Las malas lenguas de la alta sociedad inglesa estarían encantadas de saber que una dama como lady Phoebe Fairchild ha tenido que montar su propio negocio para salir adelante. Por eso, cuando ésta se ve obligada a coser para las hermanas de William Darby, vizconde de Summerfield, decide adoptar una personalidad ficticia y convertirse en madame Dupree. Phoebe descubre que su atracción visceral por el vizconde es correspondida cuando él le propone que sean amantes. A medida que crece el deseo del uno por el otro, también aumentan los riesgos ¿Conseguirá Phoebe que el vizconde la siga amando cuando descubra su verdadera identidad?

Can't say as I found any of the characters likable, which is a shame after enjoying the first two in the series. Phoebe didn't seem capable of thinking her way out of a paper bag except when it was convenient for the plot, and what's-his-name-hero-guy spent the majority of the book bullying everyone, including Phoebe, and prosing on about his "spiritual" six-year journey across the globe. (Where he apparently failed to discover any new ways of looking at the world.) ( )

I am going to state once more that I am not fond of the “big misunderstanding” plot device. I always tell myself I won’t read the whole mess but just skip over it and finish the story. I never do skip ahead though, first it becomes like watching an accident you just can’t seem to look away and second you never know what may be important that will be tucked away in the oncoming drama. This story is one of those plots.

William Darby, Viscount of Summerfield, has come home to assume his duties as heir to his father’s title. Will has been traveling abroad enjoy the freedom of living away from the strictures of London society. When a letter arrives telling Will that his father has had a seizure and to come home at once he hurries back. He finds a house that is disrepair and his siblings are in dire straits the worse is that his father is unable to speak or write. After several months William commissions a wardrobe to be made for his sisters. This alas is where Lady Phoebe Fairchild comes to meet our hero. The woman that she has been selling the gowns she creates through blackmails her into going to Wentworth Hall and making the dresses. We once again learn the price of deceiving those that we love.

Will Darby is intelligent, adventurous and honorable. He is also more than a little self-righteous and at a complete loss on how to deal with his brothers and sisters. He does try to make a better life for everyone in the house, including is disabled father, it is just that he is so far over his head that he can’t see land. Being stuck in the country is chafing. The slow laid back life of a country gentleman is not Will’s style. He longs of the tents of the desert or the palaces of India. For the most part I liked Will. There were a few parts that I would have liked to have “Gibb's slapped” him but they were few.

Phoebe is caught in a web of her own deceit. She never meant to hurt anyone she just wanted to help raise money for she and her sister and cousin to make successful matches. Phoebe is an artist and as a member of the Quality there are no real outlets for her creativity. To make matters worse she is very good at what she does so her work is in great demand. Phoebe is also a dreamer. She is afraid that she will never make a match mostly because she is so shy in public. Her looks draw men to her but she just can’t seem to think of anything to say to them. It also doesn't help that she is surrounded by such strong personalities in Ava and Greer. When she is blackmailed into handling the Summerfield commission she thinks only of going there and doing her job. She doesn't want to become involved in the daily lives of those that live in the house. It isn't long before she is drawn into the lives of those that call Wentworth Hall home. Luckily it isn't until after she has finished all the dresses that she is found out and her heart is broken. Things do work out but not before great deal of misery and heart ache.

Overall this is a very good story and a credit to the Historical Romance genre. There are a few slow spots but they are easy to get through. Ms. London writes wonderful characters that you want to learn all about. Unfortunately some of those are left without a story which is a little irritating. I enjoyed the story enough to put in on my keeper shelf. ( )

I've been a fan of Julia London's from the very start, when I picked up one of her Highlander novels *Highlander in Love, Highlander in Disguise, and Highlander Unbound, all great romance books that I would recommend to anyone!* so it's no surprise that after I finished The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount, I had to add it to my favorites list!

The only problem I had with the book was minor and it was needed for the storyline-- Alice, Will's eldest sister. She was very braty and annoying, I want to slap her! But she does get much better as the story goes on, and by the end you can almost sympahtize with her... almost.

Besides her little attitude problem, the rest of the book is flawless, pulling together romance and laughter, deception and loyalty. Will learns how to love, he helps his family to become whole again, and it's all because of Phoebe. *Oh, yeah, another little 'flaw', in my opinion. Who names the heroine Phoebe? I don't really like the name, but oh well...* Their story is sweet and tender, funny and sexy and most of all real. They 'break up', they have fights, they know *Well, okay, Will thinks* that they can't be together, and yet in the end, they make up, and they get through it, even though she had lied to him about her life.

If there was one thing I would have liked to have a little bit more of in this book it would be the sex scenes. There were only a few, and they were pretty tame, at least to my standards. But they were nice, and well written, so I enjoyed them nonetheless. Maybe it's just because I'm use to reading more 'X' rated romances why I wanted more from those scenes.

4.5/5 STARS! A great story line, placed in a lush historical England setting with a devilishly handsome lord and a strong independant woman-- what more can you ask for? ( )

Considering that I waited a long time for this book and the premise of it was so interesting in which a lady is blackmailed to work as a modiste under the pretense that she is a widow with the returning viscount, i was fairly disappointed in the rollout of the plot. Phoebe has her head in the clouds most of the time and can't do much to stop Will's rambunctious siblings but I felt no character development. The love story between the two also seemed trite and far-fetched. Romance is far-fetched but this type of romance, it just doesn't seem possible at all. If you're all about fairy-tales, go right ahead and enjoy this. If you're looking for substance, take a step back and read something else. ( )