Sofie Darling

The Heroine
Lady Amelia Windermere is a very proper, English lady who adamantly adheres to the rules of society. Her siblings, however, do not. Which is why they find themselves hiding in Italy to wait for her sisters latest scandal to subside. Amelia can’t wait to her back to London and rejoin society. But when she wins a raffle prize, things start to change…Triston, the Duke of Ripon is to sculpt a bust of her! Although she finds him arrogant and rude, Amelia admits she is very attracted to him. She makes a scandalous bargain with him; they will each pose nude for the other to scout or paint. From there, Amelia starts to lower her guard and her society rules start to loosen!

The Hero
Triston, Duke of Ripon has been Duke since he was a small boy. He threw himself into being a good son, a good student and a good Duke. But when it came time to marry, he just can’t imagine himself loving a wife so his fiancé jilted him. Scandal ensued and his mother offered to let him escape the Dukedom for 5 years before he must return and take his place again. He has no desire to return to the restrictions of London society, that is until he pictures a life with Amelia by his side and it somehow seems tolerable.

The Plot
Lady Amelia Takes a Lover is a short, sweet love story that takes two unwilling people and throws them together to discover what they never knew they needed! I believed everything about them and their feelings towards each other. I loved the proper Miss being debauched by the reluctant Duke; it was delicious! This is my first book by Ms. Darling and I am eager to see which Windermere gets their story next!

Tropes
Historical Romance, Regency Era, Italy, Artist Hero, Beta Hero, Rake Hero, Titled Hero, Artist Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Outdoor Steam, Fling to Love… (plus d'informations)

The Runaway Duke by Sofie Darling
Sin & Seduction #4

Smiling as I think about this romance…so much fun watching Nell and Lucas meet, spend time together, and all in love!

What I liked:
* Nell: dressmaker, seamstress, from a poor background, has a difficult backstory but continues to smile, communicates in a forthright manner, drawn to a duke claiming to be a valet, has dreams…
* Lucas: duke, son, brother, falls in love at first sight and sees Nell in a way no other has, a bit deceptive caring, kind, perfect for and with Nell
* That Lucas, even though a duke, is taken with Nell and a bit on edge when around her
* That Nell has endured much and is so strong
* The romance Lucas provided for Nell
* Lucas’s family…would like to know them better
* The smiles and even a chuckle or two enjoyed while reading
* The epilogue and finding out that dreams do come true.

What I didn’t like:
* Thinking about what Nell probably had to endure at times in her life – there was a true divide between the haves and have-nots

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more books by this author? Yes

Thank you to Oliver Heber and Booksprout for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (plus d'informations)

** 3.5 stars **

Two broken people from disparate backgrounds find their HEA despite all of the odds against them.

James Asquith, Marquess of Clare, doesn’t think much of love or relationships – or perhaps just people in general. He was raised by unloving, uncaring, totally debauched parents who could hardly stand to be in the same room with each other. James had been doing a great job of drinking himself into oblivion until his parents were killed in a carriage a few months earlier. For some reason, after they had departed this earth, his need to drink himself to death evaporated. What he has done in the past five months, however, is sequester himself in his home because he needed that time alone. He has shut everyone out, including his brother Nick who we met in the first book of the series, Three Lessons in Seduction. Nick, a former spymaster, wants to know if his brother has finally succeeded in drinking himself to death – or if he is ill – or … So, he hires one of his former spies to infiltrate James’s home and see what is going on.

Hortense Marchand has been the much-loved child of doting parents, a resident of the St. Mary Magdalen workhouse, a pickpocket and member of the Lucky Eels, a spy, and now she conducts discrete inquiries. When her old spymaster approaches to ask her to gain employment in his brother’s home and report back on James’s well-being, she readily agrees. Gaining employment there is easy, but she certainly never expected to get caught in her spying. James certainly isn’t drinking – and he’s very sharp and intelligent – not to mention handsome.

James was intrigued by Hortense during their brief encounter and when he had news that needed further investigation, he decided to hire her for the job. Of course, his stipulation was that he gets to go along during the investigation – and since he offered more payment than she could refuse, she agreed. When that investigation leads to even more shocking revelations, the investigation had to continue – and it had to continue in an area where Hortense dreaded to go. “Once an eel, always an eel.”

I thoroughly enjoyed James and Hortense who were both lovely and relatable characters. I loved how protective James was and how Hortense would bristle at it. What I didn’t love was the cavalier manner the author spoke of annulling the marriage – and that was a large part of the story. An annulment or divorce was all but impossible to get in that period. You didn’t just have ‘papers drawn up to get an annulment even if you were a marquess.

I enjoyed the story, and I liked the characters, but every time the annulment was mentioned, I just lost track of the story. So, while I enjoyed the characters and the story, I probably wouldn’t read it a second time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)