In the Bed of a Duke [Mass Market Paperback]

"In the Bed of a Duke" is the second installment in a trilogy featuring three American sisters who have come to England in order to claim their place in English society (the sisters are all granddaughters of an earl). I haven't read the first book in the trilogy "The Price of Indiscretion" and so cannot say how this second installments compares with the first. However, I have read other Cathy Maxwell novels before and on the whole, I have somewhat mixed feelings about her latest "In the Bed of a Duke." On the one hand, this novel is fast paced and possesses a rather interesting plot-line. On the other hand, however, Ms Maxwell seems to have sacrificed proper character development and a "real" love story in favour of quick action and an almost instantaneous falling in lust/love between her hero and heroine. And I'm not much of a fan of the whole falling in lust/love at first sight scenario.

As the eldest Cameron sister, Charlotte believed that it was her duty to steer her sisters right. And when it became clear to her that sister Miranda was prepared to marry the wealthy and powerful Duke of Colster even though she was in love with someone else ("The Price of Indiscretion"), Charlotte urged her sister to break things off with the Colster. Unfortunately, Charlotte also urged her sister to jilt Colster publicly. Charlotte hadn't realised that in doing so she would be damning her family to scandal so much so that all of society's doors would be closed to them. Now the only way for her to repair things is for her to marry Colster's enemy, Laird MacKenna. Which is why she's off on a journey up north. The last thing Charlotte expected was that she would cross paths with the dreadful Colster, that she would become deeply involved in a mystery involving Colster's family, or that she would find herself perilously attracted to Colster himself...

The plot premise for "In the Bed of a Duke" was a very well done and rather exciting one with almost nonstop action. But, as a result, the slow build to a romance between two characters who, at the start of the book, don't seem to like each other very much, gets lost in the mix. A plot contrivance in the early chapters allows for the couple to indulge in some seamy kisses, and all I could think was that this wasn't very romantic at all. Both Colster and Charlotte fall in lust-love with each other and it just didn't ring true for me. So, even though I enjoyed the entire subplot involving Colster's missing brother and the part Charlotte played in everything, romance-wise, this book could have been better. But I did enjoy "In the Bed of a Duke" and liked both Charlotte and the duke immensely, and so am giving the novel a 3 1/2 to 4 star rating.

Where did the old Cathy Maxwell go? She used to be one of the best Regency romance writers in the genre. Her earlier works were so much better than this one. Yes, plot moves along quickly (too quickly, at some points) and the hero and heroine are likeable, but Maxwell's writing has been "dumbed-down." I think that the Avon editors have really done a disservice to Maxwell. Read some of her earlier books to see the way she can really write. I think it's time she switched publishing houses and allowed her creativity and intelligence to shine through again.

I was really excited for this book to be written, and was left a little disappointed. I had read the other books in this series and thought this would be a great story of conflict and forbidden desire. They were suppose to dislike each other with intensity but that feeling was not well protrayed. In fact they were in each other's arms in the first few chapters. Cathy Maxwell never really explored his relationship with his dead wife enough to explain why he never again planned to wed.

The story wasn't bad but despite the fact that they fell in love so soon in the book, there wasn't much burning romance and desire. Overall it just left me disappointed, Her other works are much better!