Author: Tracy

Avid reader (and reviewer) of historical romance.

His Scandalous Lessons by Katrina Kendrick

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His Scandalous LessonsHis Scandalous Lessons by Katrina Kendrick

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Private Arrangements, #1

Release Date: June 2015; Re-released August 2023

Anne Sheffield has finally decided to take charge of her life, her father is an MP and an awful man who uses her photographic memory to store information about his enemies, so he can blackmail them. He completely controls her life and has betrothed her to an equally awful man, the Duke of Kendal. But no more, she is done being her father’s puppet and she cannot even contemplate being married to Kendal. She carefully plans her escape from her father’s house and makes her way to the home of his archnemesis and known rake – Richard Grey. She makes a deal with Richard, he will tutor her in the ways of seduction so she can find a different man to marry and in return she will provide him with information to convince his political opponents to vote with him on a bill he is trying to get passed in Parliament. She was sure her scheme would work, but she never counted on falling for Richard or the lengths her father would go to keep her under his control.

Richard Grey is the brother of the Earl of Kent and a powerful political figure, as well as a well-known ladies’ man. When Anne comes to him in the middle of the night for help, he can’t believe that she is the same woman he has seen many times before, a woman who seems more interested in bonnets than politics, but it is clear that she is not the woman the ton thinks she is. Richard agrees to teach her how to attract a man, but never dreams he will be that man or meeting Anne will endanger his own family.

OMG – I loved this story; it ran parallel to his brother’s story – A Touch Wicked and teases readers with future stories regarding more than one secondary character. The book is well written, nicely paced, delightfully steamy and has just enough drama and angst to keep it interesting without becoming too dark. I loved Richard and Anne together and was on the edge of my seat more than once as their love story twisted and turned. This book is part of a series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title – but be warned, once you read this book you are going to want to read them all! *This book was originally published in 2018 and was re-released in 2023*

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

The Last Duke She’d Marry by Anna Campbell

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The Last Duke She’d Marry (Scoundrels of Mayfair, #3)The Last Duke She’d Marry by Anna Campbell

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Scoundrels of Mayfair, #3

Release Date: February 29, 2024

Lady Juliet Frain, the daughter of the Earl of Portdown, was born to be a duchess, in fact she would have already been one if her betrothed had not died in an accident two years ago. As sad as that was, life goes on and Juliet, who is beautiful, rich and perfectly proper, soon finds a new ducal suitor in the form of Alaric Dempster, the Duke of Granville. But when her sister, Viola, creates a scandal with the Earl of Renfrew, Juliet and her other sister Portia retreat to the family’s country estate to wait out the ensuing storm, and she worries that she may have lost Glanville’s regard. That worry was for naught, because her father a Shakespeare devotee has been working on a production and has found the perfect man to play Romeo – Lucas Hebden, the notorious Duke of Evesham, who is devilishly handsome, completely scandalous and happens to be Glanville’s archnemesis. In short, a man she wants nothing to do with, but a man she can’t seem to stop thinking about. Soon Juliet has not one, but two dukes vying for her hand, and when scandal once again visits, she is determined to hold on to her perceived superior moral values, and refuses both men. But one will not go quietly into that night, will she see the truth, or will her self-righteousness cost her the love of a lifetime?

Nine years ago, Lucas helped a friend, fought a duel with the Duke of Granville and left England with an unmarried young lady, under a cloud of suspicion and was later judged to be dishonorable when he did not marry said young lady. Now he is back and is swindled into playing Romeo in an amateur production of Shakespeare by the Earl of Portdown. He is not happy about this turn of events, until he meets the earl’s daughter – Juliet. Despite the fact that she clearly distains him, he soon finds himself falling for her and when they are caught in a compromising position, he does the honorable thing and proposes, but to his complete shock, she turns him down – not once, or twice or even three times, she refuses him four times. Caught in a trap of honor, he is faced with a no-win situation and has to face the fact that HEA might not be for him.

As always, Ms. Campbell writes an amazing story, filled with wonderful, relatable and sometimes flawed characters who worm their way into your heart and take root. Lucas and Juliet share an amazing chemistry, but preconceived notions on Juliet’s part keep them from finding the easy route to HEA. The story has witty banter, a sly earl, lots of dukes, old scandals, new scandals, secrets, honor, steamy love scenes, heartache and a heaping helping of angst before finally reaching HEA and a very lovely epilogue. Personally, I didn’t love this story as much as other reviewers did, Lucas was your stereotypical, misunderstood, heart of gold rake and Juliet was your stereotypical holier-than-thou ice princess, who in my opinion was not at all likable until the epilogue and didn’t deserve Lucas. Overall, this book gets a thumbs up as it was a charming story and I LOVED Lucas, I just wish I could say the same for Juliet. This is the third book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*