November 26th 2013 | Avon
Source: Library
A rogue ruined...I'm still unsure as to how I feel about this book. While I loved Mara and Temple, I wasn't as invested in their romance as quickly as I was with Phillipa and Cross. It's not to say that I didn't like this book but I'm a little disappointed. It kinda makes me sad that I didn't love this book as much as the second book because Mara and Temple both bring a different type of character in this book.
He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night, Temple has reigned over the darkest of London’s corners for twelve years, wealthy and powerful, but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he’s dreamed of... absolution.
A lady returned...
Mara planned never to return to the world from which she’d run, but when her brother falls deep into debt at Temple’s exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade that ends in her returning to society and proving to the world what only she knows... that he is no killer.
A scandal revealed...
It’s a fine trade, until Temple realizes that the lady—and her past—are more than they seem. It will take every bit of his strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything for honor... and to keep from putting himself on the line for love.
Mara Lowe has been in hiding for twelve years but when her brother gambles away all of his and her money, she has to come out of the hiding to get her money back. Of course, by now, Temple is one of the owners of The Angel where her brother lost all of the money. Temple also happens to be the man accused of killing Mara. Mara Lowe is very much different from the first two ladies of this series: unlike the ladies, Mara has to save herself from the assumptions of the public. People already think she's dead so revealing the truth can cause even more problems for her. But Mara has to do the right thing. For me, it's not to say that Mara was a bad character. She actually was written very, very well but I could not feel empathetic to her. After all, she came back after twelve years simply because the money that was hers was wrongfully spent. There is a good reason for her need for the money but I found it selfish. Attempting to give Mara a chance, I was unable to fully grasp her situation. In the end, the frustration at her actions was too large for me to ignore. So I didn't dislike Mara. I just didn't like her either.
Temple fared better than Mara and I will admit that one of the biggest reasons I liked this book as much as I did was because I cared for Temple. The poor guy did noting wrong but drink a little too much when he was young and was seduced by a young, beautiful woman. I'm not excusing his actions but his actions seemed so minimal to Mara's. I understand that she made a mistake but at the same time, I felt it was wrong for Temple to go down the way he did. I'm honestly not trying to bash oh Mara. I did feel for her after her situation was revealed but for some reason, I felt worse for Temple.
Overall, I liked this book a lot more than A Rogue By Any Other Name but not as much as One Good Earl Deserves a Lover. I should have liked No Good Duke Goes Unpunished a lot more than the other two: everything about it was my kind of novel but it just felt a little off. Maybe I should re-read it to see how I like it then but for now, I'm in the middle with this book. There is no doubt that Sarah MacLean knows what she's writing about and while I'm not the biggest fan, I do like her work. I honestly can't wait for the fourth book, especially after that cliffhanger (which sadly, I had an inkling about and I got it right.)
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