A Lady’s Code of Misconduct: Rules for the Reckless, Book 5

Political intrigue and conspiracies abound in Duran’s engrossing fifth Rules for the Reckless Victorian romance (after Luck Be a Lady), which boasts plot twists galore. At the center of the complex love story is heiress Jane Mason’s sham marriage to Crispin Burke, one of the most ruthless men in England’s House of Commons. Crispin is bewildered when he wakes up from a coma after a brutal attack and doesn’t remember anything from the past five years—not his career or his brand of political machinations, and not why he secretly married Jane, the niece of one of his cronies. Jane, who lied about being married to Crispin in order to escape her odious uncle’s plans for her money, is terrified of what her “husband” will do when he regains his memory, but she is also falling in love with the new, kinder Crispin. Duran is at the pinnacle of her craft as she weaves together humor, forgiveness, and love in a flawlessly executed plot. Jane, Crispin, and the rest of the characters are all well drawn, and the love scenes strike the perfect balance of steamy and sweet. Each layer in the story is suspenseful and delightful, making this the best installment so far. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary. (Mar.)