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katdid's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The interactions between Lilah/Lily and Kit were hot actually even though there weren’t that many sex scenes. The best part of the story tho imo was the developing friendship between Lily and Catherine (FMC from next book). I was so surprised that Kit killed the villain in cold blood! That never happens! Also will Lily keep working at Everleigh’s once she’s back from her honeymoon? I hope so! She’s worked so hard for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Minor: Murder, Death, and Torture
jackiehorne's review against another edition
3.0
Read this back in the summer, but never seemed to have written up my review. Perhaps because I found myself unexpectedly disappointed by this, a rare occurrence for me with Duran.
The storyline for LADY BE GOOD, and its characters, seemed far more conventional than Duran's usual fare. Kit Palmer has returned from India a war hero, a role he must perform constantly in public, which he despises. Especially as he was captured and tortured by a Russian general, Bolkhov, who holds Kit responsible for the death of his wives and children during wartime. But instead of killing him, the general vows to inflict similar pain on Kit by going after his family. At the start of the book, then, Kit is convinced that Bolkhov has killed his brother, and will soon threaten his sister and mother.
The only clue to Bolkhov's whereabouts lies in the hand of Everleigh's Auction House, which leads Kit to Lilah Marshall, a "hostess" at the house. Born poor and Irish in London, Lilah vowed with her sister that they would pull themselves free of the slums and of the life of crime which they were brought up to pursue. But Lilah's uncle still has a hold on her, and forces her to steal some papers from Everleigh's on his behalf. In the midst of which theft she is discovered by Kit. Who then blackmails her into working for him in his efforts to uncover the whereabouts of Bolkhov.
This one fell flat for me, because there didn't seem to be much keeping Kit and Lilah apart, emotion-wise; the conflict between them was all related to plot. And because the "My family is being threatened by a lunatic" type of plot isn't one that I find very appealing, especially outside of romantic suspense. And because the long middle section of the book, set at a country manor outside London, didn't keep the threat present and thus lacked tension.
I did appreciate that though...
The storyline for LADY BE GOOD, and its characters, seemed far more conventional than Duran's usual fare. Kit Palmer has returned from India a war hero, a role he must perform constantly in public, which he despises. Especially as he was captured and tortured by a Russian general, Bolkhov, who holds Kit responsible for the death of his wives and children during wartime. But instead of killing him, the general vows to inflict similar pain on Kit by going after his family. At the start of the book, then, Kit is convinced that Bolkhov has killed his brother, and will soon threaten his sister and mother.
The only clue to Bolkhov's whereabouts lies in the hand of Everleigh's Auction House, which leads Kit to Lilah Marshall, a "hostess" at the house. Born poor and Irish in London, Lilah vowed with her sister that they would pull themselves free of the slums and of the life of crime which they were brought up to pursue. But Lilah's uncle still has a hold on her, and forces her to steal some papers from Everleigh's on his behalf. In the midst of which theft she is discovered by Kit. Who then blackmails her into working for him in his efforts to uncover the whereabouts of Bolkhov.
This one fell flat for me, because there didn't seem to be much keeping Kit and Lilah apart, emotion-wise; the conflict between them was all related to plot. And because the "My family is being threatened by a lunatic" type of plot isn't one that I find very appealing, especially outside of romantic suspense. And because the long middle section of the book, set at a country manor outside London, didn't keep the threat present and thus lacked tension.
I did appreciate that
Spoiler
Lilah and her employer (also a woman) manage to free themselves, rather than needing to be rescued by Kit or Lilah's uncle, at book's climax,bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
Lilah fought hard to escape her criminal upbringing, finding a legitimate job and distancing herself from the criminal enterprise run by her uncle. But when he threatens her stability Lilah will do what she can to have him leave her alone. Kit is a national hero and is revered everywhere he turns in London. Except he doesn't consider himself a hero and only wants to find peace after coming back from war and accepting his title. When he catches Lilah up to no good he's ready to investigate further but what begins as a game of wits quickly changes to a game of hearts. Can Lilah hold on to her secret or will she lose her heart to a man who cannot be hers? Really great story, loved the banter between Lilah and Kit. First I've read in the Rules for the Reckless series but read easily as a stand-alone. Fun read!
hannahishere's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
One of Durans weaker books for sure
adriftinfictionalworldval's review against another edition
5.0
the characters are all so unique and intriguing!!!!!!! scratched the right parts of my brain
michellesantiago's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a bit to get into the story, but by the end I was swooning over Lilah and Christian. Meredith Duran is one of my favorite historical romance writers--you can't go wrong with a book by her. Full review to come.
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Confinement, and Stalking
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, and Death
northship's review against another edition
3.0
this one fell flat for me. because it is meredith duran, it was still very well-written and leaps and bounds better than a lot of the romance i've read, which is why i gave it three stars instead of two. but as for the book itself, i did not care about either lead as much as i should have, the conflict seemed very contrived, and the villain was just an evil cartoon who in the end, was defeated extremely easily for the way he'd been built up. at the end, i was left wondering, why? it felt like a fill in the blanks rather than a full story that had developed on its own.
again, i will keep reading, and i don't regret reading this, but from someone who has loved all of duran's other works, this was a big disappointment to me.
again, i will keep reading, and i don't regret reading this, but from someone who has loved all of duran's other works, this was a big disappointment to me.