Love by a Dangerous Duke by Collette Cameron
Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Seductive Scoundrels #13
Publication Date: 7/20/21
Period: Regency London

I thoroughly enjoy this author’s books. Her characters are always delightful, the writing is excellent, well-paced, and well-delivered, and the witty banter always leaves you wanting more. In this book, we have those delightful characters in the form of Miss Ophelia Breckensole and Stanford Bancroft, the Duke of Asherford. They may seem a most unlikely pair, but it seems opposites really do attract – OR – are they really opposites?

Stanford is known as the Dangerous Duke because of the methods he used to turn the fortunes of his duchy around. He had few options when he inherited the run-down, pockets-to-let title at the age of fourteen. With hard work, courage, determination, and sheer intelligence, he did what most grown men could not – he turned the duchy around and made one of the richest and most powerful ones in the realm. He did all of that by the time he was twenty-five. Many thought he was ruthless, but he had to use the tools at hand and he never, ever, forced anyone to wager. He did, however, expect those who wagered and lost to pay their debts. Strangely, some of those whose debts he collected didn’t think they should be required to pay.

Ophelia Breckensole is a bright light who brings smiles and happiness wherever she goes. She’s good-natured, kind, and loving – and is absolutely aghast when that pompous, cold, hard-hearted, self-centered, dour, Duke of Asherford tells her they should wed. He doesn’t ask her; he just tells her they would suit and then lists all of the reasons she’d make an excellent duchess. He doesn’t even make a rudimentary attempt at wooing. Well – her answer, of course, is a resounding NO! When he persists, she promptly tells him he doesn’t always get what he wants. He just smiles and lets her know that, yes, he does.

When fate decides to step in and lend a hand, Stanford is happy about it – but not happy about it. He’s happy Ophelia will become his Duchess, but he doesn’t want her to feel forced into marrying him. He doesn’t see much choice for her because it is either ruination or marriage – but he still wants her to be able to choose.

It was lovely to watch these two get to know each other and come to love each other. I’m sure Stanford was already in love, he just didn’t know it yet, but Ophelia had always disliked Stanford, so it took a bit for her to have a grand epiphany. As she came to care for him, she realized her heart – “Well, the silly, gullible organ fluttered like an inebriated moth when he directed his full charm toward her.”

I can definitely recommend this book and will probably read it again in a few months. Not only are Ophelia and Stanford delightful, but he had lovely visits with characters from both previous and future books in the series. I hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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No Lady for the Lord, Daughters of Desire {Scandalous Ladies} series, Book 2 by Collette Cameron
Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Daughters of Desire (Scandalous Ladies) #2
Publication Date: 5/12/21
Number of Pages: 280
** 4-Stars **

I thoroughly enjoyed Ronan’s and Mercy’s sweet and uplifting romance. All of the characters are lovely and certainly not what you’d normally expect from members of the aristocracy. Well – most of them aren’t what you’d expect – but three of them could probably fall in a hole and not be missed.

Miss Mercy Feathers was raised in Haven House and Academy for the Enrichment of Young Women where she learned all of the skills needed to be a governess. For the last five years, Mercy has been the governess of two beautiful young girls, Arabelle and Bellamy. Her employer, Lieutenant Lewis Masterson, is a loving father and a considerate employer – but he’s just passed away from lung fever. Things are very tense within their home because the lawyer has released no monies for the running of the household and the girls’ new guardian hasn’t bothered to show up after eight weeks. Mercy has spent all of her own savings trying to keep them all fed – but that is now gone as well. What will they do?

Lord Ronan Brockman certainly got a shock when he returned home from America to find that his friend had died – and Ronan was now the guardian of two very young girls. After a visit from a sleazy lawyer, and sordid tales told by a local barmaid, Ronan doesn’t have any idea what to expect when he arrives at the home of his new charges. Can this governess be the kind of slattern the lawyer and barmaid make her out to be?

Ronan and Mercy certainly get off to a very rocky start and neither of them knows what to expect from the other – or if they even like the other. They each know, however, that each of them cares very much about the girls and what happens to them. Can they learn to abide each other in order to care for the girls?

It was so enjoyable to watch Ronan and Mercy come to care for each other, and I also enjoyed learning of Mercy’s past and the wonderful melding of two loving families. What I didn’t love – though it had no bearing on the romance nor my rating of the story – was the financial situation of Lieutenant Masterson. I liked him very much and that situation seemed to diminish him personally. Since it had little, if any, real bearing on the story, I would have preferred to see that be something a bit different.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy this book as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.