you what kind of person Robert is.

Absolute hypocrisy and lying to the extreme. If the guy has so much hatred of what she's doing, then why the hell is he shacking up with her? And make no mistake, they ARE shacking up. They sleep in the same bed, he once walked in on her in the bathtub, they attend some sort of prostitute convention, and they have *ahem* sodomy, at his request. Not only that, but in general, this guy is just plain stupid when it comes to many facets of human behavior & insight.

Oh, and he's too proud to marry her, but NOT too proud to keep her off as his live-in whore. A small thing in there that made me furious -apparently, the author thinks being a dinner party hostess and a prostitute are synonymous. Excuse me? I've been a hostess many times, my mother has been a hostess many times, my friends have been hostesses many times, and none of us needed to be a whore to do it. And another thing, petty - what the hell is the deal with that stupid nickname "the hawk?" Obviously, the author thinks this is masculine, virile, a huge turn-on, etc. The author expects us readers to delicately flutter and heave bosom at every mention of the nickname. I just found it irritating.

There is a 12-year age difference between Belinda and "the hawk." The hawk sees this as even more of a reason to emotionally abuse Belinda, calling her naive, inexperienced, etc. It doesn't help that Belinda is the absolute epitome of a weak, useless female, and she is a pasty, salami-skinned 75-pound weakling to boot; and from the description of Robert, he weighs 4 times as much as she. Not fat -just gigantic.

By the way, I absolutely love Charlotte Bronte's classic "Jane Eyre." There, Jane and Rochester were equals. Each genuinely loved the other and treated each other with respect. I am mentioning this because I want to point out the 180-degree difference between "Jane Eyre" and "The Duke." Jane and Rochester had a huge age difference but it hardly mattered. That classic was not a typical romance novel at all- it was intelligent on so many levels, both characters were quite gruff and blunt but NOT belittling the other, and neither character looked like romance novel covers. The love was sweet, tender, and genuine.

At one point in "The Duke" Miss Foley made a page-long speech about how a prostitute had so-called "financial independence" and was therefore better off than someone who was merely a wife. According to her reasoning, a wife was worse off because a wife did not have control of her own money. When reading this, I had to put the book down for a minute, I was LAUGHING so hard. Are you serious, miss Foley? Honey, I would much rather be a poor wife than a rich whore. You know what the problem is with being a rich whore? At the end of the day, you're still a whore -it's not "independence" in any sense of the word. And the fact that a pimp most likely has control of the money has no effect on the financial independence, I'm sure.

And what makes matters much much worse is that, I'm afraid I agree with Robert. I also think that an escort is no better than a glorified prostitute. Do us all a favor and don't call me a hypocrite -I don't have any association with prostitutes.

The ending is absolutely heartbreaking. And not in a good way. She gets out of there for less than a day; he literally arrives on a white horse to tell her to come back; and she goes back to him. I was thinking, honey, don't be that stupid! The guy isn't going to be romantic and spontaneous like that ever again. The ONLY reason he did that at the end - and no, he never exhibited any sort of romantic sweet behavior any other time in the book - was probably because he feared he would no longer have her to beat down and diminish. The author does not use the exact phrase "beat down and diminish," but after reading the whole book, that was the distinct impression I got. The guy was not afraid to lose her because he loved her, he was afraid he would never again find a punching bag that meek.

Here is the difference between heartbreaking in a good way and heartbreaking in a bad way. In a good way, the author of the book (movie, play, etc.) wrote something and MEANT for it to be heartbreaking - the author knew the reader was going to be saddened by the events, and that is what the author intended. I'll give you a weird example, but it works: the ending of "Men in Black II," in which Will Smith's and Rosario Dawson's characters could not be together, but they obviously loved and respected each other. Heartbreaking in a BAD way however, is given a perfect example in this book. The author obviously meant for the ending of this book to be a very lovely beeyootiful romantic happy, etc. ending, but it wasn't happy at all. Just because two people decide to stay together, it does not automatically mean that's a happy ending. If there was an abusive spouse but then the victim spouse decided to stay (endangering his/her physical health and life), would that be a happy ending? No. Unfortunately, this author thinks it is. I as a reader thought it was very heartbreaking, and THAT, dear folks, is heartbreaking in a bad way.

Also, another problem, more subtle, is in the quality of the writing. The author is never fully able to humanize the characters. Oh, sure, clinically psychological evidence is abundant throughout. And that's just it. The characters are just that - a list of psychiatric traits. It's as if the author went to the psychology section of a bookstore, and read through a section on post-traumatic stress disorder after rape, and then simply listed all the symptoms in her book. The character traits sound too researched and clinical - not at all like the author sees them as human beings. Yes, I know, it's only a book, the characters are not living breathing people. But does the author want to be a good author or not? If she does, then she needs to humanize the characters. A better (worse) not-so-subtle example of this is the sex scenes. Sex scenes are expected, it is a romance novel, after all. But they are sick. I almost physically gagged over a few of them. The one or fewer times emotion is mentioned, it is an afterthought. Apparently, the author does not know what genuinely being in love is; she 100% confuses it with cheap sex.

Well, this concludes my tirade. Now, on this webpage there is a question right below -do you find this review helpful -yes or no? I realize there are many people who will pick "no," not because they truly find my review un-helpful, but because they don't agree with my opinion. That is NOT what those buttons are for, but I guess I can't stop you from clicking a mouse button in your own home. If you do decide to click "no," then please at least do it for the right reasons. I think I unwittingly boosted this author's readership with this scathing review -bad publicity is good publicity and all that.