Lilian and the Irresistible Duke by Virginia Heath review and giveaway

source: ARC courtesy of Rachels Random Resources
title: Lilian and the Irresistible Duke (Secrets of a Victorian Household Book 4)
author: Virginia Heath / Twitter
genre: historical romance
published: February 1, 2020
pages: 288
first line: Lilian huddled beneath her fancy new shawl, enjoying the bracing sea breeze almost as much as the soft heat of the early morning sunrise.
rated: 4 out of 5

about:

Lilian and the Irresistible Duke

A reunion in Rome…Sparks an affair to remember!

Responsible widow Lilian Fairclough is persuaded to travel to Rome for a hard-earned break and to let down her hair! She’s surprised to be reunited with passionate, cynical Italian duke, Pietro Venturi. He reawakens her sensual side and intrigues her with glimpses of pain beneath his rakish surface. Enticed into a secret and temporary affair – what will happen once she returns home?

Purchase Link – Lilian and the Irresistible Duke

my thoughts:

Lilian and the Irresistible Duke is book 4 in Virginia Heath’s Secrets of a Victorian Household series. I have not read the previous books in this series, but this reads fine as a stand alone.

Lilian Fairclough is a 45 year old mother and widow who a few months prior in the previous book in this series shared a passionate kiss during a carriage ride with Italian duke Pietro Venturi. She is now on her way to Rome for a vacation. Her adult children are happily married and they wanted her to get a way for a while and relax. She goes to Rome with her cousin to stay with a friend for several weeks. Little does she know she will run into the tall, dark and handsome Pietro Venturi while on her vacation.

Pietro is a 48 year old widower and a ladies man, but is discreet about it and wants to keep his affairs with no strings attached. When he and Lilian run into each other in Rome, sparks fly again and the two are irresistibly attracted to each other. Lilian can’t believe it  because she never thought she’d feel passion again after her husband passed away. Pietro shows her his gorgeous home, tours her around Rome and pretty much sweeps her off her feet. The two make an arrangement that while Lilian is in Rome they will have a discreet affair and the rules are clear, no strings attached and Pietro will of course only see Lilian during this time. He finds himself enjoying time with her and the conversations they have and soon enough they each begin to become attached even though the rules are set against it from the start.

Virginia Heath does not fail. This is my third time reading her and I thoroughly enjoyed Lilian and the Irresistible Duke . The writing swept me away to Rome and Duke Pietro Venturi is my kind of hero. He’s suave, romantic and enjoys art. He is an aristocrat but runs a successful art gallery because his father spent much of their fortune and left him with debt. Lilian is a great heroine. She’s smart, a good mom and she demands respect. She appreciates art and these two naturally get along. I like reading older couples, they are more relatable and mature. There was a little bit of drama involved in the storyline since the Duke is a ladies man and Lilian holds him accountable for this.

This is a book about two older people who have a second chance at love. It is also a story about the heroine finding herself again now that her kids are grown and living lives of their own. I enjoyed reading about the sights in Rome, the artwork and the romance was great as well.

“Rome had made Lilian realize she was still too young to become nought but a spectator on their lives and much too young to be content to take a step back from the busy lifestyle she had always led. Perhaps that was because she was learning to be just herself one again. Just Lilian. The sensual woman who loved art and had a life of her own to lead, standing poised at a crossroads, no longer fearful, but excited because she had dreams of her own to follow.”
57% Kindle, Lilian and the Irresistible Duke by Virginia Heath

giveaway details:

Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of Lilian and the Irresistible Duke (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Follow this link to enter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494339/?

Author Bio – When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Despite that, it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

If you want to find out more check out virginiaheathromance.com or follow her on Twitter @VirginiaHeath_ 

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Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I received my free review copy of Lilian and the Irresistible Duke by Virginia Heath from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for my honest thoughts.