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A Lady Code of Misconduct Rules for the Reckless Meredith Duran 9781501139024 Books

Download As PDF : A Lady Code of Misconduct Rules for the Reckless Meredith Duran 9781501139024 Books

A Lady Code of Misconduct Rules for the Reckless Meredith Duran 9781501139024 Books

Lengthy plot, but overall a very interesting romance & mystery. The 2 main characters were very well-matched. I gave this 4 stars b/c I thought the author included too much "inner dialogue" between the 2 main characters of their doubts of their relationship & of themselves. It became a bit tedious & overanalyzed as the romance progressed.


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A Lady Code of Misconduct Rules for the Reckless Meredith Duran 9781501139024 Books Reviews

Well, I’m not giving this book 3 stars because it contains too much politics; there’s nothing I hate more than wallpaper historical romance and if the hero is a politician then I have no problem at all with him actually doing his job or reconsidering his principles.

No, I’m giving this book 3 stars because it didn’t really grip me emotionally, and with all the rave reviews I’d read I expected to be swept away. This is my first Meredith Duran book and I can see why so many readers love her. The writing is smooth and the characterisation is nuanced. The beginning of the book has a wonderfully tantalising scenario, as Christian’s abrupt realisation of Jane’s intelligence and strong will startles him out of his emotionally distanced disdain for all around him. For her part, Jane is reluctantly attracted to him physically but repelled by his coldness. I looked forward to seeing their feelings change. But the plot doesn’t really allow that to happen.

I have nothing against the amnesia trope. Yes, it’s rife with improbable conveniences, but the whole romance genre requires plenty of suspension of disbelief. The problem here, for me, was that Christian wakes up as a completely different person (at least outwardly) and it is this new Christian who Jane falls in love with, all the while fearing the return of the formidable Mr Burke. And Christian seems to wake up already half in love with this wife he can’t even remember. His amnesia may be necessary for the political and mystery elements of the story but it means that we don’t really experience Jane and Christian falling in love whilst in possession of full knowledge of each other and of their history, and I found that rather unsatisfying in the end.

My criticism is that the story didn’t develop in the way I wanted it to (especially in hindsight), not that that the book has any technical flaws. I will give Duran another try but for me this one didn’t live up to its hype.
I approached this book skeptically. Very skeptically. It earned high marks from reviewers I respect, but the amnesia trope usually does not bode well. And the title and cover A Lady's Code of Misconduct and a woman alone, in a ball gown, at the foot of a grand staircase. Sounds rather trite and as if a light touch is to be expected.

Wrong. The book is intelligently written and assumes intelligence on the part of the reader. The characters are multi-faceted. The book is well written.

But the crux of the book involves issues not usually found in a HR. In personal lives and politics, when are deceit and lies permissible and to what extent? Are they allowed if they serve a greater good? Can people do what is best for them if it is bad for others? What do those decisions do to the individual making them?

Given the mood and the political climate in which we live, there is no better time to examine the nature of politics and of the human heart.

That is not to say the book is not entertaining or romantic, but it is certainly not the comic treatment of amnesia and a lady's concern about where she should stand in line to go to dinner that I anticipated.

There are some real HR stinkers out there at present. This book is a rare treat. A "lonely petunia in an onion patch" as Captain Kangaroo used to say (notice my use of a fancy literary allusion). Not only is the book well plotted and populated by people with many dimensions, but it has been vetted by editors who polished and proofread the text!

I would not change the amnesia aspect for anything--but the title and cover are a different story. Literally.
As usual, Duran's character building is off the hook. I found the characters of Jane Mason and Crispin Burke to be fascinating as developed by Duran. The repressive family into which Jane was placed following the deaths of her parents did not result in the quenching of her spirit even though it's been six long ugly years. She waits with a spider like ability to plot and plan for the day she will be free of the stifling life she must lead as the niece of an unethical politician who makes full use of her money to purchase those he desires to control.

As ugly as Uncle Phillip is, there's an uglier character who is more powerful than her uncle. That would be the handsome, somewhat brilliant and absolutely hardcore driven Crispin Burke. Although Jane has learned she must be a quiet shadow against the backdrop of the drawing room where evil men plot, she has big plans - in which she will escape with her money and try to do some good for those who live less privileged lives even as her parents did before their deaths.

When Crispin suddenly realizes Jane Mason has some intelligence and spirit, not hitherto noticed by him, he begins to try and deal with her - he's a user plain and simple. Since her plans for escape have failed, she must needs make a deal with the devil. But, nobody counts on Crispin having a total turnaround, due to near death caused by a head injury. If you've seen the movie "Regarding Henry," you'll better understand the type of transformation head injuries often have on the injured person. Crispin awakens to a world where the last few years simply don't exist in his mind. Those were formative years for Crispin, in which he had turned into a cold, calculative, domineering, motivated person who planned to become Prime Minister.

The Crispin who has awakened without the "ugly" part of himself is a very likeable person. Through his eyes, we see the hurts, disappointments and perhaps even a learning disability that led him to make the choice to go down a dark path. Misunderstood by his parents, he was never given the love and acceptance he deserved. Now, he has another chance to make it right - hopefully with Jane Mason at his side. But, Jane has practiced a deception of her own. Will Crispin be able to forgive her once he learns the truth?

Bonus The Duke of Auburn, The Duke of Shadows, has a minor role along with enough references to Lord Lockwell for those interested in his character to hope for an upcoming book that will feature him in the primary role.

I found the story fascinating. Duran is quite the writer.
Lengthy plot, but overall a very interesting romance & mystery. The 2 main characters were very well-matched. I gave this 4 stars b/c I thought the author included too much "inner dialogue" between the 2 main characters of their doubts of their relationship & of themselves. It became a bit tedious & overanalyzed as the romance progressed.