Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsSTORY TELLING AT ITS BEST!!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 20, 2015
I loved The Dangerous Gentleman, by Julia London!! The story contains all the elements I like to read in a Historical Romance and is very believable for the era. Tortured hero, Hilarious heroine, very sad story at times, great romance and hot sex scenes. Maybe a little to much angst is the only fault I could find in the story. Some things between Adrian and Lilliana could have been resolved easily if they had communicated better. I first read this book about 15 yrs ago, so I decided it was time for a re read. I had forgotten a lot of the storyline but as I read it came back to me.
Adrian Spence has killed his beloved cousin Phillip Rothembow in a duel. Adrian never meant this to happen. Poor Adrian doesn't figure out until later that it was Phillip who wanted and caused his the duel and own death. Adrian is the Earl of Albright and future heir too his evil mean and abusive father the Marquis of Keatling. Archie as Adrian calls him hates his son with unreasonable hatred. Lord Keatling had abused Adrian's mother and himself mentally and physically. Benedict is the 2nd son and Lord Keatling gives him all his love and attention. He does everything he can to disown Adrian so he can give everything to Benedict. Benedict is a weak man and does all he can to come between Lilliana and Adrian once they are married. In Revenge Adrian has married Lillian Daschell the women his brother Benedict loved and intended to marry. In a rage after being unfairly and meanly disinherited of all money and property that was not entailed to the title and given to his brother Benedict, Adrian goes after Lilliana an sweeps her off her feet and marries her to get even with his father and brother.
Lillian is at times very funny trying to obtain her husbands affections and does the crazies things that will have you laughing out loud. I like Lillian becasue she is a fighter and she never gives up. She really fights for her man. She searches out the truth about Adrian, his father and his brother Benedict. Her question is why Lord Keatling hates his heir but adorns his 2nd son. They supposedly had the same mother. But before she finds out the truth Benedict has plans of his own to ruin the marriage between his brother Adrian and Lilliana. He take advantage of situations that cause Adrian and Lilliana to distrust each other. He lies to both of them causing strife and rifts in the marriage. Lillian finds out the truth and it is a shock as to what happen to cause Lord Keatling to hate and abuse his wife and son. Believe me it doesn't quit him of the hurt and evil he has done to Adrian and his deceased mother.
Julia London is a master storyteller!! She stays true to the Historical era. I couldn't put the story down and was surprised that it took me so long to re read The Dangerous Gentleman. I re read The Devil's Love by Julia London every year as it is one of my all time favorite Historical Romance
novels. I highly Recommend The Dangerous Gentleman and my favorite The Devil's Love by Julia London!! The Devil's Love is a Stand Alone story and The Dangerous Gentleman is bk1 of The Rogues of Regent Street series.
