If the Viscount Falls (Duke's Men, #4)

by Sabrina Jeffries

The heir presumptive to the Viscount Rathmoor, Dominick Manton once had his heart's desire within reach-a bright future as a barrister and engagement to Jane Vernon, a wealthy baron's daughter. Then a shattering betrayal by his vindictive brother George snatched away Dom's inheritance and his hopes of offering Jane a secure future. Brokenhearted, and attempting to end their engagement without destroying Jane's reputation, Dom staged a betrayal of his own to convince her that he's not the husband-to-be that she thought.

Now George is gone and the viscountcy restored to Dom, since his brother's widow, Nancy-Jane's cousin and closest confidant-never bore an heir. But when Nancy goes missing, a panicked Jane calls on her former fiancé to track down her cousin. Dom knows the mistakes of the past may be unforgiveable-but now, entangled together in mystery and danger, will they rekindle a passionate longing that was never lost to begin with?

• ISBN10: 1476786046
• ISBN13: 9781476786049
• Publish Date: 29 January 2015 (first published 27 January 2015)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Pocket Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional BookviewsThe Duke's Men had to get involved once more in If the Viscount Falls, and there was romance and mayhem galore!

My If the Viscount Falls review:

Jane was absolutely delightful, and If the Viscount Falls fell right into step with the other stories in this series. A little bit of shenanigans, scorching chemistry, and a second chance at love for Dom and Jane made my heart swoon. Dom, however was very high-handed, and even when he realized he might have a real chance of winning Jane back, he made decisions without consulting her, and continued to treat her like a naive young girl, rather than the strong woman she had grown into.

Dom was the main man behind The Duke's Men, as he needed to find something productive to do in order to earn money after his older brother, George, left him without funds after their father's death. Now, however, George is dead, and Dom is the new Viscount. When Jane shows up to share her distress about her cousin, George's widow, missing, Dom doesn't really think anything is going on. However, he indulges her and goes with her to Bath to see if they can find Nancy safe and sound.

The mystery surrounding Nancy's disappearance, especially because she's not alone, makes the whole reunion between Jane and Dom bittersweet. Danger, secrets, and yet another possibility that Dom will not inherit the title makes him try as best he can to keep his distance from Jane. Not that she makes that easy for him - even if she is finally engaged to someone else but Dom. And of course, the fact that Jane finally showed that she was willing to go after what she wanted made the hotness irresistible. The third person point of view in past tense worked really well, because the narration moved the story along flawlessly. If Dom had been a little more open to Jane's opinion, I would have given If the Viscount Falls five stars.

Some of my favorite If the Viscount Falls quotes:

Lisette eyed him askance. "He didn't call me that, did he?" "Not yet, no. I was too young." Dom let the footman serve him some beef. "That didn't keep me from being curious, though. Tristan was toddling about, and Father and Mrs. Bonnaud were clearly very friendly, so I asked where Mrs. Bonnaud's husband was. Father, evasive as usual, said he was helping her get on without one." Lisette snorted. "Helping her? That's what he called it?"

"Are you rethinking your plan for seduction now?" he asked, with a decided tension in his voice. "No." She cast him a game smile. "Just... reassessing the... er... fit."

[Amanda]

3.5

Having read two of the previous three books, I was seriously looking forward to Dom and Jane's story, especially with the glimpses we've seen in this series. I wanted the real story, since Dom was always grim and silent about Jane, and well, we never got Jane's POV until now.

And I wasn't disappointed-ish. I do enjoy a couple who have been together before but who are finding their way back to each other. With Dom and Jane, they've got nearly twelve years of being apart to contend with... including the dissolution of their engagement.

Baggage. City. And that's where the tension and drama (the good kind) are.

Though I do have to say that I preferred Dom over Jane. Jane was too black and white in her views of Dom. And while yeah, we learn reasons why Jane might view Dom that way, those reasons never sank deep enough to make me believe Jane's reservations. Sometimes Jane just made me want to shake her.

But one thing I've enjoyed about this series is the relationship between Lisette, Tristan, and Dom. It's a bit odd -- Dom, the second son, bonding with Lisette and Tristan, Dom's father's bastard children -- but it works so well.

I also have to say that the mystery -- Nancy's disappearance -- was a good one. Since Dom is the reason the Duke's Men came to be, I'm glad we got to see him in action. And that he got his HEA that he deserves.

[kimbacaffeinate]

 

Caffeinated dates with If the Viscount Falls

First date: We have known Dom since the beginning when his brother George betrayed him. Now George is dead and Dom is the heir presumptive to the Viscount of Rathmoor. Dom has come a long way since his brother betrayed him and owns the Manton’s Investigation dubbed the Duke’s Men. Back at the estate he cannot overlook his former fiancé Jane is visiting her friend at the Dowager house. Jane is newly engaged after twelve years and Dom is depressed at the prospect. Ooo you just know things are going to get interesting when you hear Jane is demanding an audience with him in the foyer. Aannd I slip into the tale.

Second date: The chemistry between Jane and Dom is apparent, with flickers of anger from the past, and despair from Dom thinking all is lost. Jane is concerned because her cousin Nancy has gone missing. Dom feels a little resentment towards Nancy. Years ago, Nancy helped Dom into deceiving Jane forcing her to call of their engagement. Jane believes there is fowl play with Nancy’s disappearance and wants Dom to assist her in locating her cousin. We have a little mystery forcing the two together and it is delicious as they work to solve the case and sort out the baggage between them. Dom can be bossy, and his methodical nature does not work well with the opposite sex. Jane is feisty, angry at the prior trickery and yet she still has feelings for the fool. We meet up with former characters as we investigate Nancy’s disappearance.

Third date: Dom and Jane are playing a dangerous game, and we see occasional flairs of passion and heat. Tempers, miscommunication and Dom’s personality get in the way as they move closer to finding Nancy and perhaps rekindling the past. Nancy may throw a wrench into Dom’s plans, especially if rumors are to be believed, but does any of that matter. Eep! This last date had me flipping the pages, crossing my fingers, and giggling with delight. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer