Review: Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt
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Duke of Midnight (Maiden Lane #6) by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical
Grand Central Publishing (October 15, 2013)
Heroine: Artemis Greaves – Overlooked, Lady’s Companion
Hero: Maximus Batten – Duke, Ghost of St. Giles
Review:
Artemis Greaves is the beleaguered companion of her high maintenance cousin, Lady Penelope, and has perfected the art of blending in. Artemis is used to being unseen and unnoticed. Not that Artemis expects life to suddenly become any different. She’s resigned herself to a life as a lady's companion after her brother, and twin, Apollo, was committed to Bedlam for murder. But change it suddenly does when a harebrained idea of Penelope's finds them set upon by a footpad in St. Giles.
Which means that Maximus Batten, Duke of Wakefield and the last remaining Ghost of St. Giles, has to save the silly chits. During the scuffle, Artemis accidentally pulls Max’s signet ring off his hand, which helps Artemis to quickly put two and two together. Now the icy Duke, who is trying to court Penelope, finds a fiery and feminine obstacle in his way. And with so much on his plate already—being a Duke, a vigilante, and a guardian to his younger sister Phoebe—Max will not let Artemis get in his way. Even if he can’t seem to control himself in her presence.
The more time spent with Wakefield, the more his chilliness got to me. He could be passionate and sweet one moment, then nearly totally devoid of feeling or compassion the next. And while I am a fan of the mixed social class trope—titled gentleman falls for his very own Cinderella—Artemis is a lady. Her dad was a Viscount. Wakefield simply didn't think her good enough. Good enough to kiss, and more, but not even a possibility for marriage. That... stung. And angered me. And annoyed me when that opinion didn't change for a long while. It just felt cruel and did not endear me to him.
Because Artemis is caring and kind and, though fierce when need be, a gentle soul. Compassionate and understanding. To see her settle, to accept his small offerings... I didn't want that for her. She deserved more. But, at the same time, love is love. We all make sacrifices. I can't deny the chemistry between the two because it lit the pages up. And the secretiveness of it all only made their passion burn hotter.
Duke of Midnight was full of blackmail, backstabbing, revenge and, of course, romance. I’ve been a big fan of Artemis since she first appeared, so it was beyond lovely to get an entire book in her point of view. I do wish, with the way Artemis and Max’s love story ends, that the epilogue would’ve been focused on them… but, I’ve got to say, it has me curious who the next couple could be. I’m thinking they might be very different from Miz Hoyt’s previous couples. (Can I put in a request for Phoebe Batten as a heroine? Please?)
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