The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount

Author: Julia London
Published: October 2007 (Pocket Books)
Category: Historical Romance
Series: Desperate Debutantes #3
Rating: 6/10

I was so excited to read this book, after how much I enjoyed the first two in the trilogy, but sadly, I was rather disappointed. It wasn't so much the writing, which is of the highest quality, but the story and characters annoyed me to the point of dislike and made me wish to get to the end as soon as possible. Perhaps I am right in my theory that every trilogy contains a dud. As this is another review that I'm doing three weeks after reading the book, the things that stick out in my mind are those that annoyed me. I will keep it short and take advantage of the blurb.

Lady Phoebe Fairchild is well aware that the ton would be appalled to learn of a young lady of quality involved in a trade. Therefore, she resorts to selling her beautiful handmade gowns under a fictitious name: Madame Dupree. So when circumstances force her to visit the estate of William Darby, the Viscount of Summerfield, to design ball gowns for his sisters, she assumes Madame's identity. Phoebe's discomfort in her new position as hired help is nothing compared to her visceral attraction to the viscount himself. Heathenishly handsome and shamelessly seductive, Will invites her to be his mistress -- and Phoebe is shockingly tempted to accept. But as their desire for each other grows and the risk of exposure becomes even greater, Phoebe is in dire danger of losing her reputation, her livelihood -- and her chance of becoming the bride of the man whose passion has claimed her forever.

Basically, William is lusting after Phoebe, but he knows he shouldn't indulge in a fling with the hired help. If they were found out, he'd lose the tenuous control he's got on his wild siblings. But he falls anyway, and is torn between the woman he loves and the need to marry well. I just didn't like him as a romantic hero. His siblings are horrible little monsters as well. Who'd think that most of them are of marrying age? They hit each other and tattle like little children and I wanted to drown all of them.

Phoebe stews in her "Woe is me, I have been forced to come here and therefore can not show any backbone whatsoever!" For a woman raised in the ton, she couldn't stand up to the scheming seamstress she sold her gowns through. The seamstress confronts Phoebe with her theory that Madame Dupree is a front for Phoebe, and Pheobe can't deny it. She caves should've used her lofty family status to turn her nose up and say that Mme Dupree would no longer supply gowns to such an awful, ungrateful, and greedy woman. But she caves under the seamstress's blackmail threat of exposure in exchange for completing the commission (of which I'm not sure Phoebe was seeing a cent! It was never discussed). I understand why she did it; she didn't want to bring scandal upon her brothers-in-law, who were trying to push through bills in Parliament that protected the working woman. In hindsight, it could've been turned to their advantage, saying that she has firsthand experience of the conditions a working woman is subjected to when she has no rights. But yes, she would've lost respectability and been unmarriageable.

Fine, but then that horrible seamstress shows up at William's estate to deliver her bill in person and check up on Phoebe, and coerce her into taking on more work than the original agreement. Pheobe caves yet again and I wanted to smack some backbone into her. True, she wants to stay longer to be with William, but there was no poetic justice for her sewing pimp. And of course, her staying longer results in her being outed and William doesn't want anything to do with a liar.

And their reunion? It kinda sucks. She finally sees him in London at a ball, and when their eyes meet, he gets all cold and turns away from her. Later, he says that he was taken up with emotion at seeing her again, but CLEARLY that's not what his facial expression says. Of course she accepts him anyway and they do it on her sister's sitting room couch.

Ugh! I was so disappointed with the story!