THE DUKE IS WICKED

In this romance, sparks fly between a sultry English lord and a feisty American heiress.

This third installment of Sumner’s League of Lords series, following The Rake Is Taken (2020), continues the story of a collection of Regency era characters united by the fact that each of them possesses some kind of supernatural power. In this volume, the lord in question is Sebastian Tremont, the Duke of Ashcroft, whose nickname, “Fireball,” notes his ability to start blazes at will. He intends to marry another member of the league, but when he encounters American heiress Delaney Temple, neither can deny the attraction between them, though in tried-and-true Regency romance fashion, they both fight that magnetism for a large chunk of the narrative. The tale is filled with layers and twists that are expertly paced but will certainly reward reading this book only after the two preceding volumes. Delaney and her twin brother are hiding secrets that will catch up to them in the course of the narrative, with the author skillfully revealing their story in a series of carefully timed, exciting disclosures. Sumner also deftly explores the book’s deeper themes about dealing with being different, a fleshing out of how society’s outcasts can find connections with other outsiders. The addition of Delaney to the saga allows the author to work in quite a bit of culture-clash moments since the novel’s tempestuous American has little reverence for ancient British traditions. The tale is filled with snappy dialogue and well-developed characters, although Sumner can sometimes fall back on the overheated prose that is often found in the genre: “Sebastian scratched at the dense stubble on his jaw and studied her, this intriguing creature. Here he was, making outrageously lewd comments, ones he’d never make to a woman of his station, and Delaney wasn’t running from the room.” Regency fans will take that in stride and savor the romantic fireworks.

A lively and enjoyable installment of a supernatural Regency series with a charismatic cast.