A series in which Holly tries to figure out: What is the deal with dukes?
Heat Factor: Each novella has at least two sex scenes, but I don’t think the stories quite cross the line into erotic romance. Bonus points for lots of explicit consent.
Character Chemistry: Sizzling. In every story.
Plot: Woman propositions Duke. Duke agrees to sexytimes. “But we can’t have anything more.” Everyone wants more.
Overall: Sexy and fun
The Third Rule of Scoundrels
Thanks to Susan Craig for the recommendation! I was looking for inspiration for The Duke Project, and Temple is, indeed, a prime specimen of Duke-ish-ness.
Heat Factor: Simmering
Character Chemistry: Sizzling
Plot: You ruined my life, and now I will have my revenge!
Overall: Well executed, but I couldn’t get over the initial premise
Desperate Duchesses, Book 2
Heat Factor: Sex is more poetic than explicit
Character Chemistry: Honestly, Poppy has more chemistry with Jemma, but, then again, she spends a lot more time with Jemma than with her husband
Plot: Fletch publicly insults Poppy, so she moves out, tries to convince herself she never loved him, and finds herself
Overall: My heart is glowing and I cannot explain why
Devil You Know, Book 1
Heat Factor: There is a stupendous amount of very detailed foreplay
Character Chemistry: Their chemistry carries the book
Plot: Overcoming sexual trauma, with a heavy side of blackmail and death threats
Overall: The relationship is great, but the rest didn’t quite work for me
You know the line. It’s been repeated so many times, in so many reboots and memes and jokes about rice: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Spiderman’s mantra is so cliché, but it also points to a central component of our cultural understanding of what it means to Be A Man.
Let’s start by talking about how Spider-Man gets to this point. (Thanks to my husband for talking through Spider-Man’s origin story with me in excruciating detail.) He is bitten by a radioactive spider, which results in him being able to climb walls and other spider-y abilities. This is the power, which he spontaneously gets without much effort. And what does he do with it initially? He climbs walls for funsies, and he uses his newfound skills to make money. He wants to impress Mary Jane, or be cool, or just goof off. In the throes of his self-indulgent stage, he lets a criminal go, because catching him is inconvenient, and plus, he’s feeling a bit petty – and that criminal goes on to murder his beloved Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben had given him a lecture on power and responsibility just recently, but it took a personal tragedy for Spider-Man to decide that he is personally responsible for making the world better – because he has the power to do so – and to start fighting crime.
So what does this have to do with dukes? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Continue reading “In Which We Discuss the Similarities Between Dukes and Spider-Man”
The Smut Report 