These Old Shades

[openbook booknumber=”9781402219474″][rating:4.5/5]
A notorious duke with a devilish bent…
Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon, is called “Satanas” by enemy and friend alike. In the aristocratic circles of both London and Louis XV’s Paris he has a reputation as a dangerous and debauched rake.
A cast-off urchin with a secret past…
Late one evening, the Duke stumbles upon Leon, a red-haired urchin fleeing a certain beating at his brutal brother’s hands. On a whim, Avon buys the boy and makes him his page. But it soon becomes clear that Leon is not what he seems…
When the grubby Leon turns out to be the enchanting Leonie, the Duke is nor prepared for the breathtaking transformation or the tender emotions she awakens in him, or the unconditional love she had for the man who saved her.
I admit it, I have a bit of a kink when it comes to girls masquerading as guys and managing to pull it off. Especially during times when, historically, it was believed that women were incapable of even a fraction of what men were capable of. To shed the dress and don some breeches and go about the country side takes moxie and young Leon, er, Leonie has that in spades. Her story is wildly entertaining to read about and yet Georgette Heyer manages to kick it up another notch by adding in court intrigue, a debauched rake, and an ancient score that needs to be settled. Little Leonie finds herself in the middle of a whirlwind of scandal and only with the help of her savior, the Duke, does she have a chance to survive.