The Duchess in His Bed: A Sins for All Seasons Novel

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I've given this an A for narration and a C+ for content at AudioGals - the narration grade bumps the overall grade up to 4-and-a-bit stars. A recent widow, Selena Sheffield, Duchess of Lushing, has never known passion, not until Aiden’s slow, sensual seduction leads her on a journey of discovery and incredible pleasure. But her reasons for visiting the notorious club are not all that they seem. I’ve said before that I’m a fan of Lorraine Heath’s and it’s no secret that Kate Reading is one of my all-time favourite narrators. But The Duchess in His Bed, book four in the Sins for All Seasons series was a real slog and I had difficulty getting through it. The plot is fairly simple, albeit one that presented certain ethical dilemmas, but there was so much padding that I zoned out for periods of time, and found that so little had happened during those periods that I didn’t need to rewind to catch up with what was going on. Ultimately, I did like the leads. Lorraine Heath is very good at creating characters I care about and want to see get their HEA. I just felt there was a lot of repetitive thought process going on when they could have been interacting with one another. Bosola’s lines here are also interesting because of how they contradict what he has said earlier. When Ferdinand first hands him money, Bosola doesn’t hesitate to ask, “Whose throat must I cut” (1.1.240), yet when Ferdinand tells him he does not want him to kill but to spy, Bosola expresses sudden and vehement opposition, saying, “should I take these, they’d take me to hell” (1.1.256). Yet now, when looking upon the corpses of the Duchess and her children, he changes his tune--”other sins only speak; murder shrieks out.” He has not yet shown true regret for what he has done, but perhaps he has begun to see just how dark his deeds were.

Aiden was a pretty good hero. He fell for Salena without a really clear cut reason, but I was able to put that aside. Not quite insta-love, but insta-lust at least. He was honorable in his own way and cared deeply about his found family. It was interesting to see the circumstances of his birth unravel and I was happy with how all of that turned out. The romance was OK. Overall, I liked the book. If there’d been more build up in the beginning I’d probably be buying into it big time. As it is, it read a bit like a novella. That rushed feeling. But it’s a full length novel, so I’m not sure why it’s rushed. I felt like I accidentally missed a few chapters where they got to know each other better. Like they were lopped off in the beginning for some reason and now a bunch of context is missing. Georgiana knows the pain of being undervalued as a woman. But that never dissuades her from being an attentive and engaged mother to her daughters. She’s also kind to Charlotte, the duke’s daughter from a previous affair. When the duke manipulates her into choosing between Charles and her children, she chooses her offspring. Charles urges her to run away, but she replies, “I cannot abandon my children.” Georgiana’s kind spirit is also evident when she talks her husband into letting Bess stay at their estate.These examples stand in stark contrast to the Duchess, who embodies the second set of examples, “those which married, or proved kind unto their friends.” She is no marble woman but the epitome of the natural, fertile woman. “The olive, pomegranate, mulberry” trees give sustenance to the world around them, just as the Duchess brings life into the world, and cares for that life as much as she is able in the perverted context her brothers subject her to. This quote of Antonio’s shows the positive light the play shines on domestic life and reproductive womanhood, which is exactly what the brothers want to prevent the Duchess from having. The naked sword, however, coming so close to her mention of her “humorous kindred,” also has an ominous note, and foreshadows the violence that will later separate them from each other. This imagery has special resonance since the Duchess just referred to their marriage as “this sacred Gordian,” which alludes to the Gordian knot that could not be untied--instead, Alexander cut it with his sword. In this case, neither the knot nor the Duchess and Antonio will be able to stay whole in the face of violence, no matter how intricately they are bound. Georgiana learns that she has one purpose in the marriage: to provide a male heir. So the birth of two girls (and two stillborn boys) only fuels the duke’s contempt for his witty wife. She’d longed for a man of “patience, determination and resolution.” She gets instead a stonehearted brute who isn’t “interested in anything.” Except, she says, his dogs—and virtually every other woman he can get his hands on. In the event that a court finds that a condition in these Agency Terms & Conditions is illegal or void, the illegal or void provision will be severed from the remainder of the Agency Terms & Conditions, which will continue to be valid and have full force and effect. Aiden Trewlove is one of six bastard children raised by Hettie Trewlove. Hettie was a remarkable woman who raised six remarkable children – five of whom weren’t even hers. She taught them respect, love, caring for others and how to be successful. Aiden owns two very successful clubs – The Cerberus Club, a gaming hell for men and the Elysium Club, recently given to him by his brother Finn, which caters to women. I saw one reviewer refer to it as a brothel for women, but I didn’t get that. Yes, there were a few of the men who worked there who would provide that service if the women wanted it, but the focus of the club was more pampering and caring for the women, giving them a place where they can feel beautiful, respected, and cared about.

Turn left here (signposted Rezare). Be careful as there are two turnings - you need to make sure you take the first one. Drive up the narrow road for about 1/2 a mile until you reach the village of Rezare. Ironically, the Duke of Devonshire is perhaps the only person in all of England who isn’t enthralled with the duchess. Whether it’s shaping fashion trends or engaging with England’s reform-minded politicians, Georgiana’s charismatic presence commands the rapt attention of everyone around her. Your contract is with the Owner and its booking conditions apply. As Agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the Booking. Our responsibilities are limited to making the Booking in accordance with your instructions and acting properly in accordance with our legal duties as an Agent. We accept no responsibility for any information about the Booking that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your Booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the Booking is affected). We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment. Bosola speaks these lines as he is dying. There are multiple death speeches in the fifth act, but Bosola’s is the final. Though the Duchess is clearly the play’s heroine, Bosola in many ways proves its focus. He has more lines than anyone else, Webster listed him first in the cast list--very unusual at the time for a character of no social standing--and he is the most complex character.

Violent Content

Selena was so set on getting pregnant to keep her family in good standing with the ton that she selfishly ignored Aiden's wishes. I also didn't feel that she was selfless towards her family - keeping her position in the ton as the widow of a duke didn't only benefit her sisters but her as well and for more than half of the book that was all she really cared about. She never really understood the depth of the consequences for Aiden if he gave in to what she was asking of him or what it would cost him. Meanwhile, Selena is getting to know more about Aiden – his upbringing with the other bastards sent to Ettie Trewlove, his horrible relationship with his sire, his love for his family. She desperately wants to get pregnant but she is starting to see the larger ramifications of her plan. Eventually, she confesses her plan to Aiden and he must decide if he can give her what she wants.

Kate Middleton and Prince William have bought a new matrimonial bed - that contains no fewer than 4,200 springs.

Spring Park, Rezare, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 9NX

The “Dynasty” icon does not shy away from saying what she really thinks about Hollywood, sexism, Ozempic and everything in between. When asked about the rise of Hollywood stars who become brands, such as Gwyneth Paltrow with her Goop business, Collins replied: “When I was doing ‘Dynasty,’ I had a million brands. I had hats. I had glasses. I still have glasses or eyewear as they call it. I still have a line of eyewear. I’ve had beauty, makeup, skincare, hats, clothes. I’ve had a million brands.